take me out to the ball game

i love football.

no, i really love football. it's not unusual for me to watch 4 games on a sunday, then turn to sports center for highlights. when john madden announced his retirement, i was broken hearted. i mean he's definitely earned it, but what am i gonna do without him? since i'm not the biggest basketball or baseball fan, this time of year, i'm usually just waiting for football season to come around again.

but i also love food. so when i read about a bacon wrapped hot dog at at&t park, i let all of my baseball friends know that i needed to try this ballpark delicacy. asap. when my sports addict brother invited me to a game, i was more than ready. food and baseball...this is where our worlds collide.

my brother told me to find out exactly where i wanted to eat (so he wouldn't have to miss too much of the game). that morning, i did my research and planned my attack:
1. tijuana-style bacon wrapped hot dog

2. crazy crab sandwich
3. made-to-order caramel corn

i spotted the tres agave cart almost immediately. after buying a couple hot dogs, we made our way to our seats carefully carrying part one of our lunch. the bacon wrapped hot dog ($6.50) was a celebration of meat, and all of the other flavors contributed to the party: smoky, creamy, spicy, and slightly sweet. the hot dog was topped with grilled jalapeno and onion and a squirt of chipotle mayo. everything was slipped into a pocket sliced into the top of a lightly toasted - but chewy - hunk of bread. i didn't see any cucumber pico de gallo, but it was still tasty.

after a few innings, i decided to venture out again, this time behind the scoreboard. the crazy crabz sandwiches ($15) were made to order. the baguette was sliced diagonally and then slathered with parsley butter. the crab was lightly dressed in mayo and then left alone, allowing its natural sweetness to shine. a couple slices of fresh tomato and a splash of lemon juice completed the bite. who knew you could eat so well at a baseball game? after the initial shock, my brother said it has officially become one of his staples. he will get a crazy crab sandwich every time he goes to a baseball game!

during the 7th inning stretch, i embarked on an unsuccessful search for caramel corn. after looking high and low and asking about 10 employees, someone finally told me only ticket holders on the club level have access to made-to-order caramel corn. bummer.

anyway, it was a beautiful day in san francisco and the giants won the game. the only thing that would make me happier would be news of delicious food at candlestick park, just in time for football season.

contact high

when i went to dopo the first time, i didn't order pizza...and i was starting to realize that might have been a huge mistake.  this is what somebody wrote:

best pizza in Oakland

I've tried them all and Dopo is the best

that's a bold statement!  i was skeptical, but intrigued.  pizza was on my mind for an entire week, so i decided to pick one up on my way home.  it was a white pizza (which just means it doesn't have red sauce), topped with house made pancetta, asparagus and thinly sliced red onions.  i watched the cook check the bottom crust to make sure it was brown.  she pulled it out with a pizza peel, sprinkled shredded white cheese, cut it into slices and put it in the box. 

i got in my car and the aroma immediately filled every breath of air.  i made it exactly one block before i had to pull over.  somehow, i remembered to take this picture before i grabbed a slice and shoved a corner in my mouth.  

with wide eyes, i exclaimed, "WOW!"

the salty pancetta brought out the sweetness from the asparagus.  
mmmmmm
i sped home, rushed in the door, poured myself a glass of wine, plopped down on the couch and gently placed the pizza box on the table in front of me.  i grabbed another slice.  the chewy texture of the cured meat highlighted the tender slices of vegetable.

mmmmmmm

the crust was so thin and crackly on the bottom - and chewy on the edges.  the edges didn't have enough flavor.  maybe they should add more salt to the dough.
mmmmmm
after a while, i noticed that i was moaning after every bite.
mmmmmm
this reminded me of a book i read last summer, eat pray love.  i raced to the bookshelf and grabbed the book, glancing at the pizza every couple seconds to make sure it was ok.

"so sophie and i have come to pizzaria da michele, and these pies we have just ordered - one for each of us - are making us lose our minds.  i love my pizza so much, in fact, that i have come to believe in my delirium that my pizza might actually love me, in return.  i am having a relationship with this pizza, almost an affair.  meanwhile, sophie is practically in tears over hers, she's having a metaphysical crisis about it."

yes!  that's exactly what i feel like.  i'm delirious!  i'm high!  i'm high on pizza!  i take another bite.
mmmmmm
i had to call a friend to share what just happened.

"hello?"

"i'm high on pizza!"

he laughed.   i explain that pizza was invented in naples and i read the passage from the book to see if that will help him understand.  he laughed again.  

"i have to go to naples!"

