Memphis Minnie’s - I Didn’t Think Pigs Were Mini

Restaurant: Memphis Minnie’s
Address: 576 Haight St., between Fillmore and Steiner, Lower Haight
Cuisine: Southern Barbeque
Date Last Visited: October 25, 2007



After a hard day at work, I knew that I needed something to eat. So I took the 22 Fillmore and rode it to Haight Straight. I was in limbo between Rosamunde Sausage Grill and Memphis Minnie’s. Since I was already on Memphis Minnie’s side of the street, I stayed there and walked in. It was between 5:30 and 6:00, but no one was in there except for me.



It being my first time in this establishment, I was so amused by all the hogs, swine, pigs, and boars EVERYWHERE. Literally a “Hog-Heaven.” There was so much to choose from: Texas beef brisket, St. Louis Style Smoked Pork Ribs, Santa Maria Tri-Tip Steak, the list goes on and on. I ordered a Southern Star (I will explain why in a sec) which came with a choice of side, a macaroni n cheese for me, and a fountain drink. It ran me about 11 bucks.



I swear this place is so cute. It totally reminded me of the stories my Inang (grandma) would say about me. Like the time when I was in the Philippines as a child and I was playing by the pig pens and I asked the pigs if they would give me some of their food. HA!



I sat myself down at the window table and relished in the restaurant’s décor. I loved how they supply the patrons with rolls of paper towel instead of those measly napkins that don’t even work in getting fingers clean.



Finally they called my order up and I was ready to grub. From first look, I was rather disappointed with the size of the sandwich. I paid close to 10 bucks and I get a sandwich the size of a bahn mi which costs me less than 3 bucks in the TL.



But then again, this is BBQ. You pay for the meat, not the bread. So this is the Southern Star: A Half Texas Brisket and Half Memphis Sweet Pork Sandwich. You can see in the photo below the two different meats enveloped in the bread. The beef brisket on the left and the sweet pork on the right. You can also see that they hollowed out the roll so they could pack the meat in. I also noticed that there was no form of vegetation. No lettuce, tomato, nothing. Like I said before, you are paying for meat.



At first bite, I was again disappointed. I found the meat to be very dry and bland. Yes, there is beautiful color to the brisket and it had a phenomenal bark on it, but I got no flavor out of it. I do not even know why they would consider the pork to be sweet. The reason why I ordered this sandwich was to get the best of two worlds; however, nothing in this sandwich particularly impressed me. I guess I had to resort to eating the sandwich with the sauces provided on the table.



There are bottles of BBQ sauce, a mustard sauce and a bottle of I am guessing a vinegar, which I did not touch. You can tell that people eat with their hands here because those bottles were sticky-icky-icky. I do not even want to ask when was the last time they wiped them down with cleansing cloths. Anyway, the BBQ sauce was nothing special. I actually preferred the mustard over the BBQ sauce. It did lend some moisture to the sandwich, but not much. The whole thing was just dry, even the bread. Ho-hum.



But I am happy to say that Minnie’s Mac n’ Cheese was the star of the meal. I never had mac n’ cheese quite like this. It has your usual suspects: the elbow macaroni and cheese sauce, but they also mixed in some corn bread! It was so yummy! I would have never thought of doing that, but it works! I had to have bites of the mac in between bites of the sandwich because like I said before, the sandwich was dry. This mac n’ cheese was awesome.

I am quite disappointed in this visit. As I was eating, I noticed a male patron grub on a plate of meat. Just meat. No sides. Nothing. Just meat. I do not even remember him having a beverage on-hand. Talk about carnivorous. Do people really like this place? Well I guess they do since it is still up and running. I do sound like a killjoy, but I was expecting so much more from this place. So many publications out there are saying this is the best BBQ in the City. Really now? THE BEST? Maybe I’ll give them another chance and order something different. Maybe tonight was just an off night. Who knows. Hopefully they start making the meat a little less dry because if they continue to do that, you won’t see me there much. Well…maybe for that mac n’ cheese.

