Welcome to this week’s roundup of the San Francisco Chronicle food section. It’s a thick one today, folks. We’ll pull out some highlights, but you’re going to have to pour yourself a couple of cups to get through the whole thing. Good luck.
There’s a big, rambling article on cutlets that provides some tasty-sounding recipes as well as an account of a German meal that made our mouth water. [Prime Cutlets]
It seems Mike Selvera, executive chef at Bar Crudo, likes to make whole, roasted fish when he entertains at home. It makes sense, we think, to want the polar opposite of what one does at work–namely serving little pieces of fish raw. Selvera, you may remember, was injured last year in a car crash while sharing a cab home with two other employees, one of whom died. [Chef’s Night In]
A Taster’s Choice column from two weeks ago stirred up some controversy when the panel’s favorite brand of frozen spinach turned out to be imported from China. E-mails are apparently pouring in not only to the Chronicle, but to Trader Joe’s, from consumers upset that they’re not getting, if not locally grown, then at least U.S.-grown spinach. [Food Conscious]
Trader Joe’s took another Taster’s Choice victory this week, with its Crinkle Wedge Potatoes. They beat out other frozen French fry brands. However, none of the countries of origin were listed. Just saying. [Taster’s Choice]
Michael Bauer was not impressed with the new menu at Mecca, which he says is “trapped in the 1980s.” [Update: New Mecca menu takes a big step back]
And finally, it seems the team lineup and redesign plans at Fifth Floor have finally settled into place, with veterans from Aqua, Cafe de la Presse, Ame and Lark Creek Inn concocting the menu and a new, no-reservations cafe planned for the front of the space. Also, Michael Bauer (we think–there is no by-line on Scoop) just can’t wait to nail this story on the sale of Myth to Ritz Carlton chef and sommelier Ron Siegel and Stephane Lacroix, but unfortunately for him, it’s still officially in the “rumor” stage. Has been for months, too. Bauer has reverted to horrible puns to pass the time. [Inside Scoop]
