Mission Chinese Food

Food Politics

2011-04-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

We wrote a book about food. It’s more about the taste of food than the politics of food, but the process made us think hard about our values, and we decided to donate a portion of our book sales to food activism. We still believe in the importance of consumer choices, like buying locally, but food policy in this country is so messed up that we need a more direct and systemic approach--especially now, when Congress is preparing to work on the 2012 Farm Bill, which will affect the way we eat as a nation for years to come. We need to put our money where our mouths are, literally.

Together with our publisher, McSweeney’s, we’ve worked out an arrangement to benefit Slow Food USA in their campaign to make the next Farm Bill feed our nation, and not just the bank accounts of agribusiness. For every pre-sale purchase of our book through the McSweeney’s online store, a $10 donation will go to Slow Food USA. Copies purchased later or from other booksellers will result in a smaller donation.

And by the way, our book is called Mission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbable Restaurant and it will come out this summer. Here’s a description from McSweeney’s:

Mission Street Food is a restaurant. But it’s also a charitable organization, a taco truck, a burger stand, and a clubhouse for inventive cooks tucked inside an unassuming Chinese take-out place. In all its various incarnations, it upends traditional restaurant conventions, in search of moral and culinary satisfaction.  

Like Mission Street Food itself, this book is more than one thing: it’s a cookbook featuring step-by-step photography and sly commentary, but it’s also the memoir of a madcap project that redefined the authors’ marriage and a city’s food scene. Along with stories and recipes, you’ll find an idealistic business plan, a cheeky manifesto, and thoughtful essays on issues ranging from food pantries to fried chicken. Plus, a comic.  

Ultimately, Mission Street Food: Recipes and Ideas from an Improbable Restaurant presents an iconoclastic vision of cooking and eating in twenty-first century America.

***THIS IS A PREORDER. If you order now, your book will ship in late July, and a full $10 of your purchase will be donated to Slow Food USA.)***

New Hours at Mission Chinese Food

2011-01-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

In an effort to maintain quality and consistency, the staff at Mission Chinese Food and Lung Shan have made a joint decision to adjust our operating hours. The new hours will go into effect starting Monday (January 10th).

Open 11:30am to 10:30pm
Closed Wednesday

We will also no longer take reservations, though we encourage you to call if your party is larger than 4 people so we can best accommodate you. There is no wait during off-peak hours and during peak hours the wait time is typically no more than 20 minutes.

We just don't have an English speaking reservationist or hostess and are sick of making people wait outside while other people are late for their reservation, then get mad at us when there's no table for them--which happens enough to necessitate a policy change.

Thanks for your support.

photo courtesy of Nathan Hazzard

Thanks

2010-11-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

I was recently the winner of an award given by Eater.com for the “Empire Builder of the Year, San Francisco.” I know it's just an internet award, but I'd still like to take this opportunity to thank everyone with whom I’ve worked over the last couple years—guest chefs, cooks, servers and especially the staff of Mission Street Food whose good intentions were as important as mine. Copious thanks are due to investors and kickstarters in Commonwealth and general supporters of benevolent business.

Specific credit should go to Jason Fox, Ian Muntzert, Xelina Leyba and the Commonwealth team, and to Danny Bowien, the Mission Chinese Food staff and the owners of Lung Shan, though I am happy to accept on everyone's behalf as kind of the den mother/crazy uncle of the two operations.

Special thanks to my wife Karen Leibowitz without whose love, support and expertise, none of this would have been possible.

The Proverbial Dragon in the Room...or Webathon as Community Building/Art Installation

2010-10-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

I recently received an envelope depicting a child with a disfigured face. It said something like, “donate and we’ll stop sending you images like these.” As noble as cleft palate surgeries are (literally enabling children to smile), that kind of guilt trip is unconscionable and just makes me want to ignore the problems in the world.

I’m fundraising to purchase a sixty-foot-long cloth dragon costume/chandelier. On the surface it’s highly frivolous, but the dragon represents the opposite tack: the solicitous equivalent to positive reinforcement. “Chip in a few bucks and you get to see this thing.” As our business increases, it was worth its price in charity. Even though the vast majority of worldly problems will have gone unaddressed, unlike the elephant in the room, we’ll have done something—created a mascot for optimism.

Like Christo’s The Gates in Central Park, this dragon can be a memorable gesture that enriches the texure of a city. Well okay a city block, but without using 10 million pounds of steel, 1 million square feet of nylon and 900 workers. As we approach the goal, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement for the tangible evidence of community building—sort of an urban barn-raising in the age of Twitter.

Besides, how often do you get a chance to buy a dragon?

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/603393953/mission-chinese-food-dragon-remodeling-project

Help Mission Chinese Food buy a Chinese Dragon Chandelier!

2010-09-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

This is going to be awesome.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/603393953/mission-chinese-food-dragon-remodeling-project

More on Mission Chinese Food

2010-08-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

If you don't know who Peter Chang is read this Oxford American article:

http://www.oxfordamerican.org/articles/2010/feb/24/todd-kliman-chases-perfect-chef/

There's also this thing about Mission Chinese Food.

http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/amyint/2010/08/30/hot-topic/#comment-16

MCF Details

2010-08-01T00:47:00.000-07:00

The most up-to-date menu is now available at our new website: http://www.missionchinesefood.com/.

We're now open every day (11am-10:30pm M-Sat, noon-10pm Sun).

You can order delivery, pick up some take-out, or eat in. No longer accepting reservations--there's plenty of space now.

See you soon!

Side note: you can also find us two doors down at Commonwealth--and online at http://commonwealthsf.com/. Open Tuesday through Sunday, Commonwealth is our fine-dining charitable restaurant.

MSF Presents: Mission Chinese Food

2010-06-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

"The circle is now complete."

Starting on July 5th, Mission Street Food will become Mission Chinese Food.

Actually, we'll be serving Americanized Oriental Food* and it will be available at Lung Shan Restaurant 7 days a week for eat-in and take-out, as well as for delivery. The menu will consist of 10-12 items priced in the $7-$10 range, and will include Danny Bowien's soon-to-be world-famous Ma-Po Tofu, as well as one of Mission Street Food's new classics, the Chinito. Overall, our goal for the cuisine is to approach our favorite genre as eaters (cheap ethnic food) and try to elevate it while keeping it affordable--basically two Asian American line cooks' interpretations.

Seventy-five cents from each item will be donated to the SF Food Bank.

Stay tuned for more details, and come check us out next month.

* Though we'll focus on Chinese food, we're leaving ourselves the freedom to incorporate other Asian flavor profiles. Our use of the term "oriental" is not meant to be offensive. The word is derived from a root meaning "eastern," which represents a Eurocentric orientation to Asia, and it was most often used in a bygone era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as exotic lands full of "romance and intrigue." For us, as Asian-American cooks, using this loaded term is an indictment of the Eurocentricity of fine dining, but it's also meant to desensitize the term in that transcending-racism-by-not-interpreting-every-single-thing-as-racist way. You know, like the "queers" did.

Saturday June 5th: LAST MSF! - Greatest Hits

2010-06-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

For our last night well be revisiting some of your favorites and ours, going as far back as the antojitos cart and the first night at Lung Shan. After Saturday we'll be closed indefinitely--giving myself and some of our staff a little time off before focusing on Commonwealth. Danny Bowien and I will also be spearheading a new venture in the wake of Mission Burger, which we'll announce shortly (so stay tuned).

I speak on behalf of the entire staff when I say it's been a pleasure serving you and getting to know you. Thanks for your enthusiasm, patience and support. We intend to eventually start MSF up again in some capacity and hope to see you again then, but for now, come by for one last PB & J or MSF Rice, or come try your first Chinito or Squid & Marrow - the new classics.

But most of all, thank you for the memories.

MENU:

Fresh Mozzarella, Olive Soil, Avocado, Cherry Tomato, Shiso - $7

USDA Prime Ribeye Tostada - seared and served rare with caper aioli, radish and watercress - $9

Monterey Bay Squid, Marrow, Tamarind Pork, Castelvetrano Olive, Fried Chickpeas - $8

Peking Chinito - Chinese Donut wrapped in Rice Noodle and stuffed with Duck, Crispy Skin, Cucumber, Cilantro, Spicy Hoisin - $7.5

King Trumpet Mushrooms, Charred Scallion Sour Cream and Garlic Confit with Potato Wedges - $7

Ono Kauswe - Burmese Chicken and Coconut Milk Soup, Spicy Chicken, Egg, shallot, Cilantro, Chili Flake - $7.5

PB & J - Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Belly with Marinated Jicama, Cilantro Aioli and red jalapeno - $6.5

MSF Rice - Duck Confit, Duck Cracklins, Seared Cauliflower and Shitake Mushroom - $8

VSF Rice - Fried Tofu, Seared Cauliflower and Shitake Mushroom - $7

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight - shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Brownie with Brillat Savarin French Triple Creme Cheese - $6

photo courtesy of John at burritojustice.com

June 3rd: Final Thursday - Danny Bowien Wedding Extravaganza

2010-05-31T22:22:00.000-07:00

This Thursday is the second-to-last MSF and our final Thursday dinner service. We're honoring the occasion by celebrating the upcoming wedding between Danny Bowien and Youngmi Mayer. Danny is pulling out all the stops with a wedding banquet menu replete with extravagances, and a portion of the proceeds will go towards the wedding festivities. So if you're a fan of love, seafood or milk fed veal tartare then please join us. We'll be open late for any industry visitors who want to stop by after service for Danny, Youngmi or MSF.

MENU:

Aperitif – prickly pear soda with sake granita - $5

Beau Soleil Oysters (2), spiced nori, grapefruit vinegar - $5

Cherrystone Clams on the half shell (2), green apple, white shoyu, hackleback caviar - $6

*Bigfin Squid Salad, blistered tomato, Chinese celery, chrysanthemum, squid ink gelee - $9

*California Aji “Negitoro,” lardo, wild leeks, citron, warm bean curd, field caviar - $9

Milk Fed Veal Tartare sea urchin, boquerones, huitalacoche, wheatgrass consommé - $13

Warm Egg Custard – duck confit, sturgeon, matsutake dashi, fresh peppercorn leaves- $9

Octopus a la Plancha – smoked yogurt, black olive, young turnips, peas, ras el hanout - $9

Crispy Pork Jowl, Steamed Mussels, fresh lettuces and herbs - $13

Passionfruit sorbet - $3

Saturday May 29th- California Cuisine: A Case Study

2010-05-27T22:00:00.000-07:00

As an epilogue to our recent homage series, this Saturday we'll be examining California Cuisine by preparing food in the style of some notable area restaurants which represent two approximate schools of thought: innovation and simplicity. Included will be dishes in the style of Ubuntu, Zuni Cafe, The French Laundry, Delfina, Manresa, Nopa, Commis and Chez Panisse.

MENU:

Chilled Pea Consomme, with White Chocolate and Macadamia Nuts - $6

Caesar Salad - $7

"Oysters & Pearls" - Oysters, Tapioca, Caviar - $12

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce - $8

A Spring Tidal Pool with Octopus, Sea Urchin and Abalone - $15

Vegetable Tagine - $9

Pork Jowl, Slow Egg, Potato, Black Garlic, Alliums - $12

An Assortment of Fresh Fruit from the Market - $6

Thursday May 27th: Homage Series Recap

2010-05-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

For the past 10 weeks we've been paying homage to world class chefs and have enjoyed presenting some great dishes inspired by their food. This Thursday we conclude the series by recapping some of our favorites from the series including dishes in the styles of Rene Redzepi, Michel Bras, Pascal Barbot, Inaki Aizpitarte and QuiQue DaCosta.

The Best of the Best!

MENU:

sea urchin, frozen cream, dill, cucumber - $8

roasted beet, goat cheese, olive soil - $7

foie gras and miso soup with assorted legumes - $9

bison tartare, tarragon, wood sorrel - $10

gargouillou - an assortment of raw and cooked vegetables, prepared appropriately - $8

skate, mussel emulsion, vegetable stems - $12

a basic understanding of lamb - roasted leg and crispy belly with lamb gelee, assorted seeds and grains - $14

yogurt parfait, celery, peas, chervil, mint oil - $5

olive oil cake, crème fraiche ice cream, strawberry, balsamic vinegar - $7

* * *

Notes:

Mission Burger will close on Saturday May 29th

Mission Street Food will close on Saturday June 5th with plans to re-open in a different format later this summer.

Saturday May 22nd: Guest Chef Bridget Batson

2010-05-20T22:02:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we are excited to host Bridget Batson, executive chef of Gitane. A San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star Chef in 2001, Bridget graduated from the Institute of Culinary Education and has worked at Hawthorne Lane/TWO, Pizzeria Delfina, and Boston’s Blue Room and Hamersley’s Bistro.

Bridget has generously pledged a portion of her proceeds to Commonwealth, a progressive American restaurant with a charitable agenda, opening this summer.

MENU:

Scallop Crudo, txakoli, green apple, seaweed - $9

Monterey Bay sardines with spiced potato croquettes, preserved Meyer lemon $ 8

*Turnip Veloute, chicken quenelle, hazelnut, parsley - $7

Chicken Liver Confit, sweet herb salad, rye crumble, pickled ramps - $8

*Braised Carrot, pickled carrot, carrot pesto, fried chickpeas - $7

Poached Atlantic Skate, jamon broth, cherrystone clams, spinach, XO sauce - $12

Braised Sonoma Lamb cheeks w/ spring garlic, fava beans, artichoke puree $ 12

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Bellwether farms sheep's milk panna cotta with roasted cherries, cocoa nibs, sea salt $ 8

Thursday May 20th: Homage Series Auguste Escoffier

2010-05-17T13:55:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we continue our homage series with Auguste Escoffier, the grandfather of Western cuisine. Escoffier was the first chef to emphasize seasonality, lighten sauces, preserve through canning, de-glaze, and use veal stock or fumet. He's also credited with the modernization of the menu and the development of professional kitchen systems. As co-founder of the Ritz-Carlton empire, Escoffier is responsible for elevating the hospitality industry to new heights, but he also undertook philanthropic endeavors including the organization of programs to feed the hungry, and programs to financially assist retired chefs. His ideas and codification of French cuisine are acknowledged as the foundation of modern cooking in Europe and around the world.

We hope you'll enjoy a menu of Escoffier classics, which we are as proud to serve as we are humbled by the challenge of presenting them correctly.

MENU:

Potage Montespan - Asparagus, Tapioca, Peas - $6

Salade Americane - Tomatoes, Potatoes, and Celery - $6

Oeufs Chasseur - Eggs with Chicken Liver and Mushroom Sauce - $8

Sole Veronique - Poached Dover Sole, Peeled Grapes, Fumet Glaze - $11

Poulet en Vessie - Game Hen and Black Summer Truffles steamed in Pig Bladder, with Spring Vegetables - $16

Rognon de Veau Robert - Seared Veal Kidney with Mustard Sauce - $8

Tournedos Rossini - Medallion of Filet Mignon with Seared Foie Gras, Madeira Demi Glace and Brioche - $16

Bombe Ceylan - Coffee and Rum Bombe - $6

Saturday May 15th: Guest Chef Ian Muntzert

2010-05-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we're pleased to have Ian Muntzert as guest chef. Ian has worked at Coi, Zuni Cafe, Nopa, Pizzeria Delfina, Yoshi's, and Bar Tartine and his menu reflects that breadth of experience with myriad techniques and flavor profiles. Ian will also be the chef de cuisine at Commonwealth, set to open later this summer.

MENU:

Scallop crudo, coconut coulis, shaved turnips, ginger tapioca, squid ink granita - $10

Ragout of spring vegetables, goat milk veil, pine, gobo - $8

Poached egg, potato, tamarind, alliums, sheep's milk yogurt - $7

Foie Gras torchon, umeboshi, kinome, puffed rice - $12

Pork belly, rock shrimp, dashi, garlic, crunchy vegetable salad - $12

Manilla Clams, chorizo, ramps, fennel, cilantro, pea tendrils - $8

Hangar Steak, nira, enoki, wheatgrass - $11

Cherries, tarragon, chocolate crisp, dulce de leche ice cream - $6

Thursday May 13th: Homage series - QuiQue Dacosta

2010-05-11T00:27:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we continue our homage series with QuiQue Dacosta Executive Chef of El Poblet, Denia Spain. Perhaps more so than any other chef, Dacosta is a virtuoso, whose food transcends culinary art, and borders on impressionism, expressionism, and even abstraction. What is impressive is that his food is as accomplished (or more) from a technical standpoint. Needless to say, our humble dishes will surely pale in comparison to what you could experience in Southeastern Spain, where the Montgo Mountain meets the Mediterranean Coast, but we hope you'll enjoy it.

