"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Sun, 16 May 2010 15:51:39 GMT, "l, not -l" > wrote:
>
>>No, that's not what I mean. You may be right that I overstated the time
>>period a bit. Upon reflection I would ammend that statement to 20-25
>>years;
>>most likely around 1986, since that is when I began travelling to San
>>Francisco regularly. The first time I recall EVOO for dipping was at an
>>up-scale Italian restaurant in San Francisco, mid-to-late 80s. It was on,
>>or just off, Columbus Ave.; was somewhat dark and had cured hams hanging
>>throughout the restaurant. The EVOO was brought to the table with the
>>bread
>>basket and bread plates; the server poured a bit of EVOO in the bread
>>plate
>>then used a pepper grinder over it. The bread was foccacia, though other
>>places, other times the bread for dipping has been crusty Italian.
>
> You're probably talking about the North Beach restaurant, which has
> been remodeled since then. They cure their own hams and hang them
> downstairs in one room. One restaurant is not a trend.
>
>
> --
> I love cooking with wine.
> Sometimes I even put it in the food.

It was also offered in non-chain restaurants here 20 years ago as an
accompaniment to bread. Not sure I'd label it a "trend", but definitely not
an anomaly.

Jinx