Anthony's Cookies - Your Buttery Fantasy Come True

Restaurant: Anthony’s Cookies
Address: 1417 Valencia St. b/t 25th and 26th Street, The Mission, SF
Phone Number: (415) 655-9834
Cuisine: Cookies

Cookies. Everyone loves them. I can bake them myself…and I do a pretty darn good job, I think. When someone says, “Oh my God! So-in-so’s cookies are THE BEST!” I wrinkle my nose, roll my eyes, and think, “suuure.” When Anthony’s Cookies opened up, everyone and their momma said the same thing. His cookies are the best. His cookies are SOOOO good. Really? Even though I knew I can bake them at home, I wanted to give them a shot.


Let’s just make it clear that I have tried Anthony’s cookies several times. I guess you know which direction I’m heading to. On one visit, my girl Kat of Kat’s 9 Lives and I actually got to talk to Anthony. What a down-to-Earth guy. He is very dedicated to his craft and wanted to make sure we were taken care of, even hollering from behind the counter to us sitting at the table situated in his shop.


I can’t really think of a place devoted to just cookies these days. It’s always a mix of things: cookies and brownies, cookies and cupcakes, cookies and pies. Anthony focuses on what he does best - not getting his hands wet in everything. I like that a lot. Some people try to be a jack of all trades instead of being an expert in one thing. Anthony is an expert.


He has 14 flavors, and he has even come out with some vegan flavors. I love my butter, so we can just X those. =P


A Treasure Box of Cookies
I have tried several flavors, but I am just going to concentrate on my favorites for now.


Semisweet Chocolate Chip
This is a classic cookie that everyone knows. What I love about his cookies is that he uses quality ingredients and you can taste it in his product. I adore how the edges are crispy and the middle is gooey and soft.


Ghirardhelli White Chocolate Chip
No macadamia nuts here, friends, which is something I appreciate. Sometimes you don’t want to chew. You just want to sink your teeth in a buttery, tender cookie and let it disintegrate on your palette. This was the first ever cookie I tried from Anthony’s. Lovely!


Cookies and Cream
This is Anthony’s claim to fame right here. I L-O-V-E this cookie! It’s perfect if you want the best of two worlds: a brown sugar cookie and an Oreo. Again, love the crispy ring on the edge. The combination of the two is genius. They are not overly sweet either, so it’s easy to eat more than one…which I have been guilty of many times!


Toffee Chip
Hands down, my favorite of all the cookies he offers. Toffee. Cookie. How can you go wrong? One time at work, a patient brought these to our office and I took one to my desk. I was having such a horrible day, and decided to take a cookie break. One bite, and my eyes rolled back and all I could do was relish in the buttery goodness I was eating. It literally made my day go by a bit smoother. There are just no words that can fully express how good these are. You just have to try them for yourself!

So yes, I was skeptical at first, but I stand corrected. Though my cookies are the bomb.com, Anthony’s Cookies are THE BEST I have ever had (outside of my home, that is =D). I am so happy that they opened. Just give me some cold milk, a chair, and one of these incredible cookies and color me happy! On my latest trip there with Bub, we parked illegally so that we can get our craving satisfied. Yes, we're savage like that. No ticket for us! Take that, po-po's!

Thank you, Anthony, for sharing your cookies with San Francisco!

Harris' Restaurant - Bub's Birthday Dinner Gift to Me

Restaurant: Harris’ Restaurant
Address: 2100 Van Ness Avenue, Nob Hill, SF
Phone Number: (415) 673-1888
Cuisine: Steakhouse
Date Last Visited: March 22, 2010
Dining Partner: Bub

Hello friends, I wanted to write about one of the best steakhouses in San Francisco. Bub took me here for my birthday back in March, and it was just perfect. I was born in 1984 and Harris’ opened in 1984, so we celebrated our birth-years together! I already had done so much in the month of March - I called it MARCH MAYHEM - but this was truly a highlight. Harris’ is on what I like to call “The Steakhouse Strip” - coming up Van Ness from Market, you’ll find Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, the historical House of Prime Rib, Harris’ Restaurant, and further down Bobo’s. They are all competing with each other, yet they are so close to one another. Harris’ has this old school feel with their comfy booths, dim lighting, and well-dressed servers. I found it quite romantic. It’s making my stomach fluttering right now.