MENU:

Foie Gras with Rum and Coke Gelee, citrus zest, arugula - $9

Abstraction of the Sea - Salad of seaweed and mushrooms, potato, almond aioli - $8

The Living Forest - Mushrooms in various forms, tender greens and herbs - $9

Fregula Salad - Peas, licorice, fumet gelatin, israeli cous cous - $6

Chicken of the Sea - Grilled Tuna Loin with Chicken and Tuna sauce - $13

Red Snapper "Mark Rothko", Saffron - $14

A Basic understanding of Lamb - Roasted Leg, Braised Belly, assorted seeds and grains - $14

Violet Ice Cream, Pineapple Meringue, Aloe - $6

Saturday May 8th: Pan-Asian Tapas

2010-05-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

Nobody really uses the term Pan-Asian with a straight face these days (and that's not meant to be a slant-eye reference). Fusion is in again. You heard it here first.

MENU:

*Pea Soup, Ginger, Artichoke Chip - $4

*Castelvetrano Olive, Manchego, Lychee - $6

*Pan e Tomate - Grated Tomato, Toast, Shiso - $6

*Seared Sardines wrapped in Lardo, with Miso-White Beans - $8

Uni Bocadillo - $8

*Grilled Asparagus, Thai Chili-Cilantro Aioli - $5

Tortilla Okinomiyaki with Rock Shrimp, Salted Fish, Kewpie Mayo, Nori, Bonito - $9

General Chorizo's Chicken - $8

Pork Belly & Fried Oyster - with "Black Sherry" vinegar - $10

Chocolate Crisp, Tofu Custard, Chocolate, Olive Oil, Sea Salt - $5

Thursday May 6th: Homage Series - Tetsuya Wakuda

2010-05-02T23:55:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we continue our homage series with Tetsuya Wakuda of Tetsuya's in Sydney, Australia. Often recognized as one of the top chefs in Australia and the world, his food is characterized by "pure clean flavors that are decisive, yet completely refined." Tetsuya's seafood driven menus reflect his Japanese heritage, and incorporate French Technique to showcase Tasmanian produce.

MENU:

Snapper Sashimi with black bean, orange, sprouts, chili threads - $9

Corn and Vanilla Soup with Sea Urchin Ice Cream - $7

Miyagi Oyster with Rice Vinegar and Ginger - $5

Tian of Scampi with Papaya, Cucumber - $10

Octopus Ravioli with Black Olive, Sushi Rice and Oregano - $8

Confit of Ocean Trout with Roe, Konbu, Apple, Daikon - $17

Chicken and Foie Gras Roulade with Olive and Caper Jus - $13

Green Apple Sorbet, Sorrel-Sauternes Jelly, Caramelised Apple with Calvados - $6

Cannellini, Mascarpone, Soy Caramel, Blue Cheese Anglaise - $5

Saturday May 1st: Guest Chefs Jordan Grosser and Ted Fleury

2010-04-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

This Staurday we are extremely excited to have Ted Fleury (Alembic) and Jordan Grosser (Postrio). Jordan and Ted are BFF and former co-chefs at the Alembic before cruel fate separated them. They hosted one of our best nights ever last year and are together again with a smoky vengeance! Join us for refined BBQ this Saturday.

MENU:

Cold Smoked Yellowtail Sashimi - with "potato salad" pickled watermelon rind, mustard seed - $11

Bacon and Eel Terrine with cucumber and tea - $8

Foie and Onion Soup - with "baked beans" and onions--charred and roasted - $10

Grilled Eggplant, Maitake, creamed corn, mache - $7

Crispy Smoked Pork Belly with blackeyed peas, pickled okra $11

Hot Mustard Glazed Pork Ribs with salt & vinegar chicharrones, baby red mustard greens, bacon vinaigrette $10

Smoked Brisket with chili jam, pickled jalapeno, cucumber, red onion, cashew $10

Mixed Grill with beef heart, tripe, sweetbreads, charred spring onion chimichurri $10

Caramelized Corn Bread with rosemary creme fraiche and candied rhubarb - $6

Thursday April 29th: Homage to David Everitt-Matthias

2010-04-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

As part of our ongoing homage series, we'll be serving a menu inspired by the food of David Everitt-Mathias, chef of Le Champignon Sauvage, Cheltenham, UK. Everitt-Matthias is a cook's chef who has reportedly not missed a service since 1987 and heads the smallest brigade to earn two michelin stars--just himself and two other cooks. The food at Le Champignon Sauvage is characterized by sensible combinations of luxury and economy and interesting departures from classic French.

MENU:

Seared Scallop with Ras el Hanout Caramel and Cauliflower - $12

*Turnip Veloute with Vanilla and Verjus - $5

Stuffed Cabbage, Duck Confit and Tongue - $9

*Poached Egg, Chorizo Puree, Tomato Confit, Soubise - $7

*Mushroom and Cheese Tortelloni, Watercress Cream, Capers, Bitter Greens - $8

Sand Dab Meuniere, Razor Clam, Parsnip Puree, Purslane - $13

*Leg of Lamb, Peas, Wilted Lettuce, Eucalyptus - $12

Chicory Parfait, Juniper Ice Cream - $6

* * *

Notes:

* Congratulations to Rene Redzepi and the Noma crew for being judged Best Restaurant in the World - 2010.

* The Quotidian needs your support. It's a documentary series about how everyday people are finding ways to improve their communities. Their upcoming productions include:

- a story on an organization that arranges free surgeries for those with no insurance and low incomes;

- a first-hand exploration and analysis of the experiences of migrants crossing the border from Mexico;

- a collaborative documentary on an organization that takes over laundromats to teach children art in inner-city neighborhoods.

Saturday April 24th: Chinese Food at Lung Shan

2010-04-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

We spend a lot of time at Lung Shan, watching and learning, and this Saturday, the time has come for us to take the bull by the horns. This Saturday, we'll be serving a menu of Chinese food--tastefully done.

Steamed Halibut Cheeks with black garlic, black bean, golden chive, chinese celery, water chestnut - $11

*Salt & Pepper Sweetbreads and Cauliflower, with sea urchin Chinese bacon - $12

*Ma Po Tofu with pork sugo, braised pork belly, beech mushroom, rice - $9

Duck and Leek Wonton in duck consomme, choy sum, braised radish - $9

*Cumin Lamb with Chinese donut, rice noodle, caramelized onion, cucumber pickle - $8

*Ginger-Scallion Noodle with shitake, broccoli rabe - $6 add dry fried beef - $4

Taro funnel cake with oolong honey and lychee - $6

Thursday April 22nd: Homage Series: Massimo Bottura

2010-04-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we continue our homage series with Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana. Bottura was recently named "best Italian chef of the present and future" for serving as a culinary ambassador for the region of Modena and recreating his grandmother's cuisine with influences from Alain Ducasse and Ferran Adria, both for whom he's worked. He's as well known among international art critics as for his production of the acclaimed Villa Manodori aceto balsamico.

MENU:

mortadella mousse with pistachio dust and focaccia - $4

potato and onion capuccino, balsamic, cracklins, croissant - $6

asparagus, parmesan gelee, hollandaise - $7

oyster risotto with caviar - $9

chestnut gnocchi with eel and hen of the woods mushroom - $11

"black" cod with caramelized vegetables, squid ink - $14

pork belly and tenderloin with broccoli rabe, fennel puree - $13

aged parmesan creme brulee - $5

strawberry millefeuille w/ aged balsamic and vanilla ice cream - $7

Saturday April 17th: Guest Chef Alex Marsh

2010-04-15T22:25:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we're pleased to have guest chef Alex Marsh, a.k.a. "The Jetset Chef." After a series of dinners at Coffee Bar inspired by his recent trip to Basque country, Alex will be serving a menu of California comfort food, including updated American classics.

MENU:

Scallop crudo with artichoke, lemon, mache, and celery - $9

*Caesar Salad: romaine, mackerel confit, smoked egg, bread crisps - $7

*Corn Soup with salsify, charred onions and seawater - $6

*Asparagus panzanella, roasted shallots, oil cured black olives - $8

*Game Hen, poached oyster, marble potato, ramp, mushroom - $10

Sous vide BBQ baby back ribs with smokey paprika and collard greens - $12

Beef Cheek, celery in several forms, blue cheese mousse - $12

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

*Walnut panna cotta with cacao and figs - $6

* = veg/vegetarian option available

Thursday April 15th: Homage series: Rene Redzepi - Part 2

2010-04-12T22:59:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we continue our homage series with another menu inspired by the food served at Noma, in Copenhagen. Our decision to make it a two part homage can be attributed to the importance of Nordic Cuisine at the forefront of a culinary landscape which has transcended unbridled molecular gastronomy. As we've stated before, the intense locality and seasonality of the terroir surrounding Noma cannot be reproduced here, and this is merely our humble attempt to learn by doing.

MENU:

sea urchin, cucumber, frozen cream, dill granita - $9

shaved water chestnut, walnut, cod roe, rye crisps - $7

mackerel crudo, grilled daikon, horseradish snow - $8

spot prawn, seawater and parsley emulsion - $13

salsify, milk skin, truffle - $8

skate, ramps, vegetable stems, mussel sauce - $13

veal sweetbread, cauliflower cream, onion, elderberry vinaigrette - $13

yogurt parfait, peas, celery, chervil, pea shoots, mint oil - $6

ollebrod - fresh cheese ice cream, frothed milk, beer soaked rye bread - $6

* * *

Thanks to all kickstarter backers of Commonwealth--your contributions have successfully provided funding for our core kitchen equipment. We are still hoping to add a couple pieces, so keep providing us funding now and we'll keep providing you with gift certificates for a couple months from now.

Saturday April 10th: Guest Chef Noel Yin

2010-04-09T01:11:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we're pleased to have Noel Yin of Shanghai as our guest chef. After graduating from the California Culinary Academy, Noel worked at Gary Danko, La Folie, and the Pan Pacific Hotel, and currently works at the JW Marriott, San Francisco. His specialty is creative simplicity at the intersection of East Asian and French cuisines.

Tonight, a substantial percentage of Noel's profits will be donated to the Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center, to support their vital health services and advocacy for API communities, particularly queer/transgender communities, and with a focus on HIV/AIDS response.

MENU:

Wild arugula, endive, caramelized fuji apple, candied walnuts, and asiago - $6

Monterey Bay Squid filled with marrow and tamarind pork, greens, bread tuile - $8

Jumbo white shrimp "won ton" with lobster bisque - $8

Roasted Eggplant with Syracusan Onion, Tempeh and Parsnip - $8

Salmon roulade with horseradish potato-crust, vegetable ragout, goat-cheese polenta cake, and citron-mint beurre blanc - $12

Buttermilk Fried Chicken, crispy skin, rhubarb, jicama and fennel salad - $10

Braised beef short rib with asparagus, mashed potatoes and demi-glace - $11

Almond Financier, walnut ice cream, young coconut coulis, blueberry, spearmint - $6

Thursday April 8th: Homage series: Rene Redzepi - Part 1

2010-04-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

For the next two Thursdays, we'll be continuing our homage series with Rene Redzepi, chef of Noma in Copenhagen. Each week will feature some dishes directly related to the food at Noma, and others more loosely derived. As always (and perhaps especially, given Redzepi's use of wild herbs and berries specific to the region) we do not profess to be recreating the masterpieces they serve at Noma, but merely paying homage to their inspiring food.

MENU:

Toast with Cod Roe, Herbs, Vinegar Powder - $5

Squid Sashimi, Cream, Dill, Rye Crumbs, Cucumber, Kiwi - $10

Shrimp, Chlorophyll, Pomegranate Granita- $11

Bison Tartare, Tarragon, Oyster, Juniper, Sorrel - $10

*Potato, Whey, Speck, Oxalis - $6

Mackerel Confit, Olive Oil, Ramps, Parsley Jus - $11

*Vegetable Crudite and Marrow - $8

Beef Cheek, Beet, Rose, Malt - $13

Walnut Ice Cream, Walnut Powder, Blackberry Dust - $5

Strawberry, Strawberry Sorbet, Sheep Milk, Licorice, Oatcake - $6

* = veg option available

Saturday April 3rd: Guest Chef Chad Newton

2010-04-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, we are extremely excited to have Chad Newton, Executive Chef of Fish & Farm Restaurant. He's worked at Postrio, Redd, and Baraka, and will be joined by Grace Nguyen of Out the Door. Chad's menu will be showcasing some incredible and generously donated ingredients from Niman Ranch and Capay Organic.

Chad will be contributing a portion of his proceeds to Commonwealth (unless we can convince him to donate it to someone more in need...).

MENU:

Wild Ocean Trout Sashimi, Crisp Skin, Duck Tongue Escabeche, Grilled Cucumber, Charred Onion, Green Apple Shoyu - $11

Fresh Clam Chowder with Ramps, Benton's Bacon, Bread Crisps - $8

Composition of Cooked/Raw/Marinated/Pickled Vegetables, Wheat Berries, Meyer Lemon Aioli, Dark Rye Crumbs $9

Torchon of Foie Gras, Rice "Krispies", O.J. Gel, Powdered Yogurt, Wild Strawberries, Toast $12

Fingerling Tostones, Olive Vinaigrette, Avocado, Fresh Mozzarella Mousse, Wilted Greens, Lime Chutney - $9

Olive Oil Poached Cod, Choke Puree, Espresso Steamed Wild Mushrooms, Green Garlic Emulsion $13

Slow Roasted Lamb Loin, Braised Cheeks, Tasting of Celery and Chocolate $15

Salted Chocolate Tuile, Gianduja, Frozen Banana, Praline Popcorn - $6

Thursday April 1st: Homage to Pascal Barbot

2010-03-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we're continuing our homage series with a menu of dishes inspired by Pascal Barbot of Paris, France. His restaurant, L'Astrance is considered "the hardest reservation" in Paris and Barbot is the youngest chef to earn three michelin stars. His cooking is characterized by showcasing high quality ingredients with Asian accents.

MENU:

Pea soup, ginger, yogurt - $4

Mushroom and foie gras galette, lemon marmalade, hazelnut oil - $12

Scallops, almond milk, mint, buddha's hand - $12

Clam, sea lettuce, citron, smoked mackerel bouillion - $10

Halibut, Sea Urchin, Chard - $16

Leg of lamb with black curry and artichokes - $12

Chili-lemongrass sorbet - $3

Jasmine egg nog - $3

Olive Oil Cake, Creme Fraiche Ice Cream, Strawberry, Aged Balsamic - $7

Saturday March 27th: Vegetarian Night

2010-03-25T21:50:00.000-07:00

If anyone wants to go across the street and bring back an $8 lemonade from Gracias Madre, you can tell your server that I said to waive the corkage. Just kidding.

MENU:

*Carrot, Amaranth, Parsnip Puree, Nori - $7

*Peas, Pea Shoots, Fresh Buttermilk Mousse, Meyer Lemon Confit, Mint - $7

*Artichoke, Panisse, Slow-Cooked Egg, Mountain Yam, Harissa - $9

*Sesame, Avocado, Rice Noodle, Chinese Donut, Beech Mushroom - $7.5

*Buckwheat Gnocchi with leek cream, pea puree, turnip dashi, braised radish - $8

Comte Grilled Cheese, with Wilted Greens, Pickled Beets - $8

*Seared Tofu, Crisped Vegetable Salad, Miso - $8

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: Shitake and Oyster Mushroom Dumplings in Miso Soup - $5.5

Chamomile Gelato, Wheat and Almond Crisp, Mascarpone, Blueberries - $6

* = Vegan Option Available

Thursday March 25th: Homage to Inaki Aizpitarte

2010-03-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we're continuing our homage series with a menu of dishes inspired by Inaki Aizpitarte of Paris, France. The young Basque chef is self-taught, and part of a movement dubbed "bistronomique"--consisting of affordable haute cuisine. He runs Le Chateaubriand, ranked by San Pellegrino as the #40 restaurant in the world, "without ever abandoning his vagrant lifestyle." This is our humble attempt at recreating his straightforward, but unique approach.

MENU:

Raw Sweet Shrimp, radish water, perilla and minutina - $11

Spring Vegetables: raw and cooked with vadouvan oil - $8

Cow's Milk Burrata with fennel, trout roe and licorice - $10

Miso Poached Foie Gras with legumes - $12

Black Cod with potatoes, lardo - $12

Filet Mignon with charred eggplant, fresh cheese, cauliflower - $14

Cheese: Pont L'Eveque with small salad - $7

Chantilly Cream with strawberry, macaroon, sorrel - $5

Saturday March 20th: New School Tapas

2010-03-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we'll be serving the best tapas in San Francisco (our opinion).

MENU:

Aperitif: Fino sherry, candied jamon, garlic confit - $5

Asparagus Tempura wrapped in lardo (optional) - $6

Pan e Tomate: several preparations of tomato, garlic bread tuile - $5

Spanish Tortilla with jalapeno chips and sea urchin - $6

Hongos al Ajillo Japonese: maitake, king trumpet, beech mushrooms with black garlic and miso - $6

Slow Cooked Quail Eggs with boquerones and salsa verde - $4

Jamon Bocadillo with side of smoky ham broth - $6

Gambas a la Sal: salt roasted prawns with harissa, lemon confit, almond butter - $7

Gateau Basque with huckleberry compote, pastry cream - $5

Thursday March 18th: Homage to Michel Bras

2010-03-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we'll be kicking off a series of homages to world class chefs, starting with a menu of dishes inspired by the great Michel Bras of Lagouile, France. In addition to introducing diners to molten chocolate cake, Bras' Gargouillou has inspired an entire generation of modern chefs including David Kinch of Manresa and Andoni Aduriz of Mugaritz. This is our humble attempt at recreating his amazing food or serving dishes in his style. Please order the value priced tasting menu.

