The fabulous life of Kelly and Jose

2 new restaurants worth trying

2010-03-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

Tried out Credo a few weeks ago. Great new Italian restaurant in the financial district for a business dinner, night out with the guys or ladies or for a quick drink after work (the bar looked busy). They also have a private room downstairs that looks like it can seat about 25 or host 40 for cocktails.

I also went to Marlowe last week which has replaced an old favorite, South. Everything we had was excellent including the crispy brussels sprout chips (Must Try, trust me), burger, lamb mixed grill, seared black cod, smoky cauliflower gratin and meyer lemon dessert. We will be going back. It is loud, but the nice thing about it being loud is you can't hear your neighbor's conversation and they can't hear yours!

SF Favorites 2009 in Review

2009-12-21T08:52:00.000-08:00

Some of these are new places, some are institutions, but for one reason or another have become favorites for us in 2009:

Bi-Rite Creamery: Just try it. I always thought the Grand Old Creamery in St. Paul, MN was the best ice cream, but this is hands down some of the best in the world. They also sell pies and cakes and I dare you to have just one scoop (impossible!). We love apple pie, salted caramel and the chocolate sundae with salt and olive oil.

Mission Pie: We tried this place around Thanksgiving time when we had our house on the market, were invited to attend a party and there was no way that we (aka Kelly) had time to bake...why bake a pie when you have Mission Pie within a mile of your house!? If you must bak you can buy the crust at Mission pie and DIY, but really with pie this good why bother!? Favorites include apple, pear cranberry and any of their pastries.

Tartine Bakery : Kelly finally tried this place at 8am on a Tuesday while the house was being painted. Finally only a line inside the door instead of around the block. Everything was divine including the quiche, cookies and bread pudding. This is a must visit even if only for takeout pastries but sincere warning there is ALWAYS A LINE and for good reason.

Flour + Water: Although incredibly difficult to get into, worth the wait and even going during seniors hour when they open at 5:30 pm. Homemade pastas, wonderful meat dishes, well thought our and prepared sauces and the desserts are off the charts. For the quality, we thought the prices were reasonable. This has to be one of the best newcomers for 2009 in SF.

K9 Playtime: Smokey loves going here for doggie daycare and with the convenience of it being around the block from Jose's office, you really can't beat that. Smokey goes to the small dog room and loves to chase the ball (really play keep away), wrestle and get snuggles from the aunties and uncles who make sure all is going well.

Two Rock Dog Ranch: We had tried several other boarding facilities and were always a bit uneasy that our super spoiled scottie mix wasn't getting enough exercise while we were away (he usually gets 3 walks a day). We toured several sites outside the city and were delighted to find Two Rock. They provide 10 hours of cage free play in a beautiful setting outside of Petaluma. But what really delights us (Kelly really) is that Smokey is excited to go here and can't wait to go and play with all of his friends. We really have piece of mind leaving him here and we can't say that for all the other boarding facilities we have used.

Pawtrero: This is in our neighborhood so it is convenient and we can walk to this dog store within 5 minutes (& Smokey knows the way and will gladly take anyone here who is willing to go). But what we love about it most is that everyone in there knows us, loves our dog and is super helpful and knowledgeable. We use their self-serve bathing facilities weekly (Smokey has a skin allergy and requires a weekly bath) and it saves us hours of cleaning our own bath tub and well worth every penny. They have a great selection of food, treats, leashes, collars & of course toys...including Squeaky balls!

Clementine Art Supplies: Full disclosure, my friend Katherine works here, however the products are great and that is why they made the list. They are all natural, non-toxic and smell great. Love, love, love their stuff and gifting it.

...more to come...

Olive Bread

2009-07-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

I love the farmer's market in San Francisco and am sad when I can't make the Saturday Alemany market. This morning, I purchased 2 bags full of finds but my favorite is this olive bread which I am not sharing ( my hubby doesn't like olives, yeah for me!)...it is sooooo good. I hope it makes it through the end of the day. You will see I sampled before this picture was taken and there is only 1 loop left as I had to have some more after this picture was taken.

Buy a recycled Leather Handbag made in Potrero Hill

2009-07-21T09:58:00.001-07:00

Just came across this article in 7X 7 about a company based in our neighborhood, Potrero Hill, in SF. They make handbags from recycled leather products including all those old leather jackets from the 80's & 90's. Their bags look awesome as we all know that leather really gets better with time. reMade USA

Happy 1 Year Anniversary Smokey

2009-07-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

On July 5 we reached a milestone...we adopted Smokey or rather he allowed us to be a part of his life 1 year ago. It has been quite the year but honestly we don't know how we ever lived without him. He gives us never ending love, lots of tail wags, laughs and is ever so inquisitive about life. On our recent vacation, Smokey embraced and relished each car ride, hotel stay, chair lift ride, walk and swim with enthusiasm and a 'let's do it' attitude. We could all take lessons from Smokey. Happy Anniversary Smokey and yes, you can sleep in our bed anytime.

I also wanted to put a message out to all those people considering buying or adopting a dog in light of the recent over crowding in animal shelters. I calculated our "necessary" expenses over the past year which includes vet visits, food, training and immunizations...we have spent about $2,500 which DOES NOT include the extras we like to provide to our #1 poochie which includes weekly squeaky balls, chewies, baths at Pawtrero (weekly), pretty leashes, treats, etc. So to all of you who are considering adopting a pet and making them a member of your family, they are expensive so adopt wisely and if you can't afford it wait until you can.

Beretta

2009-06-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

Last night I(Kelly) ate at Beretta with the girls which is in the same spot that Supper Club used to be in. We were seated downstairs which holds about 40 people if having a group event. Beretta does not take reservations so I arrived at 7:00 and it took about 15 minutes to get a table so not too bad. When we first arrived there was only 1 other table downstairs so we could hear each other speak which was a stark contrast to the main level which was packed by 7pm and very loud. Once downstairs filled up it was also very loud and they had music blaring in the background adding even more noise, so not the best place for a conversation. The food was good and very typical SF bistro food featuring pizza, risotto and a main meat dish. It was good not great. You can find similar food at many SF restaurants. While I liked the hip atmosphere, the noise kind of killed the experience and not sure I would go back. It does have a nice bar for grabbing food and people watching and I think if in the neighborhood or you are looking for late night food(open until 1am) it is a good choice, but I wouldn't drive across town just to eat at Beretta.

Portable Espresso-Hot gift idea

2009-05-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

I guess I have gift giving on my mind...I saw this on Daily Candy this morning and thought that this might be the coolest thing ever (or at least this week).

Portable Espresso Maker. It is only available for pre-order so will await the reviews once it is available but I bet this will be a hot gift item throughout 2009. It is available through the MyPressi website

Birthday Gift Idea for Jose

2009-04-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Jose-stop reading.

Jose is the most difficult person on the planet to buy a gift for as he has everything (except a shiny new house!). We fell in love with Favia wines at the Outstanding in the Field dinner last June at McEvoy Olive Oil Ranch and they just released their 2006 vintage for sale and it struck me as a good gift suggestion for Mr. Jose. We met the winemakers who are lovely people trying to produce great wines and grow grapes in an eco-fashion...I know Jose (and family) would love a gift of any of the red wines www.faviawines.com

Kashi coupon Alert

2009-04-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

Good coupons available on the Kashi website today including $1.50 off 2 boxes of cereal. Jose loves Kashi cereal so this is worth printing and taking to the store.

Kudos to Whole Foods-Great Customer Service

2009-04-11T09:41:00.001-07:00

I was shopping yesterday and saw a special for Goat Cheese Mozzarella, buy 1 get one free at Whole Foods for $7.99. So I picked up two along with my other groceries ( I went for milk, $60 later left the store). When I got home I actually looked at my receipt and noticed I had been over charged for the cheese so I called the store and they said to come in and they would give me the difference(a whole $1.99, times are tough that is a Vente drip coffee at Starbucks) with apologies. So today I went back and they actually gave me an entire refund for the whole amount which means free cheese! More importantly I left with a good feeling and will always go back to Whole Foods as they walk the walk...trying to change the world with good wholesome food and better yet excellent customer service. They are a good example for all retailers to follow. Yeah Whole Foods Potrero Hill!

2009-04-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Smokey gets his Easter Gifts

2009-04-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Smokey is no longer a pound puppy. He knows if a box or bag comes into this house, there is something in there for him. My parents sent him an Easter basket filled with all kinds of squeaky toys and treats and here is his reaction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6Co2oA2sZQ

Crown Wine Cellars Hong Kong

2009-02-28T20:56:00.000-08:00

On a business trip, I (Jose) was invited to visit a private wine club, Crown Wine Cellars, located in Shouson Hill, a suburb on Hong Kong Island. Crown Wine Cellars has six underground cellars and a private members clubhouse comprised of two underground bunkers as well as a newly constructed conservatory.

