Restaurant-Dining Critiques » San Francisco

Laura Chenel Founder of Laura Chenel’s Chèvre – Sonoma, California

Kit Marshal — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 10:47:59 +0000

image credit: Peter DaSilva for The New York Times

I met Laura Chenel at a food exposition in Texas, where we both were in a booth displaying our products from California in the early 1980′s, when I was President of Cruvinet. She is the founder of Laura Chenel’s Chèvre in Sonoma, California who established goat cheese in America. I was familiar with her cheese and found it on par or better than many French equivalents.

In 2006, she sold her business to a family-owned French firm, The Rians Group that makes AOC name-controlled (appellation d’origine controlee), French cheeses. They sent two young French women to Sonoma to run the company: Marie Lesoudier as general manager and Isabelle Dion as cheesemaker.

The completion of an all-new and larger creamery has given the Sonoma facility maturing rooms that will allow cheesemaker, Dion to produce more aged goat cheeses, a category of cheese that has not been made in quantity at Laura Chenel until now.

Alhough Laura Chenel sold her goat cheese company, she is keeping the 500 goats at her farm and is selling the milk to her former company.

Letting go physically and psychologically of a company you have owned and founded is never easy, but this sale seems to be a perfect match as both seller and buyer vow not to change the cheese. Outwardly, it seems everything is intact six years on, if the quality of the cheese is any gauge.

Fancy Food Show, Jan 15-17, 2012, Moscone Center – San Francisco

Kit Marshal — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 09:53:29 +0000

Nan Korean Restaurant – San Francisco

Kit Marshal — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:18:31 +0000

By Carole Chung

Nan Korean Restaurant

560 Fillmore Street at Geary
San Francisco, CA 94115-3516
Tel.(415) 441-9294
Opening Hours: 5pm-midnight Mon-Wed; Thurs – Sun 5pm-2am
Credit Cards: Yes

A type of Korean Beer Hall where plates of steaming, spicy Korean home-style food is served with icy beer to what appears to be mostly a crowd of twenty-something Koreans. The music is Korean Pop and played quite loud, which became annoying. Their signature dish Bulgogi Pa-Jeon $12.95, a pancake with slices of sweet marinated beef and whole scallions, is very good.

$100 Burger from Umami, Foie Gras and Truffles

Kit Marshal — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:50:29 +0000

Umami Foie Gras & Truffle Burger

A thick slice of foie gras and a quarter inch of truffles! $100

Minimum 25 persons at the restaurant and minimum of 50 persons for delivery at home and they will throw in the French fries! You have to call a manager at your location of choice and set up a private party in advance.

Hudson Valley Foie Gras President: “California Ban Ridiculous”

Kit Marshal — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:20:21 +0000

How Can You Enforce It? . . . Matter Of Time Before Repeal . . . Backing By Animal Activists With Millions

There has been so much talk, both pro and con, going on about the upcoming (July 2012) foie gras ban in California. Farm Sanctuary (basically a well funded Animal Rights lobby) was the instigator of the Chicago ban on foie gras (later repealed) and is also behind the California ban signed into law by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and was instrumental in the Wolfgang Puck (Spago) ban on foie gras a few years ago and the veggie burger addition to Burger King’s offerings among others.

California Chefs Consider Foie Gras Ban Challange Article

Michelin restaurant takes foie gras off menu after vandalism attack Article

Fighting for Foie Gras at Animal

California Foie Gras Ban July 2012 – California

Kit Marshal — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 08:59:23 +0000

In July of 2012, California will ban the sale and production of foie gras. The selling of the velvety delicacy after July 2012 could result in a $1,000 fine. California should think twice before implementing this law. Remember how Chicago lifted the two-year ban on foie gras which, Mayor Richard Daly had said was the “silliest ordinance” the city council had ever passed and made Chicago “the laughingstock of the nation”.

Where will this stop? Restaurant owners worry that lobster, veal, and even eggs might not be too far behind on the “to be banned” list.

