Claudine "bonequinha" C.'s Profile

Words cannot express how truly awful this show is.  Please don't get suckered in by the discounts being handed out at every corner of the Luxor Hotel. Please don't make the mistake of purchasing tickets ahead of time. Shocked and appalled that Cirque du Soleil would lend their name to this sad excuse for entertainment.

I've been following Joel around for years! From Blade Runners to Firehorse, and now it's so awesome that he's opened up his own awesome, cozy business at Orange!

Joel's always got an amazing eye for details and design - from the fabulous antique barber chairs lovingly restored and his own custom-designed work stations he built with a friend... *and* he's equally as meticulous with your hair. I can't imagine what would happen if he were to move out of San Francisco...

I do believe he's by appointment only, so stop by and grab a card and make sure to email in advance.

We've been looking for a teeth-cleaning service for our Harlow for a long time. Hopefully it :
1) is close to home
2) doesn't cost $500 and up (price quoted to us by various vets)

We spotted a sign in the GreenPawz window, called 1 day to enquire, and, upon finding out about the $110 price, immediately booked a session.

Laura, the hygeinist, met Harlow when I showed up for our appointment, cooed over her, handled her mouth gently, established great rapport and gave her treats. Cleanings will take about an hour and I darted off to Haight street for some shopping to while away the time.

Laura gave a full verbal and written assessment afterwards and recommended that I only needed to bring our puppy back after 6 months. They have a monthly maintenance plan for $21 (recommended for small dogs); one for every 2 months and one for every 3 months. She dissuaded me from all these, adding that the maintenance plans ended up being more expensive than just coming every 6 months, that Harlow's teeth were in very good shape and that a half-year checkup was all she really needed.

So excited to have found our permanent doggie hygienist!

Green Pawz also seems to be a great little shop for grooming (we'll try them sometime) and other well-curated pet items.

Kimchee Soon-doobu chiggae is a staple at our house - a fairly simple but oh-so-tasty one-pot stew that simmers for a while and fills the home with all sorts of wonderful smells.

First Korean was where I found all my pantry items for those soon doobu cravings -
1) tubes of silken tofu
2) large packets of beef dashida when I don't want to have to make a broth base from scratch
3) tubs of gochujang and doenjang (bean pastes)
4) huge jars of house-made kimchee
5) barley and mixed grain packets of rice amendments
6) dried anchovies for when I'm feeling ambitious and do want to make stock
7) a great selection of banchan - my favourites are spinach, soy bean sprouts, tiny marinated fish, cucumber kimchee, fish cake and lotus root.
8) a nice small selection of fresh and perky(!) produce: leek, green onion, chiles, napa cabbage and cucumbers, and seasonal asian pears among other items of  course...

I love that they also carry salted shrimp in jars should I ever venture to make my own kimchee, in addition to jars-to-tubs of red pepper flakes... Tasty pre-marinated meats abound as well for your BBQ'ing desires (kalbi and bulgoki mixes...). I also like the prepared foods at the cash register - kimbap, veggie pajeon) sometimes given away free towards the end of the day .  

I just wish First Korean were nearer to home; we go through lots of Kimchee at the house and those mass-market bottles of King's at Andronico's just don't compare...

Utterly cute, brand-spankin'-new cafe that replaces Dragonfly.  Open from 11-11, targetting students and foodies alike with alluring promises of free wifi (sign says 1 hour free with 1-item purchase), Blue Bottle coffee and Bi-Rite ice cream to accompany fresh made-to-order waffles.

They are so new (opened Weds 12/8/10) that the inside still looks a bit unfinished, the merch shelves still a bit bare (they have a nice selection of teas and some hand-crafted scarves/ super-cute neck-warmers).  They are so new that espresso drinks won't be available until sometime next week, and their credit card system is still not working.

But! They have drip coffee and au lait drinks, smoothies, and yes - sweet and savory waffle offerings.  A Brie-and-apple-and-Prosciutto sandwich with either soup (pumpkin and onion today) or salad runs you about $8.10 - with sales tax already included in the price.  Drip coffee is $2.50; plain soy milk behind the counter upon request.

I've visited 3 days straight every day since Friday and currently they have a free waffle bite on offer with every order of coffee or smoothie.  The waffle bite comes hot, with a beautiful salty-caramel crust on the outside.  I'm excited about this fine addition to the 'hood.

Great language school, fantastic value - they *just* raised the tuition from $150 (33 hours) to $160 for the upcoming Winter Semester, but it's still an unbelievable price for the amount of time/ quality of instruction you'll receive.  

The husband and I signed up for Beginning 1 (conversation + reading/ writing) in preparation for an upcoming Spring 2011 trip to Japan - we're hoping to get by without having to join a tour.   Classes are 3 hours once a week (we chose Saturday afternoons from 1-4pm), which was perfect for us since we commute to Mountain View for work and have limited time in the evenings.

