Last Chance to See Royal Treasures from the Louvre at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov

A lavish display of royal household masterpieces, commissioned by the last French monarchs, continues to dazzle the public at the beloved city museum, Legion of Honor – but only for a few more weeks.

The major exhibition, Royal Treasures from the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette filled with exquisite decorative objects from the time period of the Sun King to the 1789 Revolution closes on March 17.

Many of the displayed treasures have never left France before, and seeing them up close is a rare joy for any aesthetically inclined San-Franciscan. 
As if feeling that the end was nigh, the monarchs of the fin-de-l'époque were investing in the development of arts thus securing their names in history as great admirers of manmade beauty.

Tear-drop pure diamonds; agates, amethysts, and jaspers of rare clarity and color saturation; wrought silver; Sèvres porcelain, and silk Gobelins were supposed to adorn the royal family dwellings and to raise the status of French monarchy among the heads of other states.

Royal gifts to important allies, foreign diplomats, and loyal servants were not only exceedingly luxurious, but also created by the best artists and jewelers.

The current show is the first one in a series of exchange exhibitions coming up as a result of newly formed collaboration between the two major museum institutions.

At the opening of the exhibition, representatives of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Musée du Louvre signed an exclusive five-year collaboration agreement on a series of exchanges – exhibitions, publications, art conservation projects, and public education programs.

Under terms of the agreement, the Louvre and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which includes the Legion of Honor and the de Young Museum, will work together to identify art works to be made available for short- or long-term loans from their respective collections.

The agreement was signed by Henri Loyrette, director of the Musée du Louvre, and Diane B. Wilsey, president of the Board of Trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

It followed the recent signing of an expanded sister city agreement between Paris and San Francisco.  

Royal Treasures from the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette runs through March 17 at the Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, 34^thAve., San Francisco. Call 415-750-3600 or visit www.famsf.org.

Can’t Go Wrong with Hyatt's Seafood Watch Menu

By Emma Krasov, photography by Yuri Krasov

Being a landmark hotel at the San Francisco’s historic Fisherman’s Wharf grants high visibility and calls for high quality in… just about everything. In addition to posh amenities, polished service, and gorgeous newly remodeled meeting space, Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharfis now featuring a new “Seafood Watch” room package, which is not about watching your seafood swim by in the San Francisco Bay. Nor is it about watching your health by consuming fresh seafood our city is known for.

The San Francisco Seafood Watch Alliance, which includes Aquarium of the Bay, the California Academy of Sciences and San Francisco Zoo, raises awareness of the sustainable seafood sourcing among individual consumers and food industry professionals. The Alliance provides regional support for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program designed to sustain diverse and healthy ocean ecosystems for future generations. 

Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf is the only recognized hotel partner in this program thanks to the property’s commitment to sustaining the environment, both underwater and on the ground. The hotel encourages its guests to use the abundant city walkways, bicycle paths, and well-developed public transportation including cable cars, street cars, and pedi-cabs, and of course to make conscious choices about their food consumption.

Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf’s Executive Chef Jason Lavinsky uses USA wild-caught Gulf shrimp for his crab-stuffed bacon-wrapped shrimp, and local Dungeness crab for his crab cakes served with frisee salad.

Wild-caught striped bass gets a stamp of approval from the Seafood Watch Alliance; therefore it ends up on the Hyatt guests’ plates garnished with artichoke risotto and braised kale.

 As an Alliance partner, the hotel puts sensible choices on the menu to support Seafood Watch’s sustainable initiatives. Pacific Albacore tuna, Pacific cod, calamari, Dungeness crab, Arctic char, halibut, Dover sole, and Mexican grouper all make for delicious seafood fare without the threat of overfishing.

On the menu at the hotel’s Knuckles at the Wharf restaurant these seafood choices come in a pleasant company of pan roasted squash, chipotle mashed potatoes, saffron risotto, or other creative sides.

And while desserts rarely have anything to do with seafood, they are well-worth mentioning, like an artful Vive La Tarte Trio that consists of miniature lemon meringue, chocolate mousse, and crème brulee.

Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf is located at 555 North Point Street, San Francisco. “Seafood Watch” room package is based on availability and includes accommodations for two and dinner for two in the Knuckles at the Wharf restaurant, with suggestions for sustainable menu selections.  Package prices start at $189, depending on booking dates. For reservations and additional information call (415) 563-1234 or toll free (800) 233-1234, or visit www.hyattatthewharf.com.

This Year, I Resolve To…Cook More (with help from Hungry Globetrotter)

By Alex Krasov, staff writer. Photography by Jason Ortego

Even if you’ve sworn off New Year resolutions, it’s still January. And if you live by the Gregorian calendar as most of us do, you just can’t help but review, reassess, and plan for the coming year. Here at Art and Entertain Me, we’d like to offer a few suggestions – namely, resolutions you will actually want to keep.

Eating out is fun, delicious, and expensive. But staying in and cooking more doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, one San Francisco-based company insists “life’s too short for food to be boring”. We couldn’t agree more.

 
A totally un-boring dinner of carne asado with Chimichurri, salad with pecan balsamic vinaigrette and spicy paprika finishing salt, and vegetable quinoa with smoked paprika.

