Pizza Bocca Lupo - Just Go, You Can Thank Me Later

Megan and I headed off on a backyard road trip this past Saturday. After making a fashionable haul from the likes of H&M, Forever21 and our favorite TJMaxx, we felt like food.

I am a fan of Spaghetti Factory, but after about 10 minutes of waiting for our server to show up, we walked out. Boy am I glad we did. It turns out that there is a little consortium of restaurants in San Jose at San Pedro Market. That in itself was a find but then in the very back of the building was Pizza Bocca Lupo.

The copper and glass wood fired oven was something to behold. Then there was the Menu. My jaw dropped: Margarita, Diavola, Bianca. I haven't seen those names since living in Munich so many years ago. Needless to say we went spicy with the Diavola and a Caprese salad.

The crust was the best I have had this side of the Atlantic. There is something about the Naples-style pizza that just pulls at my heart strings. Heck even the tomatoes and flour are imported from Naples.

If you have the chance, go. If you don't, go anyway.

Pizza Diavola
Crushed Tomatoes, Salame, Mozzarella, Roasted Bell Peppers, Garlic, Crushed Red Peppers, Extra Virgin Oil

Caprese Salad
Mozzarella di Bufala, Tomatoes, Basil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Balsamic Vinegar optional)


Pizza Bocca Lupo
@ San Pedro Square Market
87 N. San Pedro Street
San Jose, CA 95110

Email and Phone
408-289-1775
pizzaboccalupo@yahoo.com
http://www.pizzaboccalupo.com/
Yelp - Pizza Bocca Lupo

Hours
Sunday - Wednesday: 11am -  8:30 pm
Thursday - Saturday 11am - 10pm

Brenda's French Soul Food... and the pickled whaaaa?!?

Today we (my lovely wife and I) headed up to the city for brunch with her home girls from yesteryear.

If you are looking for the most awesome breakfast or brunch, you have to head to this place - mixing a creole flair and the most awesome beignet's, traditional to crawfish included, this is the place to go. If you are heading there saturday or sunday, be there before 10:00 and you shouldn't have a problem getting a seat.

So a little about the food...

I opted for the grillades and grits. Holy moly it was so scrumptious. Combining flank steak with creole gravy, sultry grits, a bulbous bisuit and two perfectly cooked over easy eggs - I was in heaven. Any time I get the chance to take a carb and a protein with an egg yolk, omg, need I say more. There is something about egg yolks that is so rich and just plain yummy. In this case, the creole gravy and the grits took this deightful breakfast formula and took it to a whole new level - Bravo.

enough about my dish how bout the rest...

Megan's bomb Coleslaw, Croque Monsieur and a few slices of somethin'. Imagine a grilled cheese sandwich with the dial turned up to 11 and add the best cole slaw ever. The salad wasn't overly sweet nor was it overlydressed - the cabbage and the other produce were the showcase as oposed to the sauce. The Croque had an amazingly creamy touch between the ham and the bread. That creamyness and suppleness turned out the the work of misseur gruyere. For as heavy as this sounds is it was as light as a cloud. The proportion of cheese to ham to bread were all perfectly balanced. Again, Bravo.

Megan's Homegirls opted for the Banana's Foster french toast. I had one bite and here is my take. Absolutely delightful. When it comes to breakfast, I am a savory fan, hence my percistance of adding peanutbutter to just about any pancake or any toast de Français. With that said, despite the title of this dish it was so well balanced, I wouldnt even call it french toast... maybe the Bannana Rum Breakfast. It was not overy sweet, the rum cut the sweetness of the banana and to be honest, I wanted to steal homegirl's to-go box.

That's the take from Brenda's over on Eddy and Polk in San Francisco.

Cheers,
David

PS: That little side of something... no one could figure out what it was. It was sour and spicy and I was quite afraid to venture my guess. Honestly, I thought it would sound odd. I politely asked the waitress and she returned the question to me - I responded hesitantly "Please don't take offense as I quite like it, but it tasted like a spicy picked watermelon most likely the rind..." Her face dropped in awe. Her words "I have worked her over a year and you are the first person who has ever gotten it right." She went on to compliment my pallet and at that moment I was in awe. I actually guessed an unknown food that I have never ever consumed. Woah. That was one really cool experience.

More deatails about the beignets and other treats can be found over at I'm only here for the food

From Beer to Bourbon and back to Beer

What a weekend - don't worry there are no Hang-overs or childish business here - rather a day sampling some tasty mildly alcoholic Beverages.

