Off to the Market

With a new hard drive for our laptop and all data saved and transferred, we resume the coverage of our travels.

From our campground in Napa (CA), it is a short trip to Vallejo and the ferry to San Francisco. It is a 60-minute ride to Fisherman's Wharf and a 10-minute ride to the Ferry Building, site of the Saturday Farmers Market.

It was a gorgeous, clear morning on a recent Saturday with clear views of Sausalito (above) and Alcatraz (right). The island served as a Federal Bureau of Prisons federal prison for 29 years, begining in 1934. It also provided housing for the Bureau of Prison staff and their families.

The unusually clear day for mid- morning also provided a relatively good look at the Golden Gate Bridge and a portion of the city's skyline (below) as we headed toward the dock at the Ferry Building.

At the Ferry Building, we joined some of the nearly 25,000 shoppers who visit the market each week.

"The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is a California certified farmers market operated by the nonprofit Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA). The market is widely acclaimed for both the quality and diversity of its fresh farm products, and artisan and prepared foods. It is renowned throughout the country as one of the top farmers markets to visit. Especially on Saturdays, some of San Francisco’s best known chefs, and most famous farmers, can be seen at the market" (ferrybuildingmarketplace.com).

Kate was excited about the variety of herbs, fruits, and vegetables at the many booths; I was struck by the colors general beauty of the produce and flowers.

From the same webpage: "The market provides a forum for people to learn about food and agriculture.

CUESA's policy is to give preference to producers and vendors whose practices support our objectives. For producers, all products must be grown in California, and we give preference to those who farm organically. For vendors, we prefer those who use organic, regionally grown produce, and who have at least two years' experience in the restaurant/ prepared- food business. All prepared food is subject to a blind tasting to assure product quality and appeal."

I believe the mushroom in the photo above is the Maitake, more commonly known in the United States as ‘hen of the woods’.

Not surprisingly, there are presently no openings in either the Farmer or Vendor categories at any of the (Tuesday, Thursday, or Saturday) markets.







The Orange Hokkaido Squash was one variety of squash with which we were not familiar. The seller's note said that this was one his baby's first foods.









After looking at the variety of colors, shapes, and sizes of the vegetables in the two photos above and and the one on the left, I looked at the buildings surrounding the Ferry Building. Looking at a small portion of these structures, I thought there was some similarity to the composition of the two scenes.

These Shishito Peppers are mild, flavorful little peppers. Kate has fried them in olive oil until blistered, then sprinkled them with coarse sea salt. The sweetness of the pepper, plus the charred tang and the crisp flakiness of the salt, combined to create a snack food that could be eaten all by itself.

I thought this ar- rangement of carrots showed both the quality of the vegetable and the respect of the grower for the results of his or her efforts.

Kate declared that this Farmers Market would be a definite stop every Saturday if we lived anywhere near the Ferry Building.

One intersting point about the Market was this note: "The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition provides secure valet bike parking during the Saturday Farmers Market in Harry Bridges Plaza across from the Ferry Building."

Ouch!

We're having computer problems, so we'll resume our writing as soon as possible.

Chuck Wanted Comfort Food,…

while I was craving something unusual. Fortunately, we found both at Downtown Joe’s Brewery & Restaurant in—where else—downtown Napa.

“Established in 1993 by owners Joe Ruffino, Joe Peatman and Nancye Peatman, Downtown Joe's has a city of Napa tradition dating back eighty years. Joe Ruffino's grand-mother, Grace Ruffino, opened Ruffino's Restaurant in 1944. The family restaurant flourished through three generations until 2004. Prior to opening Ruffino's, Grace was cooking up Italian fare at The Depot Hotel for the Tamborelli family, who opened the Depot in 1927. The Depot survived until 2006. The location of The Depot, Ruffino's, and Downtown Joe's are all within two blocks from each other in Downtown Napa….The Peatmans bought out the Ruffinos in 2004…. Bernabe Leon and Gaspar Montoya have been a part of the creative kitchen team at Downtown Joe's since its inception in 1994” (www.downtownjoes.com).

Joe’s offers three dining areas. There is an umbrella covered outdoor area with many seats overlooking the Napa River. There is an upstairs dining room with a large window wall, also overlooking the river. And there is a large bar area with a massive oaken bar dominating the space and providing almost all of the décor. Along one wall hung at least three flat screens and the empty space below them was obviously used as a quasi-bandstand. Unfortu-nately, we didn’t realize that the upstairs room had a commanding view of the river and (low) mountains in the distance, so we opted for the nondescript barroom.

