Sbrocco: Eastern European brunch in San Francisco.
Hynson: There are so many options.
Sbrocco: Mix-and-match pies by a world pizza champion in Berkeley.
Everett: You could feed a fraternity with this pizza.
Sbrocco: And French favorites in Petaluma.
Kun: I lost my virginity with onion soup.
Sbrocco: Just ahead on “Check, Please! Bay Area.” I love Blinchikis.
Kun: Blinchiki.
Sbrocco: [Laughs] [Indistinct conversations] ♪♪ Hi, I’m Leslie Sbrocco. Welcome to “Check, Please! Bay Area,” the show where Bay Area residents review and talk about their favorite restaurants. Now we have three guests and each one recommends one of their favorite spots. And the other two go check them out to see what they think. Joining me at the “Check, Please!” table today are stylist Candace Hynson, artist Nala Kun, and retired teacher Rob Everett. Welcome, everyone. Are you ready to have a good time?
Kun: Thank you for having us.
Hynson: Yes!
Sbrocco: Nala gets things started with her go-to brunch spot. Offering traditional Eastern European dishes in a modern, welcoming space, it brings back childhood memories every time she visits. Located in San Francisco’s Lower Nob Hill, it’s DACHA Kitchen & Bar.
Man: How are you doing?
Katya: Great to see you.
Suki: “DACHA” means summer home in Eastern European countries. And it’s a place where families gather. They create fresh food together, and they create memories together. [Indistinct chatter] We like to think that when you step through DACHA’s doors, that you are leaving the world behind and you’re coming into a place of peace, of coziness, of love.
Katya: Empathy and kindness.
Suki: Yes. ♪♪
Katya: I am from outside of the polar circle in Russia. The name of the place is Vorkuta. So very small town.
Suki: And I am from the East Coast, from Maryland originally, but I’ve been in the Bay Area for almost 25 years. It’s such an interesting part of the world and cuisine that I did not know about before I met Katya.
Katya: We get inspiration from many countries of Eastern Europe. Usually in northern parts, it’s heavy. It’s a lot of meat. It’s a lot of potatoes to keep you warm. But of course, we use everything that California gives us. So what we are doing here, we are bringing a healthier version of Eastern European cuisine.
Suki: We also really encourage family-style eating. When I see people sharing off of each other’s plates, I love that. [Indistinct chatter] [Mixer rattling]
Katya: The bar program, I always felt very comfortable in the high-end mixology, so we wanted to build a pretty extensive menu. And of course it’s inspired with many Eastern European ingredients like Halva daiquiri.
Suki: We also have a lot of spirit-free cocktails. We want everybody to find something delicious. When someone walks into DACHA, I want them to feel like they’ve come home, even if they’ve never been through our doors. And it’s set up in several different zones. There’s the forest room, there’s the meadow, there’s the living room, there’s the tea room, so that you can kind of choose your adventure of where you want to sit. We kind of joke that we got into this project so that we could spend more time together, and it’s like 24 hours a day, pretty much.
Katya: And it’s still not enough. [Laughs]
Suki: So we love being here and love being together. We’re very lucky.
Katya: Nice to see you!
Suki: Hello!
Sbrocco: Now, Nala, it’s not easy to find an Eastern European restaurant in the Bay Area, is it?
Kun: That’s for sure. Yeah, especially if you’re a foodie and picky. And if you’re looking for aesthetically attractive food and atmosphere. It’s not easy to find.
Sbrocco: But you have found one, haven’t you?
Kun: I have, yes. I’ve been lucky. I do art walks in San Francisco, and I love to end it up with my guest at DACHA.
Sbrocco: You go for brunch typically?
Kun: I do love brunches.
Sbrocco: Mm-hmm.
Kun: So usually I crave Syrniki. It’s a love affair between pancakes and cheesecake, but it’s made with cottage cheese, so it’s full of protein and it’s good for your health.
Hynson: Yeah.
Kun: But she put a little bit of sugar on top and burned it. So they call it Syrniki Brulée. And they do raspberry jam, homemade, served with the sour cream. So it’s a good beautiful combination inside your mouth.
Sbrocco: Did you have that?
Everett: That was my favorite dish at DACHA. I like to call it brunch dessert.
