Well, last month we told you about three places that we had discovered. Small niche businesses that made the best of the best when it came to their specialties. In December we went to the Bi-Right Creamery in the Mission district of San Francisco, and this month we are going to North Beach, home of Italian culture and super food. Of course, plans never really go as you want them to and we ended up with two places that we want to share with you. What to do? Lighten up we said, go for two. You really don’t mind do you?

Liguria Bakery

First stop is the Liguria Bakery in the heart of North Beach. About four doors up from the SS Peter and Paul and across the street from the Washington Square park, the only thing that is really new about the this place are its bright blue awnings Started in 1911 by three brothers who came from, where else, Liguria Italy, the bakery makes one thing and one thing only, foccacia. They brought the recipe from home where this bread is famous and from the beginning they were a success. Today, their descendents make foccacia daily in the same ovens that were built in 1911. If your looking for décor, forget it, there is none. On the windows you can still see the original telephone exchange, and in one window there is an old fashioned cash register from the original store and in the other a scale from the early years. Inside is much the same. The two woman who wait on you are talking to neighborhood friends who have stopped in, there is a sign behind them listing the different kinds of foccacia , a huge roll of white butcher paper and a spool of white twine complete the scene. Oh yes, there is a calendar on the wall that is secured with a thumb tack. We got there late in the morning and the glass cases were really empty, and there were lots of boxes stacked near the window waiting to be picked up. Each one had a different restaurant’s name.

The store makes plain, green onion, mushroom, rosemary, rosemary with garlic and raisin. You can also buy frozen dough to bake at home. That way you can say, yes I baked it myself. I mean who is going to ask if you made it? Right? Anyway, they were out of the raisin and green onion so we picked rosemary and garlic and mushroom.. Both pieces were wrapped and tied with string faster than we could get our money out. I think they have been doing this for a long time. Each 12” square is $3.50 and worth every penny.

We walked across the street to the living room of North Beach, Washington Square, and unwrapped our treasure. The aroma alone makes you mouth water and the taste, how do you describe heaven in a bite. The foccacia is unbelievable. Thick and chewy with the taste of olive oil. The toppings were fantastic too, the mushrooms were fresh, juicy and had been lightly sauted, the rosemary was freshly chopped as was the garlic. So we sat in the sun and ate and ate while we watched tai chi going on around us. What a morning!

One word of warning when they sell out, they close up and that is that until the next morning, so don’t get there late.

We award the Liguria Bakery 5 napkins

Liguria Bakery

1700 Stockton at Filbert

San Francisco Calif 94933

Hours Mon-Fri. - 8-1

Sat. 7-1

Sun. 7-12 but remember they could be closed earlier if they sell out!

Golden Boy Pizza

If you walk a couple of blocks further on you’ll find Golden boy Pizza on Green Street. While the Liguria Bakery has bright blue awnings the whole front of this pizza place is bright red, awning and all. Impossible to miss. This is a tiny place. Inside there are only a few tables but the whole front window is full of pizza.. Huge square pans of pizza. The motto around here is. “where it’s hip to be square,“ It was started in 1978, by Peter Sodini, and is now run by his sons. As you pass the front door, which of course is open to let the smells of freshly baked pizza sail out to the sidewalk, there is no way you can just pass by. You just have to try it.

Golden Boy fills its window with at two or three pans of pizza at all times. Just stick your head inside the door and order what you want. They slide the big square piece on a sheet of wax paper, and there you go. People are standing around outside talking and eating or you can walk back down to the square and sit and enjoy the park and the pizza. If you insist you can eat inside also. They make cheese, pepperoni or sausage, clam and garlic, pesto vegetarian and combination. Big cheesy slices sell for 2.79 for the cheese to 3.75 for the combination. They also sell an entire pan for between 35 and 48 dollars depending on the topping you order.

Trust us this is great pizza. The crust is dense and chewy like a foccacia, the tomato sauce can stand alone, deeply seasoned it is not just another splash of red that you find on a lot of pizza. Then over each topping they spread a thick layer of cheese that melts over the whole…... Well we could go on forever here, but don’t take our word for it go and try it out and let us know what you think.

We award Golden Boy Pizza 5 napkins

Golden boy Pizza

542 Green Street

San Francisco, Calif.

94133

Bi-Rite Creamery Hmmm Ice Cream.

“Oh the places you’ll go

Congratulations

Today is your day,

Your off to great places, Your up and away……..”

We have found some great places for you to explore. In our next three posts we will take you to some very special places that we have discovered and want to share with you. They are small niche businesses that have become successful and immensely popular by specializing in one product and making that product the best that it can be.

Bi-Rite Creamery is our first discovery, although I understand that Alice Waters discovered before us and loves it. That should tell you something! Their ice cream is made from the Straus Family organic dairy products. They have about seventeen different flavors to try and they will give you a taste of all you want on metal spoons to save the environment a ton of plastic spoons! All other packaging is biodegradable.

