Like a kid in a candy store

I work in San Francisco between the wharf and north beach. For someone who enjoys food this is a wonderland. At the start of the crab season I went to the wharf and stood in the cold misty weather and had some freshly caught crab. It was one of my favorite kind of moments. Moments where I stand awed and with my eyes wide like a kid that just walked into a bulk candy store. I feel like I have to pinch myself sometimes because I can't believe I live in a place where you all of this is just outside my door.

This past Saturday I decide that I would take myself on an indulgent tour of north beach. I have walked along Columbus many times but have only recently started stopping into the small store fronts.
I started my trip on a mission to go to caffe trieste. I have never been to any of the handful of locations that they have so it only seemed right that I start at the one that started it all. It is a great little place though a little intimidating. On a Saturday morning it is obvious that it is a local spot. I was quite fearful that it would show I was a first timer. I am sure it showed but no one seemed to mind. As I walked to my next spot sipping my coffee I was in heaven.
I had a cafe au lait. Which I found very interesting because the pompous baristas at Starbucks keeps telling me that in Italy they call it a cafe misto. How can that be true if the most Italian coffee spot in north beach calls it a cafe au lait? Regardless of which phrase you use it was the best coffee I have ever had. It tasted delicious as I walked back down Columbus to Stella Pastry. Where I wanted one of everything but had to limit myself to a cannoli and a panna cota. I felt so hip with my little cardboard box tied in string. I had decided on Stella because I liked the sign and the decidedly Italian looking gentleman that I saw carrying the some boxes made me think it must be traditional and good. It did not disappoint.

After the bakery I had one final stop. A tiny store I have passed at least 15 times and always said I would stop but never have. The little store front is that of xox truffles It is a really tiny location. They have many of their favorable magazine articles on the wall and a small case filled with a variety of truffles. I walked in and looked at the variety of flavors and couldn't decide which to get. So I asked the man behind the counter which was his favorite and I ordered 5 of his favorite cognac and 15 dark chocolate. Not until I went to the website did I realize that the man behind the counter is the owner/chef of these amazing truffles. He is right the cognac are amazing. Though I suspect that there isn't a bad flavor in the lot. They are not your perfectly round and flawless truffles. Instead they are very traditional and the information on the website gives even more information about the quality and history of these truffles. I am going back frequently because these are truly amazing truffles.

I still have a lot of cafes and small restaurants in North Beach to try out, but I also have to try so many other neighborhoods. A daunting challenge to decide on what amazing food tradition or neighborhood of San Francisco. Any suggestions?

tapioca drinks or bubble tea

One of the kids I work with at my little grocery store walks home from North Beach to the TL (tenderloin) every night and if we get out of work before 1 am the Yoogo Gelato shop will still be open so he can stop for bubble tea on his way home. I remember seeing bubble tea years ago when I worked elsewhere in the city but I had never had it. Lately we haven't been finishing our work until about 2 am so RC has had to go without his bubble tea. I told him for weeks that the first night we could get done at 1am I would take him to get tapioca drinks. About 3 weeks ago we managed to finish at 12:30am so we headed out to china town for our bubble tea.

The Yoogo Gelato is on a corner that made a very interesting picture. Four of us sat in a gelato spot drinking bubble tea while drunk reviliers wandered around broadway and columbus. I wish i could have taken a picture of everyone having such an innocent moment with the neon of the strip clubs in the background. This story is even more of a heart-warmer is you knew RC. He has lived in the Tenderloin for most of his life if not all of it. He has limited experiences outside of the city. He is our youngest employee and he is constantly happy. Sweets make him the happiest. A piece of cake will make him estatic. I love it when he works the same night crew as me. His attitude makes the worst nights fun.

Bubble tea like any new experience can be a little overwhelming. The sheer amount of flavors was more of a decision than I could take. So RC recommended the basic milk tea. It turned out to be a black tea with a sweetened milk. Had a very similar taste to Thai iced tea. I don't know how they seal the little cups but there is a foil seal on the top that you have to puncture wih an enormous straw. It takes a very fluid movement or you will be wearing a little bit of your drink.

I doubt I would pick up bubble tea on my own but it was a great night and fun to try something new with someone that obviously loved it.