guest post by Laszlo Thoth
photo via Travel Channel
This week’s episode of the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations” brought Anthony Bourdain to San Francisco. We’re used to seeing him paddling a canoe up an Amazon tributary or eating a roast tongue out of an African warthog’s skull so it seemed a little weird to see him in our neighborhood, but a world-class city like San Francisco has a lot to offer including the infamous cubana sandwich.
This $10 monster, “as big as Giada De Laurentiis’ head” serves two people for at least 48 hours. I stopped by the That’s It Market this Saturday afternoon, took one home, and discovered that it is all one could expect and more. Packed with ham, cheese, mayonnaise, chorizo, chicken, pickled peppers, sour cream, fried egg, milanesa, avocado, and garnished with hot dog slices it is a work of art that simultaneously appetizes and horrifies. Here’s a photo of the half that I couldn’t eat and saved for later, with a quarter on the left for scale.
photo by Laszlo Thoth
Consider washing a Cubana down with the Maple Bacon Latte that Antony tried at Pirate Cat Radio. The episode also featured the Tadich Grill, Aub Zam Zam, the House of Prime Rib, the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market, taco trucks along Oakland’s International Blvd, Sushi Sebo, R&G Lounge, Incanto, and Red’s Java House.
Here’s video of the San Francisco episode, including the Cubana and Pirate Cat Radio.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
As much as Tony has complained in the past that the bay area is filled with prissy vegetarian dilettantes, I think this show gave a good overview of great food here and a good sense of the tolerance for weirdos of all stripes that makes the bay area unique. He seemed to have a good time in spite of himself.
My favourite part is in the beginning when he is driving in his car listening to Pirate Cat Radio…except his radio is tuned into 105.3 (Live 105/KITS) to which Pirate Cat has had a long history of “not liking very much”, to put it nicely.
Funny – I noticed that about the radio station too. Unfortunately, I don’t really think he captured San Francisco very well. He seemed so bent on trashing vegetarians and hippies, that he missed a good deal of what’s wonderful about our city.