OK, let's have some positive vibes up in here. Did you know that this saturday is Operation Restore Maximum Freedom V?! And did you know that hometown heroes the Bananas are schedule to appear at 2:15 pm? But wait, there's more. A bunch of other bands that I've never heard of, some of them even from foreign countries? Act now and you can buy an advance ticket at Armadillo Records in Davis or K records (now on Broadway) for only five measly bucks!
The Bananas would like to send out a call to some responsible so and so who might be interested in driving their BAC-above-the-legal-limit asses back from Woodland to Sac. Any takers? They have a van. You must have a valid drivers license and submit to a background check to apply. Maybe they will get you in free or something? Or buy you a burger? I'm serious, though, does anyone wanna?
Thursday, May 31, 2007
exploding head bloggery
Hmmm...so I toned down this post so I wouldn't catch a bunch of shit for it. I won't go into specifics of why the skyscraper page is making my head feel like it's going to explode. However, I have a question about a statement on there:
I was listening to the K Street meeting today, and there was a speaker that really caught my attention.His name was Jim Brennan, he the one that is renovating the Atkins Building at 10th and K in the office condos and ground floor restaurant. He said he has also acquired the Kress Building, 920, 924, 930 K Street (which are the 3 buildings on south-west most corner of 10th and K) and the most intriguing, The Crest Theater.He said they are going to reposition The Crest into a performing art center.He's a Juilliard School Grad that has done projects in the Gaslamp, SOMA and was the main driver behind getting Louise Davies for seed money for the Louise Davies Symphony Hall in SF, along with work on the Opera House and Ballet Building in SF.Seeing The Crest as a performing arts center would be a pretty darn cool thing. One down side though would be I'm not sure they would still show films
This can't be true about the Crest, right? Anyone? Charles?
I was listening to the K Street meeting today, and there was a speaker that really caught my attention.His name was Jim Brennan, he the one that is renovating the Atkins Building at 10th and K in the office condos and ground floor restaurant. He said he has also acquired the Kress Building, 920, 924, 930 K Street (which are the 3 buildings on south-west most corner of 10th and K) and the most intriguing, The Crest Theater.He said they are going to reposition The Crest into a performing art center.He's a Juilliard School Grad that has done projects in the Gaslamp, SOMA and was the main driver behind getting Louise Davies for seed money for the Louise Davies Symphony Hall in SF, along with work on the Opera House and Ballet Building in SF.Seeing The Crest as a performing arts center would be a pretty darn cool thing. One down side though would be I'm not sure they would still show films
This can't be true about the Crest, right? Anyone? Charles?
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
I got pizzacated at Luigis
I had only been to Luigis once, a long time ago, so after we finished the pizza puzzle, it was time for a well-deserved reward for all our hard work. Luigis totally rules. It was hopping, with pizzas lined up two deep in the oven and a constant flow of customers. We were lucky enought to catch the last few minutes of that Pistons/Cavs game while we sipped our frosty mugs of Bud Light and waited for our pizza. The crust at Luigis is my favorite in town. It's thin and crackery, like I like, with charred spots on the bottom. The veggie toppings were standard, but I've heard that they have housemade sausage (not sure if this is true) and that the meat is supposed to be top-notch, so I'll have to try that next time. Check the slogan on the box about your "home t.v.". They also had a Luigis menu from the 50s that contains the verb "pizzicated"crappy video
Here goes with the first crappy video I've shot with my camera. I was psyched that this band was playing "you can call me Al". That's me laughing-with happiness, not derision, I'd like to add.
Jazz Jubilee!
Jazz Jubilee photos-click for more detail
great Garfield banner-Garfield has strangely elongated limbs and musical notes emanating from his pits
Old timey space trooper
old timey dudes filming stuff
awesome snoopy banner drawn by a JFK high student
Mark S. Allen, obvs
and his butt
this lady personifies jazz, although she looks a bit new rave from the waste up
this kid getting his face painted is so cute
great Garfield banner-Garfield has strangely elongated limbs and musical notes emanating from his pits
Old timey space trooper
old timey dudes filming stuff
awesome snoopy banner drawn by a JFK high student
Mark S. Allen, obvs
and his butt
this lady personifies jazz, although she looks a bit new rave from the waste up
this kid getting his face painted is so cuteTuesday, May 29, 2007
barf
Man, looking at that sac skyscraper forum is really making me sick to my stomach. Those people are just not like me at all. I know, it's cuz I'm a lib loser. They're stoked on crap like Azucar and Stonegrill and stuff (and of course skyscrapers). Like one guy's tagline is "sactown's hitting puberty". yuck. One of the posts led me to this, the proposed spaceage remodel of the Firestone building. That's nice how they have picture their previous J street mini-strip mall monstrosity on the bottom so you can see the great work they're capable of. If you squint that logo looks like a CPK logo, but I'm not sure if that's wishful thinking or confirmed.
Just look at that post at the top to get the gist of the tone.
I started looking at this originally to see what they were saying about Saca failing to buy out calpers.
Just look at that post at the top to get the gist of the tone.
I started looking at this originally to see what they were saying about Saca failing to buy out calpers.
Ha! I finally found that picture that advertises the L st. lofts where they have managed to almost photoshop that sketchy house next to Aioli out of existence.
complaint department
A wee little rant here. I noticed a couple of mediocre yelps of Cafe Bernardo (the 28th and Cap one) and I thought the criticisms were valid and I feel a little dumb I just gave it a glowing paragraph in my June article. I had a TERRIBLE experience there on monday. It confirmed my perception that it's pretty stupid to go out to breakfast on any weekend, especially a holiday, unless you're going to Dragonfly which is invariably almost empty. Bernardo could have minimized the horror somewhat by a) not blasting rage rock in the monkey bar, where our party was forced to sit-as smiller pointed out, absolutely no one was enjoying the rage rock, there were even some elderly people sitting in the bar who had to suffer through it. and b) the wait for breakfast food was over 30 minutes minimum (there was a sign on the door informing you of that-obviously we should have walked away when we saw it), but apparently the wait for lunch food was minimal, so I felt like they could have told you that. I got a sandwich and was served within 5 minutes and my party proceeded to wait between 30 and 40 minutes for their breakfast food.
