The offering: Red Pepper Hot Sauce and Charred Jalapeno ($15 each)
The story: A shipping error led chef Steve Santana to develop their red pepper hot sauce. “We got a box of cherry peppers shipped to us at Taquiza by mistake. To me, they looked like Christmas ornaments,” he says. He charred the stems with a torch, blended them and came up with a recipe. Santana balances the flavors with sugar and vinegar so the flavor is not overpoweringly hot. “We adjust and taste until it has the nice balance of flavor we want,” he says.
How to use: “People who like it, literally use it on everything. It does not take away flavors from any dish, because it is not too hot or vinegary,” he says.” The consistency is a little thick and super smooth from the pepper texture so it can really go on anything.”
Where to buy:  At their location in North Beach, or buy online.