What's Cooking? Breakfast at Ad Hoc

Breakfast is now being served at Ad Hoc, Thomas Keller's casual eatery which earned three stars from Michael Bauer. Befitting its relaxed approach, you won't find anything too fancy, just the kind of comfort food you would share around the family table at home.

Every Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., they serve two courses for $24 with classic American breakfast items such as oatmeal, chef Keller's breakfast of choice, prepared with brown sugar, Marshall's farm honey, spiced apricots and raisins. Another core item is their "Sourdough Waffles" with maple syrup, apple compote, whipped cream, Fatted Calf breakfast sausage and slab bacon. And, there is the "Classic American" with two eggs any style, scallion potato cakes, Fatted Calf breakfast sausage and slab bacon.

Everyone starts off with a yummy assortment of pastries and muffins from chef Keller’s Bouchon Bakery, in addition to a seasonal yogurt parfait.

What's more, Chef de cuisine Dave Cruz will create weekly specials. Think Snake River Farms corned beef brisket with Yukon gold potatoes and poached hen eggs.

Finally, fresh squeezed juices, sangria, mimosas, and a variety of Champagnes and sparkling wines are on the morning beverage menu.

Early morning road trip, anyone?

Mom eats for free, all you can eat pizza and family style dinners for ten bucks

Luna Park has a great deal for Mother's Day brunch and dinner tomorrow. Just have your mom bring in a family photo, and she gets to eat free! That's right, an appetizer, entree and dessert are on the house. You just spring for drinks.

Enjoy all you can eat thin crust pizza at Good Pizza in Soma for just $10! They serve four kinds of pie nightly, Monday through Saturday, 6:00 p.m. until closing. Good for dine-in only, through May 31st.

Henry's, Berkeley's first gastropub, has Sunday Night Suppers for only $10! This family-style deal was originally designed to rescue UC Berkeley students from "dorm dining fatigue" but is now available to everyone!

Mother's Day Brunch recipes from Butterfly chef Rob Lam

On Mother's Day, Butterfly chef/owner Rob Lam is preparing a delectable prix fixe brunch menu at his innovative Cal-Asian waterfront restaurant. Imagine starting with an "amusement" of house smoked salmon and strawberry salad roll; then having a green papaya and mango salad with Vietnamese carmelized shrimp; moving on to a main course of smoked salmon scramble with white and green asparagus, tobiko caviar and Texas toast; and finishing with "mom's home baked cookies and créme brulée." Chef Lam has also created a vegetarian menu just for the occasion. Both are $45.

And, here's something special. Chef Lam is sharing two Mother's Day brunch recipes so that you can prepare his dishes at home! You'll definitely want to add these to your recipe collection.

Butterfly's Green Papaya and Mango Salad with Vietnamese Carmelized Shrimp (yields 4 servings)

Green Papaya and Mango Salad

1 green papaya, peeled and julienned

1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced into 12 pieces

2 cups micro cilantro

2 shallots, peeled, julienned, and fried

Method: Peel the green papaya, cut in half and deseed. Use a mandolin with a julienne attachment to make fine shreds that are not too thick but not so thin that you lose the texture. Try to attain something in the shape of angel hair pasta. Set aside and chill.

Peel and cut the mango into two halves. Slice some of the extra fruit off of the seed to make total use of it and set aside. Slice the two halves of mango into equal portions, about eight slices per half. Set aside and chill.

Nuoc Cham Dressing

2 limes, juiced

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup sugar

½ cup fish sauce

1t garlic, minced

1t ginger, minced

1T Sriracha or hot chili paste

Method: Mix all ingredients and taste. Add more sugar or chili paste to taste. Set aside and chill.

Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp

½ T olive oil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

20 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1T sugar

1T fish sauce

½ t black pepper

Method:

In a hot, seasoned pan add oil, garlic and shrimp. Sear one side and then add sugar, fish sauce and black pepper. Cook until the sugar is dissolved and shrimp is cooked through. Get ready to plate.

