41274 Mon Nov 14 23:09:24 -0800 2005 21 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 198801 OK, I've finally decided: for reasons of taste - flavor, quality control, and their kindness to the animals, I'm going to start searching out the restaurants that feature Niman Ranch meat. I'm not trying to guilt-trip anyone, or even suggest that anybody do likewise, but I'd like to know what restaurants do you especially like that serve Niman Ranch meats? So far the only ones I know about are Burger Joint on Valencia & 19th. and Quinn's Lighthouse in Alameda. And It's only by dumb luck I stumbled on those. I just developed this decision today. Maybe tomorrow I'll call the Niman Ranch 800 number and see if they have a list or something like that... Mon Nov 14 23:09:24 -0800 2005 0 Niki Rothman 1 198803 Here's a random one: Tower Burger in the Tower Market plaza on top of Portola. Maybe also Joe's Cable Car on Mission? Mon Nov 14 23:18:02 -0800 2005 198801 0 Breego 1 198812 I applaud your effort but question the decision to eat Niman Ranch exclusively. While Niman Ranch has widespread exposure, there are many other ranches that use ethical standards and produce a quality product. The best thing to do is to ask questions when you go out to eat, find out what the kitchen philosophy is and where all of the ingredients are sourced. Fortunately, there are many places in the Bay Area that have these standards. Most Cal fusion restaurants use Niman Ranch meats at a minimum, as do most upscale places. Just off the top of my head, places I frequent that use "ethical/hormone free" meat include Gregoire, Cafe Rouge, Picante, Ajanta, Pizzaiolo and Aziza. Picante is the cheapest Niman Ranch eats I know of. For home cooking, check out Highland Hills at the SF Sat Ferry Building and Berkeley Tues, Thur and Sat Farmers' Market as well as Prather Ranch at the Ferry Building. Fatted Calf's charcut is also organic. Tue Nov 15 00:00:18 -0800 2005 198801 0 Morton the Mousse 2 198819 I think Cactus taqueria (by Rockridge BART) uses Niman Ranch, but their food is nothing special. And I might be wrong about the Niman Ranch... Tue Nov 15 00:29:56 -0800 2005 198812 0 J.A. 3 198870 I know the carne asada says it's Niman Ranch...I'm not sure about the other meat options. Tue Nov 15 10:28:36 -0800 2005 198819 0 WGibs 4 200871 There's a new mexican restaurant that has a sign that says it uses Niman Ranch meats. It's called Loco Tacqueria or something. Located in the middle of that Temescal Square triangle area across from Walgreens in North Oakland. andy Tue Nov 29 20:03:58 -0800 2005 198870 0 andy 1 198842 Burgermeister uses Niman Ranch or another natural meat. Taboun, a shwarma and falafel place in Cole Valley uses some Niman and natural meats but I'm not sure what menu items use the natural stuff. In my opinion (and it's only mine), I think the important thing is that animals are not fed other sick or dead animals. Convential beef, lamb, pork, and poultry are fed animal by-products. Supposedly the US is "trying" to do away with that practice to minimize mad cow outbreaks. For ground meat, it's important to talk to your meat seller to make sure the natural or organic product is not being ground with convential bits being mixed in. This has been known to happen, and of all things, we should be most careful about ground meat. This is b/c bone, blood, organ, and brain matter can make it's way into ground products and consumption of those kinds of tissues can dramatically increase ones risk for mad cow and the like if the meat is from an infected animal. I also prefer my meat to be free of hormones. Yeah, so I agree that one should explore as many natural and organic meat co.s as possible to determine which ones you like. For home cooking, Drewes butcher on Church in Noe Valley has natural meats, and Tower Market, Andronicos, Whole Foods, and Good Life Grocery in Bernal carry some stuff too. Tue Nov 15 02:18:21 -0800 2005 198801 0 Candice 2 198907 I rarely buy ground beef anymore. Getting the grinding attachment for my Kitchen Aid was a smart thing to do. Get some grass fed or Niman or whatever organic beef you use and grind it yourself. Good butchers will sell you fat to add....just make sure it's also from a reputable source. Tue Nov 15 13:39:39 -0800 2005 198842 0 oakjoan 3 198996 Well, you said a mouthful. You really like the grinder on the Kitchenaid? (Sorry - off topic, but just this once, OK?) Here, I'll get it back on topic: I bought Niman Ranch hamburger at Bi-Rite on 18th. st. & Guerrero. I froze it for about a week, and when defrosted the meat was slightly gamey. Still usable, but still...So I called Bi-Rite and asked which days they got the hamburger delivered and was told it was daily. So it wasn't like that burger meat had been sitting around before I bought it. So, aside from grinding my own, from the NR stew meat ($5.99#, the burger is $4.99#)- what am I going to do? HA. I bought one of those cast iron manual grinders and it somehow rusted solid on my kitchen shelf so I had to toss it out. I guess I have to go to the home cooking board now and ask what's the best meat grinder and why? Tue Nov 15 19:02:58 -0800 2005 198907 0 Niki Rothman 1 198854 Zax Tavern