Happy Trails, Part 1 San Francisco is full of culinary delights

Sorry I have been away for so long!

I was visiting friends and wine shopping in Sonoma, Calif., where I once lived. My wife and I started out in San Francisco for two nights and then headed to Sonoma for a four-night stay. There is a lot to cover here so I will have to write about the trip in two entries.

San Francisco –– what a food lover’s paradise. There are so many food options everywhere you look.

My favorite spot is the Ferry Building in the Embarcadero area. It sits right on the bay and offers a good selection of restaurants and shops to buy meat, vegetables, bread and other culinary related items.

My wife and I always start out by having lunch at Hog Island Oyster Company. This time, we were able to sit outside due to the unusually warm weather. We started off by ordering two-dozen Kumamoto oysters on the half shell. These are by far my favorite oysters; they are small, crisp and sweet. These oysters come from Tomales Bay, which is about 40 miles north of San Francisco. They are so fresh, and I have never found a better option. Believe me, once you’ve had these, you won’t want to eat any other oyster.

After we consumed the two-dozen on the half shell, we ordered two baked varieties. The first was Harissa, which is a spicy sauce made from chiles, garlic, cumin, coriander and olive oil. The second order was prepared Bagna Cauda, which is a sauce made with olive oil, butter, garlic and anchovy. Although very tasty, these proved to be not as good as the last time we visited. I just prefer the traditional Casino and Rockefeller style they have served in the past.

Hog Island is a very busy restaurant, and there is almost always a wait for a table, but they will pour wine or beer while you wait, and it is definitely worth the wait.

If you are ever in San Francisco, I highly recommend that you go to Hog Island for lunch and then spend the rest of the afternoon just walking through the Ferry Building. There is so much to see: fresh fish, meats, a caviar tasting room, you name it. If it has to do with food, you will find it here. I can literally spend two days in the building.

When you’ve finished strolling through this historic building, stop off at the Slanted Door, also located in the Ferry Building. This renowned restaurant is very difficult to get in. They book reservations two months in advance, and usually fill up fast, but you can sample some of their delicious offerings by taking a seat at the bar. They offer very creative and delicious cocktails, and the appetizers are stellar.

If you are lucky enough to be in San Francisco on a Saturday, the Ferry Building hosts one of the largest farmers market I have ever seen in the United States. There are vendors selling breakfast sandwiches, sausages, traditional Mexican cuisine and many other kinds of prepared food.

Of course, no farmers market would be complete without fresh produce, and it is abundant here. Fresh vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, herbs, floral bouquets and homemade canned goods, just to mention a few of the stands we visited. Many of the residents of San Francisco attend the market to get their weekly produce, and what better way then right from the grower? The freshness of these products is apparent.

We decided to have a late breakfast at the market and chose the Mexican option. I ordered the chilaquiles. Crisp tortilla chips sautéed with chili sauce and chorizo usually served with sour cream and eggs. It was amazing. My wife opted for the tamale filled with swiss chard, toasted pumpkin seed pesto and cheese. It was equally as good. They also offered fresh fruit puréed beverages. I had the raspberry lemonade, and my wife had the cantaloupe/cucumber drink. Both were delicious.

This proved to be a great start to the day, as we had tickets to see the Chicago Cubs go up against the San Francisco Giants that afternoon. Now I would really be missing something if I didn’t tell you about the food at the AT&T Park. Have you ever had sushi at a baseball game? Well, you can here. Of course, they offer the traditional hot dog or Italian sausage sandwich, but pair that with an order of garlic fries and wash it down with an Anchor Steam and you’ve really got something good!

Next week I will treat you to Sonoma.

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by Ryan Borchelt

Sushi in the City Check out Indy’s newest hot spots for the Japanese staple

Hello again readers!

Today I want to initiate some discussion about sushi in our city.

I have a few places that I really like, and I like them for different reasons. Now I am not an expert on sushi, but I do know what I like. I enjoy sushi for its untainted pureness, its ability to shine on its own with just the classic accompaniments, soy sauce and wasabi.

