Explore San Francisco Bay Area’s hot spots for organic and sustainable living

I’ve been hanging out in LA this weekend going to another wedding. (I have gone to over 15 in the last year and a half!). This time, I wanted to check out the pinkberry craze. Does it live up to the hype? If you live in the LA or NYC area, apprently people have been raving about it.

I stood outside the Marina Del Rey Pinkberry in Los Angeles, where there was a 10 person line out the tiny store. My friends and I were thinking in our heads that this place must be making a fortune charging $5 per froyo. You can add things like fresh fruit, carob chips, nuts and choose between two core flavors: plain and green tea. The green tea yogurt tasted a bit weird (because if you had green tea ice cream in the past, it doesn’t taste like that at all, in fact a bit sour). The decor inside is hip, simple and fun, very similar to a Papa Beard.

I opted for the plain flavor with fresh kiwis, strawberries and carob chips (instead of chocolate chips to make it healthy). I took my first bite….mmmm did it taste good! The yogurt was more tart than the typical frozen yogurt. Although I did notice they didn’t fill up the entire cup with yogurt, and was pretty sneaky with an air gap in the middle of the yogurt. I don’t know what’s in it, but it was addicting and my two friends and I ate all of our frozen yogurt within 5 minutes. It was crazy how we ate it all because I usually don’t get stuff like this.

And then, after 10 minutes, we felt pretty ill. All three of us felt a little queasy. We knew Pinkberry touted themselves as “healthy”, but when we went home, we Googled for the ingredients in Pinkberry because they were not posted in the store. Apparently someone is suing Pinkberry for not disclosing its ingredients, and questioning its claim of even being a true yogurt byproduct. The California Department of Food and Agriculture is also now investigating. Personally, I wouldn’t touch this again, because all three of us felt so sick afterwards and ate the Pinkberry so quickly, that I’m betting these something addicting and unhealthy that Pinkberry doesn’t want to share. Check out more about its controversy here…

Celebrating another big 30th birthday, my friend Laura rented a shuttle to Napa valley and checked out some of the wineries. Our first stop was Constantino, a family run winery. To be honest, I’m not really a wine person, more of a foodie, but I thought the atmosphere of the winery was very relaxed and intimate. It apparently is my friend Laura’s favorite winery in Napa and she bought a wine membership from them.

Our next stop was V. Sattui, another family run winery near St. Helena. Despite its beautfiul grounds with oak trees and picnic tables, the place was a mad house! We did arrive Saturday at noon, but once I walked inside the tasting room and deli, it felt like going into a squished Trader Joe’s during rush hour, with people running around everywhere. The picture above shows a very nice deli and cheese selection.
They also carried Frog Hollow Farms’ organic and locally made jams. Even better is their fresh produce (especially peaches) if you find them in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I don’t think I would go back to V. Sattui, it was way too crowded and ruined any notion of being in Napa.
I used to live in New York, walking distance to the Dean and Deluca shop in SOHO. I was delighted to see even a larger Dean and Deluca in Napa. Above is a picture of locally sourced organic fruits. They had a wide assortment of farms nearby.

Dean and Deluca wasn’t as packed as V. Sattui, and the food options were way better, with fresh pastries, exotic teas, spices and wines. The only thing I wish Dean and Deluca could do better is to put benches or tables outside their patio so people can actually eat their food properly.

Warning! This is unfortunate news, but a local San Francisco yogurt company, Whole Soy, is recalling its products after some customers had allergic reactions to its products. Specifically, they are recalling all Blueberry Soy Yogurt with UPC code 664372600086 and all Mixed Berry Soy Yogurt with UPC code 664372600222 in six-ounce containers with “best by” dates of June 22 and June 29. They are recalling the products because of they may contain trace amounts of milk, casein or dairy derivatives. Whole Soy has posted a phone number if you have any questions: (877) 569-6376.