Since Downtown Joe’s also brews their own craft beers, we felt compelled (if not obliged) to sample a couple of their brews. “The brewery at Downtown Joe's was built in 1988 by Chuck Ankeny, the great grandson of Adolf Hamms of Milwaukee. Chuck and brewmaster Brian Hunt aimed to re-establish the great beer brewing tradition of the City of Napa. Joe Peatman and Joe Ruffino bought the brewery in 1993 and re-christened it Downtown Joe's. Joe Ruffino retired in 2004 and now Joe Peatman runs the business” (www.down townjoes.com).

My choice was the Lazy Summer American Wheat which is described on the menu as “(a) light, easy drinking ale…about 1/2 wheat and fermented dry. Its style is an American Wheat Beer…It uses Marris Otter malted barley from England as well as English grown Red Wheat. It is hopped with Horizon and US Spalt hops giving it a floral aroma.” Chuck’s choice was the Temptation Dark Ale which is the lightest of the brewery’s dark beers.

I would best describe the menu as pub grub meets California cuisine. And the pub grub is just what Chuck wanted. He started with a bowl of the California Clam Chowder which was loaded with tender clams, but was lacking the bacon or salt pork that gives such character to New England chowders. The addition of diced carrots gave the chowder a slightly sweet flavor.

For his entrée, he went full bore pub food with the Bangers and Mash which came with two mild local sausages and a heaping serving of mashed Yukon gold potatoes drenched in good brown gravy. He was a happy man. As the menu promised, the sausages were mild and not overly seasoned and had a very fine and smooth grain. (Don’t you always suspect that too much seasoning is trying to hide something about the meat?)

The term "bangers" is attributed to the fact that sausages, particularly the kind made during World War II under rationing, were made with water so they were more likely to explode under high heat if not cooked carefully; modern sausages do not have this attribute (wikipedia.com). I thought that the potatoes were a bit watery, but then I am not the best judge of mashed potatoes.

While Chuck was eating his chowder, I plowed my way through a dish of Calamari Medley—a lightly fried blend of calamari rings and tentacles. Big deal you’re saying. How many times do we have to read about calamari? Where’s the something unusual? Well, it’s been a long time, since I have had good calamari, and Joe’s did make it unusual by adding battered and fried fennel and broccoli to the dish. The squid—both rings and tentacles—were perfectly cooked. Nary a rubbery bite in the bowl. The downside? A few of the rings tasted a bit of uncooked flour. But better a little flour taste than chewy squid.

And now for the unusual. After being assured by the server that the tuna would come rare, I chose the Seared Ahi Tuna on Wontons with sushi grade ahi encrusted in sunflower seeds and served on fried wontons with micro greens, honey wasabi, and pickled ginger and accompanied by a small bowl of soy and sesame dipping sauce. For me, this was eating at its absolute best.
I placed a small slice of the pickled ginger on the tuna and dipped the whole combination into the sauce.

The result? An immediate explosion of flavors and textures in my mouth. There was the contrast of the crisp fried wonton with the buttery softness of the tuna. (Think the tenderest prime rib you have ever eaten.) I tasted hot, salty, and nutty. And the taste of mild and sweet fish. I persuaded Chuck to take a small taste with the words “This isn’t our mothers’ Chicken of the Sea.” I’m not sure I convinced him.

Well, we both got what we wanted. Comfort managed to mate with the unusual at this 4.0 Addie brew pub.

Baseball and Life

It was a beautiful day for a ballgame, and our drive over the Bay Bridge into the South Beach neighbor-hood of San Francisco took us to an ideal location for a game—AT&T Park, located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza.

With the three of us (Barbara [Giants fan], Kate [neutral], and me [Cubs fan]) covering all bases (so to speak), someone was bound to be happy at the end of the day—even in the unlikely event of a rain out.

We arrived soon after 11:00 for the 12:45 game and began to soak in the whole experience from our seats along the third base side of the field.

[L]ike those special afternoons in summer when you go to Yankee Stadium at two o'clock in the afternoon for an eight o'clock game. It's so big, so empty and so silent that you can almost hear the sounds that aren't there. ~ Ray Miller

I began my walk around the park by starting near home plate, watching the ground crew remove the batting cage and miscella-neous screens and mats.

During my walk, I observed a number of different people who play roles in the preparation for the day's drama.

From this position in the outfield stands, I watched the ground crew finish readying the field. Behind me was a large Coke bottle that contained slides for children and a large baseball glove (photo-graphed from the first base side of the field).

Behind these structures was a food court, including this stand selling cheese-steaks. I wondered whether this business was associated with the late Harry Kalas, who called "Outta Here" for Phillies' home runs.

The concourse was filled with food finders, souvenir seekers, and specialty store shoppers, e.g., Crazy Crab The 'Anti-Mascot' or Build-A-Bear Workshop.

