Bar Jules - Chef Jessica Boncutter’s Cali-French Bistro

Culinary travelers believe me when I tell you that you’ll want to remember this name: Jessica Boncutter. A veteran of London’s fabled River Café (as is famous River Cafe alum Jamie Oliver), Boncutter cut her culinary teeth at the age of 19 when she began cooking for Judy Rodgers in San Francisco’s quintessential Californian eatery, Zuni Café.

Her new endeavour, Bar Jules, has just been named as one of Bon Appetit magazine’s “Top Ten New Restaurants” so when we make our way over there for lunch one mid-week day, we know we’re in for something special.
Located in San Francisco’s funky Hayes Valley neighbourhood, Bar Jules is a pretty, jewel-toned boîte that prides itself on offering seasonal, local fare including sustainable proteins. Menu options change daily, are well honed and offered up on two blackboards in the 38 seat dining room. Oh and the name? Boncutter named her bistro after her doggy, Jules. Bien sûr!

Since we arrived in San Francisco, Mario has been on the prowl for the perfect burger and we figure with Boncutter’s pedigree, we’ve got a good chance we’re going to find it at here. And lucky us, because that day, we see that a Marin Sun Farms beef burger is on the menu with a “little salad” served on the side. Would monsieur like some Gruyere cheese melted on top of that? Why, yes, he would!

Sandwiched in between two grilled, crusty pieces of local Acme Bakery’s “Levain” bread, one bite tells us that this is no average-joe bistro burger. “This has to be grass fed beef!” I exclaim to Mario who nods in agreement. The depth of flavour, the deep, intense meatiness of it all boldly proclaims- beef the way it’s meant to taste. I ask our efficient server who replies, “Yes! All of Marin Sun Farm’s beef is grass fed from start to finish.” And their sustainable practices also help make them a San Francisco restaurant industry favourite. Lucky, lucky diners!

I order the preserved albacore tuna sandwich with piquillo peppers, anchovy, arugula and hard cooked egg. Fresh and summery- it’s the perfect sandwich for a sunny day. But still, I find myself looking over at Mario and his juicy burger from time to time longingly- and I don’t even eat much red meat! Maybe if the beef I did eat was grass fed I would eat a bit more. That bite brought back memories of my South American childhood ensconced in two rustic pieces of bread. That alone is worth the trip to Bar Jules anytime!

Saying Si to CONTIGO in San Francisco

San Franciscans are a blessed lot. Surrounded by the fertile lands of Sonoma, Napa and every valley in between, the denizens of this city have year-round access to fresh produce of every stripe that would make any food lover kale-green with envy. So when I heard that there was a Catalan-style restaurant called Contigo (with you in Spanish) on the edge of Noe Valley serving up pintxos (aka tapas) using local produce, I said Si in a hurry!
I was joined by Mario (my husband), and locals/good pals Robyn and Maricar. Our four-top meant we were enough to order a variety of things from the well-composed menu and not get overly-stuffed. We started with the Lomo Iberico de Bellota “Pata Negra” – Spain’s famous acorn-fed, black hoofed pigs. We were served slivers of pork loin (hence the lomo part of the description) that are paprika-rubbed lending a mysterious, smokey note that we all liked. We opted for some Pa Amb Tomaquet- Catalan’s favourite snack: toasted bread with tomato pulp and olive oil to accompany our starter as well as a glass of 2009 Bizkaiko Txakolina – a fresh white that’s hard to find in Toronto.
The Txakoli wine was the perfect match for our local calamars a la planxa- flat top grilled calamari with Spanish padrón peppers and a swipe of Romesco sauce. This was by far my favourite dish of the night. Clean, simple and bursting with flavour- my kind of eating! A roasted beet, garlic chip, mint and greens salad dressed with an aged sherry vinagreta served as a side, as did a plate of Catalan-style sautéed chard with roasted almonds, golden raisins and garlic. Everyone wanted to sample the wood oven roasted local sardine and avocado toasts, so we ordered some and devoured the two-bite morsels. Topped with picked red onion rounds, this was creamy, rich and fresh.
Cali-Spanish? You bet! I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the two “postres” or desserts we inhaled. Chocolate Caliente- or hot chocolate at Contigo is rich and thick like I’ve enjoyed in Barcelona. On its own, it’s dessert-worthy but we up the ante by ordering them with churros (the breakfast of choice in Spain- my kinda country!). And we spot a house-made “helado” (ice cream) infused with none other than the city’s fabled Blue Bottle coffee- so we grab some of that too, topped with a warm chocolate sauce that will never be forgotten and a lengua de gato cookie (like a thick tuile). I still hanker for some of that helado smothered in that opulent chocolate sauce. It was more like a warm, sexy ganache from the right side of the tracks- good looking and dressed to kill. Sigh…
On a Thursday night at 8pm, Contigo was jam-packed. Locals in this town appreciate the changing roster of edible jewels whose provenance you can discern on the back of the menu. Area farmers, ranchers, fishermen, dairy producers and artisanal craftspeople all get a shout out. Owners Brett Emerson and Elan Drucker have created what they call a “Love letter to Barcelona.” Whimsical, intriguing and well-designed, Contigo can induce a Spanish crush on even the most jaded, big-city diner!