MENU:

Tasting Menu $50 - requires full table participation

Creamed egg with beluga lentils, creme fraiche, allium boullion, brioche - $7

*Roasted Beet, our young goat cheese, olive soil, miner's lettuce - $8

*Gargouillou: a variety of vegetables, herbs and seeds prepared appropriately - $8.5

Three Spoons: artichoke, fluke with clam essence, beef consomme gelee - $8

Poached Local Halibut, pearl barley, rau ram, asparagus, sea urchin - $12

Seared Foie Gras, pickled rhubarb, braised walnut, tarragon - $13

*Cheese Course: Comte, Brillat Savarin, our butter, local greens, pear - $8

*Wheat Crisp, jersey ricotta, chestnut honey - $6

* vegetarian option available

Saturday March 13th: Neo-Classical San Franciscan Food

2010-03-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

This Saturday we'll be featuring a menu of classic San Franciscan dishes reconsidered. If you want the old standards, go to the Tadich Grill instead.

MENU:

Martini: cerignola-soju aperitif with vermouth granita - $5

Cioppino: terrine of clams, mussels, crab, scallop, prawn, tomato gelee, fresh herbs, garlic tuile - $12

Rice-a-Roni: cannelloni with roasted carnaroli, squid, parsley, peas, doenjang - $6

Hangtown Fry: lightly poached oysters, country ham, egg in three forms - $9

"Chicken for two": "roasted in the brick oven;" "warm bread salad" with "red mustard greens, scallions," "currants," and "pine nuts" - "48.00"

Fig on a Plate: sauteed lamb tongue with fig and fernet jam, beluga lentils. mint yogurt, fried ginger - $9

Anchor Steam: braised beef cheeks, pressed with celery root and served with celery victor - $11

Irish Coffee: espresso torte, Irish coffee ice cream, whipped cream - $5

Thursday March 11th: Guest Chef - Aaron Marthaler

2010-03-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we are pleased to have Aaron Marthaler, currently sous chef of the Alembic. Aaron has worked at Salt House, Moose's and Postrio and will be serving a menu of Modern American spring dishes inspired by yesterday's hail storm.

MSF profits will go towards the opening of a full-time charitable restaurant. For anyone interested, we're almost 50% of the way to our goal:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/603393953/mission-street-food-is-opening-a-full-time-charita

MENU:

Local Sardines with lentils, chorizo, parmesan, pickled fennel - $9

Cold smoked Irish Sea Trout with satsuma mandarin, horseradish creme fraiche, chiogga beets - $11

Sunchoke soup with sea urchin, almonds and shiso - $7

Raw and roasted asparagus with avocado, maitake, black garlic vinaigrette - $8

Chevre-oregano gnudi, king trumpet "pasta," tomatillo, scallion broth - $8

Short rib ravioli with caramelized onions, celery root-coffee emulsion, crispy sweetbreads - $10

Pork Belly with brown butter grits, crushed peas, brussels sprouts, pickled rhubarb - $10

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Caramelized steel cut oats with huckleberry gastrique, foie gras - $7

Saturday March 6th: "A Good Idea" Night

2010-03-04T22:20:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, we're pleased to have Jeff Rosen, former owner of the Inner Sunset's beloved Avenue 9 as our guest chef. His current ventures include various secret suppers around the city, including "Whiskey-Pig" and Club Ave 9. Follow him on Facebook at Club Ave 9 or www.clubave9.blogspot.com

A portion of Jeff's proceeds will go to "A Good Idea," a 501(c)(3), which is a vehicle for positive social change ideas that connect people in need with people who want to help. They create solutions for social issues by forming teams of experts and volunteers and implementing proven social change models involving service, education, and technology. MSF profits will go towards the startup of a full-time charitable restaurant.

MENU:

21st century cobb salad: spinach puree, romaine, avocado, chicken and chicken skin, bacon powder, blue cheese mousse - $7

Crushed Pea and VA Ham soup, white chocolate and shaved radish - $6

Pork and chanterelle terrine with snap pea and bacon salad - $8

Lobster and sweetbread "pot au feu" $12

Sonoma Foie Gras "Corndogs", Homemade Fig and Bacon "Ketchup" $10

Early Asparagus and Wild Ramp Risotto $7

Griddled Piadini, Foraged Wild Nettles, Whiskey and Maple Cured Salmon, Meyer Lemon Creme Fraiche $8

Honey mascarpone cheesecake, oatmeal lace crust, candied walnuts - $5

Thursday March 4th: Community Alliance with Family Farmers

2010-03-01T23:09:00.000-08:00

This Thursday, we're happy to team up with an old friend, Collins Anderson. He is currently catering with The Culinary Eye and has cooked at The Cottage Eatery in Tiburon, The Front Porch, Florio, Bar Tartine, and Incanto. Collins was a guest chef about a year ago and served one of the best dishes to come through our kitchen in 2009--a pasta dish including his house aged private reserve of Colonel Newsom's country ham. Sorry in advance to Collins for raising expectations...

Collins's proceeds will go to Community Alliance with Family Farmers in honor of his grandfather, Gib Anderson, a man who farmed the land of Pine Bluff, Arkansas his whole life and who knows how much help an honest farmer needs. MSF profits are going to help fund our attempt to open a full-time charitable restaurant. If anyone wants to contribute to that effort, we have a project going on Kickstarter here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/603393953/mission-street-food-is-opening-a-full-time-charita

MENU:

spring salad of pea sprout and radicchio with fresh mozzarella mousse, tangerine, fried almonds - $7

dayboat scallop crudo, asparagus, meyer lemon, spiced puffed wheat, mint - $9

crab bisque, fennel and potato confit, foccacia- $8

house made tagliatelle with colonel bill newsom country ham black pepper and cream $10

chanterelle barotto, hazelnut cream, arugula - $8

braised and fried baby back ribs, pickled cabbage, horseradish, saba - $12

beef and sweetbread lasagna with fava beans and leaves, marjoram, taleggio and gruyere - $8

french toast, carmel sauce, chocolate sauce - $6

Saturday February 27th: Mission Stoned Food Part Deux

2010-02-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

This Saturday marks the return of Mission Stoned Food--an interdisciplinary lecture series* and culinary experiment exploring the feeding habits of the chemically altered. Guest Chef Chris Ying will be featuring haute cuisine rejiggered and re-engineered with junk food scrap parts, resulting in a night full of hunger-blasting munchies and stoney jams. Come as you are, or come super-duper baked. It won’t be the same, but it will be good either way.

*there will be no lecture.

MENU:

Broccoli & Cheetos: with gouda-parmesan cream; as popularized by Park Avenue Autumn - $6

The Golden Triangle: Lemongrass and poppy curry with fried tofu, littleneck clams and rice paddy herb - $9

Packed Bowl: Dusted and Fried Game Hen with caramelized sticky rice & cucumber salad - $11

Croque McGriddle and Baked Eggs a.k.a. Breakfast for Dinner for Two, for One: Dry Cured VA Ham, Gruyere, Bechamel between Brown Butter Eggo AND potato "soufflays" with baked egg - $11

Jucy Lucy: Burger with core of molten cheese, served with "animal style" fries (cave aged sheep's milk cheese, caramelized onion, ranchoulade) - $12

Blazed Alaska: flambee of merinque, coconut gelato and coconut macaroon, with toasted macadamia nuts - $7

Thursday February 25th: Beef Seven Ways

2010-02-22T21:39:00.000-08:00

...actually more like 10 ways (but who's counting?).

MENU:

Mosaic of Carpaccio: NY Strip Steak and Honeycomb Tripe, with slow egg, violet mustard, fried capers, potato chips - $10

Oxtail Terrine with fines herb gelee, root vegetable brunoise, truffled egg, mixed chicories, puffed barley, sorrel - $9

Beef Consomme with Marrow Butter Toast, persillade - $8

Surf & Turf: Simmered Atlantic Skate and Crispy Veal Sweetbreads with asparagus, crushed pea, sea urchin emulsion - $12

Tongue & Cheek: Seared Tongue, Braised Cheek, savoy cabbage, demiglace, fresh horseradish - $11

Aged USDA Prime Ribeye with potato espuma, charred scallion pickle and bearnaise - $14

Sweet & Sticky Habanero Jerky - $5

semi-family style tasting menu $40 per person

Notes:

Special thanks to Shoe Shine Wine, whose generous wine donations raised $960 for the Food Pantry!

$230 to Meals on Wheels, $250 to Partners in Health (Haiti), $140 to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, $210 to the San Francisco Food Bank, $240 to MSF - Doctors without borders, $300 to Groceries for Seniors, $260 to Project Open Hand, $550 to Martin De Porres.

Starting now, all profits from MSF will go towards the potential opening of a full-time charitable restaurant. We'll reserve the funds, and if it doesn't happen, we'll donate it.

This Saturday we will attempt to reach new highs with Mission Stoned Food Part Deux.

Full-Time Charitable Restaurant

2010-02-21T03:05:00.000-08:00

We're 30% of the way to our goal!

If you want to help us equip this kitchen, make a contribution here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/603393953/mission-street-food-is-opening-a-full-time-charita

Contributions of $50 or more are rewarded with a gift certificate in the amount of the contribution.

* * *

Notes:

Special thanks to Shoe Shine Wine, whose generous wine donations have raised $960 for the Food Pantry!

$230 to Meals on Wheels, $220 to Partners in Health (Haiti), $140 to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, $210 to the San Francisco Food Bank, $300 to Groceries for Seniors, $260 to Project Open Hand, $550 to Martin De Porres.

Starting now, all profits from MSF will go towards the potential opening of a full-time charitable restaurant. We'll reserve the funds, and if it doesn't happen, we'll donate it.

Saturday February 20th: Whole Hog Dinner for Cystic Fibrosis and Martin De Porres

2010-02-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

This Saturday we are excited to feature a whole hog menu, courtesy of Jake Ersland of Amuse Bouche. Jake has been cooking since age 15 and graduated CCA with honors before starting Amuse Bouche, which offers private dining experiences--8 to 14 course tasting menus, complete with wine pairings, for parties of 12 or fewer. He is also the executive chef of The Old Ship Saloon.

Jake & Co. will be donating a portion of their proceeds to the Northern CA chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. MSF profits will go to Martin De Porres, a free restaurant at 225 Potrero Avenue near 16th Street that has been serving their community since 1971. Their program is especially uplifting because of the altruistic spirit of their volunteers--some of whom are full-time, live on site, and earn no money.

MENU:

Pork rillette served with crostini, pickled onions, house made apple mustard - $7

Blood orange, chickory, and mixed radicchio salad with spanish style house cured ham, almonds and meyer lemon vinaigrette - $7

Pulled pork sliders with a pickled pigs feet slaw - $2 each

Posole: confit of spleen, bacon, rancho gordo hominey, and green chili broth - $8

PB & J: berkshire kurobuta pork belly, marinated jicama, cilantro aioli and pickled jalapeno on a homemade flatbread - $6.5

Greens, Eggs and Ham: mustard greens, griddled slow egg, col. newsom's country ham and hollandaise on english muffins - $9

Dr. Pepper Ribs: charcoal grilled, and served with ham hock hash - $11

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Chocolate Mousse with salted lime granita and chorizo tuile - $5

Thursday February 18th: Vegan Night for Food Not Bombs

2010-02-16T07:20:00.000-08:00

This vegan night will feature rose-black tea and smoked pear kombucha produced and bottled by House Kombucha.

MSF profits will go to Food Not Bombs. San Francisco Food Not Bombs is entirely volunteer driven and serves food to the needy five days a week.

We are still trying to raise money for a full-time charitable restaurant. You can make a small contribution here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/603393953/mission-street-food-is-opening-a-full-time-charita

If the project gets off the ground and you put in more than $50, you'll get a gift certificate for the amount of the contribution. If anyone wants to make a larger investment, email me at missionstreetfood@gmail.com. Thanks for your support.

MENU:

huckleberry-earl grey, cava, spumante aperitif - $5

castelvetrano olives, pickled honeydew, fried almonds - $5

pomelo, snap pea, jicama, cranberry puree, house made white chocolate - $8

cassava fritters and panisse cakes with guacamole - $8

yuba, scallion, maitake and cauliflower with coconut curry tapioca - $9

roasted kale, king trumpet, fried nagaimo, braised cashews, shallot soubise - $9

black garlic stuffed tofu, beluga lentils, wild arugula, preserved lemon - $8.5

olive oil cake with toasted macadamia nuts and taro "parfait" - $6

Saturday February 13th: Lazy Bear Night for Project Open Hand

2010-02-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

This Saturday we're pleased to host David Barzelay, who runs Lazy Bear, an underground restaurant serving progressive and modern fine-dining food and also caters private dinners. He has a food blog at www.eatfoo.com, where you can follow his exploits and find announcements about past and future Lazy Bear events.

MSF profits will go to Project Open Hand, which, according to some of their service statistics, provided an average of 2175 meals a day and delivered 190 bags of groceries a day (for a yearly total of almost a jillion).

Specal thanks again to Shoe Shine Wine, who have donated a considerable amount of their excellent 2005 Petite Syrah as part of an ongoing fundraiser for the Food Pantry.

MENU:

*avocado salad with escarole, cherry-nicoise compote, celery sorbet and cacao tuile - $7

*dashi-poached scallops, 50 degrees celsius, with grapefruit, silken tofu, arugula, and black sesame crisps, $11

crispy chicken confit, with fried fingerling potatoes, chicken liver mousse, kumquat-balsamic gastrique, slow-cooked kumquats, sichuan peppercorn, and frisee, $12

*48-hour beef short rib, medium-rare, with carrots two ways, pearl onion confit, black bread croutons, house-processed parmeggiano, and onion jus, $14

*lightly salted cod, potato espuma, fried nori, pickled beech mushroom - $10

pb&j - crispy berkshire kurobuta pork belly, marinated jicama, pickled jalapeno and cilantro aioli on a homemade flatbread - $6.5

*lung shan's vegan delight - shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

*house-made burnt caramel ice cream, with fresh blood orange, almond cake, powdered orange oil, chervil, and blood orange pate de fruit, $7

* = vegetarian option available

Thursday February 11th: Sergey Bubka Tribute for Groceries for Seniors

2010-02-08T21:54:00.000-08:00

Sergey Bubka is to pole vault, what Usain Bolt would be to sprinting if no one breaks those records for 25 years (and if Usain Bolt was white).
From 1984 to 1988 Bubka increased the world record 21 cm and is still the reigning world record holder by 9 cm. According to Gary Smith of Sports Illustrated, "Here is a man who has personally altered his art form, changed the way competitors prepare for it and perform it, even the way spectators perceive it." This Thursday, guest chef Danny Bowien pays tribute to the all-time great, with a seafood driven menu inspired by Bubka's accomplishments--literally.

MSF profits will go to Groceries for Seniors, which distributes nutritious fresh food to approximately 1,188 seniors every week. They operate on $100,000 per year, which is used primarily on gas for deliveries and buying food from the SF Food Bank for 18 cents a pound. John Meehan, the founder, is the sole employee, with the rest of the program run by volunteers. You can get involved here.

Specal thanks again to Shoe Shine Wine, who have donated a considerable amount of their excellent 2005 Petite Syrah as part of an ongoing fundraiser for the Food Pantry.

MENU:

aperitif- prosecco, raspberry, black sesame - $4

katsuo boullion- braised hamachi collar, turnip brulee, nori tamago, pickled turnip greens - $8

tasmanian ocean trout sashimi- roe "en escabeche", santa barbara sea urchin, crispy rice paper, fresh dill - $12

salad of radishes and sprouts- smoked eel, golden enoki, crushed peas, radish water, tarragon, horseradish - $7

lightly grilled littleneck clams- smoked habanero shoyu, pineapple vinegar, olive oil puffed barley - $8

gambas a La sal- whole shrimp baked in sea salt, burnt eggplant, squash caviar, lemon confit - $9

oysters on the half-shell- pulled pork shoulder, poached napa cabbage, salt pickles, spicy whole bean miso - $13

fig on a plate- fig and honey parfait with oolong ice milk, mint, walnut tuile - $6

Full-Time Charitable Restaurant

2010-02-06T23:49:00.000-08:00

Thanks to anyone who has written to express interest regarding our attempt to open a full-time charitable restaurant. It's really heartening to be a part of a community effort. We have received an encouraging amount of emails and are moving forward as quickly as possible to make this a reality. If you're interested and you have not yet done so, please email me at missionstreetfood@gmail.com.

