Mixt Greens

My co-worker "Purple Ninja" highly recommended this lunch spot in the FiDi off Sansome St. one of the first days I got here. It is a great salad/sandwich bar that supports healthy eating, sustainable and seasonal foods with compostable to-go boxes and utensils. For those Palo Alto readers, it's like a San Fran Pluto's. The have dozens of ingredients, dressings, and a wide selection of proteins to choose from which all actually look tasty. The problem here is what to precisely pick!

I have been varying my ingredients, dressings, and proteins trying to find a great combo I really enjoy. It's so difficult with so much to choose from. I have come to some conclusions though. The tofu is amazing! Especially with their mango-citrus or Thai lemongrass vinaigrette. The tofu itself is marinated in some soy concoction that gives the firm tofu a nice flavor, rather than just a bland soy product. You can also pick how heavy you would like the dressing (light, medium, and heavy) and they toss all of your selections for you right on the spot. I usually get medium dressing so the greens aren't overpowered by the flavor of the salad. As for the proteins, the steak is OK, it's been sitting at room temp, not grilled right away like at Pluto's, but totally not worth the extra $5 bucks. They also offer Ahi Tuna served rare which is nice but also again adds a whopping $5 to your already $8 salad. (Seriously? $13 bucks for a salad???) They do offer fresh fruits and veggies to "mixt" in. I usually end up getting their "mixt greens" (typical salad mix: spinach, radicchio, arugula, etc) and so far I have tried all these ingredients (not all at once): carrots, cucumbers, roasted red bell peppers, tofu, red onion, avocado, cilantro, chipotle caramelized walnuts, cucumber, asparagus, edamame, caramelized onions and blue cheese. All of these were extremely tasty and flavorful and added a nice component to my salad.

Here is my only concern. They limit the number of add-ins to either 4 of their "staples" or 2 of their "staples" and 2 "specialties." Everything after that is and extra 50 cents to a $1 more, per topping. I'm used to Pluto's where you get 7 different add-ins plus a choice of protein for only $6 to $7, but this is San Francisco and we are in the Financial District so everything has to be overpriced. I personally like lots of different ingredients in a salad so it doesn't seem so bland, but that's just me.

Overall, the salad is quite tasty and fills you up, I have a lot of trouble finishing a complete salad. I'm on an adventure to try all the dressings and as many of the seasonal toppings as I can. Follow me as I go...

Mixt Greens

475 Sansome Street(on Commercial)

San Francisco, CA 94111

p. 415 296 9292

f. 415 296 9290

http://www.mixtgreens.com/

'whichcraft

As I adjust to working at my fabulous job up in the City, the ever exciting task of choosing a lunch spot continues. Today I decided that I would check out 'whichcraft by one of my favorite TV chef's, a Mr. Tom Colicchio. Chef Colicchio is know for his restaurants Craft and Craftsteak in NYC and Las Vegas respectively along with being a judge/critic on one of my favorite shows, Top Chef. He has now opened 'whichcraft with other locations in NYC and Vegas. 'whichcraft is a typical breakfast/lunch stop that the FiDi already has tons of, but their aiming to recreate the ubiquitous with a different twist . The restaurant prides itself on hand preparing breakfast items, salads and sandwiches while you wait and relax in their open eating area. The size of the windows are impressive, you have a great view of Mission Street but after reading the yelp.com reviews I had to concur with their statement of feeling like you were sitting at a Ivy League Cafeteria. There are some personal tables but you can't help but notice the two large long tables (aka: family style seating) that takes up the majority of the seating space, mimicking a slight cafeteria feel. The space itself is nice, high ceilings, 2 levels and an open viewing of the kitchen space and bar while also being light and airy. But that's enough about the space, lets get onto the FOOD!

I walked the 4 long San Francisco blocks to the sandwich shop which is known for mixing interesting ingredients and putting them in a sandwich or salad. As my quest for the perfect sandwich continues I was hoping that this lunchtime adventure would cease and desist my pilgrimage. I was a tad bit disappointed though. I had "yelped" 'whichcraft and knew what to expect, but I was hoping that I could create my own opinion of this place. I'm sad to say that the reviews on Yelp were similar to mine. I ordered the Warm Turkey Sandwich which came with roasted turkey breast (not a deli slice by any means, you knew it really came from a roasted breast), avocado, bacon, onion relish, and aioli on a cibatta roll. The turkey breast was okay, a little dry and for me missing a nice crust you get when roasting protein, but it went well with the creamy avocado. The bacon slices were obviously cooked previously and just rewarmed upon plating so I missed the crunch from a nice slab of pork product. The aioli was more like a mayonnaise (maybe that's what they were aiming for?) and so I would have personally enjoyed a romesco or pesto to go with it in place for the aioli. However the onion relish was extremely tasty. It was almost a caramelized onion relish but had a hint of vinegar, I'm guessing either apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar, but also had some sweetness (either from sugar or the onion itself) to balance out that tartness. The cibatta roll was nice, a lot of bread but held all of my ingredients together properly and not once did my sandwich components fall out in the distance it had to travel from the plate to my mouth.