As we were perusing the menu, we were brought these awesome, crunchy toasts with butter and Port wine Cheddar Cheese Spread. That spread is to die for! We also got some bread, so I couldn’t help but slather some of this cheese on it, too.

We asked for seconds it was so good.


Birthday Wine:
Rosé, Muscat, Arneis, Pinot Blanc, and Grüner Veltliner
Before I go on, I want to apologize for the pictures. I didn’t have my camera and I had to use the cam on my phone. Besides, I didn’t want to ruin the mood with a flash or a big camera in my hands. It’s my birthday! =) Good wine - had me giggling in no time.


Mixed Field Greens
with Jicama and Balsamic Vinaigrette
This was a standard salad - no bells or whistles. We were saving our excitement for our mains. The steaks do take a little while to prepare, so do yourself a favor and order a first course.


Roast Prime Rib of Beef
with the Evening’s Potato, Creamed Spinach, and Horseradish
Bub went for it and ordered the prime rib. Like I mentioned before House of Prime Rib is right down the block, so whose is better? I am not going to say it here - both places are very good. I do prefer one over the other, however. Let’s just say that this prime rib, as it should is incredibly tender and perfectly cooked. Though it is pink in the middle, the texture didn’t feel raw. Still very juicy and amazingly flavorful.


Ribeye Steak
with Compound Better, Asparagus, and Evening’s Potato
Bub and I both ordered the evening’s potato which was the scalloped potato - layers of thinly sliced potatoes and cheese. What I liked about the potatoes is that they weren't too rich that I couldn't take more than one bite. So for my entrée, I went for the ribeye steak. Ribeye has got to be my favorite cut of steak. Yeah, I could have had the filet mignon or the NY Strip, but the ribeye always wins. It’s tender, tasty, and has that perfect amount of fat. When grilled on their open range mesquite grill, that fat just bastes the meat creating another layer of flavor - just to make it a little more special (as if it weren’t enough), a mound of compound butter sits on top, melting onto the hot steak. This has me dreaming sometimes. It’s all in that dry-age process - the flavors are so concentrated. Out of this world. I might even say the best steak I have ever eaten. Ever.

Sautéed Button Mushrooms
My coworkers, who also love Harris’, told me that whatever I did to get the mushrooms. The preparation of these mushrooms is probably so simple, but they were so good. Buttery. Perfect.


Birthday Dessert
Crème Brûlée
Bub was so sweet and told them it was my birthday. We were so full, but he insisted that we have dessert. Lovely. The custard was smooth as can be and the burnt sugar layer was ideal - not too thick and not too bitter.

I was so blessed to celebrate at this fabulous institution. Bub, he knows how to make me happy. We had a reservation at about 9:00 pm, but there were still a few guests there. I regret not posting about this right after my birthday, but my love for it is still the same. The prices are high up there - with each steak at around $45 so if you're planning to bring someone here, be ready...but it is so worth it. Sometimes all you need is a good steak. Nothing too fancy - just a well-made piece of meat. I had my perfect one right here.

So thank you Bub, from the bottom of my heart, for being the best fiancé and treating me to such a fantastic steak dinner. It was just wonderful!

Tell Me: What is YOUR Guilty Pleasure?

FOOD: it was made for the sole purpose of being a source of sustenance - only to keep us alive, but let’s face it, it’s so much more than that. We all love food. We eat when we’re happy. We eat when we’re sad. We love food to the point we’d fight over it like we’d do over a lover. Many blogs would not be in existence if there wasn’t such a passion for food. Everyone has different tastes and preferences. I’m a condiment whore, so anything that can accentuate whatever I am eating is welcome. Each addition of a sauce or spice or herb is a way of being creative. Food is art. The mixing, the combining, the experimentation. The kitchen can be an art studio or even a laboratory. We all love food! Naturally, we love some foods more than others. I can’t stand the sight of liver, but I can eat something that another person would describe as stinky, rotten fish.

