I joined forces with Chloe today! We’re both huge foodies and close friends so our adventurous alliance was bound to find something delicious to see and eat. We actually found a lot of stuff. We also worked over ideas for Chloe’s new concept dessert restaurant (she’s an amazing cook!) and if she allows, maybe I can share some thoughts. First, we went to the San Francisco marina where I finally got to see and be photographed with the Golden Gate Bridge,
There! You happy? I did it and I’m not going any closer, I have food to eat. So let’s get right into that. We walked down Chestnut street in Northbeach next where amongst the many specialty stores we found Miette Confiserie and Patisserie,
Everything really is as shiny and perfect as in this picture. It all screams of Willy Wonka but if Willy Wonka took flavour pairing seriously.
The advantage of bakery-hopping for two (an activity I will now trademark) is that you benefit from buying twice as much food and then sharing it. Chloe selected four very floral macaroons and I went for one these keylime meringue pies:
The macaroons were alright although the flower essences they were suposed to contain were completely hidden in buttercream and sugar. The pie was way more interesting. First, the crust is impecable. It is literally as if it was machined into shape out of the delicious honey-flavoured shortcrust. I thought I made a pretty good shortcrust but I’ve never made a crust of such deep a brown colour nor with so little crumbling. My guess is that they knead the dough much more than I do. The filling was fine, it’s really the meringue which bewildered both of us. As you can see, it’s quite silky and shiny and the detailing is added with broiling or a small torch. The consistency, though, is extremely soft but not runny and more sticky than gummy. This meant they had used a lot of powdered sugar and set the meringue with tartaric acid. Later that day we had a much more traditional and more difficult meringue.
We spent the rest of the day in the Mission district. I had an unphotographed burrito for lunch because I’ve been told before by Californians that I’ve deffinitely never eaten real Mexican food living on the east coast. Turns out they were right. West coast burritos win. I took Chloe to 826 Valencia (see last post) but we also stopped next door at a store called Paxton Gates. Imagine that Indiana Jones and Dr. Livingstone got together and opened a shop with all of their found treasures. Two curious items were on sale, first note the last line here,
If the archeologists aren’t even that confident, how am I suposed to be excited about sea turtle poo?
Also hanging in the doorway was what I assume is an inside joke for taxidermists,
It’s a goose with a croc head but Chloe and I both think it looks like a pterodactyl so I’m gonna call this one Pterogoose.
After some wandering we finally ended up at Tartine! Everyone agrees this is the best bakery in San Francisco. And they are right. From the first moment you walk in you smell the 5 o’clock sourdough bread batch, you’re overwhelmed by a crowd of people all eating, drinking, ordering, conversing. This feels like the most social bakery in the world. It has a very small collection of perfected products. Large cakes that sell for $68 or just a slice for $4. Seasonal tartes, gougères, quiches, open-faced sandwiches on fresh bread. We couldn’t stop ordering. Chloe had a slice of lemon-meringue cream cake which when in one peice is covered all over in beautiful browned meringue waves and folds. I had a seasonal fruit tarte topped with crumble.
Chloe’s cake was perfect, really, the cream, lemon, chiffon cake and meringue were in harmony. My tarte was also very good. Very rustic and simple although at the cost of being a little dry. A half-loaf of sourdough bread would keep us filled for the rest of the day. We also ordered a gougère. It is a puffed choux pastry with cheese and herbs. The flavours of herb and cheese are quite strong and unexpected in this buttery pastry. I’ve never made or had gougères, but I think I’ll be working on them from now on.
Currently, I’m in Davis where trips around Napa and plenty of wine tasting await!