weekend grub

I tested my lifelong assertion that I am not allergic to poison oak by falling in a patch of it at Big Sur. Just bit it off the trail. I was happy that all the German hikers seemed to have missed that, or they just weren't concerned with helping me. Not to slander the Germans, who I'm sure are very polite. I scratched myself up and fell right on top of the plants. I was very surprised that it took about 4 days to start showing up. Question: once you get the oil on you how do you spread it? I have it mostly on my leg, but also on my neck and I don't think any touched my neck. But I didn't start scratching until 4 days  later. It doesn't seem to be spreading any more. Also, weirdly part of my leg where it's worst went numb for a day. I didn't read about that symptom online but am not paranoid enough to think it was anything other than poison oak. And now that I'm "sensitized" to it what does that mean?

 

I was lucky enough to be invited by Amber Stott to moderate a Q and A session for a short documentary film about sea urchins with the director and star. I think it went really well, especially because I know how it is to feel trapped at a film Q & A. Although the film was only 18 minutes long so that doesn't really apply. The director, Alex Finden is very talented (and looked about 22) and the star was a real character. He's 70 and has been diving for sea urchin for 50 years. I would link to it but you need a vimeo sign in from him because he's taking it around to film festivals. I got to try Billy Ngo's famous uni panna cotta (made famous by BAR in his awesome review) and I have to say it was too rich for me. I can't imagine eating a bigger portion. Uni walks the line between beautiful and gross for me, if that makes sense, and I prefer just one bit of perfectly firm nigiri. Even by the second huge bit of nigiri I feel like I'm not sure I want more. The first bit can be absolutely perfect though.

 

I learned a lot about sea urchin. I learned that it starts out really soft but then they firm it up with alum phosphate. They can live about 30 years but become mature at I think he said 2 or 3 (might have been six or 7). The Italians prefer it right out of the shell. In San Diego you can eat it that way at the farmer's market or just right on the dock. The stuff from SD is considered some of the finest in the world because they feed on 5 kinds of kelp (according to the diver) and there is definitely a terroir based on what they eat and probably the salinity, etc., just like oysters. The fisherman bagged on the nor cal stuff of course but the director said he tried it for the first time at Kru on Friday and thought it was fine. Such a fun time!

 

It reminded LM and I of the article in Lucky Peach about the Korean female shellfish divers and how they are aging out with no young people to take their place. Coincidentally the NYTimes wrote an article about them the same day. Wow, did they go to complete paywall? I haven't looked at it much lately but you used to get 20 free articles, so I can't link it.

 

Am I alone in never getting through a Lucky Peach. I love the idea of it but I kind of find it a chore to read. Some of that is jealousy, I admit.

 

More pics after the jump!

funny

Dude, my mom is so funny. She just got an unattractive foster dog so she did this to it.

I just got to use the snotty "let me google that for you" link on foodways. I really amused myself. People are right that I should include addresses (I keep forgetting) but still there is this thing called google...

Just got back from Big Sur. It was amazing. Lots of whales, although I missed a breach-fest that everyone else saw. Unfortunately, since it is a stupid idea to use your phone as a camera when you have no reception and nowhere to plug it in I have like zero pictures. Fortunately due to the lack of phone access I was able to not fuck with my phone and my mind is at peace. At least for a little while.

happy stupidest holiday!

That's actually sad about L'Wren Scott. I can say from having seen some of her (tiny of course) dresses on the hangar that they were very pretty, and poor Mick Jagger. I always thought it was kinda nice that even though she was still way younger than him at least she was in her 40s and not 20s. They looked cool together. I was going to link to the story but blogger isn't letting me link.

You guys, Im pretty frustrated with foodways. No one but me and MH are posting. I am imprudent to air this here but I have already talked myself blue to the peeps that can do something about it. We are all busy people. I guess too busy.  I had two good posts I could have done over the weekend but I am just not motivated to shoulder all of it. I'll work on them some time today. I should focus on a long feature for edible probably. I haven't done one of those in like a year. Not a long one.

Wow, Saturday in Midtown. Tried to go to Lowbrau at 530. Nuh uh, not happenin' Then over to sidetraxx which was pretty deserted. I love sidetraxx. The balcony is the best people watching. And boy was it entertaining to watch costumed people stumble their way around at 6pm. We saw a woman just dressed as where's waldo. No green. We saw a bunch of brides. We talked to 2 and they said they were the "brides of march" wah-wah. still fun to watch but agro vibe. last night I was riding home at 830, and again, stumblers, including a guy on 21st walking in the bike lane and trying to hitchhike. cops were right there and I tried to tell them because it seemed like he might get hit and they said they were already on their way to a call. saw lots of fighting and barefoot ladies walking with their highheels. ridic.

