better eats

I went food-truck-crazy today...

first my co-worker Bunny made the mistake of announcing that Curry Up Now would be serving tikka masala fries at the truck on Bush Street... we've encountered a bit of trouble when trying to order these fries before... once we placed a web order only to learn that the particular truck in San Francisco wasn't making the fries that day. So when Bunny confirmed that they had specifically declared the fries to be served on Bush Street today, we hurried over to grab an order of fries today. Addicted without even having a taste, we are!

chicken tikka masala fries... loaded

Crosscut sweet potato fries covered in tikka masala sauce and loaded with chicken, tons of onions, and even a little cheese... an amazing mix of sweet, spicy and savory notes... super delish! These fries are no mere side dish; I think it's hearty enough for a meal. Speedy, Bunny, and I split this bad boy three ways but somehow I still felt stuffed before tackling my lunch from home.

And if that wasn't enough, I already had plans on going to Off the Grid at Stanyan with my friend Sangria:

a milling crowd

trucks ahoy!

the parking lot is your oyster

we settled on Southern Sandwich Co.

that tea comes out hot! You need to ice it yourself

I got hush puppies... maybe I should've tried their "tator wedges!"

the $7 Carolina pulled pork sandwich is what really drew us here

but then Sangria went big and got a 2-meat platter

my pulled pork sandwich with hush puppies

Sangria's dinner: pulled pork, beef brisket, hush pups, pepperjack mac & cheese, and white bread
Fit for a lumberjack or swampdweller, or whatever people do in the South

hush puppy head shot

pulled pork mug shot

Wow these portions are hefty! The pulled pork was very tender but could use more flavor... I think the boys behind Southern Sandwich Co. shouldn't be afraid to add a little rub to this mess. The cabbage slaw on top doesn't add much flavor or crunch... so good but not spectacular. If you want some really tender pork, be sure to sauce it up with mustard or whatever strikes your fancy.

Same goes for the hush puppies... I'm no expert at these little fried balls of cornmeal but I don't think they should taste very dry. Definitely needed a little mustard and mayonnaise.

The brightest star in the bunch was Sangria's beef brisket... this beef was so tender that it all but melts in your mouth. And unlike the pulled pork, the beef is well-seasoned and comes with its own character. I would return for the beef brisket.

Of course, I'll also have to return for the other trucks.

bacon haven

Today I found out that there's a new food truck in town, one that caters to the bacon-lovin' vices in most of us. Get thee to Bacon Bacon San Francisco! (Currently their website only sells T-shirts but you can unearth their whereabouts on facebook and twitter.)

It's hard to haul yourself out of the house once you return from work but this was something for which I absolutely could not wait another day. Drove to the DMV parking lot (is this legal?) and hopped the fence to the holy grail of food trucks...

blue-tinted windows? check.
vibrantly decorated exterior? check.
free samples of chocolate covered bacon? Hell yeah!

That's right, they didn't have rashers of chocolate-covered bacon to sell today but they made up for it with free samples of the product!

perfection in a one-inch square

I like the direction of their menu but decided to start simple with the Bacon Bacon Burger:

beef and onions and bacon, oh my!

Two tender beef patties on a slightly sweet bun, piled high with superbly caramelized onions and some sort of mixture of mustard and mayonnaise... nice and tangy. A few peppers snuck in, giving the burger a shot of spiciness perfect for gringas and chingras. The geniuses behind Bacon Bacon melted the cheese between the patties - I need to start doing that! And of course, the bacon... perfectly salted, heavenly-tasting bacon. This find could be dangerous.

A small point but a bonus nevertheless: besides being kept safe in a suspiciously eco-friendly box, the burger came on a square of waxed paper. This humble square of paper helps tremendously in keeping the burger together as you eat... do not toss or separate this square from the burger!

Hmmm... Am I always gushing about food? Maybe I'm not discerning enough but I just like what I eat. And I don't like to go to bad places... I mean, who does!?

