For Ham Fans and Oyster Eaters

I have an ever-growing list of San Francisco restaurants I want to try chicken-scratched on notebook paper, taped to my fridge. Even though I'm always adding (it seems like a new hot place pops up every week in this city), I'm also able to cross off quite a few. One that's been on my list for almost two years is Hog & Rocks. The San Francisco Chronicle had named it one of the "Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants" in 2013, so it was time to give it a try. It's advertised as a place for "oyster eaters, ham fans and whiskey lovers." While not on-board with the whiskey, the food combo sounds pretty unbeatable, so we finally went to check it out last weekend.

Exterior on 19th!

Interior Art

The restaurant is located on 19th in the Mission. It's the typical smaller size of a Mission gastropub but not impossible to get into. We made dinner reservations earlier the same day (OpenTable said they were full but a call to the hostess proved otherwise). The ambiance is dim lighting but highlighting wall art of what else but pigs, oysters and whiskey. While the restaurant was almost totally full and felt like an energetic Friday night, it wasn't hard to hear across the table (which I appreciate the older I get). For a whiskey bar, it still had a good wine list with some reasonably priced options, so that was a nice discovery. In terms of the menu, we first tackled the "rocks" portion. There were 6 different fresh oyster options, so we tried one of each. It was a wide selection from various regions, so you could actually tell the difference between them which was fun. We also ordered the BBQ oysters, which were tasty but didn't hold a candle to Hog Island's chipotle bourbon BBQ oysters. From the "snacks" menu, we got the artisan pretzels (one is not big enough to spit unless you only want 2-3 bites) and the pimento cheese dip (which  you have to order separately). For a smaller sized pretzel, they give you a giant bowl of cheese, so they should either give you more things to put the cheese on or a smaller bowl and drop the price. We also ordered the deviled eggs and as a huge fan of deviled eggs I feel completely comfortable saying they were possibly the best deviled eggs I've ever had. What really elevates them above other deviled eggs is that ham is involved, plus they're topped with deep fried oysters. Lastly we tried the trotter tots, which are basically deep-fried tater tots infused with pig's feet to give it a fatty pork flavor. They were served with a smoked garlic ranch dipping sauce and fennel bulbs. They definitely elevated plain old tater tots to a whole new level. In summary, their menu is pretty inventive and they stay within theme, so if you like pork products or oysters you'd be satisfied. My main point of contention with them is the price point. 4 glasses of middle of the price-range wine, plus all the food mentioned above came to $150 and frankly we probably could have eaten even more.

Deviled Eggs

Trotter Tots

A Night Out in Japantown

Last Sunday was the Golden Globes and amidst the flurry of sequins and champagne, we saw the top contenders of this awards season come through. Notable winners (that I’m all very happy about) included “American Hustle,” “12 Years as a Slave,” Amy Adams, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Lawrence, Jared Leto and “Breaking Bad” (going out in a blaze of glory).

I've been able to see most of this season's nominated movies but one I was missing was “Her,” so I went to check it out Friday night. For Golden Globes it was up for “Best Picture- Comedy or Musical” but lost to “American Hustle.” Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for “Best Actor- Comedy or Musical” but lost to Leo DiCaprio. Spike Jonze did end up winning one for “Best Screenplay.” I went in with relatively low expectations. Despite the nominations, personal reviews from friends described it as strange and awkward. However, a few who’d seen it had proclaimed it to be one of the best they’d seen all year. The premise of the movie is definitely original and a tale for our time (or the not-so-distant future). When a man going through divorce is burned out on human relationships he turns to his operating system (OS) for emotional connection and love. While there are some awkward “sex” scenes, the rest is pretty relatable to human relationships. Phoenix does a good job playing downtrodden yet hopelessly romantic. Scarlett Johansson does the voice of Samantha, the OS. That woman does have a pretty sexy voice! Amy Adams had a great smaller role which I think could have been expanded on a little more, as it seemed like she had more of past with Phoenix’s character but that was glazed over.  There were also good cameos by Olivia Wilde and Rooney Mara. I love Spike Jonze movies (“Adaptation,” “Being John Malkovich”) so I was glad he won for screenplay but surprised he wasn't even nominated for director. I thought there were some very visually stunning scenes and shots that really conveyed the emotional turmoil of Phoenix’s character. I always forget that Jonze got his start in directing by making music videos for the likes of Beastie Boys and Bjork. I do have to say, no one makes music videos like that anymore! Anyway, I digress. I would definitely recommend making “Her” one of the movies to see this season. It’s a timely and relevant love story that’s both charming and sad.

