Full Plate

Salade Niçoise from La Boulange de Cole Valley

Sadly, no time for blogging at this time. My mother broke her femur two weeks ago and my energies are devoted to ensuring her speedy recovery. Hope to be back soon.

Refuel Cafe in New Orleans

Whenever I'm in New Orleans, I make a point to have breakfast at Refuel Cafe at least once during my trip. Ever-charming proprietor Guthrie bravely opened the doors to Refuel only months after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city.

Image from here.

He more than met his goal to offer gourmet coffee and delicious entrees to the neighbors in the River Bend district who are "hungry for something light, fresh, and different."

I have no problem getting a table during the week and off hours...

...when there's no line,

...but on the weekends, I am prepared to stand in line...

...and wait for a table.

My patience is rewarded with a delicious frothy cappuccino ...

Image from here.

...and I am reminded why Yelp reviewers declare the grits and cheese as the best in town. 

When I asked Guthrie whether he will share his secret to cooking grits, he cheerfully replied  "It's no secret, you just have to start the slow-cooked grits at four in the morning."

Image from here.

That's what I call a labor of love. 

The menu features other tantalizing dishes that are both savory...

Image from here.

Image from here.

...and sweet.

Image from here.

Image from here.

Refuel is located just around the corner from The Camellia Grill on South Carrollton and a brief walk from the St. Charles trolley stop at Fern Street.

8124 Hampson Street • At the Riverbend • NOLA • 504.872.0187
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 7am-2pm • Saturday and Sunday Brunch 8:30am-2pm

If you decide to visit Refuel, please be sure to tell Guthrie that Dutchbaby sent you.

Bouquets to Art 2011 - Opening Night Preview Party

While I'm editing the remaining photos of Bouquets to Art 2011, won't you take a few moments to enjoy the dazzling buffet brought to the De Young Museum by the talented crew of McCalls Catering for the Opening Night Preview Party?

Step into Wilsey Court and choose between the seafood or vegetarian paella, or a little of both.  

Make sure to leave enough room on your plate for a helping of  rack of spring lamb.

Of course, you must eat your vegetables. These are roasted to perfection. 

Chase it with oyster gazpacho shooters, or three or four, like I did. 

If you still have room, you can belly up to the carving station receive the world's friendliest service.

Now take a moment to admire the towering living sculpture created by Svenja Brotz of  Chestnut & Vine (top photo). This arresting design took center stage in the Piazzoni Murals Room. The epiphytic roots of the dainty yellow phaleonopsis look right at home in the nooks and crannies of the bleached grapewood. 

I know it's hard to ignore the buffet of desserts luring you. Will it be the strawberry cheesecake?

Or California berries in sabayone, with an optional dollop of whipped cream? Maybe with a meringue kiss?

Who could resist these profiteroles, either chocolate, vanilla, or coffee cream, served on a Tiffany blue plate? Go ahead grab the tongs and help yourself.

While you are digesting all this, I will be preparing the next few posts featuring the artistry of the Bay Area's best floral artists with their interpretations of the fine art inside the De Young Museum. 

Poffertjes in Amsterdam

"Poffertjes!"

That was the answer when I asked the kids what they were looking forward to when we go to Amsterdam for a few days on our way home from Africa.

We stayed at a hotel on Stadthouderskade across the canal from Leidseplein. Poffertjes are usually sold from street carts in the fall and winter, but as luck would have it, directly across the street was the Poffertjes Restaurant.

I don't know what the connection between carousels and poffertjes are, but many poffertjes stands and restaurants feature carousel decorations.

What are poffertjes, you ask? They are tiny pancakes, about the size of sand dollars. If you're familiar with the Danish Æbleskiver, it is similar in size except that Æbleskivers are perfectly spherical. Poffertjes are flatter, cooked on a special shallowly-dimpled griddle. This one looks like it's been in service for a very long time.

Once they are browned on both sides the poffertjes are ready to serve, one dozen at a time...

...with a tiny pat of butter, a small dash of powdered sugar, and just a tad of whipped cream. The strawberries clearly make this a health food.

The only way to eat them is with reckless abandon.

Surrey's Cafe & Juice Bar - New Orleans, LA

Where would you be able to have a delicious, meaty crabmelt sandwich with a fresh green salad and a side of grits with cheddar cheese...

...and a thirst-quenching strawberry-watermelon limeade that is as delicious as it looks...

...under a bisected bathing beauty wearing a bikini fashioned out of mardi gras beads?

At Surrey's Cafe & Juice Bar on 1418 Magazine Street in New Orleans, that's where.

My daughter and I highly recommend it.

Wordless Wednesday - Fraiche Yogurt in Palo Alto

Boulange de Cole Valley

 

Ever since my mother got sick last year, she has needed a little more help around her apartment building. Though she is doing remarkably well for being 83, my sister and I help her get the apartments ready for lease and we help her select the next tenants. Whenever I have to drive up to San Francisco to hold an open house, deliver a light fixture, or meet the electrician, I know that I have a big reward waiting for me at the end of my errand. Located just a short walk away at Cole and Parnassus is Boulange de Cole Valley.

The aroma of coffee and freshly baked goods greets me as I walk into this bustling, warm place filled with the neighborhood clientele.

If I have to hurry back home, I go for one of the Grab & Go baguette sandwiches.



But if I have time, I will have them heat up a savory croissant or quiche, or I will order a  fresh salad from the chalkboard menu.

And if I’m feeling luxurious, I treat myself to dessert

I always feel so loved when I see their self-serve counter. Who else offers Nutella and cornichons as every day condiments?

 

The food is always scrumptuous and the atmosphere is warm and inviting, but most of all, they were incredibly kind to my mother when she was sick last year, and for that I will always be grateful to them.

If you are in the Cole Valley neighborhood, please don’t miss this San Francisco treat!

Audubon Zoo in New Orleans

After going to the aquarium, my daughter and I watched the IMAX movie “Wild Ocean 3D”. The movie followed the migration of billions of sardines up the eastern coast of South Africa. We donned our geeky glasses to experience dolphins and sharks swimming across our laps to chase the sardines that swarming around our heads in a massive shale formation. The movie was both entertaining and educational; we both highly recommend it.

Part of the package deal for the Audubon Aquarium and IMAX Theater are tickets for the Audubon Zoo and new Insectarium. We went uptown on St. Charles Avenue to Audubon Park.

Like the parrots from the aquarium, the Greater Flamingo is another bird I’m capable of photographing; it doesn’t fly away.

Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

We arrived just in time for the elephant event. Looking back at these photos, it looked like these elephants were doing the hokey pokey.

You put your left foot in…

…and you shake it all about…

I used to think it was sad to see elephants doing tricks but these elephants looked very happy and healthy. I prefer to see them this way than languishing and depressed due to boredom. Great performance, Elephants, please take a bow!

It was a very hot and humid day, even by New Orleans standards, even for a white Bengal tiger:

Or a gorilla with African roots:

This Tibetan Buddha looked cool in the shade:

But we couldn’t handle the heat any longer and we skedaddled out of there to try and find some ice cream. My daughter found a gelateria on St. Peter Street in the French Quarter through Yelp. La Divina offers many great flavors; my daughter had the creole cream cheese gelato and I had the blueberry basil sorbetto.

They were both super yummy. On our way out we noticed a sign on the counter and some bells hanging from the ceiling. I can tell you that the gelato put us in very “Good Humor”.

Note: I just learned that a white Bengal tiger is not an albino but has double recessive genes, like blondes do.