M and G and I went to San Francisco for a week and a half, and man are our arms tired!  Wait, that isn’t how the joke goes? Picky picky.

Seriously, we’re knackered.  Not because we did anything particularly vigorous, like hike mountains or participate in a protest in Berkeley.  No, we suffer from the after-effects of The Endless Meet and Greet.  You know… it’s what you do when you visit a beloved place after a long absence.  You try to catch up with all the people you haven’t seen for years, and who are eager to see how your efforts at procreation turned out.

M and I always manage to self-sabotage on this front.  Inevitably we wait until the last minute (read: the day before leaving on a jet plane) to try to schedule times with people to meet.  This time we didn’t manage to contact anyone until AFTER we’d already landed.  And yet, this may have been one of our most successful trips in that we ended up getting to hang out with a ton of awesome friends and family who happened to be available on short notice.  Heck, we were almost TOO successful.  It’s not exaggerating to say we averaged visits with two sets of friends every day we were there.  I know that doesn’t sound like a lot.  But after a while it starts to take a toll.  A toll on me, a social-anxiety-freak for whom even meeting up with people I love dearly is a draining experience, and a toll on G who’s not really had to meet so many new people ever in his short life (let alone while also dealing with total upheaval of any sense of routine we may have had back in the good old timezone of the east).  Also a toll on M who was actually trying to get some work done during the whole escapade.

But, as is always the way, with as many people as we managed to see there were still so many that we missed.  “Well, there’s always next year…” only goes so far in making us feel better about that.

***

No surprise to you all, as you haven’t seen hide nor wordy-hair of me in a while, I took a break from absolutely all things digital while on vacation.  Including, apparently, my camera.

We have a total of two, TWO!, pictures.  One is of the shuttle Discovery mounted atop a specialized 747, taken on M’s phone while on a tram from one terminal to another at Dulles airport.  Granted, it was a pretty cool sight, but not really significant in terms of awesome memories.

The other is this one, taken while flying from Dulles to SF:

Mommy, why are these birds angry, anyway?

That’s G playing Angry Birds*, with headphones on (so his beloved swing music entertained him and not those around him).  I can’t even describe how awesome G was on the flights.  He didn’t sleep nearly as much as we expected (or hoped), but entertaining him was a mostly not-too-horrible experience.  Yay!

***

I got a bit weepy on this trip.  I always get nostalgic when visiting SF.  Mostly for the people that I miss… but also for places, and foods.

We managed to find an awesome flat to rent in Noe Valley (the SF neighborhood where I lived before moving to Beefalo — I refuse to say “stomping grounds” or make reference to my “salad days” here… why do people use those phrases anymore?).  We hit up a number of shops and restaurants that we wish we could uproot and transplant to our new neighborhood.

But back to me being weepy.  Did I cry when I saw a friend whom I haven’t seen in eight years?  Absolutely.  But that didn’t earn me a good-natured ribbing from M.

No, crying in the middle of Noe Valley Bakery is what I’m talking about.  Crying as I stood among the fresh loaves of fig bread, and real sourdough bread, and amazing croissants, and love buns, and scones, and quiches, and danish, and challa, and knish, and oh-thank-god-they’re-normal-size cupcakes**.  Not to mention the cookies, and cakes, and cinnamon twists.  I could go on and on.

It’s just that we don’t have such a bakery here at home.  We’ve got Delish who we visit more for their espresso than their sweets (since so many have tree nuts, and M is allergic), and we have Dolci who’s got a full menu and does some bread, but we mostly hit them up for their lovely gelato.  Then there’s Zillycakes, a cupcakery, but while their inventive flavors can be really awesome, they fall afoul of the ridiculously-sized-cupcake** issue.

And NVB was half a block away from my old apartment.  Here all of these various bakeries, who between them can’t provide all of what NVB did, are a much farther walk away.  Again, I could probably use the walk for exercise, but when I realize at the last minute that a loaf of fresh bread would be great with dinner, it would be great if I could just pop out and grab it in five minutes.