This brings up the subject of guilty pleasures. These are foods that are blatantly bad for our health or offensive to others or just plain taboo. Dinuguan, anyone? Yes, I still eat it! Got a problem with that? I asked some of my folks what their guilty pleasures were because I just wanted to tap into their preferences. What do they like? I wonder if some people didn’t answer in fear of being ridiculed for their love in something. Have you ever done that? Hiding your true emotions for something you enjoyed to eat?

I know some people do. There is such an expectation for people in the culinary/restaurant biz. “How can you be eating that?! It’s not from a local farm, there’s 33 grams of fat in a serving AND you bought it at WALMART!”

I’m sorry, but are you kidding me? Love for food should be just that. If I like something and it tastes good, I’ll flippin’ eat it. I don’t care if it’s from a chain or a discount store or a farm in Ecuador. It’s good? Come to Momma! On the flipside, after ingesting that fat-laden heart attack on a stick, I usually think to myself, “Why the **** did I just do that?” It’s happened to everyone. THEN you look back and say, “But it was SO good!” and we do it all over again. It’s a vicious cycle. Like I always say, life is too short. Enjoy all you can, but it’s always good in moderation.

Here are a few of my own guilty pleasures:


Roasted Duck over Rice and a Thai Iced Tea from King of Thai Noodle in SF: when I am in Union Square, 99% of the time I find myself sitting all by my lonesome in the purple-walled restaurant eating this with a boatload of green Thai chilies. GUILT: duck is one of the fattiest birds and I relish in the decadent skin.
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dipped in Cream Cheese: I have always heard of people eating this combination. I decided to try it out one day. Good lord. The spiciness and the cooling effects of the cream cheese is money. GUILT: cream cheese has HOW MUCH FAT in a tablespoon? But we all know we eat more than that.


Hong Kong-Style Pork Chops with Garlic Rice and Eggs at Superstar on Mission St.: This humungous plate of food at this little hole in the wall eatery is less than $4. I kid you not. Not only is it cheap, but it’s filling. Pork chops are dipped in batter and then fried. You get a ginormous mound of hot, garlicky fried rice and over-easy eggs. It’s something I lived on while in college. GUILT: greasy greasy greasy…but that never stopped me!
Sugar SPAM: As if SPAM doesn’t have a bad rep already - just add a sprinkling of sugar during the cooking process and watch as a lovely candy coating wraps around each piece. Pair it with some banana ketchup and you’re golden. After I tried it this way, I never went back to normal SPAM. GUILT: sodium and sugar are always a deadly combination.

Now here are some of my Twitter folks’ guilty pleasures:


@XtianDobbZockOn: Gotta love their Suiza Quesadillas and a side of rice!
@rcregie: classic Filipino breakfast! Besides, who wants to waste leftover adobo?
@PaniniKathy: I don’t eat McD’s often, but the fries are Kryptonite…especially dipped in the vanilla ice cream!

From my fave street food folks:


@AdoboHobo: I actually loved dipping @ToastyMelt’s 3-Cheese in @GumboCart’s Gumbo. Match made in Heaven.
@EdManChew: YES! Another thing I lived off of in college. Can’t beat a $1.50 polish dog and drink!

Now from a couple of star chefs from SF:


@cnewton9 (FK Restaurants & Hospitality): no wonder! your ham hock macaroni & cheese at Fish & Farm was the bomb [dot] com!
@aidamollenkamp (of the Food Network and Cooking Channel): we all know my infatuation with SPAM! Two things I miss from Hawaii: SPAM Musubi and Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck’s scampi!

