Thursday, January 24, 2008

Make a Wish Foundation's Wine & Wishes Event



Sat., Feb. 2, 2008
Treasure Island ~ San Francisco, CA

Hello Friends & Fellow Foodies!

Great Food & Wine for a Good Cause? The Raptor is so there...
Anyone else care to join in the Food & Fun?

Just wanted to put it out there for anyone that may be interested in going as well. You can get a $15 off discount with the Tablehopper discount code. Tablehopper readers can get discounted tickets for $135: just click on "Buy Tasting Tickets," fill out the registration form, and enter "dream" under the discount code. The event is one of the organization's signature fundraisers, generating over $500,000 for the greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Thanks Marcia!

The Wine and Wishes Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting has proven to be one of the most acclaimed culinary events in the Bay Area. Great chefs, impeccable wines, a magical cause and YOU…a perfect equation for an unforgettable event.
During the Gourmet Food and Wine Tasting you will be able to sample amazing wines and exquisite dishes from any foodie's dream list! And all for a Great Cause!
Hope to see you there!

Monday, January 7, 2008

2008: To A Wondeful New Year...




So here we are in a New Year and the Year holds many adventures and exciting changes in store for the Raptor, which I cannot divulge as of yet... I know, the suspense is killing you, right? Well, soon enough, Grasshopper, soon enough...
All I can say is, Stay Tuned...



At the end of a year and with the start of a new, people often reminisce and look back at the year that had passed and recall one's 'Bests' or 'Faves' of the year.
I found myself asking the following question in a conversation I had the other day,
'What was or were Your All-time Best or Most Memorable Meals of 2007?'
The month of January alone brings many a food article about the writer's 'Best Restaurants/Eats of 200_', which, of course, prompts us to think about what our own answers would be. I suppose my question has 2 parts - What were your Most Memorable Meals and Overall, What was the Best?
I really would love to hear some of your replies. Don't be shy now. You know I'm not.
And with no further ado - here I go...
.
The Raptor's Favorite & Most Memorable Meals of 2007...
  1. Absinthe was my Most Memorable this year. Grilled Steak with Bone Marrow. One Word. Unbelievable.
  2. Universal Cafe is my Favorite Brunch/Lunch spot. All of it is just so incredibly good.
  3. Farina the time I went with my Boys, Raz & Mark C. The Veal Chop is still on my Mind.
  4. Les Amis Revisited for Ally K's birthday - the entire Dining Experience was one of the best...

And so...
A Challenge To My Readers in the Spirit of the New Year....
I wanted to put forth a challenge to you to offer suggestions of Food or Places that you think I absolutely need to try this year.
Let's start with ones that are already on my List...
  1. Gary Danko. Check.
  2. French Laundry. Check. (in February)
  3. SPQR
  4. Tinderbox
  5. Lolo
  6. Zuni for their Wood-Fired Chicken, Caesar & the Zuni Burger
  7. Canteen
  8. Chez Panisse
  9. Manresa, if there's time...
  10. ??? Your suggestion here, Reader... C'mon now, what do you got?

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Ah, the Holidays in All of its Splendor & Many Blessings...



Hello Readers and Fellow Foodheads! It is 2008 and it is bound to be a really exciting year for the Raptor and hopefully for You as well... I hope you all had a great holiday! I know that I sure did...
I flew to my old hometown, Philly and celebrated the holidays with my family there, and then I found myself on a plane that Sunday going to Phoenix and then back to San Francisco on Christmas evening. It was quite a trip going back and forth, coast to coast, but well worth it when family and friends are involved...

During my travels, I ate quite A LOT, as is expected during the holidays, and along the way, I had a few interesting observations that I thought I would share with you...

Whilst in Philly, I of course, had my daily Raptor doses of Cheesesteaks. In a 48 hour period, I had my current all-time favorite, Steve's Steaks, care of my cousin Joy. (Thanks Joy!) As I've mentioned in my Philly Cheesesteak post awhile back, I love Steve's for their awesome Bread and also because they are the only place I know that keeps their thinly sliced Ribeye whole. Most places chop it up fine, which I don't have a problem with either, but I kinda like it this way.