Buffalo, can we get it together please?  Give us a local bakery as awesome as NVB and I will never, ever leave.

***

Finally, despite the lack of ideal bakery, I am SO GLAD to be home.  I fear that when I finally open my Reader I’ll fall over at the amount of wonderful blogginess that I have to catch up on, but I know I’ll enjoying reading all about what you’ve been doing and thinking while I’ve been away.

I should warn that work has been even more hectic than usual lately, so my ability to pound out posts while on lunch or breaks has dwindled significantly.  And often, by the time I’m done with work, the LAST thing I want to do is sit longer in front of the computer.  So please be patient as my posts may be few in the coming weeks.  Then again, I bet your Readers are just as busy as mine, so I bet you could use a bit of a break, too!

***

*By “play” I mean that he understands that the point of the game is to launch birds.  Unfortunately, he doesn’t necessarily understand that the birds should be shot AT the pigs… for him it’s all about which hand he’s using.  If he’s using his left hand, he birds get launched to the right.  If he’s using his right hand, they get launched to the left.  It’s a good thing he’s figured out the “reload” level button.

**Okay, what’s with the SUPER SMALL CUPCAKES people??? Ever since being a “cupcakery” became a trend (thank you very much Food Network…) the size of cupcakes have been getting smaller in direct reverse-proportion to their price.  No, a cupcake the size that I would make at home in a normal pan is NOT a “giant” cupcake just because I buy it from a bakery.  I suppose that fact that there are smaller cupcakes is actually good in that, from a health perspective we probably shouldn’t be eating so much cupcake anyway.  But the price should be shrinking to match… not the other way around.

Vanilla cupcake with vanilla and chocolate cream, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with toasted peanuts. $2
Noe Valley Bakery, San Francisco

Another delicious treat from my neighborhood bakery, noms! I love the addition of peanuts on top and the chocolate mouse inside. Yummy in my tummy!

Vanilla cupcake with vanilla cream, dipped in chocolate. $2
Noe Valley Bakery, San Francisco

This mini cupcake is SO cute and is the perfect size for a quick, less-guilt treat. The cake is light and airy and the nostalgic shape is adorable!

After leaving the gym, I started thinking about the late birthday party on Saturday that I’m having over at my place for some friends at work. I really don’t have anything for it yet and my apartment is a MESS! I thought that this would be less stressful than having dinner at a restaurant since everyone hates splitting the bill and there’s still someone who keeps underpaying (argh!).

I stopped by Noe Valley Bakery again because I initially thought I was going to get a bunch of their amazing cupcakes for the party, but they’re kind of expensive and my wallet is feeling overused lately. I checked out their book of cakes and thought I wanted one of them, but I’ve since decided that maybe I’ll just swing by Tartine Bakery on Saturday morning and grab whatever looks good. You can’t really go wrong with something from Tartine and I think pre-ordering something would just cause more stress and I don’t have the time.

Papa Chang and Rapunzel said that I shouldn’t worry about and just provide simple things like chips and other random snacks, but I always have to have food for guests – it’s the Filipino in me! Maybe I’ll stick to my original plan and have some Filipino food (lumpia and pancit), but just not order too much. Maybe people will bring food too. I just can’t spend too much money since I’m saving for all those trip’s coming up. I’ve also decided that I’m visiting Codes in Ohio for his 30th bday so that’s another unforeseen expense. It’ll be fun though and it’s always great seeing him.

Just made plans to have brunch with B2 on Sunday. She wants to take me out for a late birthday meal and to hear all about my Benu dinner. She loves food as much as I do so we’ll have a great time.