The original structures were constructed almost 70 years ago by the British Military to serve as an ammunition and weapons storage depot in preparation for World War II. The site was originally known as the Central Ordnance (Munitions) Depot, and included 24 underground Bunkers, of which only 8 remain.

We had a lovely dinner, and the highlight of the evening was the Meerlust Rubicon from South Africa. It is a Bordeaux blend, Cabernet Sauvignon dominated, with Merlot and Cabernet Franc filling in the balance. The wine is a surprising value as well.

Shanghai Dumpling King

2009-02-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

This place has been rated one of the "closest to real chinese dumplings" places in San Francisco so we thought we would give it a try one Monday evening. 5 of us sat at a big table with a rotating wheel and as we were all starving having saved lots of room for nibbling we ordered a full wheel of food. Everything was excellent. The Shanghai dumplings, spicy pork dumplings and of course the green onion pancake which was more like a naan meets foccacia with green onions-we ordered 2 rounds of that. And the best...after 2 fool wheels of food for 5 of us...the price. $15/pp. Highly recommended. Nothing fancy, but great food. They don't have a website so here is the address in the Outer Richmond: 3319 Balboa Street (btw 34th Ave & 35th Ave) 415-387-2088

Senspa - Massage Paradise in the Presidio??

2009-02-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Our friends Judy and Paul bought us a gift certificate as a belated wedding present for massages at Senspa, the newish spa in the Presidio(thanks J & P). We both enjoyed a lovely day at the spa, and this turned out to be a real treat. Overall the place is very nice. Upon arrival you can lounge in their first lounge area and enjoy tea and chocolate covered almonds. Before your massage you can enjoy their steam room and put on a lovely robe (note the men's steam room was broken the day we were there, upsetting). Then you are off to a quiet room with a fireplace to relax pre-massage. Both of our massages were spectacular. The quality of the massage rooms was very high, with lovely music and a warmed massage table. They also have inspirational messages on Senspa cards (see above) paced all over the spa, one of which Kelly took for her "Vision Book." The only critique of the place is the locker rooms as they felt like a locker room at at 24 hr fitness. They need to zen them up a bit. Having said that we do plan to visit again as the massages may be some of the best in San Francisco.

Kelly's birthday at Coi

2009-02-22T12:26:00.000-08:00

For Kelly's big birthday we wet to Coi, a two star Michelin restaurant in San Francisco oddly located on Broadway next to a strip club. We had read many things and heard reviews from our friends. Stuffy, expensive, etc. So we wanted to hate it, but we loved it.

Chief Daniel Patterson serves a nightly 11-course fixed price tasting menu ($120), with some choices, and each dish is crafted like a fine piece of jewelry. The food was innovative, creative and delicious; service was excellent; and the wine selection was nice (although it was a Tuesday so we went with a safe bet of Peay).

Every dish was as innovative and scrumptious as the last and the menu changes daily as Chef Daniel Patterson seeks out local ingredients and then transforms them into delectable gifts for the mouth. Our favorites included an amuse bouche that was a light grapefruit juice served in a skin which burst in your mouth; the “Abstraction of Garden in Winter”

which contained seasonal root vegetables with cocoa (excellent who knew cocoa went so well with vegetables) greens and herbs; “Earth and Sea” which was a soup with steamed tofu mousseline, yuba, fresh seaweed and mushroom dashi; and of course the “Chocolate Mesquite Cake”

which looked like a mini chocolate brownie but the subtle flavor of the mesquite paired with smoked pepitas praline and kabocha squash sherbet set it on a new level of sophistication for chocolate cake. YUM!

Sunday Morning Pancakes

2009-01-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

Not sure why but this morning I was at the dog park with the wind blowing, sun shining and I had a craving for pancakes. Now I am not a huge breakfast eater, due most likely to my overexposure to breakfast serving it for 10 years as a waitress at Mike's Cafe and The St. Clair Broiler, but every once in awhile I get a strong craving. Usually I head to our local cafe, Just For You, but didn't feel like paying $10+ for pancakes, coffee and sausage this morning so thought I would take a stab at making pancakes from scratch at home.

I pulled a basic recipe off of the internet and then changed it a bit and the results were great. This was really easy and not sure I would ever use a box mix again. I had all the ingredients in the house and topped with a little organic maple syrup, it was really a delight. I bet my husband wishes he was home for breakfast this morning!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour (all purpose)

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt (I used black sea salt for a little extra kick)

1 tablespoon sugar

1 egg

3 tablespoons melted butter

Optional: blueberries

Melt the butter, measure the milk and take the egg out of the refrigerator. Let all come to room temperature. You can also warm the milk for 10-20 seconds in the microwave if you don't have time to bring to room temperature.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture and add the butter, milk and egg. Mix with a whisk (but don't over mix).

Heat a griddle or non-stick pan, grease with butter (makes the pancakes brown) and drop 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake on the pan. Brown both sides. If adding blueberries, I add to the upside of the pancake once in the pan (the side that is still batter). They will then "melt" once that side hits the pan...always use fresh blueberries if available, they just taste better. If you have extra batter, you can store in the refrigerator and use the next day.

The new United Business Class Sleeper Seat

2009-01-23T01:46:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to get an upgrade to business class to Frankfurt and, as a result, tested out the new flat bed business sleeper. First, it is about time United caught up with the other airlines. On a long haul flight a sleeper seat makes all the difference.

The good

Flat seat
Huge TV screen with on demand movies, music, TV, games, etc.
Plugs galore: Standard power, USB power, iPod plug (you can run the ipod through the media system)

The Bad

No storage at all. There is really no where to even put a book in the seat itself. So forget it if you have a computer, etc. You need to actually get up and put it away
The seat is a bit narrow. Worked great for me, but the average American probably feels a bit snug in the seat.

The best seat in business class 747 is upstairs (quieter, better service) and next to the window. The window seat has access to the cubbies for storage. All other seats, including downstairs, have no easily accessible storage.

Oaxaca

2009-01-19T15:48:00.001-08:00

As we did not have a big vacation this Christmas / New Years as we had in past years we decided to get away to Oaxaca for a long weekend. Oaxaca is both the name of a state in southern Mexico and the capital city. The city of Oaxaca (formally: Oaxaca de Juarez, in honor of 19th-century president and national hero Benito Juarez, who was born nearby) is located in the Valley of Oaxaca the Sierra Madre del Sur Mountains, near the center of the state, and at an altitude of about about 5000 ft.

There had been Zapotec and Mixtec settlements in the general area of the modern city of Oaxaca for thousands of years, in connection with the important ancient centers of Monte Alban and Mitla. The area was conquered by theAztecs in 1486 who named it Huaxyácac, which means "above the place of gourdes". The colonial city, however, dates from 1522, when Spanish settlers who had followed Hernan Cortes' conquistadores successfully petitioned the Queen of Spain for a grant of land.

So why Oaxaca? We were looking for a culturally interesting locations that had great food. The city has maintained its colonial feeling. There are many churches, cobble stoned streets, and nice central plazas. It is a place to relax and enjoy the real Mexico

We stayed at the Camino Real Oaxaca aka the ex Convento de Santa Catalina de La Siena. This 16th c. building which has housed a hotel since 1976, was once a convent. The building also served as a prison and even as Municipal Palace. It is really a beautiful place. The breakfast is really excellent as well.

Walking around the old part of the city is very relaxing. The clear starting point is the Zocalo, the main square. We stopped at the Zocalo several times to have drinks and a meal. From the Zocalo we walked around to the neighboring markets. The markets are very interesting. There are food and goods markets. The food markets have huge selections of chilis, meats, and chapulines - grass hoppers. Yes, Grasshoppers. We did not eat any in the markets, but kelly did have some in her food. We also bought some baskets that were being made by hand in the market.

In Oaxaca were were able to sample food from many places. The highlight was Casa Oaxaca which is both a hotel and a restaurant (actually the hotel has a restaurant, and they have another restaurant in town). We ate at their restaurant and really enjoyed the food and the ambiance. Had it been a warmer, more lively evening, we would have enjoyed the terrace with a view of Santo Domingo, one of the old churches in town.

There a many great things to see in Oaxaca including the Santo Domingo Church, the Cathedral and the Museo Regional de Oaxaca (state-owned regional museum). The museum is housed in the neighboring convent to Iglesia de Santa Domingo. It was the best cultural thing in Oaxaca.