Crepevine - And I’m Just About to Lose My Mind, Honey Honey

Restaurant: Crepevine
Address: 2301 Fillmore St. at Clay St., Pacific Heights, SF
Cuisine: Creperie, Sandwiches, Salads, Pastas, Omelets
Date Last Visited: November 9, 2007



I was really excited when I started my gig up in the Pacific Heights area. There were so many cute boutiques, specialty shops, cafes and such all running up and down on Fillmore. After a busy morning in the office, I decided to treat myself to something really tasty and really filling, so I walked down to Fillmore and walked into Crepevine.



A week or so earlier, I heard some ladies in the elevators saying good things about this place, so I was optimistic. Walking in, I could already tell that this was a very popular place. There were parents with their kids, employees from the hospital, business guys reading their newspapers, young couples, really eclectic group of people.



I really like the casual feeling of this place. You order at the register, they give you a number and sit wherever you like. They serve everything from salads, sandwiches, cakes, pies, omelettes and other breakfast items. After I made my choice, I went to the upper level and snapped this picture:



It being lunchtime, it was pretty busy. And since it was busy, I was real nervous that I would not get back to work on time. Oh well…



Do you see me? After about 10-15 minutes, I started to get REAL nervous. I only had a half hour for lunch, and by the time I got my food, I only had 10 minutes to get back to work.



This was my plate! Doesn’t it look awesome? While I was waiting, I read in the menu that I jacked from the register that the crepe came with salad and house potatoes. Nice and hearty meal.



House Potatoes: Grilled with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary. I really liked the potatoes because they were nice and grilled on the outside and tender on the inside. I loved the seasoning and how they were not all uniform in size. Some were crispier than others which made for a nice contrast in textures. Perfect! The salad was great with the potatoes because the freshness of the greens and acidity of the dressing cut through the saltiness of the house potatoes. I also love the difference in temperatures. I have to have something cold if I have something hot, and vice versa.



Tuscany: Chicken breast with mushrooms, tomatoes, roasted almonds, provolone cheese, feta cheese, and pesto. So this was my crepe. I liked it so much, but it sucked how I had to leave after two bites of this. I usually do not order crepes, but this one is delicious. There are so many textures in this, from the creaminess of the cheese, crunch of the toasted almonds, juiciness of the tomatoes, and meatiness of the mushrooms and chicken. Also, there was a plethora of flavors. There was sweetness from the tomatoes and a tartness from the feta. Nice. The crepe itself was light and held everything in beautifully. There was pesto garnished on the top and melted in on the inside, but it was not too much. You know sometimes when pesto can be a bit overwhelming? Not here.

I was real bummed because I basically had no time to savor the dish and enjoy my time here. So I scarfed down just the house potatoes and salad and packed up the crepe to go. Even when it was reheated later on that day, it was delicious. I do see myself coming back here and trying out their other delicious offerings. Even though this visit was rather quick, I was impressed. =)

You’ll see me here again.

Taking Over the United States One Bite at a Time?

So California is known for its California Rolls and Boston for their baked beans. What are the other cities and states known for? My goal is to go to each state at least once in my lifetime to try them out. This is the list I have going so far, and you can see that I have some blanks under a couple of states. Are there others to add on?