Plate Up:

Combine green papaya and mango scraps in a bowl and dress with Nuoc Cham. Check for seasoning. If necessary, add more dressing. On a rectangular plate, place four slices of mango across the plate at 1 inch intervals. Top the slices with a line of green papaya salad. Top that with 5 pieces of the caramelized shrimp. Top the shrimp with the micro cilantro and finish the plate with a drizzle of Sriracha sauce and some fried shallots.

Butterfly's Smoked Salmon and Strawberry Salad Rolls (yields 8 rolls)

1 pk. large rice paper

½ pk. rice noodles, blanched

1 pt. strawberries, sliced

¼ lb. smoked salmon, sliced

¼ bunch cilantro, cleaned and roughly chopped

¼ bunch mint, cleaned and roughly chopped

2 heads butter lettuce, cleaned and roughly chopped

Method: Use a bowl of warm water large enough to soak the rice paper in. Working one paper at a time, dip the rice paper into the water and let drain on a cutting board. Make sure you run your hand over the paper to get an even distribution of water. This should make the rice paper soften up like a really thin tortilla. Working like you are making a burrito, place one layer of smoked salmon down, top it with some sliced strawberries, top that with the herb and butter lettuce mix, and finish it all with a layer of rice noodles. Roll it up and let rest for fifteen minutes before slicing. Serve with a classic Vietnamese Nuoc Mam sauce, see recipe below.

Nuoc Mam Sauce

1 cup lime juice

1 cup fish sauce

1 cup sugar

3 garlic cloves, minced

½ T ginger, minced

2 T Sriracha

Method: Combine all ingredients and taste. Reduce the amount of Sriracha if it is too spicy. You should get a flavor balance of sweet, spicy, and sour with the aroma of garlic and ginger.

If you want to enjoy these dishes without doing all the work, there's still time to call and make your reservations.

For more info: Butterfly, Pier 33. Also check out Rob Lam's latest project, Eastside West.

A special gift for your foodie mom on Mother's Day

What could be more perfect than treating your mom to a Spring Bonnet Cake from chef Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery? Surprise her at Mother's Day brunch with this individual sized dessert ($9) that comes in two yummy flavors: Lemon cake with fresh blueberry compote and almond streusel; and Vanilla Angel cake with fruits of the forest and almond streusel. It's the ideal gift because it's adorable, edible and affordable.

In addition, Bouchon Bakery has Cinnamon Twist Bread, house made briochette infused with cinnamon and streusel ($12.50). Mmmm, I can practically smell it from here. It's delicious simply on its own but can also be used to create a tasty twist on classic French toast for a lovely Mother's Day brunch at home.

For more info: Bouchon Bakery, Yountville. Open daily 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 707.944.2253. Visit other well-known Thomas Keller eateries.

Craving tofu at Doobu

One of the nice things about having a toddler who likes to take late afternoon naps is that my husband and I get to enjoy liesurely meals, and by liesurely I mean two to three hours, while she snoozes in her stroller. Earlier this week, we headed over to our favorite Korean restaurant, Doobu, nestled in the heart of Japantown.

When you walk in, you notice the clean, simple decor with wooden booths on one side and tables on the other side just before the bar. A literal layer of warmth emanates throughout the place, an indication of the piping hot dishes being prepared in the kitchen. Servers are courteous and acknowledge familiar faces like ours. They bring out a myriad of side dishes including a whole fried yellow croaker for each of us, pickled cucumber, kimchi, fishcake, seaweed salad and vermicelli salad.

We order the kimchi tofu soup, with beef and medium heat. The cast iron pot is filled to the brim with silky soft tofu, bits of beef and kimchi, and the pretty red chili flecks characteristic of kimchi. We quickly stir in the raw egg while it's hot. It's so good over rice which soaks up the flavorful broth. The rice, by the way, is a light purple color as a result of combining both white rice and black rice together. We've had the corned beef soon tofu before but the kimchi version is tastier.

We also share the seafood bibimbap loaded with mussels, clams, squid, baby shrimp, assorted vegetables like mushrooms and onions, and an egg yolk all piled on top of white rice which has a delicious crispy layer coating the bottom of the sizzling pot. The only thing that doesn't seem to mesh with the other ingredients is the imitation crab. Nevertheless, it is very satisfying.

