Travel Woes

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on the road. I know, I’ve had lots of little road trips, but no major ordeals. Well, that changed one long week in May. I had to be in Miami for work for four days, and figured while I was on the East Coast, I’d duck up to Washington DC for the long weekend holiday. All in all, it was a long journey.

First. Getting to the airport. As I mentioned earlier, it was a race to even get there on time. There was traffic, I felt rushed…I didn’t want my blissful weekend to end! Spending Sunday at SFO and on a plane? No thank you. So as you can imagine, as soon as I cleared security, I was annoyed that I had to just sit and wait. I wished I didn’t have to rush to get to the airport and wished that I could have gotten lunch ‘on the outside’. Instead, I was stuck sitting and waiting.

Once I got to Miami, some low lights? One of the servers kept calling me “m’lady”. It struck me as so odd. Not horrible, but just awkward. And kind of bugged me.

Oh, and then there was the incident when my housekeeper got mad at me for having the temperature in my room set too low (umm, really? 68 degrees isn’t that cold!) Her suggestion instead? To open up my patio door and to let the ‘fresh air’ in. Normally I’d do that (not only to be green, but fresh air is always best!)—but ummm, not when it’s hot, muggy, and storming outside! What is going on here??

As I was leaving Miami, I was getting excited. My week of being on the road was more than half over, and the second half was more fun than work. Plus, I was heading to a city I love and know!

We got on the plane, and as I tried hard not to be bothered by the rather large man sitting next to me who’s arm kept creeping over to my side, it hit me suddenly. We had been sitting there a long time. And hadn’t taken off. Just at that point, the pilot got on the speaker. Mechanical problems. Translation? Sit on the plane on the runway for two hours, haul ass to another terminal to get on another plane, sit and wait another hour, get on the new plane, sit and wait another hour, finally depart Miami. When it was all said and done? A 4 hour delay.

By the time I was leaving DC, I was ready for it. What more could the travel gods throw at me? I arrived at Dulles airport EARLY Monday morning and I was ready for whatever was going to happen. But nothing. I got there easily and quickly. Flight was on time. Made it through security quickly. Next thing you knew, I was at the gate and just waiting to board. So far so good. I had a craving for some orange juice, so hopped into line at the closest food place, which happened to be a fast food restaurant.

As I was standing in line, I could hear this dialogue:

Customer: “In the breakfast burrito, what type of meat is the sausage made of?”
Fast Food Worker: “Ummm, what do you mean?”
Customer: “I mean is it pork or is it beef?”
Fast Food Worker: “Ummm, it’s sausage meat.”

I’m not kidding you. Can you believe it? Sad but true people. I can’t make this stuff up. Just the laugh I needed that early in the morning.

The good news is that aside from the man in front of me that talked loudly and wouldn’t stop talking to his new friend, the flight took off on time, was smooth and we didn’t any problems. I got home safe and sound and in one piece.

Where’s the next trip you ask? No where! I’m staying put for awhile!

Friday Favorite: Fried Chicken!

Ok. So this gal gets cravings. Like serious food cravings. I'll get something in my head, and won't be able to stop thinking about it until I get my fill. My recent craving ? Fried Chicken.

It started at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival. The night Thomas Keller and Ad Hoc was at the late night chef's after party. And I saw the fried chicken, but was too full to eat any. Big mistake.

It was already in my head. And only reinforced a few weeks later. During my last supper at Jack Falstaff. We had taken one very quick glimpse at the menu, and I saw that there was fried chicken on it. Yum. Done. Just then, the server swooped in and let us know chef Jonny would be cooking for us. Tasting menu--off the menu. Wonderful. Always great. Menus closed instantaneously. Except. That meant no fried chicken.

By then, it was too late. I had to have it.

Now I'm a lucky girl. And when I asked friends where in SF could I get the best fried chicken, not only did I receive a number of suggestions, I received a number of invites from local restaurants, suggesting that I go to their restaurant for fried chicken! Amazing.

Which offer did I take? None of those. I had one better. My friend, a chef, was offering to make me fried chicken at his house. Yay!

Here's some of the chicken fresh out of the oil...

It was a DELICIOUS meal--complete with greens, mac and cheese and biscuits. One of the best meals I've had in a long time. Thank you Chad and Grace for ALWAYS taking good care of me! Hmm, what should my next craving be?

Patience

I'm impatient. Patience has never been a virtue of mine. It's something I realize and something I need to work on.

I can't stand traffic (nothing is a greater waste of time). I get impatient waiting for public transportation. And I have a hard time waiting for news or information. Even something like baggage claim? Don't get me started. I get anxious and antsy. I can't concentrate on other things. And many times? I start getting grumpy. (Umm, especially if I haven't eaten. Seriously.)

I try to redirect my energy. Or to stop myself and just take a breath. My trusty iPod helps. Play some calming (and distracting) music while I'm waiting. So does my CrackBerry. I'm able to scan Twitter, Facebook, or even catch up on my emails.