Jo Boston Is…
Taking Over the United States One Bite at a Time
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1. Alabama
George Washington Carver’s Sweet Potato Pie
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2. Alaska
Salmon
Halibut
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3. Arizona
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4. Arkansas
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5. California
LA - Hot Dogs @ Pink’s
SF - Cioppino
Monterey - Jack Cheese
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6. Colorado
Rocky Mountain Rainbow Trout
Denver Sandwich
Denver Omelet
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7. Connecticut
Hasty Pudding
Hartford - Election Cake
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8. Delaware
Crab Puffs
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9. Florida
Miami - Cuban Sandwiches in Little Havana
The Keys - Key Lime Pie
Alligator
Orange Juice
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10. Georgia
Peach Pie
Pecan Pie
Vidalia Onions
Grits
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11. Hawaii
SPAM Musubi (Done)
Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck (Done)
Katsu Plate Lunch (Done)
Hawaiian Pineapple (Done)
Loco Moco
Kailua Pig
Poi
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12. Idaho
Potatoes
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13. Illinois
Chicago - Deep Dish Pizza
Chicago Style Hot Dog
Italian Beef Sandwiches
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14. Indiana
Pork and Beans
Sugar Cream Pie
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15. Iowa
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16. Kansas
Chicken Fried Steak
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17. Kentucky
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Derby Pie
Kentucky Hot Brown
Woodford Pudding
Chocolate Gravy
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18. Louisiana
Beignets @ Café Du Monde
Jambalaya
Gumbo
King Cake
Po’Boys
Mufulettas
Bananas Foster
Louisiana Sugar Cane Jelly
Natchitoches Meat Pie
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19. Maine
Fresh Lobster
Blueberries
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20. Maryland
Crab Cakes
Fried Chicken
Beaten Biscuits
Fresh Blue Crabs
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21. Massachusetts
New England Clam Chowder
Boston Baked Beans
Boston Cream Pie
Brown Bread
Boston Cream Donut
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22. Michigan
Cherries
UP Pasty
Mackinac Island Fudge
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23. Minnesota
SPAM
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24. Mississippi
Mississippi Mud Pie
Catfish
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25. Missouri
Springfield Style Cashew Chicken
Ozark Pudding
Kansas City Style BBQ
St. Louis - Toasted Ravioli
Gooey Butter Cake
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26. Montana
Buffalo Burgers
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27. Nebraska
Omaha Steaks
Runza Sandwiches
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28. Nevada
Las Vegas - Prime Rib
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29. New Hampshire
Corn Chowder
Orange Cake
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30. New Jersey
Salt Water Taffy
Jersey Breakfast Dog
Sloppy Joe
Disco Fries
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31. New Mexico
Biscochito Sugar Cookies
Chile Verde
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32. New York
Frozen Hot Chocolate @ Serendipity 3
Street Vendor Hot Dogs
NY/Brooklyn Style Pizza @ Lombardi’s
Bagels with Lox @ Murray’s
NY Style Cheesecake
Manhattan Clam Chowder
Brooklyn - Corned Beef on Rye
Coney Island Hot Dogs
Egg Creams
NY Style Pastrami
Buffalo Wings
Long Island Duck and Potatoes
Waldorf Salad
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33. North Carolina
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34. North Dakota
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35. Ohio
Cincinnati - Skyline Chili Over Spaghetti
Cheese Coney
Opera Creams
Shaker Lemon Pie
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36. Oklahoma
Fried Okra
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37. Oregon
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38. Pennsylvania
Philadelphia - Philly Cheese Steak
Shoofly Pie
Sticky Buns
Soft Hot Pretzels with Mustard
Pittsburgh - Italian Wedding Soup
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39. Rhode Island
Johnnycakes
Cabinets
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40. South Carolina
Frogmore Stew
Charleston - Huguenot Torte
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41. South Dakota
Kuchen Coffee Cake
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42. Tennessee
Stack Cake
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43. Texas
San Antonio - Chili
Fajitas
Pan de Campo
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44. Utah
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45. Vermont
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
Vermont Cheddar Cheese
Maple Sugar Candy
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46. Virginia
Smithfield Ham
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47. Washington
Wild Salmon
Apple Pie
Olympia Oysters
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48. West Virginia
Golden Delicious Apples
Apple Butter
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49. Wisconsin
Colby Cheese
Sheboygan - Bratwurst
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50. Wyoming
Army Bread

Mistral Rotisserie Provencale - I Feel Like Chicken Tonight, Like Chicken Tonight

Restaurant: Mistral Rotisserie Provencale
Address: 1 Ferry Building, The Embarcadero, SF
Cuisine: French, New American
Date Last Visited: August 2, 2007

The last time I was here with my family, we did not get a chance to eat at Mistral because we stuffed ourselves at the other eateries. So I promised myself that I had to try this place. After school, I took the Metro to the Embarcadero.



