Latest news with #CheFico
Vogue
08-07-2025
- Vogue
The Best Part of a Summertime Drinks Menu? Fancy Soda
Today, learning that a restaurant calls itself farm-to-table holds about as much shock value as hearing my server explain that everything at said restaurant is meant to be enjoyed family style. One part of the menu that remains a place of unexpected whimsy, however? The drinks list—and more specifically, the soda section. I find this to be especially true as the weather heats up and my neighborhood farmer's market in Manhattan turns into the place to be on a Saturday morning. 'Serving sodas affords us the ability to create a snapshot of the season. Whether it's a perfumy sweet strawberry or tingly fresh spearmint, using produce during its peak is the ultimate treat,' says Danielle Peters-Clossey, bar director at San Francisco-based Back Home Hospitality, which includes Che Fico restaurants and soon-to-open Bubbeleh. 'Without the use of artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives, we can offer our guests a natural alternative.' Those local, seasonal snapshots are especially delightful in the summertime. At the newly opened Feathers restaurant inside Audrey Gelman's much-anticipated Six Bells Inn in the Hudson Valley, I ordered a simple, pastel pink soda that made use of local strawberries and rhubarb; at Bastia, beverage director Benjamin Kirke highlights eastern Pennsyvlannia produce with lacto-fermented sodas that, in June and July, include apricot and maquis; strawberry and mint; rhubarb and basil; lemon, lime, and thyme.
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Chef says people make same mistake when cooking frozen chips
Getting the perfect, crispy texture on your frozen oven chips can be difficult - but it turns out there's one key mistake that can ruin your meal every time Frozen chips are a beloved fixture in many British kitchens, yet achieving that ideal crispy finish without the dreaded sogginess can be quite the kitchen conundrum. It seems there's often one cardinal sin that spoils your spuds every single time, regardless of whether you're using an oven or an air fryer. Chef David Nayfield from Che Fico has revealed that frozen chips can reach restaurant-level excellence with each cooking session, but nailing it hinges on a crucial step. The "biggest mistake" home cooks commit is cramming too many chips onto their oven trays or into their air fryer baskets. When you heap an excess of chips on a single tray, they fail to crisp up as they should, instead steaming rather than roasting. David insists that for perfectly crispy chips, ample space is key. Give them room to breathe, and they'll crisp up beautifully on their own. He also stresses the importance of pre-heating your appliance before cooking, rather than trusting that the oven will be sufficiently hot without checking it first, reports the Express. Tossing them into a cold oven or air fryer typically results in soggy or patchily cooked chips, according to the culinary expert. A handy tip is to crank up your oven or air fryer to about 200 degrees before introducing the chips. And for those pondering whether an air fryer or a traditional oven reigns supreme for chip cooking, chefs seem to have a definitive preference. Celebrity chef George Duran, hailing from New York City, has revealed a game-changing tip for chip lovers, claiming that using an air fryer is like "giving them a fast-track to crispy heaven." He points out that not only does this method trump the oven in speed, but it's also far safer than traditional deep frying, sidestepping the dangers of handling scalding oil.
San Francisco Chronicle
04-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. pastry pioneer arrives, plus more Peninsula and South Bay openings
The Peninsula and South Bay continue to draw some of the most diverse restaurants in the Bay Area. New openings in June range from fine-dining destinations to businesses that specialize in Uyghur, Indian and Thai regional fare. An underrepresented subgenre of ramen? It's here, now. The Peninsula gets elegant pastries Popular bakery Craftsman & Wolves has added its first brick-and-mortar location outside of San Francisco. The sleek new Mountain View bakery is stocked with Craftsman & Wolves's elegant cakes and creative pastries, such as the famed 'rebel within,' a savory muffin with an oozing soft-boiled egg hidden inside. New items only available in Mountain View include a savory kouign amann made with the flavors of a Philly cheesesteak and a sweet choux bun filled with vanilla crème fraîche, whipped ganache and guava-kalamansi jam. It opened soon after the death of founder Lawrence Lai in late April. Yeobo, Darling, is chefs Meichih and Michael Kim's third and most personal restaurant yet. Newly open in Menlo Park, it's an expression of Asian American identity, connecting their Korean and Taiwanese heritages with their training in the country's top fine dining restaurants. There's 48-hour marinated kalbi with seasonal banchan and Taiwanese staple lu rou fan, braised pork over rice, served in cheesy lasagna form. The Kims are known best for Maum, an acclaimed Korean tasting menu restaurant in Palo Alto that won a Michelin star before closing due to the pandemic. 