BIX

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BIX is one of those restaurants that I imagine how SF was back in the days - classic with a touch of mystery and romance.  Its located in probably the only alley in the city that doesn't have a homeless person loitering around.

BIX is probably the only restaurant I've ever seen that prepares and serves beef tartare tableside.  How classic!  Fresh rare beef, a raw egg, and some seasonings mixed in makes this one of the best beef tartares I've had in a long time. 

Not the biggest fan of this preparation of roasted bone marrow because of all the effort to get the fatty marrow out!  Not bad, but it takes a lot of work.

Its not apparent when you first glance at the menu, but there are actually two burgers on this menu.  The $28 black truffle cheeseburger is the one listed in the dinner entree menu.  This burger is served open faced on rye bread along with truffle fries.  The truffle lends both the burger and fries some earthiness.  The burger was juicy and ultimately satisfying, but the only complaint I had was the huge conundrum of how to eat this burger elegantly.  This fancy restaurant with their fancy ingredient burger and a hefty price tag left me wondering if I should eat this like a piece of toast or civilized with a fork and knife.  I think the latter was the right answer, but I couldn't bring myself to eat a burger with a set of utensils so the burger ended up sliding all over the place.  It was still delicious, whatever way it ended up in my mouth.

Bix Club Burger at BIX-  2013 7x7 SF's Top 100 Eats

The more hidden burger option is their cheaper club burger.  Not quite as fancy as the truffle burger, this burger is still made with quality ingredients that compared to its fancy counterpart makes it a standout option.  The bix burger is advertised on both the lunch menu and bar menu.  The $18 burger is sandwiched between a poppyseed bun for proper burger handling.  Its juiciness competes with that of the truffle burger.  Which one is better?  Hard to say, both are really tasty, but if you are feeling fancy, then opt for the truffle burger.  If you want a solid, no frills burger, the the bix burger will satisfy that burger craving. 

The desserts here aren't very risque.  In line with the classic architecture and entrees, the desserts are very modest.  Although, they do a bananas foster tableside.  The warm chocolate brioche bread pudding was rich and chocolatey.  Nothing extravagant, but it ended the meal on a nice sweet note.

updated - Working my way through the 2013 7x7's SF big eat 100 things    

Address:                    Bix Restaurant
                                  56 Gold St.
                                   San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                          American/burger

Popular chomps:        Bix Burger
                                    steak tartare

Chomp worthy:           steak tartare
                                    Bix Burger     

Grubshack

Pin It Now! San Jose is home to a large population of Hawaiians so its never a surprise when another Hawaiian spot opens up.  Hawaiian food is already an mashup of different foods and cuisines, but Grubshack takes Hawaiian food to another level of fusion.  They even offer low calories dishes like low cal loco moco (?!) served with brown rice and a turkey patty.  Weird, but true.

First thing I noticed about Grubshack is that majority of the items have kalua pork.  The kalua sliders are set on soft Hawaiian rolls and mozzarella cheese.  I actually wasn't able to identify any cheese on this.  The kalua pork was tender and flavorful  throughout all the pork dishes.

The dungeness crab fries was one of those dishes that sounds really great on the menu, but in reality you want to kick yourself for ordering.  These fries were topped with meager chunks of plain crab meat and supposedly lobster sauce, but again, I couldn't distinctly tell anything seafoody about this dish besides the very plain crab meat. 

 

A Hawaiian rice plate is a must when eating Hawaiian food.  The GS special comes with Kalua pork and garlic shrimp.  Its topped with a runny, fried egg and served with a side of rice and mac salad.  While the kalua pork was already confirmed to be a solid choice, the garlic shrimp was plain and rubbery.  Decent mac salad though.

Along with burgers, Grubshack also serves hot dogs.  The kalua dog (aka death wish) is made of a hot link (or polish dog) cut in half and grilled for a nice charred, crispy taste then dressed with the go-to kewpie mayo, glazed onions, and seaweed.

By this time, I realized that almost everything on the menu was a mix of the same ingredients.  The kalua fries were the best dish of the meal and that wasn't saying much.  The fresh cut fries were topped with kalua pork, green onions, jalapenos, and their special sauce.

I saw a pic of this dish before I came here and its the one dish I was most excited to eat.  It had me at runny egg.  The taco is layered with kalua pork, mozzarella cheese then topped with a fried egg.  The flavorless taco was a huge letdown.  It was missing something, but nothing a squirt of sriacha couldn't fix.

