Incredible Italian food, good value – Barbacco in SF

A good friend of mine recently visited me from New York. We had dinner at Barbacco Eno Trattoria, a casual Italian restaurant in San Francisco’s Financial District. The new restaurant, sister to the highly acclaimed but more expensive Perbacco a couple doors down, made it into San Francisco Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants this year. I’ve wanted to try it for a while, and it exceeded my expectations in many ways.

Barbacco’s citrus curd tart and coffee

The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, which I prefer because it’s almost impossible to snag a last-minute table without a reservation at popular restaurants in San Francisco on a Saturday night. The maitre d’ suggested that I put down my name when I called and come early to wait.

When I arrived at the restaurant, I already saw several groups of people waiting. I took the time to survey the restaurant. The restaurant has a dark, modern decor – the type you’d associate with midtown New York. The clientele was a mix of old and young, dressy and informal. The vibe was upbeat and welcoming. The maitre d’ and greeter were busy working out how to seat the growing number of diners coming into the restaurant.

To my surprise, the maitre d’ seated us 15 minutes later when my friend and his partner arrived. We sat at the bar facing one of the food preparation areas, which was not ideal, but we were okay with it.

We started looking at the menu and the first thing that caught my attention was how affordable the dishes were. Entrees were in the $10-15 range; appetizers and desserts were in the mid- to high-single digits. Definitely a bargain at a fine-dining restaurant.

The food turned out to be delicious too. I was excited that there were many vegetarian options. For my appetizer, I followed our server’s recommendation and got a radicchio and arugula salad topped with parmigiano reggiano. The salad was light and fresh. Far too often salad greens are tasteless, but the greens’ bitterness stood out in this salad.

My main course was a rotolo, rolled pasta filled with asparagus and ricotta, lightly baked in a lemon-flavored and brown butter sauce. The dish was exquisitely prepared so the different ingredients retained their own character but complemented each other well. The portion size was relatively small (hence the low price), but I liked it because I’d still have room for dessert.

Main course: Rotolo filled with asparagus and ricotta

I asked our server again for recommendations on what dessert to get, and he suggested the citrus curd tart with whipped cream and blood orange sauce. The tart had a strong citrus flavor so it probably was not for everyone. But with a unique flavor and not cloyingly sweet, this is my kind of desserts. 

My friend and his partner had non-vegetarian dishes and their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. They ordered drinks and the final bill came to a little more than $90, including tips.When we left around 9:30 pm, there were still people waiting.

Overall, Barbacco offered excellent Italian food at good value in a sophisticated setting. Service was efficient, but don’t expect a lot of pampering. I’d love to return with friends or out-of-town visitors.

Hiking for my croissant

After a very rejuvenating hike last month, I decided to do it again. But whereas last month’s hike soothed my mind, this hike was unmistakably food-oriented.

I planned the hike so that I would finish at the College of San Mateo Farmers’ Market, an excellent farmers’ market perched in the hills but hard to get to without a car. What a pleasant surprise when I figured out that I could walk (actually, it’s an hour-long hike) to the market from home.

For some reason I had been craving a buttery, flaky croissant for a while. I knew Brioche Bakery, one of my favorite French bakeries in the Bay area, would be selling at the market. So I ate little for breakfast to save room for its pastries. I couldn’t wait to get there.

Brioche Bakery’s stand at the farmers’ market

Heaven for pastry fans

The hike was nice as usual thanks to the fresh air and sunshine. It was a steadily upward climb, and by the time I arrived at the market, I felt I deserved my croissant. I immediately sought out Brioche Bakery’s stand and here it was - an unending spread of croissants, muffins, fruit tarts, cookies, and other pastries pulling at my senses.

I struggled to make my selections as I like almost everything before my eyes. Finally I got an almond croissant and a coconut macaroon. I swiftly found a spot to devour them.

Difficult decisions: almond croissant and coconut macaroon

The almond croissant was just the way I wanted – flaky, topped with generous amounts of sliced almonds, and filled with fragrant, lightly sweet almond paste. Easily one of the best I’ve ever had. At $2.5, it’s amazing value.

Half-eaten almond croissant – why I can’t quit butter

(My another top pick is Baltimore’s Bonaparte Breads, which sells its morning pastries at a Washington, DC farmers’ market and always attracts a long line.)

The coconut macaroon was huge and unusually chewy because it’s stuffed with coconut. A good sign that the bakery doesn’t skimp on ingredients. The macaroon was too sweet for me, but still very good.

Fresh salad greens with edible flowers at the farmers’ market

My sugar craving taken care of, I walked around the market and was amazed again by the variety and quality of the produce on sale. Spring produce, from asparagus to strawberries, scream fresh in their bright colors and sturdy shapes. I must come back for the produce and try some of the prepared foods.

Love for Trader Joe’s

This must be a marketer’s dream. I am spending hours voluntarily to proclaim my love for a grocery store.

It all started some time last year. Previously I rarely went to Trader Joe’s because there wasn’t one close to where I lived. Then I discovered a store I could get to fairly easily, and have become a regular customer since.

Trader Joe’s near Hillsdale Shopping Center

Trader Joe’s is remarkable for its ever-changing low-priced and high-quality products. It has a strong all-natural and organic focus, but without the pretense of Whole Foods. There are many easy-to-prepare items for quick meals too.

Latkes (potato pancakes) with yogurt sauces, ready after 15 minutes in the oven

Since I enjoy grocery shopping so much, every trip to Trader Joe’s is an excursion for me. The store does a great job catering to special diets, and as a vegetarian, I never run out of things to try. From pantry staples to more obscure items like vegetarian meatballs, Trader Joe’s can meet most of my needs.

I think Trader Joe’s is strongest in its bread and nuts selections. I highly recommend its rustic, slightly sour Pain Pascal Organic Demi Miche French bread, one of the best breads I’ve ever had. It is delicious for soup-dipping, sandwiches, or by itself. When I don’t feel like eating wheat, I can choose from the mind-boggling variety of wheat-free bread on the shelves.

Vegan French toast with sliced banana and almonds made with Demi Miche bread

You also get the best bargain for nuts, especially if they are grown in the US such as almonds, walnuts, and pecans. They are as fresh as those at farmers’ markets, but cheaper. I love snacking on its organic California almonds.

I have to keep myself from the snacks section though. Hundreds of products from chips, crackers, to cookies scream “Buy me!” when I walk through the snack aisles. More often than not I succumbed to the temptation. My junk food consumption has gone up exponentially since I started going to Trader Joe’s.

One of the many Trader Joe’s snacks I’ve tried: root vegetable chips

If I were to name Trader Joe’s downside, it’d be its fresh produce. While the quality of the produce is decent, I continue to get mine from farmers’ markets (there’s no reason not to given California’s bounty!). Not surprisingly, many of its sugary snacks and desserts are too sweet for my taste.

But I bet you’ll agree that Trader Joe’s greatest asset is its people. I’ve rarely seen customer-facing employees as fun and enthusiastic as those at Trader Joe’s (well, except Southwest/JetBlue perhaps). They seem to care about their customers genuinely and they show it consistently.

The fun atmosphere permeates the store, making grocery shopping there a unique experience. Think about value creation – Trader Joe’s does it incredibly well.

Did I mention the top-notch copywriting in its Fearless Flyer ? The copy is offbeat, personable, yet powerful and persuasive. The flyer has little graphics so the copy does all the heavy-lifting work. Whenever a new flyer comes out, I read it cover to cover to learn the style. No doubt I end up buying more at the store as a result.

Now I find myself going into a Trader Joe’s store several times a week. (cue music) I think I’m fallin’ for you…