Oh yes, and let's not forget the National League defeated the American League at the All-Star Game... great news for the Giants!

the more you know...

Watching another special on the History Channel, this time on the Dark Ages... can't find the show on the site but it's called The Dark Ages.

History International is pretty comprehensive without getting too much into details that us normal folk just wouldn't get. I thought I knew quite a bit and just needed a review but you know what? You learn something new everyday!

Today's tidbit: by no means did I think all knights were honorable heroes in shining armor but I thought for sure that their lords could keep them under some form control... Apparently after 1066 and the Vikings melted into England, there were thousands of unemployed knights armed to the teeth and looking for trouble. So even after the Viking threat was gone, Europe was plagued by roving bandits on the level of Medieval tanks. And this was enough trouble to contribute cause of a few of the Crusades.

Reminds me of the fallen samurai, or ronin, of Japan... Crazy!

I think this was the special I watched, but rather than buy the DVDs, why not wait for it to show up again on the TV Guide?

her name means hammer

and she is irresistible!

Maangchi is an adorable Korean lady who loves to cook and loves to demonstrate online at youtube... this is a recipe that Mumsy tried and it was sooo good... check it out!

And remember to taste!

stars all around

Welcome to yet another sellout at AT&T Park! As many know, today the park was passing out Buster Posey bobbleheads to the first 25,000 fans to enter the park. And as many participated themselves, this means it's time to patiently wait in lines that wrap around the park and stretch out to the Bay Bridge. But this time the line was multiplied - after all, Buster Posey is the all-American breakout star of last year who can catch, bat, and throw like a machine. He has the fairytale story of rapidly climbing up the ranks of Minor League Baseball, winning the World Series with his first team, and on top of that winning the Rookie of the Year Award. He is a star "discovered" on the team of our city and he's not at all flashy about this prowess at the plate. He is a hero on the recovery. And it doesn't hurt that he drinks from the fountain of youth with an equally cute wifey to match - who is preggers with twins! So yes, we expected this line to be visible from Coit Tower.

We got to the end of a line around 2:40 PM and ended up waiting somewhere between the Bay Bridge...

... and Pier 28.

And this was one hell of a line! Even after we started moving, the line didn't shrink! Usually the line doesn't grow as fast as it moves!

the suckers behind us

Once we settled in, we were treated to a very special moment for one of my favorites. Today it was officially announced that Pablo "Panda" Sandoval will join the National League at the All-Star Game! He has certainly made up for any shortcomings last year with his rebooted batting average and catlike reflexes.

Panda will appear in the All-Star Game for the first time!

Panda was all over the field today! Not only did he hit a double and contribute to the first scoring streak, he has also lengthened his hits in consecutive games. And while playing at first base, Panda ran to catch foulouts, dove to stop grounders (today, unsuccessfully,) and jumped to catch popflies. Panda can move!

clapping for himself while on second... an act only a panda could get away with!

Homegrown hero Nate Schierholtz batted in the cleanup position today and hit 4 for 4!

Nate the Great!

Some weren't 100% sure that Buster was even here - you might argue that his time might be better spent in physical therapy - but midway through the game the camera panned to a smiling Posey in the dugout. Once his face hit the jumbotron the crowd went wild!

Buster in the house!

The thoughtful people behind the jumbotron program also showed live footage of the last launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis...

Houston, we have blastoff!

Nate and Panda may have been standouts today but truly, everyone was a star. There's no surprise that we won when the whole team works so well together. Torres, Fontenot, Crawford, and the indefatigable Whiteside were all nailing hits... even Matt Cain ripped the ball a few times. The bullpen kept the Mets in the dugout. And the game was finished by none other than International Closer of Epic-ness, Brian Wilson!

jump!

Matt Cain claimed 4 Ks, Afledt and Romo added one apiece, and Brian Wilson left three batters whiffing.

looks like a fan has made off with one of Cain's K's!