Jose made a side trip up to Monte Alban. Monte Alban is a large pre-columbian archaelogical site. Besides being one of the earliest cities of Mesoamerica, Monte Albán's importance stems also from its role as the pre-eminent Zapotec socio-political and economic center for close to a thousand years. Founded toward the end of the Middle Formative period at around 500 BC, by the Terminal Formative (ca.100 BC). It is really an awe inspiring site and vast and large.

Upon leaving Oaxaca we spent a night in Mexico City. We had dinner with Jose's old friends Dan and Sirena. We had dinner at a great French restaurant. We had a great Mexican wine from the winery of Adobe Guadalupe. We highly recommend their wines, albeit it is hard to get them in the US. We think the wines are great, but the price point may be too high to be successful in the US, mostly because it is a Mexican wine and competing with great wines from California, Chile, etc.

Thoughts on Dec Retail Numbers

2009-01-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

I (Kelly) have been working in the retail industry for 12+ years now and saw a few of the holiday (December) numbers post this morning(all comp stores):

Costco -4%
Target -4.1%
American Eagle Outfitters -17%
Saks -19.8%
Neiman Marcus Group Inc. -27.5%
JCPenney - 8.1%
Gap -14%
Abercrombie & Fitch -24%
Macy's -4%
Limited Brands -10%
Pacific Sunwear -10%
Wet Seal -12.5%
Chico's -12.4%
Sears Holdings -7.3%

A few bright spots, which in today's economy means flat or no decrease.

Wal-Mart +1.7% (excludes the impact of declining gas pump prices)
Aeropostale +12%
The Children's Place Retail Stores 0%
Ross Stores 0%
Hot Topic +4.3%

While there are a few bright spots, it is clear that everyone at all economic levels has stopped spending or perhaps Americans are finally realizing that they need to live within their means. Whatever the reason, the retail industry will need to forge ahead with yet another dramatic change in the way they do business. I am curious to see who on this list survives 2009.

Cafe Mums - Home of Shabu Shabu

2008-12-28T08:44:00.000-08:00

We took Kelly's parents to Cafe Mums to sample a little shabu shabu. Shabu Shabu is basically meat fondue. Cafe Mums have several options for enjoying shabu shabu. You can get a single serving of meat and veggies, have all you can eat meat and veggies or you can opt for the all you can eat and drink (beer). This was lunch, so we just took the single serving.

Shabu shabu is a fun, but messy adventure. It is exceptionally hard to get the noodles out of the boiling broth, but worth it when you do. Cafe Mums is more about the fun of cooking your own, than super high quality food.

Academy of Sciences

2008-12-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

The Academy of Sciences has recently reopened in Golden Gate Park after many years of being in SOMA due to earthquake damage. The academy is a 400,000 square foot structure that houses an aquarium, a planetarium a natural history museum and a 4-story rain forest all under one roof, and the roof is alive!

We attended the day after Christmas and decided to go early to get a jump on the crowds. Unfortunately, about 20,000 other people had the same idea. We arrived and there was already a line way down the street. There are two premier exhibits, the planetarium and the rain forest. Unfortunately we were not able to see either due to massive crowds. We got in line to get tickets for the planetarium at 9:45, and the show we would have been able to see was the 2:30pm show. A bit silly. The Academy should allow you to reserve your time in advance.

The aquarium is truly spectacular. Fish and crocks from all over the world. There is an albino alligator. In the Africa hall there is a group of penguins swimming. You get a view above and below water.

We really look forward to taking our nieces Bridget and Alisa to the museum.

Christmas Eve Dinner

2008-12-28T08:09:00.000-08:00

This is the first year that we have stayed in San Francisco for Christmas and the holidays in general. Kelly's parents joined us for a few days and arrived in time for Christmas Eve dinner. Todd and Lydia also were able to join us for the evening.

For the evening, Kelly cooked up quite a feast. We had smoked salmon, dungeness crab, and a great pie from Mission Pie. We have posted a copy of our menu here (Click on it if it is too small for you to read).

We also served some spectacular wines. The 2006 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg Cuvée. Was truly outstanding. The great Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc Château Gigognan that was on the menu but did not make it out until Christmas dinner as we added another bottle of red wine as well as a bottle of Veuve Clicquot to our Christmas Eve dinner.

It was a great evening of great food, booze, family, and friends.

Happy Holidays from Smokey

2008-12-22T11:04:00.000-08:00

Smokey posed with such great self control through this series of photos. When I brought out the giant Christmas Ornaments he looked as if he had just struck gold:)

Canton Dim Sum & Seafood Restaurant

2008-12-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

We attended our somewhat-annual dim sum with some of our good friends at the Cantom Dim Sum & Seafood Restaurant. Jose has been to this place several times as it is down the street from his old office. This is a real traditional Dim Sum place on Folsom street near 3rd street. The atmosphere is rustic, and that is the charm, back street Hong Kong restaurant. The only down side is that they do not seem to have heat. It was cold today in San Francisco, and perhaps colder in the restaurant.

The food comes fast and furious via little carts with all sorts of treats. Pork buns, sticky rice, steamed shrimp dumplings, honey walnut shrimp, etc. The food is good and hot. There were 13 of us and we ordered tons. The best part is that it was only $20 per person! No one could believe it.

This is also our white elephant party so everyone brought simple gag gifts. Kelly made two gifts that included items that we have been wanting to get rid of such as logo t-shirts, hats, etc from prior companies. There were some really funny gifts included in the mix. Jose walked away with a Shrek Chia Head. Very cool. He will be growing it in his office. Stay tuned for pictures.

Tataki Sushi - great sushi/ no guilt

2008-12-21T13:06:00.000-08:00

Last night we tried a new sushi recommendation recommended to us by our friend Chris Apicella. It is Tataki Sushi Bar on Divisidero near California. Tataki bills itself as "San Francisco's sustainable sushi restaurant". All of its fish is source from sustainable methods, meaning that any overfished traditional sushi fare is not on the menu.

Sustainability means that many of your favorites are missing such as unagi, octopus, hamachi and of course bluefin toro. Tataki requires verification that the fish they are buying is harvested in a sustainable manner. They follow guidelines set by several fish conservatories such as the Monterrey Bay aquarium.

So what is on the menu? Fabulous items such as artic char, amberjack, and Alaskan snow crab. We had nigiri of each of these and the quality of fish was outstanding. Each fish melted in our mouth. We also had a great appetizer; Baked Sanma with sea salt. Their rolls are fabulous as well. We had the extinguisher, which is spicy amberjack topped withavocado, habanero masago, and hot sauce and it arrives with a fire on the plate, fun!

Here are the seafood guides that you can refer to should you wish to watch what you eat:

blueocean.org

edf.org/home.cfm

montereybayaquarium.org

Smokey is just the cutest

2008-12-19T10:44:00.000-08:00

As many of you know we L-O-V-E our dog and Kelly often captures him at his best. Here is a new pic of our beloved boy. "Smokey sleeping with his head under the couch"

Fifth Floor

2008-12-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

Last night we joined our friends Amanda and Mike for a great dinner at the Fifth Floor. The restaurant is located on the fifth floor (of course) at the Palomar restaurant in downtown San Francisco. Chef Laurent Manrique has recently joined the restaurant to try to bring it back to its former prominence.

The interior is nice, elegant, and simple. A common look in fine dining experiences as compared to a Kuleto restaurant like Epic Roasthouse which, we believe, over designs their locations with a focus on a less sophisticated diner who is coming into the big city for their one night of year of luxury. However, the only downside is that it is very loud, most likely as a result of having hardwood floors. The noise definitely does not match what looks to be a much more intimate setting.

We were there for a special fixed menu, "A Gascon Hunter's Feast" brought to us by Zagat and the Chef as this is his home region. We started with an amuse bouche consisting of a cracker made with duck fat, some deviled chicken and a really nice fruity mold wine of sorts (Kelly to provide better explanations). The menu consisted of aligot (potato soup with truffled brie, celery and black truffle salad), an Octopus confit Salad and cheuvreuil (venison loin, fennel and venison croustillant roasted with salsify, juniper berry and citrus jus). For desert we had apple icecream with an apple tart. All was fantastic. Mike chose a great wine. Laurent Tardieu, Vacqueyras, Vielle Vignes 2004. Lovely.

Epic Roasthouse

2008-12-14T07:40:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night was Jose's company dinner. This year it was held at Epic Roasthouse, one of Pat Kuleto's two fancy new restaurants right on the embarcadero with perfect views of the bay bridge. Epic Roasthouse serves New Orleans-inspired steakhouse fare prepared by celebrity chef Jan Birnbaum. We were very pleased that Epic Roasthouse had been selected for this year's party as we had wanted to try the restaurant, but had heard it was over priced.