How about roasted banana? Made with organic bananas that have been slowly cooked with brown sugar or rocky road made with house made marshmallows and chocolate covered almonds. Honey Lavender, is made with both ingredients collected from Mint Hill about a mile away. They have granitas, sorbets and fresh fruit popsicles, all made with fresh organic fruit.

Next time we go we are going try their ice cream sandwiches. I mean who can resist snickerdoodle cookies with cinnamon ice cream, or gingersnaps with pumpkin ice cream? The list goes on……

We went for a sundae and sundaes they have. Brownie Sundae is made with housemade brownies, vanilla ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauces, whipped cream and candied pecans or how about a Toffee Sundae, made with housemade almond toffee, coffee toffee ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and marcona almonds. We had heard about their Sam’s sundae and wanted to try it. Chocolate ice cream, bergamot olive oil, maldon sea salt and whipped cream. I know, I know sounds strange, but, try it and see. At first your tongue has to tell your brain that this will be different. Once that is established, this is soooo good you are scraping the bowl. The ice cream is fantastic, creamy with a deep chocolate flavor and not the least bit icy, the cream is like no other whipped cream you have tasted, thick and buttery. So with the chocolate ice cream and the whipped cream you could end it right there, but there is also a light sprinkle of sea salt and a pour of orange flavor olive oil for that salty sweet experience with a touch of orange. Pure heaven in a biodegradable cup!

They also have a small bakery with freshly made cookies, ice cream cakes, and ice cream pies, I mean how about a S’more ice cream pie! If this is not enough how about bittersweet hot chocolate?

This is a carryout place as it is very tiny. In fact there is a velvet rope in the doorway - one side is enter the other exit. Got the idea? Lines can be long and parking , well parking is city parking, but the trip is well worth it. Try it and let us know what you think.

We give the Bi-Rite Creamery 5 napkins

　

Bi-Rite Creamery

3692 18^th Street

San Francisco, Calif.

94110

The Humongous Hamburger Hunt

The Great Humongous Hamburger Hunt

To put it simply I love hamburgers!.. The first ones I remember eating were at a Foster’s Freeze and were four for a dollar. Of course that was also about the time that you could also get four gallons of gas for a dollar. But since that was in my youth and a few years ago and because we are not here to discuss what a few years are, let’s move on to the present and the great humongous hamburger hunt.

We, by that I mean me and my trusty helpers, decided that we would search the bay area for the best of the best when it came to hamburgers. We needed it to be we because one stomach couldn’t do it all! We decided we would divide them into two groups, moderate and pricey. Wow! We never expected to receive so many recommendations. What we found out in very short order is that people are really loyal to their hamburgers and will argue right down to their last pickle to win the argument. So we set out to eat our way through the list. Hey somebody has to take on these jobs. Right?

We narrowed our search to the following burgers that were moderate in price and started to eat! Taylor’s Refresher, Mikes at the Crossroads, Phyllis’ Giant Burgers, the Great American Hamburger and Pie Co., and Pearl Phat were the burgers we set out to sample. We ordered cheese burgers at all of our picks so that we would be uniform throughout our search. We also decided that we would give each a rating of one to five napkins. Five being the best juiciest burger of them all!

We had a tie for our five napkin burger.. Pearl Phat and Mike’s at the Crossroads took top honors although there was a lot of discussion that it should be a three way tie with Taylor’s.

Anyway let’s start with Pearl Phat. Located in downtown Mill Valley, it is in a perfect spot to wander the town after you have finished eating. This is a very clean, but very tiny spot on E. Blithedale. Only 5 small tables. This half pound burger uses Niman ranch beef for their burgers. It is all natural, vegetarian fed with no antibiotics or growth hormones. You are asked how you want your meat cooked as well as given your choice of cheese: American, Swiss or Cheddar, along with onion, tomato, lettuce and mayo. You can add catsup if you want. From the first bite this is one big juicy burger. In fact it was recently awarded first prize for best hamburger by Bobby Flay at the Great American Food and Music Fest. At 6.29 this is one really yum burger.

We awarded this burger 5 napkins.

Pearl Phat

8 East Blithedale, Mill Valley, Calif.

Mike’s At the Crossroads is the next contender. This is a plain but very clean restaurant, not much going on as far as the decor is concerned, but then you are going there for burgers not décor. Wow, Some in our group voted hands down that this was the best of the best. Mike’s uses Harris Ranch beef for their half pound burger. Cooked medium unless you say differently, Mike’s burger has tomato relish, onion, American cheese on a sesame seed bun. It is big, juicy and conversation gets very quiet as you savor each bite. At 8.75 this is one fantastic burger. They also serve a side with it, a choice of potato, macaroni or green salad which are nothing to write home about. It’s all about the burger!