827 Santa Cruz Ave., Menlo Park. L.A. ramen royalty arrives People are lining up at Tsujita, a ramen hit from Los Angeles that just opened in San Jose. It's devoted to tsukemen, bowls of thick, chewy ramen noodles served with an umami-rich, warm dipping broth on the side. Chronicle associate restaurant critic Cesar Hernandez praised the 'potent' sauce, as well as Tsujita's tonkotsu ramen. A Jewish deli for the Peninsula After the team behind Cal-Italian favorite Che Fico closed their Italian market in Menlo Park, they quickly replaced it with Bubbelah, a Jewish-inspired fast-casual restaurant. Che Fico's menu has long featured dishes influenced by Jewish cuisine from Rome, honoring co-owner David Nayfeld's heritage; Bubbelah advances that theme of Jewish diasporic cooking. The menu includes everything from house-made pita bread with dips like baba ghanoush to chopped chicken liver and spring onion latkes. Bubbelah is currently open for takeout and delivery only. An influx of Uyghur food? The Bay Area lost most of its Uyghur restaurants to the pandemic, but the cuisine is starting to see a resurgence. The latest Uyghur restaurant to open is Kusan Bazaar in Mountain View, whose owners operate two other South Bay spots that specialize in the cuisine. Expect dishes like grilled lamb kabobs, chewy laghman noodles and beef noodle soup. Kusan Bazaar also joins Mrs Khan Uyghur Cuisine in Menlo Park, a Top 100 Restaurant. An all-day Indian cafe Kerala-style pastries, chai and coffee are the specialty at Chayakada in San Jose. There are puff pastries filled with egg, beef or vegetables; several kinds of chai and Indian filter coffee. The spacious, 4,000-square-foot cafe in a South Bay shopping center offers ample seating, a free library and game room. 117 Bernal Road, Suite 80, San Jose. Popular San Francisco bar expands While Horsefeather is best known in San Francisco for its cocktails, its new sister location at Town & Country Village in Palo Alto is a large, full-service restaurant. Head there for dishes like a double cheeseburger, duck fat fries and miso-cream linguine. The bar menu features popular drinks from the San Francisco original, which opened in 2016, plus new creations and several non-alcoholic cocktails. A new Thai option There's no pad thai on the menu at Sen Thai Noodle in San Carlos. The Peninsula's newest Thai restaurant focuses instead on less Westernized dishes, including khao soi (a curry broth, crowned with egg noodles and a chicken drumstick, boat noodle soup (a fragrant soy broth with bouncy meatballs) and Thai beef jerky. The Peninsula's latest omakase option is Ren in Menlo Park, an eight-seat sushi restaurant from a team of Bay Area sushi veterans. They include Wen Zhao, previously a chef for 10 years at the once Michelin-starred Omakase in San Francisco; Jiabo Li of Iki Omakase in Palo Alto; and Sunny Noah, who worked at Omakase and the Michelin-starred edomae spot Sushi Yoshizumi in San Mateo, and has since opened Iki Omakase, Nagai Edomae Sushi in Redwood City and Tancho in Castro Valley. Ren's $198 menu features 18 to 20 courses of edomae-style dishes, including sushi made with seafood from Tokyo's Toyosu Market. A fast-growing matcha darling Japanese matcha cafe Maruwu Seicha just opened its third Bay Area location in a year. The newest outpost in San Jose, following San Francisco and Palo Alto, serves the cafe's popular, matcha lattes and soft serve ice cream.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I Asked 4 Chefs for Their Best Tip to Make Frozen Fries Taste Restaurant-Worthy, and They All Said the Same Thing
There's a reason why In-N-Out restaurants boast about slicing fresh potatoes into fries in each store. Frozen french fries tend to have a negative reputation, but if you ask many chefs, including Chef David Nayfield of Che Fico, "frozen fries can taste every bit as good as the ones you'd get at a restaurant, with far less hassle.' Still, Nayfield adds an asterisk: Frozen fries done right can taste like the ones from our favorite fast food restaurants. To help us differentiate spud from dud, we called a handful of our favorite potato-savvy chefs to learn about the biggest mistakes to avoid—and to get the dish about the best way to cook frozen french fries. George Duran, a celebrity chef in New York City Kelly Jaggers, the Dallas, Texas-based author of 'The Everything® Restaurant Copycat Recipes Cookbook' Brian Mooney, owner and executive chef of Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen, Tre Luna Catering, Tre Luna & Grocery in Hoover, Alabama David Nayfeld, chef/owner of Che Fico, Che Fico Parco Menlo, and Che Fico Pizzeria in San Francisco, and the author of the upcoming book, 'Dad, What's for Dinner?' Regardless of whether you're whipping up waffle fries or crinkle-cut, shoestring or steak fries, it's important to steer clear of some common roadblocks. 'I've seen quite a few fry crimes in my day,' admits George Duran. 'The biggest one? Overcrowding the tray or basket. Fries need room to breathe!' Trying to cram too many fries in too little space steams them instead of allowing them to crisp, adds Brian Mooney. It's also vital to preheat your appliance, as starting fries cold will lead to uneven cooking or sogginess, says Nayfield. '400 degrees F (200 degrees C) is the sweet spot for crispy, golden fries,' he notes. Lastly, it's important to keep them moving, because 'fries need to be rotated often to ensure even browning and even crisping,' explains Kelly Jaggers. The best fries have crispy exteriors that give way to soft, fluffy interiors. The absolute best way to cook frozen fries to get these results? All four chefs agree: the air fryer. 'Hands down, the air fryer is your best friend when it comes time to cook frozen fries. It's like putting fries on the fast track to crispy heaven,' Duran confirms. Plus, compared to utilizing a sheet pan in the oven, 'you trim down on preheating and cooking time.' And unlike deep-frying again, you don't have to fuss with all that hot (and potentially dangerous) oil. 