StreetFood Asia is Nob Hill’s newest and most darling upcoming restaurant gossip object. They just had server training last weekend and will be having a soft opening this Thursday during the Shop n’ Stroll.

But…. their website shows NOTHING for a menu or details. I’ve got it, and you get a sneak peak. Enjoy!

StreetFood Asia Menu Page 1
StreetFood Asia Menu Page 2
StreetFood Asia “tapas” menu (2 pages)

Thanks to a (finally) nudging forward economy, people are opening their wallets just a little bit more, and that’s benefiting some restaurants – if they’ve managed to stay open so far. Holiday eating-out traffic is probably merely stable this year, but the seasonal uptick is still occurring, especially with things like celebratory meals and gift certificate purchases. All good!

Cecilia’s downtown (a gem worth seeking out, even after the fame of Guy Fieri’s show) is cranking out hundreds of tamales for holiday orders, and Buffett’s Candies is doing well because everyone loves sugar.

Economists talk about the “lipstick index”, meaning that lipstick sales do well in recessions because it is a small luxury that won’t be done without even when times are tight.

In the food business, you might call it the “chocolate factor” – everyone loves sweets and chocolates, candies, and other confections are a cheap way to have a little treat and remind yourself that the world has not gone entirely into the crapper.  And thusly Buffett’s does well, Van Rixel Brothers is cranking along with awards all over the place, and the same goes for Cocopotamus – they’ve been featured in HUGE publications like Martha Stewart and other girly-type magazines as a healthy indulgence, and Theobroma is still one of the local torchbearers of chocolate.

All hail the locally-owned producers of deliciousness!

Just released: New Mexico Culinary Treasures Trail, a list of tried-and-true spots all over the vast state.

Who knows what kind of things the state of New Mexico is up to, what with the upheaval and changeover in the executive office, and who knows if the Rail Runner will survive the likely gutting of the state budget, but, hey – at least someone is getting paid to point out the best Green Chile Cheeseburgers in the state!

OK, OK, I shouldn’t be so cranky – I just let the potential death of Rail Runner get me down again. Anything that promotes the patronage of small businesses is good, especially restaurants which sustain us, give us a place to meet with family, and fill us with a sense of community in ways that you just won’t get from indifferent chain owners.

The Culinary Treasures Trail does just that – it only highlights spots in business for over 40 years, and chose those based on tons of feedback and a research team that has a good deal of experience eating all over the state. I even got to throw my 7 cents in (when I’m offered 2 cents, I’ll typically spout a bit more…).

Local highlights include Grandma Warner’s K&I Diner, the Dog House, and (duh) Mary & Tito’s. A few that I haven’t visited in awhile popped up and made me interested in re-visiting those classics. Murphy’s Mule Barn wins with their hubcap-sized chicken fried steak, Mannie’s has the unforgettable waitress Laverne and fantastic pancakes, and Sadie’s for anything and everything with chile.

In the space of what seemed like mere minutes, I had a lovely conversation with Chef David Tanis of Berkeley’s Chez Panisse. He is not just “of” Chez Panisse, he IS Chez Panisse, crafting the daily menu at one of the most famous restaurants on earth for the past 20 years.

He will be at Bookworks on Monday signing his superlative new book and then, Pat Keene and her staff at the Artichoke Cafe will be preparing a dinner based on David’s recipes for a captive audience. If tickets are still available, snatch them up ASAP – a single meal’s ticket includes a book, so you’ll be all set to create your own dishes after the evening has concluded.

Because my interviewing style is not quite as wondrous as, say, Jon Stewart, I captured a lot of tidbits from the conversation that I hope will give you a great idea of the kind of man and chef that David is. Enjoy!

I just “ogle the vegetables” – how David loves to choose his produce for the day when visiting the farmer’s market

“I like to go from the beginning to the end” creating menus that flow from the very first bite all the way through to a simple and sweet dessert.

All I need is a “wooden spoon, cast iron pan, knife” – David’s only cooking essentials, if he were reduced to a desert island style restriction. This speaks so well to how he cooks at home – it must be meditative and fresh and something you can do with unfussy attention, perhaps while sipping wine or chatting with guests.

When you cook, “it connects you with your friends, it connects you with your community”. Essentially, by injecting your own labor into raw ingredients you are making a transformation that benefits your fellow diners as well as supporting whatever fresh vendors have supplied those ingredients – the more local, the better.

Seasonality RIGHT NOW, “here in california we are getting rain, end of season tomatoes, eggplants, great squashes and wild mushrooms”. Visit Chez Panisse this week and these are the ingredients on which the kitchen will work their magic.
What was the last meal you cooked? “A little pot of beans – on toast, just like in the book; fresh pinto beans make the best meal of all.” I’ll concur, the book’s photo of beans on toast is one of the most drool-inducing simple concepts I’ve seen in months.

Enjoy, go see David, and BUY HIS BOOK. Your cooking world will be enhanced in ways that will transcend the cover price.

It is so close to town – that little diversion over to Tijeras, then north on 14 for 3 short miles until you come to a gorgeous new building housing the Triangle Grocery.

Wine and Cheese in Cedar Crest — Taste wines and cheeses from around the world TONIGHT at the Triangle Grocery in Cedar Crest (12165 N. Hwy. 14, 281-3030). 5-7 pm.

Right next door is Greenside Cafe, the perfect place for dinner after your sips and nibbles. Jay Wulf, formerly of The Range and Standard Diner, will treat you to well-crafted entrees in the cool light of evening.