I wanted to take my food to go so that I could grab a seat outside and have a view of the water. It was such a beautiful day. I got there, and I already knew that I wanted some chicken. Now I just had to decide on the sides. This is no different from a steam table food court place, though the food is kept warm with heat lamps hanging overhead. You order a main dish and two sides. However, you do not have to limit yourself to chicken. There is Niman Ranch Pork Roast, Leg of Lamb, and much more. The chicken looked great:



The sides looked awesome also. There was ratatouille, oven roasted potatoes, rice pilaf, roasted tomatoes. Good gosh, this is totally a high-class Boston Market.



I definitely wanted the macaroni and cheese because I love mac n’ cheese. I wish that I had waited to get it served to me because the server gave me the remaining globs from the pan, and the lady behind me got a cheesy mound from one that came from the kitchen. Boo. I also wanted to try something new, so instead of the potatoes that I would normally get, I got the herb polenta. He packed it in a take-out box for me and I was ready to eat. It ran me about 7 bucks.



The portion given to me was the breast and wing. I like white meat because, well, it fills me up and it does not have too many bones to mess with. Overall, the chicken was dry and cold. It might have been the fact that I was eating out in the open air, but still, it should have been hot enough. I do not know if it is just me, but I though the skin was nice and caramelized, I did not like the herbs that adhered to it during the roasting. I would have enjoyed Costco chicken more than this. I was disappointed somewhat.

The polenta and the mac n cheese were just alright. I mean they were by no means, WOW! The mac n cheese was like the chicken. Cold and clumpy. I like my mac n cheese creamy and sharp. Though this was probably the best of the two sides, it was not all that. I would have rather eaten mac n cheese from KFC.

Now, this is probably only my second time having polenta. The first time was at the Ritz Carlton where my Momma received an award for something. The chef served us polenta with a scallop and mushroom broth over it. Awesome stuff. I must have been no more than 12 years old when I had it. Even though I am 23 now, I still can remember that dish. I remember the polenta creamy and luscious. Now, let me tell you about this polenta. I don’t know why, I did not like them. They seemed to have used the same herbs in it as the herbs on the chicken. They were stiff and cold and gritty. No. Not for me.

It must have been me eating along the water, but every bite tasted fishy. I was pretty grossed out. I wanted to love this meal. Maybe if I had asked for a freshly roasted chicken, the roasted potatoes and either rice or roasted tomato, I would have enjoyed it more. The whole meal was just dry and not appetizing. I hate to say it, but I took my leftovers to school with me the next day and I had to dip the chicken in Jack in the Box buttermilk sauce to eat it. It would have been bland without it. This chicken spot is supposed to be authentically French and awesome tasting and this and that. In my honest opinion, this was probably one of the blandest roasted chickens I have ever put in my mouth. Hand me my ¼ chicken Boston Market meal, s’il vous plait.

Wrap Delight - If You Want Bahn Mi and Don’t Wanna Wait

Restaurant: Wrap Delight
Address: 426 Larkin St., Tenderloin/Little Saigon, SF
Cuisine: Vietnamese Deli
Date Last Visited: August 14, 2007
Dining Partner: Nikkah

Oh, bahn mi. One of my best friends in high school, Bungster, was like the only Vietnamese person I knew. And to this day, I don’t even think I know very many Vietnamese people. That’s a shame because I would love to go to their place for dinner. I heard that homemade pho is out of this world, but I digress. Bungster and I were in many classes together throughout our four years at Weakmoor, and I remember during first period, which was Physics, Bungster would offer me a sandwich that his mother made him. I remember eating the sandwich and I immediately fell in love. There was bbq pork, cilantro, pickled veggies, and chili peppers. To die for. I wondered why he would give them to me all the time, and he told me that he simply got tired of them. Wow, if my momma made these for me every morning, I certainly would not mind because they were awesome.

Bungster and I remained friends the summer after high school just before he had to head out of town for college. I remember on the day of our graduation, he brought me to a Vietnamese pho place that was just a few blocks down from my house. I still go there to this day, even though the management changed. I also remember him bringing me to Saigon Sandwiches on Larkin and Eddy for the first time. When a Vietnamese person brings you to a Vietnamese place, you know it’s good. So my love of Vietnamese food is all because of Bungster. Thank you.

