I have always looked forward to the annual Taste of South Beach fair that showcases local restaurants and businesses in the neighborhood. It started out being just for South Beach and has now expanded to include the Mission Bay area as well. When Pdho and I first went a couple of years ago, it was located in South Park, but it is now set up along Pier 38-40 which is just as close, if not closer to us. I think it is in a better location by being more open and offering higher foot-traffic. Unfortunately, the weather was not as nice this year. It was on the colder side and a little more gloomy, and then being so close to water made it very susceptible to wind.
We got the Lobster Roll and Lobster Focaccia from SB40, which is a little bar/restaurant located on Pier 40. The Lobster Roll was definitely the much better of the two probably because there was more lobster meat, most of it being claw meat, but it was very well-seasoned and not soaked in mayo. The focaccia bread was a little plain and there was so little lobster meat that it really didn’t do much for me.
I wouldn’t naturally think that Chaya Brasserie is considered part of South Beach even though it is located along the Embarcadero, but it is on the other side of the Bay Bridge. I actually like the food here, but it just tends to be on the pricey side. We ordered the Kobe Beef Roll which is essentially a shrimp tempura, crab and avocado roll topped with a thin slice of seared kobe beef and some spicy aioli. It was small, but it was very delicious. The Fig and Cheese Crostini was also pretty good, but I don’t think it was as interesting.
We ended our lunch with some Waffle Battered Chicken Tenders from Hotel Utah which is a bar/saloon that hosts live bands. I’m not sure if this place is really known for its food, but the chicken tenders turned out to be pretty good. The batter was slightly sweet and not too heavy and chicken wasn’t too dry. It came with a maple syrup dipping sauce. It had that nice sweet and savory contrast of flavors which tasted surprisingly solid.
I think the whole meal was just over $20, and although the weather was not really cooperating that day, it was still a nice way to get out and support the neighborhood.
Food, Fun, Frivolity 