After a long walk in the botanical gardens, my friend and I walked down Haight and found Magnolia Pub and Brewery. It was a godsend that hydrated our souls (dehydrated our bodies) and lifted our spirits. Delicious homemade cask conditioned ales brewed in the basement of their Pub! Total drinkability.
Blue Bell Bitter
Gallows Hills Porter
Magnolia Pub and Brewery
1398 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 94117-2909
(415) 864-7468
I was recently in San Francisco and was able to eat at some delicious restaurants. Over the next few posts, I will share my dining experiences.
The first restaurant my friend and I ate at was the Salvadorian Mexican restaurant, Panchitas (No. 2). I have only had Salvadorian a few times before in my life, but this little gem reminded me that I should have it more often.
Of course, Salvadorian Suprema Beer. A pale lager. Delicious!
Pupusa De Chicharron Con Queso (Pupusa with pork meat and cheese) AND Pupusa De Queso Y Loroco (Cheese pupusa). Mmm… pupusas. Cheese and just about anything is good in my book.
Platanos Con Crema (Plantain with cream). This was my favorite! I could eat this everyday. Yummy!
Yuca Con Chicharron (Yucca root with pork meat) - Mmmm, yucca root! I prefer them over potatoes.
Panchitas No. 2
3091 16th Street
San Francisco 94110
(415) 431-4232
I read some great reviews about the recently opened West 4th / Jane gastropub in Santa Monica. A few of the articles mentioned their extensive beer list, so of course I went to check it out. They did have a great beer list, but just know before you go that all the beer is bottled! And, maybe research the beers found on their multi-paged menu before you go because it does not offer descriptions other than location of origin. Unfortunately, our waitress was not able to describe the beers either and had to go up to one of the owners to ask for help. Even worse, she came back saying “he said that beer was good.” I fully believe this situation was just part of the learning curve that occurs when opening a bar, and I hope and encourage that they quickly learn. (Let them drink to learn! Nothing beats drinking learning games. I think that’s how I am going to get through the next few years). Also, I hope they start a Happy Hour.
My palate is currently evolving to include darker beers, so it was quite the gamble on whether I would like the Californian Telegraph Stock Porter or not. The owner was correct though, it was good. A 750 ml marriage between fresh brewed ale with aged oak ale forming a unique glass of good drinkability. I was able to pick up hints of coffee and chocolate.
If you love bottled beer and know your beer, this is the place for you!
West 4th / Jane
1432 4th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401-2309
(310) 395-6765
The easiest part of this race was the running. It was everything else that made it hard. Correction: Technology made it hard. My shuffle, Shuffley, refused to turn on when the race began. This made no sense to me because I turned it on 30 minutes prior to ensure it was working and that there would be no repeats of Shuffley trouble (San Diego Half Marathon). Shuffley might be a race-ist. Or, maybe Shuffley is just race shy, because Shuffley did not work. Thus, I started the race upset. I tried to focus on the running, but I kept getting distracted and discouraged by the beautiful noises of others. For instance, the lovely woman that took deep, loud, vocal breaths; each time she exhaled, she panted out the words “oh my god.” I was too frustrated to find humor in this situation at the time and only grew more annoyed and conflicted. I couldn’t sprint ahead because that would ultimately lead me to burning out. And I couldn’t slow down because that would compromise my own time. Instead, I distracted myself with random thoughts. Like, what if that dog, that I guess was allowed to be racing, poops on the course. I would definitely be the one that stepped in it. Fortunately, the blasphemous breather disappeared in my dust, the dog never went to the bathroom, and Shuffley finally turned on around mile four. Shuffley’s resurrection significantly increased my speed and mood. I was able to recover some of the lost time and finished the race in under an hour (which means that I ran the race faster than I train). So, yay.
Now… the good stuff.