"you cannot go to naples just to eat pizza."

my face drops into a frown as i try to think about which friend i should have called in a moment like this.  i'm having a revelation.  this is not a game.  i don't need to be discouraged right now.  i need to be uplifted.  i need to fly and soar and frolic.  i wonder if pizzaria da michele is still...  what did he say?  how can i concentrate when this beautiful, lovely, gorgeous pizza is just sitting there, patiently waiting for me???  what?  he has to get off the phone?  yes!!!  i mean...

"ok, talk to you later."

without wasting a nanosecond, i dive into the pizza box again and resurface with another triangle of love.  this time, i noticed the pepper in the pancetta.  my tongue was so happy, it was dancing in my mouth. 

mmmmmmmm
at this point, i wasn't even hungry anymore. but i couldn't stop.  just.  one.  more.  slice.

mmmmmmmmm
finally, i flopped back on the couch and looked at the lonely slice of pizza that was left in the box.  "did i really just eat almost an entire pizza?  by myself?  oh well.  it was delicious."  

and that was the last thing i remembered before i fell asleep on the couch, smiling and dreaming about naples.

dopo

i've heard a lot of good things about dopo and it's even on the 100 best restaurants list.  since i also heard it can get busy, i called the restaurant before we left the house.  i found out they don't take reservations for groups smaller than 5 people, but they said they could seat us now.  we got there around 8:30 and noticed all of the tables were full.  there wasn't an obvious host station so we just kind of stood their awkwardly for a few minutes until someone came to talk to us.  

the host said we could wait for 30 minutes for a table in the dining room....or.....there's outdoor seating around the corner.  it was kind of chilly but he said it's tented and heated and there are blankets so we could tuck ourselves in.  we were skeptical about this "outdoor seating" but we followed him to this little sidewalk right next to the restaurant.  our table was actually pushed up next to the outside wall and there were little blankets, folded and draped over the back of the chairs.  the host said some people like to eat out there because it's a lot quieter.  our hunger is what made us sit down at the table in the little alley.  we were kind of chilly out there, and the blanket was small so it only covered my lap. 

the double-sided wine list was organized geographically, not by type of wine like usual.  on one side of the list, names of red wines were arranged around a map of italy; white wines were on the other side.  since they were all italian wines, i didn't recognize some of the names but the server was very helpful.  he asked me what kind of wine i like...full-bodied whites...and he gave me a couple suggestions and described each one.  i forgot what it was called, but it sure was full and crisp!

after the server took our drink orders, the host came back to check to see if we had any questions about the menu.  i asked him what ciccioli is and he proceeded to give us a VERY detailed description.  he said it's pork, slow-cooked with thyme until it's spreadable....like a pork butter.  he went on to explain how the french's version is chunkier and how they make it in house and how good it is and a few more details.  as he walked away, my quotable friend looked at me and said 

"you had me at pork butter." 

at first, the ciccioli reminded us of tuna.  but once we slathered enough on bread, the flavors began to sing: definitely pork, olive oil, salt and pepper.  

we ate the "salad of north carolina white shrimp ceci beans and trapani pesto" next.  it was brown and pretty unattractive.  my first bite was tangy and rich.  the slice of lemon on side was begging to be included.  bite #2 was even better than the first due to the extra acidity.

although the "fusilli with hoffman farm hen" was rich and buttery and cheesy, it wasn't very special.  my girl said she felt she's had that meal at somebody's house before.

the eden farm bone-in pork chop was huge.  i like more seasoning on my meat, but it was nicely cooked.  um, i hate to go there, but there's something you should know.  there is an unfortunate detail about the way this dish looked. the red sauce that was poured generously over the chop reminded me of blood, so by the time i finished eating, i felt like a cannibal.  gross, i know, but i had to warn you.

the "carrots, sugar snap peas and mint" was the best dish of the night!  crisp-tender, slightly sweet vegetables, tangy pickled onions.  i didn't taste the mint but i didn't miss it at all.  i secretely cheered when my girl announced she was full, because i proceeded to finish every last morsel on the plate!

when we read the dessert menu, we noticed two important things missing: 1. cake and 2. chocolate. i was trying to figure out what was wrong with these people until the server explained what diplomatico is: chocolate mouse cake with chocolate shavings.  whew!  again, we didn't especially like the way the dish looked, but it was cool and refreshing.  be careful though, i think there was more espresso than chocolate.  the picture above is from italy in sf, who wasn't impressed with the dessert.  what do you think about the presentation?

*****
the day after our dinner, i read that dopo is supposedly well known for their amazing pizza.  oops.  oh well, i'll put that on the list for next time.

if you go...
-be ready to wait or ask for 2 blankets.
-ask the host to describe the ciccioli.
-ask the server to help you choose a wine.