For me the onion relish and avocado were the standouts in the sandwich. Maybe it would have been better with roast beef. It isn't my favorite place but definitely has potential for a sandwich shop. Maybe next time I'll try a salad.

Tom: I had high expectations, that happens when you're on TV critiquing others food. I know you're a sandwich lover, just wish you tweaked your recipes ever so slightly. They have potential, just need to put some more time into them.

As for me, my pursuit for the perfect sandwich continues. I hope I'll have good luck, and get to eat some really yummy things along the way.

'whichcraft

868 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA

(415) 593-3895

http://wichcraftnyc.com/

The Sentinel

THE SENTINEL

After finally landing a job in San Francisco (wahoo!!), most of my lunch posts will be about new restaurants I try when eating lunch out. I'm getting really excited to try all these new places. The FiDi has a great array of street food that I am very excited to try. They have a lot of sandwich/salad places that I will write about later when I have the time...but for now I am writing about The Sentinel. This place is great! It's a hole in the wall sandwich shop on New Montgomery in the FiDi. They change their menu daily but have a few staples that I was lucky to try. They are known for making interesting combinations of sandwiches that are out of the ordinary but equally delicious.

After reading Yelp reviews I figured I'd give it a shot. I was a little hesitant to find the line out the door, but they take your order and you pay within almost 30 seconds of one another so you're in and out in about 10 minutes or so, depending on what time you come. The first time I went there (around 1pm, they had sold out of the Special of Scallop Ceviche and the BBQ Beef Sandwich, sad) and the line was still out the door. They are aware that people are on their lunch breaks and need to eat and get back to work within an hour. There is no seating inside but there are tons of places around the FiDi to sit and enjoy the rarity of sun this summer has offered San Francisco.

I decided to try the pork sandwich and oh did it satisfy my lunch hunger. The pork sandwich came with fig jam, frise and Havarti cheese on a nice roll that had sunflower seeds baked in it. The portion was fairly large, I was full after eating it, and they give you a little treat with it as well, I got a Werthers Original that brought me back to my childhood of sneaking them before dinner when I was a kid. The pork was juicy, warm and sliced thin while the Havarti cheese and fig jam complimented the savory/sweet flirtation. I did however wish there was more frise in the sandwich, but I like greens in my sandwiches. At the end, I thought that they maybe put a little to much fig jam because it was getting a bit sweet but it was still delicious and only $8. Definitely trying other sandwiches and coming back. Hope you enjoy it as well.

The Sentinel

37 New Montgomery(between Jessie St & Market St)

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 284-9960

www.thesentinelsf.com

Pluto's

Today for lunch was one of my old favorites, Pluto's. It is mainly a salad place but they do offer sandwiches and other lunch items but I only go there for the salads. This is not just a salad place by any means, you pick what kinds of toppings and proteins that will accompany your lettuce. I always get a side Farmer's Greens with grilled tri-tip steak. They offer over 20 different "salad fixings" and you get your pick of seven of them. The great thing about Pluto's is that your salad will always been different depending on what they have in season and the tastes will alter slightly but it will always be delicious.

I ordered my side Farmer's Greens with grilled steak along with, get ready: thinly sliced red onion, sauteed mushrooms, cucumber, caramelized walnuts, edamame, sweet summer corn, and Parmesan cheese. Topped with a balsamic vinaigrette and the grilled steak on top, with a slice of rosemary bread completes the meal. Wash it down with a nice cold black iced tea and I'm set. Whenever I'm picking my veggies to put in my salad, I always try and make the salad as colorful as possible, I feel it really tastes better that way, and you eat with your eyes first.

The Counter

Yesterday a friend and I went to one of our favorite restaurants in Palo Alto, The Counter for lunch. The Counter is a upscale burger joint that makes eating a burger not seem or even be bad for you. You can get your protein (turkey, beef, veggie or even a chicken breast) in one of two ways; on a bun or on top of a salad of either mixed baby greens or a lettuce blend. They also have different types of rolls you can get and every month they make a specialty burger and sauce to go with it, this month is a lamb burger. With your order you get a choice of 4 out of 18 regular toppings or specialty toppings that they charge for separately, and one of 18 dressing/spread/sauces to accompany that not so lonely burger. They also make some of the most ADDICTING sides you will ever stuff into your hungry mouth. They call it the "fifty-fifty." They offer fries, sweet potato fries, and the piece de resistance, the onion strings. They are almost shaved onions, battered and deep fried. They are not only the most addicting food you will consume at this establishment, but you will crave them after you are completely stuffed and there is not a single inch of room left in your once empty stomach.