I ain't never scared

Have you checked out nextdoor.com? the neighborhood news site? It seems pretty cool and useful. I posted about that 24th and g robbery last week and today the police posted on there that they had arrested 4 suspects in 2 different robberies in the area.

OMG Heckarap was seriously off the chain. It was just magic. Everyone was so psyched! Clyde did a good set and was talking us up bigtime. The best part is trading off songs with Mike C. It's hard holding it down all by yourself so I like the tradeoff bit at the end.  Songs that I killed with: Crack by 2 Chainz, Karate Chop by Future and Never Scared by Bone Crusher. After I saw the reaction to Never Scared I saw that crunk was in order and played Move Bitch which also was a hit. Pretty much the crowd was open to whatever. Thizzle Dance killed of course.

 It was gratifying to see that people like the classic and the new. They prefer a mix, as do I. I am looking forward to the next one on April 17th, but also just savoring how fun that was and appreciating it.  Trying to be in the moment, for once.

what did you do?

Had a perfect Sac day on Saturday. Went out walking to meet Ryan and Rodney about Foodways stuff. Met at the new Insight. Nice, although I paid 3.25 for iced tea in a small glass with no refill??

Then ran into Matt S. and had lunch at Estelle's. It was an insane croque monsieur that was broiled with the mayo on the outside. Next time I will just ask for a regular one if they can do that. It was still tasty, it's just hard to eat a sandwich with mayo on the outside. I think that's why it usually goes inside.

Then we walked down to the convention center to look at the costumes and ran into Matt M., who was able to tell me what all the nerds were dressed as.

Then later Mark K. celebrated his 40th at a party right near my house. Who doesn't love a party near their house.

Also, hot city German sour night on Friday was really fun. It's really cool that the beer scene is at a point where you could have a night this specific. Standouts were the quince goze and the Freigeist/Jester King collabo Sauer Power. After that, tank house, where I had two tumblers of the High West "Campfire" whiskey, which is scotch-like and smoky (without the scotch medicinal quality) and then to Larry's dance night, which is super fun. Friday dance party! Perfect.

I guess my whole weekend was super sac cuz I walked to the other Insight, passing the nerds again and then walking by Capitol Beer Fest on the Capitol Mall (it was massive). Then I ran into KRA and had a great talk about Michael Haneke, and then later to a delicious meal at Ryu Jin. Even at 830 it was packed with a short waiting list. Love that place. I got the spicy map tofu ramen. There were some Japanese kids there with absurd tshirts "keep rocking and love punk" in the "keep calm and carry on" design.

What did you do? Any beer week events?

Shatner

Did you know that Shatner is going to be at this weekends Comic-Con? And that for 250 bucks you can meet Liam Hemsworth and Stan Lee? Instead, what I will do is observe the fashion outside. Free!

Scott wanted me to post a picture of this because he's sad I don't post pictures like this but instead put them on fb. I actually don't put them on fb any more but sometimes on Foodways I guess. Regardless we drank this Beautification and this beer is truly closest that America comes to Cantillon or Drie Fonteinen. Reminds me the most of DF. We drank it and I was eating some manchego and I instantly had a sense memory of hanging in Belgium. I wasn't even consciously evaluating it as something akin to a Euro beer. I wish it was possible to get Russian River sours.

Right side of the 'Traxx

I am FINALLY off after hours call, so I can drinkdrinkdrink of the sweet beer nectar tonight. Very excited to go to the Bike Dog tap takeover at Magpie. Two of my favorite things combined into one!

Thursday is a stellar beer week event in Roseville if you can find a DD: Northwest brewers night including Heater Allen and Logsdon kegs. Friday Hot City Pizza is having sour night. Man, I wish I was drinking a Bike Dog IPA right now but at least I will be in about 6 hours.

I took a peek at Witch Room and I'm stoked. I feel like bands I know had just really come around to Bows as a venue a few months before it's closed so everyone is beyond happy to have it back.

Also, Larry's DJ night at Sidetraxx is now every Friday. Finally, a dance night that those of us with 9-5 jobs can go to without being absolutely useless at work the next day. I like Sidetraxx. The patios rule, and the dance floor is well-situated. And they have a drink with gummy bears in it.

yay!

