announcer:â a kqed television production. ♪♪ sbrocco:and everybody say "opa!" together: opa! sbrocco: hi.i'm leslie sbrocco. welcome to"check, please! bay area," the show where regularbay area residents review and talk about theirfavorite restaurants. now, we have three guests,and each one recommends
one of their favorite spots,and the other two go check 'em out,to see what they think. this week, retired professorand fiction writer elayne klasson grew upin a restaurant. having seen the good,the bad, and the ugly behind the scenes,she opted for another path and now createsher own culinary stories. and clinical research scientistphilippe forgues conducts research to determineaccurate results.
he contrasts his measured lifein the lab with the poetry he craveswith each dining experience. but, first, entrepreneur andbay area native ryan poirier has created a unique business,satisfaction guaranteed. he's all about service. that's why he appreciatesthe no-nonsense, no-frills efficiencyat his iconic san francisco landmarkin north beach. it's called tosca cafã©.
[ ringing ] even: table 3. as a young cook, when ithought far into my future i thought "i wantthe speakeasy vibe and i want a wood dining room and i want the feelof history," you know? and then tosca was presentedas a real speakeasy that was really openduring prohibition and really serving alcoholand it was the real deal.
my name is joshua evenand i am the chef at tosca cafã©. the first thing we did waswe came in and we cleaned up. we replaced the cracked vinylwith nice, new, red leather, pulled down all the muralsand we cleaned them all up, gave it a good, old spit-shine, but in the stylethat it always was in. the cocktail program wasreally important to us and we started off with a reallywonderful cocktail menu of really spectacular drinkswill great flavor profile.
and then the next big projectfor us was the kitchen. broccoli. we builta brand-new, shiny kitchen, beautiful -- tile,blue enamel stoves. as soon as april and i walkedin, the concept was obvious and it was gonna beitalian food, food that was satiating, rustic, and familiar to the peoplewho live in north beach. coming from new york, i thinkthat cooking in san francisco and in the bay area,in northern california,
specifically, is a privilegeand i feel blessed. woman: hey.-even: when people leave here, i want them to wantto come back. i want everybodyto want to be a regular. sbrocco: all right, ryan.tosca cafã©. this really is an institutionin san francisco, almost 100 years old.-poirier: absolutely. 94 years old.-sbrocco: yeah. poirier: it was a speakeasyduring prohibition,
a refuge for the beats andartists of the mid-20th century, and, after former ownerjeannette etheredge bought it, a total madhouse through the -- sbrocco: [laughs]and she's still on the menu. poirier: the queenof north beach. sbrocco: so it's a barand a restaurant? poirier: in the past,i think it definitely was bar first.-sbrocco: mm-hmm. poirier: but, now,with april bloomfield
at the helm,it is definitely restaurant first.-sbrocco: absolutely. and she's a well-known new yorkrestaurateur, as well. poirier: so, for me, it istheir chicken marsala. it is incredible, to die for. i've gone, parked in frontillegally, ran in, [laughter]got it, ran back out. it's that good.it's juicy, it's roasted, it's saltywith the marsala sauce.
it comes on a bedof bread cubes that are bathedin the chicken juice. it is an absolutelyspectacular take on chicken, and i think one of the best.-sbrocco: you're making me hungry over here. i know.i'm telling ya. poirier: i think it's oneof the best in san francisco. sbrocco: right. and, philippe,what's your experience at tosca? forgues: my experiencewas very good. so i think that they make
the pasta dishes very well.-poirier: mm-hmm. forgues: we had one dishthat had chicken livers in the pastapoirier: mm-hmm. forgues: and the flavorsfrom the meat mixed very well with the creamand the other pasta dish was with cheese sauceand it was just sublime. the creaminess -- i just wantedto have another bowl. poirier: absolutely.-sbrocco: just bathe in the creaminess.-forgues: exactly.
it was delicious. sbrocco: elayne,where did you start? klasson: well, we started withthe kind of outrageous starters. they have the pigs' ears,pressed pigs' ears -- forgues: i wantedto have that. klasson:and the fried pigs' tails, and the women in our groupsaid to the men, "okay, one or the other" ---sbrocco: right. klasson:."ears or tails, not both."
