Fork, a kind of pricey and what seemed to be slightly stuffy restaurant a few blocks from home (next to Joe Bar) went out of business a few months ago, or at least that's when I noticed that the restaurant seemed somewhat abandoned. While walking home from Joe Bar last night, Asra noticed a sign on the door: "opening soon! Coca La Ti Da! a new lounge" and obligatory web address.
Turns out that Coca La Ti Da is meant to be a "wonderful sexy dessert lounge", featuring not only desserts (of course), but cocktails and savory bites, with an emphasis on late night. A referenced article made talked about the dessert bar phenom in New York, which made me wonder if it would be similar to Chickalicious? Although, Chickalicious didn't quite have savory, making me think that it's going to be a bit closer to my beloved Citizen Cake. That's a happy thought :)
This is very exciting - Capitol Hill is slowly transitioning from seediness to a sophisticated level of practicality and and coolness, one step at a time, and the new dessert lounge is one sign of those changes. I am eagerly awaiting the opening...
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
basil + vodka = a new drink
Basil, one of my all-time favorite herbs, has become the drink flavor du jour. Both Citizen Cake and Nopa have basil-themed gimlets on their cocktail menus, and I have a feeling that I'll find a similar theme in Seattle. I suspect that basil has begun to replace ginger, and in two years, I'll notice that lemon thyme will have migrated into use (although it's worth pointing out that De Kas has already figured this out, adding a sprig of lemon thyme to a flute of champagne).
Last night, I tried my best to emulate Cake's basil gimlet, muddling the green with a bit of sugar, adding vodka and lime juice. I used Ketel One, they use Chopin, and while my drink was excellent, I think that a better quality vodka would also improve what is already very tasty. I would have used the Hangar One that Carrie ferried me from California, but decided no when I noticed that it is mandarin-flavored, which probably wouldn't go as well with the basil (but will make an excellent cosmo). About halfway through the drink, I remembered that Gabe gave me a bottle of high-end Polish vodka, so next chance, I'll dig that bad boy out from the back of the freezer and see how the drink turns out.
By the way, I was craving noodles and made pad thai last night, which I accompanied with a glass of pinot grigio. The Cooks Illustrated recipe outshames almost all restaurant pad thai. Not difficult to make and thankfully, not tasting of overly sweet candy, but rather nuanced and clean flavors that we expect in Thai food.
Last night, I tried my best to emulate Cake's basil gimlet, muddling the green with a bit of sugar, adding vodka and lime juice. I used Ketel One, they use Chopin, and while my drink was excellent, I think that a better quality vodka would also improve what is already very tasty. I would have used the Hangar One that Carrie ferried me from California, but decided no when I noticed that it is mandarin-flavored, which probably wouldn't go as well with the basil (but will make an excellent cosmo). About halfway through the drink, I remembered that Gabe gave me a bottle of high-end Polish vodka, so next chance, I'll dig that bad boy out from the back of the freezer and see how the drink turns out.
By the way, I was craving noodles and made pad thai last night, which I accompanied with a glass of pinot grigio. The Cooks Illustrated recipe outshames almost all restaurant pad thai. Not difficult to make and thankfully, not tasting of overly sweet candy, but rather nuanced and clean flavors that we expect in Thai food.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Six Months...
I've been thinking about "home" lately, or more explicity, what is home? Probably, because I can, without a doubt, admit that I am homesick. I miss San Francisco.
I miss the blanket of bone chilling fog that envelops the city. I miss my former neighborhood - not quite the projects, but the diversity and constantly changing Hayes Valley. I miss the urbanness that is the city of San Francisco - the houses and buildings stacked against each other, the contrasting colors, the vibrant people. Deliberately walking past Citizen Cake to gaze at the changing menu and desserts. The comfort of Blue Bottle and Momi Tobi's Cafe. The adventures with friends - new bars, restaurants and the familiarity of Thursday night kickball followed by debauchery at Kezar. Acme soudough. Mexican food. The fashion on Hayes st. And the list continues.
I've only been homesick like this twice in my life. The first, during my freshman year of college - the combination of a nasty roommate and anti-social suitemates lead to a very rough year. The second, when I moved from Berkeley to Sunnyvale. And now, the move from San Francisco to Seattle.
Don't get me wrong. Seattle is a fabulous place - it feels good. I've found great coffee and Lillet at Joe Bar and Venus and Matt's and other dining and grocery shopping and bars. The social life is coming together. Work is no longer an unhappy part of my life.
Which remind me. What is home? At a very basic level, it's a place to store our belongings. Really, it's how we view and construct the world and the people around us. It is our perceptions, what we are wiling to accept about ourselves and how we feel about our surroundings. It is more than just unpacking boxes - it is how we get our energy and view the world. Sometimes, this deeper feeling of home takes time to integrate, like my life in Berkeley. Other times, it never becomes a reality - my time in the South Bay. And when we're lucky, home immediately becomes where we are, my life in San Francisco.
Obviously, Seattle is in that first category for me. I'm making Seattle my home, not just in name, but in the more intimate perspective. It will happen. It has not quite been six months...
