A Bakery Unlike Any Other

MAKE LOAVES, NOT WAR, says the banner stretching the width of the Arizmendi Bakery in San Francisco. Two cyclists in serious riding gear are filling their travel coffee mugs. A woman in the corner is reading The Art of Persian Cooking as she sips her coffee. I’m munching the most amazing cheese roll, ever… and pondering how it is that San Francisco has such an abundance of wonderful bakeries. My neighbor back in Chicago told me about Arizmendi, and now I understand why she and her family come every day when visiting friends here.

That cheese roll, for example. Chewy and yeasty, with a golden crusty top, it looks like it is made with whole wheat flour. I’m hungry now, just thinking about it.



For years, there was one cheese bread which held first place in my heart. It was a cheese and bacon roll, mind you, so it had that bacon thing going for it. My friend, Darcy, introduced me to it one day when I was visiting her in London. She lived a few blocks from Harrods and we’d wandered through the legendary food hall, where she steered me to the baked goods. We bought two Cheddar Bacon Twists – gorgeous, golden brown, knotted rolls speckled with cheddar and bacon – and proceeded to a park bench nearby. There was silence as we ate. I announced that this was the most delicious bread I’d ever had. Darcy guiltily admitted to eating them on a regular basis during her first few months in London. I was prepared to move there, just to be near the Cheddar Bacon Twists. Well, people...no more plotting trips to London, just to have one of those twists. I'm all about this tiny, worker-owned, cooperative bakery in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco. Made in the U.S.A. baby!

I move on to the currant scone.



Oh my. The scone is sensational. Not too dense, with a gorgeous, crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth top. I've drifted away from scones these past few years, but this! This scone will renew one's faith in the power of baked goods to produce pure, elemental joy!

I'm still sitting there in a state of quiet, scone-induced happiness, thinking I really should get going, when I hear a woman in line telling her friend about the incredible pizza they make here come lunchtime.

Wait, they make pizza too???
Hmm, maybe I can work out my schedule to be able to return tomorrow, for lunch...



Arizmendi Bakery
1331 9th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 566-3117

Anniversary Brunch

Perhaps it was last year's wallet-busting dinner at Spiaggia that made the case for a thriftier anniversary celebration or maybe it was just being in the mood to celebrate without a big fuss. Either way, we decided to try the new (this summer) brunch at Green Zebra as this year's anniversary treat. As we sat in our comfortable banquette in the serene dining room, perusing the menu, I realized that my eyes kept searching for the word "bacon"...d'oh! Green Zebra is a vegetarian restaurant, but let me assure you...not at all in the rustic, brown-rice way. Since this is early September, we thought it would be an optimal time to try a restaurant which prizes seasonality and freshness as vehicles for delivering vibrant flavors, and we were right. It's always a good sign when you can't decide what to have because you'd like to somehow attempt eating everything on the menu.

Helped along by the complimentary toasty warm madeleines, butter and summer plum preserves on our table, we made our choices.


Steve was all about having grits, and these were amazing -- surrounded by sauteed collards and smoky wild mushrooms, all topped with a poached egg.


I'm sorry, but if I just SEE the word "frites" on a menu, I get excited and these were of the excellent shoestring type, accompanied by truffle mayo...mais bien sur!


My choice was the good ol' Fried Egg Sandwich -- yes, that is a mimosa in the background....for what would brunch be without mimosas?! The sandwich was terrific...grilled-crispy bread encasing peppery greens, a perfect heirloom tomato, sharp, white cheddar and said fried egg -- perfectly cooked of course...not too oozy and not too done.


And, to wrap things up...we shared a lovely German pancake with peaches, accompanied by a stellar cup of coffee.

sigh. As we were polishing off every morsel of what we'd ordered (oh my!) I noticed the couple next to us nibbling delicately at their food. The server came by to see if they were finished. They were, and as I saw them send away most of a gorgeous plate of french toast with raspberries, I felt like crying out "Wait! Bring that back...I'll finish it!".


Green Zebra
1460 W. Chicago Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
312.243.7100

The Pleasure of a Solitary Lunch

Please don't think I'm odd if I confess to enjoying lunch out, alone. There's something very appealing to me about a civilized, sit-down lunch (is it the European roots?) and the solitude one can enjoy with good food, something to read and people to watch.

I know, I know...for some, the concept of eating out in public (and I'm not talking Chipotle here...) alone, makes them uncomfortable , but I find that lunch is somehow easier in this regard. The nice part is that if you travel for business, and can get away, a decent midday meal can carry you through the day, thereby avoiding the even more awkward solo dinner. The clincher though, is some sort of study I remember hearing about years ago, which found that eating lunch at your desk reduces your lifespan. Well then! What other motivation do you need?

My list of favorite-places-to-have-lunch-alone has been cobbled together over years and years and there's nothing 'hot' or groundbreakingly new here. Just good lunch spots. I'll share another confession: I relish going out for lunch alone here in Chicago when I've had a string of days working from home and would love a chance to get out of the house.

So, here are some personal favorites. Maybe give the idea a try. You've got the possibility of that don't-eat-at-your-desk-live longer thing going for you.