WIN! Perfect way to head into the All-Star break!

The swag:

not a bad dupe at all!

While taking out her bobblehead, Speedy accidentally broke off the PG&E logo on the corner of the base. I just might make like her and chip the little logo off myself!

Go wherever the road takes you

... and whatever establishment for which your friends have acquired a promotional coupon.

It so happens that Cabbage did indeed have promotional coupons for this eatery called Currylicious on College Avenue in Oakland, which happens to have some of the best South Asian food around (that's right, stop abusing your tongue and get out of Naan 'n' Curry!)

L to R: garlic naan, fish karahi, lamb vindaloo, and chicken tikka masala.
And rice!

more garlic naan, some shrimp biryani, and more chicken TK!

It's really hard to mess up chicken tikka masala so that was an obvious winner. What stood out for me was the shrimp biryani because it wasn't greasy, it had a spicy kick at the end, and it wasn't the color of yellow turmeric powder. I'm also glad that I picked the fish karahi because this sort of sauce has a different taste... more tangy than spicy or creamy. It's also a tasty way to eat fish if you're not a fan of the fishiness of seafood.

Wish this place was in my neighborhood - or at least in the city - but I have a feeling I'll be returning here for the great grub at a better price.

you win some, you lose some

Squeezing three games in the week before the All-Star Break... two down.

 

First off was Tuesday's game when Cain led the Giants against the San Diego Padres. Though we lost this game, we scored some club level tickets on sale and had fun exploring all the cool stuff on display at the Club Level. These seats were in the left field area where there's a bit of an obstruction and you can't see all of the outfield... but it was a nice change from our usual top-deck tickets (AKA the poors.) Also found the actual chairs in the club level to be a bit wider and the rows to have more leg room... it was like upgrading from coach to a premium or business class!

Crazy Crab 

some of the bobbleheads on display in the club level

slightly frightening kewpie-style bobble

some members of the Peanuts gang make an appearance

Willie Mays's bat

one of the champagne bottles popped at last year's clincher

a baseball signed by the legend

classy condiments... note the tomatoes instead of ketchup!

classier condiments

security nabs the field jumper

the first game for my new Chucks

tricked-out Sheboygan bratwurst...
I piled on so many extras that the bread fell apart

Evened out Tuesday's game with a resounding win tonight! Barry Zito continued his triumphant return with another win, supported by a home run from the under-appreciated Eli Whiteside as well as fantastic defense and some fancy footwork from the entire team. Get better soon, Bill Hall!

Also nabbed some great seats for the View Reserve Infield, in row 1! Going to a game this close with my besties - including Padres fan Cabbage - was just what I needed.

the view in Section 318, Row 1!

Zito commands the mound...

and earns 7 Ks

Panda breaks a bat!

I get tons of whipped cream on my hot cocoa!

the most interesting closer in the world, Brian Wilson, makes quick work of the Padres

Giants win 2-1!

One more game to go... I think I'll take Giants games a little less frequently after the All-Star Break... for the sake of Q-Tip and my wallet and just to put an end to feeling like I live in the ballpark.

celebrate our independence

by exercising your dependence on good food and good times! Took Cabbage and a freshly-washed Q-Tip over to Mumsy's house for a good old-fashioned BBQ in the backyard, done our way:

First, a drink...

essentially a mojito with gin instead of rum

Then fire up the grill...

crowd-pleasing Korean-style marinated short ribs, as grilled by my fantastic mom

Then pile the meat as high as you can...

wouldn't you want to scale this mountain?

Eat!

ribs, fried chicken, lettuce and peppers, a little hot sauce and miso paste,
watermelon, and potato salad.
Don't ever forget the potato salad!

Also, don't forget dessert!

whoopie pie for America: graham cracker with strawberry buttercream

And if someone can't handle the fun, let him run free.

Q-Tip watches it all from the deck

Enjoy and celebrate responsibly! Now I'm off to see the neighborly display of fireworks at the end of the block.