This will not be a perfect review as we were dining as a large group and did not have access to the full menu nor wine list. First Epic Roasthouse is well, if not over designed. The restaurant is supposed to have the feel of a pump station, with specially crafted pipes and a huge wheel that dominates the center of the main dining room. Overall it is nice, but I would not call it classy. It feels like something you would see in an expensive chain restaurant.

Our group was seated out on the patio under a clear tent that allowed us to take in the view. There were heaters everywhere so it was pleasant. We had three options for dinner and the choice of two red and two white wines. The wines were all quite good, specifically the L’Ecole, Columbia Valley, No. 41 2005. This was a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon. We had the steak and salmon for dinner. The fillet mignon was very well prepared. The quality of the meat was very high. The salmon was grilled, served on a bed of pan fried gnocchi. Both meals were great. The deserts where pumpkin creme brulee and a chocolate tort with chocolate ice cream. Overall both were very good.

Both of us were pleased that we had gone and enjoyed the experience. However, neither of us are dying to return any time soon if we are footing the bill. It would however make and excellent business dinner spot especially if you have out of town guests. For us locals, we will probably stick with our neighborhood Chez Papa if we want a celebratory meal.

Nettie's Crab Shack

2008-12-08T09:03:00.000-08:00

We went out for our good friend Jen Vandermarck's birthday at Nettie's Crab Shack . Nettie's is a new restaurant on Union Street which is an East Coast-style seafood restaurant. They have a very good wine list with many great white wines that go well with Crab. The owner was great in helping us select good wines. Sunday nights are Crab Feed. We started with family style salads which were great and then had individual buckets which included a whole crab, potatoes, and artichokes. On the side we had great corn bread. Great fun for a Sunday night.

Fish and Farm

2008-12-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

We ate at Fish and Farm on Sat. evening. The restaurant is located in the Mark Twain Hotel is on Taylor between Ellis and O'Farrell streets This is definitely the Tenderloin, but it does draw a higher end, foodie crowd. Their claim to fame is that they use as many food ingredients as possible within a 100 mile radius of its front door.

It doesn't hurt that Fish & Farm's Californian cuisine is very good and the wine list is innovative-although we brought 2 bottles of our own California wine(a 2003 Lewis Cellars Cab and a Pinot) as the corkage is only $5 for the first 2 CA bottles. The chef is 27-year old Jake DesVoignes. Amazing food for a young chef. Jose had roasted cheese pumpkin soup followed by the spare ribs and risotto special. Kelly had an endive and persimmon salad followed by the citrus braised lamb shank. We also had an order of the salt brined french fries for the table-awesome.

Overall the food was excellent and the service was good. However we did note that we were served neither bread nor the amuse bouche that all other tables received (but we were quite fill and had no room for it anyway).

Jose on a Podcast

2008-11-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

Jose recently spoke at a conference and I thought I would shamelessly promote his podcast.

For those who don't know, Jose runs Business Development at Jaspersoft and the company is making great strides in the business intelligence space by delivering an opensource solution...now I am sure our parents will read this and still say, "I still don't know what you do" but perhaps this podcast will help.

San Francisco Green Fair

2008-11-16T18:49:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we went to the green fair in San Francisco. Is an expo that shows off all things green oriented. Everything is there from hemp clothing to green investment firms to green foods to solar power. We saw cool bags for work or groceries made from a variety of recycled products including bike tubes, tires, and water bottles. The design of these bags, like many of the items at the fair, was sometimes great, sometimes not. Many green food and drink manufacturers where there as well providing samples. We were able to sample some great acai and pomagranite based drinks.

Green is getting more mainstream, but it is still not there. This event has many mainstream type organizations selling their wares or pushing their services, but the overall vibe is still a hippy sit-in. There are plenty of anti-capitalists, of course selling their products as well, which is, um... capitalism. You also had your anti-war groups, your vegan groups, and many other special interest groups. Clearly the politics of the show was very leftest. Some very far to the left. In order for green products to succeed in both market penetration and positive effect on the environment, they need to appeal to broader market than just the liberal intellectual. The good thing is that I saw many products that will, and I am seeing many of these products getting into mainstream distribution channels such as grocery stores, etc. Go green.

New Orleans/ Lower 9th

2008-11-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

I was in New Orleans this week for a conference and decided to check out how post Katrina repairs were going. Downtown looks pretty similar to how it looked when I was there pre-Katrina. On the way to the airport, we asked our taxi driver to take us through the lower 9th. On the drive towards the lower 9th you quickly started to see where reconstruction has not occurred. I saw houses, businesses, schools and other buildings that were still boarded up, or in many cases, not even boarded up yet abandoned. Many houses, both inhabited and uninhabited, still have the spray paint on the front doors showing how the search and rescue teams had gone through each house. Unfortunately we did not know the codes as to be able to tell if they found bodies, etc in the buildings.

Arriving in the lower 9th was interesting. Much has been cleared out, but I am not sure if the houses that are completely gone were demolished or if they just were no longer there. We did see some reconstruction, and I believe several were the houses that Brad Pitt help build There were still plenty of empty and abandoned houses.

We also checked out the levee system, looking at the remnants of the old levee and looking at the new levee. The new levee looks much stronger. However, what really amazed me was to see how the lower 9th seemed to be below the river level. The levee is visually "up the hill" from the lower 9th. Now I am not sure if the lower 9th is truly below the river level at this time and if the levee is just built up higher on a hill for added safety. If that is the case, I do wonder if it makes sense to rebuild there at all as clearly it will flood again some day, and from its appearance, pretty easily.

Thoughts on Obama

2008-11-05T07:32:00.000-08:00

Now that Barack has won I wanted to reflect on this week. Flying out to New Orleans on Monday (and Tuesday due to a missed connection) I was amazed at the amount of public support that I was seeing for Obama. In San Francisco, Denver and New Orleans I saw many people proudly displaying Obama t-shirts, buttons, hats, etc. The other stark reality was that I saw nobody promoting McCain. Not one. This was a clear illustration of the difference between the two campaigns. One was a choice for the party, and one was a choice

Obama represents many things for many people, and that is his greatness. He is not just a black president, albeit that is how the news media is positioning him today. Many constituencies look at him and see something in him that they are striving for in their lives. I see a successful, articulate, and refined thinker. Well educated, interested, and self made. I see someone who is not an ideologue, but someone who has defined ideals but is not afraid to adjust his direction based upon information and fact. It is a welcome change from Bush Cheney who seem upset with facts if they do not support their ideas.

My only caution to Barack is to not believe he has some overwhelming mandate. Barack's acceptance speech was fantastic and refreshing with his recognition that he is every one's president and that he needs McCain's supporters to jump on board. What a difference from Bush Cheney who believed that they only answered to the far right. Around 47% voted for McCain, which is a very large number of people. Overly aligning with the far left is as much of a mistake as aligning with the far right. Barack's speech was also amazing in its lack of self gratitude and ego. The Clinton's should take note and learn from him.

Overall, last night was a huge victory for Barack. Unfortunately he has been left with massive problems. Bush has harmed the economy, harmed the working man, harmed our military, harmed other countries, tarnished our global reputation, and left us with a massive debt. It will not be easy to overcome.

Finally, sad news. Bigotry still seems to be alive and well. Many states passed anti-gay marriage legislation. California's prop 8 may pass. Arkansas banned gay adoption, which is amazingly bigoted and cruel thinking about the number of kids that need to be adopted. There is no other word for it than bigotry. There is still work to be done....

The Great Wall & the Forbidden City

2008-10-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

During my recent business trip to China I was able to get out and see some of the sights around Beijing. I had only one real day of site seeing so I picked the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Tienanmen Square came along with the Forbidden City as well. The Great Wall was pretty much as advertised; great. I took a private guide day tour since I did not want to get stuck on the tourist route. My guide, Joe, was great. A young guy who had studied tourism and spoke great English.

There are several options for visiting the Great Wall around Beijing. I chose Mutianyu as it is apparently less touristy and more impressive. The Badaling section is apparently swarming with tourist. I will say there were plenty of local tourist the day I was there as it was a Sunday. This section is located in Huairou County 70km northeast of Beijing. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, Mutianyu section of Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs.

First built in the mid-6th century during the Northern Qi, Mutianyu Great Wall is older than the Badaling section of the Great Wall. In the Ming dynasty, under the supervision of General Xu Da, construction of the present wall began on the foundation of the wall of Northern Qi. In 1404, a pass was built in the wall. In 1569, the Mutianyu Great Wall was rebuilt and till today most parts of it are well preserved. The Mutianyu Great Wall has the largest construction scale and best quality among all sections of Great Wall.

