What influences the influencers of the food world?  Nosh has launched a new series called “Foodie Spotlight” to find out!  We are excited to announce that Scott Heimendinger is our inaugural spotlight for the series.  Scott explores new frontiers of the food world in his blog, Seattle Food Geek.  From french toast made with a centrifuge to fried chicken and waffles ice cream, Scott is constantly enlivening the dining world with his creations.  Explore his blog to find out how to use a Sous-Vide (and what it is!) and how to integrate modernist cooking techniques into your own kitchen.  

Nosh: What are your three favorite restaurants at the moment?

Spur Gastropub, Canlis, and any dive barbeque place I can find.  I’m a sucker for barbeque.

Nosh: What is your favorite restaurant to go to before going out? Favorite bar?

For bars, I really like Rob Roy and Tavern Law.  They’re both places that take cocktails seriously, and where there is a distinct and important connection between the bartender and the guest.  If you want a Jaeger Bomb, go somewhere else.  If you appreciate your bartender hand-carving a clear block of ice with a 10-inch chef’s knife for your craft cocktail accented with house-made bitters, these are good choices.

Nosh: What is your all-time favorite dessert?

Pecan pie.  Bourbon, specifically.  With whipped cream and a killer espresso.

Nosh: What is something that you love to do that is specific to the neighborhood you live in?

I live a few blocks from a dog- and jogger-friendly lake.  Though I haven’t jogged (soft “j”?) in years, my wife and I love to take our dog, Doppler, for a stoll around the water.

Nosh: Please tell us about a memorable dining experience you had while on vacation.

The food on our Honeymoon in Mexico wasn’t terrible, but the best part of our meals were the poorly translated menu descriptions.  One menu actually read, “The chef has prepared adequately combined flavors…”.  We thought that was pretty hilarious… and accurate.  Another memorable experience was our dinner at The Inn at Langley, a small B&B and restaurant on an island near Seattle.  I wrote up the story here. 

Nosh: What dish reminds you of your childhood?

Lamb Osso Bucco with polenta and wild mushrooms.  I had a pretty cushy childhood.

Nosh: Could you please share a few tips for throwing an unforgettable dinner party.

The most important thing about throwing a great dinner party is being in a great mood and spending time with your guests.  As food people, we put so much emphasis on making complicated, fantastic food.  The truth is, your guests will remember the fun time they had much more than they’ll remember the fried saffron garnish you put on the sous vide halibut cheeks.  Don’t be a stress case.  Relax.  Don’t apologize for your food.  Make jokes.  Be present.

The second most important part of throwing an unforgettable dinner party is alcohol.  I don’t have a stick up my ass regarding wine.  There’s a $4.00 bottle from Trader Joes called Nero D’Avola that I’ll drink all day long (those aren’t very productive days).  I’ve also had $100 reserve, single-vineyard vintages that were fantastic, but I feel like serving expensive wine at a dinner party forces everyone to get very serious and pretend like they appreciate the “forest floor, tannic notes” instead of laughing at my sophomoric jokes.  I typically serve prosecco with appetizers, wine or cocktails with dinner, and port or espresso after dinner.  In the summer, I set out a bucket of beer and make fruity blended drinks.  It gets everyone nice and jovial.

The third tip is nibbles.  Have food out before people arrive and let them snack until dinner is ready.  My go-to spread includes assorted cheeses or cheese curds, uncured olives, prosciutto and cornichons.  I love salty snacks, and none of these require a minute of prep.  Honestly, though, your guests will appreciate Ritz crackers and bean dip.  They’re hungry, and by letting them nibble, you can also get a head start on drinking. 

Nosh: What song would be on the soundtrack of your life at this moment?

Stop This Train by John Mayer.  Or, Booty Wurk by T-Pain. 

Nosh: What websites/blogs do you visit daily?

Ideas In Food, the Modernist Cuisine Blog, Eater Seattle, and (who am I kidding) Seattle Food Geek J. 