Now on to bahn mi. If Bungster never offered me his sandwiches in the morning, I would not be as hooked as I am today. Banh mi is my favorite sandwich in the world! Well, maybe it’s a close race between bahn mi and Little Lucca’s, but it’s up there. When I got comfortable, I ventured into the Tenderloin area, aka “Little Saigon,” on my own. I always went to Saigon Sandwiches because it’s reliable and good. But there is a wait. Everyone and their momma seems to know about this place, so I wanted to see if there were any alternatives to Saigon Sandwiches.

I did my research on Chowhound and saw that there are many bahn mi places up and down Larkin. Some people commented that they preferred the sandwiches at Wrap Delight over Saigon’s. It’s a mighty bold statement to say considering that Saigon’s are the best bahn mi that I have ever put my lips to. So I decided to give them a shot. Nikkah and I took a trip to Larkin, and while she went to Saigon for her bahn mi, I went to Wrap Delight.



Since I didn’t want to leave her at Saigon alone, I waited with her. It took about 10-15 minutes to get her bahn mi. That’s pretty much by default if you come by at lunchtime. All the Civic Center personnel trek over here on their breaks, and the line is usually out the door. So once she got her bahn mi, we took the block-long walk down to Wrap Delight. Right away, I could tell the difference. There was no line.



The space is a bit bigger than Saigon’s and there are a couple of tables in the middle of it for you to actually sit at and enjoy your sandwich. They sold a lot more things here in this store than at Saigon. They even sell SamTrans and Muni passes. That’s so rad.



I also noticed another difference. You have WAAAAAAAAY more choices here than at Saigon. At Saigon, you have about 5, here you have at least 25. Well, maybe you can have that many choices at Saigon, but you have to special request it, but here, you just say the number. But what got to me was why there was hardly anyone here. My girl Rachael Ray says that if there is a line, that usually means that the food is good, but what does it mean if there is no line? Right when I got inside, the lady and gentleman behind the counter greeted me. They seemed very warm an friendly. I heard that the lady was a former employee over at Saigon. Interesting. I ordered my usual B.B.Q. pork ($2.50) and they went on and made it for me.



From the moment I set my foot in the door and the moment I sat my butt down in a chair at one of the tables, must not have been more than 5 minutes. Something that I also noticed while I was ordering was that you have a choice of breads here. You can either have it “hard” or “soft.” I specify which bread I wanted, so I don’t know if the bread I got was hard or soft. But this is what I got:



The size is about the same with Saigon’s, but the bread was a bit more crusty. They piled on a lot of the pickled carrots, but what I loved was how much cilantro they put in there. What I also liked was that they cut it in half for me.



Now I will tell you the differences. You can tell in the picture that the components look real separated. I had to do a little maneuvering of the veggies so that I have a little bit of each in each bite. Like I said before, I liked the amount of cilantro they included; however, the carrots and the meat disappointed me a bit. The carrots were not as pickled as Saigon’s. Once you do the pickling, the carrots get a bit sweeter and bit limp, but these almost seemed fresh or not pickled enough. When veggies get pickled, they seem to stay compact, but with each bite of this sandwich, mounds of carrot came toppling out, which made for a messy eating. I also noticed that they did not have other veggies in there other than the carrot. Saigon has onion and a white veggie that I am not too sure of. The meat has a different flavor as well. It had the undertone of roasted pork, not B.B.Q. pork. Since the flavor was too similar to Filipino lechon, I didn’t seem to like it as much as Saigon’s. Saigon’s is a bit sweeter and much juicier.



Yes, I am a loyal follower. I have stuck with Saigon Sandwiches from the beginning and I do not think that there is anywhere I would rather go if I was given a choice. As far as the pre-made lunches, Saigon and Wrap Delight seem to get them from the same distributor. They have the same fried bananas and pre-made shrimp spring rolls wrapped in cellophane on a Styrofoam dish.



