Well, it’s time to for another AW Blog Chain (#5). Over at the Even in a little thing blog, Gillian Polack writes about her view on the classic English dishes that she knows being modified and changed as time progresses. I like food. Even with my tubby tummy, I am still glad that at a young age my parents encouraged a love of all sorts of food and we were given ever opportunity to try new things. I knew kids in school that would have freaked just to have something that was not your standard beef or chicken dinner. But I can’t imagine living in a world without Sushi, Korean BBQ, Dim Sum, Southern US BBQ, Vietnamese Pho, Super Burritos, Hot Pot, Curry, or savory Ethiopian dishes served on that spongee bread.
Now living in the San Francisco Bay Area means that you can get just about any kind of food you want, and as a youngster in art school and beyond I have had many opportunities to try delicious things. Here a few of those that still linger in my mind even today:
Zachary’s Pizza in Berkeley, CA is an institution. I don’t know if it is anything like real Chicago style pizza, but it’s damn good. With it’s thick crust and open top filled with cheese, meat and tomatoes it’s hard to resist. The slices are so big that two is hard to eat for a big like me. The original location lies two blocks from the Rockridge Bart Station and was an easy walk from the California College of Arts and Crafts where I got my BFA. I remember going there and waiting for a seat to get one of those beautiful slices. The walls of the restaurant were covered with posters illustrated by kids, and the cramped tables were always filled with happy groups of folks. I found out that the in-flight magazine on Australian Airlines recently voted Zachary’s the best pizza in the USA. I don’t know how true, but I have found memories of it warming my tummy.
Sushi was a delectable treat I discovered from my former roommate Russell. Russell was into Japanese pop culture like Manga and Anime that the kids crave today, but over 10 years before everyone knew about it. In fact he loved everything about Japan, including the food. He introduced me to JapanTown and to Sushi as it sailed around the ‘bar’ on little boats at Isobune Sushi(note: I could only find an official site for the Burling game location). So many varieties, so many flavors. Soft, Smooth, cool fish on little beds of rice that you popped in your mouth. I remember wanting to trying all the different kinds, and realizing that Wasabi was something that you don’t eat a lot of. I have not seen Russell in many, many years, but I will always remember how he introduced Sushi to me as well as the Animation and Comics of Japan. So wherever you are Russell, I will think of you when I have my next piece of Unagi(eel).
In college I would work/hang-out in the film department at CCAC late at night. So when hunger struck it was off to find a place that was open past midnight. One was Sun Hong-Kong in Oakland China Town. It was open late and offered cheap eats and affordable prices, something student’s need badly. This is where I had my first porridge with toasted bread and thousand year old egg, pot stickers, and BBQ Chinese pork. This is also where I learned that cooling off your tea with ice water was a no-no (thought I still do it to this day), it would make my Asian friends cringe.
It was also in college that I was introduced to Dim-Sum by a Chinese girl I knew. She tried to teach me the names as well so I could order them from the employees that did not speak English. More recently I have discovered the less touristy places in San Francisco for Dim Sum up on Stockton St.
Another one of my new favorite places in Memphis Minnie’s BBQ. A friend of mine who grew up in the south has given it a thumbs up on their authentic sweet tea, and you can get a hearty rib tip plate for around $8(including two sides). It’s a little place, usually filled with happy patrons and the sent of meat that has been cooking all day. It makes me hungry just thinking about.
Its interesting that food seems to be such a part of how we view the world and the memories that sourround them.
So, next up we journey to Japan and the Kappa no He blog.
Want to see what posts in the blog chain came before, visit….
asorum <– the first post
Curiouser and curiouser
razibahmed
Peggy
XThe NavigatorX
Forbidden Snowflake
Towerkel
MadScientistMatt
Gillian
Atomic Bear <– you’re here
madderblue <–next one here
Tags: awblogchaindrawing|sketch|painting|art|Brian Kolm|comics|Atomic Bear Press|AtomicBearPress|ABP|
20 comments
No ping yet
Peggy says:
August 27, 2006 at 8:57 pm (UTC -8)
Wow, your post makes me hungry! I miss going to Zachary’s and the lack of nearby sum restaurants and Chinese bakeries stinks (I could really go for a bbq pork bun). At least we have a place for decent Korean kalbi BBQ.
Where is Memphis Minnies?
Brian says:
August 27, 2006 at 9:14 pm (UTC -8)
I edited to add the BBQ link.