Mini 2 inch sweet pastry shell filled with pastry cream and topped with strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry. $2.85
Noe Valley Bakery, San Francisco

This tartlet beckoned to me from the counter display. The berries looks so sweet and luscious, especially with the apricot(?) glaze on top. It was very tasty ! The pastry shell could have been a little thinner but I really can’t complain too much about this scrumptious tart.

It’s been really hard getting back into the swing of things after my birthday weekend.

The dinner at Locanda with T-Head last night was absolutely delicious, by the way. And the restaurant isn’t as darkly lit as it appears from the outside. The service was great and the food was simple and amazing! Great place!

Oh, and I just found out today that the 7×7 Big Eat SF 2012 list came out and they have photos of each of the dishes. Apparently, they chose 7 of my food pics from last year! Amazing! I’m kinda annoyed that they don’t give photo credits anywhere, but they got the pics from my Foodspotting account so they probably don’t have to. Lame. I still posted the article on Twitter and Facebook though, hehe! I need to get the word out!

2 inch tarlet filled with a tangy lemon custard and decorated with chocolate. $2.85
Noe Valley Bakery, San Francisco

I went to Walgreens after the gym and HAD to get something from Noe Valley Bakery too, lol! This was a nice, small, delicious snack to tide me over while I walked home. Noms!

Would Mordecai Bow Down to Any of These Hamantaschen?

Cinderella Bakery: 436 Balboa (at Sixth Ave.), 751-9690.
House of Bagels: 5030 Geary (at 15th Ave.), 752-6000.
Noe Valley Bakery: 4073 24th St. (at Castro), 550-1405.

2. Tomorrow I am seeing Michael Showalter at the JCC with Jono and Jane!  As you know, Mr. Showalter is a long-time love of mine and he is lovely.  I have met him twice.  Once when I was 10, and once when I was 23.  We are sort of in love.  He is 41.  I am 26.  Perfect!  If you would like to go get cheap tickets and join us, go to Goldstar and buy them!  I’m sure he’ll be mostly with me the whole time, though.

3. I think there are certain words that are not really valid ways to describe people.  Such words: fun, nice, great.  They are not specific.  You might say these sorts of things about a dog, not really a person.

4. I dined with Dana on Wednesday at Outerlands.  I love it there.  It is delicious and intimate.  Dana and I had a lovely date and we ate: French onion soup, savory bread pudding, and chocolate tart.  We loved it.

5. Jono is going to take a picture of me and Michael Showalter.

6. Gillian interviewed Michael Showalter.  He is so dreamy.  It shows in the interview.

7. I think we’re MFE, me and Mr. Showalter.

8. This is the 502 blog.  Thank you to all my readers for their support!  Now you guys have to help me make this a career.  I’m accepting ideas.  xoxo

Today I went with the chocolate caramel Fleur de Sel

Saturday was a great day for a walk, and my partner and I went to Noe Valley.

the Sisters of Noe Valley, San Francisco

No trip there is complete without a stop at the Noe Valley Bakery.

The funny part is, having stopped to eat my cupcake at the corner of 24th & Noe, a singularly ambitious little Girl Scout came up to me with her rehearsed sales pitch, “Hey mister, want to buy some dessert today?” She then paused (seeing that I had the cupcake in my mouth while she said it ) and got the funniest look of embarrassment on her face! My partner said, “You’re a tough little business woman, aren’t you.” Her pride was now kindly restored, and she replied with a longgggggg sighhhhhhh and an eye roll, “That’s what they tell me.” And with that, and a determined 180° accomplished with a lift and turn on one toe, she marched right back to her street corner to wait for the next fish.