OMG after over 10 years I just paid off my student loans! This should have been done a long time ago but I made about the dumbest decisions you can make regarding loans. I took out a shit-ton of loans even though my school was cheap and didn't work that much. But I did have fun and also all I could do was work in a movie theater so I didn't have a lot of choice there.

The really dumb decisions was choosing the lowest payment plan because I didn't even realize I was paying pretty much only interest for years. This is why there should be some financial counseling during the loan giving out and paying-back process. I know I was an adult but nobody helped me out with any of this! And my parents certainly weren't the ones to talk to. One short discussion and someone to ask questions would have helped me a lot.

But I was lucky enough that my degree 100% has helped me in my career. Actually, part of this was luck and part of this was a conscious decision to study something not that fun so that I would be marketable. I'm not judging anyone else's degree choice here.  You never know where life will take you.

It feels really great to be done.

Drake wuz robbed

The best part of the Drake interview in Rolling Stone was when he said he modeled his stage show on James Turrell's art. Having seen his show I see it. I agree that it's lame he got taken off the cover for PS Hoffmann. I fully agree addition is a disease of course and have seen it ravage loved ones. HOWEVER when you have 3 kids, have known the pleasures of sobriety for 20 years, and have every resource in the world to get yourself to rehab...I'm gonna say dude went out like a selfish chump. I can't believe it wasn't suicide given the amount of toxins in his system.

I watched Fish Tank last night to finally give Fassbender a chance to not be creepy in a movie and then the movie got super creepy and disturbing. The director, Andrea Arnold, is quite intriguing and I want to watch her other movies, besides Wuthering Heights which I kind of have no interest in as a book or movie. Fassbender says she works without a script and that she discovered the teen star of Fish Tank because she was yelling at her boyfriend at a tube station. This actress is a scrapper and very raw. I recommend it if you can stomach the disturbing stuff (not in a violent way but in a sexual way). Sounds like the director had a hardscrabble upbringing herself and that she draws from it for Fish Tank.

well hello

Heyyyyyy girl! I know you aren't all girls, I just wanted to say that.

Bok Kai tomorrow! I always look forward to it. It's the only small-town parade in my life. One a year is pretty much enough. Let's hope the Clampers class it up with their outhouse-on-wheels and that the Shriner's don't kill anyone while they terrifyingly careen around in their tiny cars.

Tasting panel

I am very proud to finally be part of a cover story in the News and Review along with DB and NM! I am happy that NM asked me. The coolest thing we did is a blind tasting panel on Sacramento area IPAs. I can't find it linked online. You should pick up a copy of this ish, anyway. It's really good.

The tasting panel was really fun. Everyone agreed about 90% of the time on the grades which I think lends a ton of credibility. Plus, it was good to finally print honest criticism of some local beers. Not in the spirit of tearing anyone down but in the spirit of spurring on quality. And also some of these places get a ton of press while everyone who writes and discusses privately talks about how some the beers are terrible. For instance, Ruhstaller's Hop Sac got a unanimous F grading. My tasting notes were that it tasted like battery acid. This beer has gotten written up a million times for using local hops and is expensive. I've heard about numerous people pouring bottles of this down the drain. I think a bottle is ten bucks. They can't coast on hype and PR alone! Well, maybe they can.

How wonderful that Berryessa was the top, with Bikedog in second (I actually rated it first) and Track 7 3rd. Smiller had a pint of Track 7 the other day and it was delicious. Even more so than the growler for the tasting panel, which was not as carbonated and cold. Greatly improved and that's awesome. I like going out there so now I can get really good beer, too.

Normcore?

This is so meta I can barely even follow it but I like it.  "Everything's unique that it's not unique anymore. Especially in New York". Basically just a continuation of 90s rehashing but less flamboyant.

memorable meal

Dudes, I had the BEST meal at Magpie last night. We took smiller's mom there for her birthday. We often go to Waterboy for special occasions, and I will always love it but I realized that the food at Magpie was even better. We had: the mussels with fennel and thyme (always reliably delicious), grilled bread with olive tapenade, their classic polenta. For our entrees they split the chicken for two which, again, is reliably incredible. I had the ling cod special with a marinade that had a perfect hint of sweetness and a smattering of super earthy-tasting pea shoots. Scott had a hearty, saucy dish of corned pork that feel apart with tenderness. We ended with a quartered carrot ginger ice cream sandwich, with ice cream from Gunther's no less! The service was attentive and the pace was nicely slow, rivaling that of a fine dining place. The server put a candle in the sandwich. It was a special night.  The atmosphere makes it casual but everything else would not have been out of place in a white tablecloth joint. I really need to eat there more and get that chicken for two again soon. They confit the legs separately from the breast, which probably accounts for the juiciness of the breast.

