By David Landis, The Gay Gourmet—
(Note to readers: with my last column, we skipped my “Bits and Bites” section, so we’re making up for lost time with a full feature devoted to an expanded “Bits and Bites” this time. Enjoy!)
A new Everett & Jones Barbecue restaurant opens this summer at the Graton Resort & Casino in Rohnert Park. Everett and Jones started in Oakland with their first location at 92nd Avenue. In 1974, Everett and Jones opened a second restaurant on the corner of University and San Pablo Avenues in Berkeley, and a third opened in 1975. Popular dishes include chicken, pork ribs, beef links, beef brisket with side dishes, mac & cheese, BBQ beans, potato salad, and green beans.
The newly renovated Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience Store has opened at Ghirardelli Square. Designed by Bay Area-based firm Eight Inc.—responsible for iconic Apple stores—the reimagined space honors Ghirardelli’s 170-year heritage while showcasing what’s made the Chocolate Experience Store a must-see San Francisco destination for decades. It includes: handmade hot fudge, the world’s biggest chocolate square pick & mix, and terrific views of Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the surrounding bay.
Cochon 555’s Heritage Fire, a live-fire culinary event celebrating sustainably sourced proteins and produce, returns to Napa this summer on Sunday, August 21. An all-star cast of top Napa + Bay Area chefs will be dishing up crave-worthy culinary creations showcasing a variety of products from DemKota Ranch Beef, including whole pigs, lamb, goat, squab, rabbit, duck, fish, chicken, artisan cheeses, and heirloom vegetables. It is hosted at Charles Krug Winery andguests can expect a beautiful, open-air event featuring the surrounding vineyards as a backdrop for this live-fire feast.Tickets are now on sale.
San Francisco’s Hotel VIA and 25 Lusk have teamed up with Alexis and Hunter Pence and their Pineapple Labs coffee and lifestyle brand. The boutique hotel and the SOMA restaurant are the first to enter into hospitality partnerships with Pineapple Labs. Guests at both properties will now enjoy Pineapple Labs’ ethically sourced coffee.
National S’Mores Day is August 10, so keep in mind Dandies Marshmallows, a premium, plant-based take on the century-old campfire confection. Losing all the traditional ingredients found in conventional counterparts but keeping the sweet and gooey goodness and fluffy texture, these 100% vegan marshmallows contain no artificial flavors or colors, no corn syrup, no gelatin, and no gluten. Made with high-quality, clean ingredients like real vanilla and vegan cane sugar, they’re also kosher, Non-GMO Project Verified, and free of the common allergens like wheat, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, and tree nuts. Plus, they’re tasty, too!
Burabo (that’s Japanese for bravo)! According to a recent Apartment Guide survey, San Francisco is #1 for sushi. Yup, we even beat LA and Honolulu! #2 and #3 cities, respectively, are: Miami and Orlando.
SEÑOR SISIG, a Filipino fusion Bay Area hotspot, founded 11 years ago by childhood friends Evan Kidera and Gil Payumo, is set to open in San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace this summer, marking their third brick-and-mortar location.
Som Sleep, the first of its kind sleep drink, aims to help people sleep better. Research has shown that LGBTQ+ people have poorer sleep health than cisgender and heterosexual people due to higher levels of stress. Drug-free and non-habit forming, Som Sleep is the first of its kind sleep drink engineered to help you fall asleep fast and sleep better throughout the night. The science-backed formula uses active ingredients, including Melatonin, Magnesium, and Vitamin B6. Som Sleep is vegan and preservative-free, tastes delicious, and is available in Original and Zero Sugar.
Finally, a tribute to a mentor of mine, my dear Uncle Paul Landis. Like Auntie Mame, he showed me a bigger world beyond my Midwestern upbringing. He was the first person I travelled with to Italy and his love of food was legendary. He passed away before the pandemic, but our family just had a celebration of his life in Anchorage to honor him. My plane flight got cancelled, so unfortunately, I didn’t make it. His guiding motto? “With a smile in your heart and a ‘yetthir’ on your lips—wherever you go, whatever you do, don’t walk—dance!” To honor him, I’m sharing with my dear readers his beloved clam chowder recipe, below.
Uncle Paul’s Hearty Clam Chowder
Guaranteed to satisfy the most voracious appetite. A meal unto itself, served with nothing but good friends and warm, home-made bread.
l/4 to l/2 pound bacon, chopped fine
4 green onions, tops and all, chopped
5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced in l/2 inch cubes
l/2 chopped green pepper
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1 and l/2 carrots, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, mashed or minced
2 or 3 cups clam nectar
1 teaspoon salt
l/2 teaspoon pepper (black or white)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion chopped fine
4–6 drops liquid hot pepper seasoning (like Tabasco)
2 cups chopped or ground clams with nectar
1 pint half and half
l/2 pint (or more) sour cream (this is the secret ingredient)
In a large heavy kettle, sauté bacon until crisp. Add green onions, green peppers, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté further until vegetables are half-cooked, but still firm. Pour in nectar, add potatoes and season with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid hot pepper (Tabasco). Cover pot and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
In a separate pan, heat clams in their own nectar for 3 minutes or until tender. Add clams to vegetable mixture. Whip sour cream in mixing bowl, add broth a little at a time, and whisk. Pour in half and half as well as sour cream to the chowder. Heat and serve piping hot!
Graton Resort & Casino: https://www.gratonresortcasino.com/
Everett & Jones: https://eandjbbq.com/
Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience Store: https://tinyurl.com/28bwfeam
Cochon 555 Heritage Fire: https://heritagefiretour.com/napa/
Hotel Via: https://www.hotelviasf.com/
25 Lusk: https://www.25lusk.com/
Pineapple Labs: https://thepineapplelabs.com/
Dandies Marshmallows: https://dandies.com/
Apartment Guide’s Best Cities for Sushi: https://tinyurl.com/yck2hra4
Senor Sisig: https://www.senorsisig.com/
Ferry Building Marketplace: https://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/
Som Sleep: https://getsom.com/
David Landis, aka “The Gay Gourmet,” is a foodie, a freelance writer and a retired PR maven. Follow him on Instagram @GayGourmetSF or email him at: davidlandissf@gmail.com Or visit him online at: www.gaygourmetsf.com
Published on July 14, 2022
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