I chose the private guide as I wanted a really raw view of the great wall. I did not want to take the tram nor did I want to stop at any shops. Upon arriving the guide convinced me to take the tram up since it was already paid for as part of the package. He really wanted me to take a picture of one of the tram cars where Bill Clinton had ridden. Anyway, the tram provided a nice view, and truth be told there was plenty of climbing to be done on the way. In fact I think I wore out the guide by trying to walk as much of the wall as possible. We were up there for about 2.5 hours. Then, wanting to be very authentic and also to pay tribute to those who worked so hard to build the wall, I took the sled down the from the top of the wall. This was actually very fun. You can really get moving on the sled, and I was asked to slow down.

After the Wall my guide took me to the factory to see how great Chinese art was made... right. I had told him that I did not want to go, but he let me know that the place provides him and the driver food. So I allowed it. In all actuality the tour of how to make the porcelain vases, etc. was actually quite interesting.

Upon returning to Beijing I decided to check out the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing and now houses the Palace Museum. For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, as well as the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government.

Built from 1406 to 1420, the complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms. The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture, and has influenced cultural and architectural developments in East Asia and elsewhere. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.

Since 1924, the Forbidden City has been under the charge of the Palace Museum, whose extensive collection of artwork and artifacts were built upon the imperial collections of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Part of the museum's former collection is now located in the National Palace Museum in Taipei. Both museums descend from the same institution, but were split after the Chinese Civil War. This is actually very sad as most of the art is apparently in Taipei, making the Forbidden City look vast and empty.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

We bought our little pumpkin a pumpkin costume at Target but turns out his head is too big for the hat. He looked really cute the 3 minutes he had it on but we won't make him wear it tonight for the trick or treating at the coffee shop.

Impressions of Beijing

2008-10-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

I am here in Beijing on a business trip. It is my first time in mainland China and I was not really sure what to expect. China is clearly known for its massive population, generally low GDP/ capita, communism, and amazing economic growth. I have lived in several developing countries and have traveled to Asian countries (both developed and developing), so I had developed a mental image of what it would be like. So far I have been blown away by Beijing. The amount of new development seems endless. Lots of nice new buildings, organized roads, parks, etc. The streets are amazingly clean and traffic is very organized. Clearly there can be some crazy driving, but nothing like Vietnam and Thailand.

One of the biggest impressions has been the extent to which China has become a consumption society. There are miles and miles of stores and malls. Huge Armani, Gucci, and other luxury name brand that have dedicated large free standing stores. You see these things in other countries, but not to this scale. You wonder if there are really enough people that have enough money to shop at these places (I do not). Beijing looks like a mix of Hong Kong and Tokyo, but on a bigger, wider scale (as it is not geographically constrained).

The Olympic buildings are beautiful. I was unfortunately only able to see them whilst heading to and from different meetings. The aquatics center looks amazing. Next time I will visit the buildings if that is possible.

So many developing countries have luxury next to misery next to luxury. That has not been my experience here. I have not seen serious poverty like you see in Sao Paulo, Bangkok, and other cities. I am sure it is here, but it is well hidden. Perhaps this is just a continuation from the Olympics.

The food has been fabulous and everyone has been for the most part quite courteous. Luckily my hosts have taken me to some great restaurants. Note that the Chinese can push and do not seem to enjoy the cueing concept. So you need to learn to stand your ground, but try not to take it personally.

As for pollution, my first 3 days were beautiful. Blue skies. However yesterday I think it went back to a more common grey and smoggy look. It reminded me of Santiago on the worst winter smog day.

Business seems to still be booming here. There is a real sense of opportunity, which may change with the current economic climate, but you do not sense that yet. I think had you arrive 10 to 20 years back you would have ridden an amazing boom. Only time will tell the future. Beijing could be an interesting place to live for a while. Not easy, but interesting.

BTW, if on business stay at the JW Marriott. Really nice and I had an amazing rate of around $140US.

Reduced or no Corkage

2008-10-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

My friend M Wong asked me if I knew of any restaurants that allow for corkage fee or charge no corkage fee and I was honestly perplexed. The only place we encountered an issue with corkage was down in half moon bay one thanksgiving where they were unwilling to open our bottle of rare, $150+ wine until the silly little server confirmed that the bottle was a) not on their wine list and b) the sommelier offered to buy the bottle off of us...but I digress. Anyway I found an article today in sfmag with reduced or no corkage http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/places-drink-discount Wong this one's for you.

Pomegranate and persimmon season

2008-10-18T10:56:00.000-07:00

I again made my regular Saturday morning trip to the farmer's market and picked up the usual zucchini, eggplant, fennel and herbs but also picked up a pomegranate and several persimmons. They are so lovely. It is also prime time for apples, pears, squash and pumpkins...yum!

Smokey starts doggie bootcamp

2008-10-15T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today Smokey took his first step towards an era of better behavior. Note that he is great at home and lots of fun, he just does not like other dogs. The goal is to have a dog that we can easily walk around the neighborhood and not worry about him getting spooked by other dogs. A big goal would be to be able to have him run off leash with many dogs at Crissy Field. In order for that to work we need to get full control over him. Today was a tough day for the dog owners as it is more a discipline model. A bit like watching your kid get dragged off to juvi or military school. Note that feeding him lots of treats and the 100% postiive no correction model did not really work for Smokey. He is smart and has character and if you give him an inch he will look for a foot. Here is to hoping that in a few weeks there will be a video on here of Smokey playing with other dogs at Crissy Field.

Smokey eats Peanut Butter

2008-10-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

Jose's nieces requested more funny videos of Smokey so today's feature is Smokey eating peanut butter off of his nose.

Smokey loves the Beach

2008-10-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Another post about our favorite dog Smokey! He loves swimming, digging in the sand and chasing Jose down at our "private beach" at Crissy field. He is still a bit unsure about making dog friends which honestly is ok with me (Kelly) as we have encountered so many irresponsible dog owners (don't get me wrong there are a lot of attentive pet parents but many who are not) that it is probably safer to keep him away from the roaming pit bulls and yappy small dogs.

OBAMARAMA

2008-10-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last night we attended a fund raiser for Obama. It was held at a nice bar south of market. Ross Fubini and his fiance Karen hosted the event and had around 200 people attend and I think they raised just under $10,000. Those that gave $100 to the campaign received a t-shirt. Jose chose a t-shirt that looked great in the dark bar. Unfortunately, he later noticed (once in the light) that it is pretty much see through. So he definitely has an outfit for next year's Folsom Street Fair. Karen also whipped up some state shaped cookies and some cupcakes. Overall a great event for an important cause. We are considering hosting another event to raise money to send Sarah Palin back to school.

Two - One and One did not equal Two

2008-10-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

Last night we decided to give Two a try. Chef David Gingrass decided it was time to re-invent his Hawthorne Lane restaurant. The result is Two, a warm and inviting space with some tasty menu items located in SoMa. The name derives from the fact that the restaurant has two chefs, and it's the second restaurant at 22 Hawthorne Lane.

I, Jose, have eaten at this restaurant several times for lunch and actually have enjoyed it quite a bit. It was with that positive review that I suggested to Kelly and Todd that we give it a try. We started off with a bottle of Skylark Syrah, which I must say was fantastic. For dinner, Kelly ordered a roasted butternut squash, aged gouda, double-smoked bacon, and fried sage pizza. Todd had the cast iron pan half chicken with garlic and Red Flame grape chutney. Finally, I had the grilled Sonoma lamb loin with roasted figs, potato puree, and pistachio pesto.

Overall, the menu items sounded great. So we started with a nice menu and great wine..... And then we waited (note the restaurant was fairly empty but they claimed there was a private group in the back room). It took about 40 to 50 minutes from order to arrival of the food. Had it arrived perfect it would have been forgiven. My lamb was overcooked and did not have great flavor. Todd thought his chicken was pretty good. Kelly enjoyed her pizza at first, but then it made her feel a bit ill.

So overall, I would say skip for dinner, good for lunch.

Sisters Morales & Club 23

2008-10-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to see the Sisters Morales play down in Brisbane at Club 23. David and Carla Bullitt joined us as did Paul Erlicht and two of his friends. For those of you not in the know, Brisbane is just 10 minutes south of San Francisco. It is a small town that reminds you of a small town out in the middle of California, and is sometimes hard to believe that it is so close to San Francisco. It is a blue collar town with lots of characters.

Club 23 is an old bar that has a rich musical history. Since the 1950s, Club 23 has been blasting the music of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Webb Pierce, Bob Wills, Hank Snow, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and many, many more - all live and in person. There are still pictures of these bands on the wall. The new ownership has brought more of a latin american feeling as the owner is Bolivian and he hosts salsa merengue dance nights.