Address:                    Grubshack
                                   93 E. Santa Clara St.
                                   San Jose, CA  

Type:                          Hawaiian/Asian Fusion

Popular chomps:        loco moco
                                   kalua fries
                                   kalua sliders
                                   cukui tacos

Chomp worthy:          kalua fries      

Hard Water

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Hard Water is not the average Charles Phan restaurant.  Its a take on Southern/Creole/Cajun cuisine, a far cry from his usual Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine, like Out The Door (see post HERE).  Admittedly, I'm not a big Charles Phan fan, but his diversion intrigued me.  Hard Water does have a pretty amazing location, right along the pier, which makes it a popular happy hours spot.  Unfortunately, they don't allow reservations so the small space does get very crowded. 

Most of the seating is around the horseshoe shaped bar with some seats along the perimeter.



Having just had Trick Dog's chicharrones (see post HERE), it only seemed right to order up Hard Water's version.  Both are fried very similar, but Hard Water's version was the veritable winner of the two.  Each bite sized morsel was fatty, chewy, and had just the right amount of spiciness.  The perfect amount of saltiness to enjoy with drinks.  

 Their hot homemade house is similar to Trick Dog's.  It adds a slightly tangy, but spicy kick to the chicharrones.



The milk braised celery hearts dish is exactly what it sounds like.  They are hearts of celery, so the tender inner stalks of a celery bunch.  Its deep fried and served with a aioli dipping sauce.  The first time I've seen deep fried celery, but I suppose you can deep fry anything so why not celery.  Not raveworthy to me, but definitely something different.

Another popular dish here is the fried chicken.  The extra juicy fried chicken is very lightly battered with a pepper jelly dipping sauce.  Although the meat is extremely well cooked, I just don't think I categorize this as a fried chicken.  The "batter"is almost nonexistent and not crispy at all.   



The braised rabbit comes in a mini cast iron pot with buttermilk dumplings and sage.  I had high hopes for this dish since it sounds so appetizing, but everything just seemed like it clumped into one mushy bite.  Not much flavor either.

I didn't know what to expect when I ordered the scotch kisses.  At $1.25 each, its a no brainer just to see what comes out.  These soft, gooey, toffy candies had a layer of sweet syrup that I want to say may have been caramel?  Sweet  and somewhat hard to eat (it sticks to the wrapper), they reminded me of the after dinner treats I had at Manresa (see post HERE). 

The banana butterscotch fried pies were the sweet dessert choice of the night.  These crispy pies had a nice banana flavor inside, but the butterscotch dipping sauce was a little too sweet for me.  Not exactly the McDonald's fried apple pies of my childhood, but not bad either.

Address:                  Hard Water
                                 Pier 3
                                 Ste 3-102
                                 San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                       Cajun/Creole

Popular chomps:    fried chicken
                                 chicharrones
                                 pork belly
                                 celery hearts

Chomp worthy:      chicharrones

Jimbo's

Pin It Now! This summer heat wave has me searching out more cold treats to cool me down.  Jimbo's is a small dessert shop in the middle of San Jose's Japantown that serves Bubbie's mochi straight from Hawaii.  Not just your standard mochi ice cream from Trader Joe's or Ranch 99, these mochis come in a wide variety of flavors.  About 15 flavors a month to be exact, with a couple as special flavors of the month.

All 15 flavors this month were:  green tea, mango, guava, strawberry, chocolate peanut butter, passion fruit, pistachio, chocolate coconut, lychee, strawberry dark chocolate, vanilla, and ultimate chocolate.  Vanilla and ultimate chocolate were the special flavors of the month.  While the the standard flavors were good, the taste shockers were pistachio, ultimate chocolate, strawberry dark chocolate, chocolate coconut, and chocolate peanut butter.  Although, they don't really tell you what each of the flavors were when they serve you the tray of bubbies, its sort of fun to guess which ones are what.

Biting into one of the more "exotic" flavors of mochi (this one is chocolate coconut), you can see the exterior (mochi) is a different color than the ice cream inside.  Also, the handmade bubbies have a slightly thinner layer of mochi, which I think works well with the ice cream.  Since they are handmade, the mochi is chewier and more delicate in texture.

The Jimbo roll here is a must get!  A sushi roll made with hot dog ($.75 extra for a hot link) and pickled vegetables (takuan) and a spicy mayo sauce.  A couple slices of amazingly crispy and fresh tasting takuan are give on the side for some added crunch.  The rice to hot dog ratio is spot on.  Just looking at this roll makes it seem like it would be heavy, but its actually quite light and a nice snack size.  Having had many a spam musubi and sushi roll in my lifetime, I left the store still thinking about how delicious this was. 