It’s wedding/birthday season and my last weekend was packed with trips to both Sonoma and Napa. A big group of my high school friends celebrated two birthdays in Sonoma wine country. I couldn’t make it until the dinner which was held at El Dorado Kitchen. The drinks were very fresh and relaxing (see the mint mojito and pomegranate cocktail above).
To start, I had a Caesar salad with local, organic romaine lettuce, with cucumbers. The salad was also very fresh, but I think it had a little too much dressing for my taste.
Although we sat outside near the pool and patio, the interior (see above) of the restaurant was decorated in a relaxed, but modern California style.
For my main course, I tried a mushroom, pea, tomato bow tie pasta. This was a fantastic pasta dish. As a vegetarian, I often don’t expect much from pasta, but the mushrooms in this dish were unbelievably tasty.
At the end, I tried a rhubarb tart with ice cream served on the side. This was better than the other choice that the table had which was a chocolate brownie. I recommend trying this rhubarb tart, it wasn’t too sour nor was it too sweet. El Dorado’s service was prompt and courteous and all of our food came out at the same time piping hot. I’d definitely recommend stopping here if you are in Sonoma tasting wine. El Dorado is located in central Sonoma right on the square, 405 1st St W. There is also a hotel as part of the building which is nicely decorated.

I was in Hong Kong last week and many of my friends brought me to new places in Hong Kong that carried organic and healthy foods. One of them was a market, called ThreeSixty, that was a smaller version of Whole Foods in a major mall in downtown Central called the Landmark. The selection was very impressive for a place in Hong Kong, but prices were very high.
ThreeSixty even had a nice food court on their second level, with over seven local restaurants and food stands to choose from in a nice, shiny environment. They had everything from wheatgrass juice to Italian food to pan Asian food to an actual sushi boat restaurant in the back.My friends brought me to Life for dinner, an organic, vegetarian restaurant in the streets of Hong Kong’s SOHO district. Tucked in an ally near a major escalator, the restaurant was cozy and reminded me of something you would find in the Bay Area.
Inside, the place was very crowded, with a warm color scheme.

I ordered an Asian stirfly vegetable and tofu dish on top of quinoa. The taste was very strong, but perfectly complemented the plain tasting quinoa. We also tried a lentil burger (which I highly recommend), a pumpkin soup, and a masala chai tea. After the meal, we went for a quick massage at a place called “Happy Feet”– a perfect ending to the day in Hong Kong.

With the original Pasta Shop market in Rockridge for over 25 years, I recently checked out its second trendy Fourth Street Berkeley location. The Pasta Shop is squeezed in between other great food places, like Dona Tomas’ taqueria outpost, a tea shop, a wine shop, a meat market, and more.
Of particular interest is one of the best cheese selection that I have seen (see above) at the Pasta Shop. They also have a fresh pasta section and a nice take out deli section with salads, and entrees to choose from, similar to Whole Foods. However, don’t expect too much from their produce selection. Definitely check out this place if you are in the Berkeley or Rockridge area. A lot of their products are natural, organic and locally sourced. Pasta Shop is located on 1786 Fourth Street in Berkeley or 5655 College Avenue in Oakland.

While spending a family trip in Taiwan and a quick stop in Hong Kong, I noticed a lot more healthier and organic places to eat and shop. In Taiwan there are small stores that import American USDA organic certified products and in Hong Kong, there is a big new grocery store, similar to Whole Foods, called 360, which has tons of organic and natural foods in the Central district. For dinner in Hong Kong, we went to a place called Life, which was a vegetarian, organic oriented restaurant. Pictures to be posted soon!

One of my friends, Ted Ko, joined a startup called GreenDimes, which is a cool new way for people to stop junk mail. I interviewed GreenDimes’ marketing head, Kendra Ott, for details.

To celebrate a friend’s birthday, I decided to check out Out The Door, a sister restaurant to the famous Slanted Door in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. This place was much more casual than the Slanted Door and the prices are quite reasonable (with entrees in the $7-9 range), with a take out counter, a food retail shop and a restaurant all in one. Many people don’t know about this place since it opened less than a year ago, and it’s located on the ground floor of the new Westfield Mall in San Francisco, next to the BART station. Our waiters were excellent and checked on us frequently. The decor was warm and sleek at the same time.