My second steak came from D'Alessandro's in Manayunk/Roxborough, care of my other cousin, Vince. (Thanks Vin!) I thought it was pretty damn good, although I didn't get to eat it fresh, it was still good heated up. Will need to revisit that one once I get back to the East Coast...



Another thing that I wanted to write about is the Wawa Food Stores. Most people from the west coast would not recognize this convenience store because it is mostly regional to the east coast, specifically in PA, MD, NJ, DE & VA. Out here in the west coast, they mostly have Circle K's, we have 7/11's and Wawa's. I really loved this convenience store, because it has an in-house deli and produce section and more variety than most others. My favorite thing to get there was their Roast Beef Shorti, which is a 6" Roast Beef Sub (or Hoagie, which is what I'm used to calling it).

Yeah, that's right, a Roast Beef Shorti and a bag of chips was the best snack. I missed it. Which is why I went to get myself one while I was in Philly to relive old times...

It was interesting to see that they had electronic screens for ordering at the Deli with these easy to use touchscreens. I found it a little strange though, because it wasn't that crowded and the Deli is so small that it seemed superfluous to have it there when the the person making your sandwich is standing right there. I suppose it is whimsical and definitely adds to the image of 'convenience'.

So I order myself a R.B. Shorti on the the touchscreen and order it as I used to back inthe day and I anxiously await my sam'ich. Once i have it in my hands, I bite into it and realize that it was not the same as I remember it. I am disappointed... I found myself asking myself, 'Where's the Beef?!?' I mean, I remember it being so much Meatier. Since when did Wawa's get chintzy with the Meat? This just burst my childhood bubble... I suppose I will have to use the Extra Meat option in the future. Let's hope it was just that particular Wawa...

So where were we? I'm in Philly for a Family Holiday Dinner at my uncle's house and he has this huge spread of Filipino Foods. They had the best Dinuguan (if you don't know what this is, perhaps you can try it first one day with out knowing what your eating and then I will tell you...)
I was shocked to discover that my little 'Raptor Niece', Alexis (see pic of little 2 year old with the devoured spare rib bone in hand, in the right hand column) actually eats Dinuguan, as well as Lumpia dipped in Vinegar, Longanisa and Whole Deep Fried Sardines. She's only 2 and she eats just about anything, even if it is exotic or unfamiliar. I am a very proud Auntie Ninang!

One dish that I had at the family dinner was Arroz Caldo with Chicken that I thought to be exceptionally good and made for a pretty photograph which I wanted to share below.


So on the Sunday before Christmas Eve, my family & I fly back to Phoenix for Christmas. And as we are driving around Phoenix, I spot this bizarre and unusual fast food joint that I had to photograph and share with you as well.

This place was called the Heart Attack Grill and it is an actual fast food establishment! I can't believe it! They even have a website, which proudly states, 'We're Dumb & Proud!'. What the hell?!? It's just weird, I tell you...

Their Menu, which they refer to on their site as 'Medication', includes items such as the Double, Triple or Quadruple Bypass Burgers®, Flatliner Fried Deep Fried in Pure Lard ® (Are you kidding me?!) The Quadruple Bypass Burger® features 2 lbs of Beef, 12 Slices of Bacon and 4 Layers of Cheese adding up to a walloping 8,000 calories. What!?! And all of this is served up with PBR's, Coca Cola's and if you're hankering for a smoke afterwards, they also sell Lucky Strikes. How nuts is that?! As Serious as a Heart Attack I guess...

And it gets stranger even.
The Food is served up by servers dressed up as doctors and sexy nurses! This is almost comical if it weren't so wrong! The website has a number of articles justifying their food and Cigarattes, and toting a Heart Attack Grill Diet, PBR's, and and article on whether or not the AZ Attorney General should shut this joint down. Unbelievable. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I just wouldn't believe that such a place could exist.

So moving on to a better topic, we had a great Christmas Meal. I prepared a Ribeye Roast and Lobster with Mashed Potatoes and Salad. A nice spread and a nice meal to celebrate how fortunate we are as a family...

I hope you had as wonderful and memorable a holiday as well and I look forward to writing more for you in 2008...