Thanks also to anyone who offered services or suggestions. As per the suggestions of a few people, I have started a kickstarter project allowing anyone to contribute any amount (as little as $1, and with some rewards for contributions over $50):

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/603393953/mission-street-food-is-opening-a-full-time-charita?ref=email

Special thanks to the people who made that happen (keeping you anonymous for your own privacy, but I'd be happy to credit you publicly any time you'd like).

Spicy Night: for the San Francisco Food Bank

2010-02-04T22:29:00.000-08:00

"Spice is the spice of life." --hauteliving.com

And as fellow connoisseurs of the haute lifestyle, this Saturday's menu will feature spicy food--tastefully done.

MSF profits will benefit the SF Food Bank, which serves 22,000 households weekly, and will distribute 36.5 million pounds of food to the community this year – enough for 78,000 meals every day.

MENU:

*equatorial fruit salad: honeydew, young coconut, pickled mandarin, mango, radicchio, watercress, pepita, oaxacan cheese, epazote, harissa vinaigrette - $7

*wasabi tobiko-guacamole with plantain tostones and scallion tempura - $7

*fiery explosion szechuan tater tots, with garlic, chinese bacon and shishito peppers - $5.5

*jerk albacore charashi with pineapple pickle, daikon sprouts, cucumber - $9

salt and pepper crawfish - one pound of wok roasted crawfish with crab essence - $10

deli duo: pastrami with hot mustard and sauerkraut and crispy beef tongue with horseradish and egg salad - $11

*lung shan's vegan delight - shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

*red hots pavlova, shaved white chocolate, snap pea, lychee, serrano granita - $5

* = vegetarian option available

Thursday February 4th: Superbowl Party for Alameda County Community Food Bank

2010-02-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we're gonna start tailgating a little early...okay Super early if you know what I mean. Guest chef Carlo Espinas of Camino will be presenting a menu of superbowl inspired dishes in honor of the nation's biggest food holiday (according to this guy).

MSF profits will go to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which serves 40,000 people each week and can turn a donation of $15 into an astonishing 300 pounds of produce.

MENU:

*Veggies & Dip: Snap Peas, endive, carrots with avocado-green goddess dip and crab-spinach dip - $7

Taleggio and Budweiser "Nachos": waffle fries and caramelized brussel sprouts with tomatillo and granny smith salsa verde - $6.5

Frito Pie: smoked short rib and beef tongue chili with frito crust (veg option of smoked scallion and pasilla chili with Rancho Gordo Pinto Beans) - $8

Pig in a Pig Blanket: Braised Let's be Frank Hot Dog in Bacon-Tomato beer bread, with dill-serrano crema - $7

Buffalo vs. Dallas: Authentic Buffalo wings with celery gremolata VS. charcoal grilled spare ribs with orange-chipotle glaze - $12

New Orleans vs. Indianapolis: mini Oyster Po'Boy with cajun pickles and celery root remoulade VS. Hoosier breaded pork tenderloin sandwich - $10

7 Layer Sundae: Terrine of Oreo crust, chocolate ice cream, coffee ice cream, vanilla ice cream, toasted almonds and cocoa nib, topped with Magic shell - $6

Full-Time Charitable Restaurant?

2010-01-31T01:12:00.001-08:00

For the past year, Mission Street Food has been donating its profits to charity; now, we would like to open a full-time charitable restaurant. This restaurant would be here in the Mission, open daily, offering fine dining food at affordable prices, benefiting a changing roster of charitable organizations.

While unconventional, the business model we’ve used thus far has enabled us to donate $22,000 to local charities in 2009, and we’d like to propose another unconventional business decision for the new restaurant: inviting you to participate in the venture. Mission Street Food is currently in negotiations to purchase a restaurant space, but we need a little more capital upfront. So we’re announcing a co-op of sorts, in which many investors could contribute a reasonably small amount to the start-up costs and earn annual dividends and more.

Here are some details regarding this proposition: We need about 100 investors at $500 apiece. If there is enough interest in this project, we will hire a lawyer to manage an escrow fund and accept contributions. Our tentative business plan projects a level of profitability that would make the annual dividend around $70 (14% return on investment). It also projects fundraising of $40,000 to $90,000 per year for charity. Investors can choose to hold their membership and redeem annual dividends or redeem the membership at any time for $1000 in gift certificates at the restaurant. If the restaurant does not open, investments would be returned in their entirety.

This is, undoubtedly an unusual offer, but we’re trying to build a charitable engine and hope you'll be interested in participating. The restaurant will not be strictly not-for-profit--some profits will go to partners/investors and some will go to members of the co-op as dividends. But I think we can raise a lot of money for charity. More importantly, if we’re successful, other people might follow suit by incorporating charitable elements in their businesses.

If you're interested in getting involved as an investor/Co-op member, I would be happy to provide more detailed information. And if anybody wants to invest an amount over $5000, we would be glad to discuss partnership terms on that level. Email me at missionstreetfood@gmail.com.

Thanks for your support,

Anthony

Saturday January 30th: Modern Portuguese with Jason Fox for Haitian Relief Effort

2010-01-28T21:42:00.000-08:00

This Saturday we're extremely pleased to have Jason Fox, former executive chef of Bar Tartine, as our guest chef. Jason will be presenting his interpretations of some Portuguese classics--a special occasion given that not only is there not really any Portuguese food in this city (sorry Grubstake), there's really not any modern Portuguese.

Some of Jason's proceeds will go to Partners in Health's Haitian relief effort. PIH has been on the ground in Haiti for 20 years and is rated the most effective charity in their field by Charity Navigator, with 94.8% of funds going directly towards programs. MSF profits will go to Foodrunners, which picked up and delivered 125,675 pounds of food in December. Volunteers performed 803 runs and the truck did 268.

Special thanks again to Shoe Shine Wine who donated some of their excellent 2005 Petite Sirah for the event.

MENU:

Portuguese bread and cilantro soup with chard, corona beans and slow cooked egg - $7

Monterey Bay squid and black eyed pea salad with new potatoes, wild greens, sieved egg and scallion embers - $9

Liberty Farm duck rice with chourico, pumpkin, black olive and duck skin cracklings - $11

Berkshire pork belly with cauliflower, jalapeno, watercress, compressed granny smith apple and mustard emulsion - $10

Beef tongue and cassava croquettes with leek soubise and aged sherry demiglace - $8.5

Crispy Piri Piri chicken with cider braised linguica, wilted letttuces and beluga lentils - $10

Green Lip Mussels with coconut-crab fumet, Goan curry and crostini - $9

Serra de Estrella raw sheep cheese with port-stewed cherries, shaved apple and graham crisps - $7

Thursday January 28th: Simple and Wintery for 826 Valencia and Meals on Wheels

2010-01-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we're pleased to welcome back Tommy Halvorson, executive chef of The Phoenix Supper Club, a San Francisco based roaming supper club, and co-founder/executive chef of EAT, a weekly event held every Monday night at 111 Minna in which he and his crew turn 111 Minna into a restaurant. Tommy will be presenting a menu of "Simple and Wintery" dishes.

A portion of Tommy's proceeds will benefit 826 Valencia, which supports students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills, and helps teachers get their students excited about their writing. MSF profits will go to Meals on Wheels, which has been providing isolated, homebound seniors with nutritious meals, daily human contact and supportive services for 38 years. Meals on Wheels is facing an especially challenging increase in demand as the state government recently slashed the budget for in-home health care programs for seniors and individuals with disabilities, entirely removing support from 40,000 recipients, and cutting back service for another 85,000 recipients.

MENU:

Fresh Mozzarella and Avocado Salad: with olive soil, pickled cucumber, mache and oregano - $7.5

Uni and Young Coconut Sashimi: with candied pecans and shooter of young coconut juice, lime and rosemary - $8

Parisienne Gnocchi: with purple and yellow cauliflower, red chard, caramelized onions, shaved Himalayan truffle, reggiano - $8

Laughing Bird Tacos: Laughing Bird shrimp, bacon, roasted peppers, broccoli rabe 3 ways, sliced garlic confit - $7

Maple Glazed Pork Belly: Braised, caramelized then glazed pork belly, butter blanched brussel sprouts, hen of the woods mushrooms, orange confit - $9

“Bacon and Eggs”: Heirloom chicories, slow poached egg, pancetta, parsley, pecorino sardo, pancetta vinaigrette - $6.5

Chicken-Fried Beef Jerky: house made, with snap peas, zucchini and ranch creme fraiche on a homemade flatbread - $7

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumpling in miso soup - $5.5

Brownie with Pierre Robert French Triple Creme Cheese and Toasted Macadamia Nuts - $6.5

Notes:

$270 to St. Anthony Foundation, $330 to the Doctors without Borders Haitian relief efort

Saturday January 23rd: Mexiterranean Night for the Food Pantry

2010-01-21T21:50:00.000-08:00

This Saturday we are pleased to have Matt Butler as our guest chef, presenting a menu of Mexiterranean classics. Mexiterraneo is a small island village approximately 4.4 thousand miles off the Gulf of Mexico where settlers from Spain, Greece and Morocco landed in 1983, introducing a variety of spices and flavors to the native taquerias. Matt has been cooking for 20 years and was sous chef at Serpentine, Fork, Cafe Majestic and Chez Mexiterraneo.

We are also proud to feature Petit Sirah graciously donated by Shoe Shine Wine. Their wine is a tribute to the local service sector, to whom they donate a portion of their proceeds. They also have a strong dedication to social and environmental justice concerns.

A portion of Matt's proceeds, MSF profits, and wine profits will go to the Food Pantry, which provided food for 27,986 people last year. The Food Pantry is run by poor people for poor people--their volunteers came to get food and stayed to help out.

MENU:

*green lip mussel tostada marinated in chermoulah with chickpeas, avocado and smoky eggplant puree - $8

*manchego quesadilla with stewed cherries, sage, watercress, and apple-tomatillo salsa - $7

"menudo" with charred tripe, chorizo, chard, tomato reduction, oregano and spiced corn nuts - $8

crab taquitos with fennel and mandarin salad, bay leaf-romesco, spiced yogurt - $9

roasted lamb leg tacos with tapenade, feta crema, cucumber, parsley, red onion - $7

pork enchiladas with harissa and petit basque fondue - $9

lung shan's vegan delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

*pear sopapillas with rosemary creme anglaise, fried almonds, white balsamic-honey - $5

Old School vs. New School Night for MSF Haitian Relief Effort

2010-01-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we are pleased to have Cindy Mojica as guest chef, presenting a menu of heritage Salvadoran recipes paired with modern reinterpretations. Cindy is a line cook at Bar Tartine and will be assisted by Gloria Mojica, a native of Sonsonate, El Salvador who is traveling from Los Angeles to hold court.

Cindy has elected to donate a portion of her proceeds to the other MSF: Médecins Sans Frontières, who has already dispatched surgeons, anesthetists, medical supplies and an inflatable hospital to Port Au Prince. MSF profits will also go to the Médecins Sans Frontières Haitian relief effort.

MENU:

Salpicon de Res: Shredded filet mignon with red onion, radish and mint VS. seared tenderloin carpaccio with avocado, and birdseye chili paste - $10

Meat Pupusas: Handmade masa pupusa stuffed with chicharron, queso and frijoles VS. charred hominy pupusa stuffed with bacon, goat cheese and pasilla peppers - $6.5

Vegetarian Pupusas: Handmade masa pupusa stuffed with loroco and queso VS. charred hominy pupusa stuffed with squash compote, goat cheese and maitake mushroom - $6.5

Pastelitos de atun: Handmade pastry stuffed with tuna, onion and parsley VS. crispy filo pocket with rare ahi and avocado salsa verde - $10

Platano Relleno: roasted plantain stuffed with traditional pork filling and topped with crema VS. Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Belly and plantain dumplings with oregano mojo - $9

Pane con Pavo: Roasted Turkey sandwich with turkey jus, watercress and tomato VS. open faced turkey confit sandwich with foiellandaise and turkey cracklins - $12

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Atol de Pina vs. seared pineapple arepa - $5

Closed January 16th

2010-01-15T15:28:00.000-08:00

Just a quick reminder that we are closed this Saturday. See you next Thursday!

Thursday January 14th: Guest Chef Jeff Rosen

2010-01-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

This coming Thursday, we're pleased to have Jeff Rosen, former owner of the Inner Sunset's beloved Avenue 9 as our guest chef. Jeff is a Bay Area restaurant veteran who is back behind the stoves after 7 years "working for the man." His current ventures include various secret suppers around the city, including "Whiskey-Pig" and Club Ave 9. Follow him on Facebook at Club Ave 9 or www.clubave9.blogspot.com

MSF profits will go to Martin de Porres, a free restaurant at 225 Potrero Avenue near 16th Street that has been serving their community since 1971. Their program is especially uplifting because of the altruistic spirit of their volunteers--some of whom are full-time, live on site, and earn no money.

MENU:

*Castelvetrano Olives, Fried Marcona Almonds, Pickled Mandarins - $5

Warm Bloomsdale Spinach Salad with Santa Barbara Ridgeback Shrimp, Honey Braised Duroc Pork Belly, Baby Salinas Beets and Sherry Vinaigrette - $8

Seared Ahi, Chive Shoot Guacamole, Shaved Foie Gras, and Nori Crackers - $14

*Chevre Tostada with Blistered Shishito Peppers, and Pickled Cherry Tomatoes - $6

Crispy Sweetbread "BLT" on a Buttermilk Cornmeal Biscuit with Wild Rocket, Oven Roasted Tomato Aioli and Hobbs Bacon Jam - $8

*Pan-Seared Marin Sun Farms Flat Iron Steak with a Pearl Onion, Sultana and Whole Grain Mustard Jus, Mashed Roots and Gourds and Ave 9 Onion Rings - $15

Duck Confit, Duck Cracklins, Scallion, Cucumber, and Thai Chili Hoisin on a Homemade Flatbead - $8

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: Shitake and Oyster Mushroom Dumplings in Miso Soup - $5.5

*"The O.G." Original Gingerbread with Salted Caramel, Glazed Walnuts and Bi-Rite Creamery Vanilla Bean Ice Cream - $5

*Green Tea Shake with Chocolate-Pink Peppercorn Cookies - $4

* = vegetarian or vegetarian option available

2010: Seafood Odyssey for the St. Anthony Foundation

2010-01-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we're pleased to have HAL 9000 as our guest chef. HAL will be presenting a seafood menu inspired by his recent eating tour of Jupiter.

MSF profits will go to the St. Anthony Foundation, which serves over 2,600 meals per day--365 days a year--and provides medical services, clothing, and housewares to those in need.

MENU:

white soy, mirin and salmon roe gelee with beech mushrooms, rice and dill - $4

scallop tartare, water chestnut, golden chive, caraway, pumpernickel crisps - $10

seared mackerel, beluga lentil salad, fried nagaimo, wasabi creme fraiche, pea leaves - $8

shrimp and uni stuffed tofu, scallion soubise, chili vinaigrette - $7

spicy crab cake with fried plantain, mango, young coconut juice, rice paddy herb - $12

mussels, poppy cream, benton's bacon, celery root, parmesan crouton - $9

fried catfish, avocado, cucumber pickle, tapenade on a homemade flatbread - $7

lung shan's vegan delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

pistachio pavlova with citrus salad, sherry reduction, yogurt creme and nori tuile - $6

NOTES:

We're easing into the year and will only be open on Thursdays for now. Our first Saturday of 2010 will be January 23rd. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Reminder: Closed until Thursday January 7th

2009-12-19T18:46:00.000-08:00

Also, Mission Burger is closed and will re-open January 2nd.

Happy Holidays!

Thursday December 17th: Vegan Night for the Western Addition Senior Center

2009-12-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

Dear Vegans,

No hard feelings okay?

Yours Truly,

Anthony

MSF profits will go to the Western Addition Senior Center, which provides delivered meals for 200 seniors, and lunches for 125 at four senior centers (W. Addition, John King, Rosa Parks and Bayview Hunter's Point).

MENU:

*pear salad: pickled grapes, mache, edamame puree, celery granita, mint - $7

*smoky eggplant tostada with caramelized brussels sprouts, fried plantain, shishito pepper, cilantro salsa - $6

*sesame-avocado brown rice with konbu, beech mushroom, toasted nori - $7

*roasted tomato stew with artichoke, chard, fried chick peas - $7

*daikon and cauliflower tempura with warm coconut reduction, dill, white shoyu - $7

*vegan burger flatbread: fava-chickpea patty with roasted kale, shitake, edamame and scallions; topped with guacamole, shaved fennel and sambal on a homemade flatbread - $7

*broccoli rabe with garlic confit, maitake, hashbrown, macadamia butter, shaved truffle - $10

*lung shan's vegan delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

*cacao and banana handpie with spiced walnuts and lychee-"buttercream" - $5

* = vegan food

Year End Wrap Up

2009-12-10T22:24:00.000-08:00

Our last MSF of the year will be next Thursday December 17th with a Vegan Menu (okay maybe two vegetarian dishes).

