Foodhoe's Foraging

Ferry Building # 41, SF, CA 94111 | 415.391.7599 | website | @canerossosf

Surely you must know about this ridiculously addictive sandwich shop/food temple at the SF Ferry Building Marketplace.  It’s located at the end of the hallway just past the long lines at Blue Bottle Coffee.  Oh and did you know that you can get a cup of  Blue Bottle Coffee ($3.50) at Cane Rosso?  Well, now you know…  Brewed to order

Il Cane Rosso is a collaboration between Lauren Kiino (formerly of Delfina) and Daniel Patterson (of the very modern restaurant Coi).   I love that they always have big bouquets of colorful flowers to admire while you wait for your order.

Chef Douglas Borkowski (an alum of Delfina and Google) presides over the casual, quick-serve rotisserie and sandwich shop named after Kiino’s red-brown dog, a three-legged rescue mutt named Cody.  The source-centric menu revolves around whatever is on the rotisserie, which always is turning with something delicious: whole chickens, pork, and other meats.

It’s a walk up to place your order, self-serve kind of place, although they have lots of staff running around who are happy to assist when needed.

The first time I was speechless at how fresh everything was.  Check out the  Mariquita Farm Summer Squash, squash blossoms and Fiorelli wtih marinated farro basil and feta ($7.50).  This tasted like it had been picked from the vines just moments before…

but it was the Marin Sun Farms Roast Beef with Mariquita Farms Roasted Pepper salsa, dandelion greens that hooked me.  The meat was so luscious, it tasted like it had just come off the rotisserie.

Everything was top notch, the Acme bread was toothsome and the vibrantly fresh condiments perked up the texture and flavor, but it is the succulent meat that I’m still thinking about…

The view is pretty good too, which you can enjoy from inside or from the outside patio if you have a jacket (the patio area is in the shade so can be a bit chilly).

I went back to try the porchetta sandwich and elected to walk down a ways to sit on a bench in the sun and enjoy the view.  The roll was filled with a generous pile of porchetta, marinated peppers and crispy greens, along with a smear of garlicky aioli.  Again I was struck by how fresh off the grill tender the meat was

My last visit I enjoyed the Slow Scrambled Eggs with Crescenza cheese on crostini ($8).  It was gorgeous.  I loved the crunchy crostini toasts and the eggs were creamy and soft, topped with tiny bits of crisp chive.  It was gone in a minute though, and I wished I had ordered a potato side dish or something.  Good thing I had purchased a bag of the caramel corn for dessert.

The first time I got a bag of Bacon Caramel Granoturco $3.50, I was disappointed.  It is on the salty side and was harsh and bitter as if it had been burned.  It also reminded me of Cracker Jack, which I tolerated only because of the prize.  I much preferred screaming yellow zonkers which had a thicker super sweet and buttery glaze…  Anyways, this second batch was much better, I finished the bag this time.

There were pieces of salty, chewy bacon and whole almonds (which I love) and a bit of moisture which made the popcorn a little bit soggy.  Still not quite sure about it, I am not obsessing about it in the same way that I do about Lori’s Bacon Peanut Brittle…

They recently started serving 3-course dinners featuring their fabulous signature spit-roasted pastured meats, served from 5-8 pm. Cost: $25 ($12.50 for kids 10 and under).  Since I’m working out in the far reaches of CoCo County, this is no longer within my regular rotation, but I am very excited to hear that Patterson and Kiino are planning to open Bracina in Jack London Square in early 2010.