-order the carrots if they're on the menu.
-try not to look at the food before you take a bite.
-order a pizza.

dopo

4293 piedmont ave
oakland
(510) 652-3676

chicago dog

chicago may be well known for its deep-dish pizza, but there are more hot dog stands than wendy's, mcdonald's and burger kings combined. 

before my trip, i did some research on chicago hot dogs.  traditional dogs are made with the following ingredients: pickle spear, yellow mustard, sport peppers, relish, diced onions, fresh tomatoes, hot dog, steamed poppy seed bun.  chicagoans are very serious about their hot dogs and say that real hot dog stands don't use ketchup and some even laugh at you if you ask for it.

after all the research i did, we ended up running out of time and we ended up stopping by maxwell's on the way to midway airport.  this is the hot dog i had on the plane.  i'm not proud to say the sport peppers were too hot for me.  after taking those off, i thouroughly enjoyed my first chicago hot dog.  but i'm going to have to try a few more to understand this creation.  i don't necessarily want to eat the most famous, just the most delicious.  does anybody have a suggestion?  where can i get the best hot dog in chicago?

medjool

someone told me medjool means "date" in arabic. a friend and i went to medjool on a friday night.  i had heard a lot of good things about this restaurant.  my first thought when i walked in the swanky dining room was "this would be a great place for a date."

the small plates menu is arranged geographically: middle eastern, north african and european. we started off with drinks: a pear cocktail for my friend and a pomegranate margarita for me.  i was happy with my tart drink and she said hers tasted like a pear jelly bean: her favorite flavor.  after placing our order with the friendly server, someone brought over crispy pita chips, tangy hummus and sweet olives.  

the roasted beet salad (middle eastern) arrived at our table first; it was absolutely gorgeous.   Red and golden beets were thinly sliced and dressed with the cara cara orange vinaigrette.  we recognized halloumi cheese as the one that can be cooked without melting.  the medjool kitchen seared thin slices of halloumi until golden brown.  a festive chiffinade of mint completed the plate and made me smile.  this salad was an excellent example of how the sum is greater than its parts.  if we tasted a couple ingredients together, the salad was refreshing.  it wasn't until i took the time to put EACH component on my fork (beet, orange, tiny piece of cheese, mint) when i understood the dish.  the ingredients played off each other to make a complete taste experience: sweet, salty and fresh.  what a way to start a meal! we were more than ready for the next dishes to arrive.

we were served the braised short rib (north african) next.  the sauce was cinnamon sauce with medjool dates was dark, thick, sweet and savory.  it was delicious!  unfortunately, when we got to the inside of the meat, there wasn't much flavor.  a couple mini twice baked potatoes were cute and creamy, but flavorless.  we found ourselves looking for a salt shaker.  both the lobster ravioli and the fish needed salt as well. they were ok, but lacking in flavor and imagination.  

"excuuuse meee!" my friend had to track somebody down to order a glass of wine that arriveda few minutes later without a  stem and the medjool logo. impressive.  ok medjool...go on with your custom wine glasses.  the friendly server that took our order in the beginning was nowhere to be found after we started eating.  several different runners brought our plates as they were ready, but nobody checked on us.  instead we had to flag people down every time we needed something: a glass of wine, the dessert menu, the check. 

for dessert, we decided to try the carrot cake with citrus frosting and golden raisin compote.  unfortunately, the menu didn't mention the snow storm of walnuts that landed on top of the cake.  by the way, i don't like walnuts.  after maneuvering my fork past the nuts, i noticed the moist cake was iced with cream cheese frosting, not the citrus as promised.  it took a few minutes of searching to find the compote between the layers of cake.  i couldn't get past all those nuts so i flagged somebody down again to order the ginger cake with orange caramel sauce instead.  This time, the warm cake was served with a lukewarm apple, golden raisin sauce - no orange caramel sauce - and ice cream.  i started to wonder if any other customers noticed the inaccurate dessert menu.  the ginger cake was just ok, but i ate the whole thing because i was still hungry. after paying $50 for my portion of the meal, i didn't want to have to eat again later.

i love looking at restaurant pictures on other food blogs but  i couldn't bring myself to mess up the sexy vibe with a flash.  i'm working on an idea that will let me share my experience more without having to take pictures.  by the way, the medjool logo above is from their website. 

if you go...

-bring a date.

-order a drink.

-try the roasted beet salad.

-ask for a salt shaker.

-don't expect attentive service.

-ask for detailed description of desserts.