On another side note, we went to see “Her” at the Sundance Kabuki Theater in Japantown. Beforehand, instead of patroning one of the many authentic and delicious ramen shops nearby (I recommend Tanpopo) we decided to hit up Benihana. I love Benihana. Perhaps in a city filled with amazing Asian options, this could be considered a travesty but there are no other hibachi options. First off, in a city filled with waitlists, getting a reservation at Benihana is extremely easy. I even saw them take some walk-ins. At Benihana you not only get 5 courses of food but a showmanship of knives and flames right in front of you. Their fried rice is fantastic, as are their dipping sauces. So we got a soup, salad, shrimp appetizer, bowl of fried rice, chicken and steak entrée, plus had to duck out before we could get the green tea ice cream. All that food, plus a large sake ran me $35. I’m sorry, but in San Francisco I can rarely get out a restaurant for under $50 if I get a drink, appetizer and main course. People kept asking what my friend and I were celebrating. Can we just be celebrating a love of Benihana??

I mean, even Don Draper likes Benihana!

Oh The Shows...

Sad to say but I've fallen a little behind on the blogging in the last couple months. Those travel ones took so much time I got a little burned out. But never fear loyal readers (aka Mom), I'm back at it! Even though I went to see the following shows in November and December, they were great enough to rehash.

The first weekend in November I went to see Charli XCX at Slim's in SOMA. She's a saucy English singer and songwriter who's been at it since 2008 (when she was 15). She gain notoriety when she was featured on Icona Pop's big hit, "I Love It." I enjoyed her second album "True Romance," which featured songs like "You- Ha Ha Ha," "Set Me Free" and "Cloud Aura." In concert she was very energetic and fun to watch. She's still pretty young so don't expect anything too deep, just an upbeat tempo that good for dancing and running. If she keeps playing smaller venues with space to dance I'd recommend checking her. In recent news she's been added to the SXSW 2014 lineup and will be releasing her third studio album in June.

The following week I went to check out a new venue and band in the Mission. The show was at the new venue, The Chapel, on Valencia. It was originally a mortuary and is now a venue, restaurant, bar and outdoor patio. The restaurant is called The Vestry. We ate and had drinks there before. They have a fun cocktail menu and a lot of small plate and flatbread options that are going for sharing. The cuisine is a blend of French, Italian and Mediterranean. The best part? Our server was fully up on what was happening at the venue next door so we knew exactly when it was time to pay the tab and head over. Inside the venue, you could tell it had been a mortuary at some point, with the high ceilings, stained glass windows and Gothic feel. The ambiance was original and very cool, with the size just big enough for an intimate show experience. The show we saw was Glasser, who I hadn't heard of until the friend I went with recommended her. Glasser is an American singer/songwriter hailing from Boston. Her first EP debuted in 2009, followed by her full album in 2010. Her other album dropped in 2013. Her sound is very funky. On her Wiki page they compared her to Joni Mitchell but with the eerie electronic vibe I'd go more with someone like Purity Ring. It was a good show, pretty outside the box, but considering what we paid plus the venue I'm happy I went.

Near the end of November I went to the Fox Theater in Oakland for Chvrches. I was very excited by this one, as they've started selling out shows since they got big and I missed them the first time around. Chvrches (don't ask me say this band name out loud although apparently it's just "churches") is a Scottish synthpop band that formed in 2011. The band has no religious affiliation, just thought the name "sounded cool." They started releasing tracks in 2012, including my favorite "The Mother We Share." Their next single "Recover" starting blowing up in early 2013. Chvrches ended up 5th on BBC's Sound of 2013, of which Haim was named the winner. Another lesser known favorite of mine, Little Green Cars, was also on the list. Back to the show, it was amazing. The lighting was fun but not overdone. Sometimes when you hear synthpop live it just sounds like over-processed EDM but their sound was crystal clear. Her voice sounded exactly like it does on the albums, so there's no digital processing there. I would highly recommended seeing them live if you can.

