Frjzt Fries, Not French Fries

In the heat of finals, I have barely been able to find the time to shower or sleep, much less a night out to discover a great new restaurant or relax with my friends. Before last night, Coke, caffeine, and water, were the only things running through my veins and attempting to fill my stomach over the past 13 days (not that I’m counting). My sleeping habits at the moment are also far from healthy; and I’m honestly shocked that my body isn’t trying to shut itself down, due to my blatant disregard for its needs. Realizing that I had also been ignoring my duties as a blogger, I knew I at least had to grab some grub from a new eatery in town (new to me that is, not necessarily new as an establishment). I only had about a half an hour, because studying for two final exams and writing a fifteen-page analysis of a television show, doesn’t exactly give me a lot of time to enjoy anything except the occasional (and necessary) nicotine fix.Although I didn’t have time to dine-in, I was more than satisfied with my take-out selection from Frjtz, a Belgian Art Teahouse. And no, not just because I haven’t eaten a decent meal in a few weeks. For less than twenty-five bucks, my boyfriend and I were able to enjoy every last bite of the savory crepes and perfectly delicious fries from this Hayes-Valley establishment (note: there is also another Frjtz located on Valencia, in the Mission). Located on Hayes Street in the sassy Hayes-Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, Frjtz’s menu features fries, huge salads, and sweet/savory crepes. The Belgian fries, which are clearly the most sought after menu choice, are available in two sizes (small or large) and accompanied by your choice of any of the 20 original dips.

At this point, you’re probably wondering what would differentiate Belgian fries from the more classic French fries. According to Frjtz Belgian fries are: washed cut potatoes that are blanched in a lower temperature oil, then fried in a much higher temperature to achieve natural crispness without adding extra starches. Traditionally served in paper cones with a variety of dipping sauces!

The dipping sauces at Frjtz cover quite a range of flavors including: pesto mayonnaise, curry ketchup, Thai chili ketchup, ginger orange mayo, and creamy wasabi mayo. The list clearly goes on; however, instead of listing the other fifteen flavors for you, I simply request that you head to Frjtzs yourself, and find the dipping sauce that excites your taste-buds.

Frjtz also offers a variety of Belgian beers, wines, and cocktails. My absolute favorite beer is Stella Artois, which they even serve in the Stella glass. The ambiance of this fried potato haven is laid back, and you can even watch the crepes being made. The items on the menu are also named after famous artists, places, and such; which are great fun to read and try things solely based on the name. The Da Vinci crepe is my and is filled with mozzerella cheese, pesto, and tomato.

Anyway, I strongly suggest taking a trip to Hayes-Valley to enjoy great fries and yummy crepes. Even if you only have twenty minutes or so to spare, you can order to go and be back to work or school or wherever before you know it!

Celebrity Chef & Cosmopolitan Cuisine

Citizen Cake is a scrumptious restaurant, bar, and patisserie, located on the edge of Hayes Valley in San Francisco. San Francisco has droves of delicious restaurants; however, the chef at Citizen Cake is what sets Citizen Cake apart. Elizabeth Falkner, the executive chef at Citizen Cake, is no stranger to awards and media attention. During her early years, Falkner focused on ‘the pastry kitchen’, but her imaginative cooking style lead to greater things…like her own restaurant. Magazines including: Food & Wine, Gourmet, and San Francisco Magazine, have praised Citizen Cake’s modern and innovative approach to food.

I came across Citizen Cake while watching the Food Network about a year ago. Elizabeth Falkner was on Iron Chef America challenging Cat Cora, in Battle: Honey. Although Falkner lost to Iron Chef Cora, she blew me away with her creativity and delicious food. I was ecstatic to learn that Falkner had her own restaurant in San Francisco (where I live). That next weekend, I drove down to Hayes Valley with my boyfriend to divulge in her creations…unfortunately, it was closed for remodeling.

After seeing a re-run of Rachel Rays $40 a Day that featured Falkner’s restaurant, I knew I had to go there! So after about a year, I was finally able to eat at Citizen Cake…and let me tell you, it was pretty delicious. The menu at Citizen Cake has so many delicious items, which are all reasonably priced, the least expensive item is six dollars and the priciest meal is thirteen. The menu options are not typical by any means…in a good way. A few examples include: “What that boy could do with brisket hash a sunny side up egg and balsamic”, “crispy cream is too sweet move on to these donut balls with our glaze and jam”, and “a souffléed pancake betty’s and apparently the Dutch style with garnish”. I ordered the pancake, which was garnished with a cranberry compote. To be completely honest, I was not blown away. The pancake was a little “eggy” and the tartness of cranberry topping overwhelmed the dish. However, my date ordered the brisket hash and it was amazing!

The ambiance of Citizen Cake was interesting; between the bar, the restaurant, and the pastry shop, there was a lot to take in—but on a positive note, there was something for everyone! The bar is great for drinkers (obviously), the restaurant is perfect for trying an exciting new meal, and the pastry shop is great for kids. Even though I did not love my meal, I cannot wait to go back and try one of Falkner’s new creations!

A Little Taste of Chicago...in Hayes Valley

Moving to a new city comes with its fair amount of pros and cons. Pros for example may include an exciting new job or school, new friends, and new adventures. And the cons…well they seem more obvious, being far away from family and the life we were used too. When I moved to San Francisco from Chicago, almost three years ago the two big struggles were trying to make a long distance relationship work and trying to find some decent Chicago style deep dish pizza. My long distance relationship ended quickly; however, I met the love of my life! Now it seemed all there was left to do was find some delicious pizza (those two things may not be on the same level for the average person, but Chicagoans are pretty hard-core about pizza)!

After diligently searching I found the answer to my prayers in Hayes Valley, a quaint neighborhood in San Francisco. Patxi’s Chicago Pizza was just the place I had been searching for. The menu isn’t huge but with pizza’s including, The Favorite (Pepperoni, mushrooms and black olives) and Hawaiian (Canadian bacon, pineapple and onions), I promise no one will leave hungry. Colleen Jackson, a Patxi’s regular, said “I try to come at least twice a month, and my favorite pizza is Chicago style with sausage and green peppers.” Patxi’s serves both Chicago style and thin crust pizza and with a large selection of salads this place always hits the spot.

Although it is not exactly like home, heading down to Hayes Valley for some deep dish pizza is a lot cheaper than jumping on a plane back to Chicago. So, next time you move to a new city and you are a little homesick, find yourself the stuff that makes you happy. Which apparently for me were a new love and some awesome pizza?