Art’s Tapas + Sushi Lounge: Happy Hour Specials

Editor’s Note: Yikes! In the fickle world of San Francisco restaurants, Art’s has already closed its doors! Bummer.

Art's Tapas + SushiWho & Where:

Art’s Tapas + Sushi Lounge
2353 Lombard St. (at Pierce)
415-931-7900

What & When:

  • Serenely hip Asian-inspired decor with roomy surroundings provide the perfect backdrop for small plates and sushi
  • Happy hour happens everyday from 5:30pm – 7:00pm and then 9:00pm to closing. (Make sure you hang out in the bar or lounge area, not the seated dining room.)

Why:

  • Their daily happy hour serves $0.99 oysters on the half shell (in 1/2 dozen or dozen orders only…but who eats less than that?)
Posted in Other Food Stuff, Marina, Meals from $5-15 per main course | Leave a comment

Organic Fruits & Vegetables: Best & Worst

Organic Fruit and Vegetables - Dirty Dozen

Who: Arts & Crafts site, My Paper Crane

What: They’ve created a nice little wallet-size graphic of The Dirty Dozen cheat sheet. It’s a cute little visual reminder of what fruits & vegetables have the most and least pesticides.

Why: Grubgirl realizes the importance of buying foods with less harmful gunk on their skins. At the same time, organic food isn’t exactly super cheap. This cheat sheet helps remind you where you want to focus the spending of your grocery budget, since sometimes you don’t have to pay extra to get something organic.

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Breakfast of Champions: Scrambled Eggs and Crispy Tortillas

WHAT: A reader told me about her blog, Sushi Tastes on a Ramen Budget, which is right up the Grubgirl alley.
WHY: It provides some great food, cooking, eating, and grocery shopping tips and hints for the frugal college student. If you’re trying to learn how to cook on a college student’s budget, I think their Damon’s Surprise is a great example of making a meal out of leftovers.
You can also use any leftover tortilla chips from that last party, which can cut down on the tortilla frying time. Also consider sauteeing some chopped onions before pouring in the scrambled eggs, or adding in some chilaquiles and grated cheese as a little splurge on top of the masterpiece.

WHAT: A reader told me about her blog, Sushi Tastes on a Ramen Budget, which is right up the Grubgirl alley.

Posted in Recipes, Meals under $5 per main course | Leave a comment

Cobram Estate Olive Oil from Australia

Who: Cobram Estate, an Australian olive oil maker specializing in extra virgin olive oils.
What: They’re debuting their olive oils in local supermarkets (check your local Lucky, first). They have several, including ones with infused flavors, with tastes ranging from light to robust.
Why: These olive oils are getting introduced to the US at an affordable price point, for the flavor and fresh taste that they’re providing. I was surprised to learn that a medium-sized bottle would be sold at the $8-9.50 price point — I would’ve expected it to be much more! If you use olive oil as a healthier cooking alternative and homemade salad dressing ingredient, Cobram Estate olive oil provides a fresher, great tasting, strong value alternative to the other grocery store options I’ve been using. Break out of a rut and try some of these out!
Other olive oil facts I learned from their specialists:
– Age: The taste of an olive oil doesn’t necessarily get better with age.
– Color: A darker color doesn’t always mean a stronger taste.
If you really want to check out how they harvest their olives, the Aussies have been hip enough to post a YouTube video about themselves:

light-delicate-largeWho: Cobram Estate, an Australian olive oil maker specializing in extra virgin olive oils.

What: They’re debuting their olive oils in local supermarkets (check your local Lucky, first). They have several, including ones with infused flavors, with tastes ranging from light to robust.

Posted in Kitchen, Other Food Stuff, Groceries | 1 Comment