culture up

An outing with some of my co-workers...

Dinner at Zare at Fly Trap on Folsom at 2nd Street...

the mouthwatering menu

sorry for the blurry picture! Cocktail of the night: minted memory, complete with a long cucumber shaving

pistachio meatballs... sweet and savory

lamb abgoosht... the chef recommends that you let the crusty bread soak in the broth
while you scoop up some lamb...

and make yourself a little roll with bread and pickled... pickles? It was tasty!

goat cheese cheesecake (so rich!) with dates and walnuts

"not your grandma's pie..." another incarnation of the deconstruction trend.
Still tasty!

my friend went crazy for the gin-soaked cucumber at the bottom of my glass!

What's the occasion? To fill up before a night at the ballet.

Say what!? The last time I went to the ballet, I fell asleep to Balanchine's ode to the bodily humors.

But thanks to Groupon and the recommendation of one of my co-workers, we all went to Smuin Ballet's Spring Program, featuring a tribute to the Beatles! The dancing was fun, fresh, cheeky, and not snooze-worthy at all. The choreography for "Something" was especially beautiful. And you know what? The fun wasn't limited to the Beatles stuff. Momentum was really engaging and eye-opening, and Requiem was poetic (but a bit slow.)

My only criticism is that there was one dancer - who shall go unnamed - who could use a lesson in tucking from the queens of RuPaul's Drag Race... go on, Carmen Carrera! I mean, everyone was in a leotard but there was only one who stood out, and he stood out by a lot. Honestly, it was a bit distracting.