two utterly different meals, but both were lovely.

Last night bonacorsi and I went out for our tardy wedding anniversary dinner. We tried Luce, a new-ish restaurant in the SF Hotel Intercontinental. It was quite nice - even if the restaurant was mostly empty. I'm not sure how much was the economy and how much was night-before-Easter. It was nice that they read the reservation and started us with a glass of champagne to wish us a happy anniversary.

We had their tasting menu. Standouts were the venison tartare and the bone marrow with poached lobster. I could eat that all day. Well, no - but the combination of lobster and warm bone marrow was serious mouthgasm time.

Overall, a nice place for a business meal or to take family. They do a good brunch, apparently. I liked it but it isn't going on my "places to return to" list.

Today, we had a late-lunch interlude upstairs in the sun. Toast (house-made, of course), sliced mozzarella, gherkins, Lambrusco (bubbly Italian red wine), and Boccalone's latest crack product: n'duja. It's a soft spreadable salame with a chile hit that is utterly fabulous. It may well be their breakout product.

What I'm reading: Trudi Canavan, Magician's Apprentice

Once you've had black, you never go back.

This week's Resolution Recipe: Cocoa Syrup.
( I'm talking about black cocoa powder. What did you think I meant? )