Moved permanently to www.thefoodpilot.com

Hello fellow readers! We have permanently moved to http://www.thefoodpilot.com !! Official domain site launch as of this week!

Thanks so much for following, and I hope you will continue to subscribe to us there!

une nuit d’été à Saison

Saison is a hidden gem that leaves you feeling like you participated in something truly special and exclusive.

As I walked through the outdoor patio terrace, I felt as if I was about to walk into a secret room. I made my way through the doors (but before that, I had to peak into the gorgeous kitchen) and entered the newly remodeled restaurant which was initially a warehouse. The restaurant itself has some notable touches – there is a semi-outdoor dining option that is situated in the same room as the wood-burning hearth. This option is very warm and relaxed and even has a tree in the room! Since right now this room is only protected by a tarp, they are in the process of building a retractable roof which is perfect for those hot Indian summer nights. Facing the open kitchen, the indoor dining option serves for that more traditional dining experience. The two “rooms” are essentially just divided by large open doors. [Photo left: SF.eater.com]

Chef picks ingredients knowing where they are sourced from and they grow many of their tasty vegetables themselves. Many of dishes began with having the ingredients simply layed on the hot burning coals in their  new wood- burning hearth. The simplicity of this method combined with adding their final touches back in the Kitchen makes for a grand contrasting, cooking style.

The first question that actually pondered my mind though when I saw the wood-burning hearth was, “How the heck did they get a permit for that?” Out of curiosity, I asked the guys at Saison and indeed it was a long process to receive a permit.

My photos do not do justice….unfortunately, I had to use flash.

Garden Peas

Tokyo Turnips roasted over the embers & shaved raw, bonito

Radishes, Pigs head & honey

Heartbreads & smoked muscat raisins

Their kitchen is gorgeous. I like the set up of this kitchen better than The French Laundry, Joel Robuchon, and Alinea. Guests even have the option to dine in here. What a delightful experience that must be.

With master Chef Joshua Skenes

Saison is truly special. I love everything about it from their creative dishes, to the unpretentious mood, and the friendly and approachable waiters. In addition, they don’t enforce  any dress code at all. Better yet, they say “Saison invites guests to come as they are.” The idea of “bending the rules” seems to be admired here, and it is little things of this nature that set Saison apart from other fine dining establishments.

Their beautiful eight course meal runs at $98. Take time to enjoy this three hour meal experience.

Saison is located on 2124 Folsom Street in San Francisco. Reservations can be made online via OpenTable or by calling 415 828 7990.  Their hours of operation are Tuesday – Saturday 6-9PM.

An Afternoon at Neyers Vineyards

Having explored a great majority of the wine country this summer, it was exciting to discover Neyers Vineyards, a hidden gem near the beautiful yet mysterious Lake Hennessey.

Phoebe Ullberg who manages the tasting room was extremely friendly and shared stories with us while touring the grounds. Impressively, Neyers only uses French Oak barrel, which costs significantly more than American Oak barrel. In addition, Neyers’ grapes are hand picked and then hand sorted at the winery. The labor and quality that go into these wines is evident from the beginning stages of process.

The experience at this winery is unique in itself. You sit in a beautiful and cozy room with Phoebe as she allows you to devour the vino. Having learned that Phoebe spent seven years as a restaurateur in New York, we quickly got onto the topic of food, my constant obsession of course.

Notably, Neyers is one of those special places that offer high quality without that intimidation of many high end wineries. The tasting fee is only $10 for several generous pours or waived with purchase.

I, myself cannot wait to open my new Zinfandel during a meaty feast!

Enjoying the afternoon at Neyers

Welcome to Wine Country, Iron Chef Morimoto

I anticipated the opening of this new restaurant. In addition to restaurants in Philadelphia, New York City, and Mumbai, Morimoto now joins us on the west coast in Napa Valley. This exciting new venture has attracted Iron Chef fans, foodies, and wine country locals. After speaking with various Saint Helena and Yountville foodies and wineries, theFoodPilot has learned that Morimoto has been seen out and about during the month of July while he was living in Napa and preparing a solid and smooth operating kitchen.