I was recently stuck in some horrible car traffic due to the lovely SF Bay to Breakers run. And I was on a tight schedule to get to the airport. I started getting worked up. As I started to feel my impatientness grow and my antsiness increase, I tried stopping myself. There was nothing more we could do to speed up traffic. There was someone else in the car, someone that was still getting to know me and they did not need to see that side of me. At least not yet! (The good news? He was equally, if not more grumpy, and we both finally calmed down and it all worked out in the end.)

I realize many things are out of our control. For example, I know that it's better to sit on a plane for 2 hrs just to have to deplane and hike across Miami International Airport to get on another plane just to leave more than 5 hours later, than to be on a plane with faulty equipment. But the complete waste of a day...I have a hard time with that.

Maybe I was just born with a little less of the 'patience' gene.

Coming Full Circle

Happy Anniversary!

Dear readers, exactly one year ago, I started this blog. I had no idea what it would bring, or what I would even write about. I just figured I had random thoughts, and hey, maybe other people might be interested in reading? I wasn’t sure if my musings would be interesting to other people, but if anything, I figured I'd want to remember these thoughts and experiences years from now.

I also knew that I was lucky. And that I have the good fortune of meeting a lot of interesting people in my life. People from all around the world, people living all over the place, and people right here in SF. And obviously in addition to wanting to remember these unique experiences and feelings, I wanted to share it too.

And what else? My love for food. The many, many, MANY amazing meals I have the opportunity to eat. From the fancy meals in the Michelin stared restaurants, to the street food in Asia, to the 'experimental' recipes, to home cooked meals at home... Some might even say my life revolves a bit around food.

Finally, I wanted to write about my life experiences. I have a passion for seeking new experiences and adventures. I'm not afraid to give anything a try. I try to remain positive, and to find the good in people, and all experiences.

I've had fun doing it. Some posts have been harder to write than others. Others have flowed out of me easily. I've LOVED reading comments from readers and getting emails from friends referencing a post. And I have had fun with creative post titles. It's been a diary. It's been a therapist. It's been my way to do some soul searching.

What have I learned?

A lot! People are sensitive. People care and take what I have to say, to heart.

There are a lot of people out there reading. I have ‘followers’ that enjoy reading about what I’m up to, where I’m eating at, who I’m meeting, and about the general happenings and mind sets of the people out here in San Francisco.

I've also learned a lot about technology! From using the blogger platform, basic HTML language, to RSS feeds, subscriptions via email, etc.

That you can’t always say what you want to say. ‘Nuff said.

The pen is mightier than the sword.

What will the next year of blogging bring? Hopefully more adventures. More new people to meet, more new restaurants to try, and of course, good meals to be had. If it is half as entertaining and interesting as this last year, I think I’m in for a treat. In the meantime, keep reading friends. Hope you'll take the time to leave a comment now and then and share with me what you're thinking!

Cheers!

San Francisco Snob

I think I've officially become one. I am a San Francisco snob. A person that just thinks San Francisco is the greatest city ever. That we do things better here. And that life doesn't get better than this. When I'm in other cities, I compare everything to San Francisco. I find myself saying things like "Wow, I can't believe they do that here!" Or "In San Francisco, it's better."

I was recently in Sacramento for a weekend. A city that I have lived in. A city that I actually even enjoyed living in. But that was before. Before I lived in SF and before I became a snob.

I found myself wondering, could I live there again now? And the answer is clearly no. And actually, I don't even think there are many places I could live in (at least not in the United States!)

I found myself thinking about it. The food scene in San Francisco is better than most (maybe only rivaled by New York City.) I was talking with a friend from Sacramento and some how the topic of octopus came up. Apparently it's hard to find on a menu in Sacramento. Not the case in SF! And while I wouldn't say octopus is a favorite food, or even an ingredient I crave, I like seeing it on our menus. And I like ordering it. And more importantly, I like having it as an option, and having people being open to seeing it on the menu. And ahem. Octopus? That's just the minor leagues. If Sacramento can't even handle octopus, where would I get my Head to Tail dinners and such?

The people in SF are relaxed, without being too relaxed. We've got our hippie history, but have also grown a little beyond that. (Those reasons are probably why I wouldn't be able to live in Portland, a city that each time I visit, part of me wants to stay in.) We're not too intense, and fast paced (which is often my complaint of NYC.) We've got access to great farmers, vineyards...which means the freshest and best fruits, vegetables, and wines a gal could ever ask for all year around (which is more than I can say for even New York City!)

We've also got culture. From theater to music to museums. I'm fulfilled in SF.
But there's also culture in other ways. I can get really good and authentic ethnic food in SF. Peruvian? Check. Good Indian? Southern or Northern Style? Cause we've got both! Great Mexican? Yup. And just about anything else! I also have access to my Chinese grocery stores, and restaurants. I love the little enclaves of Chinese immigrant neighborhoods where I can feel at home. These are the places I can find my Chinese vegetables or ingredients when I'm looking to cook some traditional foods. I love it.

