That’s a very complicated subject.
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At the farmers’ markets I’ve been shopping at for years there are a few farms, not organic, whose stuff comes in earlier, grows bigger, and has less flavor. I presume it’s because they use chemical fertilizers. It’s maybe fresher than supermarket produce but otherwise comparable.
The other vendors, it doesn’t seem to matter whether they’re certified organic or not, the quality is similar. I figure the practices of the farms that aren’t organic aren’t much different.
Similarly, supermarket produce from big factory farms, the certified organic stuff isn’t usually better than the rest, sometimes it’s not even as good.
They pick the day before they sell which I’m sure helps.
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If that were the only thing they did right their strawberries wouldn’t be remotely competitive with Harry’s.
I’ve asked Tamai on a couple occasions whether they use pesticides (I feed their berries to our toddler) and they said they don’t. I didn’t ask any more specific questions than that but if there some questions I should be asking I’m all ears.
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What kind of fertilizer do they use and where do they get it? How do they control pests? What do they do to ensure soil health? Which sustainable / restorative practices do they follow?
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Christos Anesti!
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Goat plate special at Caribbean Gourmet totally ripped. Maybe a weekend one-off? Hope it’s added to the regular menu. Paired with an uninspiring boba from Maru up the street (Bopomofo was way too busy). Maybe I’m spoiled by Boba Lab and Teaspoon out west, but I couldn’t taste a lick of taro in this thing. The mango boba themselves were fun, though.
Went to Cento for the first time that night. Impressed with all three reds we tried (montepulciano with mild carbonation, a really wild aglianico, and some Tuscan red blend that started subtle and finished with power). Pastas generally solid - the pomodoro unevenly spiced yet still quite tasty, but I was disappointed by the oily character of the broccolini bucatini. Veg puree very pretty to look at (sorry for lack of pictures) but fairly bland. Could have used a nudge from citrus or spice. Preferred it reheated the next day with Sriracha.
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They sold out before I could try it!! I really enjoy their pattys, that homemade dough is insanely good especially paired with their devishly spicy scotch bonnet hot sauce.
Sounds rad, I still need to try those patties. That coconut pastry they have up front in the case is a heavy hitter too. Goat (with a lot of bones) comes with those outstanding chickpeas, fried plantains, rice and some cabbage dish whose name I forget. $10 more than their regular plates but a veritable mountain of food and flavors.
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Am I the only who didn’t know that Ikea Burbank does test tasting???
Partner and I were there this weekend (which is how we hit up Gorilla Pies afterward), and, while trying to exit, an employee asked us if we wanted to try a new food item. Sure!
It’s a vegan meatball. There is a certain meatiness to the chew. Taste-wise (but not texture wise), maybe halfway btw a veg fritter and an animal meatball. The lingonberry sauce was really strong (and a pleasant accompaniment); I should’ve tried a portion of the meatball alone. It was actually rather enjoyable. I would’ve purchased a bag, but partner and I were pooped once we made it to the exit and wanted lunch.
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I think I need a nap…I read that you and your partner needed to poop once you made it to the exit… 
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Oh, depending on the day and time, your reading may not be incorrect, actually. But TMI and all that stuff. 
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Bar at Kato
Milk bread with kombu butter and Astrea kaluga caviar + sea urchin donut with Iberico ham and brown butter + bamboo bocktail
Horse mackerel with tosazu
Amberjack collar with fermented Fresno chili + 2017 pinot noir from Domaine Jean Vaudoisey
(Don’t forget to add caviar and torn up milk bread)
This next drink is their Five Spice Shandy from the Non-Alc section. I asked Kevin and Austin if they would create an alcoholic version for me. They subbed Gold Medal for the Non-Alc Amber Ale and added a Forthave Red floater. Delicious! I totally recommend seeing if they’ll do this in the future.
And the Sloe Gin Fizz!! This is a two part drink. It takes ten to fifteen minutes for the fizz to set so they offer you a little pace car while you wait.
Charter Oak
@moonboy403 this one’s for you.
I hadn’t been back here since they opened in 2018. We wanted to try this new spot Animo in Sonoma but the timing didn’t work out. So Charter Oak it was!
Mai Tai Milk Punch with ginger tea infused rum, cointreau, orgeat and lime
Charter Oak bread with house cultured butter + stracciatella with olive oil, sel gris and black pepper
Raw vegetables from our farm with fermented soy dip
Eggs from our chickens with Seth’s bottarga (Seth is a bottarga guy in Florida)
Aged beef chuck tartare with spring onion, ember mayo and milk bread
Super Bite! with tartare, stracciatella and bottarga
Salad of little gems with finger lickin’ miso caesar
Drum wheat bucatini with clams, cover crop and chili condiment
Oyster mushrooms with shallot & garlic confit
Pineapple Penicillin with Siete Misterios, avocado leaf gum, ginger and lemon
Kohlrabi with pestled mustard greens
Smoked beef shortrib with saba of cabernet grapes
Shoulda taken a picture of the tendon off the bone! delicious
Grilled chicken with black garlic BBQ sauce
The Cheeseburger with hand-cut French fries
Pavlova with rhubarb jam and Tenbrink olive oil custard + soft serve with burnt vanilla and wild pecan oil + coffee
Pomet
This spot caught my eye as soon as it opened.
We shared a bottle of Den Nama Genshu throughout
Cured Bodega rockfish with fermented radish, chilies, sorrel and lime
Stemple Creek beef tartare with Niitaka pear, pine nut, buckwheat and egg
Toasted sesame & scallion roll with nori butter + roasted Star Route carrots with dates, honey and sunflower
Super Bite! with carrot and tartare
Coal roasted turnip with market vegetables, peanut, ash and Koda rice + Liberty duck confit, noodles, wild leeks, peas and parmesan + smoked Half Moon Bay black cod, sunchoke and lemongrass
Fuji tart tatin with cultured cream + peanut butter, shared cultures cacao nib miso cake slice
Zuni Cafe
@Catholiver this one’s for you!
Oysters and Clams
Piracicaba broccoli and Manila clams a la plancha with butter beans and toasted breadcrumb salsa
Yellowfin Tuna grilled rare with asparagus, Red Lasoda potatoes, Tokyo turnips, and blood orange salsa verde
Chicken for two roasted in the wood-fired brick oven over warm bread salad with scallions, garlic, bitter greens, dried currants, and pine nuts
Orange blossom panna cotta with candied kumquats and honeycomb candy
Espresso granita with whipped cream
B Patisserie
Can anyone guess the car seats?
Bi-Rite Creamery
Spent a day in Half Moon Bay, had lunch at Sam’s Chowder House
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Now I wanna try it next time I go up!
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Yeah they’d been open T-Su for a bit but switched to W-Su and we didn’t realize until that Monday lol. We were in the area on Tuesday hoping to stop in. Hopefully in a few months I’ll be able to check it out
It was nice being back at Charter Oak though, no complaints there
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@butteredwaffles, wowsers! Epic post!
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