THE NOSH NINE

1. Sweet or savory? Carrot Cake

2. Blonde or brunette? “Whatever I can get” (remember that from facebook?!) Redhead.  Have you seen my wife?

3. Cat or dog? hermit crab

4. Ski or Apres-Ski?  tropical island

5. Start-up or Corporate? Freelance/I’m writing a book

6. Real Housewives or 60 Minutes? Sportscenter, Reading a book NOVA

7. Running or Yoga? Real Housewives : )

8. Paul McCartney or John Lennon? Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix, Thom Yorke

9. Wine or beer? Diet Coke, Kombucha

< >< ><—>

In celebration of being featured in the Android store and reaching over 1M people we are giving away two Android phones!  When our facebook page reaches 1000 likes, we will give away two phones at random to any of the 1000 who liked our page!

SF Taste will be taking the Food and Wine World by storm on November 17th with an evening of colorful hor d’oeuvres, tasty samples of entrees and what is sure to be a slew of decadent desserts. This delicious showcase of the SF culinary world will be complemented by enlivening wine tastings chosen by Jason Moore’s Modus Operandi.  Guests will enjoy food and wine pairings in the Julia Morgan Ballroom while taking in unmatched views of the city and listening to ambient music. Firewater Partners and Pinchit have partnered up to bring you this exciting quarterly event. 

Buy discounted tickets for the event here.  Be sure to download Nosh on your Android/iPhone in advance so you can start Noshing as soon as you take your first sip of champagne.  We will be giving out an Android phone for the BEST NOSH just like at SF Dish so we hope you are ready to share your favorites!

Let Nosh show you how smartphones can make your dining experiences more enjoyable.  Please spread the word so even friends who are busy that night can have a taste of the city! 

San Francisco’s acclaimed restaurant, Jardinière, provided the backdrop for a night of unforgettable food and wine on Thursday, November 3rd as five contestants from Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters, Season 3 presented a sumptuous array of culinary creations to benefit Share Our Strength’s national No Kid Hungry campaign.  Hosted by resident Executive Chef Traci des Jardins, Mary Sue Milliken (Border Grill), Naomi Pomeroy (Beast), Suvir Saran (Devi) and the eventual winner of the show, Floyd Cardoz (North End Grill) each took turns in the kitchen to create a once in a lifetime multi-course experience.

Benefitting Share Our Strength’s national No Kid Hungry campaign, the Jardinière Top Chef Dinner was just one example of the ways in which local and nationally acclaimed chefs are teaming up to help the No Kid Hungry campaign reach their goal of ending childhood hunger in North America by 2015.  Nearly 17 million children in North America are unsure of where their next meal will come from.  To combat this disheartening problem, Share Our Strength, a 26 year-old organization, works to make sure children are being placed in the right federal programs and invests in efforts that will help make ending childhood hunger a sustainable reality. Other programs include hunger messaging and educational courses to promote healthy and affordable eating. Eager to support such a worthwhile cause, auction paddles rose all over the beautiful two-tiered restaurant as more bottles of wine were uncorked to raise an impressive $70,000+ for the cause.

Please think of Share Our Strength when giving gifts this holiday season! What could be a better gift than contributing to the fight against hunger?

Nosh is now being featured in the Android Market! Welcome to our new users- we look forward to sharing our food adventures with you! We hope your next dining experience becomes easier and more fun with Nosh.  Please tell your friends to visit the Android store, download the app and join in the fun!

Thank you to our loyal users for continuing to post, rate and review dishes both at restaurants and at home.  Celebrate with us by checking out our Android version of our video, “Nosh: What’s Good Here.”

Did you know Bacon and Eggs could look this good? Not surprisingly this nosh was shared from the UK, where a Bacon and Egg sandwich is considered a classic.  And this creative twist takes the “classic” combo to a whole new level. Since launching Nosh internationally about a week ago, we have seen a number of interesting noshes around the world and wanted to share ten of the ones that caught our eye.  Check them out:    

• Fondue - True fondue from Switzerland
• Carpaccio De Lomito - “Muy Bueno!” from Venezuela
• Pave of Chocolate - A fine chocolate dessert from the UK
• Chef Pizza - A Thai take on pizza, with the stuff on the inside
• Bison Sliders - From Canada, real buffalo flavor…not just the sauce
• Oszike - Not sure what this is from Hungary, but looks good :)
• Chevapcici - A popular Balkan sausage at a place in Sweden
• Noix de Saint Jacques - From France, a better way to say scallops
• Hand Chopped Burger - Another good-looking burger from Canada

