Eat + Drink Editor's Picks

Editors Sara Deseran and Jessica Battilana give their best of seven chocolates and cookbooks, plus a few more top picks.

Best Locally Made Chocolate
	(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): See's, Michael Mischer, and XOX;  photography by Stefanie Michejda     The Bay Area is quickly becoming ground zero for both chocolate makers and chocolatiers (those who turn the chocolate into individual bonbons). In the case of SF, seven’s not even nearly enough.—SD   While everyone applauds Scharffen Berger for its bittersweet, I’m personally a fan of their milk-chocolate bar, which is creamy, caramelly, not too sweet and generally just very adult.
Chocolatier Michael Recchiuti is the man, and his chocolates are enough to make the snobbiest European weep: The flavors are subtle, the enrobing is delicate, the presentation is gorgeous. Handed a box of his assorted truffles, I always go for the sesame nougat first.   OK, so Coppeneur is German, but the only place you can find these exquisite, yet quirky, bars is at that temple of chocolate and magazines (two of my favorite things), Fog City News. The plantation-specific bittersweet bars are perfection, but don’t knock the banana and crystallized ginger—so far, one of the highlights of my year.   Every chocolate has its place, and See’s makes the kind you want to break into after you’ve broken up with your boyfriend. Having said that, I prefer the Nuts N’ Chews—as far as I’m concerned, caramel, nuts and chocolate forms its own kind of holy trinity.   Truffles are called truffles because they used to be hand-rolled and dusted in cocoa, so that they resembled those dirty, spendy little nubs found in the forest. XOX still makes them like this—little one-bite wonders.   From a retail shop in Oakland, Michael Mischer makes truffles, but the milk chocolate bar studded with almonds and sprinkled with sea salt is a true show of genius. It’s also available at Fog City News.   Have your chocolate—and eat the packaging too. Emeryville-based Charles Chocolates makes gorgeous boxes out of chocolate and fills them with CC truffles. Try the tea selection, made with leaves from Teance.

Favorite San Francisco Cookbooks

Sometimes, even the editor of a Dine section just wants a nice, quiet meal at home. On those nights, I’ll pull out one of these 7 volumes.—JB   Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, by Santa Cruz–based writer Andrea Nguyen, is a triumph. I can’t wait to try her recipe for Vietnamese crepes.   Still delicious after all these years, Classic Stars Desserts is a compilation of recipes from Emily Luchetti’s time at the late, great Stars restaurant.   Patricia Unterman is the go-to-gal (aside from, of course, 7x7) for all things food in the city, and her San Francisco Food Lover’s Guide lives in the glove box of my car. The new edition, updated and pocket-size, now has a permanent spot in my purse.   My Bombay Kitchen, by SF resident Niloufer Ichaporia King, may well be my favorite Parsi cookbook. Truth be told, it’s my only Parsi cookbook—but the unusual recipes will soon become staples of my repertoire.   One of the best things about SF is all the seafood that comes from our local waters. The oysters of Hog Island are particularly delicious, and they are commemorated in Jairemarie Pomo’s new book, The Hog Island Oyster Lover’s Cookbook.   Sometimes even the most devoted city dweller needs a trip to the county—Napa County, that is. When the mood strikes and I can’t make it to Mustards Grill for dinner, I cook from chef Cindy Pawlcyn’s new cookbook, Big Small Plates.   It’ll probably take a move out of the Mission to propel me to bake something from Tartine, butI just like knowing the cookbook is there, like a security blanket, for whenever I move more than three blocks from the mother ship.

 

PLUS: More Best of Eat + Drink

 

Best Continuing Wine Trend Those who thought the Italian wine mania began with “A” and ended with “16” thought wrong. The most vinously diverse country has a near-infinite bounty to offer, and San Francisco has only scratched the surface. But with the arrival of Italian specialty wine shops such as the stylish Biondivino, wine bars Ottimista, VinoRosso and Bar Bambino, plus all the restaurants that have opened in the past year or so—Perbacco, La Ciccia, Pizzeria Delfina and Pescheria—the rest of Italy is getting some much-deserved representation.   Best Taste of Jamaica There’s not a lot of island culture going on here, but a daily dose of Prince Neville’s Ginger Beer, made by none other than SF’s fully dreadlocked Prince Neville, is one way to heat up. The nonalcoholic, uncarbonated drink is heavy on the ginger and nicely sweetened with pineapple juice. Of course, all its natural health properties are offset when you have it in the ginger-rum punch at Farmer Brown, which is the way we discovered it in the first place. Available at Valencia Whole Foods (999 Valencia St., 415-285-0231).   Best Up-and-Coming Wine Region Marin: rich people, soccer moms, hot tubbers and…winemakers? Yes, the county is now gaining some respect for its newest cottage industry. wine. There’s Ross Valley Winery (San Anselmo), Pacheco Ranch Winery (Novato), but the most noted—beyond cult winemaker Sean Thackrey out in Bolinas—is Pey-Marin Vineyards, owned by Susan and Jonathan Pey of San Anselmo, who harvest their grapes in a nearly eight-acre plot northwest of Nicasio. They top our list with their lovingly made Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Pey-Marin Vineyards wine, photography by Stefanie Michejda

AND: Getting Fried
	Whether it’s shoestring or steak, made from sweet potatoes or Idaho spuds, we’re fans of the fry. Though these spots don’t—alas—have late-night drive-through windows, they do make some of the best french fries in the city.   Can’t make up your mind?  Order the “frites two ways” at Solstice, and sample your way through Idaho fries with ketchup and sweet-potato fries served with a zippy watercress-jalapeño aïoli (2801 California St., 415-359-1222).
The well-browned fries at Universal Café come tossed with fried herbs and accompanied by garlicky aïoli. You think you won’t be able to eat the massive portion, but before you know it, the bowl is empty (2814 19th St., 415-821-4608).   Burgers, schmurgers. The real stars of Taylor Refresher’s menu are the sweet-potato fries: thin, crispy little numbers that taste best when anointed with a generous dusting of black pepper (Ferry Building Marketplace, 866-328-3663).   Shoestrings have their place, but the thick steak fries at 21st Amendment are the ideal accompaniment to a pint of the watermelon beer (563 Second St., 415- 369-0900).