Hungry Globetrotters is a small operation, less than a year old, and is founded on a simple idea. Founder Vijay Rajendran loved the experience of breaking bread abroad and learning about new cultures through their food, but how to make that accessible to everyone—not just those who can hop around the globe? Easy! Find the best spices, sauces, and most distinct flavors of a region, plan a simple step-by-step menu that any home chef can execute, and deliver it to them every month. And that’s exactly how Hungry Globetrotter brings a South Indian dinner right to your San Francisco door. Or any U.S. door for that matter. And a different dinner every month to be precise.

“We really focus on that unique discovery, whether it’s a great chai mix or a really good soy sauce. And because we work with small, local food brokers we can take risks that big retailers can’t,” says Rajendran.

You can sign up for the World Dinner Club to get a different box each month, or order specific boxes as gourmet gifts for friends and loved ones. (That has the extra bonus of fulfilling that “be more generous” resolution…)

 
The standout in the Argentine Asado Dinner Box was definitely the balsamic pecan vinegar—a little sweet, a lot nutty, and tangy in a way that elevates a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados to glorious heights.

The monthly box contains nothing perishable, and the recipes rely on you to do a little grocery shopping before you start cooking, but the process is made seamless with the set of recipe cards listing all the necessary ingredients and clear, easy instructions for preparing each part of the meal. Picking out your own proteins, veggies, and dairy items also means you can customize the meal to suit your tastes. The recipe cards cleverly list several options for almost every part of the meal so you’re never stuck searching high and low for that one missing ingredient or scrapping the plan altogether for that one finicky eater who is gluten-free/paleo-friendly/vegan-but-also-freegan/etc. This is California after all.

The recipes put together by Hungry Globetrotter are ingenious because they’re fast, easy, unique, and delicious. The steps are flexible enough for first-time cooks who want to try something new, and each recipe takes under an hour to prepare from start to finish (some go a little longer because of extra marinating time). And the meals turn out spectacularly—thanks in the large part to the highly curated flavors in each box. The South Indian Sampler box was packed with goodies we’d never encountered before, including the addictive Mumbai Masala Cobra Corn—popcorn tossed with Indian spices. It’s really a terrific cheat: for minimal effort and not much time, you get to fulfill your resolution and eat a restaurant quality meal. Lucky you.

So whether you’re trying to impress the family or a special someone, or starting a monthly dinner club with your friends, do yourself a favor and become a Hungry Globetrotter in 2013.

Check out the offerings here: http://www.hungryglobetrotter.com/

Sign up for the monthly club here: http://www.hungryglobetrotter.com/products/world-dinner-club

Order the Argentine Asado Dinner Box by itself here: http://www.hungryglobetrotter.com/collections/latin-flavors

Order the South Indian Sampler by itself here: http://www.hungryglobetrotter.com/collections/south-asian-flavors

A Taste of “Dine About Town San Francisco” – Worth Every Bite

By Alex Krasov, staff writer, photography by Jason Ortego

It may be an unusually frigid January, but San Franciscans know the best way to fight off the chill is with great food and tasty cocktails. Lucky for us, the 12^th annual “Dine About Town San Francisco” kicks off this week and continues through the end of the month. To celebrate the arrival of this beloved yearly event that lets average Joes sample some of the city’s finest dining at discounted prices, the San Francisco Travel Association threw a fabulous launch party.

Never mind the temperature outside. Inside the City View at Metreon, it was hot, hot, hot! Blue and purple projectors illuminated the walls as a DJ played tracks by popular indie bands. Plenty of bottles were corked (and emptied) and drinks were shaken, stirred, and most importantly, poured liberally all evening. And against the sparkling backdrop of the San Francisco nighttime cityscape, throngs of well-dressed foodies crowded around tables, munching on bites from dozens of the city’s beloved restaurants.

There was silky uni flan from Nombe, adorned with radishes, shiso, and edible flowers; fresh tuna tartar from Momo’s served upon a crunchy wanton chip; rich and velvety salmon rillettes from Garcon!; a hearty barbequed duck salad from Tommy Toy's Cuisine Chinoise; and a Tomato Tarte Tatin Tiramisu from Bisou that dazzled—each layer melting in your mouth—first the sweet and slightly tart plum confit, then the creamy mascarpone, then the peppery arugula and parmesan cheese. And those were just the first few bites!

Sure, the array of delicious treats and libations was almost dizzying—that’s an obvious perk of a launch party for food industry insiders and the San Franciscans who love them. But there’s also the added bonus of getting together with others who love great food as much as you do, the camaraderie of a roomful of people who all share a passion for flavor. And where else can you get the chance to chat up the chef, general manager, or owner of your favorite restaurant while supporting a great charity at the same time? (All proceeds from the launch party go to Meals on Wheels.) Suffice it to say, if you missed the party this time around you shouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

The best way to sample these treats for yourself is to visit a participating restaurant during Dine About Town San Francisco. Actually, since more than a hundred San Francisco restaurants are participating, you may want to visit a few. The promotion started Tuesday, January 15 and lasts until the end of the month. Participating restaurants are offering a two or three-course lunch menu for $18.95, and/or three-course dinner menus for $36.95. The complete list of restaurants for “Dine About Town San Francisco” is available at www.dineabouttown.com, a website of the San Francisco Travel Association. Reservations are encouraged, and can be made directly on the website.