TIP: Call ahead for reservations- this place is popular with good reason!

Scooping Up San Francisco

Rain, fog or shine, San Franciscans appreciate a good scoop. No matter what the unpredictable San Franciscan weather may bring, this city’s citizens will patiently wait in a half hour plus line up for a lick of their favourite ice cream.
The Mission district seems to have the ice cream market all scooped up. Down the block from Tartine, Bi-Rite Creamery has been creating premium gourmet flavours using local Straus Family Farms’ milk and local organic ingredients in every ice cream. At least half a dozen people- both locals and travelers, tell me the “can’t miss” flavour here is salted caramel. I do a little sleuthing of my own and stumble upon ice cream guru and pastry chef David Lebovitz’s blog where he extols the virtues of Bi-Rite’s Mint Chip, informing me that organic mint oil and quality chocolate shards go into every batch.
It’s decided, Mario and I order one of each. We walk straight in and order at 11:05am. This is important to note only because the shop opens at 11am and there’s an almost perpetual lineup outside the door at all times, except at the very start of the day. I know, it’s a little early for ice cream, but we’re here to taste test the best and if that means taking one for the team, then we’re game.
Mario b-lines it for the salted caramel, I grab the mint chip and we sit down to compare flavours. Mario’s has the OMG factor- intense, caramelized sugar, perfectly creamy and balanced thanks to the salt. The Mint Chip is the embodiment of a good mint chip, but compared to the salted caramel, the flavour pales in comparison.
Out of journalistic integrity, I ask the affable chap behind the counter if I can try a teaspoonful of the summer-only flavour Balsamic Strawberry and the intriguingly named Ricanela. The strawberry is deft and subtle, but it’s the Ricanela- with its soft cinnamon notes and Mexican horchata (a rice and almond milk beverage) flavour swirled with flecks of Snickerdoodle candy that captures our taste buds. It’s like a Mexican birthday cake in every lick- si por favor!
Several blocks away, pastry chef Jake Godby can be found whipping up a variety of wild and wonderful flavours at his Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream shop. His simple royal blue and white shop with its fantastical double-headed cow logo has recently been written up in the New York Times for its more adult-focused flavours. Boccalone Prosciutto ice cream, Thai Chili Lime sorbet, and “Secret Breakfast” (Bourbon and corn flakes) are some of the unique flavours on offer.
We sit down to a scoop of Secret Breakfast, McEvoy Olive Oil, and Honey and Thyme ice cream. Next to us are two Manhattanites who find themselves in the largely Mexican Mission neighbourhood with brimming bowls of whimsical flavours. I ask them how they’re enjoying their scoops, “This is really very good quality ice cream,” says the lady in question who adds, “we get just about everything in New York City but we don’t quite have ice cream like this!” Her husband nods in agreement.
The hands-down favourite in our bowls is the Secret Breakfast- the bourbon adding a sophisticated, toffee like backdrop to the cornflake crunch ensconced in a creamy cloud. Humphry Slocombe’s ice cream can also be enjoyed in a Blue Bottle Affogato (espresso with a scoop of ice cream) at the Ferry Market Plaza Building and at Contigo in Noe Valley where the flavour is Blue Bottle Ice Cream served with a hot chocolate ganache and a crisp tuille. Good thing there are enough steep streets to keep the cardio levels up and the ice cream quotient in check!