Better than Belgium?

Review of: Recchiuti Confections Store

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 5

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Have you ever had something that was so good that you kicked yourself in the ass for waiting so long to try it? Well, that’s what I was doing all afternoon after having my first truffle from Recchiuti.

For me, it was always the price… paying a dollar a truffle after spending time in Belgium where I could pay just a few euros for a kilo of Leonidas was just too much. However, since my wife and I were entertaining a friend from Antwerp, we wanted to show her the best the city can offer – so we went to the Ferry Plaza, dug deep into our pockets and ponied up $2.50 for two pieces: a raspberry truffle and the burnt caramel.

Ok, enough backstory… on to the chocolate.

First off, I hate fruited chocolate… which makes my love for the raspberry truffle quite surprising. It isn’t just that the balance of the fruit and chocolate are spot on, but that the raspberry’s flavor includes the texture and flavor nuances that you only expect from the fresh fruit. Even though the ganache filling was exceptionally smooth, I could shut my eyes and taste the small seeds of the fruit. It was truly exceptional. The burnt caramel was also fantastic – balancing the taste of burnt sugar, butter and chocolate, with no single flavor dominating.

If you love chocolate, take pause before going there, because either way, you’ll lose. Either you’ll kick yourself in the ass for having waited so long to try it, or you’ll kick yourself in the ass because you’ve become addicted to the myriad flavors they offer.

Good coffee and sandwiches near Caltrain

Review of: Chopper’s

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Chopper’s is my default spot for lunch and dinner, considering they are in the same building as my office. At least twice a week I’m having a breakfast sandwich (fried egg, cheese, bacon and tomato on a bagel), often calling it in as I walk to work so it will be ready as I arrive… and the other days I am there at least once a day for a coffee refill. The staff is nice, and Luna and Nicole (the owners) put their heart into the place.

Everything is made fresh – nothing comes in pre-made or frozen… and though the espresso drinks aren’t great, a large cup of Joe is probably the best within a two block radius and reasonably priced at $1.50.

Arabic music, great breakfasts, and a little yappy dog named Sparkle… what isn’t there to like?

Handmade silver jewelry at fair prices

Review of: Janet Sterling Silver Design

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

My wife and I have been patrons of Janet Masamitsu (and her assistant Vicky) for the past few years… since 2002 I think. She’s made custom rings for our anniversary, a beautiful blue topaz set for last year’s holidays and shipped product all the way to Germany when we were living there. My wife must have a dozen pieces by now. When we’ve asked for adjustable spacers to be added to necklaces and anklets so that they would sit differently based on my wife’s mood, she took care of it with no issue or added cost.

Not only are her designs unique, but when a gemstone fell off of one of my wife’s earrings, she found a matching stone, made the replacement and shipped it back at no cost. As an artist and a business person, she seems to stand behind her work.

The shop is a small space divided evenly between her workshop and the retail area and showcases all of her current designs.

At least the Margaritas are great

Review of: Tres Agaves

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 3

Read review on Judy’s Book.

“The Bubble is Back” was what a good friend said when walking into Tres Agaves for the first time. The brick and wooden support beams, the open kitchen, the vibe of entitlement and money… and I had to agree, it just feels like the sort of monied-hipster joint that were scattered around in SOMA during the 1999-2002 Internet Bubble Era.

Since then, I’ve been back four times, both for lunch and dinner, and overall, the food is above par, even if you have to deal with a gaggle of PR chicks and marketing execs who seem to be constantly clogging the bar area. The food, tequila selection and masterful margaritas are what you would expect from the love child of Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant and Globe. The riblets and carnitas are excellent, as are the fresh tortillas – but watch out, the portions are uneven – with the carnitas being massive (but tasty) but other dishes leaving people at the table still hungry.

The margaritas are, as you would expect, made to Julio’s specifications (the master of the Agave from Tommy’s) – fresh lime, agave nectar and tequila… and are some of the best in the city. However, get a pitcher, because it can take a while to get drinks out of the bar when the place is packed.

Overall, it’s recommended. The drinks get a definite 4 stars and the food gets 3.

Best coffee in South Park

Review of: Caffe Centro

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Is it right to give a cafe a full four stars when you’ve only had coffee and bagels there? It is when the coffee and the bagels are as good as the ones at Caffe Centro.

Living in the South Park area, if you want a good espresso drink, especially on a Saturday, your only choice really is Caffe Centro. Sure, there are three Starbucks in the neighborhood, but I wouldn’t say that their espresso is passable, let alone good. Caffe Centro’s, however, is exceptional. I mean, it’s no Ritual or Blue Bottle, but they make a mighty fine cappuccino.

More importantly, Caffe Centro makes a mean bagel. You would think in a city like San Francisco that there would be a number of places that produce good bagels, but don’t kid yourself, the average bagel in The City isn’t even in the same universe as the bagels from H&H or Ess-A-Bagel in New York. Caffe Centro, however, makes a very good simple bagel with cream cheese, putting it on par with Katz Bagels for the best in the city.

My wife says the sandwiches here are better than average, but I can’t personally vouch for them. However, if you’re looking for a good cup of joe and a bagel to get you going in the morning, you can’t do much better than Caffe Centro.

If only it was closer…

Review of: Slow Club

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

The Slow Club is my office’s default lunch spot… not to say that it isn’t a great place, just that when we want to go out but can’t decide where to go, we always end up heading there.

The staff is always nice, and the beer selection is well thought out – recently there has been a beer from Speakeasy, one from Drake’s and at least one from Anchor. Recently it was Prohibition, Blonde and Liberty Ale, along with Guinness, something from Full Sail and one last one that I cannot recall.

The burgers, always solid, come well prepared and cooked to the requested level of “done-ness” and the fries are fantastic. A recent sausage sandwich was excellent, and the grilled flatbreads range from good to amazing depending on the toppings. Even the olive oil and italian bread they start you off with are better than average.

Why only four stars? As much as I like the place, there are occasional consistency issues. The quality dropped in the fall with what might have been a change with the chef but is getting back to its old days of glory. If everything stays consistent for the next quarter, I might bump it up to a full five stars.

Recommended for lunch. Good luck finding parking.