I miss the blanket of bone chilling fog that envelops the city. I miss my former neighborhood - not quite the projects, but the diversity and constantly changing Hayes Valley. I miss the urbanness that is the city of San Francisco - the houses and buildings stacked against each other, the contrasting colors, the vibrant people. Deliberately walking past Citizen Cake to gaze at the changing menu and desserts. The comfort of Blue Bottle and Momi Tobi's Cafe. The adventures with friends - new bars, restaurants and the familiarity of Thursday night kickball followed by debauchery at Kezar. Acme soudough. Mexican food. The fashion on Hayes st. And the list continues.
I've only been homesick like this twice in my life. The first, during my freshman year of college - the combination of a nasty roommate and anti-social suitemates lead to a very rough year. The second, when I moved from Berkeley to Sunnyvale. And now, the move from San Francisco to Seattle.
Don't get me wrong. Seattle is a fabulous place - it feels good. I've found great coffee and Lillet at Joe Bar and Venus and Matt's and other dining and grocery shopping and bars. The social life is coming together. Work is no longer an unhappy part of my life.
Which remind me. What is home? At a very basic level, it's a place to store our belongings. Really, it's how we view and construct the world and the people around us. It is our perceptions, what we are wiling to accept about ourselves and how we feel about our surroundings. It is more than just unpacking boxes - it is how we get our energy and view the world. Sometimes, this deeper feeling of home takes time to integrate, like my life in Berkeley. Other times, it never becomes a reality - my time in the South Bay. And when we're lucky, home immediately becomes where we are, my life in San Francisco.
Obviously, Seattle is in that first category for me. I'm making Seattle my home, not just in name, but in the more intimate perspective. It will happen. It has not quite been six months...
Monday, September 11, 2006
More Visitors!
Since Labor Day, I think I've had visitors about every other weekend. It's been great and I hope the trend continues. It's nice to see familiar faces.
Karen and Evan were the latest. Friends of friends, we met several years ago, and since, bonded over food and drink and chit chatting about whatever. They introduced me to the concept of having a Bay to Breakers party from the sidelines (I'll never forget passing out several pounds of bacon to the "serious" runners). Plus, Evan is an incredible griller.
Evan grilled tri-tip, basting it in wine-based bbq sauce (olive oil, garlic, cumin, pepper, wine, ketchup). Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate (Fall is setting in), so he walked me through the process of building a charcoal grill, but used gas for cooking. He also grilled up some veggies that I'd marinated in olive oil and balsamic, and then skewered potatoes for a grilled potato salad with arugula.
As expected, we went through plenty of wine. Following some appetizers and margaritas, we drank one of my favorites: a 2002 Dry Town Zinfandel from Amador County. This wine had originally arrived through my wine club, which I then took to Shane and Quan's house for dinner. Shane fell in love, and on a wine-themed road trip, he and Quan stopped at Dry Town, became friends with the owner and purchased a few bottles, one of which Shane gave me. The bottles were so fresh, they weren't even labelled. I let the bottle age for a few years, and it was perfect when we opened it on a Saturday night to enjoy while grilling.
For dinner, Karen and I chose a 2002 Amphora Falls Pinot from Mendocino, which complemented the tri-tip perfectly. We ended up with a 20005 Crios Malbec, not that great, but doable when it's the third bottle after a great meal. And it went well with the raspberry tart.
Karen and Evan were the latest. Friends of friends, we met several years ago, and since, bonded over food and drink and chit chatting about whatever. They introduced me to the concept of having a Bay to Breakers party from the sidelines (I'll never forget passing out several pounds of bacon to the "serious" runners). Plus, Evan is an incredible griller.
Evan grilled tri-tip, basting it in wine-based bbq sauce (olive oil, garlic, cumin, pepper, wine, ketchup). Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate (Fall is setting in), so he walked me through the process of building a charcoal grill, but used gas for cooking. He also grilled up some veggies that I'd marinated in olive oil and balsamic, and then skewered potatoes for a grilled potato salad with arugula.
As expected, we went through plenty of wine. Following some appetizers and margaritas, we drank one of my favorites: a 2002 Dry Town Zinfandel from Amador County. This wine had originally arrived through my wine club, which I then took to Shane and Quan's house for dinner. Shane fell in love, and on a wine-themed road trip, he and Quan stopped at Dry Town, became friends with the owner and purchased a few bottles, one of which Shane gave me. The bottles were so fresh, they weren't even labelled. I let the bottle age for a few years, and it was perfect when we opened it on a Saturday night to enjoy while grilling.
For dinner, Karen and I chose a 2002 Amphora Falls Pinot from Mendocino, which complemented the tri-tip perfectly. We ended up with a 20005 Crios Malbec, not that great, but doable when it's the third bottle after a great meal. And it went well with the raspberry tart.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Ratatouille!
I found a link on Simply Recipes for a new Pixar film - Ratatouille - not about the actual food, but of a Parisian rat in who loves French/good food. While this premise may sound a bit lame, Brad Bird, the Pixar genius behind The Incredibles (such a great film that I even bought the DVD before seeing it), I have high hopes. Plus, what could be bad about a movie revolving around French food and one's quest to eat well???
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