[sbrocco laughs]-klasson: too many pig parts there.[laughter] so we did optfor the pigs' tails and we expected themto be long and curly, [laughter]but, i must say, they were better than expected. it was very interesting. poirier: i love the meatinessof the pig tails. they fry them,but they're lightly fried.
there's a fritto misto.-klasson: yeah. poirier: it's lightly fried.when you take a bite, it doesn't feel heavy.-klasson: mm-hmm. poirier: and i thinkwhat they fry it in, it just kind of cracklesin your mouth. sbrocco: mm-hmm.-klasson: we also had the chicken for twoand we were really happy that the waitress told usit would be an hour, because that's nice to know,that's gonna happen.
forgues: i think that's thesignature dish, though, that. poirier: it is. absolutely.-sbrocco: yeah. absolutely. klasson: yeah,and we were glad to know that, so we could pace ourselvesand get ready for that. but i have had better chicken and we found thatthat bread that was there, which i suspectis there to soak up the nice juices and the fat ---poirier: absolutely. klasson: it just tasted fat.i did not get a lot of flavor
with that bread.-poirier: hmm. klasson: i didn't thinkit added to it. poirier: did either of youhave or try the bucatini? klasson: yeah,it was wonderful. poirier: i loved the spice, the oil, and you knowwhat i think is great? is the texture that they addwith the breadcrumbs. klasson: yes.-poirier: and it's just one of these thingsthat elevates that pasta dish,
'cause it's so simple. sbrocco: what did youhave to drink? forgues: we opted for cocktailsat the beginning. i had a very,very good negroni. sbrocco: one of the world'sperfect cocktails, a negroni. forgues: yes.-klasson: i had a martini because i have never, in mylife, had a martini and i thought it's time ---sbrocco: never in your life?! klasson: it's time to grow upand be a grownup, right?
sbrocco: oh, elayne!my goodness! klasson: i hadmy first martini. it was deliciousand i would definitely -- i'm gonna order martinisagain in my life, so thank you for introducingme to martinis. poirier: absolutely.my pleasure. when we go, we always startwith cocktails. you have to.-sbrocco: right. poirier: the bar invites you in
and they have a "cappuccino"[laughter] on the menu, which is -- basically, it's likeadult chocolate milk. it is bourbon with a chocolateganache and a little cream and it's just to die for.it's great. sbrocco: did you saveany room for dessert? klasson: we had the cannoli ---sbrocco: mm-hmm. klasson: which is an oldfavorite of mine. and i'm sorry, i was a littledisappointed in that one, too.
i loved the crispy shell.-poirier: mm-hmm. klasson: and i feellike it was homemade, definitely, the crispy shell.-poirier: mm-hmm. klasson: but the inside, to me, should be a little lighterand fluffier. poirier: mm-hmm.-klasson: and it a little heavy. forgues: i disagree.i think their cannoli was just fantastic.-klasson: huh. forgues: the hazelnutsthat they served with it,
it was just theperfect complement. the density of the cream or the filling inside waswhat i was lookin' for. sbrocco: well, you know, there,we can have the big cannoli debate here.that's right. poirier: i love their no-frillsapproach to service. i think april bloomfield,i know when they opened, brought some of her stafffrom new york and, to me, they bringthat attitude with them,
which, i think, for some people,may be a little bit offputting, but, for me, i want to stickto the people that i'm with. i don't necessarily want thewhole song and dance of service, so i really appreciate that.-klasson: yeah. yeah, i totally agree with that.it was that. poirier: yeah, they're pros. they're absolute pros.-klasson: yeah. sbrocco: all right,this is your spot. give us a quick summary.-poirier: tosca is, for me,
a new classic, born againon columbus avenue, and it's a great place to start or finish a nightin san francisco. sbrocco: philippe. forgues: bring friends,order a bowl of pasta, get the best negroniin north beach, and have a good time.-sbrocco: and elayne. klasson: a fun place, and i will always remember itas my first martini.