But the star here is most definitely the bahn mi. I can see why this can be a good alternative for Saigon because there is practically no line and no wait, but Wrap Delight is not at the same level as Saigon is for me. There IS a reason why Saigon is packed and always busy. Their stuff is good. Wrap Delight is good, but not for me.

Taqueria El Balazo - Too Bad I Was Sick

Restaurant: Taqueria El Balazo
Address: 1654 Haight Street between Clayton and Cole, The Haight, SF
Cuisine: Mexican
Dining Partners: My Sweety K, Rox, and Jen

My Sweety K must have been Mexican in his past life. This boy is truly madly deeply in love with taqueria food, especially burritos. Us four were walking up and down Haight Street looking for a place to eat. Initially I wanted to go hit up the Pork Store Café, but there was a line out the door and we were starving. Since this is one of a few places on Haight that accepted debit cards, we came in here. I wasn’t TOO excited because I was not in the mood for anything, quite frankly. The day before I had called in sick from work because I came down with something. My throat hurt, my nose was stuffy one minute and then runny the next, my head ached and I just felt real tired. But I promised my cousins that I would take them to Haight and I hate backing out on my promises.



So we walk in and I am actually impressed of how the place looked. There were copper balconies, colorful walls and even a huge gun on the wall:



But then again, this is the Haight, you have to expect these kinds of things. I just really liked how this place looked so ALIVE. This place has your usual taqueria fare: tacos, burritos, nachos, carne asada, you know the deal.



What they do here that they don’t at usual taquerias is serve a slaw with their food, which I think is a nice substitute for the tortilla chips:



So while My Sweety K ordered our grub, I went ahead and looked for some seating upstairs and caught a few shots. This was taken from one of the copper balconies. It’s always fun to get a bird’s eye view of the action.



I really do no know what got me to order this, but I ordered Super Carne Asada nachos. I usually get burritos, but I guess I wanted to try something new in a new place.



As you can see it was a lot of food, and it did look really good.



They basically took a whole bunch of chips, threw on some refried pinto beans, sprinkled on some carne asada, piled on a whole bunch of cheese on top, and stuck it under the broiler for the cheese to get all gooey.



What makes it a “SUPER” is the additional condiments of sour cream/crema, salsa/pico de gallo, and guacamole. The helpings are pretty generous.

Do not get me wrong, the plate looks really really really good. On a normal on day, I would be on this like white on rice, but I just wasn’t feeling it once I got to eating it. I guess it was the sickness. You know when you’re sick and you just are not in the mood for anything, no matter how good it looks?

But the thing to me was that it did seem bland to me, but that might be because I wasn’t able to taste much since I was sick. The chips were a bit hard, but maybe that’s because my throat was irritated. But the one thing I did not like was that the cheese got real cold real fast and it got a bit too rubbery, but cheese does that. It is sort of unfair for me to critique it based on how I was feeling that day. Argh, that’s why I was bummed that I didn’t enjoy it. I wanted to like it. Next time, I should get it to go and ask them to pile the condiments on top so that the chips get softer from the moisture of the condiments.

Again, I do apologize for the crummy review. I should not even be reviewing it in a critical way because I was not at my 100%. Okay, this is just a report then. The nachos were real good looking though. I tried some of My Sweety K’s al pastor burrito and it was real tasty. Maybe I’ll get that next time.



I did try their watermelon aguas frescas and it was muy refreshing. I liked how fresh it was and it was not too sweet.



I think the environment impressed me more than the actual food, but like I said before since I was sick, you shouldn’t take my report too seriously. Let’s just wait for a time when I’m healthy and go there so that I can give you a more accurate report. GAH. I hate being sick. If I wasn’t at the time, I probably would have enjoyed my meal more.

Café Lo Cubano - A Day Full of Highs and Lo’s

Restaurant: Café Lo Cubano
Address: 3401 California St. at Laurel, Laurel Heights, SF
Cuisine: Café, Cuban Sandwiches

-Visit 1: October 15, 2007-

Highlight: This day was the day that I would finally get to visit the doctor’s office I will be working in. I even brought extra clothes with me so that I didn’t have to wear my scrubs. I thought that it would impress the office manager. My meeting was at 1:00, so I had to leave right after school to make sure I got there on time.