The next one is a funny one:


“HE” is none other than Anthony Bourdain - writer, chef, and host of “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel. Who knows a man’s home habits more than his wife? This reminds me of his episode in SF, when he was eating a burger at Red’s Java House and he said, “It tastes like it died screaming.” Though he is anti-“AW,” it’s funny (and rather ironic) how he hides the Popeye’s from his own wife. So cute.


Of course I had to ask Mrs. Bourdain about her own guilty pleasure. I agree. Nutella is one of those foods that tastes good on everything!

Now some of my Facebook responses:


Seriously, we need to all have a potluck and just be gluttonous and irresponsible! I have love for ALL the answers above. Thank you to all who responded to this fun little survey. I agree ANYTHING with BACON - doughnuts, pastries, rice! How about...Nutella-dipped bacon?! *lightbulb* That MUST be done!

Back in January, Bub and I made a resolution that we would start eating better and more healthy because of our wedding in December. With friends like the ones featured above, the phenomenal food scene in San Francisco, and our pathetic willpower, we had no chance!

Now that we've all divulged a bit about ourselves, tell me:
WHAT IS YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?

Kasa Eatery - Mi Kasa es su Kasa

Restaurant: Kasa Eatery
Address: 3115 Fillmore St. at Filbert, The Marina, SF
Phone Number: (415) 896-4008
Cuisine: Indian
Dining Partner: Bub

Say you were walking down the street one day...what would you say if you stumbled upon this:


Indian Taqueria? Say what?!
When I first heard of the notion, I couldn’t believe it. Friends, it’s true, and it has become some of my favorite food. Let’s face it. Everyone loves street food. Anything and everything is thrown in a tortilla and people are gobbling it up! But there is something special about Kasa Eatery and their food. Let’s explore their offerings. The descriptions you are about to read are directly from Kasa’s website.


Thali aka Plate
A homestyle Indian platter with one or two of the dishes,
roti - handmade bread, slow-simmered daal - lentils, rice,
veggie salad, chutneys and raita - yogurt
There are two ways you can order. The first option is the thali which is a giant plate of food. No really, it’s ginormous, and for the price, incredible and very satisfying!

I love getting the thali platter because I like building my own rolls/tacos/burritos/etc. I want each bite to be different: a little bit of rice and chicken tikka chased with a spoonful of chutney or a piece of roti piled with daal and red onions.


Jo’s Thali Platter
Like the description says, you can have one or two of the dishes: which range from lamb curry to the daily vegetable special. I usually get the chicken tikka masala - Char-grilled and marinated naturally-raised chicken in a spicy, creamy tomato sauce and the aloo jeera - cumin-spiced sautéed potatoes. The plate is very generous and I never finish it in one sitting. The hot dishes are all very flavorful, but what I love are the cold side dishes. There is a red onion salad, crushed and seasoned tomatoes, a green spread which I love because it’s refreshing, raita, and a great cucumber medley. You get daal - a bonus hot dish - which reminds me of Filipino mongo. It’s awesome. You get all this for under $15!


Kati Rolls
Classic Indian street food: A flaky, buttery roti - handmade bread - wrapped around one of the hot dishes with marinated onions and chutney. Served with raita - yogurt.
Bub, who I think was Mexican in his past life, always orders the kati rolls. No fuss, take one in each hand and just start munching. I love the rot they use here. They are made fresh and you can just smell the butter in them. I can eat them by themselves easily.


Turkey Kebab Kati Roll
Char-grilled, minced naturally-raised turkey with garlic, herbs and spices
I loved this roll because turkey is a pretty bland meat, but they seasoned and spiced it so well that I forgot I was eating turkey. The fillings can get a bit too hot, so the lovely raita was perfect to cool our palettes down.


Karahi Paneer Kati Roll
Wok-tossed Indian cheese with green peppers and tomatoes
One of my favorites - paneer! It’s the cheese that doesn’t melt. It does remind me of tofu, but with that creamy/milky flavor that I love in regular cheese. Hell, if they put tofu in here, I’d eat it right up also. Awesome awesome food!