Sbrocco: [Laughs]
Kun: Yes.
Everett: It has just enough brulée on the top to be interesting—
Sbrocco: To be a little bit sweet.
Everett: To be a little bit sweet. And it was just perfect. I really wanted to take some home.
Hynson: [Laughs]
Sbrocco: But there was none left. Ah!
Everett: There was none left.
Hynson: There was none left.
Sbrocco: And, Candace, did you have that dish as well?
Hynson: Yeah, I feel like third here. That was my favorite at DACHA. And also I brought my 11-month-old son with me and that was his favorite.
Sbrocco: Of course.
Hynson: He also loved it.
Sbrocco: And what other things should people look for on the brunch menu?
Kun: As an Eastern European person, we do love blini, which is crepes, which is thin pancakes, right? And I love it with chicken and eggs. And the crepes are so thin and beautifully rolled. And they have a little bit of microgreens on top. So typically on a plate it’s two blinchikis and you can share it with your loved ones.
Sbrocco: I love Blinchikis.
Kun: Blinchiki.
Sbrocco: [Laughs] Blinchikis.
Everett: Did you have it with the salmon ever? The salmon is fabulous.
Hynson: Ooh.
Kun: Yes.
Everett: It’s a savory crepe with the freshest salmon I think I’ve had in ages. And a little bit of the sour cream. And you just put it together and it’s delightful.
Hynson: Nice. I got the crepes. But I did the sweet. I did the condensed milk. Which was perfect as well. It was so yummy.
Sbrocco: So you’re going sweet on sweet.
Hynson: I know. And they brought it towards the end after we had our other dishes. So it was the perfect way to end our brunch.
Kun: What other dishes you had?
Hynson: So we started with the Latkes, the potato pancakes, with the little bit of caviar and sour cream. That— I said that the Syrniki was my favorite, but that actually might be my favorite. That was perfect. Yeah.
Sbrocco: And did your baby under a year old like the caviar?
Hynson: I did not. I was greedy. I didn’t give him any of that. That I kept all for myself.
Kun: As a Siberian, we eat red caviar pretty much every day, because it’s essential, you know. It’s omega-3.
Hynson: Ooh. Ooh!
Kun: Yeah, it’s like typical dish for morning.
Hynson: Yeah.
Kun: For whole family.
Sbrocco: Is this something you would make at home?
Kun: Yes, all the time.
Sbrocco: What’s your address? Because we’ll be there.
Everett: [Laughs]
Kun: I live next to SFMoMA. But the thing is, sometimes you get lazy. You want to dress up, you want to go to places that someone takes care of you.
Hynson: Yeah.
Sbrocco: Of course.
Kun: DACHA is place where they hug you. They meet you with your name. They’re like, “Nala, would you like your regular?” And I’m like, “Oh, yes.”
Sbrocco: And did you— Did you feel that level of service?
Everett: Absolutely. First of all, the bartender’s considered one of the best mixologists in San Francisco. And he created a Bloody Mary for me. He started by infusing cherry wood smoke into the glass. It was quite a show. And the Bloody Mary was delicious. He made a special spritz for my wife, and her favorite dish was the Mama’s eggs.
Sbrocco: Shakshuka style.
Everett: Shakshuka in the red spicy sauce. Just the right amount of spice. The eggs were not overcooked at all, and it was a beautiful presentation.
Sbrocco: Alright.
Everett: And then we ended up with Piroshki.
Sbrocco: [Laughs]
Kun: I love Piroshki!
Everett: Talk about the Piroshki.
Kun: Piroshki— to be honest, I went to every Eastern European place in San Francisco to try Piroshki. DACHA’s— oh my God, ten out of ten. The dough is so thin and the filling, a lot of meat, juicy. So it’s crunchy outside because it’s baked.
Hynson: Fried, yeah.
Kun: It’s not like fried. With black tea, hot black tea. Oh my God. It’s like, literally, time machine brought me back to my home kitchen. I’m like— feel hugged with my mom. It’s like amazing.
Sbrocco: Well, you were reacting, Candace, to that dish too. Tell us about it.