The restaurant itself is situated in downtown Napa. The interior has plenty of woody colors and brown tones, however, the attractive fish mural along the hallway makes for an eye opening entrance. The bar at the far end of the hallway to the left is situated beautifully far away enough from the sushi bar so that diners at the bar can enjoy the experience of watching sushi chefs working their magic hands. As you walk further into the dining room, you will enter a more casual ambiance with added blue hues (dominated by the chairs), but still maintaining the wooden touches.

A la carte options range anywhere from $10-$20 for appetizers and $25-$35 for entrees. We opted for the Chef’s omakase, which costs $110.

Sake Tastings, $30

Toro Tartare with black nori paste, wasabi, chives, avocado, creme fraiche & rice crackers. Yamamomo as a palette cleanser.

Kampachi, my favorite Yellowtail fish

Bagna Cauda & seasonal veggies

Foie Gras Chawanmushi

Hotate, Saba, Aji, Hirame, Hamachi, Chutoro

“Surf & Turf”, Pork loin with spicy tofu sauce, Wagyu Beef with caramelized onions, Lobster Epice & Creme fraiche

Dessert: Poached peaches with ice cream and pistachio nuts topped with a Champagne cream

Morimoto says Aloha to Waikiki

Morimoto launched his long awaited new restaurant this summer in Napa Valley, however, Morimoto continues to rapidly expand. Morimoto is currently in Hawaii this month, in preparation for his new restaurant, Morimoto Waikiki. After speaking with Morimoto Waikiki staff this past weekend (we couldn’t find the news anywhere so theFoodPilot was on a mission to find out), we learned that they are currently taking reservations, and the first night of operation is expected to be September 21st, 2010.

Reservations can be made via telephone at (808) 941-8500. Open table reservations will begin soon. The menu will feature his classic a la carte options (with cold & hot appetizers, soup & salad, raw bar, grill bar, & entrees) or Chef’s omakase.

Morimoto Waikiki is located at Suite A5, 1720 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu.

Photo credit downbythehipster.com

Iron Chef Champion Dominique onto a New Venture

Rise and Shine, San Francisco! The word is officially out – your latest neighborhood Iron Chef champion Dominique of Luce Restaurant is working on a new venture, Atelier Crenn.

Although the project is in its early stages (construction to begin soon) and there are not too many beans spilled quite yet, we do know that this wonder will feature a European design which will complement Crenn’s French roots.

There will be 60 seats total, 40 in the dining area and 20 in a private room. The restaurant will take over PlumpJack Cafe’s old space at 3127 Fillmore Street.

As of now, all we know is that the menu will continue to feature Crenn’s delicate, modern touches with a European flair. The dining experience will offer prix fixe options ranging from three to five courses ($55-$65) and a grand tasting menu for roughly $100.

72 Hours of Food Madness Attracts Bay Area foodies

In 2008, I was a college student beginning an obsession of food that I never thought imaginable. I received a student discount pass to the artisanal food festival, Slow Food Nation. Then…Slow Food Nation took a hike. Little did I know, Susan Coss and Anya Fernald, who put together the event, decided to aim for something more casual and launched the “Eat Real Fest” last year. This time, the food festival would still offer great, tasting food but it would consist of cheap, casual eats out of food trucks (after all, that is the new phenomenon these days, no?).

In its second year in the running, Eat Real Fest 2010 resulted in another grand success this past weekend at Jack London Square in Oakland. From anxious foodies to energetic kiddies, this event had something for everyone.

La Cocina

Kara’s Cupcakes attracts loyal fans

Ricotta cheese demonstration

The final product

Hot and steamy corn tortillas

Beer brewing

For the first time, The Food Pilot brings you exclusive interviews with some very cool people…

Ashley Rowe & Carolynn Webb of Fat Bottom Bakery based out of Oakland, California

What distinguishes you from other cupcake bakeries?

All of our cupcakes are vegan and we like to put a lot of thought into our flavors, and we like to go for classic flavors with just a little bit of a twist.

What flavors are you featuring today?

Today we have an almond cake with vanilla frosting and fresh blueberries and our red velvet with cream cheese frosting.

