Littlejohn's Candies--San Francisco (Candy Shop)

Established in 1924, this candy shop has the experience and know-how to make decadent candies for all ages. Located at 1422 Market Street, it's just a hop, skip and jump away from the Civic Center BART station. They also have another location in Los Angeles.

I don't have a huge sweet tooth, but I do appreciate well-made sweet treats that are not too sweet, have different textural components and are made with quality ingredients.

Here were some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://www.littlejohnscandies.com/


Salted Caramel Squares. They have amazing caramel. These were bite-sized bits of salty, chewy, sweet, tasty stickiness that just melts in your mouth.

Salted Caramel Marshmallow Delight. I'm not a big marshmallow fan, but these are dense, handmade marshmallows covered with their fantastic caramel.

Pistachio Toffee. Buttery toffee topped with pistachios and covered in dark chocolate. Works for me!

Chocolate Bacon Salted Caramel. How can they make their already great caramel even better? Add bacon and chocolate. Little pieces of salty, smokey goodness topped bite-sized caramel squares, which were then dipped in a little dark chocolate. Yum.

English Toffee. I can say this is probably the best English Toffee I've ever had. It wasn't too sweet, it was buttery without feeling too oily, it had the perfect crunchy crumble that doesn't immediately get stuck into all your teeth, and the roasted almonds gave it a nice nuttiness. So good.

I don't visit this San Francisco area too often, but when I do, this is one of the stops I make.

Picán--Oakland (Modern Southern cuisine)

Located at 2295 Broadway, near downtown Oakland, Picán describes themselves as "innovative" Southern food. I would have to agree, given some of the modern twists they've put on regional classics. They also have a very large selection of bourbons and more, which I was happily able to explore a bit. The setting is spacious while still maintaining an intimate vibe. I felt very comfortable seated at the bar.

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://picanrestaurant.com/

Picán Old Fashioned. Made with bacon-infused George Dickle No. 8 Tennessee whiskey, maple syrup, orange, cherries, and Jerry Thomas's Own aromatic bitters. The bacon was subtle, but it was still a good drink.

Breeders Cup. Made with The Botanist Gin, Fruitlab Hibiscus liqueur, lemon juice and Angostura bitters. A sweet and flavorful cocktail with just the right amount of tang. Well balanced.

Mint Julep. A perfectly chilled cocktail with Woodford Reserve Picán Barrel, simple syrup, fresh mint, Angostura bitters and Fee's mint bitters. Always a good drink.

Negroni. A good drink normally made with Campari and Carpano Antica, I asked for this to be made with The Botanist Gin rather than the normal well gin spirit. This became a very aromatic negroni that even the bartender liked.

Masterson's 10-year Straight Rye Whiskey. For optimal tasting, I asked for this 100% rye whiskey served neat. This whiskey has hints of caramel and cinnamon on the nose, tastes of rye and nutmeg on the tongue and a nice long finish with some sweetness on the exhale. A very nice whiskey.

Corn Bread. A sweet, moist and soft corn bread to start with. This was served with honey butter and also did an excellent job soaking up leftover sauces from the entrees.

Chicken Cracklin's. Pieces of chicken skin fried to a super satisfying crisp and topped with a sweet and savory apple jezebel, Andouille spiced cocoa nibs, pecans and micro greens. This might have been some of the best fried fat I've ever had.

Braised Niman Pork Shank. Slow cooked for hours, this was probably some of the most succulent, falling-off-the-bone meat I've had in a while. Gently nestled into a porridge-like corn pone made with bacon drippings, this was topped off with tomatillo chow chow and pork jus. Amazingly tender and flavorful.

NOLA Jambalaya Risotto. I was not able to taste this since I'm allergic to clams, but my dinning companion did tell me it was "good".

Top Shelf Butterscotch Pot de Creme. The butterscotch creme portion was absolutely divine; buttery and light. The praline cookie had a nice crunch contrasting the creaminess of the creme. The whiskey cream was thick and not too sweet. This was my kind of dessert.

It took me a while to visit Picán, but now that I know how good it is, I'll definitely be coming back.

Taiwan Bento--Oakland (Taiwanese cuisine)

For delicious and inexpensive Taiwanese food, we now have Taiwan Bento. Located at 412 22nd Street, they serve quick meals to go made with all natural, non-GMO ingredients. They do have a few tables to dine in, but the whole idea of a Taiwanese Bento place is basically to be a to-go joint.

As soon as I saw "tea egg" on the menu, I was interested. Below are some of the things I've enjoyed.

http://www.taiwanbento.us/


Pork Bun. With a moist dollop of ground pork on the inside, this bun is steamed and makes a tasty light snack.

"Fried Sauce Noodles". The literal translation of "Zhajiangmian", this is a wheat noodle dish with ground pork, bean curd, soy bean sauce, fresh carrots, bean sprouts and cucumber. The diner mixes everything up into a tasty meal. The vegetables were fresh and crisp, the noodles had the perfect chew, and the sauce was balanced with sweet and savory. Delicious.

Braised Pork Bento. Slow-cooked pieces of pork were served with some tangy pickled vegetables, a tea egg, edamame and rice. Tender and flavor-packed pork with a tea egg like my grandma used to make. So good.

Beef Noodle Soup. Thick udon noodles, tender braised beef, carrots, spinach and pickled vegetables soak in a rich beef broth. Warm and comforting on a cold rainy day or any day.

Taiwanese Sausage Bento. Chinese sausage is chewier and denser than American sausage due to the long drying/curing time. This removes most of the moisture, which makes for a really intense meaty taste. This was an excellent sausage and the accompaniments were delicious as well.

Gua Bao. This Taiwanese sandwich is made with steamed bread that is filled with succulent slow-braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, cilantro and ground peanuts. This was small but very satisfying. The pork and pickles paired well together and the steamed bun was the perfect vessel for getting all this goodness into my mouth.

Taiwan Bento is constantly changing and expanding their menu. I believe they are now open for dinner as well as lunch. I look forward to trying out their dinner offerings and I encourage you to try them also.