"El Chapo" Guzman

Hmm...just got my blog stats for last week and my hits are way down. Guess that explains the not much commenting. Maybe everyone stopped tuning in during my repeat navel gazing about my writing or lack thereof. I don't think I will be engaging in that any time soon. It was nice to hear from the chef at block last night that he liked it. That alleviated my anxiety and he high fived me when I told him it got 1700 page views, partially cuz of haters. We did another preview of Blackbird and one of another place is coming up soon so stay tuned.

Why do people have to set classic plays in another time period? I saw a post-apocalyptic Macbeth that was a real stinker recently, and now Big Idea theater, which I really like, is staging The Merry Wives (another Shakespeare play - I've not heard of it) in the old west. It's just a distraction! Even setting it just in modern times would be better IMHO.

Have you guys hear about "El Chapo" Guzman getting arrested in Mazatlan. It's so fucked and I'm so scared for Maz. Their tourism was up over 10% this year after years of tourists and cruise ships staying away, mostly because of one Canadian tourist who got shot in the leg. The dude said he would go back even. Believe me, despite the drug violence NO tourists are involved. You would read about it. Doesn't mean it's not scary at times, and no one wants to be scared on vacation. To boot, it's Carnival in Maz this week (second biggest in the world). Great timing Mexican government.

Anyway, it's just another example of the government not caring about the people. They know it could bring more violence and jockeying for position between the cult-like and quasi-religious Knight of Templar (Michoacán) and the absolutely psychotic actions of the Zetas (Northeast). They are the ones who do that decapitating Breaking Bad-type shit for the most part, and they started it.

The governments response to the possibility of more warring is to say that they are going to strike harder than ever. I hate this. I am worried for my mom and her adopted hometown. People practically starve when the tourism goes away. Some of her neighbors can't afford school supplies or meals during the day. She tries to give them what she can.

My mom is really excited about Carnival. She signed her last email to me "love you and party on". I guess loving to party runs in the family. I inherited the party gene.

Outkast relevant?

Interesting post on "we eat so many shrimp" blog about the legacy of Outkast. Outkast are going the festival route this summer and there was a lot of talk about how young kids are like "who the hell is that?" and that they are ignorant. I agree with this post that they don't get played any more and that they pretty much never get shout-outs in modern songs that I've heard unlike the constant shout outs and homages that, for instance, Drake gives to old Cash Money. Makes sense cuz he's on it! 2 Chainz gives overt homage to "back that azz up" on "used to" and the boys even cameo in it. I've mixed this song into the Juvenile track to greate effect. Well as much as I can mix anything.

Listening to Speakerboxx/Love Below you realize how uneven it is and how it could have easily been one album. Didn't Pitchfork rate it the best album of the year one year? Bullshit. Big Boi still sounds relevant, however, and his solo stuff is underrated.

that said, they were hugely important to me at the time and I saw them open for lauryn hill before they blew up.

Speaking of, Heckarap tonight and maybe I will play this song. I did once and it killed as far as I remember. Things always get a little fuzzy when I'm djing. I get nervous and drink too much, plus I'm at the press for like 5 hours. DJ Swiftumz is guesting with deep Bay Area cuts.

day off!

Nothing better than a weekday off where it's beautiful outside and you pack a ton of fun into the day. 8 hours when I could have been mostly sitting on my ass doing paperwork or whatevs and instead I had lunch at Magpie with Charles, walked to the mall and got some awesome lipstick, met Scott at Lowbrau where we unexpectedly ran into friends and chilled for hours. I had a Faction Pale, a Mikkeller chipotle porter (the spice seems to have mellowed out but it's still delicious) and then David Steinberg started going off creating cocktails for us. It was fun to give feedback since he was either making them up on the spot or making ones that he has been working on for Block. One of mine had Averna and bourbon and something else I don't remember. Or maybe that was it. If I wrote that on Foodways someone would say I was a total idiot and I'm like tell me something I don't know, bub. VA had something that had Violette in it that was this awesome grey color.

