The Walt Disney Diet: Spam, A Lot of Gravy and Light on the Veggies

In November we visited the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco; it's worth a visit, and the Blogger Kids enjoyed making an stop-motion movie and also seeing features like a huge model replica of Disneyland.

One of the random interesting items I spied was a sheet written by Walt Disney, who was asked to jot down his favorite foods. Here they are:

Chicken fry cube steak
Roast lamb — potatoes and gravy
Pan fried chicken with potatoes and gravy
Roast chicken with dressing and gravy
Spam and eggs with biscuits and honey
Oyster stew with crackers and cheese
Breaded veal cutlets with bread and gravy
Chasen’s chili and beans

Note: Only one vegetable with meals — corn, canned peas, leaf spimach, stewed tomatoes, etc.

Salads:
Carrot and raisins
Waldorf
Tomatoes and cucumber
Chef’s salad

Desserts:
Jello — all flavors, with pieces of fruit
Diet custards
Pineapple — fresh or canned
Fruit — fresh or canned

Spam! And wow, did that guy like gravy. Below, here's that Disneyland scale model:

Rate-A-Restaurant #338: Harris Ranch

(Pic by Bunrab.com)

Restaurant: Harris Ranch

Location: 24505 West Dorris Avenue (Coalinga, Calif.)

Type of restaurant: Steak and American



We stipulated: We drive up the 5 at least once a year to visit San Francisco. And every year, we consider visiting Harris Ranch, but never do. But this year, the timing was right to stop at Harris Ranch just in time for lunch. We were ready to stop in Coalinga.

They stipulated: "You will be treated to a mouth-watering menu of Harris Ranch Restaurant Reserve Beef. We have designed the menu around the fruits and vegetables we grow and creatively showcase the West’s Best Beef in classic Harris Ranch dishes such as our Award-Winning Pot Roast, Tri Tip Sandwich and Barbeque Beef Ribs." Also: For pilots flying in for lunch, "For your convenience, Harris Ranch has a 2,800 foot landing strip that is paved and lighted along the south side of the main complex. Self-serve 100 LL Aviation Fuel is available 24 hours a day."



What we ordered: HARRIS RANCH POT ROAST (winning tender slow roasted beef brisket, garlic mashed red skin potatoes, brown gravy & farm fresh vegetables $19.95); SLICED MARINATED TRI-TIP (Seasoned with Kosher salt and cracked black peppercorns,served with garlic mashed red skin potatoes, brown gravy & farm fresh vegetables $23.95); kids pizza.



High point:  The acorn squash side was fantastic. I'd love to eat more.



Low point:  The gravy.



Overall impression: An oasis on the terribly dull I-5 freeway journey to San Francisco. Definitely worth the stop. But food-wise, just OK. The pot roast good could have used a bit more flavor. We appreciated the big menu -- the veggies were probably the best part. (I know, strange to say for Harris Ranch, where the beef should be the star.) Also appreciated the great kids menu.



Will we return: If the timing is right, I'd definitely stop again for lunch or dinner at Harris Ranch. It beats most of the food choices on the 5.

Rate-A-Restaurant #337: Miss SaiGon (San Francisco)

Restaurant: Miss Saigon

Location: 100 6th St (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Vietnamese



We stipulated: The Vietnamese restaurant we planned to eat at, near our hotel, was too crowded, with a 45 minute wait. After a quick Yelp consultation, we decided to walk over to Miss SaiGon. (Yes, the "G" is capitalized.) Via a slightly sketchy street.

They stipulated: Christmas comes early to Miss Saigon. It was the first weekend of November, and already the decorations were up and the TV was playing "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Ho ho ho.



What we ordered: Dau Hu Xau Rau Cai (Golden tofu stir-fried with vegetables in black bean sauce; $10.95); Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio Noodles (Vermicelli with grilled pork, egg roll, lettuce, cucumber, bean sprout; $8.95); Con Ga Ngu VI (Five spiced chicken served with steamed rice and vegetable; $8.25)



High point:  The pork chop.

Low point:  The veggies and tofu were way too deep fried.



Overall impression: Good prices. But strange environment.

Will we return: We're not in SF enough to really ever make a return.

A Visit to Angel Island, San Francisco's Ellis Island

With immigration in the news, it felt like a timely visit when we took the ferry to San Francisco's Angel Island a few weeks ago. Unlike Ellis Island, which is celebrated for its role in processing thousands of Europeans to America, the story of Angel Island is much more dark. As we know, the U.S. did not welcome immigrants from the Far East with open arms -- far from it. Instead, because of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, immigrants who found themselves being processed at Angel Island were stuck there for many months -- sometimes years -- in tight quarters and rough prison-like conditions.





