Bear Cuisine

A Michelin Star Will Not Lead You to the Perfect Light

We thought we had saved the best for last when we made a reservation at SPQR, a popular, trendy Italian restaurant on Fillmore St. for our last night in San Francisco. I was particularly excited about our planned dinner since the restaurant had been awarded a Michelin star earlier in 2013,but I remain mystified as to the decision-making process for awarding these coveted indicators of excellence.

The space itself is modern, airy and tastefully decorated.

The tables, however, are cheek-to-jowl and it takes concentration to avoid overhearing your neighbor's conversation. Like many San Francisco restaurants the vibe is young and hip; the generations after ours don't seem to mind a loud and buzzy atmosphere.

SPQR gets high marks for service which was prompt, efficient, courteous and attentive. Our sever was also very knowledgable about the wine list and made an excellent recommendation for a wine to accompany our choices for dinner.

My disappointment was the food. I found it fussy and overdone. I couldn't taste the quail in the stuffed quail. The stuffing was the star of that dish and I don't think that was what the chef intended. The best dish was the mezzalune, a chestnut and kabocha pasta. I probably would have been happy enough if I had stopped with that dish.This chef hasn't yet discovered that less can be more.

 Butternut Squash Soup, cocoa budino,mulling spice, honeyed bacon and sage crema

Chestnut and Kabocha Squash Mezzalune, sage medjool date and quince saba

Stuffed Quail, chestnut, garnet yam, grape, red cabbage and polenta bread

It is said that there is no accounting for taste. SPQR gets rave reviews and many find it a fabulous place. I am not one of them.

For American Classics

Another place we enjoyed in San Franciso was Ella's. After two weeks of rice, grilled chicken parts and assorted vegetables,I was longing for the food of my native land. Of course, there is no one food that characterizes our large and very diverse country. But there are some foods that people of a certain age remember from their childhood and long for when they are feeling too far away from home. Ella's filled the empty spot and met that longing admirably.

 

The restaurant has a pleasant, open, casual interior that reflects its relaxed atmosphere. Singles, couples and families with small children are all welcome and all made to feel equally at home.

Kay's Reuben and my chicken pot pie were perfectly cooked. The pot pie had a tender flaky crust with large chunks of chicken and vegetables . Even my mother couldn't have cooked it any better.

Ella's offers comfort food at its best.

Van's Pig Stand

The last post of this trip and our last chance for distinctive BBQ outside of New Mexico. Van's Pig Stand is another Stern-recommended BBQ joint and a fine way to end our BBQ splurges of this road trip.

We ordered the Pork Sandwich which is filled with chunks of smoked  rather than pulled pork. When you add the onions,pickles and relish you have a very fine sandwich.

This had just the right amount of smoke; it didn't overwhelm the pork but added a deep, woodsy flavor the BBQ. The curly fires made a great side. I didn't think anything could make me wish I could be closer to Oklahoma, but Van's came close.

Corky's BBQ

Corky's didn't make it into the Sterns' pantheon of iconic BBQ spots in Memphis, but Guy Fieri included it on his tour of Memphis BBQ.  We could have chosen places that were closer to our hotel, but we drove about 30 minutes to get to Corky's. It was worth the drive. The BBQ was excellent and the restaurant's interior was as entertaining as the food was good.

We particularly liked this painting of Jerry Lee Lewis that decorated the wall above our booth.

The onion loaf was listed as a starter, but we could have easily made a meal of the whole thing. The batter is fried to a golden, crispy, crunchy,crumbly,buttery finish. It's light and satisfying at the same time. This qualifies as Roadfood spectacular.

We were hungry and this picture almost didn't get taken. So what you see here are the remains of the catfish and the ribs. Both were succulent and delicious.

This place is too good to miss and if you can't get to Memphis any time soon, they will be more than happy to ship you some ribs.

The Rendezvous

You can't go to Memphis without eating BBQ. Right? Right! I first tasted the pleasures of the Rendezvous' BBQ some years ago while attending a church conference. The BBQ was the highlight of that trip.

The ribs here are not actually barbecued; rather, they are charcoal broiled. As usual, the Sterns description is right on the money. "Instead of being  bathed in sauce, which is the more typical Memphis way, they are dry. Dry, but not drab. Indeed, these are some of the most flavorful ribs you will eat anywhere. Instead of ssauce, the meaty bones arrive at the table encased in a crust of powerful spice. The spice accentuates the sweetness of the pork and also seems to contain and concentrate its succulence. Vergos's ribs are lean, tender, and flavorful beyond description."

The pictures can't do justice to the ribs. After all, one plate of ribs looks pretty much like another. But you can trust me and Jane and Michael Stern. This BBQ is worth the trip.