In early December I went back to the Fox to see the Head & the Heart. an indie folk rock band out of Seattle. They formed in 2009 and self-released their first music in 2010, got signed and released the album on CD and vinyl in 2011. The band is comprised of five guys and though it's not on their Wiki page (which lacks detail and clearly needs to be updated), there's a girl member (who plays a killer violin). Their songs range from being piano, violin or percussion driven, which shows a wide range of skill. Their lyrics are beautiful and soulful. Live it was one of those truly impactful shows where you can tell the whole audience is having an emotional connection with the music. While already a darling on the indie scene, I think this band is still in the process of taking off even more. Expect them to start showing up on a lot of festival lineups. Definitely check them out.

Where Has All the Lolcats Gone??

Because it's almost Caturday and it's been a while since the last cat post, I went to check I Can Has Cheezburger for some quality memes only to discover it's been invaded by other animals! There was barely a lolcat in sight/on site. Not cool Cheezeburger. The following are brought to you by lolcat.com, a site that has not lost the vision. KTHXBAI.

Holiday Movie Wrap-Up

I love the holiday season for so many reasons (the lights, family and friends, the ridiculous amount of food consumed, the mulled wine), but one of those reasons is the movies. Over the last couple weeks I made sure to check out a few of the upcoming awards season’s top contenders.

My favorite would have to be David O. Russell’s “American Hustle.” The movie is nominated for a bunch of SAG and Golden Globes. While I think it’s deserving of many of them, the nomination that best represents this movie is the SAG’s  “Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture,” meaning everyone played their roles to perfection. Christian Bale is the lead con man, who while being hopeless, ethically/morally loose, wearing the most creative comb-over ever and a pot belly (he gained significant weight for this role), is also a Lothario. In his con life he enlists the skills of his lover, played by Amy Adams (whose plunging necklines required a lot of double sided tape throughout filming). At home he has an alcoholic, manipulative wife, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence seems to be getting the most accolades out of everyone and is well deserved. While she seems a little young for the role, I read she perfected her accent by watching a large amount of reality TV, which tends to be based in New Jersey. Bradley Cooper plays an FBI agent with a pretty killer ‘80s perm. Jeremy Renner has a smaller role in the movie as a mayor who ends up getting caught up in the main scheme. Comedian Louis C.K. plays Cooper’s boss at the FBI and while it’s not your standard “funny guy” role, his scenes are enjoyably laughable. Robert De Niro also has a pretty stellar cameo. It’s clearly a movie from Russell, as the movie is less about the plot and more about the character development. The movie seemed chaotic at times but the characters made it charming. The tacky and glitz 70’s were the perfect backdrop to their con-man shenanigans. So far, I’d say this is the biggest must-see prior to the awards shows.

Last weekend I went to see Martin Scorsese’s new movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street.” I was a little hesitant about this one after hearing a lot of mixed reviews but I usually love Scorsese (and Leo!) so I went for it. First off, I can see why few people over the age of 40 enjoyed it. It’s basically a 3 hour fuck-fest (sorry for the language Mom but it’s the best way to convey it) with c-notes, hookers and drugs. So I’m also guessing every guy under the age of 35 thinks this is the best movie ever. I will say that I liked it despite the graphicness (but I am nowhere near what one would consider a prude). The movie is actually based on a true story believe it or not of Wall Street broker turned convict turned motivational speaker Jordan Belfort. Some of the stories and dialog are lifted directly from Belfort’s memoir while some of the stories (like throwing midgets like human darts) are a little more questionable. The firm Belfort started, Stratton Oakmont, was actually also the inspiration behind the 2000 movie “Boiler Room.” Leo DiCaprio does a great job as the charismatic Belfort. His character narrates asides directly to the camera throughout the movie, giving us more insight into some of his crazy behavior. DiCaprio actually makes the character semi-likable that sometime you want him to get away with everything. Jonah Hill, Hollywood’s new go-to sidekick, is awkward yet brilliant as Belfort’s sidekick. Matthew McConaughey is only in one scene in the whole movie but it’s a totally scene stealer. Another upside, the 3 hour movie flies by like a frantic drug rambling, so there are never really any lulls. I’m glad I went to see once but will I ever watch it again? Probably not. One fun fact not in the movie: While serving time in a while collar prison, Belfort was cellmate with Tommy Chong, of “Cheech & Chong.” Chong was actually the one who encouraged him to write the book.

