new view

Muddy is moving away and we can't stop him (or haven't lashed him to a couch yet) so I decided to treat him to his last ballgame at AT&T Park on Tuesday's match against the Diamondbacks. Instead of the usual View Reserve seats on the top deck, I tried seats in a different area of the ballpark. I was thrilled with the view from these arcade seats, as you can tell...

Pre-game, the Coors Deck next to section 145 is pretty empty. The deck has fancy seats and heaters to keep people warm.

Even with my six year-old camera, I was able to get a few nice shots of Buster Posey stretching. That is how close I am!

I'm even closer to outfielder Gregor Blanco, who started out in right field that night. He ended up tossing a ball into the section I was sitting in, but due to my miscalculation and hands full of hot chocolate, neither I nor Muddy ended up with the ball. Maybe next time!

Buster at bat!

Vogelsong nabbed quite a few strikeouts.

Melky added two hits that night and ended up beating Willie Mays' record for the most hits by a Giant in May!

Giants ended up winning 3-1, I found a fabulous new place to watch games, and Muddy got a kick out of almost getting a game-used ball... If only I wasn't in the way!

her favorite place

After completing her first year of law school, Cabbage came up to unwind at her favorite place: Triple Rock Brewery on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. The brew of choice? Thursday-only's Monkey Head Arboreal Ale. At just $9 per liter, they're prefect for sharing... because sharing is caring!

The potency of the super-beer and the petite glasses bring back memories of jungle beer in the Amazon... what can I say? I'm in a jungle mood.

A few fun sidenotes:

• Triple Rock was established in 1986. That makes the pub as old as Cabbage and I. (Unfortunately Super Mario Bros. precedes me by two years and The Legend of Zelda by one.)
• Both the Golden Gate Bridge and Krispy Kreme Donuts were "born" in 1937, so they too share a birth year. Happy 75th to both!

the other sun

After nearly burning her retinas, Mumsy proceeded to secure a dog to fill the empty space that Johnny "Mochiball" Cat doesn't fill. He looks irresistible with his shiny coat and surplus jigglyness but trust me, he can resist humans.

a hungry love...

So Mumsy decided that even though Johnny is quite precious in his own way, she wanted something she could cuddle every night. After stalking the SPCA's website and hunting on craigslist, she finally settled on one lovely pooch.

Meet Soleil Bambi, a 1 year-old girl of unknown breed with the most beautiful golden eyes and coat. She's energetic and can jump like a cat and so far, has no qualms about showing us her affectionate side during her first hours with us.

Soleil loves nothing more than to lick my face and scratch my chest.
Ouch, girl.

She was formerly known as Sparkle for her eyes but I found the name a bit out of place for our family. I proposed that we pick a "sun" name since we got her on the day of the infamous annular solar eclipse. Mumsy picked the French word for sun, soleil. Mumsy also ended up christening Soleil with her first nickname, Bambi, for her penchant for leaping around. Given Soleil's adorable face and her happy and adoring personality, I'm sure that many more nicknames will pop up in no time.

By the way, Johnny Cat is quite territorial and hasn't let up on his "growling" whenever he sees Soleil. In return, Soleil barks at the Mochiball on sight. These two have a lot of sharing to do!

what not to do: solar eclipse

As Mumsy and I drove around this afternoon, we saw lots of people gathering outside to try and watch the annular solar eclipse. Some experts had telescopes (hope they used a solar filter.) Others went low-tech with colanders on garage doors or homemade pinhole cameras taller than the children looking into the box.

And then there's my mom, who thinks that wearing two pairs of sunglasses will allow her to safely view the eclipse.

Ingenious?

She never listens to me. And I love her, but not for that.

p-p-p-panda!

Last Wednesday was Carnaval at AT&T Park and they could not have picked a foggier, windier, chillier night for this special event... but I have to give props to the Queen of Carnaval, who fearlessly samba-d in her bedazzled bikini despite the weather. Now if only the Giants had brought the same fierceness to the ballfield...

The Carnaval dancers and band played outside the Marina Gate...

... and right before the game.

But all is well because I have a new Chia Pet! Unfortunately it doesn't really resemble his panda daddy but this is a real Chia Pet, made of absorbent Terra Cotta. Maybe this time I can actually watch it grow (ahem Brian Wilson!)

my new favorite store

You may have noticed that when it comes to frequenting large retailers, I'm a bit sheltered. As it turns out I recently found my way into another fun store, namely Cost Plus World Market. And now I want to live there.

