The Fumbling Foodie

La Piazza Al Forno

I have a new favorite pizzaria. La Piazza Al Forno opened in downtown Glendale three weeks ago at a spot on Glendale Avenue facing Murhpy Park.

Wood Fired Brick Oven Pizza.

Yes, there is a wood-fired brick oven in the place. You can watch them make your pizza, stoke the oven with chopped wood, and enjoy a little of downtown Glendale. La Piazza Al Forno is family-owned and family-run. They take great pride in their pizza, and they should.

Even the crust is great. Oh the crust. Thin. So tasty that I could eat it all by itself. Fresh Mozzarella. And they don't smother it in sauce.

While you are waiting for your pizza, order some stuffed shrimp. I did and they were a marvel of perfection. It's so easy to overcook shrimp but these were perfect.

La Piazza Al Forno
5803 W. Glendale Ave
Glendale, Az 85301

(623) 847-3301

La Madeleine Phoenix Lost Their Lease

I have just been informed that La Madeleine here in Phoenix on 32nd Street and Camelback has lost their lease and will be closing March 5. That's sad. The food was pretty good, the atmosphere was good, and they have the best croissants.

San Francisco Today

I am in San Francisco today attending SixApart's Business Blogging Seminar. I had some time to kill and it was getting close to lunch time. I wandered into the Ferry Terminal and browsed through the farmers market and found this unique little deli named Lulu Petite. Lunch was:

Warm salmon sandwich with preserved Meyer lemon on olive oil and fennel-cucumber remoulade on green olive and fennel sourdough.

It tasted as good as is sounds.

Eating Out vs Dining In

A Slashfood post today quotes a Reuters article that says that - at least in the UK - more money is spent on eating out than eating at home.

I don't know if the same holds true here in the US, but if it did I would be surprised.

Our experience here in the Fumbling Foodie household is exactly the opposite. Since I have begun to cook, our standards have risen. While I am no 5-star chef, most restaurant meals I've eaten in the past two years were inferior to what I can make at home. On top of that I know what is in the food I make.

As a result, while once upon a time my wife and I ate out at least once a week, we have gotten to the point where I would rather spend that same amount of money (usually much less, actually) preparing a nice meal or two myself.

Restaurant Jeanne D' Arc

Restaurant Jeane D' Arc is apparently a well kept secret. Housed in the basement of the Cornell Hotel de France, 715 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA 94108, the hotel and restaurant have been run by the same family for forty years. The decor has a medieval feel with wonderful huge wood beams, faux stonework, and beautiful plaster.

We discovered the Jeanne D' Arc entirely by accident. My wife and I were sightseeing in the neighborhood, and we noticed the menu posted outside the hotel entrance. It looked so good we had to eat there, and were glad we did.

While my wife had the Filet Mignon (Filet Mignon Sauce Forestiére), I had roast duck breast (Magret de Canard du val De Loire) because I cannot pass up duck. (The menu actually include two duck dishes, the other is Muscovy Duck Leg Confit with Red Wine and Shallot Sauce.)

The menu is a four-course, set price ($32) menu. The wine list was short but reasonable, with a nice selection of California and French wines. I really loved the atmosphere and food here and this will probably me on our must-visit list the next time we are here.

I wish we had restaurants like this in Phoenix: French, great food and atmosphere, reasonably priced, and not snooty.

Cafe Claude

We visited Cafe Claude in San Francisco for lunch. It's a little hard to find. From the south side of Bush and Grant - across the street from the Chinatown Gate - walk east (downhill) and you will come to a little alley, Claude Lane. Turn right and walk down the alley a few steps and it's on your right. Out of the way but well worth the little extra effort to find.

Being lunchtime on Saturday, I expected the place to be pretty busy, but it was quiet and we had no trouble getting seated. Carrot soup was one of the specials of the day and it was great. The bit of grated parmesian sprinkled on the top added just the right amount of zip. As a main course, my wife and I both had Saumon Provencale (almond, olive oil, fennel confit, eggplant caviar, green olive, lemon sauce). The salmon was nice and juicy and actually better than my own.

It's been a long time since I was in Paris, but the place seemed pretty authentic. Our waiter spoke with a French accent.... Actually, I take one thing back. The place was very authentic but with one exception: The staff at Cafe Claude was extremely friendly, courteous, and helpful.

Four Seas

The Four Seas, 731 Grant St in Chinatown is one place I visit every time I am in San Francisco. It is not one of those popular trendy places that appears in every guidebook, but the food is great and the prices are more than reasonable. The restaurant is up a flight of stairs on the second floor, above the street noise so it is nice and quiet.

The Pot Stickers are the best I've ever had

Cafe de la Presse

Our first meal on our San Francisco vacation was at Cafe de la Presse, located on the southeast corner of Grant and Bush - right across the street from the gate to Chinatown. This is the French area of San Francisco, with several bistros and restaurants competing for my stomach.

Today's special was cassoulet so I could not resist. It was great. I have several recipes for cassoulet so now I have something to judge them by.

Next door to Cafe de la Presse is Le Central. The menu looked great but we'll probably save it for another trip. A little farther down the street and around the corner in Claude Alley is Cafe Claude. We'll probabkly each lunch there tomorrow.