Doobu is the perfect warm-you-up-from-the-inside-out place for a cold, foggy San Francisco day or night. They give you such heaping portions that it's best to go when you are really hungry, and even then, you will leave stuffed and possibly with leftovers. One of these days, maybe my daughter will be awake and actually have a chance to enjoy their food. My son is a big fan of kalbi so we will have to bring him, too.

They are open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For more info: Doobu, 1723 Buchanan Street (between Post and Sutter). 415.292.6002.

Monday morsels: Cinco de Mayo, SF Cocktails Week, hotdogs, Mother's Day and more

Pacific Catch, one of my family's favorite spots for fish and grilled artichokes, is keeping busy this month. In the Corte Madera location, live island music performed by Ka'ala returns every first and third Saturday of the month on the patio, from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For Cinco de Mayo, you can find specials for $5.55. At 9th Avenue and Corte Madera, get a taco with a Pacifico or Corona, an agave margarita, or Baja shrimp ceviche; at Chestnut Street, get a taco with a Pacifico or Baja shrimp ceviche.

In preparation of Strawberry Week which celebrates this seasonal favorite fruit, Pacific Catch will present their strawberry mojito and strawberry halibut ceviche at 9th Avenue and Corte Madera on Mother's Day. They will have strawberry mimosas on Chestnut Street. If you can't make it this Sunday, don't worry. Stop by 9th Avenue from May 14th through May 24th, and taste executive chef Chandon Clenard's strawberry halibut ceviche, strawberry mojito and Thai pancake which are featured in the Strawberry Week Commemorative Cookbook. Pay for your meal with your Visa Signature Card and receive a complimentary copy, while supplies last. Go here for a list of other restaurants participating in Strawberry Week.

That's not all. During the entire month of May, receive a free baja shrimp ceviche when you order an entree valued at $12.95 or more. All you have to do is subscribe to their e-newsletter, print out the May issue and present it to your server.

Finally, when you order dessert at any location this month, Pacific Catch will donate $1 to the World of Children organization.

The third annual SF Cocktail Week kicks off on May 11th and runs through the 18th. You can purchase tickets to a myriad of fun events including a kickoff gala at Le Colonial's upstairs lounge; the U.S. Bartenders' Guild National Competition at Harry Denton's Starlight Room; Ferry Plaza Farmers Market inspired cocktails in the CUESA kitchen; cocktails, spirits and bartending classes from the Bay Area's top mixologists; drinks and snacks at Epic Roasthouse; a North Beach historical cocktail and bar crawl hosted by Tablehopper's Marcia Gagliardi; a stop at one of my personal favorites, The Alembic, on Haight; and a closing party at Jardinière.

Hotdogs sure are the rave these days, and today, Let's Be Frank opens on Steiner near Chestnut Street, not too far, interestingly, from What's Up Dog on Filbert Street. Just look for the mustard yellow and ketchup-y red exterior. UrbanDaddy mentions that the interior has finer features including wood and steel accents designed by Cass Calder Smith who also did La Mar's swanky digs.

Urban Tavern at the Hilton in Union Square is introducing their First Annual Mother's Day Brunch Buffet on May 10th. Special items will include mincemeat stuffed Niman Ranch pork loin, sautéed California halibut, wild mushroom quiche and sourdough French toast with warm strawberry-rhubarb jam. They will also have a three-course prix fixe dinner menu for $29.95 with an optional wine pairing for $19.50 more. Complimentary five-hour parking with brunch or dinner. They are also launching their kids' program for 4 to 12 year-olds. They have a new menu that includes an entree, starch, veggie and dessert for $10, plus they loan out portable DVD players so your children can watch shows like Scooby Doo and Felix the Cat while they eat. In addition, they are running monthly art contests for your aspiring Rockwells and Warhols. Winners will receive a pair of tickets to the Academy of Sciences and their artwork will be showcased in the restaurant's window for a month. At the end of the year, one lucky child will win two tickets to Universal Studios and a weekend stay at a Hilton property.