I ordered the 1/3 lb (believe it or not, that is the smallest size they offer, if you really want to get daring get the 1 pound burger and see if you can eat dinner later) beef burger medium rare over a bed of mixed baby greens. I topped my burger with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, avocado, carrot strings, scallions, and roasted bell peppers. Along with that came a Dijon balsamic sauce that worked nicely in with the salad. My goodness was it tasty! The melted Gruyere cheese combined with a little crunch from the carrot, a sweetness from the pepper and onion with a smooth buttery finish from the avocado and dressing hit the spot!!! My friend got a 1/3 lb beef burger with a garlic aioli, fried peperoncini, and red onion on top of a honey wheat bun. We also split the "fifty-fifty" of fries and onion strings which were completely gone by the time we left to go back to work.

The Counter is not only delicious, but eating a burger without a bun makes enjoying the fries and onion strings that much more enjoyable. They also make a mean shake but I couldn't put any more calories into my body at that time. I highly recommend The Counter, you won't be disappointed with all the different ways you can make your meal, just don't forget the onion strings.

Ben's Chili Bowl

Today for lunch my close friend and I went to Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street in the District. Upon entering you are aware that the amount of caloric consumption you are about to encounter is equal to an entire weekends worth of food, including alcoholic beverages. My friend joked that if you're coming here, you're going balls to the wall, ordering hot dogs, fries, shakes, whatever it takes to get the full experience of Ben's. At a place that is frequented by politicians and actors (including President Obama and Secretary Hillary Clinton), it's almost comical to see the ambiance that includes pushing you down a conveyor belt of ordering, paying, and receiving your meal that also ironically comes with an angioplasty ten years later.

I ordered the Half Smoke with chili, cheese, and onions. A Half Smoke is a slightly larger hot dog with a coarser grind of half beef and half pork, very tasty and usually only found around the DC area. We also got fries topped with cheese. The trick to eating Ben's dogs are you let the chili and other condiments slide down the dog and onto your "plate." You then use the potato chips, that come with every hot dog, to scoop up the chili and cheese, acting as almost a dip for your chips. The famous chili is quite delicious, tastes of real ground beef, with a slight heat as my friend described. I was missing some beans, which I usually put in my chili, but I would never dare to mess with Ben's chili.

Ben's an experience, both with the loud and crazy atmosphere and the yummy, sloppy food. It's a place you must hit up while in the District. Just be prepared to pay with cash and order quickly, they are very proficient about getting your food as fast as possible, so order, pay and enjoy!

Good Stuff Eatery

So I trekked down to the House side of the Capitol today to go to Good Stuff Eatery, the burger joint Top Chef's Spike Mendelsohn opened in Southeast DC to have lunch with a friend. I was pleasantly surprised to see Spike himself bagging and paging customers once their orders were ready to be consumed. Spike in all his glory was still wearing his Fedora hat but looked a little bored or overwhelmed, couldn't tell which but it was a busy lunch rush, so I don't blame him. However, as a big fan of Top Chef, I was almost giddy to actually meet a contestent of the show.

I ordered the Colletti's Smokehouse burger with Applewood smoked bacon, sharp Vermont cheddar cheese, fried Vidalia onion rings, with a Chipotle BBQ sauce. The burger was thankfully not oversized but lacked some vegetables, maybe some spinach or carrots. We also ordred Spike's Village Fries that had thyme, rosemary, and cracked pepper. Both the burger and the fries were equally delicious, but a little heavy, however not many go to a burger joint to eat healthily. The Chipotle BBQ sauce was not to sweet, but lacked a bit of heat which I would have liked and the Vidalia onion rings were oh so deliciously crunchy and sweet which contrasted the nice texture to the soft bun.

I wish I had room for a famous shake, but conserving calories ya know? I reccommend this place if you want a tasty, adventerous hamburger with some fun ambiance. Sitting outside was a great idea also, as long as you can excape the summer rain in DC. Great job Spike, it was a pleasure meeting you.

Lauriol Plaza

Had lunch at Lauriol Plaza in DC on 18th street with my cousin. Had a special with grilled beef, chicken, and shrimp with a spanish seasoning and lemon that came with roasted veg and Spanish rice. Washed it all down with 2 lime margaritas on the rocks, no salt. I feel that a majority of margaritas are to sweet and lack some serious tequila. Lauriol's margaritas have been pre-made, especially if you're having a blended one. Here's my recipe for lime margaritas:

2-3 oz tequila, preferabily silver Patron
1-1.5 oz tripple sec/some kind of orange liquour
2 limes, juices
1/2 tsp. of Splenda or sugar (optional)

Shake with ice cubes and serve in a fun (salt rimmed) glass, garnish with an ice.

Making a fabulous dinner tonight, post the recipe later thanks to Giada.