Address:                  Jimbo's
                                 170 Jackson St.
                                 San Jose, CA
 

Type:                       dessert/ice cream/Japanese/Hawaiian

Popular chomps:     ice cream
                                 mochi ice cream (bubbies)
                                 Jimbo roll
                                 black sesame sauce

Chomp worthy:        mochi ice cream
                                 Jimbo roll        

Dos Coyotes

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So maybe its not La Palma (see post HERE), or even El Farolito (see post HERE), but Dos Coyotes rings with nostalgia for me.  Probably a step above Chipotle, but I don't care, I love it! 

Unfortunately, Dos Coyotes has yet to grace the Bay Area with their prescence with most of their locations north of Davis. 

As a poor student, the shrimp burrito was one of the rare treats that I indulged in.  Its fluffy rice with plump shrimp (6 to be exact - when you are a student, you count these types of things) and white sauce was amazing!  I've often looked for a  similar substitute in the Bay Area, but never had much luck.



 

The mahi mahi burrito is another popular choice.  Flakes of mahi mahi fish and their 

     

Address:                  Dos Coyotes
                                 1411 W. Covell Blvd
                                 Davis, CA
 

Type:                       Mexican

Popular chomps:     shrimp burrito
                                 mahi mahi burrito
                                 paella burrito
 

Chomp worthy:        shrimp burrito       

Seoul Gomtang

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Seoul Gomtang is another example of why its a must to cross the bridge into Oakland for some good food.  Most people know Korean food as just grilled meats, but crossing the Bay (also venturing into the South Bay) will get you so much more.  Seoul Gomtang offers a couple dishes that I've never really been able to locate in the city, one being gomtang. 

The kimchee here is scarce, but all quality.  From the green onion and cucumber, pickled daikon, and traditional cabbage, each were soaked in spicy flavors and crunchy.

Seoul Gomtang has several types of gomtangs.  The suk uh gom tang is the mixed beef  version with thin noodles.  Almost like a pho dac biet (combination #1), this soup has beef tongue, tripe, brisket, essentially the works.  The broth is very, very plain and you will need to add something to do, whether it be kimchee, green onions, or salt.  The salt actually brings out the subtle beef flavor in the broth.

The gori gomtang is a milky broth with ox tail pieces.  Compared to the suk uh gom tang broth, this one is a little more flavorful, but no noodles.  Simple, but homey, I can see why this place is packed with people sipping this soup.  It's also a popular hangover soup, in the same category as pho.

Unlike most soups that I'm used to eating, these soups are meant to be flavored.  Usually with a sprinkle of green onions and ....

SALT!  I don't even know when the last time it was that I added salt to a finished food product, especially at a restaurant, but salt is a must for this soup.  I'd say anywhere from 1 to 2 spoonfuls is good enough, anything more makes the last couple drops too salty.

The pickled jalapenos in spicy soy sauce is used for dipping the pieces of meat.  Its the perfect sauce with just the right amount of spicy and saltiness.

No Korean meal is complete without a bowl of rice in a metal bowl.  I like to scoop the rice into the soup to soak up any last bits of flavor.

The mandu (dumplings) here are huge!  They are almost the size of fists.  Being Chinese, I'm used to small dumplings with delicate skins, these are quite opposite.  The wrappers are thick and chewy.  Each dumpling is stuffed with egg, chicken, and tofu.  They aren't super flavorful, but they do grow on you after the first one.

A peek inside the dumpling.

       

Address:                   Seoul Gomtang
                                  3801 Telegraph Ave.
                                  Oakland, CA
 

Type:                         Korean

Popular chomps:       hae mool pa jun (seafood pancake)
                                   gomtang (oxtail soup)
                                   jin man doo (dumplings)
                                   soon doo bu  (tofu soup)
                                   samgyetang (chicken ginseng soup)
                                   

Chomp worthy:         gomtang (oxtail soup)

Treatbot the Karaoke Ice Cream Truck

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Treatbot ice cream truck is a stationary truck located inside of San Pedro Square.  This shiny yellow truck churns out some of the best ice cream San Jose has to offer.  For the SF folks, it's a mix between Mitchell's famous Asian ice cream flavors (see post HERE) and Humphrey Slocombe wild mixes (see post HERE).  The flavors change on a daily basis with an average of 7-8 flavors every day.

Not just your average waffle cone!  Bacon bits are pressed into the handmade waffle cone giving a salty twist to the sweet snack.  The bottom scoop is banana ice cream speckled with nuts.  The top scoop was surprisingly the best one.  Avocado ice cream with real chunks of avocado.   