We awarded this burger 5 napkins

Mike’s At the Crossroads

7665 Old Redwood Hwy.

Cotati, Calif.

Taylor’s Refresher has three locations: St Helena, Napa and the Ferry Building in San Francisco. Taylor’s also uses Niman Ranch beef. (see above) and all half pound burgers are cooked medium well. Taylor’s cheese burger is topped with American cheese, lettuce, pickles and their secret sauce on a toasted egg bun. First bites tell the tale and this first bite was wonderful. Since the bun is toasted it has a slight crunch that adds another dimension to the taste.. The sauce is tangy and the meat is juicy and flavorful and at 7.99 it is worth every penny. The décor is the 1950’s, and everything is clean, clean, clean. Bon Appetite says that Taylor’s burger is one of the best in the U.S.

We awarded this burger 4 napkins

Taylor’s Refresher:

644 1st Street, Napa, Calif.

1 Ferry Building, space 6

San Francisco, Calif.

933 Main St.

St Helena, Calif.

Great American Hamburger and Pie Co.

This was the least expensive burger we tasted , 4.45. Located in a small free standing building in Point Richmond, the place is really busy. A real cross section of American life, all there because they love hamburgers. Given that the place is very clean but the décor is really dismal, it is probably better to walk across the street and have a picnic in the park. The burgers are 1/3 of a pound which are smaller that the above ones reviewed. The patties are the kind that you would buy at Costco, nothing wrong with them but not much flavor either. Each burger comes with the usual, tomato, lettuce, onion, mayo , catsup, American cheese on a lightly toasted bun. It is at first bite a juicy but greasy burger. Definitely would grab one again if in the area, but we would not cross the bridge for one.

We awarded this burger 3 napkins

Great American Hamburger and Pie Co.

35 E Richmond

Richmond, Calif.

Phyllis’ Giant Hamburgers

Phyllis’ giant Hamburgers started out at a tiny space in San Rafael, in fact this flagship is still there and is still crowded. There are now two more spots to get their hamburgers in this mini chain, one in Novato, and another in Santa Rosa. Obviously the burgers are popular, so we were really disappointed when we did our taste testing. Maybe it was a bad day or the mustard guy didn’t notice how much he was slathering on or…but the half pound burger which should have been good wasn’t. Even though we were asked how we wanted the burger cooked, medium, it was very well done, really dry and tasteless. It comes with the usual lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and mayo on a sesame seed bun. Our first bite, the true taste test, was of overcooked meat, overpowering onion, and ball park mustard. Not good! At 5.75 it wasn’t worth the price.

We awarded this burger a ½ napkin

Phyllis’ Giant Hamburgers

924 Diablo Ave.

Novato, Calif.

2202 4th Street

San Rafael, Calif.

4810 Sonoma Highway Suite B

Santa Rosa, Calif.

PS We promised to go back to the Oxbow Market to see what was happening when the Farmer’s Market opened. Well the market has moved down the street to the parking lot of the train station so it doesn’t help the Oxbow. Inside the Oxbow half of the building was being remodeled so I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.

La Boulange

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me

Une croissant

Deux pain au chocolat

And a…….STOP! It isn’t Christmas, there are no pear trees …………

Ah but a little bit of France , however, has landed in Marin. La Boulange . In fact, two of Pascal Rigo’s bakery cafes are now located in the county. One at: the Strawberry Shopping Center in Mill Valley and the newest, in Novato’s Hamilton Market Place.

With their distinctive orange awnings and sky blue doors these two café welcome customers not only with their breads and pastries but also with salads, soups, sandwiches and coffee... Salads are served with the bakery’s organic bread and range from Beet, served with goat cheese, orange sections, candied pecans and greens, Nicoise, with tuna, potatoes, green beans, tomato, olives, roasted red peppers, sliced egg , aioli and greens. Getting hungry yet? The sandwiches both open face and regular are served with greens or homemade chips and include smoked salmon, flank steak, and goat cheese with portobello mushroom, roasted red peppers and pesto. They also make a wild mushroom mac and cheese with truffle oil. Looking at their menu, there is something for everyone. It’s no wonder that this casual dining experience is packing them in.

Pascal Rigo was born in Bordeaux and began an apprenticeship in baking when he was seven. After becoming a professional baker he attended the University of Bordeaux and graduated in business. This combination led him eventually to the United States where he first opened a bakery in Los Angeles. Luckily for us he decided to make the bay area his home. base.

He started by opening restaurants but soon returned to his roots. He bought the oldest flour mill in San Francisco that produces the organic flour used in all of the baking. All of his production managers own part of the business and the business has flourished. Freshly baked good are delivered daily and from my experience you had better get there early! Pascal, at first was not going to expand outside of San Francisco, but Marin called and now we have two boulangeries that we can enjoy.

