High/Low's Bi-Coastal Celebrity Chef adventures

When High/Low recently went bi-coastal for a weekend, we each had our own celebrity chef adventure.

I was in San Francisco enjoying an Anthony Bourdain-inspired culinary adventure, while my husband was in New York meeting one of the greatest chefs of all time, Thomas Keller!

Join us as we take you through each of our adventures.

I met with Mardi at R&G Lounge for their famous Salt and Pepper Dungeness Crab and Lychee martinis (yes, even Anthony Bourdain drank one!)  This restaurant is also a favorite of Michael Mina's.

I love lychee martinis (This one was $10).  I'm not sure how this version was made, but here is my recipe that has been very popular amongst my friends:

Lychee Martini

Ingredients:

1 can of lychee fruit

 Soho lychee liqueur

vodka

Directions:

In a martini shaker, add 1 oz Soho, 1 oz vodka, 2 oz syrup from the can of lychee fruit, and ice.  Shake well.  Pour the drink into a martini glass.  Add a couple of lychee fruit from the can and serve.

Our meal was very photogenic!

The crab ($35) was fantastic - meaty, crunchy, and simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

The next day, Mardi met me again, this time at Bourdain's favorite quick bite at the Ferry Plaza Marketplace:  Primavera.

I had the breakfast ($9) of eggs, beans, salsa, and tortillas.

Mardi had the tomales ($9), which were also Bourdain's choice.  One had mushroom and the other had pork - both very filling, but delicious. 

With so much fresh and substantial dishes, it's no wonder Alice Waters counts herself one of Primavera's many fans.

Lastly, I passed by San Francisco's (and California's) oldest establishment, Tadich Grill, where Bourdain went to grab a drink.  I peeked inside, and with its dark, glossy wood-panelling and cozy, enclosed booths, it looks like San Francisco preserved in time.

My lucky husband got to meet (and take a photo with) one of our idols, Thomas Keller!

Keller was signing his new cookbook, ad hoc, at a nearby Williams Sonoma store.

 While waiting in line, my husband got this Cauliflower Soup sample (which was not a recipe in the book)...

 

...and this Chocolate Chip cookie from the ad hoc cookbook.

Though I wished I could have been there, I'm glad we got this keepsake!

Bourdain's SF Adventure:

R&G Lounge is located at 631 Kearny St
 Primavera is found on Saturday mornings at the the Ferry Plaza Marketplace.
Tadich Grill is located at 240 California St.