Hynson: Yeah, I was gonna say that was my son’s favorite. I was like, “Oh!” because, you know. I’m like, “Oh, this is like a good size.” Like, I’ll have a little bit. And he, like, knocked the whole thing out. I managed to get a little bit of it, but yeah, that was probably his favorite.
Sbrocco: And did you have anything to imbibe alongside?
Hynson: Yes. So the Halva Daiquiri, which is a really good kind of sweet and savory— not too sweet— but it did almost taste like a rum punch, so it was really nice for brunch cocktail. And then I also had the coffee.
Sbrocco: And what about affordability? This is not an inexpensive spot.
Everett: No, it’s not, but in this day and age, it’s right in line with any good brunch spot. And certainly it’s worth going to. The quality, the service, the atmosphere— the walls are painted with beautiful gallery-style artwork. I’m sure you appreciated that. We can’t wait to go back again.
Sbrocco: Aww, that’s wonderful. Alright. If you would like to try DACHA Kitchen & Bar, it’s located on Sutter Street in San Francisco’s Lower Nob Hill, and the average multi-course tab per person without drinks is around $85. When it comes to pizza, hm, whether it’s New York versus Detroit, deep dish or thin crust, red or white sauce, there’s no end to the debate over which pie style ranks supreme. Luckily, Candace has found a place where all pizza lovers can find common ground, thanks to a menu brimming with options. Located in downtown Berkeley, it’s Pizzeria da Laura. ♪♪
Meyer: My love for pizza is vast. We always finish with some Parmigiano-Reggiano. I think the secret to pizza— everyone loves to say, oh, it’s the water, oh, it’s the flour, but honestly, it’s the know-how. So this is just, like, the beginning of the melting process, because you can see the fat coming out of it. It is never just any one ingredient, but it’s the compilation of all of the things. I love a good whole milk mozzarella. But sometimes a part skim is great depending on the cooking process. Pizza was my first job as a 16-year-old kid, and from day one I worked with Tony Gemignani, who ended up being my mentor for 18 years. I travel a lot for pizza. You’ve got competitions in which I’m a three-time world champ, so I’ve actually won twice in Italy and one here in the United States. And I was the first American and the first female to win the Pan style competition. ♪♪
Most pizzerias, it’s kind of a one-option deal. You got one crust and then the topping combinations. But I wanted to be able to give people options. I would say the style of pizza that I offer are my take on tradition. We do a classic New York, which is going to be that standard round pie, super thin in the middle with a pronounced crust around the edge, and then we go as large as a Sicilian, which is a half sheet pan, but it’s on a focaccia-like crust. And then it comes down to a Detroit, a little bit smaller, but way more robust because it has a caramelized cheese crust around the entire perimeter. It’s going to be a lot more rich, a lot more indulgent, just kind of like a flavor bomb. Then we go down to the grandma, which is going to be the thinnest of the pan pizzas. Some of the East Coasters might balk at my grandma because it’s a little bit different. ♪♪
I hope when people eat here that they feel the sense of community. The neighborhood itself is the theater district. You’ve got UC Berkeley literally a block away, as well as the high school campus two blocks away. So there’s a constant evolution of young people, but at the same time, we get a lot of the older generation as well. So I love the fact that Pizzeria da Laura serves everyone.
Sbrocco: Alright, Candace. I mean, I guess this place has so many different styles. Are you team thin crust, team thick crust? Where do you go? What do you order?
Hynson: It’s hard to choose because there are so many options. But I love the Ray J pizza. My first trip there, it was what the waitress recommended. And ever since I’ve been going back, I always get it. Sicilian style. It’s kind of like a really light, deep-dish crust, not too dense, perfect kind of complement to everything that’s going on top of the pizza, amazing Burrata cheese, pepperoni…
Everett: Two kinds of pepperoni.
Hynson: Two kinds of pepperoni, a little bit of garlic, fermented honey. So there’s like this sweetness that comes in. I think they finish it off with a little bit of chili oil as well. So it’s kind of the perfect blend for me. Everything I want in a pizza.
Sbrocco: And I love Grandma pizza.
Hynson: Yeah, yeah, Grandma’s, which is what I got the last time I went. We did two, and I had not had the grandma’s style before. And it was great. It was with a vegetarian-based pizza, so lots of really good roasted veggies. They finished it with this really gorgeous pesto sauce. And that was— I’m like, I’m going to need to bring this into my rotation of pizza here.
