The Inaugural Flavors

Tonight, I took my seven year-old daughter down to our new neighborhood ice cream place, Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous. It was their first day open and we were really excited to try it so you can imagine our horror (well, my daughter was actually pretty mellow about it) when we got there and saw a “Closed” sign hanging in the window. Luckily, the super cool owners, Ian and Annabelle, took pity on me, umm I mean us, and opened the door for a few last scoops. We were both so glad that they did. Dogpatch is now home to some of the Bay Area’s top sweets.

A Kids Coffee Cone Held By An Adult Hand

Of the three flavors that we tried, the coffee and the candied ginger were my favorites. The coffee is a no frills, no tricks affair and that alone had me hooked. It’s damn good coffee ice cream, not too dark, not too sweet. I’m already daydreaming about covering it with their homemade hot fudge. Ian was nice enough to let me know that it was caffeinated before feeding it to my near-bedtime daughter. Mrs. Stomach wasn’t there though so I let her eat the whole thing. While I’ve only had maybe four or five ginger ice creams in my ice cream deprived life, this was my favorite. Spot on taste with sweet and savory dancing on the tongue with every bite. Texture wise, the ginger was somewhere between traditional ice cream and sorbet. I brought this home in a pint and had to remind myself to put down the spoon a few times before I actually did. Choco-malted crunch was good but a tad too sweet for my tastebuds.

Next Time, The Peanut Brittle

Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous is also selling their own candies and baked goods including peanut brittle, caramels and chocolate peanut butter malt balls. We tried the malt balls and loved the combination of the malt crunch and creamy peanut butter. I can’t wait to go back and try more at this shop that is so clearly a labor of love. In particular, the Ballpark ice cream, with Anchor beer, peanuts and chocolate covered pretzels, is beyond intriguing. I predict that this will be their trademark flavor, a la Secret Breakfast. Ian and Annabelle live nearby with their adorable toddler (why didn’t my parents own a sweet shop?) and they are so clearly psyched to have a casual place of their own after years of working in “fine dining” kitchens including Chez Panise, Spago and Postrio. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Mr. & Mrs. Miscellaneous
699 22nd Street
(between Illinois St & 3rd St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Daily 11:30AM-8:00PM
Kids Cone or Single Scoop $2.50
Double Scoop $3.50
Chocolate peanut butter malt balls $7.99/lb

The "Original" Cheese Fondue

Fondue. Spear a small piece of good French bread, dunk it into a vat of melted cheese spiked with wine, and eat. Right now, between those simple words and the picture of said bread and cheese above, you’re probably hungry. I can stop writing and I will have done my job which is to make you want to eat at The Matterhorn. But I’ll tell you a little more.

The Matterhorn has been owned by Brigitte and Andrew Thorpe (she works the front of the house and he’s the chef), both from Switzerland, since 1994. Yet every time I ask a friend if they’ve eaten there, the response is usually “no, but I’ve always wondered about that place”. The location is a little odd. On a busy stretch of Van Ness, The Matterhorn is located in the back of a non-descript (putting it kindly) apartment/office building lobby. However, once you enter the actual restaurant, it’s like you’ve entered the “It’s A Small World” version of Switzerland minus the puppets and annoying music. The entire dining room is made of wood, with stained glass and Swiss art decorating the walls. Some might find it cheesy (no pun intended) but I think that it works. While Mrs. Stomach and I used to go with groups of friends to The Matterhorn and get loaded on Gewurztraminer, nowadays it has become our traditional place to celebrate our kids’ birthdays. Whereas we used to stumble out of here at 10PM and head straight to Jack’s Bar on California for a pint of Old Foghorn and shuffleboard, we’re now done by 7PM and rushing home to get the kids showered and make sure that lunch is made. Oh how things have changed.

The Mixed Green Salad

All meals begin with a Mixed Green Salad which is actually a pretty boring description of a really tasty salad. Mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes and, sometimes, chopped egg are tossed with a creamy vinaigrette that has a hint of garlic. I’ve never figured out why there’s chopped egg sometimes but not others. We always add the Alpine Delight plate of cured meats to our order and share it. In today’s world of house-made charcuterie plates, which I’m a huge fan of, there’s something refreshing about an old-school meat plate! At The Matterhorn, it typically consists of smoked ham, farmer’s sausage, salami, and air cured beef.

