-I turned 28 this week.
-Friend, chef and 4505 Meats man, Ryan Farr paid me one of the best complements I’ve received in a while: “you’re pretty well put together for 28.”
-I don’t review restaurants ever, but I do want you to know that my dinner at Wexler’s for my birthday was fantastic. That and working your balls off in a kitchen is better than Jenny Craig; see chef Charlie and sous chef Joe for a clear visual explanation.
-28 / 2 + 7 = 21, damn, I broke the drinking age limit.
-Celebrating 3 years in San Francisco soon and to this day, I have not gone to a strip club in this city. Sometimes I amaze myself.
-March 14 is closing in, dammit. It’s suddenly become the loneliest day of the year. I want to see Hallmark try to market this date with a card or a Lifetime network special.
-My day job, side/pet projects, and everything else has been pure craziness. I’m trying Ringo, I’m trying.
-In case, I haven’t said it like a million times, I am going to Japan. I will be going with a couple of friends, one of whom is a professional photographer. That means I get to post sweet ass pictures instead of the amateur shit I throw on week to week. I know, I am weaksauce with that kind of stuff.
-Japan is the first vacation that is not veiled by some sort of occasion (family/friends gathering, wedding, other) that I have had in 2 years. And before that vacation, it was 4 years ago – when I decided to visit San Francisco on whim. The rest is history.
-I think I’m seriously making a run at trying to make as many fun and esoteric sandwiches as I possibly can.
-Beef on Weck, baby. There is something beautiful about a sandwich that can offer equal appreciation for both the meat and the bun. The bread/bun is normally like the Paul Rudd of good sandwiches.
-Current coffee on drip: Blue Bottle Cauca Tierradentro.
-I enjoyed reading the NYTimes article on the emergence of new coffee powerhouses 2 years after it happened.
-I don’t get why people who drive in California do not know the importance of putting up a thank you wave for the people that let them into their lane. Just stick your damn right hand up.
-I love other people’s interest in food or even their interest in “my” food, but seriously I can’t answer the question, “what’s your signature dish?” Signatures are designed by customer and critical perception – not most chefs. Basically, if you asked Barry Sanders, “What’s your favorite touchdown?” His response might be exactly the same as mine: “The next one.”
-I was at Philz coffee twice this week because of circumstance and not choice. I’m personally a Coffeebar rat – though I abide by the unspoken under 2 hour rule (in case Luigi is reading). I had the Silken Splendor… twice.
-Visavis, here is a man’s (or just my own) natural and honest digression process: Silken Splendor…sounds like Silk Spectre… visual image of Malin Ackerman … visual image of latex suits … reminds me of debate of Malin Ackerman vs. Carla Gugino … Carla Gugino hands down … Carla Gugino’s perfection in Sin City … brain = mush.
-I laugh and talk to myself way too much for someone that doesn’t wander the Tenderloin on something…
-It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had the Thai action at Lers Ros. I’m really starting to feel the need and desire for it. Let me share my sentiments with a video depiction:
-I once thought I had a chance to meet Jennifer Beals while working at Orson, I’m not sure if she was there at some point, but I definitely didn’t meet her. The chefs thought it was randomly funny that 1). knew who she was and 2). thought she was still pretty hot. I know she’s in her 40’s, but I don’t see much wrong here:
Do you?
-The words “new American” make me feel dirty and cliche. I hate using it sometimes, but people don’t get it when I try to tell them what modern Western interpretation and progressive seasonal means. This is an example of how a conversation has gone:
Q: So what do you cook?
A: Besides cats, dogs and furry hamsters?
Q: No, I mean what kind of cuisine? What’s your style?
A: Well it’s not specific to region really, its a modern seasonal approach and progressive technical interpretations of mainly Western based cuisine in a sense. I’m not a big chemicals guy though…
Q: …
A: Umm, yea, like…ummm…. “new American”
Q: Oh so, like its like new burgers and fancy mac-and-cheese?
A: No.
Q: Oh, so what’s your signature or favorite dish?
A: <sigh>…
-My friend Cole and I were talking the other day about intentions, ambitions and pet projects and such. Along those lines, he put out a simple caveat that we both very much agree on:
(paraphrased)
Limitations are more likely to be self-imposed and unhappy byproducts of jaded experiences or skepticism. Sometimes being oblivious or ignorant to those limitations can be a great asset for success… or complete failure due to inexperience.
(paraphrased to you)
Take a look around, there’s always some dumb asshole that you can’t believe is your boss/superior. That dumb asshole could be you.
-Every time I see gratuitous nudity in a serious movie, I try to pay attention to the actress’ face. It’s what I like to call “the Eva Mendes, Training Day effect.”
-Jason Bourne, I mean, Matt Damon is a badass. Wicked haaaahhhddd.
-The Boston accent is quite possibly the least sexiest thing on the face of this planet. It can turn a really gorgeous woman into a gorgeous woman with a possible hint of brain damage. On the other end, total sucker for British, French and Dutch accents.
-It’s really weird to see Callum Blue from Secret Diary of a Call Girl as General Zod on Smallville. It’s really fucking up my world when I catch a rerun with him in Secret Diary. Weird.
-Why do I watch Secret Diary of a Call Girl? Bambi, that’s why.
-Why do I watch Smallville? I’m closet former comic dork, that’s why. I mean, Lois Lane, that’s why.
-It’s been a few weeks since I last had dim sum – an unprecedented streak.
-Have you had an experience where you went back to a place and immediately realized you perfectly ordered almost all the wrong items the first time, but everything else on the menu was fantastic the next 3 times? It just happened to me the other day. One-time review critics, take note.
-Why did I go back the second time? Because they had one signature item worth going back for – as deemed by me, myself and I.
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