CHICAGO:

Shaw's Oyster Bar
Tucked off to the side of the bigger, more formal (and pricey) Shaw's Crab House dining room is this absolute gem. A cozy atmsophere prevails as an oyster shucker busies himself inside the traditional U-shaped bar in the center of the room and sushi chefs do their thing nearby. The seafood is impeccable. Sushi is outstanding. Oysters are available from numerous waters and are listed on a central blackboard. The crowds that normally dominate the evenings are not around, making lunch here even smarter. And, those icy cold martini's you see the guys behind you enjoying? I'll bet having one yourself has some sort of as-yet-undiscovered health benefit.
21 E. Hubbard Street, (between State & Wabash) 312-527-2722

Frontera Grill
sigh...I hesitate to even put this on the list, since Rick Bayless' win (Outstanding Restaurant) at the James Beard Foundation's awards. I long ago gave up going to Frontera for dinner, but lunch is still a wonderful option. There's a very colorful and inviting bar, which provides a perfect opportunity to sample the fantastic Mexican dishes served up here every day, along with a perectly made margarita. It goes without saying, the food is terrific, but it's feeling you get in a place that has great food and people working there who enjoy, and are proud of, what they're doing that makes Frontera so special. And, here's another option...if you're near Macy's (the old Marshall Field's) on State Street, you can try the 'fast food' version of Frontera -- Frontera Fresco in the Seven on State food court there. You grab a tray and go through a cafeteria-style line with a different, streamlined but still tasty, Frontera menu.
445 N. Clark Street, 312-661-1434 (Frontera Grill)
Macy's State Street, 111 N. State, Closed Sundays (Frontera Fresca)

Bittersweet
The marble-topped tables by the window whisper “French patisserie”…the beautiful tartlettes, cookies, cakes and brownies in the gleaming glass cases say “take us home!” and the lunch menu (written on a blackboard on the wall) features daily soups, sandwiches, quiches and salads inviting you to “linger for lunch”.
Run by a former restaurant pastry chef, this lovely bakery/café is perfect for a solo lunch.
1114 W. Belmont 773.929.1100

Julius Meinl
It's so easy to while away an afternoon at this lively Viennese "kaffeehaus"...comfortable tables and chairs strewn through a sun-filled set of rooms. I love the delicious sandwiches and salads, and the espresso is hands-down the best I've had in Chicago. Glass cases are filled with lavish, European pastries, if that's your thing. A small retail area sells coffee and tea for home.
3601 N. Southport 773.868.1857

NEW YORK:

E.A.T.
I could eat at Eli Zabar's famous deli every day. A bustling cafe sits behind the take-out deli counter. As you eat the finest egg salad sandwich you will ever have, the bustle of the Upper East Side parades by on the sidewalk. Their raisin-studded rye is so good I could cry...and I do, when the loaf I bring home with me on the plane runs out a couple days later.
1064 Madison Ave. (between 80th & 81st) 212.772.0022

Via Quadronno
This narrow little Italian coffee bar easily enchants with the most declicious sandwiches and homey, rustic feel. But it's their lattes and cappucinos that make me feel like a big kid...each arrives with a pretty pattern in mocha and cream decorating the foam, revealing expert barristas at work behind the counter.
25 E. 73rd Street (and Madison) 212.650.9980

Balthazar
A bit of Paris imported. There are so many people dining here on their own, you can feel totally comfortable. Menu is typical brasserie fare. As much as the food feels right, it's the buzz in the room that is transporting. One of my favorite times to come is breakfast when the room is hopping with people, and bread, butter and jam make your meal perfectly Parisian.
80 Spring Street (and Crosby) 212.941.0364

Union Square Cafe
A tried-and-true favorite. I know it's been there forever, and the reason is because it's so good. I've eaten dinners (!) here alone and always felt wonderfully well taken care of. Absolutely everything is delicious on a menu that seems to favor fish dishes, and again, this place hums along in a way that makes you happy to be there. AND, easy walking distance to ABC Home! Be still my beating heart!
21 E. 16th Street 212.243.4020

SAN FRANCISCO:

Tadich Grill
This is old school seafood, set in a classic, waiters-in-white-jackets setting. Vintage wooden booths line the walls. Eat at the bar. You'll be surrounded by the easy camraderie of your fellow solo diners and treated to the excellent service of the bartenders. Fish is superbly fresh. Sauteed sand dabs are my favorite. Cioppino here is also fantastic.
240 California Street (between Battery & Front Streets) 415.391.1845

Cityphile

As a television producer and travel maven, I subscribe to the belief that one can never be too prepared.

For me, the fun of planning a trip (for business or pleasure) is the research, which I tackle with relish... especially, "the essentials". And by that, I mean the basics, which I like to determine early on.

First: hotels. My taste runs to unpretentious, smart, stylish…with a splash of charm. Sure who wouldn’t want to just book the local Four Seasons and be done with it? But, there's challenge to finding a hotel that won’t hit the wallet too hard, and still has that perfect blend of practicality, comfort and style.

Next: dining. I’m always looking for special places to eat, because that’s one of the foundations of a great trip: the meals. By ‘special’ I don’t mean super-fancy, although that’s ok too! I mean local, off-the-beaten-path gems, or places simply known for their specialty.

Finally: neighborhoods. One of my favorite things is a nice walk and I'm always on the lookout for unique neighborhoods where one can take a long stroll that includes some interesting shopping… (Is anyone else tired of seeing the same retail chains in every city you land in?) and spots to stop for a coffee, snack or refreshment.

From websites, newspapers, and my overstuffed folders of magazine clippings to friends, neighbors, family, back to more magazines, more websites, I troll for information until I’ve got my 'file' ready.
I wouldn’t call it comprehensive or A-Z. It is simply one person’s effort to shape a good travel experience, whether for work or play.

So, I'd like to share all this great information by posting on travel here under the label, Cityphile. And, since I live in a great city -- Chicago -- Cityphile will also include opinions and recommendations on some of my favorite places here.