I got a taste of Rhum Agricole (the clear kind) for the first time. What an interesting, complex spirit. We also looked up presidential trivia as it related to drinking in tribute to President's Day. I ate the duck fat fries AGAIN. Fun!

Tet! Tet! Tet!

I forgot my wallet at Lowbrau if that tells you what kind of night it was (fun). We had an SNR thing (this story is going to be AWESOME!) that went from 6-830, I bought a 23 dollar bottle of Logsdon Kriek (worth it) and then I was ready to bounce, but  then somehow I kept not bouncing and different people kept showing up and then I finally ordered food at like 1030 and at some point I left my wallet under a table inside. I'm pretty sure I'll get it back. If not my compulsive splitting up of shit in my wallet since I got robbed would mean I lost around 70 bucks and my ID, but I still have my atm and credit card. Hope it turns up.

Don't forget the Tet festival this weekend. Deets on foodways and I hope you are checking foodways. We've had good weeks the last couple of weeks. It's just gonna get better. We are really trying to recruit new writers.

mea culpa for rumor spreading

Have you ever been to Cuffs? It has a nice mix of vintage and new stuff. I got a button up new that I LOVE. Short sleeve, grey, tiny white polka dots. They are having a sale and here are a couple of cute things. Both of these would mostly be good for palm springs. I may have to buy the bottom one and just wear it to non-special events.

 

More importantly, I have a bit of a mea culpa or a setting the record straight-type situation. I met in a small group with a lieutenant in the sac pd, and one who is in charge of nighttime dispatch on weekends and other nights. She came to talk about the crimes. Some facts: 1) the talk of the rape and the beating are the same incident, not 2 separate ones The dispatch log bears this out

 

2)This is treading on dicey territory, but let's just say the rape  investigation is ongoing. It may not pan out. Which is a weird thing to say, but it seems to be a statement on solid ground.

 

I hope this does not fuel the rumor mill.

 

So basically what it comes down to is the purse snatching where the assailant pepper sprayed the woman, which was right by my house. Really bad and this scares me, but it's not something that would really cause an outcry as a (hopefully) isolated incident.

 

Even better, she showed us actual statistics on the crimes in the midtown/downtown area over the last couple of years and every category of crime is down. She said that sacpd took that rash of robberies and shooting in late 2012 very seriously and created an extra team of cops that patrols at night around the area, sometimes undercover.

 

The streetlight thing is a city issue, so some of us in the neighborhood may try to pursue that. She highly recommends motion-detector floodlights. Of course this only addresses burglary, which is not my big concern.

 

As far as walking alone  at night, the police advice is always to view the situation as a criminal would, so there really isn't an argument that a woman alone at night isn't  more vulnerable. That doesn't mean an individual woman can't choose to assess her risks (which these statistics help with) and make her own choices. Most activities carry some risk (skiing, climbing a ladder, driving), so one can take measures to minimize but each person decides their acceptable level. I say this as a safety professional.

 

My plan is to alter a bit, and keep my exercise walking separate (and early) from my getting somewhere  needs. I plan to ride my bike more to destinations and walk less. As the days get longer I will walk more places. I already sometimes walk somewhere early and then if I stay out late take a cab home. Now that bows is closed I have lost my favorite place to walk anyways.

liquid swords

Wow, GZA Liquid Swords. Bought it on iTunes today. Used to be on constant rotation along with (ha) Dr. Octagon. It makes me think of JB, is that a false memory? I even got into watching kung fu movies for a bit like that classic series Lone Wolf and Cub. Think I'm gonna mix in a mini set of East Coast into Heckarap on Wednesday.  We got guest DJ Swiftumz for some DEEP ASS Bay Area cuts. Looks like our March night might have guest DJ Tyler Pop straight outta Berlin.

wu tan clan ain't nothing to eff with

NH told me that Wu Tang holds up and boy does it. Unlike anything on, say, No Limit. I will listen to Liquid Swords soon too. I loved that record so much! It's so rad that they took inspiration in numerology and martial arts and shit. it's so much more creative than just rapping about money and hating on women. and the coherence of the production, too. maybe there IS some good east coast rap.

that artmix prom thing is Thursday with best summer ever band. that sounds rad but I have an SNR beerweek story thing. the one time this week I have something planned, figures.

larry now has Friday night at sidetraxxxx and it's really fun. I sure like going out on a Friday as opposed to a sunday and I love sidetraxx. check it out.;