Boring, I know. However, I am a super regular customer of Bernardo and continue to champion their sandwiches and most of their salads. Here are a couple of tips they could do well to heed:
1) watch out with those prices! it's not like I expect you to lower them, but I paid over 8 dollars for a turkey sandwich with a side of nothing. that's a little crazy for sac.
2) please please add a tomato or a carrot or something to your side green salad. it is just an insult to charge for something that is a pile of bagged mesclun with a little vinaigrette on it. and no, i don't count charging me extra for nuts and cheese. how about some VEGETABLES in the salad? in general, you need some better sides because some of your sandwiches are not a full meal. if you are going to have mashed potatoes as a side, could you please not put so much butter in it it's oozing off the plate, like your lackluster side salad, this just shows laziness. your fries are delicious, however, but i go to bernardo for healthy food, not fries.
are you asleep yet, if not read mike dunne's review of mcormick and schmick.
or laugh at these yelp assertions:
1) Once upon a time, before the Washington Square yuppie homes went up, your Carnitas tacos were pretty decent. Now they are a flour tortilla soggy mess.
that's called a spurious correlation
2)This morning, my daughter and husband were munching on the leftovers, but I just couldn't touch it. The Carnitas were not crispy,
Since when do leftovers EVER stay crispy?
Boring, I know. However, I am a super regular customer of Bernardo and continue to champion their sandwiches and most of their salads. Here are a couple of tips they could do well to heed:
1) watch out with those prices! it's not like I expect you to lower them, but I paid over 8 dollars for a turkey sandwich with a side of nothing. that's a little crazy for sac.
2) please please add a tomato or a carrot or something to your side green salad. it is just an insult to charge for something that is a pile of bagged mesclun with a little vinaigrette on it. and no, i don't count charging me extra for nuts and cheese. how about some VEGETABLES in the salad? in general, you need some better sides because some of your sandwiches are not a full meal. if you are going to have mashed potatoes as a side, could you please not put so much butter in it it's oozing off the plate, like your lackluster side salad, this just shows laziness. your fries are delicious, however, but i go to bernardo for healthy food, not fries.
are you asleep yet, if not read mike dunne's review of mcormick and schmick.
or laugh at these yelp assertions:
1) Once upon a time, before the Washington Square yuppie homes went up, your Carnitas tacos were pretty decent. Now they are a flour tortilla soggy mess.
that's called a spurious correlation
2)This morning, my daughter and husband were munching on the leftovers, but I just couldn't touch it. The Carnitas were not crispy,
Since when do leftovers EVER stay crispy?
discriminating tastes
I am mad that I forgot my camera and therefore can't post my jazz festival photos. I am currently trying to look through all 888 listings for springbok puzzles on ebay, so I am obviously working too hard to post. If you know puzzles you know springbok makes the best. I won't even really look at non-springboks at a thrift store. This brings to mind the obvious question, are there any nudy puzzles out there? there must be and I will find them.
Friday, May 25, 2007
friday post!
In honor of Kiedis' impending fatherhood (which I am pretty stoked about), I completed a little project I have been wanting to do for a while in which I compile a list of all the place references in the lyrics of Stadium Arcadium. If you listen to the Chili Peppers you will know that this is always the well that Kiedis will dip his wick in when he is stuck for a lyric. Here goes:
Disc one: Jupiter
Dani California-
California of course
Mississippi
Alabama
Louisiana
Indiana
Minnesota
North Dakota
Snow (hey oh)-this is my favorite because it is the only goddamned one with an even semi-catchy hook
None? Amazing
Charlie-
None
Stadium arcadium-
St. Petersburg
Hump de bump-
Love street
She’s only 18 (gross name)-
None but he does have the phrase “the smell of springsteen”
Slow cheetah-
None
Torture me-
Brazil
Strip my mind-
Hades
Carolina?
El Dorado
Especially in Michigan
Michigan, natch
Lithuania
Warlocks (best song title)-
The Vatican
Santa Monica
Japan
China
C’mon girl-
None
Wet Sand-
None, but he does mention “balarama girl” as if balarama is a place
Hey (not to be confused with hey oh)-
None
Here we go with disc two, mars
Desecration smile-
Malibu
Tell Me Baby-
“they come from every state”
Kansas City
This song also contains the best lyric “three fingers in the honeycomb”
Hard to Concentrate-
“the world”
An estuary is a kind of place
21st Century-
Venus
She Looks to Me-
South Seas
Readymade-
Arizona (rhymed with moaner)
State of California
City of Sedona
*Mentions black and decker WITHOUT rhyming it with pecker wrecker
If-
5th Avenue
Make You Feel Better-
None
Animal Bar-
None (but does mention Norman Mailer)
So Much I-
None
Storm in a Teacup-
Heaven
Someplace called a “lasarium”
*also notable because he calls some girl a “sour Kraut”
We Believe-
None
Turn It Again-
Kazakstan
Cuba
Aruba
Dominican
Death of a Martian-
Mars, obvs
And the last mention is…..of course….. Vegas!
Hmm.not quite as many as it seems when you're listening to the album, but still a lot.
Disc one: Jupiter
Dani California-
California of course
Mississippi
Alabama
Louisiana
Indiana
Minnesota
North Dakota
Snow (hey oh)-this is my favorite because it is the only goddamned one with an even semi-catchy hook
None? Amazing
Charlie-
None
Stadium arcadium-
St. Petersburg
Hump de bump-
Love street
She’s only 18 (gross name)-
None but he does have the phrase “the smell of springsteen”
Slow cheetah-
None
Torture me-
Brazil
Strip my mind-
Hades
Carolina?
