Aunt Mary's Cafe, Teance, Chocolatier Blue, Nick's Crispy Tacos - East Bay and SF

[limster]

• Aunt Mary's Cafe, Temescal, Oakland
Nice light crust in the buttermilk pie, gently sweet and tangy, lovely dense consistency to the baked buttermilk, simple and soulful. Gravy and biscuit in the Southern Bubble and Squeak hit the spot for me, a mildly creamy and pleasantly savoury gravy with a honest soft in the centre biscuit. Well made scrambled eggs, potatoes and greens. An above average chai latte, quite cinnamony with a thin but good foam.

• Teance, Berkeley
A serene spaces with the soft colours of nature. A fairly comprehensive tea selection, although I think the range of Chinese teas is perhaps less extensive than Red Blossom's (e.g. they didn't seem to have any raw pu-erhs, unlike RB; since these are teas for aging, it's not likely to be a seasonal issue).

A good Taiwanese high mountain light roast oolong from Shan Lin Shi has all the desirable characteristics of this high mountain oolong. Vibrant, fresh green rolled leaves, lightly buttery and elegantly floral in the nose, a demure acidity, and a nutty vegetal finish. Ordering by the pot allows one to make more than 2 infusions, and this tea was enjoyable up to the 4th, peaking in the second.

We were mildly disappointed by the pomelo flower single grove phoenix oolong. The complex floral aroma at the beginning (especially when the leaves were warmed in the brewing bowl) was outstanding but ephemeral, and although the roasty woodsy oolong flavour of the tea was pleasant and even, the aroma and flavours were otherwise light, with perhaps a hint of tropical fruits in the finish.

Friendly, knowledgeable staff.

If time is not an issue, I would recommend going with pots of tea (which have unlimited infusions, allowing one to move on the to next tea only when the flavour thins out) rather than flights, because flights appear to be limited to 2 infusions. Since some teas peak only after several infusions (e.g. old pu-erhs, and their pu-erh selection looks pretty good), 2 infusions would be insufficient to enjoy certain teas at their best.

• Chocolatier Blue, Berkeley
Gorgeous surfaces on the chocolates, glossy and smooth, likely a sign of good temper. The chocolates are dominated by the fillings, and the chocolate shell disappears quickly (too thin?), without as much as a desirable crackle or a snap for textural contrast. Excellent flavours in the fillings. Pine nut, pistacchio and hazelnut each have they warm toasty flavour that intensifies into their individual woodsy nuttiness. Tangy passionfruit contrasts with the sticky rich caramel with layered sweetness from each. Smores have a remarkable lasting smoky flavour. Chilli glowers gently behind the chocolate. Key lime brings a sharp bracing lime flavour that balances the chocolate exquisitely.

• Nick's Crispy Tacos, Russian Hill, SF
Crisp, moderately sharp slaw, luxuriant guac, crispy batter over a big hunk of moderately meaty mahi mahi.

P.S. Thanks to all the hounds who offered tips on where to eat on my recent trip.