ESCAPE TO BEACON HILL

I got back this week from a wonderful week in Boston

I fell in love with Boston last year.

(remember my blog on the "Zombie parade" in Salem?)

As usual I knew no one where I was going...

I had just always known that I would love the place.

It was MY kind of place, and was certainly "love at first site" before we ever laid eyes on
each other...

Some things you just KNOW, maybe by movies you've seen, possibly by books read....

Not the least of which, those gorgeous photographs you've always seen...


The beautiful Golden Dome on top of the State House...(my hotel this time was right next to

it...what a gorgeous sight!)



The Cobblestone Streets of Beacon Hill...Gas lamps lining the streets...( lingering in the
precious antique, wine, specialty food, gift, clothing, jewelry shops...both up and down Charles Street...This is where I stayed this time...Nirvana...)


Architecture that has except for upkeep, simply has NOT been changed since the 1700s!!!


Beautiful Back Bay with the bells ringing from the Trinity church, the oldest Episcopalian church in America...Both inside and out, it is almost overwhelming...There are no words to describe this kind of beauty...


Let us not forget those that are more the "Rodeo Drive" type of shoppers......
Newbury Street in Back Bay is your paradise...



Statues of Paul Revere, Henry Adams, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, President Kennedy, and many others surround you....


The Boston Common (oldest park in America)...The public garden...Swans gracefully set upon the water in the summer, and in the winter covered in ice for an outdoor skating rink...This is wonderful to watch, because in Boston, as in New York, people actually know how to skate and skate well....


SO MUCH HISTORY SURROUNDS YOU...


The kind of history that one doesn't probably appreciate as a kid...One of the joys of getting older...that love of history...and to see it right in front of you...To hell with history classes, this
is the way to learn and love history (I know, unrealistic, but too bad)


Sipping tea where Louisa May Alcott used to sip her tea, as she wrote "Little Women"...


I could go on and on...(and probably will...)


Beautiful and exciting Cambridge...(where the very best restaurants are..more later)

Cambridge is literally one of the best places in which to observe people...Very interesting

types of people...Intellectual, attractive people...Love it...



Speaking of people, I have now spent two week of my life in Boston and never met a rude

person...I have ONLY encountered either polite or downright friendly people...Sorry to

bust yet another "myth" about people up north...east....



The Boston Symphony Orchestra...(my second time, where once again, I landed a seat on the 6th row, close enough to actually view the genius virtuoso that inevitably performs during the concert. This time it was a 21 year old "child"....She was obviously gifted beyond reasonable comprehension...Mozart as a child came to mind, as I watched her fingers produce literal "magic" on the piano keys....I had to try to keep my mouth from falling open...As previously stated, drooling in public is simply not an option for me....)


The Isabella Gardner Museum...

I am so passionate about this "museum" (it was actually her huge mansion), that I will try to
hold myself back from 3 paragraphs of explanation...


Let's just get to the major points...


Point number one...If at all possible, you must do what you need to do to see this stunning
museum before you die....


That said....


Point number two...There is a massive "Garden Courtyard" in the house that literally has to be seen to be believed...She loved her courtyard and poured herself and her love of art (not to mention a lot of money) into this garden and every space of this mansion....It is 3 or 4 stories, and probably contains about 30 or more rooms that contain precious art from all over the world....This is place where the horrific art burglars around 1990 got away with some Picasso, Matisse, and many other priceless paintings...They have NEVER found the paintings or the criminals...Their frames lay vacated on the walls...Mrs. Gardner left a will specifying that NOTHING ever be changed in the museum and it has not...Even when a painting is stolen, the frame remains just as it was...Wow...


Point number three... There is a precious little tea room/lunch room inside the museum if one gets "the vapors" or any other malady while trying to take it all in...


Point number four...For those that adore Museum Gift Shops, THIS is your place...I would say that next to the gift shop at the MOMO in NY, this is my favorite museum gift shop...Last year I bought the CD that was playing while I was in the shop, a collection of charming French tunes sung by well known contemporary French artist...(not well known by us, of course)
It is still one of my favorites...
I put it on when I am particularly irritated, and it seems to help.....

I digress...

Point number five...On first Thursday evening of the month, and on Sundays at 1:30, they have small and interesting "concerts" by musicians from all over the world...I attended one this time while in Boston, and while it wasn't exactly my kind of musical preference, I really enjoyed the whole "private" affair held in one of Mrs. Gardner's "concert rooms"....(It was an "experiment" in Classical and Synthesizer music, that had its exciting moments, I must admit)


So that you don't think that I am just waxing on about nothing...do check out their website if you are more interested...I feel that it is my duty to share this incredible place with the world...

www.gardnermuseum.org/


There are many wonderful things in and about Boston...Much more than this, and I might as well write a guide book (hmm...think this has been done already...but not by me! Note to self...think
about this later...)