Have a lovely week, people!

Kingfish serves Creole-inspired food in a cool setting

Executive chef Tony Flier is running the kitchen again at Kingfish and last week, the San Mateo eatery launched his new, all-day menu. It is more focused and has fewer items than before but the way the menu is laid out, it seems like there's tons more. During my single days, I used to head over there after work with friends for happy hour. But after I left my job in Silicon Valley, I just stopped going there, for no particular reason other than there were so many other fun places closer to home in San Francisco. Yesterday, my girlfriend, her three-year-old son and I met there for lunch and it was nice to see that the space, decorated throughout with colorful, whimsical art, still has its Southern charm and lively vibe.

My girlfriend is a healthy eater, she's studying to become a registered dietician and used to be my personal trainer. So I exerted some self-control and opted to go on the lighter side - I figured I'd save the gumbo and blackened catfish with cheesy grits for when I'm alone and feeling skinny. We both ordered from the "warm and field good salads" section of the menu. She got the King Louie Salad ($16.50) with poached shrimp, Dungeness crab, boiled egg, cucumbers, radishes, capers, red onions, and watercress in classic louie dressing. She substituted other greens for the iceberg and asked for dressing on the side. I had Tony's Grilled Calamari Salad "Goombah Style" ($12.95) with cannellini beans, oven ripened tomatoes, frisse, mache and watercress in a lemon vinaigrette.

My friend enjoyed her dish which looked good; light and fresh. Unfortunately, I didn't care for mine. The calamari was soft, almost mushy. And there wasn't very much of it, which in this case, was a good thing. The rest of the salad was mediocre because the ingredients didn't seem to mesh well together. I also had the grilled artichoke ($8) which came with two types of Creole remoulade. The artichoke was steamed to perfection but lacked smokiness from the grill. One dressing was like a sweet relish that was too chunky to spread onto the artichoke leaves, it kept falling off. The other looked like classic tartar sauce but was milder. It may not be fair to compare, but I have to say that Pacific Catch on 9th Avenue is still the one to beat for great grilled artichoke, especially because it comes with that yummy basil aioli. But that's another story.

Our server brought my friend's son a mini sketch board to keep him occupied as he waited for his order of corn bread ($6). They do have a kids' menu, but my friend decided to share her shrimp salad with her youngster. When the corn bread arrived in its cute cast iron pot, our little eater dug right in with gusto. But halfway through, he scrunched up his face and exclaimed that it was too spicy. When my friend took a taste, she realized that it did pack some heat. Oops, it would have been nice if our server had mentioned that when we placed our order. Nevertheless, our server was super nice, conscientious overall, and quick on her feet. She immediately brought a small cupful of maraschino cherries which cooled down the young tyke's tastebuds and brought a smile to his face.

Some prices seem a bit high - a couple of the fish dishes that caught my eye range between $21 and $27, a tad too steep for lunch. But, they do have a slew of lower priced items such as po' boys between $12.50 and $19.50, bowls of beer crab bisque and clam chowder for $9.50, steamed mussels and clams for $14, and sushi rolls for $9.50 to $11.50. They also have a bunch of affordable appetizers like potato skins with a tasso ham-jalapeño fondue ($8.50), filet mignon potstickers ($8.50), salt and pepper calamari ($9), three lil' boys hamburgers ($10) and crawfish dumplings in coconut curry sauce ($9.50).

Based upon today's samplings, I have to say I was a little disappointed but I will most likely be back. The thing is, I want to like the place because it's a pretty cool spot and holds special memories of good times spent with friends. Besides, what's not to like about a restaurant whose motto is "Eat like a King, Drink like a Fish" and boasts an artsy setting with cozy booth seating, an oyster bar with a TV, three cocktail bars with sports TVs, occasional live music, a private Estate Room perfect for smaller dinners, a pretty King's Room and spacious Mezzanine upstairs? Since they are only a week into their new menu, I'll cut them some slack and revisit them down the road.

Kingfish will have a Mother's Day brunch buffet from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., $35.95 adults, $12.95 children; and buffet dinner 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., $39.95 adults, $12.95 children.