We'll be closed this Saturday so we can serve late night Mission Burgers. Stay tuned for details. Or if you're going to be in a bar in the inner mission, direct message missionburger on twitter and we'll see about delivery.

Notes:

Through November, MSF donated $17623, and conducted side benefits with The Food Pantry for $1522. Since late August, Mission Burger and Duc Loi have raised $2616 for the SF Food Bank. Your support makes a difference.

Thursday December 10th: Offal Menu and Industry Happy Hour for Foodrunners

2009-12-06T20:16:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we're putting all of our eggs into one basket, only they're not eggs, they're chicken livers breaded in cornflakes and the basket is the left side of the deep fryer. But why split hairs (when you can split bones for marrow)? Come break [crispy sweet]bread[s] with us.

Since this is kind of a foodie menu, we're going to stay open for an industry happy hour from 11pm to midnight with food and drink specials.

MSF profits will go to Foodrunners which picked up and delivered 117,470 pounds (!) of food in the month of November. Volunteers performed 864 runs and the truck did 217. Even if you don't want to volunteer any time or energy, you can still make a big difference by just spreading awareness so that leftovers from holiday parties or other events find a home. Call 415-929-1866 and get a truck to come pick up and redistribute any food prepared in a professional kitchen.

MENU:

charcoal grilled tripe with preserved melon, salmon roe, sweet herbs, shallot pickles, bitter greens - $9

crispy sweetbreads with spicy scallop crudo, pear and elderflower soubise, pea leaves, white soy - $13

country-fried chicken livers with brussels spouts, buttermilk dressing - $7

roasted bone marrow with fresh dill, tomato toast - $7

seared beef tongue with blackened grits, spicy mustard greens, pickled anchovy - $9

trotter flatbread: ham hock rillette, cornichon, sauce gribiche, on a homemade flatbread - $6.5

foie gras sundae: vanilla ice cream, huckleberry compote, shaved foie, corn pops - $7

Saturday December 5th: Aromatics Menu for Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center

2009-12-03T22:00:00.000-08:00

"The olfactory receptors in our nasal passages can detect many hundreds of volatile molecules that are small and chemically repelled by water, and therefore fly out of the food and into the air in our mouth. The sensations from our mouth give us an idea of a food's basic composition and qualities, while our sense of smell allows us to make much finer discriminations" - Harold McGee

And because we at MSF always aspire to "finer discriminations," Saturday's menu will highlight a vartiety of aromatics. MSF profits will go to the Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center, food distribution program, which feeds about 400 people each week. The BHNC also offers an array of Youth, senior and housing services.

MENU:

Grapefruit and Nori Edamame: blistered shishito peppers, sea salt - $5

Truffled Egg: slow egg, caramelized maitake, mushroom brodo, parmesan crouton, chard, shaved truffle - $9

Bay Leaf Scented Crawfish: 1 pound of crawfish in soy caramel with chili and garlic. Served with fine vermicelli, fresh herbs, peanuts, pickles and nouc cham - $10

Smoky BLT: benton's bacon with pickled cherry tomato, iceberg lettuce, smokehouse aioli on a homemade flatbread - $6

Coffee and Cigarettes Short Rib: coffee braised with date-tobacco jam, fried yucca, caramelized onion, dandelion - $12

Chamomile Poached Catfish: with lemongrass sabayon, sauteed lettuce, fried okra - $10

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Olive Oil Financier: with rosemary creme anglaise and marcona brittle - $6

Burnt Cinnamon Pannacotta: with orange caramel and chocolate cookie - $4.5

Thursday December 3rd: Food Not Bombs Night

2009-11-30T20:39:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we are excited to have Thomas Martinez, former executive chef of Mission Beach Cafe as our guest chef. Thomas has also worked at Aziza, Greens and Roots. He'll be presenting a menu using farmers market produce and Becker Lane organic pork, highlighting a seasonal progressive cuisine.

A portion of Thomas' proceeds as well as MSF profits will go to Food Not Bombs. San Francisco Food Not Bombs is entirely volunteer driven and serves food to the needy five days a week. Contact them to get involved, or just prepare some food and bring it to their next scheduled distribution.

MENU:

**Shaved Persimmons and Pears with fennel, celery root, meyer lemon, pistachio, chervil, and bacon vinaigrette - $7

*Monterey Calimari with pickled Kale, brussel sprouts, peppercress, spiced cashews, citrus vinaigrette - $9

Becker Lane Pork Ribs with stewed nettles, cauliflower, mushrooms, cornbread - $8

**Root Vegetable Rissotto with winter herbs, organic parmesan regiano - $6

PB & J: Crispy Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Belly with marinated jicama, cilantro aioli and pickled jalapenos - $6.5

Beef and Maitake Soup with daikon confit, charred scallion, dill sour cream - $7

**Sesame-Avocado Brown Rice with beech mushroom, grilled treviso - $7

**Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

*Hachiya Persimmon Gooey Cake with vanilla, pomegranate, almonds, cardamom creme fraiche - $6

*Green Tea Semifreddo with valrhona chocolate sauce, shaved apple - $4.5

* = vegetarian/vegetarian option
** = vegan/vegan option

Notes:

-$230 to Tenderloin Tessies, $220 to Free Farm Stand, $240 to the Women's Community Clinic, $450 to St. Anthony Foundation

-Special Thanks again to Elyse Winery for their generous wine donation. It resulted in us being able to serve really first rate wine for a couple nights and $408 to The Food Pantry--about enough for an entire weeks supply of food.

-If you would like to donate something we can use as a fundraiser, we'd be happy to give you publicity and a receipt for the donation. Just email us at missionstreetfood@gmail.com

Closed for the week. Open Again Thursday December 3rd

2009-11-24T23:14:00.000-08:00

MSF will be closed for the week and will return on Thursday December 3rd.

Mission Burger will close Thursday and Friday, but resume its normal schedule on Saturday. If you work with people in need, please let them know that there will be a free Thanksgiving meal at Duc Loi starting at noon on Thursday.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Saturday November 21st: Foreign Invasion of Thanksgiving for Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners

2009-11-19T22:00:00.000-08:00

A Polish guy walks into a bar and says to the bartender, "gulgotac gulgotac!" Bartender says to the guy, "I don't speak Polish buddy." Guy says "gobble gobble!" Bartender says, "Oh I should have known you were a turkey from your disgusting red face and inordinately large breastal region." Then the bartender eats the guy. Get it? These days even the Polish have a word for gobble like a turkey.

In recognition of the recognition of Thanksgiving around the world, we'll just go ahead and do what every American would consider sacrilegious: f*ck with Thanksgiving Dinner.

Profits to Tenderloin Tessie Holiday Dinners, an all volunteer organization, which has been offering free Easter and Thanksgiving meals to a thousand people for over 30 years.

Once again, thanks to a gracious donation by Elyse Winery, profits from all wine purchases will go directly to The Food Pantry.

MENU:

French Onion French Dip: turkey confit, duck fat-onions and gruyere fondue on acme roll, served with turkey jus - $8

Turkish Turkey: smoked, fried and za'atar dusted wings, served with tzatziki and salad of pear, celery, feta, and cranberry - $8

Dirty South Stuffing: cornbread, collards, ham hocks, giblets - $6

Mashed Potato with Beef Mole - $6

Sake-Mirin Creamed Corn - $4.5

Szechuan Green Bean Casserole - $6

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Ras El Hanout Pumpkin Pie with coriander condensed milk - $6

Thursday November 19th: Booze Night for Ladies Night

2009-11-16T23:59:00.000-08:00

As the holiday season approaches we are getting into the spirit by celebrating booze in many forms. We are excited to offer wine graciously donated by Elyse Winery, which has received numerous accolades in Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast. Proceeds from wine sales will go directly to The Food Pantry. In line with our traditionally low corkage, bottles will be sold for half retail price.

We'll also have guest pastry chef Steven Gdula of Gobba Gobba Hey and author of The Warmest Room in the House: How the Kitchen Became the Heart of the Twentieth-Century American Home. MSF will be presenting a special alcohol themed menu to precipitate the eating, drinking and being merry.

Profits will go to Ladies Night – a collaborative program of the Women’s Community Clinic, the Mission Neighborhood Resource Center, and the Haight Youth Alliance. Ladies night is a weekly drop-in night for women only, from 6-8pm, which serves up to 70 women a hot meal, and provides hygiene supplies, a needle exchange, case management and mental health services. In it's 5th year, Ladies Night is often the only full, sit down meal that many of it's clients eat in a given week.

Email us at MSFreservations@gmail.com with your name, time and party size if you'd like to make a reservation. Or, if you're feeling lucky and you speak Chinese, you can call the land line.

MENU:

*Goat cheese, olive crumble, salad of satsuma mandarin, fennel and treviso, with gin-lemon vinaigrette - $7

Drunken squid: squid sashimi in aged sake, served with chorizo spring rolls - $9

*Apple and Celery Root-Beer Bread with roasted kale and brie - $8

*Thai Chili-Cointreau chicken wings with golden chive chow mein - $8

Mesquite Grilled, whiskey glazed ribs with bacon-y mustard greens - $11

Vodka Battered Oyster Flatbread with avocado, cucumber and pickled jalapeno - $7

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Gob Tasting Flight: 1) Chocolate Raspberry Fennel with Absinthe 2) Buttered Rum with Spiced Pumpkin 3)Irish Coffee - $6

Humphry Slocombe Secret Breakfast Ice Cream - $3.25 per scoop

*vegetarian or vegetarian option available

Saturday November 14th: Egg Tasting Menu for the St. Anthony Foundation

2009-11-12T22:00:00.000-08:00

This Saturday we are putting all of our eggs in one basket with a menu highlighting eggs in various forms. Some egg dishes are classic preparations with delicious accompaniments. Others are experimental preparations, but still with delicious accompaniments. Still others are delicious preparations with accompanying dishes. Joining us in the kitchen will be our first guest Asian flavor consultant Danny "World Champion" Bowien.

Seriously though, we are not laying an egg with this menu...not unless we're geese and it's the golden egg. Naw'meen?

MSF profits will go to the St Anthony Foundation, which serves over 2,600 meals per day--365 days a year--and provides medical services, clothing, and housewares to those in need.

Reminder that we are taking reservations for the whole night. Send an email to MSFreservations@gmail.com with name, party size and preferred time.

MENU:

Grilled mackerel with egg salad, pickled beet, horseradish, dill - $9

Bacon cheeseburger scotch eggs - yolks wrapped in aged ground beef, benton's bacon and drizzled with cheddar beer sauce - $7

Griddled English muffin, cripsy berkshire pork belly, fried egg, caramelized brussels sprouts, bearnaise sauce - $8

Warm egg custard with pulled pork, granny smith, ham broth and wilted greens - $7

Stout braised creekstone farm short rib with coffee-cured slow egg, housemade gnocchi, shaved button mushroom, pea shoots, brown butter tuile - $12

Vegetarian fried rice omelet: with bacos, roasted kale, smoky cauliflower, edamame, maitake, scallion, garlic confit, topped with nori soil - $8

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Egg Nog Milkshake with Lipitor biscotti - $5

* * *

Notes:

catch MSF on Pirate Cat Radio this Sunday at 4pm or later here.

Thursday November 12th: Mini Meals Community Dinner Night

2009-11-10T00:19:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we're pleased to have Nick Castellanos as guest chef. Nick has worked at Farallon, Bocadillos, Corso and Zax Tavern and is currently sous chef at Sidebar in Oakland. Nick was born in Napa and his menu showcases Mediterranean, Asian and NorCal influences.

MSF profits will go to sponsor a Mini Meals Community Dinner. Mini Meals is a free program for youth (ages 7-12) promoting sustainable and healthy eating habits. The class will be having it's first annual community dinner, open and free to the public, at the West Sunset Rec Center. The idea is for the kids to wait tables, bus and cook (with guidance) for anyone in the city (but targeting low-income families in the Sunset). The community dinner will be held from 7:30pm to 8:30pm on November 18th at 3223 Ortega (at 39th Ave). More information is available by calling 415.753.7047, or on-line here.

MENU:

Seared ahi poke with jalapeño, grilled pineapple, shallot, cucumber-lemongrass "water", leek & cilantro salad - $11

"ratatouille" with eggplant purée, roasted bell pepper, grilled zuchini, slow-roasted tomatoes, pickled cherry tomatoes & parsley pesto - $8

Braised ox tail with horseradish brown butter roasted spaghetti squash, huckleberry Demi, "gremolata" - $10

Chanterelle & goat cheese dumplings in bacon broth with confit pistachios - $8

Vegetarian cassoulet, with roasted kale and leek, garlic confit, pearl onion, maitake mushroom and cannelini beans - $7

Aged Angus NY Strip and blue cheese nachos with, granny smith, caramelized brussels sprouts, marjoram - $9

Peking flatbread - Duck Confit, Duck cracklins, cucumber, scallion, cilantro and thai chili hoisin - $7.5

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup

Apple sopapilla with lemon cream - $6

Humphry Slocombe Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream - $3.25 per scoop

Notes:

$180 to Project Open Hand; $140 to CCDC Food Pantry; $150 to the Glide Memorial Church Free Daily Meals program; $340 to Groceries for Seniors; $240 to At the Crossroads.

Saturday November 7th: Remix Night

2009-11-05T21:45:00.000-08:00

A good remix can transcend even a classic. This Saturday we're reinterpreting a bunch of classic foods by adding some new flavors, amplifying existing flavors, and changing textures. Okay, transcend is a little ambitious, but we expect it to be worthwhile, and not that lame crap where someone puts out a cover and it's just pointlessly similar to the original, or worse yet, nauseatingly uninspired.

MSF profits will go to Groceries for Seniors which provides food for almost 1,200 seniors a week. The entire program is run by one employee--the founder, John Meehan--and relies heavily on volunteer support.

MENU:

*Melon and Prosciutto: with fresh mozzarella, midori vinaigrette, basil oil, toasted hazelnut - $7

Deconstructed Meatloaf: braised ground beef, beef jus, griddled slow egg, ketchup crouton - $10

*Halibut Fish n Chips - Battered with tartar gratin - $13

Pork n' Beans - Smoky pulled pork, Benton's bacon-baked beans - $8

*Caesar Sandwich: Crispy oil-cured chicken, garlic-anchoiade, sieved egg, romaine - $6.5

*Veggie Fried Rice: Seared cauliflower, roasted kale, maitake, shitake, edamame, fennel, scallion, burssels sprouts, truffled soy - $7

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Milk & Cookies: Malted Milk Cookies with Cookie Milkshake - $5.5

Apple Pie with cheddar and chantilly cream - $6

* = vegetarian or vegetarian option available

Thursday November 5th: Nombe Sneak Preview Night for Martin de Porres

2009-11-03T01:30:00.000-08:00

This Thursday we're extremely excited to have Nick Balla of O Izakaya as guest chef. His menu will be a sneak preview of Nombe, opening in late November in the former Tacos Santana space at 21st & Mission. Nombe will feature traditional and contemporary Izakaya fare, with a large sake and wine selection. Nick will be Nombe's executive chef, partnering with Mari Takahashi and Gil Payne of Sozai restaurant. Joining Nick in the kitchen on Thursday will be Mari as well as Eric Lowe of Bix.

A portion of Nick's and MSF's proceeds will go to Martin de Porres, a free restaurant at 225 Potrero Avenue near 16th Street that has been serving their community since 1971. Their program is especially uplifting because of the altruistic spirit of their volunteers--some of whom are full-time, live on site and earn no money.

MENU:

Fuyu persimmon with bitter greens, grated wasabi - $6

Dayboat scallop crudo with fennel, grape and shiso - $9

Fried BBQ pork rice balls with karashi mustard - $5

Spicy tuna deviled eggs with avocado and nori –- $6

Mission Motzu:– tripe, heart, liver, short rib in a soy based broth with chili peppers, cabbage, garlic chives, avocado - $8

Ribeye with nagaimo, spinach and whole grain mustard - $9

Crab fritters, edamame puree, pickled hon shimeji mushroom and nori "soil" on homemade flatbread - $10

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Mochi with kabocha cream and azuki - $6

Soymilk Shake with Whisky-Hazelnut Financier - $6

Closed Saturday October 31st

2009-10-30T01:35:00.000-07:00

Closed in observance of Halloween, but also because of a family emergency.

Open again on Thursday November 5th with Nick Balla of O Izakaya, one of my favorite places in the city.

Notes:

We are now serving Fried Chicken Sandwiches at Mission Burger. Be careful.

Thursday October 29th: Halloween Dinner for at the Crossroads

2009-10-27T01:06:00.000-07:00

WooOooooohh!! WEeeeeEEEEeeeeEEEE OOOoooOOOoohhhh!! [Waving hands slowly, ghoulishly in the air] (Are you scared yet? No?)

This week’s theme: CANDY CORN!! All dishes will be pressed from white-and-orange corn syrup solids, individually packaged, ground-shipped from Schenectady, NY, then served by guest waiter Michael Pollan, who will remain tableside and do his best to remain stoic and non-disapproving but may on occasion weep quietly as you finish your dinner.

