The Swan Song of Duck Foie Gras at Alexander’s Steakhouse San Francisco

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov

Countdown to foie gras ban in California is not the only sound that keeps San Francisco gourmands at attention as July 1 is fast approaching. In face of the looming foie deprivation, Alexander’s Steakhouse bar manager Casper Rice in collaboration with the Chef Marc Zimmerman created a twelfth-hour drink that keeps them coming back for more.

Daffy's Slur foie gras cocktail, containing foie gras-infused vodka, hazelnut tincture shocked with carbon dioxide, and strawberry balsamic gastrique among other things might sound like a mad scientist’s rocket fuel experiment discharge, but in reality it’s a refreshingly non-cloying libation of beautiful topaz hue, served on the rocks and topped with a basil leaf.

“We kept a seared lobe of foie gras in a vodka-filled container overnight,” said Casper, explaining the original process. “The product chilled, the solids rose to the top. It was smooth.” Then the master mixologist roasted whole hazelnuts, broke them into large pieces, and used some micro gastronomy methods to extract an array of rich yet subtle flavors from the fatty duck liver, nuts, berries, and spirits, brought together in unexpected harmony.

The resulting cocktail is a thing of beauty. It is so well rounded it’s hard to distinguish the individual flavors that constitute the whole. It’s earthy, nutty, pleasantly bitter, and altogether very satisfying.

Pair it with the Chef’s signature hamachi shots (excellent sashimi with seaweed and sesame served in shot glasses) or, better yet, with a foie gras duo (cold and seared – while it’s still lasts) and you might want to sign the ban protesters’ petition “Stop the tofu abuse, eat foie gras.”Alexander’s Steakhouse in San Francisco is located at 448 Brannan Street. The restaurant is open for dinner nightly from 5:30 PM until close. For more information and reservations, call 415-495-1111 or visit: www.alexanderssteakhouse.com.

Sweet Memories of Black & White Ball at San Francisco Symphony’s 100 Years

  By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov

On a classic San Francisco summer night – fog so heavy it feels like rain, severe and unrelenting gusts of wind – a San Francisco classic celebrated its 100th anniversary.
And how does the San Francisco Symphony turn 100?

In style, of course, with a six-thousand-person guest list and a black-tie street party. The 56th biannual Black and White Ball was a whirl of smells, sights, and of course, sounds. What whirled?

Mostly the wind. But also couples on the dance floors, pink and purple light projections and a giant disco ball, swizzle sticks in cocktails, swaths of tulle and taffeta skirts, and waiters bringing around an unending supply of platters.

While Paul Simon and the San Francisco Symphony played inside Davies Symphony Hall, the revelers outside drank, dined, and danced to keep the chill away.
Van Ness Avenue, blocked off from traffic and transformed into a dazzling light show, was flooded with bright young things in tuxedos and strapless gowns. On the main stage outside, performers like Jacob Dylan (The Wallflowers) and Cyndi Lauper serenaded the crowd.

Along the street, a spread of suckling pig, sushi, fresh salads, meatballs, and everything in between fed the masses, while a veritable army of white-jacketed bartenders poured wine and cocktails all night.

The scene was very see-and-be-seen, and because this is San Francisco, a beautiful drag queen can easily steal the show from a beautiful socialite.

At the Black and White Ball, exuberance is the great equalizer, and there was plenty of it – from the VIP section to the onlookers stuck behind the chain link fence.

Everybody caught a part of the show. But the evening wasn’t just thrills and frills – proceeds from the event go to support music education programs in the city’s public schools.

And the kids will have a real ball when they get to try their hand at an instrument despite the budget cuts in education. Who knows, maybe some of them will even play with the San Francisco Symphony one day? That would be a classic San Francisco story.
More information at: http://www.sfsymphony.org/