Mission Mission

[via Helen]

The first couple times I went to Hog & Rocks, the schmancy joint on 19^th and San Carlos that bills itself as San Francisco’s first ever ham and oyster bar, I skipped over the namesakes and went straight for the entrees (and cocktails, their cocktails are outstanding.) Recently I discovered I was totally missing out. I’m not an oyster enthusiast and lots of places have oysters, but the meats at this place are really something special. Each mound of prosciutto, Serrano ham, etc. is paired with something to bring out the meat’s specific flavors, from pickled grapes to mozzarella. The other night we ordered the large sampler and tasted all the current selections. Here’s some specifics:

• La Quercia prosciutto with pickled grapes: subtle and smoky, smoky like a barbeque not a chimney fire. If you’re not into salty, this is definitely the best pick.
• San Daniele prosciutto with fresh mozz: Probably the saltiest on the menu but I liked it a lot. Dry and intense, like it’s 10% of the way to becoming jerky. The mozzarella doesn’t do much except maybe cut the saltiness a little.
• G&W Hammery with pickled onions: creamy and fresh tasting. The onions were pickled in red wine vinegar like the onions on fancy burgers, which are pretty clearly great.
• Redondo Iglesias Serrano ham with sun-dried tomatoes: Another salty one, also good. Not quite as intense as the San Daniele and the tomatoes were just okay, but still a good pick.
• Broadbent’s ham with Fresno chile syrup: gross, imho. The meat was bland and chewy. The syrup was overly sugary, and it didn’t capture the orange-bell-pepper-y deliciousness that makes Fresno chiles great (see Youk’s.)

Happy ham-eating!

[photo]

Chef Anthony of MCF just called to let us know that the…

SF branch of Mission Chinese will be closing soon for our annual summer vacation, when the owners of Lung Shan go back to China. We will be closed starting May 30 and will reopen June 14. (NY will stay open, of course.)

Thanks, Anthony!

[Photos by tudorose]

One of my favorite things to do is stay in and watch Damages on Netflix Instant and get delivery from Escape from New York. Their online ordering system is just a breeze, and I love it — especially now that I know you can order knapkins:

You can also get up to eight “Party Packs” for $0.00 each, but I’ll save finding out what that means for next time.

I’d seen a banana version before I think, but this beauty was news to me. Rocky’s Frybread is basically the best frybread, whether you get the sweet (like this) or the savory (with beans and cheese and salsa and stuff).

Follow Rocky (not pictured) on Twitter or on Facebook to keep tabs on where he’ll be at. (Mostly he’s at El Rio, on the back patio.)

Dear San Francisco. I demand Hong Kong street noodles. Immediately.

Eater SF spoke with the owners about their ambitious plans for their new place, coming this fall to the corner of 20th and Harrison:

So you’re going to flesh out the menu at the new place? Yes, in fact, my dinner tonight is going to be burger testing at Pinkie’s. We’ll use their amazing burger buns. Were going to be open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. at the Mission location, and our new dinner service is going to have a lot on it besides grilled cheese.

[...]

We are going to rebuild the bar entirely. It’ll be a hyper-local beer bar. I’m friends with the guys at Brewtruc and Pacific Brew Lab, and very much in touch with the young, new artisan brewers in town.

[...]

We’re also offering espresso service for the first time. I just bought a La Marzocco espresso machine. We’re speaking to De La Paz about the beans. No one else has them in the area.

[...]

Our baking operation is going to grow. People think of us first for grilled cheese, but we do an amazing breakfast business. We make muffins in flavors like coconut pineapple and bourbon apple banana from scratch every morning. We also do blondies and cream biscuits. The flavors are always changing. Like we just did a jalapeno cheddar biscuit and one with smoked turkey and chive.

[...]

We’ll also do some sort of casual brunch.

Sounds good. Read on for lots more.

[Photo by Octavia Minor]

Anything Glob, my favorite Lower East Side blog, is pumped about MCF:

迎 簡 計 大MMIISSIIOONN CCHHIINNEESSEE FOOD NYC!迎 簡

MISSION CHINESE FOOD 100% DEEELISH.;D

You gotta gotta go, just opened!

[...]

This is the only celly pic I managed to take because I was eating everything on the menu. Try The Braised Wintermelon soup, I use to have that every morning before school. Mission makes it with spicy flavor, super yum. Also try the Tea Smoked Eel.

And they’ve got Laura Palmer on the wall? Sounds cool. Read on for more pics and more recommendations.

Smithsonian just published an interview with taco expert Jeffrey Pilcher, in which we learn all about the history of the taco, from its origins in Mexico to its immigration to the USA:

What role did the taquería play in Mexican history? Who ate there?

For a long time taquerías were in the working-class neighborhoods. Industrialization brought migrants from all over the country, and particularly women, to Mexico City because of light industry. Women brought with them their regional cooking skills. Every state, every region, every town has slightly different foods, so Mexico City was a bubbling stew where all these foods were available. People were able to sample a cosmopolitan world of dining that was not for the rich. This Mexican popular cuisine was the origin of what we think about as Mexican food.

Read on.

[via kottke.org] [Instagram by Lindsey]