El Dorado
Especially in Michigan
Michigan, natch
Lithuania
Warlocks (best song title)-
The Vatican
Santa Monica
Japan
China
C’mon girl-
None
Wet Sand-
None, but he does mention “balarama girl” as if balarama is a place
Hey (not to be confused with hey oh)-
None
Here we go with disc two, mars
Desecration smile-
Malibu
Tell Me Baby-
“they come from every state”
Kansas City
This song also contains the best lyric “three fingers in the honeycomb”
Hard to Concentrate-
“the world”
An estuary is a kind of place
21st Century-
Venus
She Looks to Me-
South Seas
Readymade-
Arizona (rhymed with moaner)
State of California
City of Sedona
*Mentions black and decker WITHOUT rhyming it with pecker wrecker
If-
5th Avenue
Make You Feel Better-
None
Animal Bar-
None (but does mention Norman Mailer)
So Much I-
None
Storm in a Teacup-
Heaven
Someplace called a “lasarium”
*also notable because he calls some girl a “sour Kraut”
We Believe-
None
Turn It Again-
Kazakstan
Cuba
Aruba
Dominican
Death of a Martian-
Mars, obvs
And the last mention is…..of course….. Vegas!
Hmm.not quite as many as it seems when you're listening to the album, but still a lot.
kel's new album
and let the discussion about whether he's joking begin...or I can just tell you right now that he's joking. but no one will believe me.
whales vs. jazz
What will happen when the whales meet the drunken revelers on the river this weekend? Do whales like to party? I like this comment on the story:
How to help the whales?
Has anyone thought of using dolphins to show the whales the way home? Since we can communicate with dolphins and the dolphins can communicate with whales, they seem to be the perfect translators. Just a thought... here from Park City, UTAH
The only small flaw that I see in this plan is that we actually can't communicate with dolphins, but besides that it's brilliant. Has anyone thought of using the sounds of Dixieland Jazz to drive the whales back into the sea?
Ella, don't look at this.
Another BJ for the Quarry Pond shopping center.
The Coconut Coolouts were good. I am wearing the dinosaur shirt that you see on their myspace right now. I think that the success of bands like this and Tyvek signals a return to fun bands! Just in time for the summer. It was a bummer that the ten o'clock show at Fool's really started much closer to eleven.
How to help the whales?
Has anyone thought of using dolphins to show the whales the way home? Since we can communicate with dolphins and the dolphins can communicate with whales, they seem to be the perfect translators. Just a thought... here from Park City, UTAH
The only small flaw that I see in this plan is that we actually can't communicate with dolphins, but besides that it's brilliant. Has anyone thought of using the sounds of Dixieland Jazz to drive the whales back into the sea?
Ella, don't look at this.
Another BJ for the Quarry Pond shopping center.
The Coconut Coolouts were good. I am wearing the dinosaur shirt that you see on their myspace right now. I think that the success of bands like this and Tyvek signals a return to fun bands! Just in time for the summer. It was a bummer that the ten o'clock show at Fool's really started much closer to eleven.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
up on my jock
Wow, the SNR is all up on my jock today. Sweet, that's how I like it. The predicted review of Pizza Antica has rolled in.
But I don't want to talk about that, I'd like to talk about the secret Compton's Market. I wish I would have taken a picture of the goddamned sign like I meant to yesterday, it's rad. I'll take a picture next time. It's so secret it seems to have no web presence whatsoever, not even a yellow pages listing. This market is pretty ok. Good produce, good food mags, nice cheese section, terrible and expensive beer selection however. Have you been? The nice thing is that it is in the general area of the Alhambra Safeway but with a pleasant bike ride there rather than an excruciating one. Man, the Sacramento Archives has a computer with pictures of the interior of the Alhambra (taken by Pat Melarkey) which I had never seen before. It made me sadder than ever that it got torn down. If I had a time machine, after I went back in time to kill Hitler, I would maybe try to stop the demolishing of the Alhambra.
But I don't want to talk about that, I'd like to talk about the secret Compton's Market. I wish I would have taken a picture of the goddamned sign like I meant to yesterday, it's rad. I'll take a picture next time. It's so secret it seems to have no web presence whatsoever, not even a yellow pages listing. This market is pretty ok. Good produce, good food mags, nice cheese section, terrible and expensive beer selection however. Have you been? The nice thing is that it is in the general area of the Alhambra Safeway but with a pleasant bike ride there rather than an excruciating one. Man, the Sacramento Archives has a computer with pictures of the interior of the Alhambra (taken by Pat Melarkey) which I had never seen before. It made me sadder than ever that it got torn down. If I had a time machine, after I went back in time to kill Hitler, I would maybe try to stop the demolishing of the Alhambra.
be there AND be square
The whale situation is getting pretty sad, so I can't think of a new shirt, although I was thinking of something along the lines of Sac: so nice the whales came thrice!
Hey, there is a show tonight, did you know? It's for Joel's birthday! Four Eyes, Coconut Coolouts and Makes Nice.
It's a little early to mention this show, but Dan Deacon is coming to Fool's on June 21st. This guy is hyped to the extreme and I can't figure out why from listening to his CD, so I'm interested to see this show. I think this show will only go off well if there is a pretty big crowd, so we'll see.
Hey, there is a show tonight, did you know? It's for Joel's birthday! Four Eyes, Coconut Coolouts and Makes Nice.
It's a little early to mention this show, but Dan Deacon is coming to Fool's on June 21st. This guy is hyped to the extreme and I can't figure out why from listening to his CD, so I'm interested to see this show. I think this show will only go off well if there is a pretty big crowd, so we'll see.
This picture is a visual aid to let you see that smiller and I triumphed over this ape that was trying to make a monkey out of us.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
where are they now?
No time to post today, I don't even know what the whales have been up to in the last 12 hours! No post tomorrow either, I won't be in.
Monday, May 21, 2007
sac bee rants and raves
All right, this is the last straw. The Bee needs to end their comments feature now. It has degenerated into just one step above craigslist rants and raves. This is making them look ridiculous. I would also like to point out once again that they censored my comment that linked to my bestselling shirt. Which you can now find by searching "whale fever" on cafepress.com
lorelei and rory?
Go to that link below and check all the new comments on the whale names. HC will be glad to see that Lorelai and Rory has gotten two votes. Delta and Dawn seems to have won out for their names on the local news, which is think is at least better than Rio and Vista. Looks like they were swimming towards the ocean but then they missed Sac.