With the quote of Humphrey Bogart in mind: " A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz," I picked up a hot dog, a bratwurst, and an Italian sausage with all the condiments before heading back to my seat.

AT&T Park was chosen as the 2008 Sports Facility of the Year by Sports Business Journal and Sports Business Daily as part of the inaugural Sports Business Awards program. One of the most beautiful sections in this privately-financed ballpark is this area in right field. Fans can stand in the archways and watch the game for free, a modern variation on the "knot hole gang."

From the stands in right field, I could see people on the walkway stopping for glimpses of the activity on the field. Kayakers and boaters were also getting in position to retrieve any ball hit into "Mc-Covey Cove." (Later that afternoon a home run made it into the Cove. That was "Splash Hit" Number 59 hit by a Giant player.)

From the same position in the right field stands, I saw one of the other groups--the autograph seekers--making one last run at getting Sean Marshall's autograph.

Finally, the photogra-phers were one of the last groups to take their position near the dugouts. (I would love to have that equipment for one day at the ballpark.)

With the support players having completed their pre-game work or participating behind the scenes, the game began.

I think season ticket holders are fortunate to be able to see every home baseball game, but I can’t imagine that their reaction to attending each game is the same as that of a person who sees one or two games a year.

As a “one-timer,” I was as interested in the sensory experience and the preparations by the supporting cast as in the game itself.

And today was one of those days (Giants 4, Cubs 0) that the words of Neville Cardus rang true: "There ought to be some other means of reckoning quality in this the best and loveliest of games; the scoreboard is an ass."

But looking around at the beautiful park on a perfect day for baseball, I guess, as Rick Maksian observed: "Life will always throw you curves, just keep fouling them off. The right pitch will come, but when it does, be prepared to run the bases."

And Now For Something Completely Different

One of our first Napa stops was at the Oxbow Public Market, a compilation of specialty food shops merged with an upscale Food Court. The first order of business was lunch.

“Anchoring the dining experience at the Market is Kitchen Door…offering an ingredient-driven menu of handmade, multi-ethnic comfort food created with local and seasonal products. For a classic Napa Valley treat, grab a legendary burger or fish taco at the latest incarnation of Gott’s Roadside, the cult burger stand begun up the road in St. Helena. Pica Pica Maize Kitchen will introduce you to zesty Venezuelan cuisine.... Also in the main Hall, Hog Island Oyster Company features succulent fresh oysters.... Ca’ Momi offers authentic, wood-fired Italian pizzas, traditional Italian pastries, and classic Italian wines to satisfy eager wine country residents and visitors alike.

The Oxbow Wine Merchant & Wine Bar also offers delicious, casual fare that perfectly accom-panies its vast wine offerings, and C CASA—an Innovative Taqueria, promises unique tacos, house-made white corn tortillas and chips, chili-rubbed rotisserie meats, fresh salsas, salads and interesting sides all with an innovative twist” (www.oxbowpublicmarket.com).

We were looking for something different and what could be more different than Venezuelan food? “Pica Pica Maize Kitchen brings the undis-covered cuisine of Venezuela to American diners. Using traditional Venezuelan recipes, fresh local produce and ingredients of the highest quality, Pica Pica’s menu presents a selection of dishes seen across Venezuela” (www.oxbowpublic market.com). Now I know nothing about Venezuelan food, but I suspect that Pica Pica’s offerings might look a lot like that country’s fast food or street food.

Having no idea what we were doing, we spent considerable time studying the menu board. “Pica Pica’s signature dish is the arepa, a grilled corn flour cake, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, stuffed with traditional Venezuelan fillings…” (www.oxbowpublic market.com). The two other choices were the maize`wich on sweet corn bread and cachapa, a 100% sweet corn pancake.
“Cachapas are a traditional Venezuelan dish made from corn. Like arepas, they are popular at roadside stands…The most common varieties are made with fresh ground corn mixed into a thick batter and cooked on a budare, like pancakes; the cachapa is slightly thicker and lumpier because of the pieces from corn kernels” (www.wikipedia.com). And I should note that the “breads” are dairy-free and wheat gluten-free.

Once you have chosen the bread, another challenge remains. What filling? And there are multiple choices ranging from: Pepeada—chicken salad with guasacaca (creamy avocado); Pelu`a—shredded beef with cheddar cheese; Pabellon—shredded beef, sweet plantains, black beans, and queso fresco; Vegetari-ana—grilled tofu, avocado, sweet plantains, and black beans with spicy cream; La shuli—black beans, seasoned tomatoes, onions, and cilantro with guasacaca on the side; Catira—chicken with guiso (meat and vegetable stew) base and gouda cheese; Pernil—pulled pork, sliced tomatoes, and avocado; and Clasica—deviled ham and cheese.

