EAT: House of Prime Rib, San Francisco, CA

Photo Credit: Jason Rodman

What does one order at the House of Prime Rib in San Francisco?! Why, Prime Rib, gluten free, of course! And, boy, does it deliver! No gluten free menu, but when making reservations, I mentioned that two of us in our party of four would be gluten free. I was told not to worry, as everything can be adjusted for gluten free, corn free, and egg free.  House of Prime Rib has an old world English vibe, and has been featured on PBS and The Food Channel. It is a San Francisco landmark and they use the highest quality corn fed beef available. Be careful for those of you who react to corn fed beef!

Our server was well versed in gluten free, stating that our prime rib without the au jus is gluten free, as well as the most of the sides (not the Yorkshire Pudding). We all started with the Salad Bowl, where the server brings a large bowl of salad to the table on a cart, tosses the greens, adds the dressing, and tosses again. Each of us is served a bowl. It was fun to watch the process, as the servers err on the dramatic when adding the dressing.

House of Prime Rib Cut

Decisions, decisions on what size cut of prime rib. Should I go with The City Cut (a smaller cut for smaller appetites), House of Prime Rib Cut (a hearty portion), The English Cut (for those who like a thinner slice), or the King Henry VIII Cut (ginormous cut of beef)?? I went with the House of Prime Rib Cut, no au jus, while two others were brave and went for the King Henry VIII Cut. Our fourth abandoned us and went for the seafood catch of Sea Bass. 

When our Prime Rib was ready, a large stainless steel cart of meat was wheeled to our table and cut right in front of us! Yet another flair for the dramatic with the opening of the hood revealing large pieces of beef. Trust me, no one leaves House of Prime Rib hungry! The slices were huge, but we managed to just about finish them off (with plans for a workout the next day). We added the mashed potatoes as the perfect accompaniment for the meat.

I was told the Sea Bass was delicious. It was accompanied by asparagus and mashed potatoes and topped with a white wine capers sauce. I was pleased that they offered menu items for those who are not Prime Rib fanatics, although the choices were limited.

King Henry VIII Cut

Anthony Bourdain called the House of Prime Rib, "the American Dream" and I can agree. This is not your average "meat and potatoes" kind of place. It was packed on the Monday night we dined, and each table was just as excited as we were to see that shiny vessel wheeled to their table, leaving them with the ultimate beef experience.

House of Prime Rib

1906 Van Ness Ave

San Francisco, CA

415.885.4605

www.houseofprimerib.net

EAT: Ferry Building in San Francisco, CA

The Ferry Building in San Francisco, CA is a building full of fun little shops and food spots. Located on the Embarcadero, the eastern waterfront along the San Francisco Bay and the Port of San Francisco, it is a gathering spot for locals and tourists, alike. The Ferry Building brings regional vendors who promote traditional farming and production techniques.

In my search for some good gluten free eats in San Francisco, I came across several stops in the Ferry Building that fit the bill. My favorites include:

Boccalone and its "Tasty Salted Pig Parts" is a great spot for cured pork. I had to try the "Cone of Meat" with a mix of delicious gluten free pork.

Mariposa Gluten Free Bakery is one of the only gluten free bakeries in San Francisco. The bakery has a good selection of cakes, cupcakes, pies, and bread. 

Pressed Juicery has a delicious selection of cold-pressed juices. All are made daily and are all natural. I really like the variety and how some are sweet and some have a kick of spice. 

The Ferry Building is a fun place to spend an afternoon browsing. With a variety of local and regional shops and eateries, it is always busy place to get the local flavor of San Francisco. 

Ferry Building

1 Salsalito

San Francisco, CA

EAT (Drink): The Buena Vista, San Francisco, CA

When in San Francisco, CA, one must make a stop at The Buena Vista, the first place in the US to sell Irish Coffee. Irish Coffee is made of fresh black coffee, whiskey, and whipping cream. The only problem... whiskey is grain alcohol and many people who are gluten free cannot drink grain alcohols. Even though I react to grain alcohols, I had to check the place out to see what the hype was about. 

In 1952, BV owner, Jack Koeppler asked international travel writer Stanton Delaplane to recreate an Irish coffee made in Ireland. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, they finally perfected the floating cream by aging it for48 hours and frothing it to a certain consistency (the secret to authentic Irish coffee).

Upon sitting at the bar, I asked the bartender for a drink menu to see if there were any gluten free, corn free options. His wry sense of humor responded with "We have water and Irish Coffee," as I eyed the full bar of liquors behind him. He asked what I could not have and suggested replacing the whiskey with Disarrono, an amaretto liqueur. I appreciated his knowledge of grain alcohols and the recommendations he provided. He said rum (sugar cane based) would change the flavor too much. I found out later that not only does the BV serve other drinks, they also serve food (can we say breakfast with an Irish Coffee?!). But back to the Irish Coffee, Wow! The Disarrono was a great addition! How delicious and a perfect drink to warm you up after a chilly, foggy day outside! I will definitely be back on my next trip to San Fran for the Irish Coffee and the humor, and better yet, arriving by cable car!

The Buena Vista

2765 Hyde St. 

San Francisco, CA 94109

415.474.5044

www.thebuenavista.com