The Sisters Morales were great as always. This concludes a three week tour, and they are headed back to Texas. Their life must be fun, but exhausting. Traveling in a van around the country going bar to bar, gig to gig, must get tiring, particularly with two small kids. We look forward seeing them on their next trip out here.

Bar Tartine and the economic slow down

2008-10-02T09:23:00.001-07:00

We had a lovely meal last night at Bar Tartine, the restaurant belonging to the Tartine Bakery, the super popular bakery down the street. The restaurant has a real nice relaxed feel with understated and subtle french bistro style. We started with the Gorgonzola stuffed Medjool dates with aged balsamic which are salty and sweet and could also serve as a nice dessert option. The aged balsamic reduction was sweet and perfect. For the appetizer we shared a whitefish crudo with petite grapes, radish, a sesame crisp and fennel-light and every bite was full of flavor. For the main courses Jose had cod and squid with spinach and fava beans in a cilantro pesto sauce and Kelly had Veal with sweet breads, chanterelle mushrooms and petite peppers that was amazingly suculent. The desert was truly amazing. A fruit tart baklava with goat cheese icecream. VERY GOOD!

So on to the economic slowdown. The amazing thing was that we were able to get prime time reservations the same day(Wed), and there was an empty table or two around us. Very shocking for a restaurant that just two months back was impossible to get into without having made a reservation weeks in advance. We have been noticing this slowdown over the past few months at other tier 1 restaurants (e.g. Fleur De Lys). It is reminiscent of the dot com bust when restaurants went from being packed to empty over night. Our wonderful waitress (did we mention the service was excellent, finally someone who knows that if I am not finished you shouldn't clear my husband's plate and make me feel like I too need to gulp down my food) confirmed that things had slowed down considerably and that the night before the place was even more vacant.

Angkor Borei

2008-09-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

We ate at a great, cheap Cambodian restaurant called Angkor Borei in Bernal Heights at Cortland and Mission. The food was excellent and reasonably priced and they were very good at accommodating my peanut allergy. We had the crispy Cambodian crepe and they even made up a peanut free sauce for me! We had 3 different curries for entrees: shrimp and pineapple; shrimp and vegetables in a claypot and then of course Ahmouk which is a traditional Khmer curry fish mousse served in a banana leaf basket. It was all very good and we will be going back for sure.

Expensive Chain Restaurants - Should be an oxymoron

2008-09-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

I was invited to a lunch at Roy's today. Roy's is an expensive chain restaurant, I think based out of Hawaii. Main courses were in the 20 to 35 range. I went to the one in San Francisco and considering you could eat next door at Salt House for the same price or Bong Su around the corner for half the price, I am amazed that they can stay in business. Out of towners, the types that come to SF and eat at Olive Garden and Chevy's like it. I equate the food quality to the Cheesecake Factory or something similar. There are no chefs in the restaurant, just cooks. The servers are also lower quality. People who go like the food basically because it is one big desert. Everything has honey, sugar, or some sweet condoment. OK, I am a SF city food snob.

2008 Bargain Bites published in SFGate

2008-09-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Chronicle just released their 2008 Bargain Bites section which is also available online

Luce - In the InterContinental SF

2008-09-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

I had dinner the other evening at Luce, the new restaurant in the brand new Intercontinental in San Francisco. Below are more details that I would like to say that I wrote, but I lifted them from another article.

The cuisine: Chef Dominique Crenn has designed a seafood-heavy Italian menu incorporating California flavors and modern techniques. The Ocean and Land tartare starter includes layers of mussels, sturgeon and beef, served with spicy olive ice cream. House-made squid ink trofie carbonara incorporates baby calamari, pancetta chunks and a poached egg. Main courses include pork belly cooked sous vide, paired with spot prawns, lentils and pickled fruit.

The team: Michael Mondavi, Robert Mondavi's son and head of Folio Fine Wine Partners, had a part in planning the 130-seat restaurant's concept and wine list. Chef Crenn most recently was at Abode in Los Angeles and previously worked in San Francisco at Stars, Campton Place and several other spots. The sommelier is Helen Roy, and hospitality design firm Brayton Hughes is responsible for the decor.

So how was it? Really good food but the restaurant lacks soul. The environment is neither intimate nor awe inspiring. It was a bit like having a gourmet meal in a sterile room. Perhaps they just had too much space to effectively manage. There is no doubt that the food was very good. I had seared Foie Gras with cherries. Very good. For the main I had lamb with a date tagine. Very good as well. The wine was excellent as well.

Smokey the wonder dog suspended from group dog walks

2008-09-24T10:07:00.001-07:00

Yes, it is sad, but true. Smokey has been suspended from his group dog walks until further notice. He is apparently too rough with the other dogs and gets overexcited. Smokey has come a long way and does well some days with some dogs, but others he just can not calm down and gets overexcited and then the other dogs want to put him in his place. When the dog walkers hire more help, they may take him on again and slowly introduce him into the group but until then we will have to do one on one walks which are more expensive.

We may put Smokey on some ritalin to see if that helps.

Who are you voting for?

2008-09-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

ABC news has a site that lays out the issues side by side without telling you who said what, but allows you to choose and then at the end tells you which candidate you side with and where the break down on issues is as stated by your answers. A good way to start sorting out the vote, wish they had this for ALL this candidates and issues.

Best photo of Smokey

2008-09-24T07:46:00.001-07:00

This is a great shot that Kelly took of Smokey "Here I am". Clearly you do not get to see all of Smokey, but it shows a bit of his personality. Very artistic shot.

Icon Aircraft at Dogpatch Studios

2008-09-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

Now on Jose's hot list of "I wants" is the icon personal sport aircraft. They are having some sort of show at Dogpatch studios so we have seen several models go in and now this one is set up outside attached to a LandRover on basically a boat size trailer. It "Brings the Romance Back to Flying" their slogan, not mine. So instead of towing a boat to your lake cabin you can tow your plane. The small grey one is very Jetson's like and looks like a lot of fun if you have a pilots license and lots of money. Jose has put me on task to find out how much today and some how get in to see the rest. I plan to use Smokey and his cuteness to buy our way in:)

Farmer's Market Fall Fruits

2008-09-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Again we hit the Alemany Farmer's market this past Sat and bought some gorgeous fruit. The little apple like things are called JuJuBe/Red Date/Chinese Date. They look like an apple on the inside and are nice bite size snacks. We have had them in Asia but I think they were a bit larger than the ones we purchased here in SF. The Asian pears are gorgeous and we can't get enough of the plums (pictured is the September King Plum). And best of all we purchased all of this for less than $2, amazing. Buy local!

Worried about your bank?

2008-09-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

Check on whether or not your accounts are protected by FDIC insurance at www.fdic.gov/edie

Rumors in the DogPatch

2008-09-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

We love our neighborhood and we are meeting so many new people now because Smokey isn't shy and must go introduce himself to everyone. From a dog's perspective, you never know who might be carrying some treats so you must go say hello to all....I digress. Rumor in the neighborhood is that Slanted Door may be opening up a small outpost on 3rd and 20th st similar to their original kitchen back in the Mission District. We anxiously await this rumor becoming a reality.

Chelsea Match with Greg Wadsworth

2008-09-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

I was in the UK this past weekend and had the chance to stay and spend some time with the lovely Wadsworth family in London. They have a great house in a spectacular location in Holland Park. We went out and explored some great London restaurants together and I also learned about some of the fine local cuisine they get from these places named "McDonalds" and "Dominos Pizza". I sure hope those places make it to the US some day.

Greg also hosted me to a Chelsea Football match. It was fantastic. Great fun to be in that stadium. Chelsea played Tottenham. It was not Chelsea's best game ever and they only tied and were expected to win. Unfortunately there were not huge fan fights so that I could witness British Hooligans first hand.

Reunion with some of my MHS friends

2008-09-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

I got together with some of my friends from Marshall Senior High School and all of their kids while in MN. We met at Como Park and made our way around the zoo which was fun and entertaining as close to 30 of us made our way around the park. It was really fun to see all the mini peeps who look like their parents and have adapted their personalities...and of course we all remember all the crazy stuff we pulled in our teens so can remind each other that we are all in for A LOT of trouble.

MN State Fair

2008-09-03T09:35:00.001-07:00

Kelly attended the MN state Fair on the first Sat. of the fair. This is the most widely attended state fair in the country second only to Texas who stay open a few days longer. In my opinion the MN state fair is much better because it isn't in Texas and again it isn't in Texas. The weather was beautiful and while we tried a few foods on the stick only pics were taken of the chocolate dipped bacon, deep fried candy bars and other Fair "delicacies." The best thing we tried were the Walleye Cakes. The most interesting things we saw were the topiary stand with anything from the year 2008 to a giant giraffe...if only we had a garden; the butter carvings; the live birth calf and goat barn and of course all the extremely obese people...my goodness! When I say obese I mean a good 100 lbs over weight and lots of them...hello MN. Stop eating all the fried food on a stick!