Now let’s see, where was I ? Oh yes, I was at deux pain au chocolat, maybe I’ll save room for trois chocolat fondue…..hey they’re small! Directions

Wild Flour Bread, Freestone CA

“If you build it, they will come", so said Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams. Baseball in a corn field, impossible? Well not in the movie. In real life, Jed Wallach dreamed of building a wood fired brick oven bread bakery in the rolling hills of west Sonoma , and build it he did. Located 10 miles from Sebastopol California, Wild Flour Bread is located in Freestone a tiny village of 26 scattered houses , and as they say, “the view from the windows looks out to fields, barns and often a herd of cows.” It should be impossible to have a business so far from town, especially a bakery where it is vital to move the product as soon as possible, but just like in the “Field of Dreams” it works. The bakery has been a success from the start and just celebrated its 11th year of operation.

Wild Flour has been featured on CNN and bakes organic sourdough breads, scones and biscotti. When we say sour dough it does not mean that the bread tastes sour like San Francisco sour dough French bread, rather they ferment flour and water and use this as the levain. Even for their sweet breads. All the bread is baked in a wood fired brick oven. Every afternoon a wheelbarrow of eucalyptus is added to the oven, which turns to ash by 4 a.m. The heat is maintained at 350 and bakes the most amazing hard crunchy crust that customers know and love. When not open, they heat the oven to 1200 degrees which keeps the oven hot until they begin to bake again.

Open only four days a week, because as Jed says, there is a whole world out there to know and explore, the bakery opens with four breads. Sticky buns, cheese fougasse, goat flatbread and whipping cream scones with flavors like double chocolate, espresso, apricot and hazelnut. So good, we don’t know which to pick first, happily they give out samples. By 10:30 the rest of their breads are baked , and out of the oven. There are always at least 10 different kinds .How many loaves do they bake each day? How about nine hundred loaves daily and they are sold only in the bakery.! Unbelievable! When we first heard about Wild flour we had to take a drive out just to see if it really was as fantastic as we had heard. It is. The lines out the doors tell you that. Piles of breads, different shapes and sizes greet you as you enter . Just beyond the baked goods the bakers are rolling out dough, working the ovens and the aroma of freshly baked bread is irresistible. A wonderful experience for children to see a real working bakery. Out in back there is an organic garden with vegetables and flowers a perfect place to roam with a cup of coffee and freshly baked bread.

Wild Flour is open, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday- 8:30 to 6:00pm

OXBOW Public Market, Napa CA

Farmer’s Markets flourish in Marin and Sonoma counties. They're fun, with food and music and your pick of the best in organic produce. You find them in malls, parking lots and on the main streets of small towns. So when we heard about the new public market in the Oxbow district of Napa, we had to go. Napa is a town that can be easily bypassed as you drive to St Helena or Calistoga, the heart of the wine county, but driving to the market through downtown Napa is a delight. Beautiful turn of the century homes and buildings are matched with riverfront condos and lofts.

To get there take the First Street exit off of Highway 29 and follow the signs. As soon as you spot the The Napa Valley Wine Train at Soscol Avenue you know you're getting close, in fact the market is in walking distance of the train. The market is located on a bend of the Napa River, beautiful! The building, unlike the downtown area, is modern with lots of corrugated sheet metal and little to no landscaping to soften its lines. Our first mistake was to think this was a farmers market. Inside the building are various vendors including food stands with only one organic produce market. The farmers market starts in May and goes through the middle of September and is held across the street every Tuesday and Saturday. Inside the building there are multiple mini stores including a meat market, and an olive oil purveyor, Hog Island Oysters, Three Twins ice cream and Rotisario.

We think food is the key here.Pica Pica a Venezuelan food stand specializes in Arepas , which is a grilled corn flatbread much like a pita. They are hot and crispy, split and filled with various yummy fillings. Ours was the Pabellon, with shredded skirt steak, fried plantains and black bean paste. With that we had a frosty glass of frozen coconut lemonade, much like a slushy and slightly tart. Worth the trip.

In an adjacent building you’ll find Taylor's Automatic Refresher the all American hamburger restaurant - one of three in the bay area. Lest you think that the food is ordinary the line around the building will tell you otherwise. Real milkshakes, perfect hamburgers, ahi tuna burgers and sweet potato fries just name a few of their offerings. Not to be missed.
Next door is Model Bakery.Great breads, sandwiches and fresh baked pizza, but we finished off our Pica Pica lunch with cookies. Big and round with crunchy edges and chewy centers. You have got to try the chocolate chip walnut cookies and almond macaroons.

All in all the market is a great place to eat and a beautiful drive, but as a destination in itself I think it is better as part of a day’s excursion to wine county. We are going to go back when the farmer’s market is up and running and will post an update. Thanks for reading.