@porkybelly shared this link over on FTC:
And they’re live!!
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On Chez Panisse: ‘As I write this, I’m reminded of something Slovenian Marxist philosopher Slavoj Zizek said when he addressed the Occupy Wall Street movement in 2011. “Don’t fall in love with yourselves,”…Thus, while mainstream discussions about food justice have become more nuanced, Chez Panisse seems to have shied away from those complications. Its loyalty to the past has become almost too comfortable, too focused on beauty for the times we live in: I certainly don’t think of revolution when I’m there.’
‘When there are so many interesting points of view that have emerged from the food world since 1971, Chez Panisse’s approach comes off as stale.’
Ouch. But Ho certainly doesn’t waste any time in reviewing the grande dame. I’d have to say I agree with her.
Ho certainly likes hyperboles: ‘On the entree course, that wonderful fried onion leaned half-heartedly on the other components like a precariously felled tree after a thunderstorm.’
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LOL, on La Calenda:
And once The Chronicle announced that I would be their new restaurant critic, I received several requests from Chronicle readers and others to review the place, like I was some kind of cultural appropriation attack dog they could sic on white chefs who’ve gone bamboo.
Sat herself right in front of the counter no less.
At Nyum Bai in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood, I like to sit at the counter to breathe in the scent of coconut and lemongrass and contemplate my relationship to the dead.
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Oh yeah, isn’t it great that she sits at the counter and in the bar areas? She’s good at capturing the experience of being at a restaurant (something J. Gold excelled at), and not just through her own lens. Her reviews discuss bringing a gluten free friend to one place, have comments for plant-based eaters, and the summary tables have info about accessibility (e.g., stairs). She doesn’t have noise ratings like Bauer, but apps are better for this. Her transportation info options are nice (more common to see in NYC or Shanghai than CA). And I like how she incorporates getting spotted/treated differently into her reviews, something Bauer played ostrich about.
I can’t imagine the stress (physical and mental) of completing a Top 100 list by the announced date of June! She’s coming up to speed quickly, and references benchmark restaurants in her discussions. For someone without a car, she certainly gets around—- her reviews had discussions of restaurants in SF (Chinatown, Outer Richmond, Russian Hill), Berkeley, Oakland, Union City, Yountville, and Millbrae and she’s mentioned a Cupertino place on Twitter.
I had a similar “is that all there is?” view of Chez Panisse the first time I ate there (2008), and grok how she, as someone more knowledgeable and 11 years more fatigued by farm to table, would feel. She mentions that pasta is the only vegetarian main, and it’s a good point— I remember feeling guilty watching a vegetarian friend eat a meh pasta and having a much better meat dish for myself.
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excerpts:
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And who will you meet and learn from at the Food Media Lab? Leading the charge with Liano are event chairs and award-winning authors, John Birdsall (Two-time James Beard Award-winning Writer) and Andrea Nguyen (James Beard Cookbook Award Winner). Some of the biggest names in the food industry will also be in attendance like Tejal Rao (California Restaurant Critic of The New York Times ), Soleil Ho ( San Francisco Chronicle Restaurant Critic; Host of podcast, The Racist Sandwich ), Chris Ying (former Editor in Chief of Lucky Peach ), Nik Sharma ( San Francisco Chronicle “A Brown Kitchen” columnist and author of Season ), Eric Wolfinger (food photographer and videographer), Andrew Friedman (Host of Andrew Talks to Chefs ), and many more.
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Interested in attending? Tickets for the Food Media Lab are available on their website and are $995 each — there will not be tickets available for individual days.Interested in attending but unable to afford the cost of the ticket? Thanks to donations from sponsors like Ernest Vineyards, Fort Point Beer Company, Hint Water, Jane the Bakery, Kasa Indian, Proposition Chicken, and Souvla, some scholarships will be available for attendees (find more information on the Food Media Lab site).
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Food Media Lab from June 17th-19th
San Francisco Cooking School
690 Van Ness Ave
San Francisco, CA
94102
I only ate at Chez Panisse once, at the Cafe, in June of 1986 (I remember the date because I took my daughter there for lunch on the day of her high school graduation). I recall a tasty calzone, but was most impressed that they had Sierra Nevada Pale Ale on tap – the first time I had ever seen it in draft form. But I have a soft spot for Alice Waters for her politics (she marched in the Free Speech Movement demonstrations and worked on Robert Scheer’s first Congressional campaign) and her relationship with her employees.
The fight to pick is not with Chez Panisse but the media (and perhaps the waspish Jeremiah Tower). Here’s a lament from 2002 by Lindsey Shere, CP’s long-time pastry chef:
“So many people misunderstand it because of all the hype,” says Lindsey Shere sadly. “They expect it to be like a three-star restaurant, and that’s not what we are or ever have been.” Nothing in my own experience over a quarter-century would contradict this; the restaurant, modestly distinguished in its decor, has always featured food rather than frippery.
“The media, however, have transformed the public image of Chez Panisse into something which Alice and her associates never intended.”
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Corey Lee, the chef of three Michelin star Benu, Monsieur Benjamin, and In Situ, also came to the defense of the Berkeley restaurant. Responding to the Chronicle ’s question “Does Chez Panise still have momentum, and is it still worth the price?” he wrote “Yes and yes.”
My problem with the meal at the cafe a couple of years ago, is that two of the dishes just weren’t that good. The small pizzetta was really bland, and the seafood stew was so salty that its undrinkable. A big step down compared to my prior meals at the cafe, which were always very enjoyable and delicious.
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Here’s a new review by Luke Tsai in SF Eater on an Oakland Zacatecan restaurant. Will check to see if he has some type of announcement on his twitter and I will also cross-post it in the Oakland News thread.
Jonathan Kauffman of the SF Chronicle, East Bay Express and other publications and who worked on the Regional Chinese articles, is leaving the Chronicle and moving to Portland. His book “Hippie Food” was excerpted in the New Yorker and in 2019, he was nominated for three writing awards from the James Beard Foundation
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I’m reading Hippie Foods right now. It brings back so many childhood memories of “treats” such as homemade jam stirred into yogurt, and carob everything. I like the way Kauffman ties in earlier 20th century food movements with the 60s and 70s. It’s a great book. I wish him well in Portland.
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My mom got into the carob phase when I was growing up - god I hated [and still hate] the flavor of carob.
Birdsall on Kauffman:
Luke Tsai on Kauffman:
What an accurate portrayal of SF.
Both good and bad…
Congrats to KAuffman, our own. Hyperbowler and team for winning the James Beard award last night for Many Chinas. Many Tables. amazing and great work especially by Hyperbowler.
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