So- sorry kid, I’m a cupcake kinda guy. That’s how I roll.

part of problem is that living in the bay area kind of ruins you food-wise for most other places (excepting italy, france and possibly australia).    the quality of the ingredients and the level of craft is extreme.     so that no one goes to zuni thinking they’re getting the best of san francisco, i thought i’d make a list for you…  i’m completely biased toward family-owned businesses, seasonal, local and organic ingredients and against food that’s been handled a lot in the kitchen…     here goes…

favorite restaurant:    woodward’s garden (1700 mission).     like home cooking if you were extremely talented,  had all the best ingredients and all the time in the world.   intimate and retains a whiff of the funkiness that defined san francisco before union square and fillmore street were nothing but chain stores.   save room for dessert.

runners up:   la ciccia (291 30th @ church) is sardinian.  so it’s like italian, but not.  it’s great food (i’d suggest several first courses and pastas instead of entrees) with an impressive wine list.      bar jules (609 hayes).   a pretty room and  a crowd that’s as hip and good looking as zuni’s was in its heyday.   the chalk board menu changes daily and the food is simple and delicious.    it’s a bit noisy when it’s full.   we love sunday brunch.

pizza:  gialina (2842 diamond).   hands-down best pizza.   tender and crispy thin-crust pizza  with traditional toppings  as well as more experimental combinations.   the menu changes daily.   salads — sized individually or served family-style are some of the best in town.

indian:  roti (53 west portal).   better than most of the food i’ve eaten in india.   though my favorite nan comes from the stand at the alameda flea market on the first sunday of every month.

bread: there’s a lot of great bread in the bay area.    a favorite at our house is noe valley bakery‘s (4073 24th street) organic dried fig bread.

french fries:    hayes street grill (320 hayes).   which is also the best fish restaurant in town.    it’s an institution with the opera/symphony crowd.  avoid performance nights.    as much as i love you patty, the room needs some freshening up.

hamburger:   slow club (2501 mariposa).    another place that’s been around for a long time.    somehow, this one still seems hip.   maybe because it’s not trying so hard and the bridge and tunnelers would never be able to find it.

caesar salad:  probably zuni.   i haven’t had one in years…  but slow club’s may be as good.

dim sum:   lucky fortune (5715 geary) — recommended by patty unterman — is a dump.     really, just awful.    but the food is awesome.   instead of bringing carts or trays around, you order from a menu, which means you get what you want, not what they happen to bring.    and that it’s really, really fresh.    when they bring you your ticket, you’re likely to think there’s been some mistake.    a lucky one.

ice cream:  bi rite creamery (3692 18th).    organic, local (strauss family creamery) ingredients and small batches make for the best (in my opinion) ice cream in the u.s.  mint chip is my favorite.    runners up – vanilla or salted caramel.   the fresh fruit juice (often with chunks of fruit) pop cycles are also fantastic.

mexican chocolate ice cream:      mitchell’s (688 san jose avenue) beats bi rite’s (bi rite adds salted peanuts to theirs).  a crime.

lunch: boulette’s larder (ferry building).   it’s like eating in the kitchen of a 5-star restaurant in france.     a few seats around a big table.   unbeatable food.    pricey.

sushi:  kiss seafood (1700 laguna street).    the best sushi i’ve ever eaten (admittedly i have never been in japan).    there are two tables and 4 seats at the bar.   you must make a reservation — he only buys enough fish for the people he knows are coming that night.

cambodian:  angkor borei (3471 mission).  family owned.   fresh and wonderful.

donuts:    bob’s donuts (1621 polk) — get the raised glazed.

high tea:  lovejoy’s tea room (1351 church).   a little tattered, but completely authentic.   beats the hell out of the high teas at the hotels down town.

chinese dumplings:  just won ton (1241 vicente).   another patty unterman recommended hell-hole.   and getting there…  it’s out in the sunset about 10 blocks past where you thought the ocean started…     but the dumplings are to die for.

macaroons:  tartine (600 guerrero).   tartine is not my favorite bakery.   too much fat.  and god, how do i hate their lemon meringue cake (if only my grandmother were alive to give them meringue-making lessons).   but credit where credit is due — their macaroons are heaven.    the orange zest is the key.    and the petit size is nice.

candy shop: sweet dish (2144 chestnut).  my daughter would like to move in.