Stone

Seared Ahi Tuna and Mango Chutney. I don't know if they're from CA, but they seem to appear on 90% of the menus in the Bay Area.

Have I been vindicated yet? A little bit?

Umm. (Just kidding.)

It's an exit (or two) West of the Cattlemens.

There is a large sign for gateway plaza, but the only other place I saw at the exit was Carls Jr. The previous exit lead to a long plaza/strip mall with lots of restaurants and car salesrooms (it's where I was looking for the In-n-Out).

That's a nice ring. I've got to try brisket again. I screwed up my last one, and bad.

I burped up some of last night's Chinese food.

I had always used the drive to and from Tahoe as an excuse to eat In-n-Out Burgers. Double-Double, fries and a soft drink (diet coke, of course). The problem is, I don't really likt InO Burger. I fail to see any difference between the sauce glopped on these and the sauce glopped on a Big Mac. While I appreciate the toasted bun (best buns in the bidness), there is no mistaking that this is a greasy burger. And the fries suck. I don't care if they're "fresh cut". They're undercooked and undersalted and underflavored. And have you every seen a black person working at InO? Not me. Never. Not once. So on a recent trip with a friend we took an exit near Dixon (on the SF side of Davis) and looked for the InO. Didn't see it. We got back on the highway and got off at the next exit because, well, because women have small bladders. There was a Carls Jr right in front of us. Decent burger, in my opinion. But across the road, set back in a dusty, heavily potholed lot, was a rickety building proclaiming "Mexican Food". The weathered wood betrayed some history of green and red paint; there was a "booth" outside that looked something like a tomato or a sombrero and seemed out of place without a pool. But there were about six beat up old pickup trucks in the lot. Looked good to me. And the lady had charisma. So we went in. I'm no expert on Mexican food, and I can't tell you the difference between Mex and Tex-Mex. Hell, I'm a Jewish kid from NY. But this is the best Mexican food I've ever had. I've been twice now, feeling justified in my judgement. Each time, I and my guest were the only White faces in the place. Not much English is spoken. Lots of heavy denim, white straw cowboy hats, and faces deeply etched by the sun and wind. The menu is written on the wall, and it includes just about every thing you'd expect, and a whole bunch more. The first visit, I had a Molcajete. (I've probably mixed up the progression of "l" "c" and "j".) Unbelievable. It was a large bowl chisled out of volcanic rock. Filled with a steaming stew of sliced beef, chicken, pork and, new for me, shreds of nopales. I've had these cactus's before as a side dish, and thought they were rather bland. Simmered in this stew, they added color, crunch and a great peppery, herby flavor. The dish was amazing. Hot, well-spiced and chock full of stuff. It was served with flour and corn tortillas and sides of guac and sour cream. More than enough for two. Yesterday I had the carnitas plate. Heads and shoulders above anything I've had in SF. I've been to El Toro, Farolito, etc., etc. Not even close. Mr. Taco served a large plate heaped with diced pork that had been slow simmered and then sauteed in fat. The result was tender, toothsome pieces, brimming with roasted flavor and accentuated by a slight crispness on the surfaces. Wonderful. And, I was happy to see, not a hunk of fat or gristle to be found. Just meat in all its glorious porkiness. This too was served with a pile of guac, a healthy side of rice and refried and tortillas. My friend had two chicken tacos. The chicken (i only had a bite), was moist and surprisingly flavorful. It appeared to have been simmered with peppers and other spices, not just grilled. Served in tortillas that had been freshly fried to a crisp and pile with lettuce, tomato and a healthy (unhealthy?) dollop of sour cream. Yum. Most entrees seemed to be $7.99, and well worth it. The Molcajete, which could feed two easily, perhaps three, was $14. Location: Difficult to say, because the great state of California doesn't number their exits. Why? I don't know. I assume that making it easy for one to find stuff would somehow further the fascist expansion of capitalism. However: Look for the "Dixon/West A Street" exit. I think it's the middle of 5 "Dixon" exits, about 60 miles outside SF. The restaurant is jut to the south of the highway.

The "piece" was actually a morning news spot on the troubles of the SF industry. They interviewed people at Hayes Valley Seafood Grille. At some point, the reporter mentioned the salary figures.

October 11? That's my birthday!

Half a twizzler and a large Starbucks.

Yes, but I think those people are saying, "hey, I've got an extra $100, I'll spend it on a stereo." I don't think they're concerned about whether the $100 goes into their account first. A better example for you would be those who say "I'm not supporting terrorism because I only give money to the non-terrorist wing of Hamas."

Try explaining this to people when it comes to money. How often do you hear someone who gets a $100 windfall say "I'm going to spend this $100 on a new CD player"? Well, dummy, money is fungible. You are spending $100, not "this" $100. You could put that $100 in your bank account, take out another $100, and buy the same thing -- and at the end of the day your wealth and possessions would be at exactly the same level. You're joking, aren't you?

Yeah, and cigarettes haven't been proven to cause cancer. I think the concept goes beyond Atkins, but I'm obviously not in my area of expertise. (Don't ask, I'm still trying to figure it out.)

Depending on where you live, there may be a company that builds temporary pits for the roast. However, I'd make sure that you protect the surface of the driveway. I would expect tht the heat from the roast would screw it up, perhaps ruining the seal.

I was kind of serious, kind of joking. I read a book about fuzzy logic and found it pretty interesting. Seems perfect for this kind of system. However, I've sinced learned that most engineers have a violent reaction to fuzzy logic and think it's about as worthwhile as creationism.

No. This is a mistake. The body does not handle the calories any differently. It may handle some of the other stuff differently, but in terms of weight loss and weight gain, a calorie is a calorie is a calorie. This was where I was off. Yes, I think that a calorie is a calorie. And sitting back saying that "if you put 2,000 caliories in and burn 2,500, you're going to lose weight" is certainly true. But in the real world, that doesn't have much meaning. They type of food you put in (as well as the amount) effects your metabolism and how you're going to burn your calories. And, by the way Mr. Campbell, fat people are still pretty funny.

I'm looking for a house, and I never thought I'd say this, but you can't find anything decent for less than $800,000. On the other hand, $95K is more than most people in the city make, especially now that the bubble has burst.

Sounds like a job for fuzzy logic.

According to a blurb on the local news about the troubled restaurant industry in SF, the average waiter salary here is $63K; the average bartender salary is $95,000. That's not bad for pouring drinks.

Re the above -- My bad. Go about your business.

Bad Soy. Destroying the Amazon.

No. This is a common mistake, but you are absolutely and completely wrong on this. I know some people with letters after their name that disagree with you. What does "bioavailability" mean?

"2500 calories" "too much salt" "too much fat" yet "not a question of quantity" ??? Okay, how about half a double Whopper? How about a quarter of one? How about a bite? Good point. If I don't eat any of the double Whopper, it's a healthy, nutritious meal. And if I don't smoke any of that crack . . . .

Do you also think a pound of lead weighs more than a pound of feathers? Apples and oranges. 500 calories of bacan is, say, 50 oz. 500 calories of broccoli will be, just guessing 500 oz. But they're made of different things. That's the point. When they get into your body, your body will break down the fats and proteins in the bacon differently than it will break down the stuff in the broccoli. And it will store and use that stuff differently. That's why the bacon will have a deleterious effect on weight compared to broccoli. (I once took your side in this debate and was resoundingly shouted down by a bunch of nutritionists and other smug scientific bastards. I said, hey, if you're only eating a half pound of a veal parm sandwich, that's still only a half pound, you know? They managed to convince me that I was wrong.)