Interesting San Francisco Foodie Finds...

This past month has been a busy one for me! I have been doing my own consulting to help companies get initiatives off of the ground, and I was able to fit in a quick trip to San Francisco/Oakland to visit a great friend from my MBA program. Here are some of the cool things I found that we don't yet have on the East Coast:

• Boba Guys retail concept - Walking around the Mission District, my friend and I followed groups of enthusiastic foodies to sample the wares of this trend-setting neighborhood. I kept seeing glasses of strange, goopy jelly emblazoned with an anteater logo. Walking down Valencia, I looked up and saw Boba Guys staring me in the face with a line out the door and around the block. They use Straus Organic milk and real cane sugar to make their delicious treats. And they offer almond jelly and grass jelly, which I had never heard of - come to Cambridge, guys! There's a huge market for your deliciousness!

• Black Garlic - Interestingly, my friend and I went to Tartine (morning bun heaven and delicious brownies with spelt flour!) and Bar Tartine, their restaurant, right after an acquisition with Blue Bottle. It will be interesting to see how their offering changes (fingers crossed it doesn't dilute.) One of my favorite dishes at Bar Tartine was the black garlic smoked potatoes - recipe here. I started obsessing over black garlic which apparently you can make by putting the entire clove in the "keep warm" mode of a slowcooker for two weeks (no, thank you!) My favorite dish in their Bar Tartine cookbook is actually a cauliflower salad.

• Cabernet Sauvignon Seed Flour - Only in California would you find such inventive use of whole grains for baking. I was lucky enough to stop by Ponsford's Place in San Rafael to taste the owner, Craig's, latest multigrain creation. The menu in the photo to the left depicts his ingenious creation - he uses unique ingredients such as: red whole wheat, cocoa powder, and flour harvested from wine seeds to create unique breads that celebrate the grain!

• Parsley Pasta - In a trip to Point Reyes Station, I discovered the brand Pasta Poetry. My favorite eye candy was the Parsley Pappardelle and reviewing this photo you can see why - definitely a feast of the eyes!

• Spinach Bolani - I would be remiss if I didn't give a plug for my favorite booth at the Oakland farmer's market! I cannot seem to find (or convince Whole Foods to bring) this delectable creation to the East Coast, but slab some mint yogurt and sweet jalapeno sauce on a pumpkin or spinach bolani which is a veggie filled crepe, and you'll be smiling ear to ear like I.

I could go on and on about the sushi, the coffee, the chocolate. Until next time, California!