Chez Panisse’s Fortieth Anniversary – (Berkeley) San Francisco

Kit Marshal — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:36:11 +0000

40 Years of Chez Panisse, available now at booksellers

The Grand Opening ceremonies took place earlier where Governor Jerry Brown said a few words, on August 26th 2011, at the Berkeley Art Museum, and a dinner party was given afterwards for a small group of friends at Chez Panisse. Amazingly, Jeremiah Tower was one of the guests at the table, which means they must have put past quarrels, about who was responsible for creating California Cuisine aside.

The San Francisco Chronicle has run a protracted article about 40 years of Chez Panisse, offering lots of information here.

Christmas Eve at A16 Restaurant – San Francisco

Kit Marshal — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 09:03:12 +0000

Feast of Seven Fishes at A16 for Christmas Eve, Friday December 24th 2010

Please join us this Christmas Eve when we will be celebrating the Southern Italian tradition of the Feast of Seven Fishes. We have extended our hours on Christmas Eve, serving food and wine continuously from noon until 9pm. We are currently accepting reservations for our four course tasting menu begining at 4PM. A celebratory a la carte menu may be enjoyed at our bar and by those preferring not to make a reservation, throughout the day. Begining at 4pm, our reservations will be participating in the four course Feast of Seven Fishes tasting menu. Our heartfelt good tidings for a wonderful holiday season, we hope you can join us!

Happy Holidays from all of us at A16!!

Mountain Lion Shot & Killed Near Chez Panisse, Berkeley – San Francisco

Kit Marshal — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:42:05 +0000

A cougar was shot and killed by police in the area adajacent to Alice Waters’Chez Panisse. Was it entirely necessary to kill this animal? The Fish & Game Department were too slow to react, as they have a large

region to cover

with limited staff, and most likely do not carry the necessary tranquilizer guns and large nets required to deal with this type of situation and tranquillizer darts are often slow to react.

Sadly, a cougar was shot and killed by police while roaming in the residential area adjacent to Alice Water’s restaurant Chez Panisse. Was it entirely necessary to kill this animal? It seems that apparently the Fish & Game Department were too slow to react, due to the large region they cover with a limited staff, and in any case, they most likely do not carry the necessary tranquilizer guns and large nets required to deal with this type of situation. In addition, tranquilizer darts are often slow to react. Berkeley Police thought that it was prudent to kill the animal as it was leaping over back garden fences and presumably posed a threat to residents, homeless people and others.

SPQR Restaurant, Natural Wine Week – San Francisco

Kit Marshal — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:11:22 +0000

Orange is Natural! Promoting Natural Wine is a cause that this website, Restaurant Dining Critiques is very supportive of. We believe in using as few additives in wines and organic if possible.

SPQR is excited to be part of San Francisco’s natural wine week http://sfnaturalwineweek.wordpress.com starting on Monday August 23rd. Supporting “Natural” wines is something that comes naturally to SPQR as most of the wines they pour tend to favor little manipulation and/or organic wine making practices. However to further celebrate natural wine making week they are emphasizing a class of wines often referred to as “orange wines”. “Orange wines” are made by ultra purist wine makers with a philosophy of practically zero intervention or manipulation. During Natural Wine Week they will also be honoring natural women wine makers by pouring the ‘Aretha’ flight named for the song “Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman”. Orange is a color said to promote happiness so please join SPQR and get happy with orange wines!

The restaurant will be highlighting the following producers as follows:

Monday August 23- Radikon http://www.radikon.it/vinery/vinery/view?set_language=en
Tuesday August 24- Rusticum http://www.vinography.com/archives/2010/05/2007_monastero_suore_cistercen.html
Wednesday August 25- Gravner http://www.gravner.it/
Thursday August 26- Vodopivec http://www.vodopivec.it/verita_eng.html
Friday August 27- Damijan & COS Pithos Bianco http://www.cosvittoria.it/
Saturday August 28- Movia Lunar http://www.movia.si/#
Sunday August 29- La Castellada Ribolla

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They welcome you to make your reservation through their website:

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