kimmie nguyen:

Warm & Chill: Out the Door

via www.dailycandy.com

I have a slight aversion to expensive Vietnamese food. It just doesn't cost that much to make really great Vietnamese dishes. The ingredients are simple, fresh and rarely difficult to find. While I love the decor at Le Colonial or Slanted Door, I just can't swallow throwing down that much money even for the ambiance. But if I had to choose, the Slanted Door wins hands down. Out the Door is the sister, cafe style version of Slanted Door and a great affordable option for lunch or dinner. Tomorrow the Bush Street location is opening for breakfast. Yay, for a new brunch option with the girlfriends. Some favorite lunch items:

• Salt & Pepper five spice fried chicken wings with jalepeno, garlic and green onion
• Vietnamese crepe with shrimp, pork, bean sprouts, tumeric and fish sauce
• Green papaya salad with tofu, pickled carrots, rau ram and roasted peanuts
• Saigon roast pork sandwich with fresh cilantro, pickled carrots and cucumber
• Carmelized prawns with yellow onion, garlic and roasted chili paste

Address: 2232 Bush St @ Fillmore St San Francisco, CA 94115; Phone: 415.923.9575

Formaggi, Amore Mio

Great cheeses are like fine wines to me. I may not know what I'm drinking but I do know when it's goooood. I love all kinds of cheese: soft, firm, goat's milk, sheep's milk, raw cow's milk and even the pungent blue varietals. The really good stuff usually comes from some mountainous region with a name that I can never remember, where the monks wash curds in brine and knead them into molds all while chanting in Latin. So unless I've had something repeatedly, those pretty names beginning with L'et..blahblah or Monte de Blahblah generally look the same. In the last month, I've been to Uva Enoteca half a dozen times. After staring at their unchanging menu for so many days, I started remembering a name or two. I knew I graduated into the big leagues when I was able to pick out my favorites at a cheese shop.

Taleggio: is a washed rind, cow's milk Italian cheese named after the caves of Val Taleggio. It might be one of the oldest soft cheeses. The cheese has a strong aroma, but its flavor is comparatively mild with a fruity tang.

Boschetto al Tartufo: is a mild, semi-soft cheese from Tuscany. Its blend of sheep and cow's milk, loaded with white truffle bits, lends to a heady aroma with a sweet and delightful flavor. Delish.