'Frozen fries are par-fried in oil, quick-frozen, and bagged up to be finished in your home kitchen,' Jaggers explains. 'The air fryer causes the residual oil on the fries to get sizzling hot, eliminating the need for extra oil that you would need to filter and store or properly discard.' Three words summarize what the air fryer delivers, according to Duran: speed, crunch, and no mess. The countertop appliance is 'like a super convection oven that circulates hot air like a potato tornado,' Duran says. 'No greasy pans to scrub or oil splatters to dodge. Just crispy fries and good vibes!' Here's how the chefs suggest we make air fryer frozen french fries: Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). It should run for at least three minutes before you add the fries, Duran recommends. Space out the frozen fries in a single layer on the tray, pan, or basket, being careful not to overcrowd. Air fry for seven minutes, then shake the basket or use tongs to flip the fries. Air fry for five to eight minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fries, until they are golden and crisp. Transfer the fries to a platter or wide bowl, immediately season with salt, and serve hot with your desired dipping sauce. As you can see, preparing frozen fries in an air fryer 'saves time, reduces mess, and is practically hands-off so you can work on other parts of the meal,' Jaggers says. 'We love efficiency!' There are a few important details to keep in mind as you try this strategy yourself: Tailor the temp. If you notice that your fries are browning quickly in a way that might lead to undercooked insides, Jaggers suggests reducing the heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) after shaking the fries halfway through cooking. 'Keep an eye on the fries," she says. "And adjust based on how your specific air fryer cooks." Spice things up. Frozen fries aren't always the most flavorful, so adding some salt goes a long way. And, you can save a few bucks if you skip the pre-seasoned fries and customize with your own spices and herbs. For a quick seasoning blend, why not try Jaggers' go-to, which is enough to season 2 pounds of fries: 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Mix it well and sprinkle as desired, alongside your salt. Or follow the lead of our Air Fryer Cheesy Bacon Ranch French Fries and hit the 'easy button' with dry ranch salad dressing mix. "Whatever you do, season them in a bowl while they're piping hot," Duran suggests. "It's what we pros do!' Swap in a sheet pan. If you don't own an air fryer, you still have options. Since frozen fries have already been fried once, it means they're already packed with oil. "If you add them to a nonstick pan, you're releasing more of that oil, allowing it to self-fry,' Duran explains. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) with a nonstick sheet pan inside. Once the oven comes up to temperature, carefully top the pan with parchment paper and evenly distribute the fries. Bake for about 18 to 22 minutes, flipping halfway through. Keep an eye on the fries and remove them from the oven once they're golden brown, crispy, and warmed through. Read the original article on ALLRECIPES
Wales Online
02-06-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Chef says we've been cooking frozen chips wrong - and it's all about how we use the oven
Chef says we've been cooking frozen chips wrong - and it's all about how we use the oven Frozen chips are a staple in British homes, but many people are making a simple mistake that means they never cook to restaurant quality, according to one expert Chips will be so much tastier and crunchier if you do one task before putting them in the oven (Image: Getty Images ) Frozen chips are always on standby in the freezer for a swift side dish or nibble. They're also much speedier to whip up than homemade chips. However, one common problem with frozen chips is their tendency to turn soggy in the oven, which is far from ideal when you're craving a crispy finish. There's one error that can lead to limp chips without you even realising. Chef David Nayfield from Che Fico claims that frozen chips can taste as good as restaurant quality every time you cook them, provided you do it correctly. This means avoiding overcrowding your oven trays or air fryer baskets, which he describes as the 'biggest mistake' you can make when cooking chips at home. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . To achieve the perfect crunch, your chips need enough room to crisp up. Placing too many too close together will cause them to steam rather than bake, reports Nottinghamshire Live. David also emphasised the importance of pre-heating your appliance before cooking. Putting them straight into a cold oven or air fryer is likely to result in soggy or unevenly cooked chips. Article continues below A useful guideline is to heat your appliance to around 200C before cooking the chips, to achieve that perfect golden texture. And when it comes to the debate between using an air fryer or a traditional oven to cook your chips, chefs have a clear favourite. New York City's famed chef, George Duran, has said that using an air fryer for your chips is akin to 'giving them a fast-track to crispy heaven'. This method is not only often faster than oven cooking, but it also removes the risk of injuries from handling hot cooking oil, making it a much safer alternative. Article continues below