What kind of alternative ingredients do you use since you are Vegan?

We use canola oil or earth balance and that’s usually the kind of thing we focus on. There’s also palm fruit shortening but it depends on what we are going for.

Where are you guys based out of and how much are your cupcakes?

We are based out of west Oakland, and we don’t have a store front but we do special events, special orders and we are expanding  into farmers markets. The big guys are $28 and the mini cupcakes are $14.

To order from Fat Bottom Bakery, e-mail fatbottombakers@gmail.com.

Alexa Andrzejewski, Co-founder of Foodspotting.com

What do you guys call yourselves?
We say we are “Foodspotting” and our shirts mean I “spot” food!

When did you guys officially kick off?
We originally kicked off the idea last year, around this time exactly. I was actually brainstorming a lot during Eat Real Fest..so it’s kind of Foodspotting’s birthday. But we launched it this past January.

We were talking earlier, and you mentioned that the idea sort of started in Japan?
When I went to Osaka, Japan and learned about foods like Takoyaki (if you don’t know what that is, it’s octopus balls)…which I had never heard about in the U.S..and so, I originally came back trying to find those, and I feel like you can’t really search for a specific dish you are craving. So, originally I wanted to create a “Yelp” for dishes so people could rate dishes, but as I was prototyping and testing it out, everyone was into the food photos so I realized the easiest way for people recommend a dish was, to take a picture of it. The picture taking trend makes it really easy for people to share photos.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the Anthony Bourdain guide on Foodspotting?

We are super excited about this. Since I started Foodspotting..when you turn on the App, you can see things that have been recommended nearby but I’ve always wanted to know what Anthony Bourdain recommended nearby and what other celebrity food chefs recommend, and Anthony Bourdain is the one that foodies trust the most. We reached out to the Travel Channel and they were so excited. So wherever you go, you can turn on the Foodspotting App and see the nearest things that Anthony Bourdain has tried.

Alexa also shared with us that one of her favorite foods is Ramen and she really enjoys Hapa Ramen of San Francisco. You can follow Alexa at twitter.com/ladylexy.

Plate by Plate Benefit Kicks off in San Francisco September 18th, 2010

Plate by Plate SF
Saturday, September 18, 2010
7:30 – 10:30pm (VIP reception starts at 6:30pm)
Mer at Terra Gallery
511 Harrison St (at First Street)
San Francisco, CA 94105

After eight years of success in Los Angeles and New York City, Plate by Plate is bringing its first annual tasting benefit to our beautiful city of San Francisco. With numerous renowned chefs and wineries joining forces, wine connoisseurs and foodies alike will impress their palates on the evening of September 18th while giving back to the community in order to promote healthy Asian and Pacific Islander families through the APA Family Support Services organization.

As a FoodPilot.Com reader, you can purchase discounted tickets by entering the offer code “sfpbp” at http://bit.ly/pbptix — offer lasts until September 3rd. Tickets can be purchased for $125 ($150 regular price) for General Admission or $225 ($250 regular price) for VIP.

–snip–

Plate by Plate Annual Tasting Benefit To Take Place September 18, 2010

PRLog (Press Release) – Aug 21, 2010 – SAN FRANCISCO – Plate by Plate kicks off the fall season with its first annual tasting benefit on September 18, 2010 at Terra Gallery. Featuring San Francisco’s top restaurants, celebrated chefs, and premiere winemakers and beverage purveyors, Plate by Plate is sure to raise the spirits of food and wine connoisseurs.Produced by Project by Project, the culinary event will take place in the heart of San Francisco and celebrate the city’s long-storied history with food and wine. Plate by Plate will feature tastes from over 25 acclaimed chefs and restaurants, including notables such as Luce Restaurant, Roy’s and Chez Papa Resto to name a few. Premiere sommeliers, producers and vintners such as William Cole Vineyards and Grgich Hills Estate will pour their signature wines.

All charitable proceeds garnered throughout the event will benefit APA Family Support Services, an organization dedicated to promoting healthy Asian / Pacific Islander children and families. APA provides family support services to prevent child abuse and domestic violence through early/crisis interventions and clinical treatment services.