The Alpine Delight

The cheese fondues are delicious. We always order “The Original” and “The Natural”. “The Original”, the adult favorite, is a blend of Emmenthal and Gruyere spiked with wine, a little kirsch, garlic and black peppercorns. It has an easy, boozy flavor that doesn’t overrun the glorious cheesiness. I’m always the last one still dunking and I keep going until the sides of the pot are scraped. “The Natural” is a bit blander as it has a little more Emmenthal and a little less alcohol. It tastes more of pure cheese and is our daughters’ favorite. While I’m happy just dipping the included bread, my family also likes to plunge boiled potatoes and apples into the fondue as well. At this age, our kids still love to play the game where you have to kiss someone at the table if you drop your bread in the fondue. In the ’90s, Mrs. Stomach and I used to play that game too but it was a little different. Well, a lot different. Like I said, how things have changed!

How Do You Not Order Chocolate Fondue?

Of course, you must end with chocolate fondue, served with a variety of fruits, as well as marshmallows, for dipping. I wish that the chocolate was a little warmer but its flavor, derived from a blend of milk and dark chocolates, is spot-on. Service at The Matterhorn is mostly provided by Brigitte, the owner, and she’s very friendly and helpful with ordering. Sometimes though, she can get caught up in a conversation with other tables, thus becoming unavailable for a refill or some more bread. This would be fine if she had more help but, typically, there are only one or two other employees doing all of the busing and extra work. This isn’t a problem to the point that it detracts from your meal but is just good to know before you sit down to eat. The Matterhorn also offers meat fondues and a full menu of Swiss-German specialties, think Schnitzel, but we always go for the cheese fondue.

In a town with a never-ending parade of ethnic restaurants for every occasion, a Swiss restaurant is a genuine novelty. Yeah, $19 a head might sound pricey for melted cheese and bread but, really, are you going to stay up all night scrubbing the cheese off the pot at home and then find somewhere to store that pot until next year? Didn’t think so. Stop wondering about The Matterhorn and go check it out!

The Matterhorn Swiss Restaurant
2323 Van Ness Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-885-6116
www.thematterhornrestaurant.com
Tuesday-Sunday: 5PM-9PM
Alpine Delights Cured Meats Plate: $9.50
Cheese Fondue For 2 (includes dinner salad): $38
Chocolate Fondue For 2: $18

Peas Sprouts With Garlic

When someone asks me where to eat in Chinatown, my list is usually short. I love Lychee Garden. R & G can do the trick for a banquet-style meal.
City View’s dim sum is a huge fave. For a tourist not from L.A., Boston or New York, House of Nan King is an easy crowd pleaser. It’s small, dumpy and crowded so it must be good? It’s fun once every two years or so. I dig Hing Lung on Broadway for jook but most people asking me about Chinese food aren’t looking for jook. Then there’s…there’s…there’s I don’t know. Honestly, my Chinese food consumption normally happens in the Richmond or Sunset districts. So I was particularly psyched to be invited recently to a dinner at Z & Y Restaurant in, you guessed it, Chinatown. Eight diners, all with food blogs . This was going to be good. Eight diners, all with cameras. This was going to be comical.

Spicy Numbing Beef Tendon

The photographers jostled for the best angle and then flashes began to pop wildly. Had Thomas Keller dropped by ready to get his spice on? Lady Gaga have a hankering for some Tan Tan Noodles? No. It was the red carpet arrival (well, unvacuumed maroon carpet) of our first course, Spicy Numbing Beef Tendon! And what a first course it was. Hung like laundry on a
mini-wooden rack, the presentation was a conversation piece all its own. Each thinly sliced piece of tendon was served cold with a slice of cucumber draped over it. We lazy Susaned (making up my own verb) the rack around the table so that we could each snatch a piece with our chopsticks. A small vat of “numbing” chili oil made for some fine dunking, creating a prickly but not spicy sensation in my mouth. The texture was what I imagine raw bacon would chew like with a mouth-cooling crunch provided by the cucumber. Quite the first impression.

Chicken With Explosive Chili Peppers

Oohs and Aahs were heard as we were presented with Chicken With Explosive Chili Peppers. Again with the cameras! Our table’s new celebrity was a mound of brilliant red chili peppers specked with Sichuan peppercorns. A few pokes with the serving spoon exposed a hidden treasure, small fried chunks of boneless chicken bathing in a pile of heat. The chicken was nice and spicy but not crazy. No one was sweating or anything. It was well fried with a good crunch but little grease.  While you’re not supposed to eat the peppers, I couldn’t resist and downed a few. These were hot and I’m quite sure the reason that I felt gurgling in my upper esophagus the next day. But it was worth it.