[laughter]sbrocco: if you would like to try tosca cafã©,it's located on columbus, between broadway and pacific,in san francisco. the telephone number is415-986-9651. it's open every eveningfor dinner, reservations are recommended, and the average tab, per person,without drinks, is around $60. sbrocco: comfort food is servedat elayne's pick, although, at this placeit's elaborate,
so we call itamerican bistro fare. the big, bold flavorsare served up in an elegant setting fullof neighborly charm, in los gatos,at nick's next door. diner: whoo!-diner #2: yes! difu: this restaurantused to be a home, and then the old ownertransferred it into a restaurant. the tree's about, i want to say,180 years old.
we produce good californiabistro-style food that is made with love. hi, i'm nick difu and i ownnick's next door in los gatos. i went to the culinary academyin san francisco. the teachers there wereoldschool french teachers and they basically saidyou have to work 15, 16 hours a day, minimum,to get ahead in this business and i said, "okay."i said goodbye to my friends and family, pretty much,for a good four or five years,
and i dived into it. one of the reasons whyi got into this business is because i wantedto make people happy. my grandmother was the one who inspired meto become a chef, because she cooked for usand it was made with love. i just wanted to providethat same happiness that i felt every daywhen i was there. everybody works five daysa week here.
we're closed sundaysand mondays because sundays and mondaysare family days. it's very important for us to be able to spend timewith our families. man: cheers.-difu: i would've never wanted to do anything else.-man: thank you. difu: it's been a pleasureto provide those smiles, to be able to provide foodand make people happy with it. it's the best decisioni ever made.
sbrocco: now,i just have to say: you know, when you say"check, please" at this place, how do you get the check? klasson: oh, it'sin a wonderful book! they do stick the checkin a book and people do write commentsall over the book. sbrocco: right.-klasson: it's very charming. sbrocco: so, a new wayof saying "check, please." klasson: exactly.[laughter]
sbrocco: how did youdiscover nick's? klasson: well,i'm in the neighborhood. i live very close byand it was a tiny, little hole in the wallon main street. we suggested, you know, since itwas so hard to get into, that he needed to expandand he said, "no, i'd rather be full than have the biggerrestaurant and be empty." but, eventually, he had toand he moved around the corner.
it's not nick's next door,it's nick's around the corner. sbrocco: mm-hmm.-klasson: we followed him and i think half the townhas followed him. sbrocco: what is your dishthat you grab every time? klasson: well, there's a lot, but i think my favoriteis the steak. i think it's one of the beststeaks around and my snobby food daughterfrom la says that she thinks it was the best steakshe's ever had, too.
[sbrocco laughs]-klasson: it's just wonderfully flavorful,it's very juicy, it's always doneprecisely as we ask. sbrocco: mm-hmm.-klasson: it comes with frites and it feels likea french bistro. but i have a hard timenot just sticking to appetizers, 'cause i love his startersand i have definitely had two or three starters for a meal,instead of ordering a main dish. sbrocco: and what'syour favorite?
klasson: i think i likethe chicken-liver pã¢tã©, which is served with sherryand red cherries and has that wonderful sweetthat goes so well with liver. i definitely lovethe chicken liver. sbrocco: the starters.ryan, where did you go first? poirier: absolutely.i took my mom to lunch. sbrocco: aww.-forgues: aww. klasson: aww.-sbrocco: nice guy. poirier: i thought that was ---sbrocco: what a nice guy.
poirier: that was nice and iknow everyone went to dinner, but our lunchexperience was great. we arrived, it was very,very busy, so they said, "please take a seaton the patio" and we actually startedwith a hibiscus lemonade in the sun of los gatos.-forgues: wow. sbrocco: nice.-poirier: we're both san franciscans,so the sun is like -- we sit and we just basked in it
for about 20 minutesbefore we got a table. and then we went rightto the crab toast. we would've liked to havea little more of that very clean,dungeness crab flavor. it was a little muddled withavocado and a farmer's cheese. but when i gotthat really great, bite of lumpy crab meat,that was excellent. and, there was enough where,if we had finished it, we wouldn't have been ableto finish much else.