I like to go to different places when I can, but if I come to a restaurant more than once in a year, you know that I have a special connection it. I am so happy that Kasa is just a few minutes drive from work, so that when I have that hankering for incredibly flavorful food at a good price, I’ll be there in no time. The Marina is a bit far from a lot of you, but don’t fret! There is another Kasa Eatery in the CASTRO, which is actually the original location I went to first. Kasa Eatery has become one of my favorite restaurants in the City! I can’t say enough of this place. If you want a great-staffed restaurant with tasty food with the right price tag, come here. It’s fantastic!

Off the Grid at Fort Mason - Street Food Fever

Event: Off the Grid
Address: Fort Mason, Marina, San Francisco, CA
Cuisine: Street Food
Dates Visited: July 9 and July 16, 2010
Dining Partner: Bub and hundreds of hungry folks


Forget Beiber-fever. San Francisco has STREET FOOD FEVER! Everyday we hear of new dishes served and new locations from our favorite street food carts on Twitter. The newest spot is Fort Mason. It’s absolutely beautiful out there because it’s right by the water. There was also news the other day that Off the Grid will be held in Upper Haight and Civic Center, too! I am particularly excited about the Civic Center locale on Fridays because that’s where my work shuttle drops us off. Perfect!

- Visit 1 - The first truck we hit up was Kung Fu Tacos. If you can remember, I did a report on them a few months ago when they had happy hour specials at Candy Bar. You can find the report HERE. Bub ordered the mushroom taco which is his favorite, and he didn't share! That's how you know he likes something.


Duck Taco with Mango Salad
I was starving and ordered my favorite taco. I still love the mango topping with the rich duck. This is not my first time having them. Each time, I love them more and more. Check them out on Twitter: @KungFuTacos

Hapa SF
Twitter: @HapaSF
I was excited to try Hapa SF out because I never had their food before. I must be the last Filipino foodie on Earth to give them a shot. They were at numerous Outside In events, but I always missed them, and at lunch they serve the Peninsula (please come to Pacific Heights!) Our timing does not mesh, but here we were ready to eat their Filipino food.

So…did I like their food?


Pork Sisig on Jasmine Rice
with Hot Sauce and Sweet Chili Sauce
Sisig is a food that I can never have too much of. The chunks of meat had a nice char on them from the grilling. It was solid, but I would have liked it a bit more spicy. I’m not saying I didn’t like it - matter of fact, I enjoyed it a lot, but I’m used to spiciness from chopped jalapenos. They probably made it a bit tame for sisig-newbies, which is totally respectable. They did, however, offer some chili sauce for those who liked it spicy.


Chicken Adobo on Jasmine Rice
with Mango Sauce on the Side
Chicken thighs are my favorite parts of the chicken, so my eyes glossed over when I saw this plate. The chicken was cooked perfectly, leaving it succulent and juicy. I loved the mango sauce they gave. At home, when I make chicken adobo, I also prepare a mango-tomato salsa. It’s a good palette cleanser because the chicken and savory sauce can be rich. *thumbs up*


Next up was Chairman Bao. I was intrigued with this place because of the “Chairman Bao” controversy with another bao truck from New York. I thought that whole thing was ridiculous. Like, really?! Bao Throwdown? So I wanted to see for myself if they were really good enough to ever take up a challenge like that.


Tender Pork Belly
with Pickled Daikon on Steamed Bun
I can say “yes.” I got the pork belly bun on the steamed bun because I really love streamed bao. I adore that soft, pillowy feel. The pork belly was a bit dry by the time I came home with it. It’s my bad since I waited so long to eat it, but that pickled daikon made up for it. I enjoyed the tang and crunch from it. Twitter: @chairmantruck


Birthday Shots with @Boobs4Food!
Happy “Ditry 30,” Kat!
I love events like these because you run into some of your favorite foodie friends! Shout outs to my girls Jess aka @uscjessc and Kat aka @poosekat collectively known as @Boobs4Food!

