FOODIE PICK: SLANTED DOOR NAPA
After much anticipation Chef Charles Phan’s Slanted Door has arrived in Napa. Fans of Phan can expect all the greatest hits & new refreshing items too:
Cold Starters
- Slanted Door Spring Roll: Wild Gulf Shrimp, Pork, Mint, Shallot Mayonnaise, Peanut Sauce
- Green Papaya Salad: Rau Ram, Cucumber, Roasted Peanuts, Fried Shallots, Fish Sauce Dressing
Warm Starters
- Bahn Nam: Banana Leaf Wrapped Rice Dumpling, Ground Pork, Dried Shrimp, Scallion Oil
- Crispy Imperial Rolls: Wild Gulf Shrimp, Pork, Vermicelli Noodle, Roasted Peanuts
- Gau Choy Gau: Wild Gulf Shrimp & Garlic Chive Pan Fried Dumpling
Claypot
- Clay Pot Chicken: Heritage Loong Kong Half Bone-In Chicken, Shallots, Thai Chili, Ginger, Chili Caramel Sauce
Wok
- Shaking Beef: Cape Grim Grass-Fed Tenderloin, Watercress, Red Onion, Lime
So many wonderful items on the menu and for those I shall simply have to return.
The wines (terroir driven & sustainably farmed ) like the cocktails are top of the pops here (full review soon). The long main bar, made by Chef Phan himself, is an inviting spot for the solo diner, for a date or for a few pals just wanting to hang. Chef Phan told me that lunch, happy hour and late night dining is coming soon.
The SD cuisine is as satisfying as it ever was, perhaps bolder than before (get the three chili sauces). At SD Napa it’s the unbridled (bone in claypot chicken ) maestro Phan with an amazing culinary orchestra (Chef Dong), hitting all the right notes at this new spot on Soscol near downtown Napa. Get a Resy now at Slanted Door Napa and eat indoors in the cozy barn like dining rooms or al fresco in the courtyard, you’ll be jolly glad you did.
The Slanted Door in Napa is the bar is open from 4 - 10 P.M. and 5 - 10 P.M. for dinner. You can listen to my interview with Chef Charles Phan here:
FOODIE PICK: OAKLAND’s MAGIC KITCHEN
Join in the foodie fun at Aesop’s Playhouse for Oakland’s Magic Kitchen this Saturday at 11:30 A.M. Teaming up for one day only, Chef Mica Talmor, the owner and creative force behind Pomella, and Quercus, Fairyland’s furry mascot, spark children’s eagerness to help out in the kitchen while sharing food facts and culinary basics. Watch in awe as Mica whips up a unique recipe for an apple and veggie salad plus fresh pita bread–the same pita bread served at Pomella! Onstage alongside Chef Mica, Quercus will ask questions to unveil the magic behind creating the delicious, nutritious treat. After the show, all guests will have the chance to taste and take home the recipe!
But that's not all—explore the park and check out some incredible community partners joining for this fun, food-filled day:
1-3 p.m.: Community Kitchens is bringing their Mobile Oasis to the park. More here.
HOT TICKET: PALM SPRINGS FOOD & WINE
This weekend's Palm Springs Food & Wine Festival features fine food prepped by star chefs and wine poured by rock star sommes- what’s keeping you foodies for getting your tickets now to the tastiest foodie fest this Fall. I’ll be there too as the festival EMCEE.
EVENT: HARVEST PARTY ST PRESS CLUB
Press Club's 15th annual Harvest Party is taking place this Saturday from 6 - 9 P.M. With tickets starting at $25, the downtown wine bar will be celebrating the end of harvest season with six wineries alongside a bounty of bites as a DJ brings the beats.
MOVIE: THE HOLDOVERS
From acclaimed director Alexander Payne, The Holdovers follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during the holiday break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them — a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa) — and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). Now playing in Bay Area theaters.
GET TICKETS NOW: 12 DAYS OF CHOCOLATE
Each year in December, Dandelion transforms their factory into a dining destination to celebrate the vibrant Bay Area restaurant community through our 12 Nights of Chocolate dinner and event series featuring 12 nights - 35 chefs - and 1 beneficiary @SFMFOODBANK. The chef lineup (see tags) is more exciting than ever with each Chef utilizing Dandelion chocolate in some form for each dish. This year top bartenders and sommeliers to pair wine and low/no-alcohol cocktails with each delectable menu.
Liam's List premieres Fridays on KPIX and is also available to download via iTunes. Please email ideas to me at liam@liammayclemproductions.com.
Facebook: @liammayclem
Instagram: @liammayclem
Twitter: @liammayclem