Lowlight: It’s by the Fillmore and I have never ventured there with anyone, alone, ever. The closest I probably did was with Rox and Jen, but that was more toward Japantown. So here I am alone and feeling completely vulnerable and lost.

Highlight: I made it just in time to the bus stop to catch the 9X to California Street in the Financial District. The trip was rather quick, and I was pleased to find myself ahead of schedule. I got to Kearny and California at 12:24, so I had another 36 minutes to get to the office.

Lowlight: Where to take the 1 California bus? I walk down to Montgomery hoping to find a sign or a bus shed that was for the 1 California, but it is nowhere to be found. It’s California Street, so shouldn’t the 1 California be on California Street? I’m standing on the corner and all I see are cable cars that only go down to Van Ness. Then it starts to rain. And I have no umbrella. My phone is about to die and I start to panic. I start walking toward Market because by this time it’s past 12:30 and the clock is ticking. But something made me walk back the other direction and go toward Sacramento Street. Then while crossing the street, I slip on the wet cable car rail, and though I catch myself, I almost get hit by a taxi cab.

Highlight: I make it to the other side ALIVE and start walking to Sacramento. I see a bus pull up on the corner across the street. I do not know the name of it, and all I see is “Geary/33rd.” Hey, it was going in the direction I needed to go, good enough for me. By the time we reached Laguna, I realized that I was on the right bus.

Lowlight: The 1 California outbound bus is actually on Sacramento, NOT California. Jeez! I wish someone told me this earlier. Or maybe I should have researched into it myself…anyway, I make it to the doctor’s office about a minute late. This freaks me out because you should NEVER be late to an appointment to a potential employer.

Highlight: The office is half a block up from the bus stop and I get to the waiting room fairly quickly. The receptionist called the office manager up for me, and I had to wait for her. Good stuff, that didn’t make me look TOO tardy. She introduced me to the staff and I saw the lady who referred me, which was neat.

Lowlight: The office manager said she was expecting someone in scrubs. OMG. I was rushing this morning and stuffed clothes in my bag because I wasn’t sure if I should go in scrubs or in office wear. I went in office wear because I thought that’s what they wanted, but the office is so much more casual that I thought. I should have grabbed my cell phone charger instead of my clothes. This will make sense in a little bit.

Highlight: The whole thing lasts for about 30 minutes, including the waiting of 10 minutes. I get to leave and I take the 1 California to Laurel Village to get some grub.

Lowlight: I end up getting off on Presidio and realize that I got off two blocks too early. Then it starts to really rain. Well, not pouring like cats and dogs, but enough to fog my glasses and make my hair look like I just went through a car wash. I walk for two blocks in 100% humidity.

Highlight: I find Café Lo Cubano! I ordered a Mediadio sandwich: pulled pork, Black Forest ham, Jack cheese, dill pickles, and cilantro aioli on Cuban bread that is pressed so that all the ingredients inside are nice and warm and the cheese is nice and melted. And I also order a café con leche because they say that the coffee here is off the hook. I find a table in the corner and chill. I am happy because I am finally out of the rain.

Lowlight: When I get my coffee and decide to take pictures, I realize that’s it too low in battery to take pictures. GAH! The coffee and sandwich, which came with a salad by the way, looked so pretty. The dining area and coffee bar were looking good, too! That’s why I am so bummed. I had a great lunch, but no pictures to prove it. If I had known that she didn’t mind me being in my scrubs, I would not have been freaking out about what to wear, but instead would have had the time to grab my cell charger! It’s funny because the night before, something was telling me to plug in my charger, but since it was full battery at the time, I got lazy and didn’t. It was full battery in the morning, but by the time I got to school, it dropped to half battery. Then a couple hours later, it was completely dead.

Moral of this story: Always charge your phone at night and do not be lazy!

I really need to invest in a digital camera. I do not seem to have very good luck with them, however. The two that I have ever owned were basically taken from me. Which sucks ass. GAH. Lowlight.