The Great MN Get Together

2008-08-20T21:59:00.001-07:00

I will attend the MN State Fair on Sat. for the first time in 15 years. So much has changed, I plan to try to eat the most bizarre food I can find on a stick...if you have some ideas please add a comment. A few of the new items on a stick for 2008 include: 1/3 slice of bacon, fried and carmelized with maple syrup served with dipping sauces (hello heart attack); "pig lickers"-chocolate covered, crisp fried bacon pieces...sounds disgusting but it is covered in chocolate so can't be all that bad; "walking taco"-all the fixings in a dorito bag, this isn't that unusual and I have had this before with tortilla chips not Doritos; and a "pickle-pop" which is frozen pickle juice in a push up sleeve. Of course all the classics on a stick are still available: pork chops, walleye, pizza(foot long), spaghetti and meatballs, tatortot hotdish, keylime pie(frozen and covered in chocolate), and cheese curds (deep fried of course). The full food map can be found on Startribune.com

Jose's 40th Birthday Bash

2008-08-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

Adding to the festivities of the week, Kelly hosted a birthday extravaganza for Jose at Moshi Moshi down the street from our house. They have a great back room and out door space that makes for a great party space. Around 40 to 50 people attended the event.

The Sushi, Sake, and other drinks were flowing the entire night. There was also a brief after party back at our house. Good fun.

40th Birthday Dinner - Orson

2008-08-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

Last night Kelly took Jose out for a lovely dinner at Orson. Orson is a new restaurant run by the same people who run Citizen Cake. It is an extremely lively place and has a rather popular bar scene. The reviews have been all over the place, but we both enjoyed our experience. The manager worked at Jack Falstaff before helping launch Orson. Kelly forgot her camera, but here is a picture of a meal that we did not eat to give you an idea of their presentation. Kelly had one of their inventive pizzas with hamhock, arugula and goat cheese; Jose had the chicken beer sausage, nectarine, frisee, pistachio and gnocchi. They were both fantastic.

The locale is also quite nice. It is dark and loud, so perhaps not for everyone. Feels like a NYC type restaurant. The walls are painted black. Here is a picture of the interior. Jose's new office is three doors down, so perhaps there will be future happy hours at Orson.

Jose turns 40!

2008-08-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Jose! Jose turns 40 today and still feels about 29, other than his occasional back pains:) Happy Birthday Jose-Love Kelly and Smokey.

PS Sorry Mic, thought the naked baby was Jose!

Jose's magic board

2008-08-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Last week Jose picked up his new JP Freestyle Wave Pro 84L. It is an amazing piece of craftmanship. Planes up quickly. Super light. All butter. It is also a lovely orange color, which is one of Kelly's favorite colors.

Smokey Update

2008-08-07T11:04:00.001-07:00

Our dear Smokey has some sort of skin allergy so we are preparing to give him a weekly bath...I started dropping treats in the bathtub yesterday to encourage him to like the bathtub and found him this morning snoozing in the tub:) He really is the cutest! (Seen here with his pink elephant toy from his Grandma and Grandpa Morales.)

Baked-New Bakery in Potrero Hill

2008-08-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

Finally Baked has opened replacing La Petite Patisserie which had some amazing baked goods (although a bit pricey). Baked offers a wider, more traditional selection of pastries, desserts and cakes than La P.P. had although not as gourmet. I tried the sticky bun and the peach muffin (had a fat day yesterday) and liked the peach muffin, not that keen on the sticky bun(Patisserie Philippe on Townsend is much better). Both had a lot of sugar and my critique on the sticky bun was that the topping is supposed to be carmelized; mine was just sugary and the sugar hard not gooey. The muffin was near perfect with a nice crumbly top, lots of big chunks of peach and a not too moist not too dry center. Total cost for both was only $4 which wasn't even the price of one pastry at the former La P.P. so I think Baked will do better than La P.P. because they will sell a lot more volume. I don't know that I would make a special calorie allotment to make a weekly trip to Baked like I did with La P.P. but it is a great stop if you need to bring muffins or a cake into the office.

Baked, 1415 18th St, (415) 826-9455

First Year Wedding Anniversary

2008-08-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

So one year has come and gone. We have had a great first year with lots of memories including Vietnam, Hong Kong, Outstanding in the Field, leg surgery, and a new dog. To celebrate, we went to Fleur De Lys, an old San Francisco restaurant which is still one of the finest in the city. Fleur De Lys has 3, 4, and 5 course options. We opted for the 3 course, and it turned out to be the best decision as it still was a ton of food. We started off with two amuse bouche including this lovely cauliflower cream dish. Very good. Even Jose liked it.

We each took different first coarses. To start, Kelly had the tasting of Alsatian Choucoute and Jose had the Symphony of smoked salmon, foie gras, and duck. Both were amazing.

For the main, Jose had the Fillet mignon with lobster. Kelly chose the Boneless Quail stuffed with Ris de Veau

Finally, we both had fabulous desserts. Jose had the Grand Marnier souffle and Kelly had the FleurBurger. The Fleur Burger is basically a fine dessert made to look like a burger and fries.

The Agyares Visit SF

2008-08-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

The Agyares - Micaela, Kwame, Bridget, and Alisa - visited us in San Francisco. It was a great chance to get to see some of the city sites through the eyes of children and places we often pass over with our other visitors. Bridget has the book "This is San Francisco" so she had done her research and new what she wanted to see. There was a lot on the agenda during their visit. We started with Lombard Street and Coit Tower. That night we also took in a Giant's baseball game. The giants were terrible, but it was still quite a bit of fun.

The next morning brought a trip to Alcatraz. We took the early ferry over to the island. As always it was quite breezy on the boat. The Rock itself was a blend of boiling and freezing depending on where you were standing. That trip turned out to be most of our days events. The adults went home and put back a bottle of Rose and more and all took a nap preparing for a big dinner with cousin Steve and Lynda. That night we out to dinner at LuLus. Overall a lovely meal. The girls really liked it and played around a bit. They provided some great photos.

Finally we spent time checking out the GG Bridge and GG Park. We visited the Buffalo and Stowe lake where were rented paddle boats. We look forward to the Agyare's next visit.

Mary and Craig's Wedding

2008-08-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went down to Santa Barbara for our friend's Craig and Mary's wedding. On the way down we stopped in Paso Robles for lunch with Judy, Paul and Dash. The wedding itself was held at the Valley Club. This is an amazing setting with a great view of Montecito and the Ocean. The night before they hosted a great reception at an art gallery in Santa Barbara. The weather was great and a nice break from the SF cold summer.

On the way back we stopped at one of the California Missions that dot the cost and date back to the Spanish. This mission is Mission San Miguel, founded in 1797. It was hot as heck, but lovely.

Our newest Addition-Smokey The Bear

2008-08-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

We adopted our newest love, Smokey, from the SPCA on July 5...thus the hiatus from posting. His loves include us, squeaky toys, food and of course more food. He is 2 years old, potty and crate trained but unfortunately spent his early years as a backyard dog so all new dogs are a bit scary for him but we have hired a trainer and are working on making him a better socialized canine.

L'Ardoise-great new French resto in the Castro

2008-06-25T18:03:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous meal at tiny French L'Ardoise in the Castro on Noe last night. I didn't have my camera along so no food pictures but the service and food were excellent, here were the highlights : Tiger prawn raviole with sauce vierge and fresh herbs, almond crusted barramundi, skirt steak and seafood gratin. The desserts were worth every calorie: chocolate cake and spiced pear tartin. Parking can be difficult in this neighborhood so other transport is a must, but worth the effort for this nice neighborhood french bistro. A must try!

Outstanding in the Field

2008-06-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at McEvoy Ranch sampling great wines, eating wonderful food, meeting some new people and of course enjoying a nice limo ride with our friends. A few other highlights: meeting Annie and Andy from Favia; Vincent from Meadowood and of course meeting Jim Denevan and securing our signed copy of his new cookbook.

Dogpatch Portrait Project

2008-06-13T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Dogpatch neighborhood is one of the best (we are a little biased since we live here). As part of the new Esprit building redevelopment Irion Photography was given a grant to conduct a "photo booth" project featuring our neighbors. We participated last July right before we left for our wedding and the exhibit is now on display on MN street.

Masa's

2008-06-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

We tried Masa's with Jose's Mom last weekend....yum. YOu should go with an empty stomach as the 6 course tasting put us over the top I can't imagine eating the entire 9 course menu. Worth every penny. Service is superb and the food is excellent.