The other noteworthy movie I went to see was “Inside Llewyn Davis,” the new movie by the Coen brothers. For the most part I really like their movies and think they write great, dry dialog. I wasn’t a fan of their more recent foray, “A Serious Man,” and this one felt very similar. The plot was pretty slow, the scenery bleak and the overall feeling was just depressing. It starred Oscar Isaac, who did a decent job with all the acting and singing. I usually like Cary Mulligan, who was the main female role in this, but even she seemed lackluster. I do have to say though that Justin Timberlake breaks the mold again with a pretty amazing cameo. I never knew I’d be so impressed by his acting chops. John Goodman does a decent job in his role and Garrett Hedlund got paid to pretty much not say anything. I was happy to see Adam Driver (from "Girls") getting movie roles. Young Bob Dylan gets a clever shout out near the end of the movie. Overall, I think the best part of the movie was the cat. Unless you’re in the mood for something depressing or you really like 1960s folk music, I’d say your fine skipping this one. I think it got nominations because of the prestige the Coen name carries but I’d be surprised if it wins any of the Golden Globes it’s up for.

November Moviemania

While holiday season is exciting for a great many number of reasons, one of those is the release of better movies. Theater attendance spikes, with blockbuster releases planned on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days (my family always sees a movie Christmas Eve- one of my favorite relaxing traditions!). Oscar races are right around the corner so all the notable indie releases happen too. While I saw a bunch of movies last month, here's a few I think are worth mentioning:

Last weekend I went to see the second "Hunger Games" installment (I wish I was young enough to catch the midnight release and still be able to function at work the next day). I was a big fan of the first movie and felt it was the best adaptation of a book that's I'd seen in quite a while. I have to say, the second one is even better! Some people are complaining about the length (run time of 2.4 hours) but for the fans it's not an issue, I mean, it's shorter than any "Lord of the Rings" movie. The casting for the other victors was really good (love Jena Malone as vicious Johanna). Philip Seymour Hoffman is a good addition to pretty much any movie and is perfectly shady in the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, who was less memorable as a written character. All of the special affects in the arena were visually stunning and the costumes for the victor's parade should definitely be nominated for it's creative way to translate a book description into fashion. If I don't go see it again in theaters, I will probably buy it when it comes out on video. The third installment, "Mockingjay" will be split into two (mo' money for studios!), with the first one slated to come out November 2014.

Would my work judge me for Hunger Games wallpaper?

A movie likely to be up for a lot of nominations is "Dallas Buyer's Club," starring Matthew McConaughey. The movie takes place in the mid-80's when the HIV/AIDS scare was really starting to ramp up. Cowboy/hustler Woodroof (McConaughey) learns he has HIV and when he goes to the hospital finds out that the drug their testing is actually more harmful than helpful. He heads to Mexico and finds cheaper drugs to bring into the States, starting a drug club of his own. He reluctantly befriends transvestite Rayon, who I thought looked familiar but didn't find out until after that it's Jared Leto. The buzz is that Leto is likely to be up for "best supporting" awards when the season rolls around. McConaughey surprised me with his acting skills again, I thought it was on par with "Mud." I guess he just needed to break away from his rom com cast typing. My only qualm with the movie was Jennifer Garner's performance as an empathetic doctor who supposedly feels passionate about the issue but Garner's flat emotion seems the opposite of passion.

Leto and McConaughey

I have a nerdy weakness for all movies related to "The Avengers" so I went to see "Thor: The Dark World." It was pretty good, very comparable to the first "Thor." The plot line was similar but a good action movie if you need to shut off your brain for a while. Chris Hemsworth seems born to play the role of Thor. Natalie Portman is fine, but I more enjoy Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard as her quirky scientific sidekicks. Tom Hiddleston brings the character of Loki to the forefront and makes him almost someone you want to root for. Also, the bad guys in this movie being "evil elves" was a bit silly but I'm sure that was taken from the comics so I won't blame the screenwriters for that. The movie's not a must see and will probably be a frequent rotater on cable once it comes out.