When you come up we will have a day in SF and have Dim Sum for lunch and BBQ for dinner. And we can have Bombay Ice Cream for a special treat.
Razib Ahmed says:
August 27, 2006 at 10:31 pm (UTC -8)
Thanks for the excellent post. I feel hungry too. Well, I am too much spoilt about food and find it difficult to eat something when it does not have good harmony (=spices). Don’t like Indian food?
Harbormaster says:
August 27, 2006 at 10:55 pm (UTC -8)
The chain took a turn for the better. Good food is the best part of life. I’m ready to check out all of the restaurants described in the post!
Bk30 says:
August 27, 2006 at 11:21 pm (UTC -8)
Great I am so hungry now! LOL
Peggy says:
August 28, 2006 at 12:38 am (UTC -8)
Bombay Ice Cream sounds good – do they have cardamom flavor?
Gillian says:
August 28, 2006 at 12:59 am (UTC -8)
I was dreaming of food, but now I’m dreaming of travel and food. I might have to take an early lunch
.
Brian says:
August 28, 2006 at 1:32 am (UTC -8)
Food and Travel, ME TOO!
They do have Cardine and Rose ice cream. Not my cup of tea, but I know those who love it.
Bhaswati says:
August 28, 2006 at 4:05 am (UTC -8)
What have you done, Brian? I just woke up, and I find this post. Can you imagine what that does to a food-phile like me? Such a delicious post! I can almost smell the BBQ smoke and taste the delicate sushi. Asorum is right, nothing beats great food. Thanks for the yummy link in the chain!
Simran says:
August 28, 2006 at 4:08 am (UTC -8)
Bombay ice cream? Did someone say Bombay ice cream? Can I have some too please?
Pizza sounds good right now too. Thanks for a great culinary journey Brian.
Brian says:
August 28, 2006 at 4:42 am (UTC -8)
Bombay Ice Cream web-link
http://www.bombayicecream.com/home.html
Laurie says:
August 28, 2006 at 4:45 am (UTC -8)
Now I’m wanting jallabies.
We had Domino’s pizza last night. Yep, Domino’s exists here, but it’s a much crappier version than anything you’ll get in North America. Their version of sausages is, in actuality, chicken weiners. x_X
Sushi, though… We can get some mighty fine sushi here. Wasabi!!!!
Okay, short little story for you. Wasabi in Sinhalese means poison, so when I say that word, people around me either a. look shocked and run or b. burst out laughing.
Kappa no He says:
August 28, 2006 at 6:59 am (UTC -8)
*Drooool*…I just walked in the door, need to take care of some things, and then I’ll get my post up!
Cath Smith says:
August 28, 2006 at 12:05 pm (UTC -8)
I loved the food when we went to San Francisco – your post makes me want to go right back and try some of the places we missed!
Mad Scientist Matt says:
August 28, 2006 at 12:40 pm (UTC -8)
Reminds me of some of the things my Japanese co-workers would bring in when they came back from Japan. The treats they brought back never quite tasted the way I would expect from looking at them. Some were good surprises (anpan, a roll stuffed with sweet bean paste), and some were less pleasant (the octopus cookies may have been the worst). But I’d always try some of the things they brought back anyway.
Matt D. says:
August 29, 2006 at 2:52 am (UTC -8)
At the university of Arizona we had a place called Zachary’s pizza also that served Chicago-style pizza. Crazy. They got torn down years ago. *sniff*
Tiffany says:
August 29, 2006 at 3:14 am (UTC -8)
You lucky, lucky person you! (Being exposed to all kinds of food/involved parents, California, art/film school etc.)
Brian says:
August 30, 2006 at 7:28 am (UTC -8)
I am very lucky, but having such support can make me a bit lazy.
Sounds of Serenity says:
September 4, 2006 at 4:23 pm (UTC -8)
Sorry it took me so long to comment. I’ve been getting ready for the first day of school lately. Here, near Washington DC, we have just about every ethnic restaurant you can think of as well. But no real good pizza places, sadly. At least none that I’ve found so far. Now, I have to go eat lunch!
Andrea says:
September 4, 2006 at 6:03 pm (UTC -8)
Growing up in a small town, there wasn’t a lot of cultural diversity concerning food. The only choices other than homecooking were either hamburgers or pizza.
Ok, now I’m hungry. LOL