Glad Tidings

Morning, Garkyfans! (It’s still morning here, I think. Maybe.) The sun is out, the humidity level has dropped to an acceptable level, and I’m about to duck out for a few days of much-needed R&R*. I can’t reveal the nature of my plans — not yet, anyway — but know that There Will Be Revelry. Revelry, sun, and lots of good food.

I’ll be back midweek, at which time you can expect a solid post. For now, enjoy this picture of a scone I just ate: I hate to say it, but this guy looked better than he tasted. On my way back from the tailor, I ducked into French Bakery (21st and Taraval), partly in accordance with my Neighborhood Exploration Initiative and partly because I was too lazy to cook anything for lunch. To my distress, the pastry selection was underwhelming: a few scones, a few muffins, some croissants, some baguettes. I went with the maple walnut scone for one simple reason: I wanted frosting.

Dry-crumbed and dusty, this scone left me unimpressed. The walnuts were bitter, and the bottom was a wee bit tough. Sickly sweet as it was, the frosting was unable to offset the other deficiencies.

Ah, well: if I hadn’t been so bleary-eyed this morning, I could have made myself something that didn’t taste like pulp. Physician, heal thyself, or something.

On that note, cheerio!

***

*Oh, god: did I really just write “R&R?” #shiiiiiit

[W]underdog: Dinner of Champs

The bratwurst on a whole-wheat bun (with horseradish mustard) + a side of tots.

Underdog (1634 Irving St.) is one of 5,000 reasons that I love San Francisco. I maintain a pretty balanced diet, but I’m also a fan of sausage — andouille, hot dogs, chorizo — you name it. What I’m not a fan of is nitrates, preservatives, and mounds of extra sodium. Enter Underdog, the friendly alternative to mass-produced sausage. Everything served here is organic, right down to the buns, sides, and condiments. Sure, “organic” doesn’t translate to “health food,” but at least I can feel good about not ingesting tons of chemicals with my meat.

Post chocolate festival, Hook and I needed some real food — you know, something besides sugar + butter. I’d been craving sausage for the better part of a week and it was a perfect evening for a walk through the park, so we chose Underdog as our dinner destination.

Hook is glad to be eating something other than chocolate.

Hook ordered the Spicy Italian and a Hot Link. I got the Bratwurst and a side of tater tots (to share). My Brat was mild-flavored and super juicy; I would have preferred more spice, but, with a large squeeze of horseradish mustard, the sausage was just about perfect. The tots were amazing: reddish-golden and crisped to perfection. Just beautiful dunked in ketchup. Organic tater tots cooked to order? Yes, San Francisco, you are the City of My Dreams.