Address:                 Treatbot the Karaoke Ice Cream Truck
                                100 N. Almaden 
                                San Jose, CA
 

Type:                       ice cream/dessert

Popular chomps:     Eastside horchata ice cream
                                 Tin roof Sunday
                                 bacon waffle cone

Chomp worthy:        bacon waffle cone
                                  avocado ice cream     

Mozzeria

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With many pizzerias (Delfina see post HERE; Beretta, etc  ) within walking distance, sometimes its hard to distinguish one pizza place from the next.  First thing you notice while seated here is how quiet this place is.  Owned and staffed by deaf servers, its definitely a different SF dining experience.  Having been exposed to this environment my whole life, it wasn't anything new to me.  The servers are friendly and very attentive, just make sure you look at them when you speak so they can read your lips clearly.  There is a some paper and pencil on each table, just in case. 

In a city where an average meal is at least $100, I almost forgot what its like to have a bargain meal.  Mozzeria serves dishes a la carte, but on Tues and Weds, they serve up a pre fixe meal.  The $39 Tues meal includes a choice of 2 small plates, 1 pizza, 1 pasta, and 1 dessert.

I can never say no to a ball of burrata.  For a special menu dinner, this one was quite generous in portion size.  Not as soft and fluffy on the inside as I would have hoped, but it still hit the spot, especially with the chili jam.  It gave a nice kick to the subtle dish.

Crispy balls of goodness sums of what aracinis are.  Deep fried balls of gooey rice and cheese with a nice crispy crust.

My first choice of the  bucatini wasn't available so I had to default to the gnocchi.  Covered in bolognese and fennel with a giant dollop of ricotta on the side, this was not my favorite dish.  The balls of dough were on the heavy and dense side.

The pizza here is definitely the star of this meal.  Super, super thin (possibly the thinnest slice, I've seen in SF) with a nice charred, blistered crust.  Its just a slice that bursts with amazing flavor, from the tomato sauce to the crust.  This pizza is some of the best pizza in SF, second only to Pizzeria Delfina.

The dessert of the day was the bombolino.  They are fried doughnuts filled with lemon curd and rolled cinnamon sugar.  Fluffy and delicious. 

  

Address:                    Mozzeria
                                   3228 16th St.
                                   San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                          pizza

Popular chomps:        margherita pizza
                                    pizza

Chomp worthy:           margherita pizza   

La Tapatia Mexicatessen

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I'm rarely on this side of the woods, but a semitrustworthy burrito source told me that I had to visit this spot.  It's a good sign when everyone walking out had a burrito in hand. 

The inside reminds me of my favorite burrito spot - La Palma (see post HERE).  Part grocery store and part taqueria,  it sells all the good stuff. 

The super burrito comes with all the fixings.  Although they do add lettuce, which I did not like.  The pieces of chicharones are cut in big chunks on the spot before being rolled into the burrito.  The chicharones are flavorful with just the right amount of fattiness and crispiness, even better than La Palma's.  It doesn't have La Palma's freshly made fluffy tortilla, but their spicy salsa and excellent chicharones make it worth the trip outside the city.   

      

Address:                  La Tapatia Mexicatessen
 

Type:                        burrito/Mexican

Popular chomps:      chicharones burrito
                                  carne asada burrito
                                  carnitas burrito

Chomp worthy:         chicharrones burrito     

Suite Foods

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Suite Foods just moved into the 331 Cortland food court, which is also home to Anda Piroshki (see post HERE).  It seems I've been on quite a waffle run lately with Waffle Amore (see post HERE) and Butter & Zeus (see post HERE).  

Instead of going all the way to TCHO (see post HERE), you can get TCHO sipping chocolate here for $3.  The chocolate is so thick you really do have to sip it.  It has a sweet fruity, taste with a deeper chocolate finish.

You can never go wrong with the traditional Liege waffle.  Its sturdy and dense with hints of caramelized sugar bits in the nooks and crannies.

My fascination with runny egg may be getting out of control.  One look at a picture of their poached egg (additional $2) inside their maple bacon waffle and I made it a top priority to eat this asap!  The poached eggs are actually precooked ahead of time and then dropped into a pot of hot water then placed ever so gently inside a freshly made maple bacon waffle.  A perfectly runny egg with just a dash of salt on top made this salty and sweet combination just that much better.    

 

Address:                   Suite Foods
                                  331 Cortland Ave.
                                  San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                         dessert

Popular chomps:       liege waffle
                                   maple bacon waffle with poached egg
                                   sipping chocolate

Chomp worthy:          liege waffle
                                   maple bacon waffle with poached egg
                                   sipping chocolate