What a weekend! Gballs party kicked off the summer in the best way possible. Knock Knock channeled the power of the airbrushed white visor and delivered a searing set, and the unnamed band made an auspicious debut. It sounds like both shows in Davis were amazing. The Lavender Diamond show at the Independent was good, but that space was about twice as large as they needed, which really sucked the energy out of the room.
And then yesterday, I read Ethan Frome (wouldn't it be rad if that was a link to the Ethan Frome myspace?) and everyone else went to the Pipas show, which sounded really good also.
By the way, I had another excellent meal at Pho Bac Hoa Viet on Broadway last night, I just feel the need to mention that to counteract all the badmouthing it gets. We got chicken bun and rare steak pho and they were both excellent and served quickly.
What a weekend! Gballs party kicked off the summer in the best way possible. Knock Knock channeled the power of the airbrushed white visor and delivered a searing set, and the unnamed band made an auspicious debut. It sounds like both shows in Davis were amazing. The Lavender Diamond show at the Independent was good, but that space was about twice as large as they needed, which really sucked the energy out of the room.
And then yesterday, I read Ethan Frome (wouldn't it be rad if that was a link to the Ethan Frome myspace?) and everyone else went to the Pipas show, which sounded really good also.
By the way, I had another excellent meal at Pho Bac Hoa Viet on Broadway last night, I just feel the need to mention that to counteract all the badmouthing it gets. We got chicken bun and rare steak pho and they were both excellent and served quickly.
Friday, May 18, 2007
ruffled fins
I had to erase that photo for my own peace of mind.
Ha! Some fins are getting ruffled after LH closed the polls for the whale names.
AP does something completely out of character and reviews a ribs place! Oh no wait, I meant he does something completely predictable and reviews a ribs place on Howe Avenue.
Looks like the Bee took down those cocaine-related comments on this article. Is the Bee getting pranked? Here's another comical story involving firefighter Christian Pebbles. Holy shit, that frightening, frightening image was the number one hit when I did a google image search for Christian Pebbles.
Someone just yelped Gunthers and called it "ghetto". And then mentioned it doesn't take American Express. Is that what makes it ghetto? Someon else yelped about how scary Henry's is. Frightened, frightened yelpers.
AP does something completely out of character and reviews a ribs place! Oh no wait, I meant he does something completely predictable and reviews a ribs place on Howe Avenue.
Looks like the Bee took down those cocaine-related comments on this article. Is the Bee getting pranked? Here's another comical story involving firefighter Christian Pebbles. Holy shit, that frightening, frightening image was the number one hit when I did a google image search for Christian Pebbles.
Someone just yelped Gunthers and called it "ghetto". And then mentioned it doesn't take American Express. Is that what makes it ghetto? Someon else yelped about how scary Henry's is. Frightened, frightened yelpers.
birthdays
Happy Birthday to GW and Gbomb!!!!!!!!!!!
Gbomb would like you all to know that the musical entertainment is going to start at 9pm sharp!! If you show up at party time you will miss the bands. There is also unfortunately a coinciding Four Eyes and Pizzas show at the Distillery. Summer in Sac: off the chain.
The Sierra 2 Flea Market is on saturday!
Sunday morning is the KDVS record swap. And then in the afternoon the Pipas show. Listen to Pipas here.
Our Liberian correspondent noted that ChkChkChk were on NPR.
I totally forgot about all the shows on saturday in Davis. Tyvek and Cheveau at the DAM house. San Kazakgaskar and Neung Phak at DOV AND the Alkali Flats at Sophias, the worst restaurant that has ever existed. Ever.
I
Gbomb would like you all to know that the musical entertainment is going to start at 9pm sharp!! If you show up at party time you will miss the bands. There is also unfortunately a coinciding Four Eyes and Pizzas show at the Distillery. Summer in Sac: off the chain.
The Sierra 2 Flea Market is on saturday!
Sunday morning is the KDVS record swap. And then in the afternoon the Pipas show. Listen to Pipas here.
Our Liberian correspondent noted that ChkChkChk were on NPR.
I totally forgot about all the shows on saturday in Davis. Tyvek and Cheveau at the DAM house. San Kazakgaskar and Neung Phak at DOV AND the Alkali Flats at Sophias, the worst restaurant that has ever existed. Ever.
I
Thursday, May 17, 2007
the internet is really entertaining me today
another funny story and more good comments. Not to mention that the firefighter's name is Christian Pebbles.
Man, the Bee is on fire today! Check out that awesome beaver art at the bottom.
Man, the Bee is on fire today! Check out that awesome beaver art at the bottom.
fever spreads
The whale fever spreads as Heyamoto tries to pretend she wasn't 3 years old 22 years ago and that she lived in Sac.
I'm attempting to use the comments to plug my tshirt. I'm just going to sit back and watch the money roll in. Can I quickly trademark the phrase "whale fever"?
I'm attempting to use the comments to plug my tshirt. I'm just going to sit back and watch the money roll in. Can I quickly trademark the phrase "whale fever"?
do the math
I can't take it. Pho Bac got a 3 out of 5 star yelp (that's good for them) and the woman opened the review by complaining that the bathrooms next to the entryway (which she has never been in) smell like...DISINFECTANT! So it's not ok for bathrooms to smell like shit OR disinfectant, yelpers? What does you bathroom smell like at home? Let me guess, when you take a shit, it smells like shit for a while. Now imagine your bathroom was open to anyone walking by, and multiply that five minute shit smell by the number of people who use it. You might use some extra pine sol in there to counteract that, right? By the way, if you haven't been there, there is a door separating the entryway from the restaurant and inside the restaurant it smells like food and is filled with happy, smiling people who are eating good food.
She says she loves the food but then take away two stars because of clumpy noodles and because it's not New Paris.
