eje

Fridge shot coming. This is my favorite picture from when they were kittens.

Today's porridge is old-fashioned rolled oats again. Fruit garnish is mixed dried fruit from a farmers' market vendor. Cherries, pears, apricots, plums, white raisins, regular raisins. I know it's probably the stuff that didn't quite make it for whole fruit; but, it's a nice change all the same. Same Mesquite Honey and Pavel's lowfat yoghurt as yesterday.

My public transit commute takes between 35-45 minutes most mornings. I could drive to work; but, it would really only save me about 10-15 minutes. The roads over or around the hill are full of traffic in the AM. It's all stop and go. Even on days when MUNI or BART are delayed, I'd rather be able to spend that time reading than just sitting in my car fuming. Also, once I got to work, I'd have to park. Street parking in the areas near work is an enormous pain. No spots, and most areas are metered or time limited. Parking in the campus lot is prohibitively expensive, at least to me. Or, well, I'd rather take the time to take MUNI, and spend the $40 dollar difference between a monthly FASTPASS and the monthly parking fees on something else.

Hi Pam, We're big fans of Mitchell's pumpkin. Tried the Eggnog last week; but, as my wife said, "You don't even like Eggnog." And it's true, I don't like (most) Eggnog, so I did not really care for it. Sometimes I just feel like I have to try something I haven't had before when I'm there. Usually, it works out to be tasty (Calamansi, Macapuno, Buko...); but, somtimes I don't like it (Eggnog).

Thanks Katie! Sheesh! You guys are such enablers! A guy can't even give his liver a break for a few days... I've been meaning to try the Flaming Orange Gully for a while now, so will be making something like those tonight. Any requests? A particular cocktail anyone has had problems with? Cocktail questions? Left to my own devices, I would probably just make Manhattans or Red Hooks every night.

Roundup of the various contributions to MxMo IX, 21 in all this time... MxMo 9 Roundup

White liquor comes in an aseptic container!? How funny! Only juices and milk come in that sort of container in the US.

Eventually, it is time to go home. Tonight is what we call "Taco Tuesday". I take the MUNI and the BART and get off at 24th street. The 24th Street BART station is at Mission and 24th. It is surrounded by the taquerias that create the cream of the San Francisco style mission Burrito. Taqueria San Jose, La Taqueria, Taqueria Cancun, La Coroneta and Papalote are the true giants of the field. My wife and I have been on a Paplote jag for a while now. Outside: Inside: She picks me up and we go home and watch the new Daily Show and Colbert Report TiVo recorded the night before and eat our burrito and taco. Papalote sometimes gets in trouble with puritans insist on enormous greasy slabs of burrito, as theirs tend to be slightly on the small side (comparatively). They are also somewhat more expensive than some of their competition. However, the keys are the delicious salsa and the freshness of their ingredients. The salsa is a delicious, and often quite zesty, combination of roasted tomatoes, other seasonings, and Chile de Arbol.

Exhaustive research into the sandwich makers of the Inner Sunset has led me to the belief that the Andronico's Market... ...deli Counter... ...provides the most superior sandwiches I have found so far. On a lovely day like today, I like to get a sandwich at Andronico's and then walk over the San Francisco Botanical Garden... ...sit under a tree... ...look out into the park... ...and eat my sandwich in the sun. Sometimes you can make friends.

I'm lucky enough to have a pretty much door to door commute. Unfortunately, it involves 3 forms of public transit. The first leg I take a bus from Bernal Heights to the Glenn Park Bart Station. Google Maps Link There I catch the BART inbound to San Francisco. I get off at the Civic Center BART station. Google Maps Link There I catch an outbound N Judah SF MUNI train. I then get off Carl Street and Hillway Avenue. Google Maps Link The last part of my commute is on foot. I like to think of it as my aerobic exercise. But, this is the view I have to look forward to from our building on a clear day. Now, you would think there would be a more direct route to get from my house to work. Unfortunately, there are a couple big hills, called Twin Peaks(wikipedia), between my house and work, so it's either over or around. And the BART and MUNI trains tend to be more reliable than the busses that go over the hill. Plus the road over the hill is very crooked and riding in rickety old MUNI busses, taking those curves over the speed limit, will put the fear of god in any mortal.

I absolutely agree with you on the neighborhood. Despite the city's best efforts to build up a community around the ball park and the Mission Bay developments, it still feels pretty much like a wasteland to me, especially at night. But, it, and Potrero (near 22nd), are the only San Francisco neighborhoods close enough to be a 15 minutes walk to CalTrain. (Yes, there is also the Paul Avenue stop in Bayview Hunter's Point.)

Man that sounds good, Abra! Next time I won't take short cuts.

Actually, no, I don't think I've been to Sam Wo's. A few years back the well known rude waiter (Edsel Ford Fong) died; but, the restaurant is still open and going strong.