(How about now? Still not scared?)

Well then, bold diner, your brave soul has “passed mustard.” Come join us for a halloween inspired menu presented by guest chef Carlo Espinas. It will be a meal worthy of only the pickiest and pluckiest of gastronauts.

MSF profits will go to At the Crossroads. ATC works on the streets with 1,000 homeless youth and young adults every year, and develops close counseling relationships with 250 of them. All of these young people get food from us and many rely on ATC to meet the majority of their food needs. ATC gives out more than 60,000 pounds of food every year including 15,000 snacks and 2,500 sandwiches in the Mission and Tenderloin, 5,000 food boxes (mostly delivered to client apartments after transitioning off the streets), and 2,000 restaurant meals during 1-1 counseling sessions.

Reminder that reservations are now accepted on the hour. Email MSFreservations@gmail.com

MENU:

fennel, orange and black olive salad with crushed black licorice candy - $5.5

roasted pumpkin pot pie with braised pork belly and shoulder, and sage - $9

angels and devils: bacon-wrapped shrimp and goat cheese-filled jalapeno poppers - $6

bobbing for apples: apple/potato dumplings in chicken broth with braised cabbage and smoked brisket - $8

orange and black: mac and cheese with carrots and cavolo nero - $5

chicken with 40 cloves: shredded chicken, garlic confit, shishito peppers and gremolata on a homemade flatbread - $6.5

lung shan's vegan delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

pumpkin sopapillas with molasses, candied popcorn and pepitas - $6

rosemary's baby ice cream with blood orange caramel - $3.5

world trick or treat! - on the house

Notes:

-Anthony will be part of a panel discussion at the Commonwealth Club and subsequent afterparty at 111 Minna. Details here.

-MSF will be closed on Saturday in observance of Halloween.

Saturday October 24th: Closed for Private Event

2009-10-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

Congrats to our manager Brendon who is getting married that day!

In case anyone wants Chinese food on Saturday, the Lung Shan dining room should reopen at 8 or 9pm.

Thursday October 22nd: Free Farm Stand Night

2009-10-19T21:38:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are excited to have Nicole LoBue and Leif Hedendal as co-guest chefs. Nicole is a caterer, private chef and dietary consultant who teaches classes on fermentation, canning, cheese-making, and bread-making. Leif is a farm-to-table chef, cooking for many dining projects, including The Secret Cafe, The Secret Eating Society, Noise In my Kitchen, and Dinner Discussion.

A portion of proceeds will go to Free Farm Stand, which gives away free food every Sunday from 1-3pm at the Parque Niños Unidos at 23rd and Treat Streets in the Mission. So far this year, they've given away over 4400 lbs of produce.

MENU:

Dirty Girl early girl tomatoes with roasted piquillo peppers, Henry's olives, piccolo fino basil, and Pug's Leap goat cheese crostini - $8

Annabelle's heirloom pumpkin soup with brown butter, chanterelle Tartine toast, garden herbs, St. George Chardonnay brandy crème, and pumpkin seed oil - $9

smoked black cod with shell beans, stinging nettle, Bloomsdale spinach, preserved lemon, wild fennel, and pistachio - $14

slow-braised Marin Sun Farms lamb shoulder with Moroccan spices, lamb-porcini reduction, Tierra chile harissa, baby greens, and fine herbs - $13

cambazola nachos with fig, brussels sprouts, Benton's bacon, marjoram - $8

king trumpet mushroom with tripled fried potato, garlic confit and charred scallion sour cream on a homemade flatbread - $6

Lung Shan's vegan delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

almond torte with poached quince, moscato jelly, and coriander crème - $7

butter fried cornbread with buttermilk panna cotta and bourbon-sage honey - $5.5

Saturday October 17th: Breakfast for Dinner International Edition Part II

2009-10-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

This Saturday our menu will feature updated breakfast foods from around the world. David Barzeley of Lazy Bear underground restaurant and eatfoo.com will be lending a hand serving a couple dishes (his will be the composed ones involving advanced techniques). We'll also be hosting a Meatpaper reading by Marissa Guggiana, Heather Smith and Chris Ying as part of Litcrawl. As a result of the litcrawl event, we will start reservations for Saturday at 7pm.

MSF profits will go to Groceries for Seniors which provides food for almost 1,200 seniors a week. The entire program is run by one employee--the founder, John Meehan--and relies heavily on volunteer support.

MENU:

Grapefruit Salad with mache, fennel, fresh mozzarella, toasted pepita, balsamic vinaigrette - $6

Pho Vit: Pho with Duck broth, duck rillette, traditional garnishes - $8

Pork Belly and a Coffee Donut with Powdered Lemon Sugar, Whipped Maple, Banana and Brown Butter Puree, Lemon Zest, Cinnamon Basil - $10

Aged USDA Prime Ribeye with griddled slow egg and hashbrown - $12

Black Cod Congee with soy-cured egg and scallion toasts - $9

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Bendable Chocolate Milk with Orange Juice Sorbet, Orange and Cocoa Krispies Streusel, Fresh Orange, and Chocolate Oil - $6

Cinammon Toast Crunch: Bruleed Firebrand pan de mie with sweet milk - $5

Notes:

Mission Burger will be closed this Saturday and Sunday due to family emergency. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Thursday October 15th: Fungus Among Us for Martin De Porres

2009-10-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are pleased to present a menu highlighting various forms and preparations of (delicious!) fungus--dreamed up by Ian Marks, executive chef of the Hog Island Oyster Co. (formerly of The Liberty Cafe and The Fatted Calf).

MSF profits will go to Martin de Porres House of Hospitality, a free restaurant at 225 Potrero Avenue near 16th Street that has been serving their community since 1971. Their program is especially uplifting because of the altruistic spirit of their volunteers--some of whom are full-time, live on site and earn no money.

MENU:

Maitake and snow fungus tempura with shoyu and tarragon aioli - $6.5

Huitlacoche and sweet corn soup with crispy tortilla, avocado, seared pasilla peppers, cilantro - $5.5

Porcini, goat cheese and cotija cheese empenadas with porcini salt and salsa verde dipping sauce - $7

Terrine of duck confit and Black Trumpet mushroom with kiwiberry jam, wild arugula and buttery toasts - $9

Truffled pork sausages, white polenta, mache and Black winter truffle jus - $12

King Trumpet: mushroom with triple-fried potato, garlic confit, charred scallion sour cream on a homemade flatbread - $6

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Mascarpone phyllo dumplings with honey and smoky portobella powder - $6

Humphrey Slocombe's Candy Cap mushroom ice cream - $3

Closed Saturday October 10th

2009-10-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

Open again on Thursday October 15th with Ian Marks, chef of Hog Island Oyster Co. presenting a special menu, "Fungus Among Us."

Thursday October 8th: "Black or White" Night for St. Anthony's Foundation

2009-10-06T00:43:00.000-07:00

Our friend Sang (who MSF patrons may remember as the cashier with the impressive hair or the busboy with a yellow lace apron) is a big Michael Jackson fan. He was telling us about his fond memory of gathering around the TV with his family to see the world premiere of Michael's "Black or White" video. After Sang walked us through the excited build-up and subsequent controversy, we revisited this cultural touchstone, and could hardly believe that this was what we'd seen on prime time television almost 20 years ago. Now that the MJ tributes have calmed down, we want to commemorate this classic moment in pop-culture history with a menu of "Black or White"-inspired dishes. While we encourage growling, shrieking, and heavy-handed symbolism, we discourage any crotch-grabbing and car smashing in the dining room.

MSF profits will go to the St. Anthony Foundation, which serves over 2,600 meals per day--365 days a year--and provides medical services, clothing, and housewares to those in need.

Reminder that we are taking reservations for the whole night. Send an email to MSFreservations@gmail.com with name, party size and preferred time.

MENU:

olive "soil" with fresh mozzarella, cherry tomato, tatsoi, basil oil - $7

boudin blanc, roasted cavalo nero kale, slow cooked sauerkraut, benton's bacon, mustard, - $9

fermented black bean short rib with parsley root puree, mustard greens, marinated beech mushroom, fresh horseradish - $10

seared scallop with black pudding, hashbrown, smoky white bean puree and tarragon - $10

"blackened" pork belly, spicy goat cheese, cucumber and cilantro on homemade flatbread - $7

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

mascarpone pavlova, with grass jelly and caramelized lychee & banana - $6

blackout cake with coffee caramel and whiskey semifreddo - $6

* * *

Notes: We will be closed on Saturday October 10th, due to travel

Saturday October 3rd: Big Trouble in Little China Night for the CCDC Food Pantry

2009-10-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

After the commercial and critical failure of the film Big Trouble in Little China, John Carpenter became very disillusioned with Hollywood and became an independent filmmaker. He said in an interview, “The experience [of Big Trouble] was the reason I stopped making movies for the Hollywood studios. I won’t work for them again. I think Big Trouble is a wonderful film, and I’m very proud of it. But the reception it received, and the reasons for that reception, were too much for me to deal with. I’m too old for that sort of bullshit” [wikipedia]. I'm not so old, but recent reviews of some exciting restaurants--make me feel like the traditional system doesn't recognize talent the way it should.

This Saturday we are serving dishes that are San Franciscan on the surface with a fantastical undercurrent of ancient Chinese mysticism.

MSF profits will go to the Chinatown Community Development Center's Food Pantry, which provides groceries for 190 Single Room Occupancy Tenants each week: "The food distribution is special to Chinatown CDC because many tenants are willing to volunteer. The elderly and teenagers work side-by-side and get acquainted at the same time."

Also, in order to provide better service and avoid running out of food, we are now taking reservations for the entire night, starting at 6:00pm. Email MSFreservations@gmail.com with your name, party size and time.

MENU:

Hama Hama Oyster with oyster sauce and dill-tomatillo granita - $5

*Asian Pear Salad with watercress, chinese celery, chili oil, roasted peanut - $6

*Crispy Tofu with slow egg, sauteed greens, garlic-sesame glaze - $6

Salt & Pepper Cod with guacamole, sweet corn, bacon, mustard greens, - $11

*Aged Angus NY Strip Steak with goat cheese, seared cherry tomato and shishito peppers, and black bean demiglace - $13

Peking Duck Flatbread: duck confit, duck cracklins, cucumber, cilantro, scallion and spicy hoisin - $8

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Strawberry cake with lychee, buttermilk pannacotta, pop rocks - $6

* = vegetarian or vegetarian option available

Notes:

$190 to Jewish Family and Children's Services

Thursday October 1st: Bruno's Kitchen Sneak Preview

2009-09-28T23:13:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are excited to host Ryan Ostler and Katherine Zacher, our new neighbors at the forthcoming Bruno's Kitchen. Ryan and Katherine ran the Broken Record Kitchen and have also worked at Boulevard, Campton Place, Firefly, Range, Quince, and Serpentine. In the near future, they'll be serving their from scratch American regional cuisine and bbq (including fried chicken and parsnip waffles) at Bruno's. This Thursday their menu will be "Far East meets South."

Ryan and Katherine will donate a portion of their proceeds to Burners without Borders, a collection of Burning Man participants who are actively engaged in community-based civic volunteer projects throughout the year. Starting in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, BWB volunteers provided over $1 million dollars worth of reconstruction and debris removal to the residents of Mississippi and have continued with projects spanning the globe. MSF profits will go to the Glide Memorial Church Daily Meals Program, which began in 1969 and now serves 800,000 meals a year to the city's poor hungry and homeless.

Also, so we can avoid running out of food and improve customer satisfaction, we are now taking reservations for 8:30 pm and later. Email us at MSFreservations@gmail.com with a name, party size, time and date. Our reservationist will be checking and sending out confirmations all week until 3pm on Thursday (or Saturday).

MENU:

Bacon palmiers, with homemade puff pastry - $3

*RC cola boiled peanuts + sesame edamame - $2

*Fried mac 'n' cheese, tomato chutney, spicy mustard - $7

Steamed pulled pork buns, green papaya, apple, and celery root slaw - $7

Smoked beef tataki, miso grilled eggplant, crispy shallots, wasabi-horseradish cream - $9

*Smoked tofu and mushroom pate banh mi, sambal aioli, and veggies- $7

Fried catfish, avocado and braised kimchee tamago on a homemade flatbread - $8

Japanese Dirty Rice: brown rice with kombu, shimeji mushroom, edamame, and choice of meat gravy or natto - $7.5

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight - shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Cheesecake icebox cake with homemade graham crackers, concord grape sorbet, and sesame brittle $6

Coconut rice pudding ice cream with crispy sweet bean wontons- $5

* = vegetarian or vegetarian option available

Notes:

-$150 to People's Grocery, $220 to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, $210 to Meals on Wheels, $140 to the Soul Food Farm Fire Fund, $130 to The Food Pantry, $410 to Foodrunners (two nights), $840 to SF Food Bank (multiple nights).

-$1398 so far to the SF Food Bank, courtesy of Mission Burger and Duc Loi. Thanks for your support and tell your friends. Also, come check us out on the weekends (we've been slow). We added some seating and you can take your burgers over to Lung Shan and buy a drink.

Saturday September 26th: JFCS Food Pantry Night

2009-09-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, we are extremely pleased to host Jason Fox , former Executive Chef of Bar Tartine. Jason has been featured in San Francisco Magazine, and his cuisine has been called, "meticulously etched" and "a harmonious blend of complexity and satisfaction." On Saturday he will be presenting MSF's first Israeli Street Food Night, with a few Ashkenazi classics thrown in for good measure. Some of the food we'll be serving is, in Jason's words, "Biblical."

MSF profits will go to the Jewish Family and Children's Services Food Pantry. With the recession and massive cutbacks in community services for the poor, frail, and elderly, Jewish Family and Children's Services has seen a 50% increase in the number of people turning to them for emergency assistance. They serve five counties -- San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo and Santa Clara -- and their food pantries helped put food on the table for more than 3,500 families in the last year alone. With a 160 year history of serving the community, JFCS helps people of all faiths and backgrounds in hard times. For many people today who've worked hard and exhausted their personal resources, JFCS is the only place to turn.

We will also be collecting any canned or packaged foods for the JFCS Food Pantry.

MENU:

Housemade pita bread with hummus, eggplant "chopped liver", coussa b'leben- zucchini and yogurt dip - $9

Housemade gefilte fish, carrot, horseradish and beet chrain - $8.5

Shaksuka: potato, corn and leeks in tomato broth with slow cooked egg - $7

Tuna Brik: fried pastry with albacore tuna confit, capers, quail egg and harissa sauce $9

Shoouit: old jerusalem stew of lamb, tomato and green beans, medieval spices $10

MSF Reuben: corned beef, slow cooked sauerkraut, russian dressing and swiss on a homemade rye flatbread - $7

Matzo ball soup with duck consomme, duck rilette, carrots and leeks - $9

Marylou's honey cake with caramelized apples and almond ice milk - $6

Humphry Slocombe maple walnut ice cream - $3.25 per scoop

Thursday September 24th: Hunger Challenge Night for the SF Food Bank

2009-09-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

Can you eat for just $4 a day?

That's the average amount a Californian on food stamps has to spend on a day's meals.

This week, the San Francisco Food Bank's 2009 Hunger Challenge asks how much one can eat for $1.33 per meal. If there's one thing we like at Mission Street Food, it's a challenge to make tasty cheap food for a good cause. On Thursday the 24th, the ingredients for each item on our menu will cost less than $1.33 to produce. Of course, we need to charge more than that so that we'll have something to give the hungry, so come to Mission Street Food this Thursday to support the Food Bank.

...Or even if you're a heartless wretch who doesn't care about hungry people, you can come to MSF to ease your conscience by seeing just how well you can eat on food stamps (if you buy things super-bulk wholesale and spend all week cooking). Any way you look at it, though, this is a chance to think a little more about the costs--monetary and moral--of hunger.

MENU:

Wedge salad with granny smith, bacon vinaigrette, watercress and farmer's cheese - $6

Hashbrown, egg salad, chimichurri and shaved radish - $6

Seared, oil cured chicken thigh with chicken congee, cured egg, corn, green onion, and chicken cracklins - $9

Braised sausage, kale and white bean gratin, with fried peanuts - $7

King trumpet mushroom with triple fried potato, garlic confit and charred scallion sour cream - $6

Fried catfish with curry leaf grits - $7

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Butter fried cornbread and buttermilk panna cotta with mint honey- $6

Oatmeal mascarpone creme pies with chamomile milk - $5

* * *

Notes: if you haven't tried it yet, stop by Mission Burger, where you can support the food bank and eat a tasty burger.

Saturday September 19th: Miscegenation Night for the Food Pantry

2009-09-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we are featuring dishes that involve mixing cuisines. While historically, miscegenation has some bad connotations, these days it seems less loaded than the "F" word (...rhymes with illusion). Mostly, we are just excited to have duck rillette in our duck consomme ramen.

Profits will go to the Food Pantry, which provides over nine tons of free, fresh groceries to hungry families every week, including 912 served last week. The Food Pantry is run by poor people for poor people--their volunteers came to get food and stayed to help out.