it was entrã©e-portion size. klasson: i love how large the starter portions are.-poirier: they are. sbrocco: did you agreewith that, philippe? forgues: i did.i had the chicken-liver pã¢tã© and it was infused with cognacand i loved it because my mom used to make that.-sbrocco: aww. forgues: it was servedwith croutons. it was delicious.it was creamy,
just perfect.-sbrocco: mm-hmm. forgues: and i wanted to havecomfort food that night, probably because it lookslike a house to me. it looks like someone'sinviting me to their home. so, i had the meatloafand it was served with a wonderful, creamy,mushroom coulis, or a sauce and underneath were thesemost wonderful mashed potatoes. it was like eating clouds.[laughter] and i think that i atethat whole dish
in maybe five minutesand it was delicious. sbrocco: you came outwith mashed potatoes all over [laughter]your mustache and your beard, didn't you?-klasson: he's really famous for that meatloaf. it's hisgrandmother's recipe, he says. forgues: it is very flavorful. poirier: it isan american bistro, right? and so, for me, i hear that and i automatically gravitatetoward the burger.
this one, i think, was elevated.it was delicious. they call it a kobe burgerand the meat was rich, velvety. there's a bit of pork bellythat really sets if off and it had reallynice tomatoes. sbrocco: that's not heavyat all, is it? a little pork bellyon your burger. [laughter]poirier: no. you know what? and they were nice enough -- because, again,i was with my mom.
i said, you know,"can we split these mains?" and they actuallybrought it out to us, burger, even in half,with her scallops on the other half of one plate for each of us.-forgues: wow. poirier: and i thoughtthat was so considerate. really, that madethe experience really special. sbrocco: and you hadscallops, as well? poirier: and we had thescallops, which were perfect.
with the crispy kale,which, that bitterness in the scallops, that theyserve with the polenta, in a kind of a really lightitalian-sausage sauce and i think, to me, that wasthe star dish at lunch. sbrocco: mm-hmm.-klasson: he's doing things that a lot of peoplein the bay area are doing, but i think he justdoes them so well. for example,roasted brussels sprouts. that's very popular now, but hisare just cooked so perfectly.
charred on the outsideand really soft and mushy on the inside,with some, of course, pork belly in there, too.-[sbrocco laughs] klasson: but we also had wineand i love that nick's features santa cruz. sbrocco: and people don't knowwhat a historic region that is, the santa cruzmountains, for wine. there are some beautifulwineries there. klasson: it is.-poirier: it was really good.
the service was impeccable.-forgues: oh, yeah, the service was terrific.-klasson: don't they make you feel like you're just partof the family? forgues: oh, you are.and they're very intuitive, too. when i arrived there, afterdriving from san francisco, the waitstaff, the hostess,you know, when i arrived, she looked at me and she said,"you need a cocktail" and i said, "i do."[laughter] poirier: yeah.-forgues: and we were sat down
on the veranda in the front and we just hada wonderful evening. it was warm and soanti-san francisco for weather.it was great. sbrocco: what about desserts?any desserts for the group here? poirier: oh, we hadthe banana-bread pudding, which came with a â huge dollop of rich, airy,whipped cream on top. and it came witha little cognac in the base
and it was excellent.-sbrocco: all right, elayne, your restaurant.give us a quick summary. klasson:a true neighborhood gem. everybody has a good timeat nick's and we always go back. sbrocco: all right.and, philippe? forgues: go there for a slowevening with friends. sbrocco: and, ryan?-poirier: i wish nick's was â next doorto my home in san francisco. [ laughter ]
sbrocco: all right, if you wouldlike to try nick's next door, it's located on college avenueat main, in los gatos. the telephone number is408-402-5053. it's open for lunch and dinner,tuesday through saturday. reservations are recommendedand the average dinner tab, per person,without drinks, is around $30. looking for a creative gift idea for the drinks-loverin your life? think "a good readand a full glass."
