minimize expecations
Molly’s at the Market (New Orleans 08/19)
I’m not a yelper. You won’t find me taking pictures of my food out at a fine meal. I will be taking those minutes to drink in the beauty, smell and artwork the chef has put to plate and that could be over a duck confit or a line-up of truck tacos. I have transformed from the little girl who needed everything separate on her plate and only wanted mac-n-cheese, to the one who tries the sauce on each special part of the dish. This being said in order to translate the beauty of the SF experience I might need to up my food photography game. I am not a photographer so minimize your expectations of my photos and maximize the weight of my words about the experience itself.
When it comes to dining out and sharing my favorite hidden gems, I am not a food reviewer (circle back to the opening sentence but I don’t think they really qualify either). While I think I have an experience worthy of reviewing food, my intention is solely to share our experience. And while we will certainly share our must haves we will likely skip the comments about what fell flat because a lifetime of work in the service industry has given us the grace of knowing that sometimes the kitchen sends a sloppy plate or your server is having a bad day and it doesn’t deserve to live in infamy on the inter-web by some nobody drunk with reviewing power.
My love of dining is only eclipsed by my love of cooking and with three kids that has become complicated. My need to always be cooking and eating something different is not exactly what my kids would like to see on their plate every night. At the table we navigate their strong voices and need for independence against our intuition to make sure they are fed good nutritious food which is a constant challenge. I will share recipes and give them a kids score. Sometimes things hit and sometimes it’s a struggle but I will be candid with the length of time the dish takes and how it was received by the children as well as the adults.
I am not a professional chef but an avid and passionate one. Minimize your expectations from Food & Wine magazine to Food & Whine Blog: a super delicious family meal at a friends house. I will write my recipes with the simplicity and minimalism that I like to see when reading them. I will also assume certain understood basics of cooking so we can skip the ka-jillion photos of what chopped onions and pans with oil look like. Again I am not a photographer so I will explain with detail and try with photos only when needed. This is my first venture sharing my food which is always an adapted version of other peoples food so credit will be given where it’s due. The greatest discovery for me is that dish that you can fix and forget, or throw together quickly and gets gobbled up without the need for negotiation from the judgey little people.
Our passion for food translates to wine and cocktails as well. Both my husband Will and I have spent much of our careers behind the bar and in the hospitality industry. That’s where we met, over a bar, on a Sunday evening, in the fall of 2009, me a drunk and hungry customer and him a charming talented bartender. Three kids later… I currently work for a wine and spirits distributor and he runs two historic restaurants in downtown San Francisco. We love to create cocktails and drink the likes of our many talented SF barologists*. I will happily share those experiences and drink recipes. You can upgrade your expectations in this arena. Being this is our profession… our cocktails are on point.
*Bar-olo-gist - def. Person who works behind the bar and cultivates the bar experience both through their drinks AND conversation.
Having lived in San Francisco now the last 22 years I know the city, culture, industry life well and hope to share local special places to support. Our city needs our support more than ever with famous and infamous bars and restaurants closing daily due to Covid-19. My hope would be that someone visiting the city or out for a city walk could use these suggestions to have a mighty fine day. City walks are some of my favorite things to do and can make a lovely adult Sunday funday or just a great weekday field trip for the kiddos. It is so important for us to shop local at this time. While Bezos is making his $2400 a second, our unique storefronts are clearing their shelves one by one. Supporting SF small business owners is paramount to this city rebounding from the effects of this last year. I will try to share their stories and talents whenever possible.
And with my roots in New Orleans I will eventually share my favorites from The Big Easy as well. I am constantly asked about the best places to visit and will share some of our favorite places for food and drink. With all of my foodie family on the ground in Louisiana I can keep a pretty solid update going from this sister city. This will be something to look forward to down the road when I have a solid amount of SF content and can travel again. I can’t wait!
My hope with this space is to share things that bring us joy, fun and substance in San Francisco and beyond. That our experience can lead to good times, great conversation and delicious libations for you and your family. I want to keep the format simple because who has time for all that extra crap on these blogs. I need that time back to enjoy the little things with my littles and so do you.
Laissez le bon temps rouler! Let the good times roll
~Melanie Herrera @lacajunmexican