I am a lover a beer. I love full flavors and finding brewed beverages that strike the perfect 50/50 balance between bitter and sweet. Yet this weekend I only partook in about 20oz of beer. Started Yesterday with Half a Prohibition IPA from Speakeasy Brewing and ended today with a half of Viscossity from Port Brewing.

What happened between those two beverages was a return to Bourbon (and Wiskey/Wisky). My best man conned me into a 50 dollar bottle of 18 year old single Barrel Bourbon. YUM! That was a slow sipping treat. I probably sipped on my first shot for a good 30 to 45 minutes. There was so much flavor - woody, rustic, mild burning sensation, warm and tingly. It was pretty darn good and I think I will be enjoying that bottle for a long time.

After indulgin' in a couple pours of Elijah Craig and a freakishly smooth 18 Year old rum Rob brought with him - All three of us made our way to Paddy Flynns. Its a great Irish Bar here in Burlingame. They offer a the typical Irish Beer Selection and a nice assortment of 12+ year Irish and Scotch Wiskies.

We were there from about 10 pm until 1am sipping on some of the best liquor I have had to date... Bushmills 12 was my favorite there at the bar, not as sharp as the elijah nor as oaky but it was so smooth. It was such a blast to indulge on single barrel bourbons and wiskies while rockin out to Journey, Eddie Muney and yes I did request 99 Redballons to complete the 80's theme we started ;).

Megan did not partake, as much as we tried, in the Wisky. She settled herself on one tasty Tanq and Tonic as well as the best Kamikazi any of us have ever tried - secret: Fresh lime juice and a splash of triple sec to take the sour edge away - Yummers.

I think the moral of the story here is that Drinking good quality liquor with a great group of people is what the evening was all about. Oh and the beers - AWESOME as expected - Sorry Rob, teh Viscosity from Port Brewing was a really tasty Porter/Imperial Stout - Smokey dark and tasty with a great carmel colored head.

It was so much fun just hittin up a local pub with a great friend and the love of my life - It just rocked!

That is my recap from Beer to Bourbon and back to Beer!

(Spell/Name Check will occur in the morn)

My Urbanspoon: Taco Bell

OK - I know I am not supposed to eat out, but I wanted to try something new and different... so of course in my haste I ended up at the ol' stand by TacoBell.

I have to say - I have found a new favorite group of items and all of them reigh "Supreme"

• Gordita - the tortilla is like a Pita woah
• Chalupa - Same as above but Deep Fried - Heck Yeah
• Crunchy Taco Supreme - Its like eating Chips and 3 layer Dip

These are so darn good and the last time I ordered a Chaloopoo was when they first came out over 10 years ago and the last time I had a Taco from TB - more than 15.

All I have to say - Yes its bad for you, Yes it's processed, yes i said no cheese - but its SO GOOD.

If you get a moment to revisit the old stand by - you may want to give my Chalita Crunch Combo a try - 5.00 with tax here in SSF.

The Stats
Price Range: $1-7/ person
Method of Payment: Cash only/Debit/Credit
Food Quantity: As little or as much as you can fathom...

Quality of Ingredients: no comment ;)
Quality of Food: no comment ;)
Taste: It's TacoBELL It has to be good
Personality of the shop: A+
Friendliness to new guests: A

Overall impression: Clean shop and really friendly staff - even one of the owners is always working behind the counter and you know that he is keeping an eye on his crew :D

TacoBell/KFC
199 Airport Blvd
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Phone: 650-589-5472
http://tacobell.com

It's Late and I'm Thinkin' - Shifting Duties at Work...

Work over the last month has been something fierce. I am seeing my position in my company switch from a reseller and key account liaison/product trainer to direct sales. Honestly - I HATE SALES...(As Tony the P90X guy would say) but I Love it.

It's hard right now because I can't really track the sales that I personally make. I do not and cannot ring the orders for my clients. Rather I rely on their direct order placement - which always gets a prompt reply thank you very much.

I am currently part of a small team that is actively responding to and finding new leads. I can say that I do like this warm lead thing. Though, I have to say making the shift from a marketing perspective to sales is quite complicated... Like switching from my native English to German - at least back in the day when I spoke neither very well ;).

At first it was a pain in the rump but down the road, it became easy - even to the point where I could interject the best parts of each language into the other (Dinglish fan here). I think that's how I am trying to work this shift in perspective. It is definitely a different and more logical project - very left brain for me - but that is a good thing.

Advantages of this new sales gig:

1. Improved organization
2. Improved Contact Management (I really really stunk at this before and still have a ways to go)
3. Lack of Fear for the Phone
4. A chance to bring honesty and clarity to the sales table

I think all in all this is a good start but like any thing - to be good at it you need to practice and to be great you have to do it right... so let's see how this gig goes.