Chihuly at the De Young-Free 6/14-6/15

2008-06-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

I saw "Saffron Threads" last week at the De Young. The exhibit officially opens this weekend and Target is sponsoring free admission 6/14-6/15.

Macy's takes 40% off 1st markdowns

2008-05-21T10:39:00.001-07:00

I was at Macy's yesterday and they took their first late spring markdowns at 40% off...there were some good buys but get there before the holiday weekend.

Paul's 41st Bday Party

2008-05-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from the birthday soiree. Taz(not shown) was not keen on our singing:)

Oakland Greek Festival

2008-05-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

We ventured across the bridge to the Greek Festival this past Saturday where we ate and drank and enjoyed the beautiful weather and unbelievable views. The Greek Church is up on a hill in the Oakland hills. It really did feel like Greece that day as the sun was shining, it was hot, and there was lots of great food. We ate a selection of food. We started with Some cheese on pita bread with lots of olive oil and lemon juice. Very good. I forget the name. Then we had the traditional Gyro. Outstanding. Finally, we had some fried calamari. All very good. The event included traditional music and dancing. We really recommend this for you all next year.

My new dream car

2008-05-14T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ok I am putting this out to the universe. This is my next dream car...why would I want to forgo my BMW for a Smart car you may ask? Here is why:
-small and easy to park. As soon as SF changes their parking regs I can pull right up to the curb and park. Awesome!
-Gas efficient. I love to go to the grocery store and this car burns very little fuel
-It has now earned top marks in crash tests in the US.

Enviromentally friendly Wetsuit

2008-05-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Jose finally got a call that his new wet suit was in...we were at the hospital and never mind he had just had surgery on his leg. Being a man who just can't say no he said "I will be right over to pick it up" from his wheel chair. Fast forward a few weeks, crutches gone, stitches out...the wet suit fits and keeps him nice and toasty in the water.

Green Value=Recycled polyester, chlorine free wool, non-petroleum based neoprene, and PVC free knee pads.

New Cheap Eats Section

2008-04-13T12:07:00.001-07:00

In honor of the "R" word we have added a "cheap eats" section

Le Village sells Real Foie Gras

2008-04-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

We are always on the hunt for foie gras and Le Village has a quarterly open house featuring all the Euro epicurean delights they sell online...they are still open today, Saturday until 1:30pm. Here are just a few of the items we purchased. They have a great selection of cheeses, pates, mustards, oils, vinegars and vino. And of course the best selection of foie gras we have seen in Northern CA.

"Find the Torch" Relay in San Francisco

2008-04-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Disappointing show from San Francisco. They ran the torch but no one saw it. I did see many people supporting the Olympics and the freedom and peace that the Olympics represents. Gavin probably made the right call, but should have made it days ago...what a waste of city resources to "hide" the torch all over SF. Bummer.

Olympic Torch in SF

2008-04-09T10:52:00.000-07:00

Just went to take some drive by photos of the protests and let's just say I am not a great photographer from the car:) There are hundreds of police and protestors(maybe thousands) already. I would avoid the 280 King St. ramp and the entire ballpark area if you are driving. They are already taking traffic down to one lane on 280. More soon....

Chow's Kitchen delivers to Portrero Hill

2008-04-07T00:38:00.000-07:00

So excited to find someone to deliver chinese food in Portrero Hill! The food is fresh, healthy and reasonable. We love the salt and pepper squid, chicken basil(although too spicy for me my hubby loved it) and the crab rangoon.

Cupcake week on Martha Stewart

2008-03-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

Please no phone calls from 1-2 PM :)

two great wines

2008-03-29T09:16:00.001-07:00

We recently drank two great wines from opposite ends of the pricing spectrum. First was the Ladera Howell Mountain 2004 ($65). Fantastic wine. Deep ruby-red. Classic Howell Mountain cabernet from a ripe year.

The second wine is a bargain. We found it at Costco for $7.99! Pascual Toso Malbec, 2006. We also saw it at K & L for $8.99. You need to run, not walk to get more of this while possible. Very drinkable,everyday wine. Wine Enthusiast gave it a 91.

Wonderful iMac

2008-03-29T09:05:00.001-07:00

Kelly and I decided it was finally time to upgrade our 6 year old PC. The old PC was so slow it was almost useless. So, we got the iMac. It is amazing. The screen is huge, 24", it screams (speed) and it is great all around. I also purchased eyeTV, which lets you watch TV on your mac as well as record programs to watch later on your computer or download them to your iPod. In the picture it is the small TV frame next too the large screensaver of us dancing at our wedding.

One Lap Top Per Child (OLPC)

2008-03-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

Kelly and I (yes, Jose is actually writing a post!) were looking for a way to do something good for society and decided that the One Lap Top Per Child (OLPC) program was the way to go. OLPC was founded by Nicholas Negroponte from the MIT Media Lab with the goal of getting cheap, easy to use computers to children in the developing world. The design of this computer is truly amazing: water proof, dirt proof, wireless, runs open source programs, built in camera for photos and video, great sound, music editor and much, much more. As part of the program last year you could purchase an additional machine for yourself (pictured here) which our niece Bridget will be receiving for her big 6th birthday (I hope she isn't reading this blog!).

You can still donate and it is such a great program and all laptops donated are tax deductible.

South- SOMA

2008-03-27T10:32:00.000-07:00

I returned to South for a girls dinner last night. It was as good as the first time Nat and I ate there almost a year ago. The service is excellent, bushman's plate was a fun way to start the meal and I must say that I never thought pork bellies could taste so good. We had a selection of entrees: venison, barramundi and the sirloin, let's just say we were all members of the clean plate club. Excellent wine selection and a very reasonably priced wine by the glass menu. Highly recommended and apparently they have brunch on Sat and Sunday from 10-3!

Outstanding in the Field

2008-03-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

We have our tickets! Plus 2 extra. Thanks to Katherine we now have tickets to the June 14 dinner at McEvoy Ranch. I have always wanted to attend one of these dinners but they are always sold out...their 2008 season sold out in CA in less than 2 days!. We will take pictures and review in June, can't wait!

My BMW is all fixed! New love Phaedrus BMW Maintenance Shop

2008-03-21T18:14:00.000-07:00

If you have a BMW that is our of warranty and need to get it fixed in SF, I highly recommend Phaedrus on Jackson. They only fix BMWs and know them all very well. They even tell you problems that might be coming soon based on the year and make of your car and their prior experiences. BMWs are expensive to fix but I felt that Phaedrus was well worth every penny. They even found a nail in my tire and fixed it!

Essencia - new Peruvian restaurant in Hayes Valley

2008-03-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

We tried newcomer Essencia in Hayes valley last night. Now we love Mochica and it is really hard to beat out Mochica but I think Essencia has done it! The service was execellent and the food amazing. They use Pecans in their aji de gajina, the artichoke, chanterelle and quinoa risotto is amazing and wines were excellent. This may be a new favorite in Hayes Valley.

New wines discovered at Spark wine tasting event

2008-03-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Last night we attended a fundraiser for Spark at City Hall. We enjoyed sampling many wines but one stuck out, 2005 El Llano Red Wine from Mi Sueno. The winery was founded by a Mexican immigrant who worked his way up and self funded the winery. Really good wine and a great story to go with it.
We also really enjoyed the 2005 Pinot Noir Gary's Vineyard from Miner in addition to wines from Frank Family vineyards, Blackbird and of course Merryvale.

Alisa's baptism in Tucson

2008-01-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

Jose's niece, Alisa was baptized at his parents house in Tucson the first week of January. She was not all that happy with the process but pleased with all the presents. She is the cutest but we are a little biased.

Chili Fagara- Spicy Food in Hong Kong

2008-01-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

G/F 45-53 Graham Street Central Hong Kong
Look for the flames outside the door, there is no sign. We split a crab and went half spicy (for Jose) half not spicy for me....perfect and so much fun to eat with plastic gloves. We also enjoyed drinking our beer out of bowls. The restaurant is quite small so make a reservation. We had a great meal and the service was very attentive.

Other Food pics from vietnam

2008-01-04T22:42:00.000-08:00

Kuala Beer-local to Hue; breakfast at the JW in Ho Chi Minh City; beef prepared 7 ways (4 ways shown at Spices at the Sofitel Metropole); lobster with passion fruit sauce NYE at The Opera Restaurant Hanoi

Weasel Coffee

2008-01-03T23:17:00.000-08:00

The famous coffee that is made from the undigested beans that pass through a weasel like animal. We think it is good although it was over powered by the sweetened condensed milk when tried in Hanoi. We brought back 2 kilos so...who wants some weasel coffee?