MENU

*Watermelon Salad with fried chicken skin, marinated tofu, shiso, edamame - $6

Duck Consomme Ramen with duck rillette, sliced duck breast, jidori egg, garlic confit, and pickled bamboo (!) - $9.5

German Shepherd's Pie: slow cooked sauerkraut, parsley root-potato puree and braised brisket - $9

*Banana Leaf Halibut: with cherry tomato, fresh chickpea, smoky eggplant puree and cilantro yogurt - $12

PB & J: Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Belly with marinated jicama, cilantro aioli and pickled jalapeno - $6.5

*Sesame-Avocado Brown Rice with beech mushroom and salmon roe - $7.5

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Butter Fried Cornbread with buttermilk pannacotta and mint julep honey - $5.5

*=vegetarian or vegetarian option available

Thursday September 17th: Hunters Point Boys and Girls Club Cooking Program and Meals on Wheels

2009-09-15T01:14:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are pleased to host Lauren O'Connor--chef and owner of Delicious Dish Catering--who will be serving up spicy comfort food favorites. She typically caters rowdy rock n' roll events and fancy weddings but can also be found in your own home through her personalized meal delivery program. More info at deliciousdishsf.com.

Lauren will be donating a portion of her profits to the Cooking Instruction Program at the Hunter's Point Boys and Girls Club- teaching inner-city youth how to cook balanced, nutritional foods with limited resources. MSF will donate to Meals on Wheels which has been providing isolated, homebound seniors with nutritious meals, daily human contact and supportive services for 38 years. Meals on Wheels is facing an especially challenging increase in demand as the state government recently slashed $226 million worth of in-home health care programs for seniors and the disabled.
The budget cut is expected to completely remove support from 40,000 elderly people and individuals with disabilities, cut back service for another 85,000 recipients, and raise the monthly cost for care by as much as $200 for many others.

MENU:

Cherry Tomato Tostada with goat cheese, shiso, shishito peppers, horseradish - $6

Dungeness Crab Cioppino: a rich tomato-garlic stew with clams, mussels, sole & prawns - $10

Citrus Pulled Pork Cuban with Emmenthaler, Black Forest Ham, House Pickles, Chipotle Aioli and Chocolate-Habenero Sweet Potato Chips - $7

Coriander Hot Wings with a Cinnamon-Sriracha Sauce and Green Papaya Salad - $8

Blackberry Baby Back Ribs with Blackened Poblano-Chevre-Fontina Macaroni and Cheese - $9

King Trumpet mushroom, triple fried potato, garlic confit and charred scallion sour cream on a homemade flatbread - $6

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Brownie with Brillat Savarin French Triple creme cheese and toasted hazelnut - $6.5

Peach Cobbler with sweet corn and bourbon creme anglaise - $5

Saturday September 12th: Farm Fresh Night for Edible Schoolyard and Soul Food Farm

2009-09-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we are pleased to host Dontaye Ball and Iso Rabins who will be cooking some local farmers market fare. Dontaye (Good Food Inc.) can be found every Saturday at the Alemany farmers market serving up urban BBQ, as well as at Contigo during the week. Iso Rabins is the founder of forageSF a co-operative of foragers bringing amazing, sustainable CSF boxes delivered monthly across the city.

A portion of Dontaye and Iso's profits will be donated to The Edible Schoolyard, an organization that focuses on getting good food into our local school lunches. MSF profits will go to the Soul Food Farm Fire Fund. The Vacaville farm, famous for its commitment to excellence in the form of pastured chickens, was recently damaged by fire and is struggling to rebuild.

MENU:

Salad of arugula, ricotta, and local stone fruit - $5

Montbriac Roquefort with grilled nectarine preserve and figs - $6

Local wild caught Albacore with seabeans two ways $7

Vanilla and beer brined pork belly with sweet potato hash - $7

Braised Beef Brisket with Benton's Bacon, Soul Food Farm egg and yucca - $12

King Trumpet mushroom with triple fried potato,garlic confit and charred scallion sour cream - $6

Lung Shan's Vegan delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Raw milk and SF rooftop lavender honey with fry bread - $5

Spiced Bread Pudding with huckleberry compote and juniper cream - $5

Thursday September 10th: Soul Cocina Chaat Menu for the Beacon Culinary Project of Western Addition and the SF Food Bank

2009-09-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are pleased to host Roger Feely, founder of Soul Cocina, a San Francisco based culinary arts project. Roger hosts cooking classes and underground dining experiencesin the San Francisco Bay Area, and can be found on the streets via http://twitter.com/Soulcocina, or behind the stoves at Kitchenette and Living Room Events. On Thursday, Roger will be presenting our first Chaat menu (Indian street food).

Roger will be donating his profits to a fender blender from Rock the Bike for the Beacon Culinary Project of Western Addition. He will use the fender blender to promote homemade cooking and alternative sources of energy. The program "provides quality after-school programming for youth and also serves as a community center addressing the specific needs of the Western Addition community." Roger is personally involved in this project, and visits once a week to share his passion for cooking.

MENU

*Bhel Puri: tangy, sweet, slightly spicy puffed rice snack - $5

*Poha: fragrant flattened rice dish with cashews and dry farmed tomatoes - $5

*Rasa Vadai or Dahi Vadai: Lentil fritters in yogurt or spiced tomato broth - $6

*Nariyala Idli: Fried coconut and rice patties with fresh mango, mango pickle and young cocount juice - $6

*Rabe Paneer: roasted broccoli rabe and kale with homemade paneer - $6.5

Achar Gosht: Lamb Curry with seared peppers, fresh garbanzo and cilantro yogurt on a homemade garlic flatbread - $7.5

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

*Royal Falooda Kulfi: Sundae with rosewater syrup and vermicelli - $6

*Cardamom Toast Crunch: Bruleed Firebrand Pan de Mie with pistachio milk - $6

*Organic Cardamom Ginger Chai or Organic Rose Chai - $3

* = vegetarian

Thursday September 3rd, The "Uncooked" for Food Runners.

2009-09-01T03:28:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are extremely excited to host Jordan Grosser, formerly of The Alembic. Jordan will be presenting a menu of primarily uncooked food. Think more sashimi than salad and more Kyoto kaiseki than California cuisine. Jordan was a guest chef in the spring and it was in the running for the best food we've ever served. We think this Thursday will be another memorable one.

MSF profits will go to Food Runners, whose goal is to help alleviate hunger, prevent waste and create community. Food Runners is currently delivering approximately 10 tons of food a week that would otherwise be thrown away. Donations help to provide enough food for 2,000 meals a day in San Francisco.

MENU:

Hama Hama Oyster- pineapple-nori vinaigrette - $5

Watermelon Salad- with pickled golden enoki mushroom, chicharonnes, marinated jicama, marjoram and jalapeno - $6.5

Ankimo- Salmon Egg, Ponzu Vinaigrette, Breakfast Radish $5

Bigfin Squid- Chopped Wasabi, Pickled Daikon, Cucumber $9

Fluke Tartare- Melon Water, Myoga, Shiso, Lychee Air, Beni-Tade $13

Hamachi- Sea Bean Tempura, Avocado, Shoyu Tapioca, Yamamomo $12

Beef Carpaccio- Fried Mame-Aji, Pickled Shitake, Gobo, Yuzu-Kosho Aioli $12

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight- shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Duo of Coconut Gelee- with strawberry, mint coulis and raw cocoa nib - $5

Notes:

we will close on Saturday for travel.

Saturday August 29th: Seoul Food for Arriba Juntos

2009-08-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

This Saturday Danny Bowien cooks from his heart and Seoul. Just back from Paris, the reigning world pesto champion and former Bar Tartine/Good Evening Thursday line cook will be serving a menu of Korean delights including homemade kimchi and tofu, with a dab of French technique here and there.

Saturday will benefit Arriba Juntos, which provides organic produce and other groceries for over 4000 people per month. The food pantry is just part of their larger mission of "promoting economic self-sufficiency for San Franciscans and their families through occupational training and employment opportunities."

MENU:

aperitif: shiso and watermelon sorbet with iced soju - $6

doenjang jjiggae: strong miso, clam dashi, kombu, golden enoki, potato, kale, homemade tofu, korean chili. served with a small bowl of rice - $7.5

*kong guksu: cold summer noodles in fresh soymilk, with sesame, cucumber, tomato, radish sprouts - $7

kimchi onigiri: two barley rice balls with kimchi, benton's bacon, katsuobushi, nori - $6

*stealth fries with kewpie, ketchup, nori salt - $3

samgyupsal: braised, smoked, and griddled pork belly, served with kimchi, whole bean miso, fresh chilis, sesame leaves and lettuces - $11

k.f.c.: korean fried chicken with shredded cabbage, 1000 island, radish pickles - $9

*kalbi sandwich: glazed short rib, medium egg, kabocha, radish, sesame-gojichang on a homemade flatbread - $8

*lung shan's vegan delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

*vegetarian or vegetarian option available

Thursday August 27th: Stay Local, Eat Global Night for People's Grocery

2009-08-24T22:39:00.000-07:00

This Thursday, skip the jet-lag and take your appetite on a stay-cation. Savor locally grown organic produce from People's Grocery artfully prepared by International chef Eddie Blyden of Henry's Gastropub. Eddie blends his West African & Caribbean heritage, Russian upbringing, and Southeast Asian travels with culinary training from restaurants in Germany, Switzerland, Anguilla, & New York. His friend Russ Maclean, formerly of Fleur De Lys will co-chef.

Eddie, Russ and MSF will donate their profits to People's Grocery, a West Oakland grassroots food justice organization that aims to bring everyone access to healthy food by creating a local food system. They grow over 30,000 lbs of organic produce a year at their 3 Oakland gardens & 4 acre Sunol farm, which distributes over 250 CSA Grub boxes a month to low-income families, offers free nutritional cooking classes, provides jobs for West Oakland youth leaders, and provides hands-on urban agriculture training to young people.

MENU:

Spicy Pickled Crudites - $4

Summer Tomatoes with Pole Bean & Corn Medley, Goat Cheese Fritters, Cilantro-Jalapeno Vinaigrette - $7

West Indian Oxtail and Trotter "Soup", Callaloo, Root Vegetables (aka Ground Provisions) in a rich and spicy broth - $9

"Okro Stew" - a West African Seafood Gumbo - Moonfish, Oysters, Scallops & Wahoo Served Over Jasmine Rice - $10

Eggplant Tostada with soy-mirin glaze, cucumber, tarragon and edamame puree an a crispy tortilla - $6.5

Basil BLT - Benton's bacon, heirloom tomato, romaine, piccolo fino basil and goat sour cream on a griddled acme roll - $6.5

frito misto with crab, chili oil and hollandaise - $10

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Pear, Mango & Chocolate Crisp topped with crushed hazelnuts & bourbon chantilly - $6

Beer donated by 21st Amendment Brewery

Notes:

$240 to the Haight Ashbury Program

Mission Street Food Presents: Mission Burger

2009-08-22T21:43:00.000-07:00

Starting Sunday August 23rd, we will serve beef and vegan burgers on the DL--the counter inside Duc Loi supermarket (18th and Mission). Duc Loi has graciously agreed to donate $1 from the sale of each burger to the San Francisco Food Bank. Lunch service begins at noon and continues until we run out of food. We'll open every day but Thursday.

MENU

Beef Burger: 1/3 lb of aged harris ranch brisket, short rib and chuck, granulated* and seared in beef fat. Served with monterey jack, caramelized onion and caper aioli on a griddled acme bun - $8

Vegan Burger: maitake, shitake, roasted kale, edamame, scallion, sesame seed and fava-chickpea patty. Served with avocado and miso "mayo"** on a griddled acme bun - $7

Fries - $2

* granulation is our term for the process popularized by Heston Blumenthal, a michelin 3-star chef based in London. Blumenthal combines strands of ground meat to create a loosely grained "meat column" (not Blumenthal's phrase), then slices the column into patties. The result is, well, a delicacy.

** like traditional mayonaise this is an emulsion, but we're using seaweed instead of egg yolks.

Saturday August 22nd: Whole Hog Dinner

2009-08-20T21:20:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we are excited to feature a whole hog menu, courtesy of Jake Ersland of Amuse Bouche. Jake has been cooking since age 15 and graduated CCA with honors before starting Amuse Bouche, which offers private dining experiences--8 to 14 course tasting menus, complete with wine pairings, for parties of 12 or fewer. He is also the newly appointed executive chef of The Old Ship Saloon.

Jake and his team are donating all of their profits to Northern CA chapter of the MS Society. MSF will donate its profits to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, which provides assistance to 40,000 people each week through a network of 300 community based food pantries and soup kitchens in the East Bay.

MENU:

Pig's Head "Crepinette," harissa, arugula - $10

Slow Cooked Hog Rib with smoked tomato-apple bbq sauce - $7

14 Hour Roast Leg of Pig with natural jus, mustard greens, lemon rind - $9

*Late Summer Pole Bean Salad, Banyuls vinaigrette, marinated pig's ear - $6

“Slaw” of pickled pigs foot vinaigrette, napa cabbage, carrot- $5

PB & J: Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Belly with marinated jicama, cilantro aioli and pickled jalapeno - $6.5

*Sesame-Avocado Brown Rice with beech mushroom- $6.5

*Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: Shitake and Oyster Mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Amuse Bouche Cookies & Milk: Chilled chocolate goats milk, ancho chile marshmallow, pistachio "sandwich" - $6

Humphry Slocombe Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream - $3.25 per scoop

* = veg or veg option available

NOTES:

-$840 to St. Anthony's Foundation, $360 to Martin de Porres

-Stay tuned for big news on Saturday night or Sunday morning

Thursday August 20th: Save the Bay and Project Open Hand

2009-08-18T00:27:00.001-07:00

This Thursday we are extremely pleased to host Fred Sassen of Farallon. Fred is a graduate of CCA and has been cooking professionally for 8 years. He's spent the last 4 years under chef Mark Franz and Ryan Simas, who will also be cooking on Thursday. In addition to a robust offering of oceanic delights, Fred is also unveiling a house made charcuterie plate--11 months in the making.

Fred and his crew are donating all of their profits to Save the Bay, which protects the San Francisco Bay from pollution and inappropriate shoreline development, as well as educating thousands of students per year. MSF profits will go to Project Open Hand, which distributes 2175 meals and 190 bags of groceries to the homebound or critically ill each day.

MENU:

House Made Charcuterie: Spicy Coppa, Bresaola, Tuscan Salami. Served with home made ciabatta and Guiness Whole Grain Mustard - $8

Scallop Ceviche: lemon-cucumber granita, edamame puree, fresh tortilla - $8

Mediterrenean Octopus Confit: Shaved Garlic, Picked Thyme, Leccino Extra Virgin Olive Oil - $10

Dungeness Crab Roulade: Hass Avocado, Levain croutons, Tomato Vinaigrette - $11

Chili Braised Pork Cheeks: sweet creamed corn, marinated cherry tomatoes, piccolo fino basil - $7

Rare Beef Salad: aged prime angus ribeye, seared cherry tomato, wasabi creme fraiche, basil oil, yucca crouton, katsuobushi - $9

King Trumpet: mushroom, triple fried potato, garlic confit, and scallion sour cream on a homemade flatbread - $6

Fig-Vanilla Sundae: Vanilla Ice Cream with house made fig vinegar, black mission figs, candied almonds - $6

Closed for the week. Open Again Thursday, August 20th

2009-08-12T08:40:00.001-07:00

We are closed this week and will open again with Fred Sassen of Farallon on Thursday August 20th.

As a reminder, we are always looking for guest chefs. Click here for more information.

Saturday August 8th: Fish 'n' Grits & all that Pimp Shit benefitting Greenhorns and Foodrunners

2009-08-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we are pleased to have Mark Andrew Gravel, a food activist/artist from Agrarian Art Lab. He publishes Food + Sex = Us, a new collage art food magazine and works on a variety of underground food projects from coast to coast. Having recently arrived in San Francisco from Charleston SC, he will be sharing the food of the Lowcountry South.

A portion of Mark's proceeds will go to The Greenhorns - a small grassroots nonprofit whose mission is to support, promote and recruit young farmers in America. MSF profits will go to Foodrunners, whose volunteers help distribute over 10 tons of food per week to agencies feeding people in need. In June, they distributed 114,915 pounds of food by 756 volunteer runs and 173 from their own truck.