Cost Plus World Market's colorful globe-trotting style reminds me of Pier 1 Imports, except that Cost Plus doesn't push customers to sign up for a credit card. In addition, Cost Plus shows an extensive kitchen collection, giftwrap supplies with prints worthy of Crowded Teeth and Loyal Army, and a fun selection of quirky candy and foodstuffs sourced from all around the world. This is my new go-to store for almost everything (fresh food still needs to come from a proper supermarket or greengrocer, for now...)

Check out this unassuming vase in the likeness of a brown paper bag:

The sassy vase elevates a simple bouquet of tulips to a gift worthy of Tater's graduation ceremony (she got her Masters in Social Work, bless her heart.)

Just today I returned to use my first 10% coupon and snag these ceramic milk bottle vases for myself. The clean lines and modern white can blend with anyone's aesthetic but I picked these for the kitschy design concept.

After passing through the candy aisle, I couldn't resist this Super Mario 1-Up mushroom tin full of sour candy. But the Hello Kitty candy dispenser is purely functional: it's a fully-functioning electric fan!

grrrits!

Beachside Cafe is one of my favorite places for afternoon brunch thanks to its proximity, price point, and palate-pleasing properties. I've never ordered bad food there!

Take this Country Boy breakfast: fried eggs and homemade sausage top a heaping pile of cheesy grits. The grits were warm and the sausage was very herby... you could tell that someone took a lot of time making that little porker.

But this time I actually thought of something to complain about, yet I kept it to myself... there's too much grits! This cornmeal mass is very filling and the serving size pretty much overwhelmed me. I'm not a fan of wasting food so I tried very hard to finish my plate but I had to concede defeat to the glorified corn bits and leave a handful in the bowl. Those grits took me down!

party of crazies

It finally happened.

Last Saturday, at the Fox Theater in Oakland... I finally got to see Calle 13 live!

photo taken by my guy... with his super smartphone!
Let's face it: I need a new camera.

The set drew mostly from their newest album Entren los que quieren (enter those who want to) but a few older songs slipped into the night. Hearing "No hay nadie como tú" (there is no one like you) straight from Residente's mouth was an otherworldy experience. The band was jammin' hard, Residente and PG-13 were jumping all over the stage, and Visitante kept whipping out psychedelic accordion after another. Residente and PG-13 have un montón of energy and put on a fantastic show of Spanish-language genre-melting fun.

Once the music started, there was no way I was leaving my perch... which meant that my very gracious Guy and his friend were getting me drinks from the bar. They knew how long I had been waiting for this show, but it never hurts to say it again, so Thank you D & G (not Dolce & Gabbana.)

And of course, big thanks to Calle 13 for returning to the Bay Area so I could have another chance at seeing them!

bamboo 2

Last week I completed the tour of Bamboo Asia on Montgomery Street and visited the Japan counter when the line was short. This is the Dynamite Roll, which already stands at the bargain of 10 pieces for $8. The roll is made to order and packed with fresh salmon, crab, avocado, smelt roe, and a touch of mango. Definitely not your traditional sushi but it's also definitely savory and cheap. This lunch - which comes packaged in biodegradable containers - fills you up without stuffing you.

After tasting dishes from all three of the counters at Bamboo Asia, I've concluded that the Vietnam and Japan bars are downright delicious. Hey, two out of three ain't bad!

don't rupologize!

Big congratulations to Sharon Needles, the winner of Season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race and the first ever winner where the American public had a say in the final decision!

image courtesy of google image search

This was one of the funner reunion shows... Latrice Royale won Miss Congeniality (as if she wouldn't!) and the insanely gorgeous yet insanely annoying Willem redeemed herself by coining the word "rupologize." Charo made an appearance to "translate" for little Kenya Michaels and Phi Phi O'Hara actually apologized. Sort of.

RuPaul's Drag U starts in just one month but I can't wait for Season 5 of the Drag Race! There's no television program more fabulous than a weekly date with RuPaul!

a little spicier than I remember

En route to our grand night of Maná, Tater and I stopped by Brasa on University Avenue in Berkeley to try out the new Peruvian place on the block...

With a name like Brasa (roughly "grill" in Spanish,) you know this place has got to serve pollo a la brasa. Tried it in a sandwich version and, well, it was very different.

The sandwich doesn't taste terribly Peruvian but that doesn't mean it wasn't good! The chicken has more of a fire-in-your-mouth spice than a flavorful, fragrant spiciness, and there's nary a hint of garlic or lime in the mix. So what if it doesn't taste like the chicken from Peru? It's still tender and tasty, and the extra spice shook me out of my expectations.

An unexpected plus was the bread... nice and crusty but not too hard (it won't stab your palate.) I think the bread actually reminded me of the little rolls we'd get from the supermarket in Lima, so that was authentic for me.

