Potato puffs are heaven

These little bites were so amazing -- they were the kind of fried that makes you forget they were fried, as if they were never tainted by oil.  The outsides of each perfectly round ball were crisp, while the insides were creamy, salty, and piping hot.  I felt the way that Ramona Quimby did when she bit into a french fry, only these were better than any french fry could ever hope to be.  The potato puffs were accompanied by an artichoke aioli, and were consumed rapturously at a picnic table in front of the tiny and lovely Gregoire in north Berkeley's 'Gourmet Ghetto.'  There are only three counters seats inside this small restaurant, and two picnic tables outside.  Most people come here for a casual meal or take-out, and I've heard the line wraps around the block during lunch time.  At dinner it was much quieter, probably because everyone was at the Cheeseboard, which I will also visit before I leave for the summer.  I've been there before though, and while I enjoyed it, there are a million places to try.   

Yes this is a latte...

But why is it served in a soup bowl??? I am here at Guerilla Cafe in the Gourmet Ghetto, and while they get points for creativity, I do not like the choice of serving vessel. It's made with Blue Bottle beans, and it's good. However, I have to say, Gimme on State Street in Ithaca has an even better latte. To be completely fair to Blue Bottle though, I really must go to their actual store... however, so far Gimme is winning.

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zucchini zucchini zucchini

At the urging of my friend who said the best food comes out of the tiniest kitchen, I have decided to actually cook my dinner. This won't be fancy but I will saute these cuties with some soy sauce and a bit of onion.

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Looking for criollo chocolate...

On the way to the Berkeley Farmer's Market today, I saw Chocolatier Blue on University.  Very interesting looking place, I think I will stop in there sometime in the next couple of weeks.  I'm booked up next weekend, but maybe if I become more efficient at the studying I'll check it out on a (gasp!) weekday.

Yes this is one taco....

I am in Noe Valley visiting some friends and their new baby today (yay) and Casa Mexicana lured me in for a quick lunch. As my one vegetarian taco was assembled my eyes grew wider and wider as it got bigger and bigger. Then I realized I had been here before 4 years ago w. S when apartment hunting. We accidentally ordered 2 burritos, one each. The body builder at the table next to us wisely cut his burrito in half and wrapped the rest to take home... then we knew we were in trouble! Delicious, delicious trouble.

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Berkeley Farmer's Market 0, Mountain View Farmer's Market 1.

It's not that I didn't like it, but the Berkeley Farmer's Market was not quite as awesome as I was expecting.  I was told there would be a lot of prepared foods, and yes, there were, but I thought there would be a little more produce!  The only real score of the day was a basket of Albion strawberries from Swanton Berry Farm.  Here's one of the berries I ate this morning:

I did buy some duck pate from the Fatted Calf stand, as well as a stick of Petit Sec aux Herbes that I munched on while walking through the market.  S is going to love these.  Perhaps later this week I will fix up a plate of the pate and sides and blog about it, but only if it is pretty :-)

The abundance of produce at the Mountain View Farmer's Market is hard to beat.  Last week was the first week of tomatoes down there, but there weren't any at the Berkeley market.  I think tomorrow I will take a quick study break (Sunday is supposed to be a workday mostly) and walk to the Berkeley Bowl.  It's about 1.3 miles, so a bit of a hike, but there's not a convenient bus and all in all it should be a nice walk.  Of course I need some tomatoes, so it will be worth it.  (I'll walk pretty far for tomatoes!!)  If I have some time this week I will try to go to the Tuesday or Thursday market, but weekdays are pretty rough with my intensive language schedule.

Oh, I guess I should mention that I had a cup of the famous Blue Bottle Coffee.  It was a warm morning (already almost 80, hot for the East Bay) so I had a cup of iced.  I've noticed that iced coffee tends to be comprised of a mix of leftovers of varieties/blends, and so perhaps it wasn't the best representation, but... I was a bit disappointed.  It was good, don't get me wrong, with nice floral notes and that smooth cold brew taste, but it didn't blow me away.  I'll have to go to a cafe that serves coffee drinks with Blue Bottle roasts and have a latte to compare it to my holy grail latte from Gimme.  Also, I need to buy a hand grinder somewhere so I can just make my own in the morning (I brought the trusty AeroPress with me this summer).  

Manpuku!

Despite the unfortunate name, Manpuku is a cute Korean owned Japanese place that serves ramen, sushi, and other delightful bites. Obviously it's no Santouka but its a great place to grab a solo dinner in the Elmwood district, which is within walking distance of my apt. My ramen was good, with a cloudy broth and nice pork belly. The noodles had a good texture. However, they sliced up small bits of raw ginger, which made for some unpleasant and surprising bites. A solid B bowl that I would have again. It was a nice way to return to my eating quest, as my hectic schedule this week had me eating yogurt and string cheese for dinner.

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