Fast Food Goes Gourmet: Takeout Roundup San Francisco

With the explosion of the underground street food scene and mobile food carts in San Francisco, it seems that no one actually sits down at restaurants anymore. Food has become an adventure – a quest to find the newest, hippest, and best that the city has to offer. And while it’s all good fun, I’m not always in the mood to chase my dinner down after a long day at the office. So how can I find the newest and coolest eats without a Twitter account? Our takeout roundup helps you find San Francisco’s best fast food – gourmet style.

You can find a street food inspired lunch for under $10 straight out of the garage door of Kitchenette SF. Using fresh local ingredients, chefs create daily lunch menus featuring items such as the Slow Roasted Niman Ranch Pork Sandwich and Roasted Beet and Fromage Blanc Baguette. The window is open from 11:30-1:30 M-F, and supplies are limited, so arrive early for maximum dining pleasure.

For soul food served fast, check out Farmerbrown’s Little Skillet on Ritch St and Townsend. With menu items like Fried Chicken and Waffles, BBQ Pork, and a Po’ Boy of the Day, there’s something here for everyone. As full as you may be, don’t skip dessert here, the Mini Pecan Pies and Red Velvet Cupcakes are worth every calorie.

They may have just opened a new sit down location in the Mission, but the original Rosamunde Sausage Grill on Haight St has been providing San Franciscans with lunch and dinner to go for years. Famous for meaty options like the Beer Sausage, Nuernberger Bratwurst, and Chicken Cherry, Rosamunde also offers a daily Vegan Sausage like the Smoked Apple Sage.

Want to take your taste buds on an adventure? Green Coriander offers meat, vegetarian and gluten free friendly options with healthy organic Indian takeout. Order online before noon for same day pickup or delivery after 6 pm. You can be home enjoying Baigan Bharta and Chicken Curry before Jeopardy starts!

To satisfy your sweet tooth after a power lunch in the Financial District, grab a Walnut Fig Scone or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin from Batter Bakery. Though small, this tiny kiosk stationed outside of the Bank of America Building is packed with goodies. Open M-F 7:30 am-4:30 pm, Batter Bakery has your breakfast and afternoon pastry needs covered.

With takeout options like these, it’s easy to enjoy the best of the San Francisco street food scene without the scavenger hunt. Just pick up, sit back and relax, and savor every bite.

Sumptuous Super Bowl Plates: Great Recipes for Your Super Bowl Party

With the Super Bowl looming, the Vikings sulking back to the Dome, and New Orleans finally getting the celebration they deserve, it is time for us to give you some great recipes to bring to your Super Bowl party.

A football favorite is guacamole. How do I know this? Well other than it being a fact of life, 50 million tons of avocados are consumed on Super Bowl Sunday, this is more than Cinco De Mayo! Now if your team loses, you’ll still be able to impress your friends with your avocado knowledge!

Chef and founder of Parties That Cook, Bibby Gignilliat, shows you in this video how to make a delicious chunky guacamole, which is perfect for Super Bowl Sunday!

Another great option if you feel like offering something different for your Super Bowl party is our Tortilla-Crab Soup with Cilantro-Lime Crème Fraiche. This has some great flavors and is even a great dish to serve alongside your guacamole.

Soup:
6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium sweet onion (about 2 cups), cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
4 large scallions, separated: white parts finely chopped, green parts thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon coriander, toasted and ground
4 cups bottled clam juice
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
Juice of 1 1/2 limes
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup of cilantro chopped

Creme Fraiche:
1/2 pound tomatillos – husked, rinsed and quartered
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup plus
2 Tablespoons creme fraiche
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Tortillas:
Canola Oil for frying
3 6-inch yellow or white corn tortillas, julienned, about 1 cup
Cilantro sprigs for garnish

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked through

Methods/Steps:

Cook Bacon: Place cut bacon into a large stock pot over medium heat and cook until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel lined sheet pan. Set aside. Drain half of the fat from the pot and discard. 

Make soup: In the same stockpot, reheat the reserved bacon fat. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno and scallion whites to the stock pot and cook over medium heat until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Whisk in flour, cumin and coriander and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly. Whisk in clam juice and water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer soup for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peas, corn and scallion greens. Bring soup to simmer over medium heat. Add lime zest, juice, kosher salt and cooked bacon.   

Creme Fraiche: In a blender, puree tomatillos with 1/2 cup of cilantro. Pour into a bowl and add creme fraiche, lime juice and salt.

Tortilla Strips: In a medium skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil until simmering. Add tortilla strips in several batches and fry over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 2 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tortilla strips to a paper towel lined sheet pan. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Serve: Reheat soup. Add 1/2 cup chopped cilantro. Mound crabmeat in center of soup bowl and ladle soup over crab. Garnish with the tomatillos, creme fraiche, cilantro leaf, and tortilla strips. Serve immediately.