The chicken and bread were delicious in their own ways but I think the sandwich could benefit from an extra helping of ají sauce. The chicken wasn't dry, I think I prefer it saucy mostly because that's how I eat my Peruvian rotisserie chicken.

Despite the small size, there seemed to be a bit of trouble getting an order of sweet potato fries in a timely manner. Also, the waitress allowed Tater and I to wander around, debating whether or not to bus our own table for quite a while. That was weird.

But I'd like to end on a happy note. Besides offering delicious hot sandwiches at happy prices, Brasa has some very good chicha morada and is the only place I know that serves the juice of the maracuya, a fruit similar to mango but with a sour twist.

Maná!

Tater and I were at Oracle Arena last night, swaying to the heart-wrenching sounds of Mexican supergroup Maná. El verdadero amor perdona!

m

do brasil

For absolutely no reason other than chance, I finally took a looksie at the hullabaloo following Macy's Annual Flower Show. This year's theme is Brasil and the magical journey that buying stuff from Macy's will supposedly bring you.

Actually, Macy's can thank my mom for not having secured an outfit to wear to my sister's fast-approaching wedding until last weekend. That's when I spotted the most adorable little cups imprinted with the face of a sloth. That's right, a sloth - my jungle love. Designed by renowned Brazilian architect and designer Marcelo Rosenbaum and priced by Macy's at the happy price of $20, this little coffee ensemble is a fun way to color your table.

I didn't buy it right away. Instead I bided my time until yesterday, when Macy's heavily-advertised Friends and Family discount was in full swing. I ended up snagging this 12-piece coffee set for just $15!

I don't even drink coffee, and I love it! $15 have never made me smile this much.

cantilevers are for houses, not buses

Ever since my earliest bus riding days as a preteen, I'd always wondered how those MUNI bus seats stay up when they're essentially cantilevered off the side of the bus. "What magical engineering this is!" I used to think.

Not today! Today's Nx left two passengers stunned and speechless and a bus full of passengers snapping photos. No one was hurt so the bus driver carried on, but not without advising a passenger to file a complaint card.

The view from my seat... my safe seat in the back that rests on solid matter and not a triangle of tubing attached to the faux wood siding.

a telltale sign of Muni's dependability

From this view you can see that these two benches were supported by a single screw connecting the pole to the cup. That screw is now missing.

Just when you thought the bus was safe... oh wait, no one thinks that! When you flash those transit cards, choose your seats carefully!

good to know

When the apocalypse comes, I know just where to be...

If this is what it looks like when you're "in fire" - and it's pretty pleasant at 1 o'clock in the afternoon - then bring it on, end of the world!

Food Truck Face-off: Korean food

I had the good fortune to eat from Seoul on Wheels and Koja this week... who prevailed?

On Sunday the ever-popular Seoul on Wheels popped by the Surfriders Earth Day block party on Taraval Street and 46th Avenue... for me, this was the highlight of the street closure as there were very few vendors and attractions here. After starting a mid-afternoon snackfest, I snapped up some photos of the truck so you know what to look for...

Late lunch of the day: a Korrito, a burrito stuffed with kalbi, Korean-style BBQ'd short ribs, and rice. The combination is good, the flavors are exciting and there's plenty of beef. However, I prefer my kalbi to have a stronger garlicky taste from the marinade and a slightly charred quality from the charcoal grill... seeing as how it'd be a pretty bad idea to have a charcoal grill inside a vehicle, I let it slide and happily munched my Korrito. The honey citron drink in the back is quite good!

Today my baseball crew found Koja at the Truckstop. We were instantly taken with the promise of buns made of toasted rice and the fancy TVs showing off the menu. As you can read, Koja serves up dishes with Korean and Japanese flavors. I guess I ordered pretty much from the Korean side of the menu...

Today's gut-busting lunch was the Kamikaze combo with kimchi and more galbi! On the left is the truck's novel koja, a sandwich with toasted cauldron rice in place of bread or bun. The sandwich could've been hotter temperature-wise but the flavors were fantastic! The beef was bathed in a strong marinade and grilled over the fire... you could tell with the small blackened spots of goodness. I loved the flavors... the sesame oil, the crisp lettuce, the sour kimchi... this little koja sandwich was truly Korean.

On the right are some of the most delicious fries I have ever tasted! Cross-cut potatoes are loaded with tons of BBQ'd beef (bulgogi,) green onions, sweet and spicy chile sauce, and the most amazing shellfish-laden kimchi. Savory and spicy and sweet... these fries are divine... they bring back that magical aura of your very first meal from a food truck. They are that good.

