Comstock Saloon: Meh

Pigs in Biscuits with Sauerkraut

So, I've been waiting to go to Comstock for the longest time. So much so that K.yo finally gave in and went with me before we saw YACHT at Bimbo's. The interior is really cute. I love the 20's/30's Prohibition feel, but Bourbon and Branch probably hits it better. Cocktails and food-wise, Comstock was a disappointment. The drinks weren't bad, but I've definitely had better at Thermidor, Bourbon, and Gather (all three offer similar prices if not cheaper actually). My other small complaint is that they were charging $10 for a shot of Johnnie Walker Black Label. You can buy an entire bottle for $30! SIGH.

I ordered the "Pig in a Biscuit," since I figured I wouldn't go back very often and might as well try some food. The description of this dish on the menu is completely off. Firstly, it isn't just one pig. It's 3 and even 4 if you "want to share" as the waiter said. Secondly, the pork is not crispy and is merely a sausage patty. Thirdly, it's freakishly oily and not even tasty for being so fatty. Oh, this dish also comes with sauerkraut, which may actually be tastier than the pigs.

If given the choice, I probably wouldn't go back unless I'm somehow stuck in North Beach.

Comstock Saloon
155 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco

Souley Vegan--Souley DELICIOUS

Southern Fried Tofu, Mac and Cheese, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Southern Fried Tofu, Potato Salad, Black Eye Peas

Portabella Mushroom Burger and Potato Salad

Portabella Mushroom Burger and Mustard Greens
(The stuff oozing out of the burger is the Tangy Spinach.)

Apple Cobbler

Let's be honest, when people hear "vegan," they don't think tasty. And, the combination of vegan and soul food sounds even more strange. Well Special K., Tob-asco, CS, EJ, and I were pleasantly surprised last Friday, when we decided to make a Souley Vegan, Beer Revolution, and Trappist pilgrimage. We were so hungry that we didn't even think of ordering the "everything" plate, but instead all got similar orders. Here's a breakdown of some of the offerings:

• Southern Fried Tofu: HOLY CRAP THIS STUFF ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE CHICKEN. I don't know how they managed to bread and fry the tofu in such fashion, but the fried-ness tastes similar to fried chicken. Advice: share this with a friend because you kind of feel like dying after eating one piece (in a semi-good way).

• Mac and Cheese: Everyone who I've asked about vegan cheese seems to have had bad experiences. Therefore, I was a little skeptical when I ordered it, but the yelp pictures looked fucking amazing. The cheese was surprisingly cheese-like, and the dish was well-seasoned. This was probably my favorite side dish of the night.

• Mashed Potatoes and Gravy/Potato Salad: Both were not bad, but not the most amazing things I've ever had. The mashed potatoes were very creamy with a tiny bit of spice, and the potato salad was exactly what you would expect.
  

• Black Eye Peas/Mustard Greens: Both were not mine, but there were no complaints about either. Actually, I remember the greens being noms, and they made us feel slightly less terrible about ourselves.

• Portabella Mushroom Burger: This thing was huge!! I didn't get to try some of the mushroom, but I did try the "tangy spinach" on top. Holy crap, be aware that these greens are spicy. Tob-asco called it "death spinach." It wasn't bad, just a kick in the face that we weren't expecting.

• Apple Cobbler: Wait for this to cool down, before you eat it! We all nearly burned our mouths. But, it was the perfect end to a soul food meal...the cobbler, not the burning.

Oh I almost forgot to mention, the music here is amazing! Nothing like some soul jams.

Souley Vegan
301 Broadway, Oakland

Quick Summary of Beer Revolution and the Trappist (for those who are curious):

Beer Revolution: A bit divey, but has an incredibly extensive beer selection. There are refrigerator cases filled with bottles, and they have blackboards filled with on-tap options. You can apparently bring food from Souley Vegan over to eat or there's also a Tamale guy that goes around offering people...tamales.

The Trappist: I almost want to say that the mood of the place is the complete opposite of Beer Revolution. It has a cute European pub feel, and there's a front bar and a back bar. Their selection is also quite extensive, but seems less so when compared to the Bevmo beer-ness of the previous place.

Beer Revolution
464 3rd Street, Oakland

The Trappist
460 8th Street, Oakland

Diner Food That's Actually Worth It

BLT

Grilled Cheese + Tomato

Sometimes simple, inexpensive meals are the best. On Saturday night, Tob-asco and I were feeling indecisive. We knew we wanted a drink, but we also knew that we had to eat something beforehand. To save money, we settled on Claremont Diner and The Graduate. Maybe it was the fact that we weren't expecting much from a diner, but the food at Claremont really surprised us. We decided to split the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Sandwich and the BLT. Both came with salads that were actually salads, i.e. it wasn't just a bowl of lettuce; there was actually garbanzo beans, black beans, cucumbers, carrots, etc. The sandwiches were toasted to perfection (we're guessing in butter) and came with the most awesome fries and fresh fruit. The cheese was melted deliciousness and the bacon was crisp. Oh, the little things in life...

Claremont Diner
6200 Claremont Avenue, Oakland

Curry for Those in a Hurry...in the Financial District...Kind of

Was waiting in line for so long, I thought I might as well take a picture.

Don't worry, it comes with an entire container of curry!

It didn't occur to me until recently that not many people in the US know what Japanese Curry is. Then again I don't even know how it came into being. Curry does not originate from Japan and its existence in Japanese cuisine is due to western influences. Actually my mind was blown a few months ago when I found out that Katsu originates from Schnitzel. Well, both are pieces of meat that have been beat down, breaded, and fried. Those things aside, I was originally not that excited about the Japacurry food truck when I first heard about it. This was mostly due to the fact that I make it home quite often. However, I saw Kurobuta sasuage on the menu and knew that I had to check it out. I don't know what the Japanese do to their sausage, but they are quite extraordinary and definitely different from the American equivalent.

The easiest way to track the Japacurry truck is through their website. They list all of their locations for the following week on the main page. On a Wednesday, I followed them to 420 Howard. I waited in line for 25 minutes behind some videogame designers who were discussing blocking and weapons. Was the wait worth it? For the most part, but I realized that my foodie-ness might be getting out of hand. The spicy curry is actually spicy, which was a surprise because the Japanese usually don't do spicy. That being said, don't expect it to burn your mouth off. The sausage was alright, but nothing new, since I used to eat them in Japan all the time. If you have never had Japanese curry and are too lazy to make it at home, then this is definitely worth it. It's only $8 and is surprisingly filling. If you really get into it, then try making it at home cuz it's a cinch. At most grocery stores, you can find packages of Japanese curry. Upon opening, it looks like a chocolate bar. All you do is add water, veggies, meat (if that's your thing), and voila! There are also entirely from scratch recipes online.

Japacurry, San Francisco
http://www.japacurry.com/