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while reading aboutits ancient origins. just a note:my birthday is in november and i'll take them all. from the moment you enterphilippe's restaurant, the poetry begins: on the menu, in the glass,and on the plate. each orchestratedexperience fills the senses, in san francisco,at atelier crenn. [ sultry music plays ]
crenn: i always believethat food is art, our expression of the waythat we feel about food, about the world, about moments. it's a dialogue between usand the customer. my name is dominique crenn. the name of the restaurantis atelier crenn. it's named after my dad. my father was a politicianand he was a painter, too. so you can see paintingthrough the restaurant.
it's a place where i want peopleto emerge in a space that is much more thanjust coming and eat here. i think i want peopleto walk into this place without expectation. i want to pamper them,but they have to trust me. they have to trust my teamand they have to let go of whatever happenedduring their day before, just let go and justcome and enjoy it. i would say, the last course,you get a beautiful wooden box
that we make here,filled with chocolate and then on the box,it's the poem that i wrote to my fatherwhen he passed away. i think it's very powerful.i'm not just serving food. i'm also sharing a part of me. i think it's very important. i love the box and the poetry. it's pretty powerful, yeah. i'm like crying right now.[laughs]
sbrocco: all right, philippe. this restaurant has gottenso many accolades. when did you discover it? forgues: you know, i discoveredit on my 45th birthday. we were 12 and we werein the back room and i did not what to expect. i discovered an experience that i haven't hadin dining, ever. from the time that you readthe poetry on the menu,
which sets the themefor the whole evening, the utensils and the room,and especially the wines, and the food thatshe prepares is unique. and i don't thinkthat you can say that there's another restaurantin the city that is like that. it was a wonderful adventure. it was a four-hour dinner and ienjoyed every minute of it. sbrocco: elayne,what was your experience? and "experience,"of course, is the word.
klasson: it is an experience.it was just stupendous. i've never had a meal like itand i really do think it's the best meali've ever had, in my life. -forgues: wow.-poirier: wow. klasson: it was amazingand beautiful and, yet, with all that, not pretentious,which i have experienced in other michelin-starrestaurants. sbrocco: and this istwo-michelin-star. forgues: did you get a sensethat you could ask any question
and they would answerwith a smile and everything? klasson: so lovely.there was no stiffness. it was normal peoplewho love food. forgues: right.-sbrocco: ryan, start off with what you had.-poirier: we started the meal with a palate cleanserand it was a white chocolate with a gelã©e on topthat had like a liquid inside that, when you put itin your mouth, for me, i put it in my mouth,and i went, "what's going on?"
i bite into it.all over my shirt. [laughter]all over my shirt. klasson: one bite. poirier: well, i went, "oh!"everywhere. so. forgues: what partof the poem was that? poirier: that was the firstline. that was the absolute first think that we ate.-sbrocco: "and, thus he spills his --"-poirier: yeah. that and the glassof dom pã©rignon,
right at the beginningof the meal. you already knowthat set it off. forgues: yes.-poirier: and chef crenn came out, greeted us,was really friendly, and just said, you know,"welcome. it's your first time. you live in the neighborhood.that's great." pretty much buckle yourseatbelts 'cause this is a ride. there were oysters;there was fish. there was a smoked trout.-klasson: yes.