So whose beef do I prefer to eat? Seoul on Wheels has a solid hot Korrito, a complete meal for $8 but the beef is not quite as flavorful as that of Koja. Koja's namesake sandwiches are perfect in terms of flavor but the handheld pockets of rice would benefit from a turn on the grill. Each koja looks small at just $5.50 - $6.50 each but they are very filling. The Kamikaze Combo is too much food for one person so if you can't find someone with which to share and you must choose, choose the Kamikaze fries. You'll never look at loaded fries the same way again.

So, despite the cool temperature of the food, I declare Koja the winner! Novel, flavorful, and downright tasty saves the day!

sunny days

Those rare days of above-70-degree warmth are coming to a close... while you were out, did you see the snowy plovers on Ocean Beach?

Funny how they're called snowy plovers when it doesn't snow here.

It was so warm that everyone flocked outside to soak it up, even if their rides weren't in tip-top condition...

At least now we know that a single rubber band can hold up your rearview mirror!

It was so lovely outside that I felt like eating al fresco at Beachside Cafe again... my guy got the mushroom and gruyere egg scramble. Those two cute little patties are his breakfast potato croquettes! Fancy!

I veered off the waffle path and tried the Beachside Benedict... the only similarity between this and a standard benedict are the poached eggs. In place of ham or Canadian bacon, Beachside serves a much thicker and heartier piece of pork... it feels and tastes like a pork chop pounded thin. The hollandaise sauce is spiked with a tangy element that freshens up the entire plate. And in place of English muffins, Beachside bakes their own oregano-studded popovers... they provide a delicious crusty alternative to everyone else's benedict.

Well, this sunny weather is about to end. All the meteorologists are betting on rain tomorrow, so bust out the rainboots and umbrellas!

the vote is on!

She meant it when she said that they were breaking all the rules... instead of crowning a new winner this season, RuPaul is making all the dolls wait until next week! AGH!

Are you cheering for Chad Michaels (fifth from left,) Phi Phi O'Hara (fifth from right,) or Sharon Needles (third from right)? This year's contest has been absolutely glamorous in the most bizarre way!

image courtesy of google image search

And it appears that this time around, the viewers have a voice. Head on over to facebook to vote for the winner of Season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race!

this is madness

It's the music group with the perfect name, playing at the Warfield last Thursday...

Oh this was a fun show... all these nice British men in suits playing those guitars and brass for all their worth. It's pretty amazing how much their voices haven't changed and how much stamina the group has. I like to think that they were spurred on by the audience, especially the down-in-fronters. As you can see, the lower tier of the concert was very crowded... and it soon became a very violent-looking mosh pit. Lucky for me, my guy had secured a spot for us along the rail in the second tier and we were safe from the mob.

Fun and Madness.
Photo taken by my date, on his iphone.
Funny how phones can take better pictures than my little old camera...

During "Baggy Trousers," crazy saxophonist Lee Thompson climbed up onto the amps to play. Understandably, the crowd urged him to jump. After a wink to me (my date swears that Mr. Thompson was looking at me and all I could think of to do was scream) the little bald man tipped himself in. To their credit, the crowd did not let Lee Thompson touch the floor and returned him to the stage, though they had some trouble with that.

Lee Thompson... look for his head just to the right of the fist in the center.

Ah, my back!

My guy and I agree... concerts are so much better when the band is really into it and having fun with the audience.

in the house of bamboo

Bamboo Asia on Montgomery is temptingly close to my office, so I finally gave in and tried the place. The cafeteria-style eatery serves up freshly-assembled Indian, Japanese, and Vietnamese-inspired lunches, all for a simple $8 per meal. I say inspired because, well, you'll see.

Meals - whether you choose a salad, rice/noodle bowl, wrap, or sushi plate - are made right in front of you.

The selection at the Indian counter.

I have been wanting to try the Poppy Seed Beef Salad from the Vietnamese counter for a while and I was very happy I finally got around to tasting this. You can't tell from this photo but there is a lot of beef here. The beef cubes are marinated in a delicious tangy "spicy shaking beef" sauce, though the beef isn't very hot temperature-wise. There are a lot of different fresh vegetables in the salad but enough beef to keep any meat-lovers happy. The dressing is light and tangy and made for a lunch that satiated me yet did not put me to sleep. This Poppy Seed Beef Salad is a winner!

A week or two ago I had come in and tried the Indian counter because it had the shortest line. Now I know why. The curries here are very bland... this is a Chicken Tikka Guacamole Wrap made with tomato curry... now maybe there's no such thing as tomato curry in Indian fare and that's why the wrap bombed or maybe it was the inclusion of the rich guacamole but this wrap had very little Indian flavor whatsoever. The wrap is a nice size for $8 and you get a fair amount of chicken but it tastes like watered-down guacamole more than anything. If you want Indian food, you should walk to an actual Indian restaurant.