I know that most of my followers are foodies...so I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that this
is one of the best places for foodies in the country...Seriously, it's right up there with San Francisco, you just have to know where to go....


I do think that there are some wonderful places in Boston itself, "Hamersley's Bistro" being one of them, but most of the really special and deliciously different ones, I have found, reside in Cambridge....

I was there for a week, and I must say that it was difficult for me not to revisit my favorites, which I did, but I managed to try two new ones....(I did go to my very favorite twice though...)

I will provide you with a list of not to be missed places for foodies...(but I must say that I do it out of love for my fellow foodies, because it is VERY difficult at times to share one's researched and favorite "gems"....)

Okay...here goes....(oh, and of course, nothing is cheap, because organic, quality, fresh and farm grown sent immediately to restaurant, type of food, never is...Foodies simply cannot be bothered with that silly detail anyway...)


In Boston...

South End:
Hamersley's Bistro http://www.hamersleysbistro.com/

B & G oysters http://www.bandgoysters.com/


North End:
This is their "Little Italy"...many good Italian ones here...I am not particularly as huge a fan as others of Italian, though I understand that "Mama Maria" set in a century old farmhouse and right across from Paul Revere's home is suppose to be quite special


The North End is where one could find some authentic and cheaper food...I understand that
"Mike's Pastry" is also wonderful for the best pastries....(note Mama Maria NOT cheap)

I did do a foodie tour here last year, but never made it back to dine here...One of those, need to
do my next visit deals....


Many of these restaurants that line Hanover Street are Mom and Pop and may only take cash, so be prepared...


Special mention for "Neptune's Oyster" in North End...People rave about their "Lobster Rolls"


Cambridge:

"Oleana" (my favorite restaurant ANYWHERE)

(Vegetarians take note...I have been there three times now, and have never tasted meat, because the Vegetarian dining option is so incredible, it is what I always get...It is different every
night...)


"Craigie on the Square"

This chef won the James Beard Award...

I did the after 9Pm on Sunday night "Chef's Whim"

You have to be adventurous, because you do either meat or veg, and then it's up to his

"whim" at the moment as to what your 4 or 6 course dinner is plus dessert....

This is the first time I have ever eaten "sweetbreads", a Hannibal Lector favorite, and I must
say, I probably will not seek them out again, but I got through it and it was quite delicious...I don't know...think I have seen "Hannibal" too many times to appreciate this....

The rest of the course were too complex to even describe, but all very special and delicious...

I sat next to a woman who was also by herself, doing the "whim" and even she got different
things than I did...(interesting woman, on business in Cambridge...A physician recruter for an infamous hospital in Memphis, who meets with soon to be graduate Medical students from Harvard and Scientist from MIT....Great job...."I get excited talking about Science"...She was also a serious foodie...)

It was fun, a great experience, and I will do it again...

They also had a "cocktail whim"...4 Mini cocktails of their choosing, from light to dark, in the cutest little miniature cocktail glasses that you have ever seen. If Ken and Barbie had "cocktail hour", this is what they would drink out of....
Okay, Okay...maybe not that small....


"Hungry Mother"...

Excellent Chef living in Cambridge, who saw a need for "gourmet" Southern fare...I have eaten it in Charleston, some of the best ever, and his take, although quite different, was no less delicious and I highly recommend it....
He had me at the "pimento cheese" starter and it just got better and better...
Anyone who can make "greens" taste that delicious, has my vote....(and no bacon it seemed)


All three of these are "foodie heaven"....


All of these places must be reserved, and Craigie probably a bit ahead of time...
I'd do it at least a week in advance, maybe longer..

All are very, very popular....

Those folks in Cambridge love the good stuff....and I'm right there with them...

Oh and don't let me forget to mention the really cool bookstores and poetry slams that they
have in Cambridge...

Great jazz as well....

I could do at least 3 or 4 days in Cambridge alone...


My hotel is different every time, but never anything less than remarkable...This time it even came with a chauffeur...I used him about 3/4 of the time, and he had to be booked, as it was a small hotel and everyone wanted service....(Boston is a great walking city though....)

XV Beacon was my hotel....

Other great hotels...The new "Liberty hotel" in Beacon Hill, The Fairmont Copely in Back Bay,

the Charlesmark ( very reasonable), Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro ( somewhat reasonable), the

Charles Street Inn (bed and breakfast with incredible rooms named after famous Bostonians, expensive but seasonal like most of them)....The Elliot Hotel in Back Bay...These would be my particular picks....


So, I had another adventure in Boston, and plan on many more...

Some choose to "Escape to Witch Mountain"...that's so ordinary....

I'd much rather "Escape to Beacon Hill"

okay, alright, I'll stop now....

DREAMING HER LIFE AWAY

I'm so out of touch

With the Poet in me...

With the Daughter,

the Mother,

and the

"Comic Wanna Be"...

You see

I've been

around here

More than

half a Century long..