Complete Schedule and Ticket Information Available At http://www.platebyplate.org/sf and http://www.bit.ly/pbptix

For more information about APA Family Support Services, visit http://www.apafss.org
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A Yelp Soiree with Vintage Flair

I think it’s pretty clear how loyal I am to Yelp. Ever since I discovered the website back in 2006, I quickly got hooked! With its rapid expansion, Yelp frequently throws theme or holiday parties nearly every month. This summer was over the top, with events nearly every few weeks!

One of the more recent events I attended was lovely. Although small and intimate, I felt that the energy there was fantastic for the guests to mingle and get to know each other.

Wines were offered by The Cupcake Vineyard and Darcie Kent Vineyards of Monterey and Livermore respectively. The appetizers and finger foods were prepared by VeSu of Walnut Creek, and the outstanding band is local, specializing in Portuguese and Brazilian music, my absolute favorite! The highlight of the night was when they played The Girl from Ipanema.

All photo credits go to James Ngo of catalepsicfox.com.

The Great Food Truck Race

You may have caught the premier of Tyler Florence’s new show, “The Great Food Truck Race” this past Sunday (8/15) on the Food Network.   Seven gourmet food truck teams are followed on a cross country journey from the west to the east coast, where they must each showcase their cooking skills, in hopes of going home with the grand prize of $50,000.

This year, I felt that everyone was going on a food truck binge. I first heard of food trucks from friends and co-workers – they would tell me that they were going to get Korean tacos or gourmet crepes – all, conveniently, out of a food truck. I was thinking, “What in the world?! I thought food trucks were those junky things that popped up at various office buildings to feed those sad office robots that had no Google cafeteria or nearby restaurants.”

Anyway, to make the long story short, I am now too, one of those avid “food truck” fans. Here is a list of the ones I have visited, starting with my # 1 favorite, Spencer on the Go, which is one of the teams in the running for The Great Food Truck Race!

1.) Spencer on the Go (based out of San Francisc0)

Currently my favorite food truck (it was my favorite before I even learned that they were going to be on the show), Spencer on the Go likes to embrace its Parisian flair, and arrives fashionably late. On a recent trip there, although they were supposed to be out by 6PM, they didn’t roll into the lot until 6:27PM. With a menu that offers a wide array of choices – from escargot to foie gras torchon, this is the most affordable way to get your gourmet French food!

Checking In on my Yelp App

Foie Gras Torchon and Toast, $12

Far West Fungi Truffle Emulsion “Vol au Vent”, $9

So excited to eat these treats

2.) TreatBot (based out of San Jose)

Everything at TreatBot is made locally, but does that even matter when each flavor is delicious? The 408 which consists of vanilla ice cream with caramel, fudge and Oreo cookies, is their signature flavor, but their plain vanilla is great for their rootbeer float ($5). They also have other unique flavors like Ube and Eastside Horchata.

2 Scoops of their “408” Flavor, $3

3.) Primo’s Parrilla (based out of Oakland)

If meat is what you’re craving, Primo’s Parrilla is your best bet. For the price, this food truck offers the best bang for your buck. Bringing you slow grilled argentine asado, Primo’s menu has a variety of yummy meats including Grass Fed Trip-tip ($12), Chicken ($10), pork, and sausage ($10). The secret is in their delicious homemade chimichurri.

At Outside Lands Festival, where they cooked right on front of us on the coals

(Photo credits vamosprimos.com)

4.) Sam’s Chowdermobile (based out of Half Moon Bay)

Not all food trucks start as food trucks. Just as Spencer on the Go was started by Chez Spencer of San Francisco, Sam’s Chowdermobile was founded by Sam’s Chowder House. They offer a wide price of seafood treats, from $5 fish tacos to their signature $15 Lobster roll.

5.) Mogo BBQ (based out of Santa Clara)

Inspired by the K-town taco trucks of Los Angeles, Mogo BBQ serves up korean style bbq in corn tacos ($2 each) or burritos ($7). These tasty treats are fresh made to order, so they may take a while before you get to dig in!

If you have a particular food truck to recommend, please drop me a line at vsartori8 @ live dot com !