Today, Nosh has been released in international app stores allowing everyone in the world to take part in improving dining experiences for all! We integrated with Google Places for our international launch and have added the following new features in this release:

• Best/Worst Ever: When you rate a dish with either one or five stars, you can decide to make it your best or worst ever Nosh. This will be displayed on your profile for your friends to see and is a great way to track what you love and what to avoid.
• Revamped User Profiles: You can now view all your personal Nosh activity in one place. If you’ve commented on Noshes or given emoticon feedback via the web, this is all displayed on your profile, in addition to your Best/Worst Ever selections. 

We can’t wait to see Noshes from kitchens around the world! You’ll be able to check these out in the ‘latest’ friend feed filter.  Don’t forget to check out our website for easy Noshing (www.nosh.com), and embed the Nosh widget on your personal blog so all your friends and fans can view your Noshes! For more details on these classic features, see below: 

• Friend Feed Filters: You can filter the friend feed to see Noshes from restaurants nearby, from featured users, and the latest Noshes from all users.
• Home Nosh: New places can be classified “private.” Add your home as a place and show off your skills in the kitchen to your friends and followers.  Your address information will be hidden.
• Website: You can now search for restaurants and Nosh menu items from the website.
• Nosh Website Widget: Share your Noshes with all your fans by embedding the Nosh widget on your website. To install the widget on a blog, visit this page and customize the display options. You can change the width, background color, and number of Noshes to show. For more

Let’s see those international Noshes!

What’s the fanciest food you’ve had? Sometimes it’s fun to splurge a little and order something extra nice for a special occasion.  Like this Medaglioni Di Manzo from Karen…filet mignon wrapped with bacon, topped with a red wine sauce and served with grilled vegetables…pretty awesome.

Some foods are known for being delicacies like this Seared Foie Gras from Eugene, or this Escargot from Chu, who noshed this French specialty from France.  A dish that is seasonal or uncommon can also be kind of fancy, like this Seared Barracuda from William or these Alligator Bites from Frank.  It’s fun to see all the fancy food finds on Nosh, and thanks to all our top Nosh users this week for sharing these.

It is impossible to avoid a reference from “The Great Gatsby” when describing “Le Dîner a San Francisco,” the magical gathering of white, food, and fun, that took place in Golden Gate Park last Friday evening.  It was San Francisco’s debut into “le Dîner” tradition, that originated in Paris and has enlivened cities such as New York and Montreal.

Although the location was revealed an hour before the event, platters of exquisite food and elaborate white tables adorned with candles appeared seemingly out of thin air. The few of us at Nosh who were lucky enough to be at “Le Dîner” enjoyed the warm, clear night and the flights of fancy prepared on every table. Over 3,500 people attended the event and turned the music concourse (between the De Young museum and Academy of Sciences) into a sea of white. The air was electrified with chatter, laughter, the popping of corks, and music, like ”Rue Manouche.”  As the night passed and the cheese and prosciutto course was replaced by colorful entrees, the music shifted from acoustic to electronic and became the centerpiece of the celebration.  Crowds of guests dressed in Daisy Buchanan and Gatsby garb raised not only their glasses, but also their white cloth napkins in the air in the spirit of santé. 

By the time the clock struck 11:00, precious last bites had been taken and candles blown out in true flash mob style. 

At the core of Nosh is the belief that a love of food is a powerful way to bring people together.  ”Le Dîner” was a wonderful example of this and we look forward to the event next year!

Isn’t it interesting how food can vary from place to place?  Take this Shrimp Mosca from New Orleans, made with Fresh Louisiana shrimp, bathed in olive oil, rosemary, white wine and garlic, and left in its shell as a sign of freshness.  Yum! Thanks to Charles for sharing.

