cityseekr Loves Tasty Treats

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WHAT: Burrata bruschetta, hazelnut and honey / $7

WHERE: Delarosa Restaurant, 2175 Chestnut Street, San Francisco, CA

I feel kind of bad sharing the information about this dish with you, because at $7 it is pricey for an appetizer, and tasting it would require a trip to the well-manicured neighborhood of the Marina, which has an annoyingly wealthy suburban air about it. The interior of Delarosa, with its canteen-like atmosphere, is not among the most appealing in town, but the food is top notch, and the bruschetta pictured above is the most exciting item on the menu. One serving consists of two pieces of toast with big squishy lumps of burrata (mozzarella + cream). The taste contrasts intriguingly with the sweetness of the honey and hazelnuts. Even though Delarosa is not exactly a romantic place, the burrata bruschetta will make for a terrific appetizer for a date.

Top Five Bay Area Hikes

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The San Francisco Bay Area has been blessed with such a wealth of great hiking – it would be a shame to let the winter chill deter folks from getting out and enjoying the trails. The following day hikes are a selection that covers some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Bay Area, as well as the breathtaking, the inspiring and the unexpected. Bundle up and lace on your boots; they were made for walking, after all. A sad note – due to lack of funding, many of these parks have cut back on their services / opening hours – be sure to check their websites before you decide to visit.

 

1.  Mount Diablo – Mitchell Canyon / Eagle Peak Loop  (7.8 mi. / 12.5 km)

Level: Moderate to strenuous

Just before the fog cleared. Photo by Korrena Bailie.

With a 2000-foot elevation gain, a mostly exposed trail and a variety of terrain, this Mount Diablo hike is wonderful to do in the cooler seasons. Spring time is particularly impressive, as the mountain is a-bloom with millions of gorgeous wildflowers. Start from the Mitchell Canyon Staging Area on the north side of the mountain – this hike offers stunning vistas of the Bay, including a peek-a-boo view of the Golden Gate Bridge, red rocky outcrops towards the summit, beautifully situated picnic tables and a host of birds, butterflies and flora, including manzanita and yerba santa. Being typically Bay Area, the views can be obscured by fog but this generally clears up by early afternoon. When I hiked there in November, I stumbled upon a cackling crowd of wild turkeys who’d obviously survived the Thanksgiving rush.


2.  Point Reyes National Seashore – Tomales Point Trail (11.4 mi. / 18.3 km) 

Level: Easy to moderate

Photo by Don DeBold. CC BY 2.0

Don’t be put off by the length of this hike – very little elevation is gained or lost and it’s one of the most unique hiking experiences in the Bay Area. On the peninsula at Tomales Point is a herd of over 400 tule elk, a breed that was native to California. In 1978, the elk were released from a breeding program into the Tomales Point enclosure and they have thrived ever since. On this meandering hike, which gives outstanding views of the ocean, you can get up close and personal with the elk, who are largely unbothered by the presence of curious hikers. On the weekend, a park docent is stationed above a popular elk gathering point, armed with binoculars and a keenness to answer any questions you might have. This hike can get very foggy, which means that an elk may be much closer than you think (I jumped a mile when a male bugled only a couple of meters away from me) and the winds can get oppressively strong, so be sure to bring appropriate clothing. Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: FLO

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A few things come to mind when one thinks of Seattle. Some might think of the Space Needle, the Seahawks and gloomy weather, while others might envision coffee establishments and the television antics of a certain Dr. Frasier Crane. I, on the other hand, in addition to the wonderful friends I have there, will always think of some of the greatest culinary experiences I’ve ever had–namely, my dinners at the Bellevue-based Japanese restaurant FLO.

Aside from my friends’ vocal adoration of the restaurant, I must admit that my expectations for FLO when I first dined there in 2006 were not set very high. After all, I was coming up from San Francisco where an entire section of the city is devoted entirely to Japanese food and culture. I had no idea that a small restaurant tucked neatly away in a small (now big) suburb outside of Seattle could come even close to my wonderful experiences with Japanese cuisine here in the Bay Area. However, as I took my first bite of FLO’s fresh and tangy hamachi carpaccio (runs about $13 and is well worth it), I realized that I was sadly mistaken.

The culinary delights did not end there–they were only just beginning. Of course, in addition to the customary miso soup and salad, my dear friends (a husband and wife who swear by the restaurant and eat there religiously) went on to select some of the most divine sushi and nigiri I had ever tasted. The menu’s prices (keep in mind that the menu does change) were more than fair when compared with the average price of sushi in the Seattle and San Francisco areas. You’re unlikely to spend more than $10 for a generous helping of non-seasonal sushi or nigiri, and none of the warm entrees exceeded the $20 mark.

Now, I don’t pretend to be an expert taster of Japanese sushi, but I can say that I’ve eaten at plenty of restaurants that serve it. Skeptics (such as I was) who are sadly led to believe that sushi doesn’t vary too much from one decent Japanese restaurant to the next, obviously haven’t tasted the exquisite freshness and preparation that has since become a hallmark of FLO’s sushi and nigiri offerings. For example, the sushi chef’s method of preparing toro (fatty tuna; it is seasonal and can be expensive), which is delicious pretty much wherever you go, brought the dish to a whole new level of succulence that I’m finding difficult to describe with words. You’ll just have to try it for yourself.

After several more toothsome selections from FLO’s extensive raw menu, of which a lightly-seared salmon nigiri named after my friend Laura (you won’t find it on the menu, unfortunately) was my favorite, the main course was served. Continue reading →

Parisian Disney Magic

Disney’s plan to build a theme park just a few miles outside of Paris was met with opposition from those who feared cultural imperialism from an American company. However, today Disneyland Paris and the accompanying Walt Disney Studios receive over 15 million visitors each year, which makes it the most popular tourist destination in Europe.

I recently visited the park with a few friends; we figured that Paris + Disney + Christmas = MAGIC. Despite our enthusiasm and optimism, the idea of visiting Disneyland Paris made me feel a bit uneasy. In my mind there could only be two dramatic results: complete disappointment or utter exhilaration. Would Disneyland Paris be an exact replica of Disneyland Anaheim? Or would it be completely different? I was determined to see what made the park unique from its American cousin, and whether or not the park planners made any cultural accommodations.

Disneyland Paris good: Getting to Disneyland from Paris is a breeze! Paris’ RER commuter trains make several stops in Paris and continue to Marne de la Vallé, the suburb where the park is located. Trains come roughly every ten minutes; the ride takes about 35 minutes and costs approximately 22EUR round trip. The train station is located at the gate of Disneyland, right next to the awesomely pink Disneyland Hotel. Besides the RER trains, there is also a SNCF station that receives French national trains and high-speed TGV trains. There is even a shuttle that brings visitors to the park from Charles de Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport. Already, Disneyland Paris’ transportation options put it far ahead of its Anaheim counterpart, with its enormous parking lots and massive parking structures.

Walking into the park, everything looks eerily like the U.S. version. In fact, the layout for both Disney parks is almost exactly the same. A cheery and nostalgic Town Square greets visitors and behind that, Main Street USA with its charming old-fashioned candy shops, boutiques and arcades leads the crowds to a central plaza and the foot of Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Compared to Sleeping Beauty’s castle in California, the castle in Paris is not quite as wide, although the towers definitely appear to be taller. Shiny gold accents and stained glass give the castle a rich look, while cube-shaped trees add an air of whimsy.


Stained glass and brilliant gold accents on Sleeping Beauty’s castle.

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