My latest 'thing' has been to travel to other cities that I've looked down upon (in terms of food, culture, and my ability to live there and love the city) and try really hard to like the cities. I'm trying really hard to give them a chance, and am in fact asking friends, to 'win me over'. Show me why your city is so great. But so far, no matter how hard I try, they just don't compare.

I was sitting in a restaurant in Miami recently having dinner with two friends. One friend was trying his hardest to tell me all the great things Miami had to offer. But as soon as we started talking about the great things SF had to offer, he took out his iPhone to show me photos from a recent trip he had made out there. Just the photo of the fog over the Golden Gate Bridge was enough to bring a tear to my eye. As I flipped through the photos, I found myself more and more homesick for my city by the bay. It's a sign, don't you think?

Night at Emmy's

I recently checked out Emmy's Spaghetti Shack--and it was the perfect spot for a mellow, casual, and yummy, Sunday super. We loved the environment (super quirky), and were lucky that we didn't have to wait long! Apparently this can be quite the popular spot and it's not uncommon for there to be a long wait on most nights.

My friend started off with a spicy margarita that looked awesome with it's chili garnish:

We shared two salads, a spring strawberry with mozzarella, rhubarb, toasted hazelnuts, fresh mint and basil salad and also a faro salad that had watercress, raisins, roasted beets, and some goat cheese. Both were delicious!

One of the highlights of the meal? Not the ribs, but the side that came with it--fried mac and cheese. YUM! I know, anything fried is pretty good. But fried cheese and pasta? Especially yummy.

And then you really can't leave Emmy's Spaghetti Shack without eating spaghetti?? It was so good. Really, one of the best comfort foods out there!

A really fun night with some good friends, good drinks, and good food. Emmy's is a fun and casual place to go for a fun meal.

Friday Favorite: Hat Box!

So gorgeous! One of the most beautiful hat boxes I've ever seen...

Two of my dear friends creatively used it as the 'wrapping' for a recent birthday present. The inside 'real gift' was pretty amazing (and generous), and maybe I'm just a little bit of a simpler gal...but I thought the box was pretty perfect.

Purity

If an ingredient is fresh and in season, is it best to prepare it simply, and without masking it's true flavor? Sounds simple, right? Answer's yes! When possible, shouldn't we be true to the ingredient and have it as pure and natural as possible?

I'm a big proponent of simple foods and dishes. And preparing ingredients simply.

When it comes to veggies? Why do too much to it? Why douse it with sauces? If I like the food, I want to taste the flavors of the food.

If the corn is fresh, I want it prepared simply. Steamed or grilled. A tad of salt and I don't even like butter on it. Asparagus? Just roasted please. (Ok, ok. I've recently become a big fan of the asparagus cooked in a light brown butter sauce too!) And when it comes to my favorites like bok choy and Chinese broccoli? Just simply stir fried with a tad of garlic. Yum.

Fruits in season? Nothing better than just eating them as is. Fresh off the tree! I could bite right into a fresh peach. Devour an entire bowl of cherries or strawberries. They're perfect. Don't need to do a thing to 'em.

But I recently had a conversation with a friend about crab. It was a few months ago and the height of Dungeness crab season in SF. And what did I realized? I don't really love fresh steamed crab. I mean, it's good. And I'll eat it. But not my favorite. Instead? I prefer it prepared in more of a Chinese style. Stir fried with ginger and scallions--and a goey sauce that I eat with my rice. Or even baked. With salt and pepper. Now we're talking.

Then I began to think about the foods that I do prefer not prepared so simply. There really aren't many. Crab was the biggie. And if that's the case. Am I a genuine crab lover? If I prefer the taste of it with these other flavors and seasonings, am I masking the true crab taste?

Well, regardless. I guess ultimately, I don’t care. I am a crab lover. I just like it the way I like it.

Happiness

Maybe it's my old age, but I'm getting sentimental. Or maybe it's just the fact that today, I'm heading to Bodega Bay to celebrate two special friends on their wedding day. I can't help it. Weddings make me sentimental. They remind me that I'm an optimist and a romantic at heart.

Here's wishing Mark and Serene a lifetime of happiness together. Looking forward to celebrating the happy couple and wishing happiness for all of my friends out there!

Friday Favorite: Asparagus Season!

Spring is maybe my favorite season. And one of the reasons? ASPARAGUS! You know spring's in the air when you start seeing asparagus (and strawberries!!) at the markets.

I recently had an delicious meal at SPQR with my good friend Sabine. We picked a handful of yummy dishes, and the kitchen generously sent out a few more, but one of my favorite dishes of the night was this simple dish:

Asparagus with spring onion, green garlic, grated egg and pecorino

SO GOOD! I've talked a lot about those dishes I CRAVE at restaurants, and I have to say, this one just might get added to that list.