This was a successful visit and right when we left, I was already looking forward to the next one!

- Visit 2 -And here we were again on July 16 - same place, same time. I already noticed right when we got there that there was a lot more people. Luckily for me, my place of employment is just a 10-minute drive from Fort Mason. It’s a wonder to me that this event was not formally advertised on television, primarily from Twitter and word of mouth. It’s simply amazing to me to see so many people supporting this movement.

I like it!


Curry Up Now
Follow them on Twitter: @curryupnow
My girl Elaine aka @VirgoBlue told me about how she loves Curry Up Now. They are mainly on the Peninsula on the weekdays, so I never really get to see them. This was my chance!


Chicken Tikka Masala Kathi Roll
I have had kathi rolls before. I suppose the flatbread that can be used are parantha or roti. They even offer Indian burritos using La Palma flour tortillas. Keeping it authentic, we stuck with the Indian bread. You get a choice of regular or spicy - we got regular because we were scared. Indian curry can get extremely spicy. I am glad we did because the “regular” was already edging toward “too hot” for me, but it was tolerable enough for me to enjoy the chicken. Awesome and very flavorful. The staff is great!

Senor Sisig
Twitter @senorsisig
Sometime back in May, after picking up my niece’s birthday cake and driving down 19th Avenue, I noticed Senor Sisig’s truck posted on one of the residential streets. I tweeted if anyone had heard of it, but not one person tweeted me back. They were probably still in their alpha stage at that point, but on this evening, they were making their debut at Off the Grid. Just earlier that morning, they were on the morning show on 106.1 KMEL and that got lots of people in SF craving their sisig.

I, for one, had been anticipating this for 2 months! I couldn't wait much longer!


Tofu Sisig Taco
Whenever a street food cart or truck offers tofu, we usually get it because 1) it’s healthy and 2) we want to see if they can take a rather boring food like tofu and make something special with it. I can tell that each cube of tofu was flavored with a savory sauce most likely consisting of soy. This is my first tofu taco and it will not be my last. Ideal for vegetarians and those who just want something different/healthier.


Pork Sisig Taco
It seems like everyone and their momma is making sisig tacos. Hey, Mexi-Pino food is making a statement here in SF. Senor Sisig kept is relatively “traditional” with the guacamole, lettuce, and lime. Like HapaSF’s, I would have liked it a little more spicy. That’s just me.

Here’s a note to you who are making it a mission to try out this new breakout food: though the ingredients are the same, the techniques are different. Sisig is meant to be a food to be enjoyed during “pulutan” time aka Filipino happy hour. San Mig, anyone? The sisig can be a mishmash of random parts from a pig’s head. The sisig I have encountered at street food festivals are “subdued” compared to the sisig in the Philippines - which most likely is a combination of pigs ears, snout, and crackling pig skin. It is a perfect medley of meat, fat, citrus, and soy. The ones we have found in the street food scene are primarily made with only pork meat. I suppose that is why I would have liked the sisigs here to be a bit more robust. I am just used to how it is made back home, but I am understanding the notion that the menus reflect what the public is comfortable with. “Pig face taco” probably won’t sound appetizing to everyone. =)

To make it clear: this is not me downplaying the sisig from HapaSF, AdoboHobo, or Senor Sisig. Their’s are all very good! Try them out! Even though they seem to be selling the “same thing,” they’re styles are different and it is worth trying them all!


Banana Ice Cream Coconut Cookie Sandwich
Forgive me, but I don’t have a clue who was selling this. While waiting in line for food, Bub left and came back with this. He gave me a bite and it was amazing! The booth was right next to Adobo Hobo’s, so if you know who it is, please let me know so I can give them the credit they deserve. The banana ice cream was delicious and the cookie was chewy - just how I like it!