She says she loves the food but then take away two stars because of clumpy noodles and because it's not New Paris.
truly wtf
wtf? our weather doesn't change very often?! it's always sunny.
i'm glad this one comes in an infant tshirt, now i know what to get adk at her baby shower.
what a lovely print
this one's pretty cool. look, you can get a magnet of it.
is this dirty like i think it is?
i'm ordering the trucker hat, so everybody better not get that or we'll all look silly
is this a jerry reynolds quote?
this one of my most hated fonts
this is a nice print, but it looks nothing like sac. it's from this poster shop
whitey's jolly kone thong, anyone?
i'm glad this one comes in an infant tshirt, now i know what to get adk at her baby shower.
what a lovely print
this one's pretty cool. look, you can get a magnet of it.
is this dirty like i think it is?
i'm ordering the trucker hat, so everybody better not get that or we'll all look silly
is this a jerry reynolds quote?
this one of my most hated fonts
this is a nice print, but it looks nothing like sac. it's from this poster shop
whitey's jolly kone thong, anyone?
whale fever: catch it!
Have you ever looked at the sacramento stuff on cafe press? it's pretty amusing. i was just looking to see if anyone had made any "sacramento has whale fever" shirts yet. this one is the worst.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
falsetto sucker
I fucking love this song and this band, the wild beasts. Yes, I am a sucker for any falsetto including Chris Isaak's!
pizza post
Another appeal (in addition to the FBOW one below): can anyone tell me when the golden state game starts tonight? The nba website says 10:30. That can't be right!
I started with Old Soul Pizza crust that I got at Taylors. It was just OK and the directions that they had posted at Taylors (and not on the packaging, which is a dumb idea) were wrong. It said to cook at 450 for 8-10 minutes. I even used a pizza stone and the crust was not done at 10 minutes. More like 15. I chopped fresh thyme that I had sittin' around and put it on there, with dollops of Laura Chevre herbed goat cheese.
I did a half-assed caramelization of some onions (I never have the patience to go all the way) and simmed some red grapes in some Harbor Winery Mision Del Sol that I had in the fridge (the leftover warm wine that had some grape juice in it was sooooo delicious to drink). Then I dumped that on the pizza and cooked.
Voila! Pretty good, but I prefer the crust I make myself from Marcella Hazan's recipe. The only problem is it takes 3 hours to rise.
I have been doing some covert eating for MM (I don't want to get scooped so I can't talk about it) so I'll just post about a pizza I made. Exciting?
I started with Old Soul Pizza crust that I got at Taylors. It was just OK and the directions that they had posted at Taylors (and not on the packaging, which is a dumb idea) were wrong. It said to cook at 450 for 8-10 minutes. I even used a pizza stone and the crust was not done at 10 minutes. More like 15. I chopped fresh thyme that I had sittin' around and put it on there, with dollops of Laura Chevre herbed goat cheese.
I did a half-assed caramelization of some onions (I never have the patience to go all the way) and simmed some red grapes in some Harbor Winery Mision Del Sol that I had in the fridge (the leftover warm wine that had some grape juice in it was sooooo delicious to drink). Then I dumped that on the pizza and cooked.
Voila! Pretty good, but I prefer the crust I make myself from Marcella Hazan's recipe. The only problem is it takes 3 hours to rise.
Monday, May 14, 2007
handle it
OK, so the Finches record gets a terrible review because they're not the Animal Collective but this chucklehead gets an 8 point fucking seven! I downloaded this album and listened to it and it's just OK, pretty frenetic and annoying. This reviewer must really love xylophone and woody woodpecker samples. Carolyn said she used that review as inspiration for a song, so take that, stupid p-fork!
I'm glad the Bee is doing this series on drunk driving. It's sorely needed. I wish they would do some hard-hitting investigative stuff and send someone out to observe the zoo that is downtown on a friday and saturday night at 2 am. Maybe that's coming next. However, it's totally absurd to pretend that any bar would ever enforce the law of not serving to someone who is visibly intoxicated. Everyone is drunk in a bar unless you're watching Cheers on TV. The fault lies with the police not busting enough people for word to get out, which is probably because there aren't enough of them to do so.
Hey, Mike Dunne reviewed Cafe Vinoteca. He starts the review with a scintillating discussion of whether it's a ristorante or a trattoria. See a ristorante is...looked I've gently lulled you to sleep. How cute. I know, I know, he handles the fine dining, but who is handling everything else? And don't say Allen Pierloni, he wouldn't know how to handle an actual handle even if it came equipped with an E-Z grip handle. Ha ha, I kid! One day I'm going to run into these guys and I'll just keel over and die.
I'm glad the Bee is doing this series on drunk driving. It's sorely needed. I wish they would do some hard-hitting investigative stuff and send someone out to observe the zoo that is downtown on a friday and saturday night at 2 am. Maybe that's coming next. However, it's totally absurd to pretend that any bar would ever enforce the law of not serving to someone who is visibly intoxicated. Everyone is drunk in a bar unless you're watching Cheers on TV. The fault lies with the police not busting enough people for word to get out, which is probably because there aren't enough of them to do so.
Hey, Mike Dunne reviewed Cafe Vinoteca. He starts the review with a scintillating discussion of whether it's a ristorante or a trattoria. See a ristorante is...looked I've gently lulled you to sleep. How cute. I know, I know, he handles the fine dining, but who is handling everything else? And don't say Allen Pierloni, he wouldn't know how to handle an actual handle even if it came equipped with an E-Z grip handle. Ha ha, I kid! One day I'm going to run into these guys and I'll just keel over and die.
the weirdest pie
The Sounds of Sacramento thing was super fun. The archives are so cool. I loved getting a glimpse of them. In the back they had a display that had stuff from Joe Sun, including that crazy 50s mannequin dude, and the giant pants and the tiny pants. It's so touching that there are people out there who care to preserve these bits of history as the city goes about destroying them. Too bad I got there after Heather Fargo left, maybe I could have taken her over to that display and given her a talking to about it. At least we'll have an awesome Z gallerie in that space soon so that I can furnish my house with overpriced tacky crap in jewel tones. Yeah, I know there is already a Z gallerie in the mall, but this one will be two blocks closer to my house, so I'll be more likely to shop there, just as I'll be more likely to shop at the Target that they're putting in there rather than the Target already in place 12 blocks away. I got a tshirt from the Sacramento Historical Society that made my head spin. Trompe l'oeil suspenders. Enough said.
