Eat Me Daily: Japan Breeds a Ramen Robot

Momozono Robot Ramen shop in Yamanashi, Japan is gaining popularity thanks to a robot that mixes ramen based on customer preferences reports Mainichi Daily News. Japanese engineers seem hell-bent on replacing human chefs with robots. Read more

New Menu Item: Taco Bell's Volcano Taco

P was in dire straits for a ride to the closest, fastest food because she'd been rexing it out all week, so I took her to one of my all-time faves, Taco Bell. Though I'd already eaten lunch, I took the opportunity to try an item off the new Volcano menu, the Volcano Taco (the other is the Double Beef Volcano Burrito.)

Back by popular demand (think McDonald's McRib,) the Volcano Taco is exactly like a regular taco with two exceptions: a spicy, cheesy sauce and a red taco shell. I tried not to be grossed out by the fact that I had just read an article stating that the red shell was no different than the regular shell other than some dye. Apparently, consumer testing showed that people think the red shell is spicier than the regular one. Despite the artificiality that makes up the Volcano Taco, and the fact that my shell was cracked (waah!) the spicy sauce really makes this taco quite delicious.

Get it while it's hot.

The Verdict: Worth It If You Don't Think Too Hard About It

Heaven's Dog

1148 Mission St (between 7th & Julia)
(415) 863-6008
www.heavensdog.com

I was anxious to try Charles Phan's latest collaboration, this time in Chinese cuisine, so when I was tasked with tackling two birthdays in SOMA one evening, I thought we'd start the night right at Heaven's Dog.

W and I had made a pact to not eat to the point of being too full (notice a trend here?) so poor M had to abide as we decided to choose just a few items to share. Upon our server's recommendation, we started with the Braised Pork Belly in Clamshell Bun with scallions and the Beef Curry Puffs with mint sauce. The braised pork belly was an upscale take on traditional Chinese Peking duck, complete with the requisite lining of fat on the meat. The curry puffs were fried in a puff pastry, very much like Indian samosas. Then, we had the Niman Ranch Flank Steak with asparagus and baby shiitake mushrooms - again, flawlessly executed with the freshest ingredients, but the flavors were really nothing earth-shattering. The Organic Kale with fermented black bean and ginger, though only an item on the sides menu, was absolutely amazing. The sauce was perfectly balanced - sweet and savory, offset by the bitterness of the kale with each leaf artfully laced with the addictive sauce.

Heaven's Dog prides itself in using local, organic ingredients, and while everything was tasty and fresh, the price for such small portions was just tough to swallow. But, for the kale, I'm willing to give it another shot.

Shout out to the very necessary Carl's Jr. later on in the night to satiate our hunger.

The Verdict: Barely Worth It...Saved By The Kale!

Eat Me Daily: The Great American Food & Music Fest Clusterfuck

Thousands of hungry people descended upon Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheatre for Serious Eats’ first annual Great American Food & Music Festival hosted by Food Network’s Bobby Flay. While Serious Eats’ founder Ed Levine envisioned the nation’s best food aplenty, the festival was a serious bust. Food was nowhere to be seen, and by the looks of the famished hordes of disappointed attendees, the festival was far from festive. Read more

Local Kitchen & Wine Merchant's Sunday Neighborhood Night "All You Can Eat Pizza"

330 1st St. (between Folsom & Guy)
415-777-4200
www.sf-local.com

I'd been wanting to check this out for awhile - first because it is within steps from my place, second because all-you-can-eat anything generally catches my eye, third because I love pizza, fourth because it sounds like such a fun Sunday night thing, and fifth because at $12.95 a person, it seems like a really good deal.

W, J, A and I headed over to Local on a recent Sunday, and after cracking open a bottle of yummy Taft Street pinot, we awaited our pizza-eating destiny. Pizzas on "all you can eat pizza" night at Local are served dim sum style. Meaning, servers circle around to the different tables, presenting different pizza varieties and you either choose to take a slice or not. My problem is that I always choose yes, and why not? We didn't have to wait long before a slew of pizzas were presented at our table - an unexpected surprise being that they were all different! From local proscuittos, olives, chicken and meats, to roasted veggies and a multitude of cheeses, the combinations were endless. I even made a deal with myself that I wouldn't refuse a slice unless I'd already had it. Which I guess was a win and a loss at the same time. I especially like Local's cracker-style crust if for no reasons other than it's not as filling as regular crust and of course, higher cheese to crust ratio.

I've been to Local before, had dinner from the regular menu and haven't really been overwhelmed. But come Sunday night. This is a no-brainer. I'd steer clear of the other items on the limited Sunday night menu, though. They add up quickly.

The Verdict: Worth It Any Given Sunday

Eat Me Daily: Rat Steals Leopard's Lunch

Photography student Casey Gutteridge captured this photo while shooting a course project at the Santago Rare Leopard Project in Hertfordshire, UK.

Click the link to read more: http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/06/rats-steals-leopards-lunch/

Pesce

2227 Polk St. (between Bonita & Green)

(415) 928-8025
www.pescesf.com

We stumbled into Pesce on a whim and decided that it'd be worth the wait to sit at the bar and grab a bite. I'd been to Pesce before and have always had a soft spot for it, but never have I had an experience quite like this one.

L, A and I sat at the lively bar and let our adorable bartender/server Eric have his way with us. Eric picked out a battery of dishes - all served tapas style - some I liked, some I loved. We started off with Oyster Shots, then moved seamlessly into the Crab Tower, orgasmic layers of Dungeness crab meat, avocado, cucumber, tomato, basil and red wine vinaigrette. Wow. We then moved on to the Capesante - pan seared scallops in a sauce of chanterelles, green onions, cream and truffle essence...don't think we didn't mop up that ridiculous sauce with our bread! Next, we had the Polpo which consisted of braised octopus, potatoes, celery, garlic and lemon vinaigrette. Though not my favorite of the night, it certainly freshened my palate with a hit of classic northern Italian flavor in preparation for the impending climax of the meal. We then had the Ravioli di Salmone in a thyme and butter sauce which was the only dish we had that I wasn't a huge fan of. But I can attribute that to the fact that I don't really like smoked salmon other than lox and don't usually like protein in my raviolis - anyone else have an aversion to pureed meat?

With bellies aching and in true form, L and I spotted a dish the guy next to us was eating and of course we just had to have it - the Papardelle served in a porcini and braised duck sauce. And boy am I glad we did. Never have I had papardelle so fine (literally,) a sauce so perfect, the best preparation of this dish of my life. This was easily the crowned jewel of the meal and I could eat it for days.

Though we left with our usual overeating-induced GI complaints, I can't wait to go back.

Go see Eric. He's a peach. And our wine glasses never went empty.

The Verdict: Worth It, Worth It, Worth It!