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It was another whirlwind weekend of social events. You are probably as sick of it as I am. ;) I purposely declined any invites for Sunday outings just so I could stay home and do laundry. I had four loads to do and my room looked like a tornado had blown through it. Everything is in order now but I'm kind of dreading September as all of my weekends have just filled up. Woo. On Friday, I had dinner with Tyee, who I haven't seen in months despite the fact that we work not too far from each other. She recently got engaged and I've added her wedding to my list of two for next year. Yes, just two so far. I'm thrilled for her but quite honestly I want to rip apart any new invitations that arrive in the mail. :) Love, it's a wonderful thing.
On Saturday, Betty and Evan were married at a private estate in Palo Alto. It was one of the prettiest and shortest ceremonies of the summer. They tied the knot in a record time of just ten minutes! She looked absolutely amazing and I even started crying when I saw her walk down the aisle. Their Chinese banquet was back up in the city however so I got ready at Ada's place to save on gas and time. After a long dinner with three hundred of their close friends and family, I left as the dancing got started to attend Annie's birthday party at 111 Minna. No, it never really does end for me. It was an 80s themed party with lots of crazy outfits, awesome music and many polaroid photos. Happy birthday Annie darling!
Happy day of birth to this guy I know, who is always there for me .
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I haven't taken a vacation in about a year, and I'm totally stir-crazy. So I am super-excited about my mini-vacay this weekend, to San Francisco, for Slow Food Nation. Woo hoo!
Slow Food Nation is a 4-day festival dedicated to the slow food movement and all that it stands for: dining as a source of pleasure, sitting down at the table to eat, using simple, high-quality ingredients, using food to bring a sense of community back... you get the idea. Now, personally, I am not opposed to fast food (although I try not to eat it) -- but I really love good food. One of the best things about my childhood was that we ate as a family at the dinner table every night. It not only encouraged my brother and I to appreciate fresh, good food, but it also fomented other skills -- we learned how to be comfortable talking with older people, we debated issues, we learned table manners. These are definitely things I want to encourage in my own children some day.
This is the first year Slow Food Nation will be held in the U.S. There's a lot going on. There's a marketplace full of food vendors selling local food. There are seminars given by people like Alice Waters and Michael Pollan. There are food tastings galore, tours going to local farms and wineries, picnics, a rock concert...
For all you foodies, I'm going to try to blog each day I'm there (but if not, after I get back). Here's a sneak peak of my itinerary:
Thursday night: Depart for San Francisco. Check into Hotel Tomo and grab a late dinner.
Friday: Free day. We may head over to the Slow Food marketplace at the civic center, to check out all the food booths and garden exhibits. Maybe we'll do a little shopping and sight-seeing around San Francisco, too. On Friday night, our friends Sean & Mae arrive. Perhaps dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Colibri?
Saturday: Spa treatments for everyone at Kabuki Springs, which is right at or next to our hotel. At 5pm, the honey and I have tickets for the Taste Pavillion. It includes food tastings at all the booths.... beer, cheese, olive oil, ice cream, charcuterie, honey & preserves, oh heaven, the list goes on! You'll have to click the link if you want to see everything, because if I keep typing about it I'll get hungry.
Sunday: "Mendocino County: America's Greenest Wine Region" -- all day tour to Mendocino County wineries. We'll start with a visit to Real Goods Solar Living Institute, then Olivino Olive Mill (more tastings!). Then we go to SIP! Mendocino for tastings and a picnic lunch. We finish off with stops at Golden Vineyards and Bonterra Vineyards. Since I haven't been to any of these places, I'm exicted to try some new things. The honey is really into sustainable energy, so I think he'll really enjoy the solar living institute.
Sunday night: Dinner at Laiola restaurant with friends.
Monday: Free day. We'll check out anything at Slow Food Nation that we missed, and round up our sight seeing. Lunch: last chance to try a new restaurant! Maybe we'll head over to the Ferry building. I know I need to try the Slanted Door, though not sure it's open for lunch.
Ok kids, full report soon to come!
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My faves - olives and Prosecco!
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Which side of your family do you resemble more?
Hmmm... you tell me:
Here are my parents...
And here's me:
At first glance, most people say I look more like my mom. But I think my dad and I have a lot of similar features and mannerisms. (For instance, I do have the Irish unibrow, but I pluck it).
The restaurant is tiny and you sit really close to neighboring tables but it makes the entire experience rather cozy. Just don't talk about private matters too loudly because everyone will hear. They have a really affordable prix-fixe menu that changes weekly. The wine list is great and they never leave your glass empty. Service was a bit spotty last night but we were given extra glasses of port to make up for it.
I went with the four plate option because the tasting fish of the evening was scallops served in a bed of risotto. Amazing. We split British Columbia oysters, appetizers of seared foie gras and frisee with duck confit. All three of us ordered the filet mignon because you really can't pass up steak at a French restaurant. It came with browned asparagus and house potatoes sauteed in garlic. All of it was so, sooooo good.
For dessert we ordered an apple crumble and a trio of sorbet. The owner's wife gave us an extra third dessert of warm chocolate cake. We closed down the restaurant with a hefty bill of $375 after all the champagne and wine. Absolutely fantastic. Definitely one of my favorite places in San Francisco now.
My 3-year anniversary to the honey is coming up on August 31. Yay.... except that he is the world's most difficult person to shop for.
Now, I know what you may be thinking: "Hapa, you're not married yet, do you even have to do presents?" That's what I thought before, and last year I just got him a card, a fancy microbrew beer and a bar of Chuao chocolate. Then, he gave me a present: a small box. With a pair of sapphire and diamond earrings inside.
Am I complaining? Hell no! But all of a sudden my beer gift seemed a little paltry.
Normally I'm not into one-upping on material gifts, but I'd love to just get him something he likes. Most of the presents I've gotten him have been marginal at best, except for clothes but that's boring. (GPS was returned after it crashed, he hasn't used the bluetooth headset....).
So, dear readers, I'm tapping you for ideas. I don't need to go blow a huge chunk of change, but I'd like to get something either cool or thoughtful. Suggestions?
Here's some guidance on the honey:
- If he really wants something, he usually buys it himself
- He really enjoys travelling, but I did get him a trip to Catalina Island for his birthday a couple weeks ago
- He likes only the finest quality of whatever he's buying (I'm not kidding. I told him to try on an Ermenegildo Zegna shirt that was on sale a couple years ago, and now that's like the only brand he buys!)
- He likes really elegant design
- He's an engineer but doesn't really like gadgets/electronics
- He surfs
- He's tall
- We've already built out an extensive tiki mug collection
- He likes trying new experiences
Alright, hit me with some ideas!
