Decent Irish Bar

Review of: O’dowd’s Little Dublin

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 3

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I wonder if the largest Irish exports are just Irish bars, or at least the pseudo-memorabilia that seems to line the walls of every Irish bar. I say pseudo-memorabilia in this case because O’Dowd’s is owned by a bar/restaurant chain and is probably less than 20 years old – and the historical relics laid out everywhere were purchased from a wholesaler, not from the owner’s travels through the emerald isles.

With that said, the Murphy’s was good, but served incorrectly in a British pint glass, not an Irish stout glass – and the Jameson’s, well, it was Jameson’s.

I could see myself sitting in the corner of this bar, drinking whisky and stout while listening to the seisun (this time a bodhran player and a guitarist) play old Irish songs. It’s nothing special, but sometimes that’s what makes places like this so inviting.

Perfect Pulled Pork

Review of: L C’s Bar-B-Q

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

You know you’re heading into a great barbecue joint when the owner’s “office” is the formica table in the corner – stacked with paperwork, half finished bottles of soda and coffee and maybe a baseball cap or two. You don’t come here for the decor or the widescreen television playing CNN in the corner. You come here for the ‘cue.

Unlike the fru-fru ‘cue shops in cities like San Francisco and New York, this joint puts the meat dead center… as in right behind the cash register – and when the smoke pit’s black iron doors open up when one of the chefs puts in or pulls out some sort of succulent meat, all you can smell is sweet smoky goodness.

The ribs look amazing, but the combo sandwich – half sliced brisket and half pulled pork with a side of fries is how I roll. The fries? Fantastic. The pulled pork? The best I have ever had, hands down. The brisket? Honestly, I’ve had better – not that it was bad – but compared to the pulled pork, it just wasn’t spectacular. Next time, I’ll try the burnt ends – they looked amazing.

If you have a craving for the Q, the whole Q and nothing but the Q – jump in the car and head on over. You won’t regret it.

Great Haircuts and Products

Review of: Edo Salon

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I’ve been using Bumble and Bumble hair products since moving back to the states, and Edo has been my source for shampoo since then, even though I was going to another salon until recently.

However, when my regular stylist couldn’t see me for four weeks because of a limited schedule, I decided it was time to change and gave Edo a call. Because of my extremely chaotic wavy hair, finding someone who can do a decent job is a challenge. Not only did the staff take time on the phone to find the right stylist, but I’m happy to say that they chose the right person for the job. She took her time to analyze my hair, find an appropriate cut and leave me with a fantastic style.

Because my stylist has limited hours, I’m not listing her name here – but if you’ve got challenging wavy or curly hair, drop me a line and I’ll pass her name along.

The salon is bright and clean, and if you’re a fan of Bumble and Bumble products, I highly recommend making an appointment.

No Local Love

Review of: Momo’s

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 1

Read review on Judy’s Book.

If you happen to live close to the ballpark like I do, you cross your fingers and hope for the day when a bar or restaurant opens up that isn’t designed to cater solely to the baseball “tourists” that head into the neighborhood. Every bar here seems to charge $5.50 where in other neighborhoods you would pay $4.25 maximum. At least at O’Neill’s you get a full 22 ounces of Murphy’s Stout for $5.75. But MoMo’s? 16 ounces of beer for $6.

That’s not local love. That’s gouging tourists and anyone else who happens to go there.

I can’t comment on the food, the clientele or anything else. I can say at these prices, MoMo’s is a No No.

Sorry, Krispy Kreme – Papa Said Knock You Out!

Review of: Beard Papa

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 5

Read review on Judy’s Book.

When Krispy Kreme opened their first area location next to the In-n-Out Burger in Daly City, it was always a treat to stop there on Friday to pick up a half dozen for the weekend – and over the next few days we would push our insulin producing capabilities to the limit while we ate the greasy “kream” filled wonders. The problem is that after you’ve had a few of these gut busting donut bombs, you’re sick of them. I had my last Krispy Kreme in 2003, and I’m just fine with that. Since then, aside from a decadent eclair from Miette, no cream filled pastry has crossed these lips.

But now there is a local haven for cream filled pastries, Beard Papa – a direct import from Japan where it has been providing the local population with sugar rushes for a half-century.

A Beard Papa is a Japanese take on a classic french pastry: pate a choux, or cream puffs. Here, they bake a tender, sweet butter and egg dough until it puffs up and fill it with a combination of vanilla custard and whipped cream. For $1.75, you get a fist sized cream puff, filled with this mixture and dusted with powdered sugar.

Compared to most cream puffs, these are much more refined and delicate in nature – which is about par for most french inspired japanese pastries. The power of the papa is in the cream – by combining a rich vanilla custard with whipped cream, you end up with a sweet filling that is rich, but not so rich that you couldn’t have a second one. The only saving grace is that the filling will eventually make the cream puff soggy, so in my estimation, getting a couple extra to throw in the fridge for the morning isn’t really an option. For some, this might be a bad thing – but for my waistline, it’s perfect.

Right now, they are only doing the vanilla puffs, but the chocolate, green tea, milk tea and other flavors are coming soon, as are the cheesecake sticks which have also been given high ratings by Beard Papa fanatics. However, what I am looking forward to are the eclairs – a vanilla or chocolate cream puff dipped quickly in chocolate and served warm. My body’s already producing extra insulin in anticipation.

The Bar Without Pretense

Review of: Dave

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I hate reviewing Dave’s, because within two hours of arriving, I’ve really fallen for the place and I don’t want it to get more crowded. There’s a dozen beers on tap ranging from $4 (Deschutes Mirror Pond, Boont Amber, Big Daddy) to $4.50 (Guinness, Murphy’s, Trumer Pils) and the Fernet runs like water.

For a bar sitting smack between the Financial District and the Ballpark, there’s absolutely no attitude. The barstaff was friendly, and even the two women hired by Jägermeister to entice people to drink that swill were pleasant and unobtrusive.

It’s a bar for drinkers. If you’re nearby and in the mood to get your drink on, it feels just like home.