The farmer's market is now exploding with produce, it's amazing. Does anyone agree with me that it should stay open later and that there should be food, similar to the wednesday one in Cesar Chavez park? There are so many sundays that I get out of the house too late for the one under the freeway, I wish it could be a morning AND afternoon event. I think people would love that. A tip, the mussels I got yesterday from the oyster guy were the best I've ever had! Sweet and tender. I made the beer and lime fish stew that Mike Thiemann created the recipe for, you know the one I printed in midtown monthly. It was the bomb. If you didn't cut it out, here it is again.
Cilantro fish stew with clams, mussels, corvina and large prawns in a XX Amber lime broth
serves 2
4 large prawns
2 small fillets of corvina or any firm-fleshed white fish
1 cups of clams and mussels @ 6 of each
2 ox. Spanish chorizo, chopped in small cubes
8 cherry tomatoes halved
6 limes juiced
1 ear of white corn, off the husk
1/2 bottle of XX Amber
1/2-1/4 Fresno pepper, sliced
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 white onion shaved or julienned
1/4 cup chicken stock
olive oil
salt and pepper
In a large pan saute over high heat the clams, prawns, chorizo and corvina in olive oil until the fish and prawns are browned on one side. Flip the seafood then immediately deglaze the pan with the beer. Add the onion and corn. The chicken stock and lime juice are added to taste. Reduce the broth then add the whole picked cilantro, cherry tomatoes and Fresno pepper. Finish with salt and pepper. Enjoy! You should be left with a nice citrus broth containing beer and cilantro overtones. Most of these ingredients can be followed to recipe, but I recommend that they be added to taste.
serves 2
4 large prawns
2 small fillets of corvina or any firm-fleshed white fish
1 cups of clams and mussels @ 6 of each
2 ox. Spanish chorizo, chopped in small cubes
8 cherry tomatoes halved
6 limes juiced
1 ear of white corn, off the husk
1/2 bottle of XX Amber
1/2-1/4 Fresno pepper, sliced
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 white onion shaved or julienned
1/4 cup chicken stock
olive oil
salt and pepper
In a large pan saute over high heat the clams, prawns, chorizo and corvina in olive oil until the fish and prawns are browned on one side. Flip the seafood then immediately deglaze the pan with the beer. Add the onion and corn. The chicken stock and lime juice are added to taste. Reduce the broth then add the whole picked cilantro, cherry tomatoes and Fresno pepper. Finish with salt and pepper. Enjoy! You should be left with a nice citrus broth containing beer and cilantro overtones. Most of these ingredients can be followed to recipe, but I recommend that they be added to taste.
I also made a pie from cherries that I got at the farmer's market without really using a recipe or the right kind of cherries. It was weird. But ok.
Friday, May 11, 2007
bike issue of mm
Have you all read the new midtown monthly? It's so good! In the few days before this new issue came out a couple of questions had occurred to me (is the tree canopy going to die out after all these tree removals? what is up with those bike messenger kids?) and they were all answered in the new issue! The music coverage is especially interesting and well-written this month, too. Pick up a copy today. It's a lot easier to find around now.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
say hello to my little friend
The Tyvek show was really fun. The one at the DAM house next week promises to be off the chain, so you should try to make that one if you didn't come to the one at fools, or even if you did.
The 916 did not exactly represent last night for the Finches, so the show started out a little bit iffy, but Carolyn was in such top form with her stream-of-consciousness banter and then of course there were the wonderful songs so by the end the show was saved! The sound at Fools was really good, too. I'm sure they will be back again, hopefully to a packed house.
Once again, a ton is going on this weekend. The Sounds of Sacramento thing is tomorrow night. The Dixon May Fair is going on this weekend (opens tonight in fact). The theme this year is "barn to be wild" so expect the unexpected. There's a demolition derby on sunday at 600. If you have never been to a demolition derby, I highly recommend it, it's quite exciting. Saturday night is second saturday, of course. San Kazagaskar will be flexing and playing outside body tribe, and Alkali Flats will be playing at a location that maybe I'm not supposed to disclose? I'm not sure if it's a secret or what. Sunday is the antique fair under the freeway. I'm tired just thinking about all this so I think I will just stay in and watch Scarface instead.
The 916 did not exactly represent last night for the Finches, so the show started out a little bit iffy, but Carolyn was in such top form with her stream-of-consciousness banter and then of course there were the wonderful songs so by the end the show was saved! The sound at Fools was really good, too. I'm sure they will be back again, hopefully to a packed house.
Once again, a ton is going on this weekend. The Sounds of Sacramento thing is tomorrow night. The Dixon May Fair is going on this weekend (opens tonight in fact). The theme this year is "barn to be wild" so expect the unexpected. There's a demolition derby on sunday at 600. If you have never been to a demolition derby, I highly recommend it, it's quite exciting. Saturday night is second saturday, of course. San Kazagaskar will be flexing and playing outside body tribe, and Alkali Flats will be playing at a location that maybe I'm not supposed to disclose? I'm not sure if it's a secret or what. Sunday is the antique fair under the freeway. I'm tired just thinking about all this so I think I will just stay in and watch Scarface instead.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
shows, duh
I haven't had time to read the entire issue of Midtown Monthly from cover to cover, but I read Heather Klinger's record reviews and boy is she a great writer! Very funny. I hope she writes more for MM. Make sure to check the back for a letter to me from and angry Oklahoman (see I was nice and didn't write Okie) about me calling Oklahoma a "flavor-hating state".
I'm off wednesday so don't forget the shows tonight and tomorrow at fools! Tyvek and Chaveau tonight, Finches and (maybe) Bushes tomorrow. They'll be a live simulcast to Germany tomorrow so that Leon can watch it whilst swilling steins of lager.
I'm off wednesday so don't forget the shows tonight and tomorrow at fools! Tyvek and Chaveau tonight, Finches and (maybe) Bushes tomorrow. They'll be a live simulcast to Germany tomorrow so that Leon can watch it whilst swilling steins of lager.
defending beers honor
I don't have a whole lot to say today, go to the show tonight, etc., etc.