MENU:

Wild Turkey Potlikker with Lardons and Cornbread - $4

* Acme Teeny Rolls stuffed with Full Belly Peach Jam, Blue Cheese and Benton's Bacon - $7

* Blackeyed Pea Hushpuppies with Wolf Sauce - $7

Crab Cake with Collard Greens, Bacon Vinegar and Mustard - $13

* Fish 'n' Grits: cornmeal battered and fried catfish with buttery grits - $8

Pulled pork and ham hock on homemade flatbread with pickles and mustard - $7

Country Fried Steak: Aged Angus New York Strip Steak, "chicken fried" and served with hash brown and beef gravy - $8

* Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Coconut Cream Ice Cream with Benne Seed Wafer - $4

Bourbon peach and sweet corn custard - $5

Thursday August 6th: Ottoman Cuisine for the Beat Within and St. Anthony's Foundation

2009-08-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are pleased to have Jeff Harpel, Bryan Harpel, and Kirstin Dau who will be presenting a menu of cuisine from the once-great Ottoman Empire (North Africa, the Balkans, Turkey, Greece and the Middle East). Between them, Jeff and Bryan helped open A16, Spruce and Terzo, and have worked at Zuni Cafe, Nopa, O Izakaya Lounge, Cavallo Point and Cellar 360.

Jeff, Bryan and Kirstin will be donating some of their proceeds to The Beat Within, a juvenile hall writing program whose staff and volunteers hold weekly workshops helping 700 detained youth to share their ideas and life experiences in a weekly publication. The program encourages literacy, self-expression, and critical thinking skills, as well as social services and internships as part of a progression towards a healthy, non-violent, and productive life. MSF profits will go to the St. Anthony's Foundation which serves over 2,600 meals per day-- 365 days a year--and provides medical services, clothing, and housewares to those in need.

MENU:

Mezza Plate: carrot-filo cigar, smoky eggplant puree, scallions, olives and pita - $8

Cucumber, cauliflower, chickpea, and arugula salad - $7

Mint Soup with chickpeas, and rice - $6

Crispy Dolmades: stuffed with anchovy, cured olive, israeili cous cous, and cheese - $7

Mussels with charmoula, fried polenta crumbs, and cilantro - $9

Almond-Chicken with saffron-currant cous cous - $9

Lamb Belly, roasted beet, chorizo, mache and goat cheese-tatziki - $8

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

House made Hazelnut Turkish Delight - $3

Ras El Hanout Toast Crunch: bruleed Firebrand pan de mie with young pistachio and sweet goat milk - $6

* * * * * * * *

Open Letter to the People of Mission Street Food from Karen:

About a year ago, my husband suggested that we run a little taco truck on one of his days off. The plan was to work together: he would cook and I would talk with the customers. We told a few friends to come by, but mostly we expected we’d be hanging out together in a metal box on the corner.

Since then, the business has grown in ways we could never have imagined, and we’ve met so many wonderful people. After almost a year of Mission Street Food, though, I have to say goodbye--for now--because I’m starting a job as a professor in another state. Anthony will continue Mission Street Food with the help of our incredible staff, but this will be my last week at the restaurant. We’ll be taking a week off (Aug 13 and 15) while Anthony helps me settle in, and then it’s back to the regularly scheduled programming. Come by this Thursday or Saturday if you want to say goodbye in person.

Cheers,
Karen

Saturday August 1st: La Cocina Night

2009-07-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

This Saturday we are pleased to have Veronica Salazar who brings the flavors of the D.F. (Distrito Federal) to S.F. with a focus on "the real deal" street foods of Mexico. Veronica grew up in restaurants and opened El Huarache Loco 4 years ago at La Cocina. Veronica's food has been written up in the San Francisco Chronicle, won Best Of Awards in 7x7 Magazine and SFWeekly and been featured in the New York Times and MSNBC Nightly News.

MSF profits and some of Veronica's proceeds will go to La Cocina, San Francisco's first incubator kitchen, founded to serve as a platform for low-income entrepreneurs launching, formalizing or expanding their food businesses.

MENU:

Fish Out of Water: Halibut ceviche with chilled avocado soup, and cucumber salad, chili oil, popcorn, fresh chips - $10*

Holy Mole: Roasted Liberty Farms Duck Tamale with Hand-Ground Mole, Seared Duck Breast and Duck Skin Cracklings - $8

Mexico-City BLT y Mas: Organic Blue Corn huarache with Fatted Calf bacon, carne asada, longanize, heirloom tomatoes and shredded lettuce - $9*

I Lamb What I Lamb: Lamb Consomme served with Handmade Organic Masa lamb tacos. Served with salsa borracha - $9.5

Chile Rell-egg-no: Goat cheese and egg stuffed pasilla pepper, served with spicy tomato water, tomato confit, and homemade tomato chorizo - $7.5*

PB & J: Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Belly with marinated jicama, pickled jalapeno and cilantro aioli - $6.5

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: Shitake and Oyster Mushroom Dumplings in Miso Soup - $5.5

Mexican Chocolate Pudding with orange whipped cream and pepita brittle - $4

Horchata Nueva: Almond Gelee, Mexican Wedding Cookie, Habanero Lychee, Cinnamon Honey - $4.5

* vegetarian/vegetarian option available

Thursday July 30th: Chinese Food Night for SF Food Bank

2009-07-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are extremely excited to have guest chef Brandon Jew with Ryan Baker and Alison Roman. Brandon will be the executive chef of the much anticipated Bar Agricole and has worked at Zuni Cafe, Pizzetta 211, Quince, and Magnolia Brewpub (as well as overseas in Bologna at La Pernice e La Gallina and in Shanghai at The Whampoa Club). Brandon was born and raised in San Francisco and at Bar Agricole he will be "searching to define San Franciscan cuisine." Brandon calls this menu an homage to his Chinese background--and we're excited to present MSF's first Chinese Food Night.

Profits will go to the SF Food Bank, which collects and distributes 300 tons of food to 191 food pantries, reaching 132,000 people per year.

MENU:

Hot and sour marinated cucumbers - $5*

Grandpa's favorite roasted peanuts - $5*

Scallop Crudo with grass jelly, lychee and fennel - $8

Tea smoked pork belly baked in brioche bun - $4 each

Jasmine rice and sweet corn porridge, Chinese bacon and donuts - $8*

Steamed ling cod, lup cheong, local seaweed and oyster broth, glasswort salt - $13

Beef brisket, black cardamom, heirloom tomato, fermented black beans, rice noodles - $12*

Duck Confit, duck cracklins, cucumber, scallion, spicy hoisin, cilantro on a homemade flatbread - $7

Sauteed Tat Soi with oyster mushrooms on garlic sesame tofu - $6.5*

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5*

"Tang Yuan": mochi, coconut sorbet, braised pineapple - $6

Almond milk jelly, lapsang-souchong honey, lychee - $6

* = vegetarian/vegetarian option available

Saturday July 25: Beer Night for Sandwiches for the Homeless

2009-07-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Way back in March, we teamed up with Jesse Friedman of Beer and Nosh, to present a beer night. The event was one of our best, and now we're ready to do it again, this time with some more summery flavors. Jesse has discovered a bunch of new beers, and we've developed some new dishes to highlight them.

Jesse has also alerted us to the work of Marlene Guerrero, who makes sandwiches for homeless people and distributes them under bridges and at bus stops. Marlene partners with organizations that are also reaching out to the homeless but the majority of the money comes out of her own pocket. She loves the experience of giving to her community and getting to know people in the process. She gives out 200 meals twice a month and is trying to expand her program to once a week. We'll donate our profits from this night to support her efforts.

MENU:

Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad: with Tartine fry bread, goat cheese and basil - $7

Cheese Plate: Langres French washed rind soft cheese with grilled nectarine and balsamic-malt honey - $6

Banh Mi Fish Taco: Beer Battered Rockfish with lemongrass guacamole, cucumber, daikon, carrot, jalapeno and cilantro on crispy tortilla - $7

Kale and Maitake Gratin: with "beer nuts" spring onions and gruyere - $7.5

Lamb Belly and Fig: with farmers cheese, shiso and pasilla pepper on a homemade flatbread - $7

Bierwurstbrotten: slice of malted beer-sausage bread griddled and topped with caramelized onions and Black Noddy gravy - $7

Smoky Chicken Wings with pear, celery, and rocquefort - $7.5

Brioche Donuts: one light malt and toasted coconut and one dark malt and chocolate frosted - $5.5

Beer Float: Humphry Slocombe Cinnamon Brittle Ice Cream in Uncommon Brewers Siamese Twin Belgian Double - $5.5

Scoop of Humphry Slocombe 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat Ice Cream - $3.25

BEER MENU:

21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA (7.20% ABV)

21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat (5.20% ABV)

Big Sky Moose Drool (Brown Ale 5.10% ABV)

Uncommon Brewers Siamese Twin (Thai-spiced Belgian Double, 16 Oz Can, 8.50% ABV)

Buckbean Black Noddy (Schwarzbier Black Lager, 16 Oz Can, 5.20% ABV)

Oskar Blues Gordon (Imperial Red IPA, 8.70% ABV)

Maui Brewing Coconut Porter (5.70% ABV)

* * *

Notes:
$330 to the Food Pantry, $690 to SF Food Bank (two nights), $290 to Delancey Street Foundation
Jesse is a fantastic photographer, and has taken some of the best pictures of our food. Check out all seven of those links--it took forever to copy them in.

Thursday July 23rd: Martin de Porres

2009-07-21T00:17:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are pleased to welcome back Jeff Banker, formerly the executive chef of Home restaurant and Home on Union where he won praise from Michael Bauer for his creative twist on comfort food. He has also worked at Acme Chophouse, Bix, the Meetinghouse and Postrio. He is currently a private chef in Woodside and is searching for his dream restaurant in San Francisco with his wife, a pastry chef.

MSF profits will go to Martin de Porres House of Hospitality, a free restaurant at 225 Potrero Avenue near 16th Street that has been serving their community since 1971. Their program is especially uplifting because of the altruistic spirit of their volunteers--some of whom are full-time, live on site and earn no money. For us, it was a small revelation about purity and goodness in today's society.

MENU:

Thai coconut halibut ceviche spoons with crushed corn nuts and micro cilantro - $8 for 3

Grilled peach salad, candied bacon, goat cheese, marcona almonds, lemon verbena vinaigrette - $7 (vegetarian option available)

Sweet corn bisque with a Dungeness crab hush puppy and chive oil - $6 (vegetarian option available)

Mirin and soy braised black cod with foie gras-shitake mushroom sticky rice - $14 (vegetarian option available)

Smurf n' Turf: blue cheese nachos loaded with aged prime ribeye, pickled red onion and ancho cress - $9

PB & J: Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Belly with marinated jicama, pickled jalapeno and cilantro aioli - $6.5

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: Shitake and Oyster Mushroom Dumplings in Miso Soup - $5.5

S'mores pie with homemade toasted marshmallow fluff - $5

Humphry Slocombe Blue Bottle Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream - $3.25 per scoop

Notes: $340 to Meals on Wheels, $160 to LGBT Youth Meals Program, $180 to Campaign for Better Nutrition, $270 to St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County

Saturday July 18: Favorites

2009-07-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

A four-year-old friend of ours often asks, “will you do me a favorite?” and we like to comply--by reading her a book or helping her with the sprinkler. This Saturday, we’re going to do a favorite for all the people who haven't had MSF Rice or butter fried cornbread in a while. We’ll be serving up a whole menu of favorite dishes from MSFs past and present, with no pesky guest chefs getting in the way.

Also, did we mention that we’re officially a “Favorite Place” on Google’s ever more detailed map of the known world?

Profits for this evening will go to The Food Pantry, which does not play favorites. (Their motto is “Peace on Earth and Food for All!”)

MENU:

Mango Salad: with tomatillo, black olive, fennel, red onion - $5.5

Fish 'n' Chips: Halibut with batter-fried lemon "chips" and homemade caper tartar sauce - $13

Aged Prime Ribeye: with wild mushroom, shelling bean and golden chive - $14

MSF Rice: Smoky Rice fried in Duck Fat with Duck Confit, Duck Cracklins, Shitake, and Cauliflower- $8

VSF Rice: Smoky Rice fried in olive oil with Shitake, Cauliflower and Tofu Tempura - $6.5

PB & J: Berkshire Kurobuta Pork Belly with marinated jicama, pickled jalapeno and cilantro aioli - $6.5

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: Shitake and Oyster Mushroom Dumplings in Miso Soup - $5.5

Butter Fried Cornbread with Buttermilk Pannacotta and Mint Julep Honey - $6

Humphry Slocombe Secret Breakfast Ice Cream - $3.25

Thursday July 16th: 826 Valencia and Meals on Wheels

2009-07-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

This Thursday Tommy Halvorson has prepared a menu inspired by summertime. He is the founder of The Fire Society, a roaming supper club, and former sous chef of Bix and Betty Zlatchin Catering.

Tommy will be donating a portion of his proceeds to 826 Valencia, which is dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their writing skills and to helping teachers get their students excited about writing. MSF will be donating to Meals on Wheels which has been providing isolated, homebound seniors with nutritious meals, daily human contact and supportive services for 38 years.

MENU:

Ceviche a la Minute: Australian Suzuki, avocado, cilantro, lime, habanero, ginger, sea salt, house fried tortilla - $9

Chilled Cucumber Soup: with seared prawns, avocado and tomato confit - $7.5

Cast-Iron Chicken: crispy skinned boneless chicken thigh, heirloom tomatoes,lemon cucumber, basil - $11

Parisienne Gnocchi: Brentwood corn, broccoli di ciccio, Padrón peppers, preserved lemon, chile oil - $8

Rare Beef Tostada: aged prime ribeye, basil, lime, tomatillo, caper aioli, radish, watercress on a crispy tortilla - $8

King Trumpet: mushroom with triple fried potato, garlic confit and charred scallion sour cream on a homemade flatbread - $6

"Corn Dog" and Sweet Potato Fries with homemade ranch dressing - $7

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushrom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Homemade Brioche Bread Pudding: blackberries, nectarines, soft cream and muscat - $5.75

Humphry Slocombe Sweet Corn Ice Cream - $3.25 per scoop

Saturday July 11th: Mission Stoned Food

2009-07-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, Mission Street Food is Mission Stoned Food, a munchie space station here to rain tender morsels down on the blazed. We'll be reinterpreting classics of the stoner food genre, and inventing a few new ones. Chris Ying--Meatpaper editor, former cook, and sometimes blogger--is the guest chef.

MSF will donate its profits to the St. Anthony's Foundation, which operates one of our favorite food pantries in the city. They're open every day of the year.

MENU:

Chips and Dip: foie french onion dip with Bugles, Cheetos, Ruffles,
Pringles, Doritos, Funyuns, Hot Fries - $6.5 (veg dip available)

Humboldt Fog: Cypress Grove goat milk nacho cheese with hash browns - $7

PB & "Js": spicy peanut butter dipping sauce with two taquitos of duck confit
and Benton's bacon -or- vegetarian taquitos with banana and smoky lychee - $5

Inverted Nacho: roasted corn, avocado, jalapeño crema, parmesan frico - $7

Hot Pocket: Portuguese-style chicken curry with onion, potato, and coconut
milk in a fried pastry pocket - $6.5

Dinner for Two for One: a three-meat and ricotta meatball sandwich with
tomato sauce and gruyere fonduta on homemade focaccia -and- a homemade biscuit loaded with sausage gravy - $12

Pineapple Express: grilled pineapple with sweet garlic rice and crispy
pancetta (veg option available) - $7

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushrom dumplings in miso soup - $5.5

Milky Snwixerteers Kat - terrine of candy bars with vanilla ice cream - $6

Munchie Special - scoop of Humphry Slocombe's peanut butter ice cream laced with chocolate-covered pretzels - $3.50

ADDITIONS
your brain on drugs (ie, a fried egg) - $1
crumbled Famous Amos Cookies on any dish- $.75
ranch sauce anywhere - $.75

Thursday July 9: The Sunbeam Foundation and SF Food Bank

2009-07-07T01:19:00.000-07:00

This Thursday we are pleased to host Ian Marks who worked at The Liberty Cafe and The Fatted Calf before moving to the Hog Island Oyster Co. where he is now the executive chef. In addition to oysters straight from the source, his menu will spotlight a variety of seafood preparations.

Ian will be donating to the Sunbeam Foundation which was established in 2005 with the aim of spreading hope and finding a cure for rare and underfunded forms of pediatric bone cancer. MSF profits will once again go to the SF Food Bank which provides food to over 133,000 people every year through 600+ community food programs.

MENU:

Chicharrones: Pork Cracklins’ with sweet chili dipping sauce - $3

Shooter: Soju Bloody Mary shooters with Hog Island Sweetwater’s - $3 each

Chilled Fox Island Mussels with curried fennel, chili and lime relish - $6

Fried Sardine with basil creme fraiche, watermelon, apricot, tomatillo - $7

Baby Octopus Crostini: Braised octopus in a garlicky tomato broth on fried toast - $8

Butta Fish: Pan-seared Walu on farro salad with cucumber raita - $9 (veg option available)

Pork Belly and Scallop with white bean, bacon, candied pinenut - $12

King Trumpet: mushroom with triple fried potato, garlic confit and charred scallion sour cream on a homemade flatbread - $6

Lung Shan's Vegan Delight: shitake and oyster mushroom dumplings in miso soup - 5.5

Creamsicle with candied orange peel - $4

Cherry Pie with Brillat Savarin French Triple Creme - $6