Yikes! The holidays are a busy time, particularly when you work retail like I do. Thus my chance to sit down and do the food blog run slim and I don't get to post as often as I would normally like. Thus, right before Christmas rolls in, I'm rolling out this expanded food news edition along with a mini-review to tide things over until the madness subsides and I can get my act and schedule regular again. So, last time I went by Starbucks and got Xmas cookies so why not give Peet's equal opportunity for tempting me with some holiday fare. As I wandered into this particular Peet's I did see some Christmas cookies but they were the standard sugar cookie with colored crystal sprinkles on them, not iced frosting, and I just wasn't feeling them. Then what to my wandering eye should appear but this lovely gingerbread loaf with cream cheese icing and candied ginger pieces. With my taste buds alight I plopped down my $2.35 and asked for the piece that looked like the biggest. With greedy delight I grabbed my slice and settled in for a bite of my treat.
It's a hefty, hearty piece that falls well within my value range for the money. One bite in and you taste the moistness of this filling bread. There is a lovely snap of ginger through out, though I could stand just a tad more to really kick it up. The cream cheese is tasty, not too sweet smear across the top and for me any addition of cream cheese frosting is most definitely a plus. Sadly, loafs are not like cake so the frosting is just across the top and adds a nice touch, but in my fantasy it is smeared like butter across a piece of toast. I think I'd have to make my own for that, oh well. I liked the addition of candied ginger on top even though weirdly I'm not the biggest fan of it. Yeah, I know, I like gingerbread and things with ginger in it but something about eating straight up ginger can be harsh and bitter even when candied. Still it wasn't over the top and just a few bits. For the most part this is a good piece of gingerbread loaf that will fill the void when you get that craving for a holiday treat. It also helps that there are a number of Peet's around the Bay Area, not as many as Starbucks, but still enough you could find one to pop into and pick up a slice. It's a soft, moist piece of spiced cake with enough cream cheese frosting to make it interesting. It is a holiday seasonal thing for them so if you are interested you'll need to get by before it is gone and then it will be back to citrus loaf and banana bread. All well and good, but they are no gingerbread! Happy Holidays all!
- Chez Papa in Potrero Hill is closing after 12 years. We've still got Mama.
- Le Bauer won't review these three restaurants, and he's gonna tell you why!! Hmmm...still sounds like mini-review/bad review to me.
- Nombe in the Mission is closing by years end.
- Here's your guide to Progress, from those State Bird People, cause you're never gonna get in here either.
- Hey, the Castro got another coffee shop.
- Hey, the Castro got another Mexican restaurant.
- Burma Superstar opening a Mission outpost of their way too popular Richmond restaurant.
- Even taqueria's have secret menus these days. Have they jumped the shark yet?
- You can win dinner at French Laundry since you can't get through on the reservations line. All you need is a lotto ticket, a selfie and a 500 word essay? Ugh, which is harder.
- Christmas is coming! Here's some places that will be open for eating.
- Here's were you can get your tamales for Christmas Eve snacking.
- SFist thinks these are the best restaurants of the year to open. I still don't get the 4505 love--they are 0 for 4 (visits) for me.
- Jersey style pizza is coming to SOMA thanks to the Rosenthal brothers.
- It's a chic beer bar--in Union Square--do these things go together?
- Cookies on demand. Like Now! Now! Now!
- A 2,000 square foot coffee shop? What have we come to? That's like 4 studio apartments.
- Looks Like NIMBY's and neighborhood associations are a pain for foodies in Oakland too.
- Hey, the Castro got a new candy shop. At least it wasn't Mexican food or coffee.
- Wise Son's Deli is now getting their dinner on.
- Dugeness crab can be pricey, so here's how you can DIY it!
