Original Joe's is Back! 05/17/2012
 Panna Cotta The "original" Original Joe's restaurant was located in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco and was a favorite old time restaurant of me when I first moved to San Francisco. After a fire a few years ago, the owners finally re-opened in North Beach on a corner facing Washington Square. Some of the artifacts of the old restaurant were saved and now grace the exterior and interior of the new restaurant. It seems the "same" only better! Add Comment Guqin 05/14/2012
Since starting my training as an Asian Art Museum Docent, my journey has taken me to new places. Last weekend, I attended a performance of traditional Chinese music. One of the featured performers was Alan Yip, playing the guqin. The Guqin is a 7 string zither that dates back about 2,000 years or more. Music written over 1,000 years ago are still played! Haunting and thoughtful, this piece is played by American born Alan Yip, a young graduate student who has been playing the guqin for about 10 years. Nisei Generation 05/10/2012
 Nisei Logo Love this logo that looks as though it comes right out of the 40's or 50's. Nisei refers to the second generation of Japanese-Americans. Born in the US, they were forced into relocation camps during World War II -- a grave injustice that has affected succeeding generations in untold ways. Niseis are now entering retirement age and the term is starting to fade away. SOMA StrEATfood 05/09/2012
 Streatfood Opening Soon! This desolate corner buffeted by an elevated freeway, littered with trash and and the hopeless smell of the homeless is soon to be transformed into an urban "oasis". Taking advantage of the surge in popularity of food trucks and outdoor eating, it will provide a central space in the SOMA area for outdoor tasting. They plan to be open 7 days a week. Check out their website. Sun, May 6, 2012 05/06/2012
 Dappled light on a book In the patio of a Berkeley coffee house reading a book. Dappled light enliven the text annotating the meaning of the words. A good day. Thu, May 3, 2012 05/03/2012
 Squeegee When simple things work well they make the day start better. This squeegee is completely covered with silicon covering the inside metal structure making it comfortable in the hand. The soft grip easily attaches to the tub spout. A thoughtful design making a daily chore made better. The Bean 04/30/2012
Like a moth to a flame, people are drawn to this piece of public art in Chicago's Millenium Park. Called a "bean" because of it shape, it is large enough to walk underneath and the reflective surface mirrors everthing around it. Everyone takes pictures of themselves. One of the most engaging scuptures I've seen. Not your Mother's Paper Plates 04/25/2012
Wasara Single Use Tableware
Paper plates can be convenient, but have an ugh quality that doesn't make the cut for any special occasion. The Japanese company Wasara has solved it with a line of single use biodegradable dishes shown above. Pretty nice huh? Orange Garden Chop Suey Chow Mein 04/24/2012
Orange Garden Chop Suey
Neon signs are fading from American streets. As parts of a neon go dark, owners are increasing letting them go until only the painted backdrop is left. Americans also want "authentic" cuisine and shun the pretend exotic Chinese dishes grandma and grandpa enjoyed. Are these the last days for this neon sign? Spicy Szechuan 04/23/2012
Szechuan Fish in Spicy Broth
Chicago Chinatown is a short subway right from downtown Chicago on the Red Line. Just north of the traditional Chinese gateway leading to the older section of Chinatown is a mall with shops and resturants. We had dinner at Ken Kee Restaurant at 2129-A South China Place. Ken Kee Restaurant serves Hong Kong style food so it was a surprise to see a Szechuan dish prominently featured on the menu. The photo looked enticing so we tried it. Szechuan Fish in Spicy Broth is strongly flavored with Szechuan pepper corns, Szechuan red pepper sauce, and chilis. Wonderful spicy taste, but be warned if you are not used to this dish, it may be an issue for gastro-intestinal tract. I don't see this dish on their on-line menu, but we saw it on the restaurant menu. If you want to try it but aren't going to Chicago, I found a recipe on-line here. | AuthorCatagoriesAll ArchivesMay 2012 Blogs I follow |
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