Classes are very organized and regular attendance is crucial if you want to pass/ move on the the next level.  I appreciated Hoke Sensei going over all the rules/ requirements during the first class. Expectations are set so there are no surprises.  She is a wonderful, energetic and very friendly instructor, making classes fun, non-intimidating and accessible.  Oral participation is a large part of the class - working with a partner on dialogs/ grammar makes up about 2/3 of your 3 hours; then during the last 45 minutes or so we worked on Hirigana - the first of the building blocks in learning to read/ write Japanese.  Next semester we move on to Katakana, and eventually, hopefully, if we make it to additional levels, Kanji.  There is homework every week, and occasional quizzes, but again, these are low-key and don't add up to a grade.  

Perhaps 90% of your "grade" (or rather, the score that determines whether you're able to move on to the next level) depends on your final exam - which you begin to prepare for during the last 2-3 classes before the date.  Easy enough if you've been attending class, participating and doing the homework.... truly not a huge burden for working folks.

I highly recommend this school - excited for the next session, even if classes for Beg 2 now start at 9am on Saturdays...

A note - parking can be difficult, but not impossible.  If you have to drive, do leave at least a 15-minute buffer to find parking.

I had the pleasure of attending Kimika Soko Takechi and Larry Sokyo Tiscornia's Kaiseki Workshop yesterday.  These lovely folks teach Chanoyu - the art of tea ceremony - in addition to giving workshops in Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweet-making), and Kaiseki, the wonderful several course meal that can accompany tea-ceremonies.

Note - this particular Kaiseki is not the elaborate and uber-extravagant 7-12 course feast; rather, it's cha-kaiseki, and we learned its basic components of  "one soup, 3 dishes."

I found out about the workshop through the Japanese Cultural and Community Center's newsletter and signed up by calling the JCCCNC directly, where  you'll be able to pay via credit card.

The 2.5-hour class is held in the kitchens of the JCCCNC - mostly demonstration with fantastic narration on the cultural context as well as useful cooking techniques in preparation of the 4-course Kaiseki.

The Senseis made:
Ebishinjo - steamed prawn dumplings served in dashi - they have a *fantastic* recipe for making dashi stock, and the proper way/ proportions to make it.
Kaibashira no Kobujime - kelp-marinated scallops
TatakiGobo (pounded burdock root with gomae - sesame dressing)
Susbasu - Vinegared lotus root
Sekihan - "red rice," or rice with adzuki beans

Larry-san and Kimika-san trained in Kyoto at the Urasenke School of Tea for 6 years and are treasure troves of knowledge and experience - giving tips on where to source good products in San Francisco (Trader Joe's has beautiful flash-frozen scallops with no additives, straight from Japan; Rainbow has powdered pure wasabi powder that is real wasabi and not just horseradish and green food colouring).  

Towards the end of the class, students are able to help plate the numerous bowls for the different courses, and partake of a wonderful, authentic and super-oishi cha-kaiseki.

Anyone who loves Japanese food (no, this is not sushi, but there could be a raw fish course), is interested in Japanese culture and cooking techniques, will adore this class, as I do. I'll be signing up again and again, as the dishes will change with the seasons.

What a beautiful, well-maintained and large off-leash dog park! We visited once with our pup, giving her a short outing from her dog hotel... we like the large expanse of space, the gentle rolling "hills" and slight slopes, the patches of shade trees that dotted the landscape.

Reading Nate's story is inspirational as well - heartening to see what was once an unwanted patch of land turned into something useful and wonderful ...

The husband & I were in San Diego for my sister's wedding- she had found the Golden Paw for us since it happened to be close to her home,  the wedding venue and hotel.

I called to make reservations and arranged for an evaluation prior to our arrival in San Diego.  We were instructed to send in Harlow's proof of vaccinations via fax or email.  When we arrived in SD, we were a bit late for Harlow's evaluation - they would have to do this in the morning.  She was shown instead to her room - it was long and narrow, but came with a doggie cam for us to check in on her.  The next morning, Golden Paw called and left  a message to say that Harlow had passed her evaluation and was green-lighted to be in the general play area with other pups, equipped with a video cam as well.

We had opted for the private "luxury" suite ($52 in July 2010) and asked for an all-day play option ($15 extra for 8 hours of play).  It was well worth being able to check in on Harlow in the big room, interacting with other dogs.

The location was perfect, and we were able to stop by on one of the days when we did not have wedding obligations to give Harlow an outing in the park for about an hour or so... the facilities were bright and clean, the staff professional and friendly, and a couple of them seemed genuinely interested in the dogs in their charge.

I'm writing this as I sit at Nani's right now, enjoying  the free Wifi and a delicious pressed panini sandwich of mesquite chicken, provolone and pesto.  Red Velvet Cake comes with a nice cream cheese frosting and additional whipped cream on the side; the teas, scooped from shiny canisters are actually tea leaves, not that powdered stuff in pre-packaged bags!

The blue walls are rustic and charming, the classical music soothing, and the proprietors uber-sweet.  I'm also impressed by their amazing bookshelf of quality fiction/ literature -old and new classics, as well as their well-stocked magazine rack of New Yorkers & Economists - far better than any medical waiting room.

I wish we had a Nani's in my neighborhood!