Confused yet? We were. So our orders were just a guess—an arepa with pernil for me and a cachapa with pelu'a for Chuck. And from the short list of sides, we added the yuca fries (A tropical root vegetable also called cassava. Fresh yuca has a white stringy flesh and a dark brown skin that feels like bark. It is a starchy vegetable [answers. ask.com]).

Let’s start with the yuca fries. I have no idea how these were done, but they had a soft and creamy interior as if the yuca had been cooked and mashed and then formed into logs before frying. They had a slightly sweet flavor much like sweet potatoes and were especially good with the smoked chile and sour cream dipping sauce that came on the side.

In the case of the maize bread “sandwiches,” I preferred one element of Chuck’s and one element of mine. The shredded pork in my arepa was succulent, tender and moist, and tasted as if it had been marinated with garlic. I found the corn cake to be less appealing. It was on the thick side and became soggy from the pork juices.

On the other hand, Chuck’s cachapa was thinner than a traditional pancake but thicker than a crepe and had a nice sweet (from the whole corn kernels) and toasty flavor from the grilling process. But I thought that my filling had more flavor than his shredded beef. The combination of my pernil (filling) and his cachapa (pancake) might be hard to beat.

Was this authentic Venezuelan food? I don’t know. What do I know about Venezuelan food? But we left happy after a 4.0 Addie lunch.

Some Selected Quotes...

from yelp.com.

From John H: “An East Coasters paradise!.. this is a culinary oasis awaiting your arrival...I dream about the fresh made corned beef hash...”

From Ivan S: “Thanks again, Yelp, for showing me where to get the best damn corned beef hash in town...It was from a hole-in-the-wall diner with rickety tables and frequented by guys who wear flannel and trucker caps...With strips of real corned beef, there was nary a can in sight.”

From Julian P: “In my opinion you will not find a better breakfast or a better value for your breakfast in Napa. This place is AWESOME! The food is old school greasy spoon style diner food...Do yourself a favor if you haven't been and go!”
From Toni K: “This is a hidden gem in Napa...I had the Huevos Rancheros. My companion had the Corned Beef Hash. Both were incredible. The Corned Beef Hash was authentic—no canned stuff here! The portions were huge.”

And, finally, from Jennifer W: “Amazing biscuits and gravy...It's a very small establishment with a short bar for single diners and only 6 booths for groups so get there early or you might have to wait. The food is to die for though, authentic greasy spoon feel...”

It is the first day of our month-long visit to Napa, CA and what better way to start than with a good and big breakfast. So off to the Soscol Cafe we went. The cafe is only open for breakfast and lunch and the lunch menu didn’t deviate from your typical diner’s offerings. For breakfast you can choose from chicken fried steak and eggs, breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, hot cakes, french toast, the Javi sandwich (named for the owner, Javier Ceja, and containing linguica, two eggs, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and cheese), or the machaca omelette (chorizo, potatoes, onions, spinach, tomato, cheese, and salad [?]).

Chuck wanted to order the biscuits and gravy, but the full order included home fries or hash browns and two eggs. Could he get a half order with potatoes? What transpired reminds me of that famous line from Cool Hand Luke: "What we've got here is (a) failure to communi-cate." What he got was one split biscuit covered with sausage gravy (so far so good), a full order of home fries (still ok), and two strips of bacon. All for just $0.50 less than the full order with potatoes and eggs.

I will admit that the sausage gravy was better than average and looked as though the “white” sauce had been made with the sausage drippings which accounts for the brownish color. The biscuits were no better—although not worse—than the biscuits found outside of the South. The home fries were large chunks of potato that had been nicely browned. The bacon was crisp and dry (by this I mean not greasy).

I’m a sucker for corned beef hash and couldn’t resist after reading the accolades bestowed by the above reviewers. With the hash (which contained large chunks of potato and red onion slices) came two eggs (over easy) and a side of hash browns. (I know. Since hash contains potatoes, it is unusual to also have these served on the side.) The hash browns obviously came from a bag, but when was the last time you saw homemade hash browns? And the eggs were nicely cooked with firm whites and suitably runny yolks.

Now for the hash. Huh? The people quoted above have been spending too much time hanging out at winery tasting rooms. This was the worst hash I have encountered. And that is after eating a lot of corned beef hash. The corned beef had been cut in thick strips and, to make it worse, cut with the grain rather than against. Talk about chewy. Talk about inedible. Talk about awful.

This may be a Napa favorite for those nostalgic for days gone by. But other than having a lot of local color, it has little else to recommend it and only earns 2.0 Addies (for the pretty good sausage gravy).