We toured the Angel Island Immigration Station and saw, up close, the poetry that many people had carved in the walls of their barracks.









A National Historic Landmark, the station was renovated by the California State Parks and reopened in 2009.











Also on Angel Island are the abandoned buildings of Fort McDowell, an Army base that operated there until the end of World War II. Most buildings that remain have been hollowed out, although a chapel is still intact, and another building has been turned into a museum.



We reached Angel Island via a ferry from Tiburon. Bikes are welcome, and the island is a great place to hike, watch deer (introduced long ago to the island) and other wildlife, and catch a great view of the San Francisco bay.

Rate-A-Restaurant #336: Mifune (San Francisco)

Restaurant: Mifune

Location: Japan Center Kintetsu Building: 1737 Post Street (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Japanese



We stipulated: Looking for a spot for dinner that the Blogger Kids would also appreciate, we consulted a San Francisco Chronicle roundup of kid-friendly restaurants. Noodles and sushi sounded perfect, but most importantly, we knew the kids would get a kick out of their meal being served in a "bullet train."

They stipulated: "Serving 90 year recipe of fine Japanese Noodles in the USA since 1978, specializing in traditional Udon and Soba."



What we ordered: Seafood Soba -- shrimp, scallop, squid and vegetables ($12.50), spicy tuna rolls ($4.20), for kids under 12 years. cold udon, soba or rice with tempura ($7.50), Cashu Ramen - sliced barbeque pork and vegetables ($8.50)



High point:  The cold soba noodles and the seafood was quite a delicious combo.

Low point:  The "bullet trains" had seen better days. Not nearly as cool as promised.



Overall impression: All the hallmarks of a restaurant that once upon a time was a destination, but has now seen better days.



Will we return: Probably not. It's fine, but nothing special anymore.

Rate-A-Restaurant #335: Yank Sing (San Francisco)

Restaurant: Yank Sing

Location: 49 Stevenson St. (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Dim Sum



We stipulated: In San Francisco, we wanted to find a nearby dim sum spot. Yank Sing was just around the corner.
They stipulated: "Yank Sing has seduced the palate of all ages and has provided an accommodating atmosphere for all types of functions ... business and pleasure alike. On weekdays, there is an air of energy and purpose in the dining room as customers from San Francisco’s surrounding financial district hold business lunches, and Yank Sing’s deem sum carts laden with freshly made offerings weave their way around the tables. "




What we ordered: A variety of items, including Shanghai Dumpling - A Yank Sing signature dish of minced Kurobuta Pork, scallion and ginger wrapped and steamed in its own aromatic broth; Steamed Pork Buns - Warm fluffy bread buns stuffed with nuggets of honey-glazed BBQ pork; Potsticker (Wor Tee) - Northern style dumplings filled with a succulent finely minced pork, cabbage, scallions, ginger, and toasted sesame oil stuffing, steamed in a wok, then shallow- pan-fried, and served with vinegar, soy sauce and Yank Sing Chili Pepper Sauce; Pork Siu Mye - Hand-chopped shrimp with pork, shiitake mushrooms filling hand-wrapped in fresh pasta skin and hand-formed into a fluted 'basket.'





High point:  The sticky rice and pork was probably our favorite item, along with the mushroom steamed dumpling. Good variety of items.

Low point:  The best part of Dim Sum is how economical it is. You can eat a lot for a little. Not at Yank Sing. Perhaps because they're located in the business district, the prices are ridiculously high. If they're gonna be that high, the food has to be better than this.



Overall impression: A bit disappointing. Not authentic enough -- it caters to a more mainstream palate. But it's just too pricy. Also, it's kinda weird that they call it "Deem Sum." (See their website.)



Will we return: Nah; we'll hit another dim sum next time we're in SF.

Rate-A-Restaurant #334: Zero Zero (San Francisco)

Restaurant: Zero Zero

Location: 826 Folsom (San Francisco)

Type of restaurant: Pizza



We stipulated: For our last night in New York, we wanted to eat near our hotel, and find something tasty but also kid-friendly. Artisan woodfire pizza: A yes for us. Any pizza at all: A yes for the kids. Win win.
They stipulated: "With Zero Zero, noted chef and certified pizzaiolo Bruce Hill (BIX, Picco, and Pizzeria Picco) offers San Francisco diners a unique venue for his wood-fired pizzas and other Italian offerings. Opened Summer 2010 in the SOMA neighborhood Zero Zero takes its name from the ultra-finely ground flour used in traditional Neapolitan pizza dough and features variations on the pizzas that have developed a devoted following at Hill's Pizzeria Picco in Larkspur, just across from the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. Zero Zero's menu also includes inventive pasta dishes, a range of starters and antipasti, including crudo, house-cured salumi, a changing selection of bruschetta and salads, and, for dessert, Hill's signature soft serve ice cream."