Best Locally Made Chocolate
	(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): See's, Michael Mischer, and XOX;  photography by Stefanie Michejda     The Bay Area is quickly becoming ground zero for both chocolate makers and chocolatiers (those who turn the chocolate into individual bonbons). In the case of SF, seven’s not even nearly enough.—SD   While everyone applauds Scharffen Berger for its bittersweet, I’m personally a fan of their milk-chocolate bar, which is creamy, caramelly, not too sweet and generally just very adult.
Chocolatier Michael Recchiuti is the man, and his chocolates are enough to make the snobbiest European weep: The flavors are subtle, the enrobing is delicate, the presentation is gorgeous. Handed a box of his assorted truffles, I always go for the sesame nougat first.   OK, so Coppeneur is German, but the only place you can find these exquisite, yet quirky, bars is at that temple of chocolate and magazines (two of my favorite things), Fog City News. The plantation-specific bittersweet bars are perfection, but don’t knock the banana and crystallized ginger—so far, one of the highlights of my year.   Every chocolate has its place, and See’s makes the kind you want to break into after you’ve broken up with your boyfriend. Having said that, I prefer the Nuts N’ Chews—as far as I’m concerned, caramel, nuts and chocolate forms its own kind of holy trinity.   Truffles are called truffles because they used to be hand-rolled and dusted in cocoa, so that they resembled those dirty, spendy little nubs found in the forest. XOX still makes them like this—little one-bite wonders.   From a retail shop in Oakland, Michael Mischer makes truffles, but the milk chocolate bar studded with almonds and sprinkled with sea salt is a true show of genius. It’s also available at Fog City News.   Have your chocolate—and eat the packaging too. Emeryville-based Charles Chocolates makes gorgeous boxes out of chocolate and fills them with CC truffles. Try the tea selection, made with leaves from Teance.

Favorite San Francisco Cookbooks

Sometimes, even the editor of a Dine section just wants a nice, quiet meal at home. On those nights, I’ll pull out one of these 7 volumes.—JB   Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, by Santa Cruz–based writer Andrea Nguyen, is a triumph. I can’t wait to try her recipe for Vietnamese crepes.   Still delicious after all these years, Classic Stars Desserts is a compilation of recipes from Emily Luchetti’s time at the late, great Stars restaurant.   Patricia Unterman is the go-to-gal (aside from, of course, 7x7) for all things food in the city, and her San Francisco Food Lover’s Guide lives in the glove box of my car. The new edition, updated and pocket-size, now has a permanent spot in my purse.   My Bombay Kitchen, by SF resident Niloufer Ichaporia King, may well be my favorite Parsi cookbook. Truth be told, it’s my only Parsi cookbook—but the unusual recipes will soon become staples of my repertoire.   One of the best things about SF is all the seafood that comes from our local waters. The oysters of Hog Island are particularly delicious, and they are commemorated in Jairemarie Pomo’s new book, The Hog Island Oyster Lover’s Cookbook.   Sometimes even the most devoted city dweller needs a trip to the county—Napa County, that is. When the mood strikes and I can’t make it to Mustards Grill for dinner, I cook from chef Cindy Pawlcyn’s new cookbook, Big Small Plates.   It’ll probably take a move out of the Mission to propel me to bake something from Tartine, butI just like knowing the cookbook is there, like a security blanket, for whenever I move more than three blocks from the mother ship.

PLUS: More Best of Eat + Drink

Best Continuing Wine Trend Those who thought the Italian wine mania began with “A” and ended with “16” thought wrong. The most vinously diverse country has a near-infinite bounty to offer, and San Francisco has only scratched the surface. But with the arrival of Italian specialty wine shops such as the stylish Biondivino, wine bars Ottimista, VinoRosso and Bar Bambino, plus all the restaurants that have opened in the past year or so—Perbacco, La Ciccia, Pizzeria Delfina and Pescheria—the rest of Italy is getting some much-deserved representation.   Best Taste of Jamaica There’s not a lot of island culture going on here, but a daily dose of Prince Neville’s Ginger Beer, made by none other than SF’s fully dreadlocked Prince Neville, is one way to heat up. The nonalcoholic, uncarbonated drink is heavy on the ginger and nicely sweetened with pineapple juice. Of course, all its natural health properties are offset when you have it in the ginger-rum punch at Farmer Brown, which is the way we discovered it in the first place. Available at Valencia Whole Foods (999 Valencia St., 415-285-0231).   Best Up-and-Coming Wine Region Marin: rich people, soccer moms, hot tubbers and…winemakers? Yes, the county is now gaining some respect for its newest cottage industry. wine. There’s Ross Valley Winery (San Anselmo), Pacheco Ranch Winery (Novato), but the most noted—beyond cult winemaker Sean Thackrey out in Bolinas—is Pey-Marin Vineyards, owned by Susan and Jonathan Pey of San Anselmo, who harvest their grapes in a nearly eight-acre plot northwest of Nicasio. They top our list with their lovingly made Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Pey-Marin Vineyards wine, photography by Stefanie Michejda

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