A-List Dinner Date
D id you see President Obama having dinner and a beer with Anthony Bourdain in Hanoi? (Follow Bourdain on Facebook. He’s a riot.) Bourdain, my future husband, was in Vietnam shooting an upcoming episode of his show, Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, and the outgoing president decided to join him, sitting on teeny-tiny little plastic stools for a traditional meal at a noodle restaurant. The episode is expected to air this fall. My desire to be the third wheel on that dinner date will never wane.
Binge-Worthy Weekend
Meanwhile, season two of Chef's Table premieres this Friday night, and since I somehow (how?) managed to miss the first season, I'll be binge-watching all six episodes of this Netflix XXX food porn between now and then. Gloriously creative people doing previously unimaginable things to potatoes: This stuff couldn't tantalize me more if the chefs were as gloriously naked as the food. Wait, is that a show? Somebody tell me that's a show. (While you're on Netflix, remember The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover? With a smokin' hot young Helen Mirren? It's pretty weird—and weirdly steamy—so best if you start it after the kids have gone to bed.)
Capital Catering
I hope you enjoy the review of State Capital Kitchen that's in this week's paper. Chef Mark Connell returned my call after we'd already gone to press and mentioned that he is collaborating with other talented chefs to do catering under the label City Different Collab. "Right now in the back of the house, I have guys who could be the head chef at a lot of different restaurants in town," Connell said. "I have a lot of talent, and I'm hoping that I can keep them engaged so they don't leave!"
Food Truck Fiesta
this Sunday. #SFRAroundTown's food truck party is an afternoon fiesta in the parking lot of Whole Foods on St. Francis and Cordova. There will be trucks from Jambo Café, Bonsai Asian Tacos, Dr. Field Goods Kitchen, La Loncherita Salvadoreña and others. Plus beer. Plus dancing. Plus good times. Check it out.
So Picky
Whatever you do, make sure none of the foods on your plate touch each other. Urrr … what? That’s a little tidbit I picked up on in this
from NPR’s The Salt blog. That's “really a striking problem” for some people, says Jane Kauer, an anthropologist at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied the topic. I have to admit I find this utterly
baffling
. But apparently, I’m one of those boorish oppressors the article describes as always trying to persuade other people to try things they don’t like. So … nope. I’m not changing. Don’t be a big baby! I know you say you hate cauliflower but I PROMISE YOU WILL LIKE THIS. Just take one bite. Just one. If you don’t, I think my head may explode.
Are there food festivals we need to know about? Great beers we should be drinking? Got news, tips or suggestions for The Fork? Let us know! Email thefork@sfreporter.com