The comments on this article are pretty funny. Here's my favorite:
Before adding new laws, how about enforcing existing laws. I've floated down that river almost 200 times and the VAST majority of drunk idiots I've encountered were under 21 years of age. Beer doesn't make people into idiots, some people just are idiots and make beer look bad.
Way to stand up for beer! I also like the guy who used the subject line "gotta love democrates".
Here's a cool thing going on this friday. If you like to do cool things on fridays, you should check it out. It's in a weird spot. I'm not sure if it's bikeable.
The comments on this article are pretty funny. Here's my favorite:
Before adding new laws, how about enforcing existing laws. I've floated down that river almost 200 times and the VAST majority of drunk idiots I've encountered were under 21 years of age. Beer doesn't make people into idiots, some people just are idiots and make beer look bad.
Way to stand up for beer! I also like the guy who used the subject line "gotta love democrates".
Here's a cool thing going on this friday. If you like to do cool things on fridays, you should check it out. It's in a weird spot. I'm not sure if it's bikeable.
Monday, May 07, 2007
war of the buskers
What's up sacto has a post about the chaveau/tyvek show that does a much better job of describing than I could. And Biz, scroll down and not that San Kazakgascar is scheduled to play outside of Body Tribe on second saturday, so you're gonna have to find a new spot. Or jam with them.
for sale
Finally, the Bee prints something interesting! I can't belive that N street house is finally up for sale. That must mean that the old lady died. I saw her watering her cactuses once. That is a pretty shady move by the new owner. I don't think he's going to get anywhere near his asking price. He was probably staking that house out for years and waiting to scoop it up. Of course, the article has the de rigeur idiotic comments. The Bee should either shut down their comments or make them approval only. It's really lame that people are writing hurtful and racist shit about people who have been murdered. People even found negative things to say after a story about a guy who got killed by a tree limb in Miller Park!
have you seen this man?
Ancient Sons! Ancient sons! I love this band! The songs on their myspace don't sound very similar to the live experience. They're a lot more rockin'. Sadly, they are having a hard time getting gigs, so if you would like the Ancient Sons to play your ice cream social, wedding, bar mitzvah, bat mitzvah, briss, whatever, you should message them through myspace.
Record Club was pretty happening yesterday. Granted that was kind of because the other two bands besides Ancient Sons had a ton of members so it made the place seem more full. I personally think that he should stick to booking one or two bands at this early slot, but some of the upcoming shows are inflating all the way up to four! That's a dumb idea because part of the fun is chatting with friends and listening to Roger's excellent djing. Also, it's sunday night so it's perfect to have it over by around seven. Pipas is coming up. Is that the Swedish band or a different band?
Lavender Diamond! Lavender Diamond! Their new album is fantastic! They continue the secret Sac/freak fold connection by thanking John Baccigaluppi at the Hangar. Devendra Banheart has turned every freak folker onto this local recording studio. Has anyone ever spotted him hanging out in Sac? That's a celebrity sighting I'd love to have.
Friday, May 04, 2007
corti stirs it up
Mike Dunne's blog led me over here, to Robert Parker's message board where they are discussing Corti's decision to eliminate the table wines with over 14.5 alcohol content. By saying table wines, he distinguished them from fortified wines, so it's obvious that he didn't mean port. I think it's also obvious he doesn't mean amarone, one of the worlds great wines, which is produced using a unique method. I would say that he means wines produced in the normal manner that have high alcohol. MH pointed out that this is a brilliant marketing strategy because it gets people stirred up and talking, and will influence the market, yet in all likelihood he probably only will end up eliminating a few wines from his shelves. The reason for that is he tastes all the wines and personally chooses what he's going to stock and always has, so for there to be a wine with higher alcohol content on his shelves he would have had to like it in the tasting, and if his tastes run counter to that it wouldnt' be stocked anyway. Jeez it goes on for seven pages! Robert Parker commented on the second page:
Seems apallingly stupid,frigheningly arbitrary,and like some part of a police state's mentality to me, but it is his store,so he can do whatever he desires...however, given how unreliable labels are...especially those from Europe,this seems like more smoke than substance...some hyprocisy as well..I purchased an imperiale of 1976 Amador Zinfandel bottled especially for CORTI,with his personal label...and served it at a charity function a good decade ago....damn nice zinfandel...well over 15% alcohol...and I don't recall any disclaimers he put on the label warning of some grotesque wine encounter because of high alcohol....but the wine was excellent.....
Seems apallingly stupid,frigheningly arbitrary,and like some part of a police state's mentality to me, but it is his store,so he can do whatever he desires...however, given how unreliable labels are...especially those from Europe,this seems like more smoke than substance...some hyprocisy as well..I purchased an imperiale of 1976 Amador Zinfandel bottled especially for CORTI,with his personal label...and served it at a charity function a good decade ago....damn nice zinfandel...well over 15% alcohol...and I don't recall any disclaimers he put on the label warning of some grotesque wine encounter because of high alcohol....but the wine was excellent.....
b.j. for antica
It seems like almost nothing is going on this weekend and I for one am glad. Is there anything happening that I don't know about? There are a couple of really good shows coming up, though. Both at Fool's. Hmm...I see from looking at their website that Get Hustle are playing tonight, but I've never heard. Them. On tuesday the 8th, Tyvek is playing at Fools. And then on wednesday, the Finches are playing at Fools!!!! I thought with the Bushes, but I checked the Bushes myspace and I see they're not playing. What's up with that? Lame. Scott, you should write something that will make people understand why they should go see Tyvek. It sounds good to me on the myspace. Scrappy and tuneful both at the same time!.
I'm sure Pizza Antica in Granite Bay is good, and I'd like to try it because they have thin crust, wood fired oven pizza, but it is annoying to me that this kind of restaurant is automatically going to receive a b.j. from every press outlet while exciting new Thai and Vietnamese restaurants languish with no press at all. I began to get annoyed by this when I read this quote in the Bee from the Pizza Antica owner regarding a visit to Masons that convinced him to start a restaurant in this area "The place was beautiful, and packed with young, affluent, sophisticated people with money to spend, all having a great time," Stannard recalled in a recent phone interview from his San Francisco office. "I thought, 'This place could be anywhere -- San Francisco, L.A., New York. Who wouldn't want to be here?' " Yeah, I hate when I have to eat around old or middle aged people who aren't affluent. It's so unpleasant. And look, this article contains the Bees fifth mention of Tex Wasabi (by my google search) a restaurant that even "it's all good" Mike Dunne couldn't manage to write a favorable review of. It was obvious from day one that the sign went up on Tex Wasabi (like a year before it opened) that Tex Wasabi was going to be a piece of shit, so why keep writing about it?