Sbrocco: Because you can choose from already sort of set menu pizzas.
Hynson: Exactly, exactly.
Sbrocco: What did you have?
Everett: Well, we started with some appetizers.
Sbrocco: And they do have a large list of those.
Everett: They sure do. And we had the meatballs served in a red sauce, which was a nice spicy red sauce. They brought the meatballs to us in a bowl. And I thought, “That’s just a bowl of red sauce.”
Hynson: [Laughs]
Everett: They’re down inside. You have to spoon them out.
Hynson: Yes.
Everett: And I did find the meatballs a little bit dense for my taste. The Arancini, on the other hand, was perfect. We went with an Italian friend. He said they were the best he’d had.
Hynson: Ooh.
Sbrocco: Isn’t that amazing? Arancini is just those little Sicilian rice balls.
Everett: Yeah, fried rice balls, but creamy in the center. And served on the red sauce with a dusting of cheese. It was absolutely fabulous.
Sbrocco: So even if you’re not a pizza lover, there’s something.
Everett: There’s something for you in there.
Kun: So I have to confess. I’m not a big fan of pizza.
Sbrocco: Oh.
Kun: So I went to this place, which was lovely. Downtown Berkeley. Nice weather, beautiful patio, beautiful place. And I’m like, “Okay, I haven’t had pizza for two years. Now I want to try something.” But before that, I need to eat a salad to make a pillow before—
All: [Laugh]
Kun: Before gluten, you know? So I ordered Arugula salad, which was fresh. It’s so generous, the amount of salad for two or three people—
Sbrocco: So you had a big pillow?
Kun: Yeah.
Sbrocco: Like a layer there.
Hynson: [Laughs]
Kun: With generous amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano. I loved the salad.
Hynson: Yeah.
Kun: And the pizza. I went to New York Style Ray J.
Hynson: Yeah.
Kun: It was nice hint of honey and smoke.
Hynson: Yeah.
Kun: It was juicy. It was beautifully plated. Very artistic. Cheese was a little bit chewy for me, but overall, one-slice pizza is enough.
Hynson: Yeah.
Kun: And now I’m like, “Okay. Another two years.”
Hynson: Yeah.
All: [Laugh]
Everett: And I had the La Regina pizza. Had the red sauce. It had soppressata, Parmigiano-Reggiano. It had prosciutto. It was delightful. Loved it.
Hynson: Yeah.
Sbrocco: Did you have anything else, I mean, in terms of appetizers?
Hynson: Yes, so we did the beet and radicchio salad, a little bit of bitterness, but then also there’s like a subtle sweetness with the beet. For summer, I thought it was a perfect addition, because I don’t remember seeing that the last couple times I’ve been in, so I was happy to try that this time. It was great.
Sbrocco: And they have vegan options.
Hynson: They do. Yeah. Yeah.
Sbrocco: If anybody wants to check out vegan.
Hynson: Yeah. Exactly.
Sbrocco: And quite a nice wine and beer selection.
Hynson: Yes. Their pours are generous. I’m, like, similar to this. I’m, like, beautiful pours.
Sbrocco: We are generous with our pours here at “Check, Please!”
Hynson: I know, I know. Great pours. Yeah. It was a beautiful, light white. They actually recommended it for me. Perfect complement to my dishes there.
Sbrocco: Alright. Any desserts?
Kun: Tiramisu!
Hynson: Tiramisu, oh, yeah!
Sbrocco: [Laughs] I was waiting for that to pop to the top.
Hynson: Uh-huh.
Sbrocco: Alright, take it away.
Kun: I ordered cappuccino. It was good. Decent cappuccino, which is nice. And they brought Tiramisu in the same cup. Yes. And it was nice, layered. For my taste buds, a little too sweet. But still. It’s tiramisu. It’s supposed to be sweet, right? And a little juice on the bottom. Lovely. Lovely.
Hynson: It’s my favorite. One time we went kind of later in the— like, around maybe 8:00 or 9:00, and they were out of tiramisu.
Sbrocco: What?!
Hynson: So get there early. Get there early. But it’s— it’s so good. It’s— yeah.