Lastly, I also went to see the (over) hyped "Gravity," with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Clooney's character is pretty enjoyable but SPOILER ALERT: he dies off fairly quickly and then it's just Bullock floating around in space, which is pretty boring. It's like Hanks in "Castaway" or Farrell in "Phone Booth." Movies with only one set location tend to give way to overly introspective monologues. Bullock should have probably died about 10 different times but seems to persevere somehow. There also just seems to be a lot of plausibility issues overall, like one second she's floating over China and the next second she's over Europe. There's no way she's just floating around the world that fast. The views of Earth from space are probably the best part of the movie, so I'd rather just watch some NASA special on the Discovery Channel. Could someone who loved this movie please explain to me what I'm missing? 

Sandra- stick to "Speed"!

Friendsgiving SF-Style

Last Sunday night a few of us got together for a "Friendsgiving" dinner, only instead of turkey and pot luck dishes we hit one of the hottest new Mexican restaurants in San Francisco. I mean, I like turkey but I'd really rather just have some nice ceviche and a margarita. The place I'm referring to is La Urbana, which opened about 3-4 months ago and while it's been labeled as one of the trendy new spots to go, it's not insane yet. However, based on the amazing food, fancy cocktails, cool ambiance and fun location (Alamo Square on Divisadero), I'd go now and try to get in while you can. Eater SF just nominated it as one of five "So Hot Right Now" restaurants although Stones Throw won. It was also nominated for "Stone Cold Stunner" but honestly I'm not really sure what that means...

The inside of the restaurant is mostly modern with Mexico City influences, with brightly painted wood, neon lights, skeletons and cacti succulent arrangements. We ended up getting seated at the communal table, which I was a little nervous about (especially when the other half was initially comprised of mostly small children when we first got there- what were they even eating there?!), but it really wasn't bad. There's a tinted glass partial wall that separates it from the restaurant and cuts down on the noise a bit. Usually when I sit at a communal table I find myself saying what or just politely nodding out of deafness, but the glass wall plus the table size may for reasonable noise level.

Even if you're not particularly hungry, this is a great place to go for drinks. The cocktail menu boasts one of the largest mezcal collections in SF of 40+ bottles. All of the females at the table ordered the violet flower margarita, because who in their right mind would pass up a tequila drink with orange blossom water, violet flower liqueur, rose cava and actual flower petals! For some reason none of the men ordered this drink though. The La Urbana margarita is pretty potent but delicious as well.

Onto the food. The cuisine is upscale Mexican, with authentic dishes spiced up with molecular gastronomy. Although tempted to do the grandiose "We'll take one of everything," we practiced self restraint and picked out a couple dishes to share. I'll go through them in order of favorite to least. I thought the best was the ceviche de pescado, which came in a capped mason jar. After being opening in theatrical fashion, mesquitesmoke billowed out. The fish retained the smokey taste but also had a good balance of citrus and avocado.

I also really like the corn side dish. Although it's usually better on the cob, they took the esquites and made it into a tasty bowl of corn, lemon aioli, garlic butter and epazote (a common Mexican spice). The only thing is could have used is a little queso fresco. The oysters had that cool gastronomic flair, with the shell being filled with a cucumber serrano foam that had a spicy after-kick. Our starter (after the complementary amuse bouche) was the huarache de carnitas on brioche, which is a great appetizer for those who can handle their spice.

My favorite entree was the braised short rib with potato puree and grilled squash. The meat was incredibly tender and wasn't drenched in sauce, allowing the quality of the meat to shine.

The other entree we tried was the pollo con mole negro. I'm not a huge fan of mole sauce but this one was particularly pungent. It almost tasted like it had espresso or something in the sauce. Lastly we had the ensalada verde, which was thinly slice cacti, fava beans, frisee, avocado and cilantro dressing. They were able to make the cacti non-slimy but it was overall a forgettable dish. We didn't order the pozole but I heard it is really good, so I'd definitely give that a try next time I go back (although now the great Divisadero debate will be do I eat at Little Chihuahua, Bar Crudo or La Urbana.... so many good choices!).

*Food photo credit to SF Gate.  I clearly was too busy eating to play food paparazzi.