As mentioned in my Ferry Building post, the good people of La Cocina provided me with a package of Clare Squares (chocolate/caramel shortbread) to take back to New York. Strangely enough, though, as I packed up to leave Raife and Tohva’s apartment I found a note stuck to my computer:
Suspiciously, there were crumbs and an empty plastic package near the computer, but “blame the hosts” is not an exercise in which I’ll take part.
Your hosts know a good thing when they see one…
I do believe that the Clairesquares were actually a gift from Ms Musings, who had been handed them gratis by Claire herself as we sat and drank bubbles and who only agreed to let you have the pack if you promised on an otherwise entire lifetime of bad meals NOT TO SHARE
(But Raife is unbearably cute – I would forgive him if I were me)
I appreciate all the notes from you and Kristen about your dining visit to San Francisco.
Two or three quibbles, though about Kristen’s post.
1. Local spelling: the town to the north of SF where you stopped is SAUSALITO, not Sausolito.
2. You crossed the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. We locals do pronounce it San Raffel (sp), but the correct name is San Rafael.
3. And yes, you can be a classic restaurant after 35 years in an area where restaurants come and go, and only goes back to 1850 or so.
But in trying all the trendy and classic places, you missed the two best seafood places in San Francisco, Adam.
Scoma’s on Fisherman’s Wharf, which has been there nigh onto to 40-50 years; and Tadich Grill in the Financial District, since 1849 (California became a state in 1850).
Loved hearing about your visit to my old home town!
That is UNFORGIVABLE… so sad… ha ha ha.
Next to See’s dark chocolate scotchmallows, I horde caramels. Salted caramels, to be exact.
But chocolate-caramel shortbread? Wow. Just wow.
That handwriting is unbelievably literate. Clearly the goodies were .. umm .. spirited away by a djinn.
Oh man…I fell in love with Clare Squares (didn’t know their proper name til now) in Edinburgh at the Elephant House cafe, where JK Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter actually, so I can understand that they are powerful enough to have a will of their own. Although I’m sorry for your loss.
On a completely different note, I don’t know if you’re a fan of Toothpaste for Dinner but I thought of your blog when I read this: http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/042407/know-your-food-obsessives.gif
I’ve been enjoying your San Francisco posts so much! Thanks!
Matt, it sounds like this is what we call Millionaire’s Shortbread in the UK. Quite fitting for JK Rowling’s cafe!
yes, Claire Squares is the name given to the chocolate-caramel shortbread by the local proprietress — they are exactly the same thing as Millionaire’s Shortbread. :)