Review - Nob Hill Cafe

A craving for pasta and a fiance out rock climbing turned my feet to Nob Hill Cafe on a windy Tuesday evening. It's a neighbourhood institution that's hard to walk past; often bustling with an interesting mixture of visitors and regulars, their heads bowed happily over bowls of pasta or seasonal pizzas. The scents of garlic and Parmesan, inevitably, follow you for half a block if you have the strength - or an already full stomach - to keep walking.

This time around, I ordered the Insalata Caprese for my starter, followed up with the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. I was sad to see that the Cafe hadn't quite finished baking their in-house foccacia when my bread basket arrived, as historically, the basket contains a blend of crusty sourdough and herbed foccacia (the latter of which is one of my favorite breads found to date in SF), but I was dining earlier in the evening, and the sourdough was perfect for dipping in the vinaigrette served with my Caprese.

The Caprese turned out to be more elaborate than the menu indicates; beyond the traditional basil, fresh mozzarella, and tomatoes, the dish was served over baby greens with thinly sliced red onions and an admirable quantity of olives, topped by a balsamic vinaigrette. At times, the vinaigrette cloaked the fresh flavours of the cheese and tomato, so I wouldn't recommend the salad for Caprese purists, but it remained an enjoyable start to my meal.

I have a guilty not-quite-secret; when it comes to pasta, I tend to lean towards the unconventional or the elaborate. NHC's Carbonara is a delicious reminder that sometimes, classic dishes keep their popularity for good reason. It arrived at my table piping hot, in a bowl with tall sides (the better for swirling and mixing in the fresh ground pepper and Parmesan; key ingredients, my server and I agreed, for making this dish an ultimate comfort food.) From the texture of the noodles to the creamy sauce highlighted by garlic and pancetta, the Carbonara was easy to love. It's a rich, filling dish, so I packed some away for my lunch, and thanked the staff for taking good care of me. 

I find it telling how restaurants treat solitary diners, and am happy to report that NHC is a solid choice, whether you're on your own, in a pair, or in a larger group. That said, it's a popular place, and they do not take reservations, so would recommend coming early or later for dinner if you have a large group.

Salute!

Wandering - Tartine (SF)

I found Tartine just before noon on a Wednesday morning; like so many popular places in SF, it eschews notable signage, displaying a plain black sign with no lettering over tall windows. It was by chance I found it (well, chance and a nearby bus stop, en route to yet another apartment viewing) but I'm very glad I did.

Though the pastries were tempting, reminding me a little of the jewel-toned and rich chocolate desserts I first became acquainted with at Edmonton's Duchess Bake Shop, I snapped up a slice of the ham and cheese quiche, and was very happy with my choice. The quiche was delicious. Balanced, texture and flavour-wise, the ham added a salty undertone that fit, but which didn't overwhelm the other flavours. When I make quiche at home, it's often too soft (my baking curse continues!) but Tartine's doesn't suffer a similar fate. It's fluffy but not inconsequential, and made for a tasty, light lunch as I sat outside at one of their patio tables and watched the world slip past Guerrero and 18th.

Even mid-week, there were lines to contend with, but the staff were friendly and helpful, and the line moved pretty quickly. I'll be happy to return, and maybe indulge my sweet tooth the next time around!

Review/Wandering: Rainbow Caribbean Cuisine

After returning twice in two weeks, I'm coming to terms with the fact that the chicken roti at Rainbow is both addictive and causes something like a Eureka moment. (Oh, you can't help but think upon first bite. That's why people love this place.)

