The Missing Avocado

On Friday night, our friend Michael Flanagan, who was crashing on our couch, and I went down to Polkers Gourmet Burgers on Polk Street for some burgers.  Polkers is one of my neighborhood favorites as it was the place my roommate and I had our first dinner in San Francisco four years ago.  Their burgers come with fun, unique variations and their satisfying brunches draw long waits on the weekends.  I still remember eating huevos rancheros here one New Year's day in a state of bliss.

Friday, however, the fog must have settled in a little too thickly over Russian Hill.  We both ordered the Habanero Burger "Extremely Spicy" because the extremely spicy moniker seemed like a good challenge.  The burger came with jack cheese, avocado aioli, and a habanero salsa on the side, which appeared to be a mixture of tomato paste, chopped up habanero peppers and onions.

We both selectively had overlooked the word "aioli" in the description and spent about two minutes looking for some avocado, before realizing that it was in fact a very thinly spread aioli on one bun which did not contribute to the taste of the burger.  I was disappointed because I love avocados and Michael was disappointed because avocados are green and that is one of Notre Dame's colors.

In addition, applying the salsa separately seemed like a smart idea, but the clumpy nature of the salsa caused the burger bites to vary from no salsa bites to fiery hot bites.  The patty itself was cooked well and was perfectly medium.  The side salad that came with it wasn't amazing but that's what you get for ordering a side of salad with a hamburger.  Overall, we left feeling satisfied but not too impressed with the meal.  I would still go back to Polkers but will change up my order.

On another note, I ordered an Arnold Palmer, my non-alcoholic beverage of choice, at dinner.  An Arnold Palmer is a drink made up of half lemonade and half iced tea and is named after a famous golfer.  It can also be called a half and half and the alcoholic version (using vodka or sweet tea) is called a John Daly.

When I ordered it, Michael was Super impressed.  He used words like "wow" and "bold choice" and almost switched his drink order as well.  I think he was being sincere.  I would have found it strange, but I've faced similar reactions when I order the drink with a group.  I don't know why - it's lemonade and iced tea mixed together and it's really quite simple.  Anyways, the point of this sidenote is that if you'd like an easy way to impress a table at a meal, order an Arnold Palmer and you will be a hero and I cannot give you a good reason why.

Restaurant:	Polker's Gourmet Burgers
Location:	2226 Polk Street, SF, CA
Items ordered:	Habanero Burger "Extremely Spicy"; Arnold Palmer
Pricing:	$10-$30
Grades:	Taste: B-; Cleanliness: A-; Service: A

Lots of Indians Is Always A Good Thing

I can't think of a better first post to begin with than the Chaat Cafe in Crocker Galleria, my favorite lunchtime indulgence.  It is situated on the top level of the Galleria, and at lunchtime during the week, is always packed with people, particularly Indian clientele.  Which can only be a good thing in any Indian establishment.  Aside from the thrill of potentially running into a long lost cousin, the food is very clean, tasty and fairly affordable for a Financial District lunch. Lunchtime food ranges from Indian-style sandwiches and salads to authentic thalis, lassis and chaat food. 

My favorite is the chicken tikka plate:

It comes with 3 generous portions of tandoori chicken, basmati rice, a side of dal or curry sauce, a garlic naan and a cucumber salad (hidden underneath the mountain of naan in this picture).  The chicken is incredibly tender, the sauce is sort of spicy, but you can fire it up with chutneys from the chutney bar, and there is more rice and naan than the average carb-starved San Franciscan can handle, all for $8.

When I go with a group of people, I also like to share the Bhel Puri appetizer:



It consists of rice puffs, crispy noodles, potatoes, green chili, and onions mixed together with tamarind and mint chutneys.  It's basically a mixture of crunchy, tangy, sweet, tart, and spicy all in one, an explosion of flavors all in one bite.  It's not the best Bhel Puri I've ever had, but is pretty good regardless. Good luck going back to work after this one. (Best Bhel Puri = Vik's Chaat House in Berkeley)

Chaat Cafe has 2 locations in SF, one in Berkeley, one in San Jose and one in Fremont.  And of course they use only fresh Halal chicken and lamb and source only organic vegetables.

If you time your lunch right, you can catch the Thursday Farmer's Market at Crocker Galleria and grab some fruits or munch on samples:

Restaurant:	Chaat Café Express
Location:	Crocker Galleria, 50 Post St. SF, CA
Items ordered:	Chicken Tikka Plate with Curry Sauce; Bhel Puri
Pricing:	Under $10
Grades:	Taste: A-; Cleanliness: A; Service: B+