What we ordered: Fillmore pizza (Hen of the Woods Mushrooms, Leeks, Mozzarella, Grana Padano, Pecorino, Fontina, Garlic, Thyme - $17.50); Margherita pizza (Tomato Sauce, Basil, Mozzarella, Grana Padano, De Padova Extra Virgin Olive Oil - $14.50); Radiatore with Braised Short Rib, Lacinato Kale, Marrow Butter and Gremolata ($21.50)



High point:  We almost didn't get the radiatore, but I'm glad we did. The short rib made for a nice, hearty dish.

Low point:  It's a bit of a scene, so perhaps still not the best place to take the kids. Yet ironically it was the obnoxious couple next to us that forced another couple to move tables.

Overall impression: Great spot if you're in the SOMA area. Pizzas are fantastic, but don't pass up the pasta! I wish I had known about the soft serve, but then again, we over ordered and were stuffed. (The cold pizza made for a good breakfast the next day.)

Will we return: I could see us returning if we were back in SF and once again staying close by.

Atwater Village Makes Its Super Bowl Pick

Another perfect morning for a bike ride. While pedaling through our favorite 'hood, Atwater Village, I couldn't help but notice the predominant pro-San Francisco 49ers sentiment. (Above, outside the "Thanks For Coming" pop-up restaurant space, and below, at the Atwater Village Farmers Market.)

Why Does San Francisco Hate L.A.?

(Photo by Pretty Stems)

It's one of the great one-sided California battles: San Francisco can't stand L.A., while L.A. could care less. Josh Heller is an Angeleno who also admits a love for San Francisco; he writes about his attempt to finally unite "both So- and NorCals under the ideology of "PanCalifornianism." An excerpt:

I’d never call it San Fran or crowd the streetcars on my way to eat Ghiradelli chocolate and Boudin bread bowls of clam chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf. We’re Californian too! We respect your vibe man!

But many San Franciscans see it differently. You can be brutally attacked (read: coyly judged) for merely mentioning that you’re from Los Angeles.

Last summer my girlfriend and I went to a cafe on Warschauer Straße in Berlin. An American employee was excited to meet us because we could be audience to her joke about how her boss looks like Screech from Saved By The Bell. She was friendly when we told her we were from California, but when we explained we were from the south, she spent six minutes talking shit. All we wanted was our certified organic blueberry muffin and maybe to make another friend who spoke our language, so we could tell them about how our landlord looks like the German Mr. Belding. But no, she decided to stand by her NorCal values (NorCalVals) from 5,657 miles away.

Yet still, I hold no grudge.

Josh goes on to recount a wild stay in San Francisco. We're proud Angelenos who also enjoy time in SF, silly rivalries be damned.

Paying Tribute to Steve Jobs at Glendale's Americana

It had already been a few days since Steve Jobs' passing when we stopped by Glendale's Americana at Brand shopping center on Saturday. But the shrine in front of the outdoor mall's gigantic Apple Store was still going strong -- including what must be a busted iPod inscribed with a message. (Nonetheless, I'm surprised no one swiped that iPod, "just in case.")

Speaking of Jobs, I still remember the one time Maria and I saw him in person. It was the early 2000s, and we were on a weekend trip to San Francisco. The flagship Old Navy store on Market Street had a restaurant in the basement back then (sort of like an IKEA eatery) -- and who did we spy eating the cheap food but Jobs (in jeans and black mock turtleneck, of course) sitting down with a few other folks. It was kind of surreal seeing him down there, but then again, for all we know he was meeting with key Gap/Old Navy folks about some sort of marketing initiative.

I've been an Apple/Mac guy ever since my high school paper got its first Macintosh SE in 1988. We moved our paper quickly into the desktop publishing era -- and I was hooked. As a kid in the early 1980s, I used to cut and paste my own newspaper; just imagine had I been born 10 years later. I used Macs all through college, and bought my own first one in 1995 (dismissing naysayers who believed Apple was dead -- it was "almost dead," but boy, did Jobs revive it a few years later).