Onigiri from Onigilly
I saw these guys the week before and just walked by without thinking twice, but upon closer examination, I knew I had to try them. How can you turn down “the samurai snack?” Twitter: @Onigilly


Our Onigilly!
Eggplant and Tuna Salad
I got the tuna salad which is placed on brown rice shaped into triangles and then positioned on a strip of nori. I squeezed some of the spicy mayo on the tuna, wrapped with the seaweed and noshed. So good! It’s exactly like having a healthy spicy tuna roll. Don’t you just love the use of the brown rice? Genius.

While waiting for our onigiri, I saw these sauces: curry, hot, miso, and wasabi. I went for hot! I am such a condiment whore. What I should have done was put a little bit of each on my rice ball. It’s okay, next time, I will! Oh yes, Bub was so excited and ate so fast that he didn’t even have any to share with me by the time I asked for some. =( This gives me more of a reason to come back! He was ready for seconds!

We meet again, my friend. I know I like something if I return to it. Yes, we came back to Chairman Bao. One difference from the last time we came was that we waited in line a lot longer. Chairman Bao is really becoming one of the more popular food trucks. I appreciated they accepted Visa and Mastercard! Thank you, Chairman!

The lady behind us asked what the difference was between the baked and steamed buns because the baked ones are double in price. Let’s find out shall we?


Mango Matcha Green Tea
Actually, let’s look at their shaved ice drinks first. There was a lychee, a strawberry, but we went for the mango matcha green tea. The color of it threw me off a bit. Okay, it scared me a lot. BUT! It was absolutely delicious and refreshing. At the bottom of the cup were little jellies that were small enough to come up the straw. I loved it! You can really taste the matcha in there also. Great stuff.


Here is the main difference between the steamed and baked buns. The steamed ones are like clam shells. They’re not like char siu bao where the meat filling is stuffed in between the bao dough. Be prepared to wait since they make each one to order!


Braised Pork
with Cabbage and Preserved Mustard Seeds on Steamed Bun
This one isn’t usually on their menu. I noticed the Chinese sausage and egg was off and this was on. I am so glad I had the chance to try it. The pork was very flavorful and the Asian slaw on top added some nice crunch. I hope they have this again.


Chinese Spiced Duck Confit
with Fresh Mango Salad on Steamed Bun
This bun was recommended to me by Jun aka @JunBelen when I ran into him and Dennis there! Hi guys! =) I am a sucker for duck. I am a sucker for mango. Perfect combo. When I first bit into, for some reason, the first thing that popped into my head was a Filipino soup that I used to eat growing up. It must’ve been the way the duck was seasoned. The mango salad itself wasn’t totally sweet as there were sour pieces in there as well. Both buns were delightful. If you get two steamed buns, you can add a shaved ice drink for $9! That’s what we did!


Crispy Garlic Tofu
with Miso Greens on Baked Bun
Tofu. Like I said before, if someone can take a mundane thing like tofu and make it superlative, they’re doing something special. This has got to be the best tofu bun/sandwich I have ever had. The baked bun is twice as big as the steamed buns - hence the higher price. I don’t think I would want it on the smaller steamed bun because I want more tofu! I’m greedy like that. The baked bun is so soft and tender. Actually, so are the tofu and the greens. This is something you MUST eat right away before the tofu coating gets soggy. Trust me, you will love it! Met a new friend @happymille through Bub at Off the Grid and she told me that this bun is CRACK! And that’s a VERY good thing! Follow on Twitter: @chairmantruck

Off the Grid has made me very happy. Great place to meet up with friends and make new ones too! I love how San Francisco finally has a place where food lovers can congregate and have a good time mingling and eating.

Thank you Off the Grid. Thank you Fort Mason. Thank you food lovers. Looking forward to the new locations.

One thing is for sure: Civic Center is gonna see a lot of me on Fridays. =)

Shout outs to my Off the Grid Friends:
@Boobs4Food
@uscjessc
@poosekat
@JunBelen
@DennisAllio
@happymille
@Mr_Rosewater
@NostalgicAbe
@GobbaGobbahey