Look, Allen Pierloni reviewed some kind of generic cafeteria in Folsom. Mmm...soup from Sysco. Assembled by robots, probably. Thanks for the tip, Allen. I'll make sure to never ever go there.
Maybe you've noticed that a Greek restaurant is going in in that building in the 19th st. Safeway parking lot. It's a big chain.
I was just reading the article in the Bee about the poor woman who got killed outside the library on wednesday (the library club). Too awful for words. Look at the comments that people are writing in the Bee! What assholes.
I'm sure Pizza Antica in Granite Bay is good, and I'd like to try it because they have thin crust, wood fired oven pizza, but it is annoying to me that this kind of restaurant is automatically going to receive a b.j. from every press outlet while exciting new Thai and Vietnamese restaurants languish with no press at all. I began to get annoyed by this when I read this quote in the Bee from the Pizza Antica owner regarding a visit to Masons that convinced him to start a restaurant in this area "The place was beautiful, and packed with young, affluent, sophisticated people with money to spend, all having a great time," Stannard recalled in a recent phone interview from his San Francisco office. "I thought, 'This place could be anywhere -- San Francisco, L.A., New York. Who wouldn't want to be here?' " Yeah, I hate when I have to eat around old or middle aged people who aren't affluent. It's so unpleasant. And look, this article contains the Bees fifth mention of Tex Wasabi (by my google search) a restaurant that even "it's all good" Mike Dunne couldn't manage to write a favorable review of. It was obvious from day one that the sign went up on Tex Wasabi (like a year before it opened) that Tex Wasabi was going to be a piece of shit, so why keep writing about it?
Look, Allen Pierloni reviewed some kind of generic cafeteria in Folsom. Mmm...soup from Sysco. Assembled by robots, probably. Thanks for the tip, Allen. I'll make sure to never ever go there.
Maybe you've noticed that a Greek restaurant is going in in that building in the 19th st. Safeway parking lot. It's a big chain.
I was just reading the article in the Bee about the poor woman who got killed outside the library on wednesday (the library club). Too awful for words. Look at the comments that people are writing in the Bee! What assholes.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
tie dyed crocs
Wow, just when I'm ready to hang it up over here at Heckasac HQ after weeks of comments trickling in and then you guys bust out on the most random subjects. I love it! Yesterday I had the joy that is known as jury duty. Also known as hurry up and wait. I spotted local newsman Dave Walker in the elevator. His neck is very red. That reminds me, the other day I had a very thrilling local celebrity sighting when I was at Cafe Bernardo at a table near Davey D!!!! If I had my camera with me I could have gotten a picture with him. I need to carry my camera all the time because yesterday I saw the most awesome Vice don't which was a middle aged couple, both in tie dyed tshirts and denim shorts and he had tie dyed crocs! During my day of jury service, I got as far as into a court room and heard a bit about a case. I was almost hoping I would get picked by the end just so I could learn the details (it was a civil case but it involved juicy stuff like heavy drinking and racial slurs), but they thought it would go over a week so I'm glad I didn't. I got to have lunch at La Bonne Soupe and although sometimes I don't like his frenchified sandwich sauce the braised pork sandwich was very good.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
and another thing...
this is one of the weirdest yelps I've ever read, and that's saying something.
oh god, and david l.'s review of it is also insane (they are obvs in cahoots). sometimes the paint rubs off on your clothing?!?!?! and guess why the bathroom stinks? cuz people are in there taking big coffee shits all day long (not to put too fine a point on it). should the owner post a sign saying "no stinky coffee craps"?
oh god, and david l.'s review of it is also insane (they are obvs in cahoots). sometimes the paint rubs off on your clothing?!?!?! and guess why the bathroom stinks? cuz people are in there taking big coffee shits all day long (not to put too fine a point on it). should the owner post a sign saying "no stinky coffee craps"?
style report
Chkchkchk were really really good. I had low expectations because of the sound being pretty bad at Animal Collective (that low end vibration that the whole stage area does drives me insane) but they somehow had great sound. They have really taken it to another level as a band. They're seasoned pros. I like the dual frontman aspect with John Pugh and Nic. The highlight was when these three highschool marching band drummer kids from the area who played on the record got up and did percussion on a song and they were so stoked! It was a total Tusk moment. Speaking of Tusk, have you given it a listen lately? Listen again to Tusk for the first time. I heard that a friend has a theory that Fleetwood Mac and one other band (the name escapes me right now, maybe he'll post it) invented the 80s and I'd like to make a case that Homzee's aunt and uncle had a big hand in inventing the 80s too. They had the design firm that designed the packaging for Tusk, which has some of the weirdest packaging ever. There's a lot going on in there. Woah, I was just looking for stuff about their design firm (Vigon Nahas Vigon) online and I found a Tusk paperback? What is it, the novelization of the album? As you can see here, they won a grammy for the packaging in '80. Oh, and guess who designed Tom Petty's logo?
That leads me to musing about style, and I have heard a report that the new east coast style is New Rave (this is probably not that new, just new to me). This involves a lot of oversized neon and tight pants, all rounded out with neon nike airs. And skater type cuts, right? And this is the look for dudes, I don't know if it's the same for ladies. Intriguing. I myself will not be wearing any neon but I guess I should never say never. It's amazing how something that I thought looked like crap will start to look good to me if I see other people wearing it in a good way. The style report from Coachella via Brew was: short shorts with suspenders (a la Lohan) and that the Cobrasnake girl was just wearing facepaint and a one piece bathing suit? Sweet. She also related a story whereby har mar was trying to get Giovanni Ribisi to get them backstage at the Chili Peppers. Think about THAT for a minute.