One of the newest sushi places to enter the market is Miyagi’s near 96th Street and Keystone Avenue. I love this place for the atmosphere, the innovativeness of their menu and the drop-dead gorgeous space. I would classify the very unique Miyagi’s as “Japanese fusion.” If you haven’t been there, go check it out; you won’t be disappointed.

The next place on my list –– Buda Lounge –– is also new and has a great location downtown at 429 Massachusetts Ave. This place just screams big-city cool! If you don’t mind cigar smoke (it is also a cigar bar … I know, a strange combination), I also suggest this place. It offers some really good rolls and interesting appetizers as well. My wife and I tried the edamame both salty and spicy. Unless you really like a lot of heat and don’t mind getting messy, I recommend you stick with the traditional salty edamame. That is my personal preference, but when offered spicy we thought it sounded interesting and worth a try.

The only complaint I have about these two great dining places is the sushi rolls are so large that one can’t possibly eat a whole piece in one bite. This causes a problem because in most Japanese restaurants you are eating with chopsticks.

Needless to say, I ask for a fork and knife so I can cut my pieces in two.

Unfortunately, this process usually makes for a messy bite, and you aren’t sampling all the flavors at the same time, which I feel is essential in sushi.

Now for Tegry Bistro in the Traders Point shopping center on the northwest side. Their rolls are not too large and are a perfect bite size. They are easily managed with chopsticks and full of fresh flavors. Fresh cilantro, asparagus and avocado, and they don’t seem to be overshadowed by all the mayonnaise-based sauces we are beginning to see on sushi in this town. The sushi rolls they offer are simply just good, clean flavors.

So, although I love sushi, I don’t think I’m really excited about all the new Americanized interpretations of this reverent Japanese tradition.

What are your thoughts?

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by Ryan Borchelt

Three Strikes...Despite flaws, local restaurant still not out Restaurant Review

The Canterbury

I now submit my first restaurant review.

My wife and I have season tickets to the Colts. We like to get down to the game early to avoid traffic. We usually allow about two hours before game time to have lunch or dinner downtown. We went to the Canterbury hotel last year before an afternoon game and had a great experience.

I highly recommend their hamburger and fries for brunch.

Yes, I said it, a hamburger.

I know you probably don’t think of the Canterbury when thinking about hamburgers, but they do it really well. The bun was soft, the meat juicy and cooked perfectly to order, the fries were hot and crispy, and the service was great. They offer an excellent cocktail service as well. We often stop in when downtown for a nightcap.

The bar is cozy and friendly.

This year before the last preseason game against Minnesota we decided to try the Canterbury again, although this time it was a night game. Much to my disappointment, our dinner experience was highly different from our brunch experience.

Devour Downtown




Top: Butter Lettuce
Bottom: Spring Mix

Devour Downtown was going on, an event where participating restaurants offer three courses for $30. I don’t like to be told what to eat unless I am at the French Laundry or the restaurant of any other known, proven chef. So we ordered off the regular menu. We decided on sharing the Apple Tart salad, a salad of butter lettuces, Granny Smith apples, gorgonzola and candied pecans. It sounded delicious.

I also ordered the veal piccata, and my wife ordered the salmon with shitake mushrooms. The server brought out the salad... no butter lettuce; spring mix instead. Yes, a butter lettuce salad without butter lettuce! This may not sound like a big deal, but trust me: The salad would have excelled if made properly, and spring mix just didn’t hold up.

When I pointed out to the server that the salad was not as described on the menu, he said they were concentrating on the Devour Downtown menu. I can understand this; people make mistakes; restaurants run out of product; but then he seriously asked me, "What do you want me to do about it?"

My reply: "What I want is for you to ask the kitchen if they made a mistake or are they out of butter lettuce."

He proceeded to the kitchen and returned, saying they were out of butter lettuce. Where was the heads-up from the kitchen to the server?