Automating Tasks and Idiosyncrasies

So Apple has this tool they really don't talk about anymore because of all the other Apple hype - hello iPhone/iPad/iEverything hype: Automator. It's a simple way to automate common and or redundant tasks.

So I have been using this to generate my daily office status reports for years and now I am working on a project where I have to send out standard emails on demand with attachments... My first thought was - "Oh, i can use Automator". It worked quite well until recently.

Basically it created a new mail, added an attachment and some text and it worked great... until safari 5 - ugh now it generates a black email of death.

BUT... thanks to the Apple Support Forums, and a little creativity, i have created a basic script that solved the issue - woo hoo.

Techy: Yes

Lame: Maybe

Saved work load and the knowledge I did something that remotely resembled programming: priceless

A day of exploring

So today I decided to take a drive. After a tough week at work i opted to head do CA HWY 35. Who would have known that there was
a highway that condensed to a none divided two lane road.

Now I am chillin at boulder creek brewery and cafe. This place has an awesome wheat, stout and brown ale. This is a totally chill place with great brew. The food ois on it's way more later including route food and drive details. Cheers!

(Typos by iPhone)

Phase 10 designed to create frustration

Megs raved about this game called Phase 10 which is basically a rummy style game. We picked it up a couple of days ago and gave it a second whirl this evening.

It's a fun game except for the fact that even if you are winning you can feel like you've lost over and over again. What drives me even more nuts is that even with all the of the complaining we do. Megs always wins. Ugh, it doesn't matter if I shuffle or she shuffles, argh. Congrats and I will getcha next time grrrr! ;o).

My Urbanspoon: El Farolito

I am a huge fan of Mexican food - going to San Diego State and growing up with some of the best hole-in-the-wall taquerias definitely had an impact. I have to say that South City and Millbrae are where I head for great SoCal style mexican food. Be warned they will put beans and rice in your burritos, but black beans and no rice is the way to roll.

I have found yet another great Burrito and all around mexican food Joint. At 5.95 for a Super Burrito and a side of chips, you cannot go wrong! Meat of your choice, Rice, Beans, Salsa, Sour Cream, Cheese, and the oh so important fresh avocado. The ingredients taste fresh and my favorite part - the tortilla is not steamed just as god intended.

The Stats
Price Range: $5-$11/ person
Method of Payment: Cash preferred
Food Quantity: A LOT

Quality of Ingredients: A
Quality of Food: A
Taste: Yummy
Personality of the shop: C
Friendliness to new guests: C+

Overall impression: If you are looking for good food, quick service and a great value this is the place for you. It's smack on par with the other Mexican Restaurants up and down Grand and Baden Ave. People say you got to go to the Mission for great Mexican food - I find a trip to South City will definitely satisfy my urge for some great food - no if we could just convince these guys to serve Carne Asada French Fries ;)

El Farolito Taqueria‎
394 Grand Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 737-0138‎

My Urbanspoon: Starbox Food

Today I gave urbanspoon a shake and boom it landed me in Brisbane at a little eatery called Starbox Food. It's a twist on the idea of a boxed lunch. This little café offers Sandwiches (hot and cold) along with Quiches, CROQ's and of course coffee. After ordering my Turkey sandwich, I knew I should have tried a Quiches or a CROQs...

Anywho, I opted for box # 1 which included my choice of sandwich or quiche and salad for $8.95 tax incl.

The sandwich was simple, tomato, lettuce, turkey, butter, a little mayo and Dijon mustard. It was really tasty... then there was the bread - oh my word the bread - it was the perfect baguette - crunchy outside, it had a nice pull as you tore into it and the inside was so soft, absorbing all the flavor of the sandwich fillers - Definitely a great sandwich.

The salad was a mix of small greens - spinich, arrugala, romain and others - very fresh. The dressing was served on the side and obviously home made - too yummy to come from a bottle. It tasted like a balsamic mustard vinegrette but more creamy than a typical vinegrette.

Before I get to the stats, I have to ask myself one question. Would I go back? The answer: Yes - I need to try a CROQ!

The Stats
Price Range: $7-$13/ person
Method of Payment: Cash only
Food Quantity: Just right

Quality of Ingredients: A+
Quality of Food: A
Taste: Yummy +
Personality of the shop: A+
Friendliness to new guests: A

Overall impression: This is a very small and very friendly place. You definitely need to head out there if your in the area and by area I mean I would happily drive 20 miles to visit this place again :D.

Starbox Food
33 Visitacion Avenue
Brisbane, CA 94005
Phone: 415- 467- 4663
Fax: 415- 467- 4626
Email
http://starboxfood.com