poirier: and then a roe.-forgues: and the roe. ohh! klasson: it's amazing.-poirier: it was amazing. i love smoked troutand that's the best smoked trout i've ever had,ever, in my life. klasson: i had anotherearly favorite. it was an oyster, roasted, sitting on topof some crã¨me fraã®che, sitting on top of somefermented pineapple. forgues: oh, yes.-klasson: now, why would
an oyster and a crã¨me fraã®che-poirier: pineapple brã»lã©e. klasson: and pineapple work?it's the most fabulous taste. forgues: so that's whati like about this place, is that you would never think of putting thoseingredients together. she does, you eat it, and you'rejust wowed every time. there was a wonderful tartlet that was a savoryraw cow's milk. klasson: yeah, they called ita cheese course
and it was astounding. forgues: and i think,with the mustard-seed coulis that they had,it was just sublime. poirier: it was really good.-forgues: it was very good. poirier: it was a reallynice cheese course. there was a lobster,not a bisque per se, but a couple of reallynice pieces of lobster klasson: yeah.-poirier: with this broth over it that we were --i mean, we were
holdin' the bowl and drinking.-sbrocco: yeah. poirier: and to speak to thebowl, to the utensils, to, again, to how thoughtfulthe meal was, i'm looking at my spoonand i'm going, "oh, it's wood and it looks likeit's handcarved" and, sure enough, i ask. they go, "oh, yeah, the pastrychef actually sits there and whittles our spoons-[klasson laughs] poirier: "and they getthat patina of wood."
it was that kind of careinto the full meal, is why. sbrocco: because you'repaying money. i mean, this is a veryexpensive restaurant, forgues: well...-sbrocco: for the experience. forgues: for what you get,i think it's... poirier: any restaurant,you get what you pay for. not all the time,but with this, i think you get even morethan what you pay for because dominque crenn.-forgues: it's art.
poirier: it's art.it's absolutely, absolutely. klasson: you know, i was goingto be indignant about the price because i was gonna getkind of moralistic, like "well, you could feed an africanvillage for three months," but, then, after the secondcourse, i said, "forget that!" [laughter]sbrocco: "i'm gonna enjoy it." klasson: "i am going toenjoy this." and it was, it was sucha memorable experience that you have to stop thinkingabout what it's costing.
sbrocco: and talk about --because they do beautiful wine pairings. you have choices.-forgues: oh, wow. sbrocco: you can eitherget the reserve tasting or by the glass,or the gran tasting. and anytime you startwith dom pã©rignon, nothing's wrong with that.-poirier: you already know. sbrocco: and what about dessertsand sort of the rest of those courses?-forgues: oh, my gosh. they startedwith this forest theme
and there were egg-white kind ofcandy and then, there were -- on the side, ediblebutterflies in the leaves and you just didn'twant to eat it. it was so beautiful. poirier: it came in a thingthat almost looked like a tree. the dish, alone, was beautifuland the dessert inside it, it looked like berriesthat were actually ice cream. get outta here. it was great.you won't leave hungry. as much as you'reeating these very small,
a lot of them, single bites,we were very satiated. sbrocco: all right, philippe.your spot. give us a quick summary. forgues: if you wantto treat yourself to a wonderful,holistic experience, go to atelier crenn.-sbrocco: and, ryan? poirier: i find myself readingthe poem that was the menu and trying to tie wordsto the food, for which i only have one:incredible.
sbrocco: all right.and, elayne? klasson: and it wasa night of poetry, so i wrote a haikuto express my sentiments: a night of surprises. flavors bold but ephemeral. taste earth, woods, sea. sbrocco: aww. if you would liketo try atelier crenn, it's located on filmore streetat filbert, in san francisco. the telephone number is415-440-0460.
it's open for dinner tuesdaythrough saturday. reservations are requiredand the dinner tab, per person, without drinks, is $300,service included. i have to thank my amazingguests on this week's show: ryan poirier, who satisfieshis late-night cravings with a nightcap at tosca cafã©in san francisco; and elayne klasson,who sits down to flavorful american bistro fare inlas gatos a nick's next door; and philippe forgues,
who reaches the ultimatein dining experiences at atelier crennin san francisco. now, we really want to hearabout your experiences at any of the restaurantswe've been talking about, so find us on facebookand follow us on twitter and don't forget that youcan watch any of the shows on our website, atkqed.org/checkplease. it's where you'll find linksto the restaurants â and where you'll find my notes
on the delicious wineswe're drinking today. so join us next time,when three new guests will recommendtheir favorite spots, right here on"check, please! bay area." i'm leslie sbroccoand i'll see you then. cheers, everyone.and cheers to you guys. -all: cheers.-sbrocco: cheers.
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