Miette & Boccalone (Sweets & Meats)

Directly following my trip to Peru, I left on a research trip to the West Coast for two weeks.  What was I researching?  Glad you asked: a book on Stadium Eats!  Um, yeah, without a deal in sight currently (hint, hint, anyone reading this who is interested!), I went to preemptively scout out the 6 West Coast stadiums and eat my way up and down the West Coast at the same time, starting in San Francisco, working my way down to Los Angeles, then San Diego, back up to San Francisco and then to Seattle!  Phew!  Tune in at 4:15 EST (or 1:15 PST, lunchtime on the West Coast) for the next 6 weeks to see what I ate and where I ate it… and how I gained 10 lbs in two weeks!

The day I was scheduled to drive from San Francisco down to Los Angeles, I decided I would wander the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market, pick up some goodies, and then make my way down to LA.  There were so many pictures, I split it into two posts – one about the inside of the building goodies, and one about the outside… this is the inside (minus Out the Door, though it was the same day, since I also went to Slanted Door).  🙂  Doesn’t make sense?  If you visit, I promise, it will make lots of sense! 

First up: Miette, a French patisserie that I passed by constantly on my last trip out here. 

Such pretty desserts!  A lovely display!  Do you see what I had my eye on? 

Buttermilk panna cotta with fresh strawberries in these adorable jars.  I wanted the jar.  This dessert was $3, but if you bring back the jar, they give you back $1.  I asked them for the lid – so I could keep the jar! – but unfortunately, there were no lids to be had.  So I returned the jar… but how cuuute is that???  And the perfect size for a slightly sweet, slightly tart ending to whatever munching you’ve been doing around the Farmer’s Market! 

I have this same problem when I make panna cotta – all the pretty vanilla beans settled to the bottom!  But it was nice to see they used real vanilla beans.  I really liked this dessert – the slightly tart strawberries, the denseness of the buttermilk in the panna cotta… very tasty, and as I said, the perfect size to cap off some yumminess from walking around outside in the market. 

In fact, when I returned a week later, I returned and got the pot de creme. 

Again, the perfect size, but also, the right combination of bittersweet chocolate and fluffy whipped cream.  Not too sweet, not too bitter… yum!!! 

They also had “fancy marshmallows” here, so I picked one up for the BF – after his hot chocolate in Peru, I figured he’d appreciate it.  The flavors were lavender, lemon, and raspberry… long sticks of marshmallow about the length of my forearm.  It was pretty difficult keeping it un-smushed the rest of the trip, but I managed 😀

Walking around, I noticed that Taylor’s Automatic Refresher had been replaced by a place with a completely different name but with the exact same font.  I was kind of surprised, considering this place is super famous (I’ve only been to the original up in Napa Valley), and has been on television a couple of times as well.  But when I went back to the hotel, I Google’d and apparently they’ve changed their name – which is also a bit surprising, since it’s been on television with its old name.  Ah well.  I wish them the best of luck with their changes! 

Next up, Boccalone!  Where pigs fly (see top left of pic). 

The menu – but really, I was there for one thing and one thing only. 

MEAT CONE!!!  Okay, it’s really called the salumi cone.  $3.50 gets you a paper cone filled with slices of various meats… mmm.  I just NOM NOM NOM’ed my way through that without taking more pictures.  I like getting this because it’s a nice snack to just keep you going while you shop… honestly… it isn’t like a sandwich, which might fill you up such that you wouldn’t eat anything else.  And it isn’t expensive, nor is it bad scrap meat… it’s just… perfect.  Swoon.

Yvo says: Miette – awesome for little pastries and snacks, they had tons of other gorgeous pastries!  Boccalone – perfect for your salumerie/charcuterie needs.  Mmm, good meat.  Mmm, good pastries.  No reason not to stop by both to sample the goodies!
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