We started with a vegetable bun (free, courtesy of a coupon from the Green Zebra guide), and then I decided to order rice noodles with bok choy, tofu, bean spouts and onions. The sauce was quite tasty and reminded me of how my mom would cook rice noodles (see picture above). We also ordered special drinks of the day which was fresh guava juice mixed with boba and mint, and we tried it without the boba (fewer calories!).

My friend Jenny ordered a grilled chicken over rice noodles with imperial rolls, cucumber and mint which she enjoyed quite a bit.
To end the meal, we celebrated with a panna cotta flavored with basil and mango sauce. Very unusual, and the waiter was kind enough to put a nice candle into it for Jenny’s birthday!
The restaurant had a lot of Slanted Door’s qualities–fresh, organic ingredients with an Asian flair and great service. But the best part was that there was no line to stand in (unlike its sister restaurant), and the prices were very reasonable. The entire meal with two drinks, two entrees, one appetizer and dessert came to $35. If you don’t mind eating in a mall (in fact, it doesn’t really feel like it once you’re inside the restaurant), this place is for you. Out The Door is located in the new Westfield Mall on 845 Market Street in San Francisco near the food court, next to the BART entrance.

You may have heard of the two whales that swam all the way from the Pacific ocean via the San Francisco Bay into the Sacramento River delta. Now scientists and crews are on a mission to make sure the two wayward whales are heading back to healthier ocean water in the Pacific. The whales have made some progress returning towards the ocean. Below is a map from the San Francisco Chronicle which details the whales’ journey. Let’s hope for their safe return back into the ocean!

Where can you find a great cup of coffee, and some of the finest chocolates around? Check out Coupa Cafe, a hangout for techies, Stanford students, and food connoisseurs. I had a meeting in Coupa this morning and as I was waiting, I noticed the sea of laptops everywhere. Wireless is free here, but better yet is the selection of food and coffee.

Wow! As soon as I walked in, I felt instant energy in NOPA, a very popular restaurant in the North of the Panhandle (hence the name of the restaurant). My friend Merel met me at the communal table at the front and we were seated to our table. The ambiance was not too snobby, yet not too casual, and it had very much a neighborhood cozy yet classy feel. Our other guests were arriving late, so we decided to order a few appetizers to start.

My friend and I started with the Warm Goat Cheese, Crostini and Pickled Beets ($9.5) followed by the Arugula, Shaved Fennel, Radishes and Champagne Vinaigrette ($7). The warm goat cheese was wonderful and carefully blended with very fresh bright pink beats. The arugula salad contrasted nicely with the goat cheese.

Soon, Chris joined us and he tried the Pan Roasted Halibut, Zucchini, Fingerling Potatoes and Chard ($19). Since I’m vegetarian, I only tried the potatoes and chard, and my favorite dish by then was his side of chard, nicely cooked but not too soft with a warm buttery taste. I shared the Baked Pasta, Spinach, Carrots and Breadcrumbs ($18) and we ordered sides of polenta and baked cauliflower. Their menu indicates that most of their food is sustainable, local and organic.

By then, another friend, Kiyoung joined us and we shared a nice dessert together: Rhubarb Crostada and Vanilla Ice Cream ($8). The rhubarb was exceptionally fresh and blended perfectly with the vanilla ice cream. Another friend Jennie joined us towards the end who ordered the Warm Doughnut Holes and Rum Caramel ($7.5). This dessert was to die for! It was at a perfect temperature, warm enough to be eaten and not too hot with lightly sprinkled sugar.

I really had a fabulous time at this restaurant. The service was exceptional. It was unbelievable to see the entire place packed on a Monday night. Reservations are very difficult unless you like to eat very late (they close at 2AM) and I’d recommend contacting them in advance. Apparently the top chefs come to this restaurant from all over the city to eat after they are done working. I definitely am coming back! NOPA is located on 560 Divisadero @ Hayes in San Francisco.