Highlight: I will be working in the area very close to Laurel Village, so I will be dropping by often. I WILL get pictures to you! I just thought that venting would help me calm down. It’s been an exhausting day.

-Visit 2: October 22, 2007-

So today was the day. My “first day on the job.” I was beyond nervous, and I knew that breakfast would help me relax. Since I carpooled with my Momma, I was in the City an hour and a half before I had to start work. So I took the Muni to Laurel Village yet again and bought the exact same thing that I ordered the first time since I didn’t get to photograph it. *mutters obscenities* I was grateful that it wasn’t raining this time. I went to the counter and ordered and while I was waiting for my order, I got to snap some pictures.



It is a really cozy place with couches and Cuban and blues music playing in the background. It was pretty early in the morning so there was just me and a couple of other people. Even though there is a Peet’s and Starbucks down the street, people still drop in here to grab a cup of coffee to start off their day.



The last time I was here I saw people on their laptops and getting some work done. In general, this is a relaxed place and I really see myself here doing just that. After a couple of minutes, my café con leche came out:



It does not look real pretty in this picture, which is a shame because the first time it has this neat leaf pattern on it instead of this glob. A café con leche, which literally means “coffee with milk,” is similar to a café au lait. It is a staple in Cuban cafes everywhere. The only times I have had this coffee is here at Café Lo Cubano. I am pleased to say that it is consistent in flavor and boldness. There is a nice froth on the top and the coffee itself is very rich and velvety. I do not know how else to describe how it felt on my tongue, but it was nice. Not gritty or too watery. Though it looks great and feels great, I have to say that I am a sweet/flavored coffee drinker. Whenever I go to Starbucks, I usually get a hot white mocha or a white mocha frap double blended with caramel on top of the whip. So drinking this was sort of a new thing for me because it is pretty strong. I added a little sugar to sweeten it a little bit, but if you like your coffee strong and not flavored, you might enjoy this.



Both times I ordered the Cuban pork sandwich, I had to wait a little while for it, maybe 5 or so minutes, but it is so worth it. I like how they bring the dish to the table. Isn’t it just pretty? I know it is unusual to have a sandwich and salad for breakfast, but that’s just me.



The salad greens were dressed in a simple vinaigrette and chopped red onion and halved grapes adorned them. I really liked this salad because as simple as it was and how odd the ingredients were to me initially, they all married well together. The vinaigrette was nice and tart and the grapes lent a nice sweet flavor as well. Then when I had a piece of onion in a bite, a bold flavor came through. Loved it.



This was the first Cuban sandwich that I have ever had, so I do not know how it compares to an authentic Cubano. I really liked how the bread came out of the hot press. It had this crisp on the outside that was so delectable, yet it stayed chewy and soft on the inside. As you can see, there is a portion of roasted pork, sliced pickles, ham and cheese melted on the inside. I read that mustard is traditionally smeared on the inside, but that was not the case in this sandwich. Some type of jalapeno-cilantro aioli dressed the bread instead. This is unlike any sandwich I ever had before, and I enjoyed it. I loved how cheesy it was! Cheese and I are best friends! You gotta be careful if you eat this right when it is brought to you because those pickles are HOT. I usually have cold pickles, so this was unusual, but it worked. I usually do not eat ham, but this was okay ham. Nothing special about it. The pork I noticed was not evenly spread throughout the sandwich, so by the time that you get to the edges, you ate all of the pork in the middle. It almost tasted like Filipino lechon which I am very familiar with, but it had a subtler taste which I prefer. Nice sandwich. Now I cannot wait to try a “real” Cubano and see how this pars to it.



I am very happy that I came here FINALLY. Since I have started blogging earlier this year, this place has been on my list of places to go to. The only reason why I did not venture out in this area was because I am a San Francisco-novice. I’m basically a food tourist and I thought that it would be “too far.” However, once I got familiar with the public transportation, I’m not afraid to trek out to this neck of the woods any longer. Overall, a very pleasant place. Who knows, you might catch me here typing away on my laptop and sipping out of one of those whole coffee cups. =) Adios.