Sbrocco: That’s a pro tip. That’s a pro tip. Get there early. [Laughs] Alright, if you would like to try Pizzeria da Laura, it’s located on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. And the average multi-course tab per person without drinks is around $40. As a former culinary instructor, Rob has a huge appreciation for timeless French classics executed with precision and care. He finds them at a cozy bistro, offering crusty baguettes, buttery sauces and just the right touch of that certain je ne sais quoi. Located in Petaluma, it’s Brigitte Bistro. ♪♪
Ronan: The Bistro, I see it as very casual, yet extremely well executed. Fresh products, traditional French cuisine… Mussels and fries. …very lively… I love it! …noisy… [Howls] Full of life. Full of life. Et voilà! [Laughs] The name of the restaurant is Brigitte, which is my mother. She was definitely not a cook. She had love and passion for life. She transmitted that to me. Bon appétit. Enjoy. The menu here is from my childhood. Everything I remember as a child that brightened my day, that made me feel very, very good. Steak tartare— as a child, my mother would send me to buy some beef and half of it would be gone because I would eat, while on my way back home, raw beef. [Laughing]
[ Lively music playing ]
The soupe à l’oignon. I add Port wine and I add sherry vinegar. The cheese has to be Swiss cheese Gruyère.
Woman: Oh, wow.
Ronan: I’m crazy about cheese. And the melted cheese. I’m not being shy on my plates. So, yeah, this is my childhood.
Man: A little bit of heaven.
[ Mid-tempo piano music playing ]
Ronan: We go back to the old gastronomy way where waiters were as important as the kitchen. They will do a lot of tableside. It’s a whole lot of different details that make a big difference. It makes you feel special because you are special. One phrase— it’s love, food, wine, passion, life and people. And I’m lucky to awaken every single morning feeling like that. [Cheers and applause]
Sbrocco: Now, Rob, this is really a touch of France in California.
Everett: We were so happy. About a year and a half ago, this French chef who had several restaurants in San Francisco fell in love with Petaluma, came up, renovated an old café, opened up this restaurant and named it for his maman, his mom. One of the appetizers I get every time I go there is the Escargots perched on top of the roasted half marrow bone. And it’s served with a sauce of butter, garlic and parsley.
Sbrocco: Wow.
Everett: It was simply delicious. Luckily, they serve it with lots of local Della Fattoria bread. We told the waiter, “Please save the bones for the dogs in the neighborhood.” By the time the evening had progressed, he had brought us five additional bones from other people. It was terrific. They’re very nice there.
Sbrocco: Now, are you a French food lover?
Kun: To be honest, I fell in love with French food after this bistro. Oh, my God. I lost my virginity with onion soup.
Sbrocco: [Laughs]
Kun: I never had it before. It came from clay pot covered with cheese. It was a nice surprise to find bread inside the soup.
Hynson: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Kun: Everything was in harmony. And the cheese was so gooey.
Hynson: Yes! Yeah.
Kun: And it was so hot.
Hynson: Yeah.
Kun: As a Siberian, I appreciate hot dishes…
All: [Laugh]
Kun: …and hot soups. Oh my God, almost boiling. And I loved it. I loved it.
Hynson: I started with the French onion soup as well. I tried to make it at home. I never quite do it. This was phenomenal. So good, so densely flavored and it was a great start to the meal.
Everett: The other appetizer that we really loved was the tableside Steak Tartare. Chopped flank steak with a quail egg in the middle, a few sliced cornichons, capers. Mixed together, it’s so delicious. And they serve it with house-made pomme gaufrettes, which are potato chips.
Hynson: [Chuckles]
Everett: Loved it. Loved it.
Sbrocco: Any tartare? Any takers?
Hynson: No. No.
Sbrocco: No tartare takers.
Kun: I ordered salmon.
Sbrocco: Oh, salmon tartare?
Kun: Oh, my God. It was not a tartare. It was like generous amount of thin salmon and citruses on a side and croutons. So it was nice, buttery, creamy fish, crunchy croutons and citrusy fruits, which you feel like you like kissing a French young guy.
All: [Laugh]
Everett: Well, okay.
Sbrocco: Did you feel that one?
Everett: I did not.
