Hello world! We’ve been dormant for the summer (pretend like that’s a thing) here at B&C, but we’re trying to come crawling out of our shell for winter. I thought I’d ease us back in with a re-review that simply confirms that Mission Rock Resort in Potrero Hill is still awesome and amazing and makes my weekends happy and joyous.
Smoked Salmon Benedict — $17
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A few months ago, the purveyors of Ichi Sushi + Ni Bar opened up a new restaurant in their original location: a 21-seat intimate Japanese oyster shop and raw bar called Ichi Kakiya. Restaurant Manager and Beverage Director Shasta Olarte was kind enough to invite me for a meal, which I wholeheartedly (and immediately) accepted.
Photo from the Ichi Kakiya website
Ichi Kakiya is housed in a very small corner spot way down on Mission Street, south of Cesar Chavez, on the west side of Bernal Heights. The space fits a sushi bar and a handful of small tables between the deep blue painted walls, and the feel is cozy and modern. The menu features a couple dozen small bites, specializing in oysters of which they were offering six different types when I visited….
Ah, brunch. I hate being on bandwagons, but I’m totally on the brunch wagon. It’s such a wonderful feeling to enjoy your first meal of the day in a leisurely fashion while not having to do any actual work. SF is full of incredible brunch places, but I’ve found one where the food is great, there’s not usually a wait, and you can park your car (gasp).
Mission Rock Resort is a bit out in the boonies—bayside in Potrero Hill—but totally worth the trip. It’s huge and has a large outdoor patio that is amazing on a nice day. The food is awesome, the service is great, and the prices don’t break the bank. I know, it’s not Plow or Boogaloos or Zazie, but you can park out front, you don’t have to wait over an hour, and you can actually look out on the bay while you eat. And now for the food….
Let me tell you why I love Pier 23. The food is decent, the cocktails are mediocre, and the service can be sporadic. Ok, those are not reasons I love Pier 23, but I keep going because it’s such a cool place despite all these things.
The front of Pier 23, as shown on their website
Pier 23 is one of those places in a big city that feels like is has history. It’s got an old-fashioned, super casual vibe to it, but it’s popping with patrons young and old, so it still feels alive and fun. It’s small and oddly-placed along the vast waterfront full of cavernous, mysterious pier buildings — a welcoming oasis along this often inaccessible-seeming stretch….
This weekend we took a trip up to Point Reyes for some hiking, some eating, and some general out-of-the-city time. It was awesome. The weather was mostly beautiful (save the extreme wind conditions on half our Saturday hike), and some of the food was spectacular. I’ll do another post for our experience at Sir and Star, but wanted to quickly recap the fun stop we made at Hog Island Oyster Co. on our way out.
Having been to the Hog Island in the Ferry Building in SF a number of times (omg, try the clam chowder; it’s out of this world), I was keen to see what their home base was like. Directly bordering the east side of Tomales bay on Highway 1 is a tiny town called Marshall which houses a number of oyster farms and retailers. Oysters are the “thing” on this stretch of land, as they are harvested right there in the shallow waters of Tomales Bay. And while I’ve never been an oyster person, I wanted to see what it was about.
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For Mother’s Day this year, broccoli and chocolate took a voyage with mom to Point Reyes in Marin County. Though only about an hour and a half away from the East Bay, the Marin coast is as rural and beautiful as just about anywhere in the world. We had a fabulous time and mom was glowing. But, back to the point—we had some excellent food that B&C needs to know about.
First Stop: Marin French Cheese
Forget Google when you want good cheese—she will only mislead you when you get directions to Marin French Cheese Company. Using the directions on the website, find this lone establishment in the rolling greenery of Marin County. …