We went to Calgary as guests of Canada beef industry leaders. Since my sister Bels is in Vancouver, I decided to fly there before heading to Calgary to shed off some jet lag and discover food places.
Our first meal was in a place her son Toby discovered, Donair Dude on Davie Street. It boasted authentic and outstanding Middle Eastern sandwiches. It offered a choice of beef, chicken or lamb. Pita bread was used and with the stuffing, one could have chopped veggies, chili sauce, banana peppers, humus and other choices. Wrapped tightly, the sandwich is placed in panini grill.
The sandwich was crunchy. After the first bite, the meat flavors surfaced, the spice making my nose perspire.
With a sip of ginger ale, my eyes watered. Everything was satisfying.
The next day, my sister took me to a vegetarian restaurant, where I had ground veggie chicken over fried noodles, the whole thing wrapped in huge iceberg lettuce leaves. Delicious and healthy.
My taping in Calgary was another story. Canada beef is superior beef. I will tell you all about it on my TV show, “Food Prints.”
House of Prime Rib
After Canada, I flew to San Francisco. There, my sister, Mariles, took me to my favorite restaurant, The House Of Prime Rib on Van Ness Avenue.
As usual the place was packed. My appetite nowadays is not as hearty as before, but in this San Francisco place, it would revert to its old form. So I ordered the largest cut on the menu: the King Henry cut!
We were given the standard salad but I refused to touch anything, not even the delicious bread. The first thing that had to enter my mouth was the medium-cooked, prime-grade roast beef.
On the side of my plate were creamed spinach, an unhealthy but deliciously crisp and chewy Yorkshire pudding (the bread was made with roast beef drippings) and a baked potato with everything—sour cream, chives, bacon and salted butter.
I mashed and mixed everything. The beef was juicy, meaty and tender; the taste was outstanding.
I also went to PPQ Vietnamese restaurant, which served delicious crabs comparable to Thanh Long on Juddah Street.
My brother-in-law, Henry, placed the superior Vietnamese rice in the crab shell to get all the flavors and fat; he used the shell as a plate. I wanted to grab it.
I saw fellow foodies, Cris and Mike Lopez, in the same place. Indeed, PPQ was the new “in” place in San Francisco.
I also tried the delicious sandwiches of Teani’s Italian Deli. The place is owned by the original owner of Little Lucca, the sandwich place I frequented when I was living in SF.
My favorite at Teani’s was the crab sandwich with its special sauce, onions and lettuce on Dutch crunch bread.
On my last night, Mariles took me to Boiling Crab in San José where we had delicious fried oysters, super sarap fried chicken wings, spicy mussels and shrimp and king crabs.
I will hold a Japan food tour in October and November. Those interested may e-mail sandydaza@yahoo.ca.