Special Pork Belly

“Special” Braised Pork Belly literally gleamed at our lenses and had the elegance of a 1940s Hollywood star. Eight square pieces lightly topped with a barely sweet sauce were quickly snapped up onto our plates, leaving behind a splotched platter with a few lonely pieces of broccoli. So much for elegance. But oh the pork belly! How tender was it you ask? So tender that we all cut it with only our chopsticks. Easily. The skin on top barely crackled and underneath was silky flesh with a mild porky flavor. In my world, “porky” is a huge complement. I loved the simplicity of this dish. Tricked out pork belly is getting old fast. Other favorite dishes included Yunan Style Steamed Chicken Soup, Eggplant With Garlic Sauce, and an exemplary Pea Shoots With Garlic. Hot Braised Sea Bass, presented as a disk topped with, of course, peppers, was moist and super flavorful. Again, spicy but not overkill. Cured Beef Wrapped In A Scallion Pancake, kind of a Chinese Stromboli, was a new one for me. I’d never even heard of it. I’d definitely order it again.

Chinese Stromboli

If you decide to eat at Z & Y, and I really hope that you do, I strongly suggest that you stay away from the Americanized items on the menu. Remember, because Z & Y is in Chinatown, they kind of have to offer Sweet and Sour Chicken, Beef With Broccoli and all of the other usual suspects. You want to come here for the Sichuan stuff! A huge thanks to @cookingwithamy for the invitation and the well thought out selection of amazing dishes. Also thanks to my new food friends and fellow foodarazzi @chefjen, @summertomato, @alphaprep, @divinacucina, @heatherhal and @Jeters. I can safely say that we’ve all found a new place in Chinatown to recommend.

The Menu
Spicy Numbing Beef Tendon
Scallion Pancakes
Yunnan Style Steamed Chicken Soup In Clay Pot
Peking Duck
Pea Sprouts with Garlic
Special Pork Belly (not on the regular menu)
Chicken With Explosive Chili Peppers
Hot Braised Sea Bass
Eggplant With Garlic Sauce
Cured Beef Wrapped In Scallion Pancake (courtesy of Z & Y)
Fresh Fried Mini Red Bean Cakes (courtesy of Z & Y)

Z & Y Restaurant
655 Jackson St. (near Grant)
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-981-8988
Monday-Sunday 11 AM-10 PM
Pre-Ordered Nine Course Meal For Eight: $200 after tax and tip (no drinks)

This Beast Easily Feeds 4

Sicilian Style Burratina di Margherita

Calzone With Meatballs And Garlic

Calzone With Meatballs And Garlic

New Jersey Tomato Pie

Margherita

Just a quick growl as I took the family to Tony’s in North Beach last night and found it to be just as good as my first two visits. This time, we tried the Calzone with Meatballs, Garlic, Mozzarella and Ricotta and we all loved it. The meatballs, which I raved about as a starter in my original review, work really well in the perfectly baked, golden crust. The only bummer was that the marinara sauce, served on the side for dipping, was cold. I’d rather that it was warm. Also new for us was the Sicilian Style Burratina di Margherita square pizza. It takes about fifteen minutes longer than the other pies because of its sheer massiveness. Soft and focaccia-like except for a perfectly crisped bottom, the Sicilian crust reconfirmed for me that the pizza bakers at Tony’s really “respect the craft.” It even says so on their t-shirts. I would’ve liked a tad more sauce on the Sicilian as I love Tony’s sauce. We ate the Sicilian leftovers cold for lunch today and it was perfect leftover pizza. And I wasn’t even hungover. Next time, I would get the Sicilian with some toppings as it has the heft to hold up some serious sausage, pepperoni or whatever your greasy deliciousness of choice is. However, my favorite continues to be the New Jersey Tomato Pie, just as good as my first go-around in March. I’m already plotting my next visit to sample more of Tony’s pizza.

Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
1570 Stockton St. (corner of Union)
San Francisco, CA 94133
415-835-9888
Website
Wednesday-Sunday: Noon-11:00 PM
No reservations
The Original Tomato Pie $15
Margherita Pie $18
Sicilian Style Burratina di Margherita $29
Baked Manhattan Calzone $12