in Berkeley (see link) always has a Niman Ranch burger on their ever-changing menu. Only had it once but it was tasty. Their website menu also has a beef sirloin and pork chop from NR, so looks like they like to do business w/ those folks. Can't vouch for the quality of these dishes though... NR seems to be peppered on many Cal-American menus or some upscale "ethnic" these days (Aziza, The Slanted Door), so it's a matter of finding places that handle and cook their products well. Link: http://www.zaxtavern.com/zax.html Tue Nov 15 03:36:31 -0800 2005 198801 0 Carb Lover 1 198857 Niman Ranch just published a cookbook with many recipes from restaurants here in the bay area that serve their meat. Among them were, Woodward's Gardens, Chez Panisse, Zuni and Firefly. Tue Nov 15 03:42:14 -0800 2005 198801 0 bea 1 198874 el raigon uses locally grown, natural meats elraigon.com universal cafe does a lot of niman ranch stuff universalcafe.net blue plate has niman ranch meats on their menu basically every day blueplatesf.com monte cristo cafe uses many organic and natural meats montecristocafesf.com chipotle has niman ranch, if you want fast food boxed foods company uses almost 100% organic ingredients, including the meats. boxedfoodscompany.com tartine uses all niman ranch meats in their sammiches tartinebakery.com one market uses all locally raised, natural meats onemarket.com luella uses niman ranch meats luellasf.com magnolia pub in the haight has all free range, natural, meat with no hormones and antibiotics magnoliapub.com delfina has niman ranch meats delfinasf.com most places in san francisco are very good about using all-natural, local, and/or organic ingredients. some chefs don't necessarily advertise it on the menu. i'm very into organics and stuff. and although i'm vegetarian, i support the decision to eat "good" meat. i'm sure there are even more options than we realise. i'm sure contacting restaurants you plan to visit to inquire about their ingredient sources will render you many new possibilities than you could find on chowhound, in all its mighty knowledge. Tue Nov 15 10:41:20 -0800 2005 198801 0 violet 1 198880 Acme Chop House uses nothing but naturally raised meats without hormones and antibiotics, including grass-fed beef. And I see from their website that they are now regularly serving lunch! (used to just serve lunch before games). I agree that it is not necessary to stick to just one provider in order to get a product raised to the standards you are looking for. I've eaten at Acme twice and enjoyed it very much both times; sometimes nothing beats a martini and a good steak. Link: http://www.acmechophouse.com/ Tue Nov 15 11:23:13 -0800 2005 198801 0 susancinsf 1 198883 I don't think anyone's mentioned my favorite burger deal in SF: Harry's Bar. Last time I went it was $6 for a Niman Ranch blue cheese burger, cooked however rare you'd like. The burger comes with a mountain of crispy fries, too. The menu has other simple but delicious things like mac n' cheese with cornbread, fish n' chips, big organic salads, etc. I believe on Monday nights you can add a pint of beer to your meal for $1. And if you like tropical cocktails, don't miss the pineapple/lychee infused vodka. It's in a huge vat on the bartop. The hibiscus I wasn't such a fan of. Tue Nov 15 12:07:38 -0800 2005 198801 0 nooodles 2 198984 This sounds wonderful! Where is Harry's bar? Thanks. Tue Nov 15 18:25:39 -0800 2005 198883 0 Niki Rothman 3 199004 Pacific Heights, on Fillmore. Steel yourself, the place is a SCENE. Link: http://sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/profile/900555 Tue Nov 15 19:25:38 -0800 2005 198984 0 nja 4 199067 You know what? I have only gone during non-scene hours (2pm for lunch on Saturday, for example) and it's really nice. I always keep walking if I see it brimming with people, their pooches, their designer jeans, their cell phones, and their laptops. It's a really nice, comfortable, quiet place to eat when it's kind of empty. And the waitstaff is super friendly, too (which is not to say they might not be equally friendly during high traffic times). Wed Nov 16 01:37:56 -0800 2005 199004 0 nooodles 1 198933 seller's market in the financial district has some niman ranch sandwiches... Tue Nov 15 15:18:53 -0800 2005 198801 0 vespaloon 1 198968 chez panisse cafe - sometimes, marche aux fleurs - always, cafe rouge - always trader joe's has a selection Tue Nov 15 17:23:59 -0800 2005 198801 0 michael 1 198978 There's a list on Niman's Web site: Link: http://www.nimanranch.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/WFS/NimanRanch-NimanRanchStore-Site/en_US/-/USD/ViewApplication-DisplayStaticContent;pgid=xt3gW0.mIz4000cKbjz9.Uq80000n6d_qArd?Page=content%2fWhereBuyEatList#****CALIFORNIA%20SAN%20FRANCISCO**** Tue Nov 15 18:09:58 -0800 2005 198801 0 Robert Lauriston 2 198990 Wow, thanks Mr. SF Chowhound! Tue Nov 15 18:51:26 -0800 2005 198978 0 Niki Rothman 1 199032 Folks, please stick to discussing where to find these meats in the SF area. We've removed the off topic digressions and hope everyone can stay focused on finding chow, not debating ethics, morals and politics. Tue Nov 15 21:46:30 -0800 2005 198801 2 The Chowhound Team