It has become tradition for my roommate and I to go out to Father’s Office II for post race celebration. After the Santa Monica Classic, I did not think tradition was going to be upheld. Instead, I took a 2 hour nap, went grocery shopping, and lounged around. That is until I got the text message from my roommate asking if I wanted to go out. Of course I did! Here are the highlights:
1. Carafe of Melville “Vernas” Pinor Noir ‘07
2. Rare Yellow Fin Tuna (a special that quickly sold out after I ordered it) - yuzu cherry tomato “ceviche”, shiso, and cilantro sprouts.
3. The Bruery Saison Rue
Father’s Office II.
Melville Syrah Wine (one of my favorite vineyards).
Beet Salad - with blue cheese and walnuts (and some lettuce hidden underneath it all)
Scaldís Noel Beer - A Winter Ale
Strangely, FO wouldn’t let me have the Scaldís bottle. Apparently there is a rule that they can’t let the bottle cross over the bar counter. Weird, huh? They did let me take a picture. This beer is a seasonal and delicious. It is thick, creamy, and had a hint of cherry and clove to it. It’s one of those beers you can’t drink too many of because it’s so filling and rich, but it was nice to sip on and perfect for the winter.
I love eating bone marrow for two reasons:
1. It’s delicious!
2. It creeps out my boyfriend and is something he would never be willing to even taste
Last time I was at Father’s Office in Culver City I ordered the Bone Marrow. The only prior experience I have had with bone marrow was from Mozza Pizzeria which set the standards high and left me wanting more. I know FO is able to execute amazing dishes so I was not hesitant nor surprised to find their bone marrow appetizing and mouth watering. Bone marrow is like a gelatinous spread similar to jelly. The proper way to eat the bone marrow is to spread it on bread/toast, and add salt. Like a good marrow, it likes to cling onto the bone so it sometimes require more of a scraping motion than a simple scoop. Which sucks because those little bones are hot when they come out and will burn if you are impatient like me. Although the salt is simple, it plays a key role and unlocked the robustness of the marrow. And of course the oiled up bread acted more than just a transportation device to the mouth by highlighting the taste of the salted marrow and adding an extra chewy texture component. The side of greens I felt was more for presentation, but I love capers so it was a nice refreshing side.
I would order this again, which says a lot because usually I go to FO for the burger (and beer!). Apparently Anthony Bourdain is also a fan of bone marrow and has stated that if he were on death row this would be his last meal. He refers to it as a comfort food. At 10-15 dollars a plate (2-3 bones) It’s more like a comfortable living food. I wish I could live in a world where bone marrow is the new mac and cheese.
Father’s Office II
3229 Helms Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90034
(310) 736-2224
Last week my roommate and I went to Library Alehouse in Venice. We have both been there before, so our continual return only shows that we enjoy it. They have an excellent beer selection and good food to go with it. They also have a Happy Hour that we always seem to forget when we say “Hey, let’s go get a drink” at 2pm 4pm. Before my roommate arrived, I killed time by trying the Shipyard Blueberry Wheat Ale. It was refreshing, sweet (more on the cider spectrum than I thought it would be), but tart! I can’t find any links for this type of Shipyard, but believe me it’s real (I called to confirm).
When we were seated in the back patio, I ordered a basic flight of beer. I asked for the wide variety of “light to dark.” I wish I had been more specific because everything that was brought to the table I had tasted before (a total life lesson). Although they were good beers, it wasn’t very exciting. My flight was composed of (from right to left on the photo): Allagash (Belgian Style White from Portland, Maine), Lost Coast Apricot Wheat (Eureka, CA), Franziskaner Hefeweizen (Munich, Germany), Stone Pale Ale (San Marcos, CA), Lost Coast Downtown Brown Ale (Eureka, CA).
For dinner I chose the Alehouse Fish and Chips (made with cod and beer batter) because I have been craving them forever. They fish was amazing and soft and the friedness made it chewy and wonderful. The curly fries were quite a treat because I rarely ever see them or order them.
Although the parking is metered on Main Street and it seems like it is always busy… you get moments like this. You can see the moon!
Library Alehouse
2911 Main St
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 314-4855