Off the Grid: Picnic at the Presidio: Nopalito

I'm not really into food trucks to be honest, but on the rare San Francisco occasion when the weather is gorgeous outside with minimal wind chill, I succumb to the hype. On this particular afternoon, I ventured out to the Presidio for the Picnic at the Presidio event. It was really difficult to get to this location from where I live and I waited over an hour for the Golden Gate Tour Bus, which literally dropped me off at the Golden Gate Toll Booth.

There were a lot of people, mostly families with kids, and it was great to have an open grassy field to set blankets out on and eat delicious foods. There were farmers market vendors, a bar, music, and about a dozen food trucks with the longest line for Del Popolo. As for me, I went for Nopalito.

I decided to get the Gordita de Campechana, which is chorizo and beef brisket inside a corn flour tortilla pocket. It reminded me of a tamale slash empanada slash sopes. It was way spicier than I had anticipated but so so good. The meat was super tender and flavorful. To counter the spiciness of the dish, I got a scoop of Secret Breakfast (bourbon and Cornflakes) from Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream. Yum. The end.

Gordita de Campechana

Le Creuset French Oven

If there's an emergency and I have to evacuate, this is what I will running out with.

Eleven Madison Park

I had the chance to see and hear Chef Daniel Humm and General Manager Will Guidara of Eleven Madison Park at a special Arts Lecture in San Francisco. I definitely know of the restaurant in New York and also recognize Chef Daniel Humm because he uses Victorinox knives. The lecture was enlightening as they talked about how they keep their restaurant relevant and the menu timeless.

Their new book together, I Love New York, is very thick and I don't know how probable the recipes are for the basic home cook, but I still had to buy a copy. Both Chef Daniel Humm and Will Guidara were super friendly and signed my book. At the end of the lecture, they also gave out jars of homemade granola! Crossing my fingers that I'll have the opportunity to dine at the restaurant one day.

With Daniel Humm and Will Guidara

The Mill

Whole Wheat Bread with butter, almond butter, and sprinkle of salt

Iced Coffee

The Mill, a joint venture between Josey Baker Bread and Four Barrel Coffee, opened recently with rave reviews. Aptly labeled "Hipster Toast", the toasts at The Mill are incredibly good. Because toast and coffee are my two favorite things in the world right now, I went one afternoon and ordered an Almond Milk Cappuccino and crusty Whole Wheat Bread with butter, almond butter, and a sprinkle of salt. The toast was INCREDIBLE. The almond butter was good but the homemade bread was the real deal and the sprinkle of salt definitely enhanced the flavor. Hard to see in the pictures but the slice of bread was pretty thick and there's a thick slather of almond butter.

After that one visit, I went again two more times but after that, declared that I was over it. The coffee and toast are good but it's making me broke. I did at one point want to try the other varieties, such as the dark mountain rye with cream cheese and country bread with cinnamon and sugar, but at the end of the day, I can make the same thing at home for way less money. Good bread though.

Taqueria el Buen Sabor

Randomly wandered into this taqueria after being told at Tacolicious that the wait will be over an hour. Walked in so hungry but still couldn't finish the food. I left super content.

Carne Asada Dinner Plate with Rice, Beans, Salad, and Tortillas

Recipe: Taco Party

Wish I could tell you how I made it but I can't remember.

All I know is that the ingredients consist of:

taco shells

ground beef

taco seasoning

refried beans

lettuce

salsa

guacamole

shredded cheddar cheese

Just season and cook the ground beef, stuff the taco shells, and assemble all the toppings. The end.

Genki Ramen

I'm not a ramen person.

Chashu Ramen with boiled pork, half-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, green onion, and red ginger in a tonkatsu base; Takoyaki: deep-fried octopus balls slathered in mayonnaise and dried bonito flakes