All: [Laugh]
Sbrocco: You did not.
Everett: But maybe next time.
Sbrocco: That’s right. You never know.
Everett: Never know.
Sbrocco: Okay. So what else did you have?
Everett: I had the seared scallops. And, you know, it’s so easy to overdo scallops. These were perfectly, perfectly seared with a nice purée of leek and also purple cauliflower, which is delicious.
Hynson: So my husband got the scallops, which I helped myself to. Just kind of melt in your mouth. So good. And then I got the Wagyu Frites for myself. And my baby was with me, so we shared that. He loved it as well.
Sbrocco: Did he love the frites?
Hynson: He did love the frites, he did.
Sbrocco: You’ve got a little foodie, don’t you?
Hynson: I do. I’m hoping. I’m hoping I’m raising him that way. Steak perfectly done, perfectly seasoned. It was really a delight.
Everett: Another dish we had was the famed local Liberty Duck à l’Orange from local producer Jim Reichert. I taught both of his children in sixth grade. And it was served fabulously with duck fat potato mille-feuille.
Sbrocco: It means lots of layers.
Everett: Means a lot of layers. And any potato cooked in duck fat is just perfect.
Sbrocco: You could cook leather in duck fat.
Everett: You could. You could.
Sbrocco: It would be good.
Everett: Yes.
Sbrocco: And so now we can get to dessert. Look at this. Look at that face! Okay. You get to start, Nala.
Kun: Floating island. Floating island. Oh, my God, it’s cloudy dessert. Soft, spongy, eggy, covered with a lot of caramel and salt popping in your mouth, and very nice roasted cashews on top. And everything floating in a lake of vanilla. Something like that. Overall, the whole texture blew my mind, to be honest.
Hynson: We ended the meal with Pistachio Tiramisu. That was my highlight. I’m like, the food was incredible, but it was like dinner and a show.
Sbrocco: Absolutely.
Hynson: And also too, like, the aesthetic of how it looked— just perfectly in line, the ladyfingers, just the swirl of this pistachio cream.
Man: Amazing, buddy.
Hynson: It was incredible.
Kun: I like the atmosphere a lot. They have open kitchen and it was spotless, so clean. And it was nice feeling that we all in the kitchen.
Sbrocco: Chef Nick was known as the Kissing Chef and the Hugging Chef. And of course as a French person does, they would kiss you twice, you know, as a welcome or a hug. Did you get a hug or a kiss?
Kun: When I exit the restaurant, we had such a nice heart-to-heart hug. Oh my God.
Sbrocco: Now, obviously, you would go back?
Everett: Absolutely go back. Take friends. Can’t wait to see Nick again. Get that hug. It’s a special spot in Petaluma.
Kun: It’s worth the drive from San Francisco pretty much every weekend.
All: [Laugh]
Sbrocco: Every weekend. Alright, you heard it here. Brigitte Bistro is located on Petaluma Boulevard in Petaluma. The average multi-course tab per person without drinks is around $65. Looking for more Bay Area bites you’ve just got to try?
Phillips: [Laughs]
Sbrocco: Check out “Cecilia Tries It” online at kqed.org/checkplease.
Phillips: [Laughs]
Sbrocco: I want to thank my fantastic guests on this week’s show. Candace Hynson, who raves about the Ray J at Pizzeria da Laura in Berkeley; Nala Kun, who savors the Syrniki at DACHA Kitchen & Bar in San Francisco; and Rob Everett, who says bonjour to the roasted bone marrow at Brigitte Bistro in Petaluma. Join us next time when three more guests will recommend their favorite spots right here on “Check, Please! Bay Area.” I’m Leslie Sbrocco, and I’ll see you then. Cheers.
Sbrocco: Did you have fun?
Kun: Yes.
Sbrocco: Yeah? Did you have fun?
Everett: I did.
Sbrocco: [Laughs]
Meyer: This is our version of a margherita pizza. It’s one of my favorites, because you tend to taste more of the flavor of the ingredients by itself, as opposed to just cheese. I love sauce on top as well, because you tend to taste a little bit more of the tomato. It’s simplicity at its finest. ♪♪ It’s really hot. Mnh-mnh. [Laughs]
Dining and Cooking