Some other local flavors from top Nosh users this week included this Spam Slam from Zachary in Hawaii, a Baja Beef sandwich from Richard in Southern California, and this Thomas Creek Vanilla Cream Ale in Georgia from Ankur.  And check out this Banana Bread Pudding from Richard in San Francisco, which has a style all its own.

Sometimes its those little extra touches that make the difference between something that is just good and something that is memorable.  Its like…happy hour drinks $15, Sushi dinner for two $40, a caterpillar roll that smiles back at you…priceless.  Thanks to Christopher for sharing this Caterpillar Roll and here is another creative sushi presentation for a Volcano Roll from Kathy.

From other top Nosh users this week, the little web made out of chocolate for this Charlotte’s Web dessert from Sarah was a cool extra touch.  And the Giant 5 pound burrito from Matthew V. and this Rooster Roast from Matthew H. stood out in their own ways.

Nosh sends a big thank you to everyone who made SF Dish such a fun and successful event! The more than 1,500 people who flocked to the Galleria got a little (or big) taste of the best food and wine SF has to offer! Vendors from over 35 top SF restaurants and wineries transformed the four levels of the Design Center into a four-tiered cake of culinary delights and the widespread use of Nosh means that even those who didn’t attend the event can get a piece of the cake.

We partnered with SF Weekly to run a contest at the event for the best Nosh judged by their staff and set up a booth to display the feed of Noshes at the event! Jamie Sosoff was the proud winner of an Android phone for this beautiful photo and description of the tomato salad from the Cliff House. It was wonderful to see so many people- from the vendors serving beautiful dishes to the attendees- embrace Nosh with open arms. By the final bass beat spun by DJ Eric Sharpe, stickers became wearable art in the form of sashes and adorned pineapples and countless foreheads of both the creators and the tasters.  If you didn’t make it to the event, you can still take a virtual stroll by checking out the slideshow below! 

Here are some of our staff’s favorite Noshes from the event: 

• Thai Ceviche w/ Avocado Mousse@Anchor & Hope, Katrina T.
• Pea Pancakes@Schmidts, Jeffrey C.
• Kamikaze Fries@Koja Kitchen, Sarah L.
• Pork Belly BLT@Good Foods Catering, John I.
• Chicken Skewer with Cilantro Lime Sauce@Sol Food, Leslie T.    

Yum…what restaurant was this at? 

Actually, this Chicken Cacciatore from Drew was made at home, though it looks as good as you’d find at any restaurant. So many great meals are had at home, and it’s easy to share those on Nosh.  Like this Grilled Tilapia with Vegetable Quinoa from Maria or these Stuffed Bell Peppers from Miss Amelia.  To nosh from home, just add your home as a private address (won’t show the address) and you can add home meals to that location.

A couple other interesting noshes from top Nosh users were this wall of Hot Sauces from Julius and this Veggie Plate from Praful.

We love to see all the great noshes out there and we are giving out restaurant gift certificates to top Nosh users each week. Last week we decided to also give these away to people noshing for the first time. Here is a list of some of them:

• Hudson Pancake Wrap in Hoboken, NJ
• Corona Roll in Indianapolis, IN
• Highland Oatmeal Porter in Oxford, AL
• Bison Carpaccio in Vancouver, BC
• Brandy Milk Punch in New Orleans, LA
• Shrimp Scampi in Royersford, PA
• Crispy Pork Belly in Pasadena, CA
• Banh Mi in Houston, TX
• Guava Pastelito in San Diego, CA
• Pork Chop in Jacksonville, FL

Just goes to show how easy it is to get started with Nosh. What are you waiting for? :)

Nosh friends in SF! Come join us this Sunday for SF Dish, SF Weekly’s 4th annual dining event, for a fun 3 hour tasting of the best SF has to offer. There will will be food and drinks from over 35 top restaurants and food trucks and live entertainment.

We have partnered with SF Weekly to give attendees prizes for noshes at SF Dish, and they will be judged by SF Weekly’s Staff. Come visit our booth and grab some fun Nosh schwag!

Oh, and if you don’t have a ticket already, we have 2 we are giving away.  Leave a comment on this post about what you want to check out most at the event.  We’ll select the winners randomly from the comments and announce them on Friday.