Food news and what not....the doldrums of January

bostock $5

There is a new French bakery in SoMa now called Les Gourmands and it really is French owned and operated. The owner is also using the space to  give apprenticeships to low-income folks and teach them how to be bakers while getting paid and not having the expense of culinary school. Seems like a win win all around. I also decided to give them a few months to get their legs under them and shake out the kinks before giving them a try. You know I love a good bakery and really wanted to see what they had to offer. Thus I will slowly post about individual things I have from there in food news. It gives me a reason to stop by often and try as many baked goods as I can because I'm dedicated! (And gluttonous!)

First up is their bostock, a classic item that is somewhat akin to French toast just with more nuts and no eggs using day old brioche. I'm a fan of a good bostock and this one is good, though the bread was a little pressed down and not as sturdy as one version I really liked from Neighbor Bakehouse. Otherwise, you still get the sweetly moistened bread with copious amounts of slivered almonds and powdered sugar and this one is tasty enough to enjoy with a strong cup of espresso or tea. Size wise it is regular slice of bread and the $5 price is a bit more than you might find other places. I'm gonna chalk that up to their location (high rent) and working hard to afford to be an apprentice school for future bakers. Still, I do wish it was more like $4. Either way, it was a tasty afternoon pick me up that while sweet, isn't overly so and shouldn't cause much of a sugar rush or crash. I'm still interested enough to return and see what else they have to offer. Till then, food news rolls on. 

• Looks like kinky coffee is off the menu as Wicked Grounds announces closure in SOMA. But wait! Seems they may not! So confused!
• Another business is jumping on the no gluten bandwagon, which is great, but only if you actually suffer coeliac according to experts. 
• SF Restaurant Week is coming! Make your reservations now! Or, do like I do and wait to see the write ups for which meal deals are the better value, then make your reservations. 
• Frjtz on Valencia calls it quits. No more frees for you on drunken Valencia Street bar crawls. 
• In-N-Out added (or brought back) a new menu item and it doesn't seem to be exactly what people (on twitter) wanted either. Go figure. 
• Four Barrel Coffee has addressed the harassment and is taking new ownership and name. You can read their public statement here. 
• Though after the allegations, not all are ready to forgive and forget, especially when there are so many other local coffee makers in town they could support. 
• Another food hall market bites the dust. Why can there be food truck parks that make it but not food halls in this town?
• Now you can make your Alton Brown dreams come true right here in SF. 
• Black Bark, whose bbq I mostly liked, has closed up its current space and looking for a new one in a more walked area on Fillmore St where they can make it work. Interesting considering State Bird and its spin off a few doors away seem to do pretty well. 
• There's a new restaurant now open on Treasure Island made from shipping containers. You know the views are spectacular at least. 
• Winners of the Good Food Awards will be displaying their wares January 21st if you wanna go and fill up. 
• There is a new Caribbean spot open on Market St to spice away the winter doldrums. 
• Lobsters must now be stunned before boiling in Switzerland. Surprised this hasn't already been done in CA, though how long before it does. 
• Finally--turmeric--it's a thing, supposedly healthy and Peete's is on the trend with turmeric lattes.