I lunched at San Francisco’s Scala’s Bistro last week and what was supposed to be a get together with a friend over a sandwich and a salad turned into a few gourmet-style meals in the middle of the day in the city’s Union Square.
Located inside the landmark Sir Francis Drake Hotel, facing the Powell Street cable car line, and steps away from Union Square, Scala’s is as they say, “very San Francisco.” They use fresh local ingredients and it shows in its taste and presentation thanks to chefs Jen Biesty and Tim Nugent.
On the must try starter list is the Roasted Beet with grapefruit, grilled fennel, orange blossom vinaigrette, pecorino, mustard greens, filberts, the Coastal Greens with pomegranates, salt roasted almonds, balsamic honey vinaigrette and Prosciutto with prosecco macerated pear, watercress, pistachio, vincotto and fennel pollen.
For pastas, there’s a yummy Pappardelle with pork sugo, aromatics, tomato, swiss chard, marjoram and parmigiano, the Ricotta Herb Gnocchi with white shrimp, kohlrabi, olives, lobster buerre monte, basil and cambrian chili oil and Farro Spaghetti with roasted cauliflower, anchovy, lemon, parsley, chili flake, evoo and bread crumbs.
Main course recommendations include the Black Cod (above) with caramelized cauliflower gremolata, black rice, carrot beurre monte, garlic chips and capers, the Loch Duart Salmon with celery root-potato gratin, truffle vinaigrette, chive buerre blanc, lovage and smoked olive, the Chicken Cacciatore with tomato, crimini mushrooms, porcini, capers, sherry wine , buttery pappardelle noodles, the Porchetta with artichoke hearts, cipollini onion, roasted butterball potatoes, red mustard greens and salsa verde and there’s also a 12 oz. Ribeye Steak served with bacon creamed mustard greens and beer battered onion rings.
Below is the main chicken dish.
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Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