Fried turkey is excellent and takes much less time. ← I helped a friend deep fry a brined turkey a couple years ago. It was incredibly moist and delicious. Its flavor definitely beat out both the smoked and roasted turkeys we had that year. Plus, you can do two turkeys in about the time it takes to do one. On the other hand, unless you know someone who owns a bar or restaurant and can recycle your oil, it is a bit of a pain to deal with. Maybe if you lived on a couple acres of Georgia farmland it would be OK to dump it out in your woods; but, out here on the West Coast yards just aren't that big. In fact my yard is barely big enough to grill in, let alone fry a turkey. The other downside, is if you like to stuff your turkey. If you fry, you have to cook your stuffing separately. You also can't use the drippings to make gravy.

Mitchell's is absolutely on the list, though I prefer their Dulce de Leche.

True enough. Though, yes, most other "software verification and validation" doesn't give you a chance to blow up your co-workers. So it is still a pretty "sweet" job, even though the pay tends to be pretty crap and the hours long during "crunch mode". Yeah, they are hooks with star patterns. We've never figured out a good way to anchor them in the plaster wall, though, so they are more decorative than functional.

The city has done its best to discourage the Halloween Party in the Castro. Initially it was an impromptu party with no city support. For several years the powers that be tried to convince revelers to go to other "official" city parties elsewhere in the city. They were all dismal failures and most partiers continued to gather in the Castro. The city finally gave up and made the Castro Halloween party city sponsored. Beer gardens, insurance, that sort of thing. Unfortunately, the city sponsored Castro event has been marred by various types of violence for the last couple years. There was some sort of gang related drive-by shooting late at night on the outskirts of the party this year. It will be interesting to see what the city does next year. Though, you might be thinking of the San Francisco LGBT Pride Parade and Celebration. That takes place near the end of June and is also a fun event.

I listen to it when I get a chance; but, it comes on after I am at work. We still laugh about the Gene Simmons interview. I guess you'll have to wait and see! We lived for our first 7 years in San Francisco near Dolores Park on the border of the Castro, Noe, and Mission neighborhoods, so, yes, I am very familiar with the Castro. We didn't hang out all that much in the, ahem, "exuberant" bars there; but, we were regulars at the Castro Theater and many of the neighborhood restaurants. I've seen the Reading Terminal Market on TV shows and in your blog and am not sure we really have an equivalent. The closest is probably going to be the recently constructed Ferry Building Marketplace. But, the Ferry Building, being recently constructed, seems to me to be much more concentrated on "upscale" stores and patrons. As it seems like it has already been covered multiple times on eGullet, I won't be going there this week. I will instead take you on a tour of the Alemany Farmers' Market, (and perhaps the Daly City 99 Ranch,) on Saturday.

Well, I'm off to eat breakfast and catch the bus, train, train to work. I'll answer questions and add posts if I have free time during the day; but, I won't be able to upload any more pictures until I get home tonight.

Good morning! Our day starts when the alarm goes off and we get the latest bad news from our local NPR affiliate KQED. My wife feeds the cats... And I make the coffee... Today's porridge is the most basic. Old fashioned Rolled Oats, raisins, walnuts, honey, and a scoop of plain lowfat yoghurt.

I don't want to discourage you about the Haight, I just have no idea how much experience you have in the neighborhood, where exactly on Broderick your potential place might be, or what sort of neighborhood you want to live in. I know I probably wouldn't want to live within 2 blocks of the Upper Haight, just to avoid the drama, or on the blocks between the Upper Haight and the Cole Valley N Judah MUNI stop. I don't think I'm over sensitive. Just to be honest, there is a lot of drug trafficking, homelessness, and general craziness, especially in the upper haight. But, once you get a couple blocks away, you find quiet residential streets. Unless you live within walking distance of one of the three CalTrain stops in San Francisco, you're going to be facing an SF MUNI commute to get to one of the stations. The only neighborhoods convenient to the CalTrain are what they are now calling "South Park" near the new Ball Park, and Potrero Hill. Just to take the MUNI from where I used to live in Dolores Heights to the CalTrain took approximately 45 minutes. CalTrain took an half an hour to South San Francisco, then I had to take another shuttle from the CalTrain stop to the office. I'm sure where I live now in Bernal Heights, it would take me over an hour to get to CalTrain. Probably take me longer to get to the CalTrain station than it would to drive to Menlo Park! They do have some sort of "Baby Bullet" express service in operation now. I haven't taken it, so I'm not sure how much time it saves.

Thanks Divina! I really enjoyed your blog. It reminded me how much I would like to get to Italy some day. Plus, I really want to try that delicious looking boar stew with the chocolate and spices!

Thanks Pam!

Our local market (look for a pictorial soon) stocks ACME; but, I usually get sourdough from the nice folks at Arizmendi Bakery. It's very close to my workplace, so I just walk there at lunch. They will also get their day in the sun! I also really like the Noe Valley Bakery.

I didn't know you lived here, raxelita. Did you tend bar? Zodiac Room closed. The new restaurant or club there was/is named to Amber. Not sure if it is still open. I went by the other night and it looked closed. If you read Imbibe magazine, the new issue (Nov-Dec) has a multi-page feature on Alberta Straub and the Orbit Room.