Don Henley's "The End of the Innocence" is playing over the stereo; a years-younger Barack Obama looks out over the oxtail and snapper trays from a poster with an optimistic smile - it's an interesting mix of old and new, but it's a good one. I brush my feet against the floor, sizing up the long bar of curries, rum cakes, and coconut desserts and wonder if Rainbow was the first tenant of this sunny spot in downtown Kitchener, scribbling absently about how kids-these-days might just grow up okay despite listening to Lady Gaga (next up on the stereo) sing about disco sticks if I (who is a self-professed lyrics girl) am only figuring out now how poignant some of my parents' favorite songs really were. Sometimes it takes time to listen differently; time and years. It took me 'til last week to discover that Tom Cochrane's "Big League" (a song - or, well, chorus - sung many a time as my family piled into our van to send my brother or sister off to an early-morning hockey game) is firmly rooted in tragedy.

I digress. Food and music, particularly their combination, can take you anywhere.

The roti I've ordered is massive; sweet-savoury and staining my fingers even as I carve it. It's too large to lift with anything resembling elegance, but this is a Very Good Thing - the roti wrap itself is pleasantly chewy without being dense, and it's packed with tender, slow-cooked chicken, potatoes, and onions. I can already tell I'll be taking the last third home for leftovers. Again! And I walked in starving. ...Now to guard the leftovers from M.

One day I'll make it to the goat curry; to the snapper dinner; to the Jamaican patties with their bright, flaky, egg-y pastry. I'm not usually the type to gravitate to a favorite and get stuck there, but there's a first time for everything.

When I wrote this first, it was during the heart of Oktoberfest, and I think I'd ventured Downtown in search of a schnitzel, but I'm definitely glad my feet turned me this way.

In other fantastic news, I noticed as I left Rainbow that Niko Niko is once again open for business! (It had been closed for some time due to smoke damage from the fire down the block.)

Review: Hometown Eatery

I should say that I've been to Hometown Eatery before - it was the first restaurant that I visited upon moving to the KW area - but when dining out, it's inevitable that certain things on the menu will catch your eye.

And so it was with Yukiko's lemon poppyseed slaw and the Polenta Lasagna; though happily distracted by the burger selection (which has got great variety and taste), something told me that these would be worth trying.

So, book in hand, I wandered back. I was on the late side of lunch, but the cafe was bustling with friends and coworkers out for dessert or a more substantial meal. I enjoy eating out on my own every so often (it's a great way to people-watch and to get in some writing) and it's always interesting to see how servers/hostesses treat you upon realizing your singledom. Props to the server at Hometown, who smiled genuinely with her "for one?" and bustled me over to my choice of two tables.

Hometown Eatery, or Yukiko's, as some locals still call it, is bright and whimsical; well-lit with a mix of abstract canvas art and pop-art-esque depictions of food nestled beside chalkboard lists of beer on tap (considerable; lots of in-province breweries) and daily specials. I was disappointed to see a lack of Ontario wines on the winelist, but think that this has more to do with liquor laws than Hometown's interest in having them on the list. Plus, although it was 5:00 somewhere, I stuck to water.

My lemon poppyseed slaw arrived first; the dressing was crisp and refreshing with lots of poppyseeds, and while the slaw was crisp and not pre-packaged, I couldn't help but wish for a bit more of a punch in flavour and texture (sliced almonds? red cabbage?) Still, it was enjoyable, and a good precursor to...

Lasagna! It's one of my favorite comfort foods, and appeared in an oblong baked-pasta bowl with two slices of in-house rosemary bread (YUM). The bread was handy for soaking up the pasta sauce, and the lasagna itself was a yummy twist on the traditional version. The veggies (mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini, onions, and peppers) and generous amount of melted mozzarella made a tasty counterpoint to the discs of polenta; I'm not certain I've been fully seduced away from the traditional combination of noodles/mozza/meat, but this was a delicious alternative!

...It's not necessarily lighter, though - I was still pretty full at dinner.

Service at Hometown can be uneven (read: slow, although always friendly) but today my server was excellent, even though she was doubling as hostess. With tax and tip, my bill was close to $20, which is on the expensive side, but with most of the dishes, a side is included, and the polenta's one of the more expensive items. I'd save it for dinner in future, but I'm sure I'll be back.