I let it go, ate the salad and patiently awaited my entrée. Now people, a veal picatta is made from veal escalope. Escalope is the French term for a very thin, usually flattened, slice of meat, requiring only a few seconds of sautéing on both sides. Additionally, the sauce is made from the pan drippings and a lovely hint of citrus, lemon specifically.

Instead what I received is what I am certain is not veal at all but pork tenderloin. The tenderloin had been pan-seared and then cut into fairly large size medallions. Not pounded, not thin, not lemony and definitely not light and delicious.

My wife’s dish comes out with not one shitake mushroom. I can understand one thing wrong, but come on: three errors on three dishes? This is nearly unforgivable.

We paid our bill and went to the game. I will continue to highly recommend the Canterbury for brunch on Sunday, for the ambience and the great burger.

But for dinner, on the other hand, I will keep searching for my favorite evening pre-game spot.

When I find it, you will hear about it!

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by Ryan Borchelt

Can It! Sustainable method is easy way to eat fresh

Now we can talk about food, and this entry is about canning. For all of you gardeners out there, you know that when the tomatoes and cucumbers come ripe they come in a fashion where one household can’t possibly consume the entire crop.

This is when that old tradition that our grandparents and grandparents before them used to do on a regular basis: canning. You can have fresh garden salsa, pickles, tomato chutneys and tomato sauce well into the winter months by using the almost-lost technique of canning.

It is not very easy to get the equipment as I found out earlier this week. I went to four different stores looking for a canning presser cooker and came up empty, so I instead used a very large stock pot that worked well. I’m happy to say I have six jars of pickle relish, seven jars of various pickles, four jars of tomato chutney and four jars of salsa.

This is only the first harvest from the garden, and we still have plenty of tomatoes for everyday eating. All of this took me about two and half hours. Now, yes, I am a chef, so add an hour for you. This may seem like a lot of time for everyone’s already busy schedule but what better way to spend a rainy Saturday? You can still see your TV show or sporting event, and you can even pop a bottle of wine.

The point is, this sustainable food is in, and if you don’t have a garden or the time then pop down to your local farmers market and get your produce. If you don’t know how to make salsa, look it up on the Internet, which I know you know how to use because you are reading my blog.

Here are some photos of my winter stockpile. Until next week...




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by Ryan Borchelt

Welcome! New blog introduces readers to local food and tasty recipes

Ryan Borchelt


Biaggi’s

My name is Ryan Borchelt, and I am a chef.

I earned my culinary degree at the Disney Culinary Academy, where I also had the valuable experience of working in some of the most routinely busy restaurants in the United States, providing excellent meals to sold-out crowds on a daily basis. When I left Orlando, I traveled to London and worked in restaurants there, continuing to sharpen my skills. I returned to my hometown, Fort Wayne, and worked in the restaurant chain Biaggi’s.

When I concluded my work with Biaggi’s, I joined a longtime friend to be Co-Executive Chef at the Plaza Bistro in Sonoma, Calif.

photos of Plaza Bistro:

Living in wine country was quite a privilege, and it is a fantastic place to hone one’s skills. Fresh produce is abundant!

I am currently the owner/operator of Exclusive Chef. I cook for individuals hosting small dinner parties in their homes. I also offer weekly meal plans. I try to buy local produce and proteins when they are available. I also use herbs and vegetables from my own garden. I give my clients a restaurant experience in the comfort of their own home.

Picture this: two appetizers and a four-course meal, all served to you, while you entertain your guests, by a professional server. Then when you are ready to retire, you have a clean kitchen! You can choose and open your own bottles of wine without experiencing the typical markup found in restaurants. If you haven’t had the experience, it is special and is also a thoughtful gift.

I am starting this blog so that I can give advice to you, the reader, on where to dine, where to shop, suggest new and interesting recipes, and all the while keeping things seasonal. I will even post recipes with pictures of the finished product. I think the end result is to help Indianapolis get more food savvy, one reader at a time.

Now that you know who I am, next week we can start talking about food.

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by Ryan Borchelt