(Though the Piano Music's gone

with the Girl

that sang the Songs...)

Such a Shame that I'm

Dreaming My Whole Life Away...

While the World is still Spinning,

I'm Asleep Night and Day...

Won't SOMEONE

Awaken Me!

(Time is so Dear...)

Before ALL of my

Todays

and

Tomorrows

DISAPPEAR....

Nicole (10/6/09)

YES, I'M STILL KICKIN...WELL SORT OF...

Though one would have to wonder at this point...

Remember when I used to write 3 entries/week? Well, obviously those days are on hold right now...Believe me, it's not from a lack of interest...As they say, I am "running as fast as I can", these days/nights....

Therein lies the problem and/or change...

Working nights is not that hard...It's the days/nights off that are difficult...

The adjustment is quite difficult and fatiguing...

I find myself just working and sleeping all of the time...In between those two activities I try my best to meet friends for dinner, go out of town, and generally just try to barely meet the minimum when it comes to keeping up with life's necessities...

I've actually been late with bills sometimes, NOT because I don't have the money, but because I am lost in this tunnel- like existence, and paying the bills is a more difficult endeavour than it used to be!

Now...enough of that...Blah..Blah...Blah

Your took the job...you deal with it...

Problem is...the job which should not be THAT difficult at this point, is harder than it should be, due to the recently promoted individual that is over me...

For one thing....he never sees me, so his judgements are unfounded at best...

For another....he doesn't like me....

Oh well...sort of been there and done that at this point...

Surely it will get better...

My relationship with fellow employees is definitely improved...

But this guy that's over me...Bad news to say the least

Too bad he's an egotistical, young , inexperienced Sap....(they make the worst managers...)

If you are a person that can kiss___ on a regular basis and still come home and look at yourself with respect in the mirror, then you probably do well with these types...

My problem is, like so many others, that this is a difficult endeavour for me, and always has been...

I don't even mind kissing ___if I respect the person, but when I don't...it's tough...

Oh well...just like you can't pick you Mother-In-Law, you can't pick you boss....

Ah...some things in life just NEVER change...They are like the wind, clouds, sun, moon...they are and always will be THERE...

Let's face it...This particular problem/situation has been around as long as JELLO and possibly even longer!

Just got back from visiting Austin last week. I have not been there is so many years that I do not recall having been there at all!

I DID see "THE VELVEETA CLUB"...This is a club where I had actually gotten a job with the comedy troupe that I was a part of...We were supposed to play there on Friday and Saturday nights...Considering that it was a good 4 hour drive away, I'm not sure that it would have ever worked out...I quit about that time, but I'm pretty sure that the troupe never performed there...It was kinda cool to see it anyway...Of course it was a dump, which all comedy clubs should be....

My purpose of going to Austin was to see my older son...I have not seen him for a year....I also met his "partner".....

His partner, I was warned before meeting him, was an "artist" and tattooed from head to foot as well as having these outrageously large holes in his ears...(believe they are called "gauged"'')

I cannot begin to tell you how many frightening images and exposed nerve cells that I experienced before meeting him...

I was so freaked out that I practiced "aversion therapy" before I met him, by pulling up the most bizarre and frightening images on the Internet that I could find of tattooed and "gauged" individuals...

I do believe that this helped me, as upon meeting him, he was not even CLOSE to being as scary as anything that I had viewed....What immediately calmed me was that he had these very kind and gentle eyes...I was smitten at once....Turns out that he was a very nice young man, very intelligent, and he is crazy about my son....I know that most of you might "wince" when one says that, but it is interesting how when things in your life are not anything like the "Cleavers" or the "Waltons", you eventually DO adjust your way of viewing things...

In the end, you, like all parents, want your child to be with someone that appreciates and loves them....My son is not an "easy" person to love...He is extraordinary in so many ways, but is not "easy"....I understand that it must take a lot of patience and understanding at times, and this young man appears to have that...First impressions, of course, are just that...Time is a much bigger talker...

I took one of my best friend with me, and we stayed at the "Driskill hotel"...

Fabulous and HAUNTED...Full of amazing history from WAY BACK...Unbelievably gorgeous.....Check it out...www.driskillhotel.com

We looked for ghosts, but did not meet any...On the other hand, my son went up to my room

to obtain an antacid, and he took the wrong elevators, got lost, ended up in an empty eerie ballroom, the elevator doors shut, and he claims that he saw and heard from a ghost, but was so upset when he returned to us from my room, that he was unable to elaborate...Of course, when he left, my friend and I retraced his steps and saw nothing...Uh...except another small group of ghost seekers, that is...Three guys that were not staying at the hotel..

They freaked me out more than any ghost could have...

I also got a chance to see a wonderful friend while there, and she met us for dinner one night...and just a bit of dancing afterwards...just my two friends and I....It was fun and a bit crazy...We all overdid it a bit, but it was a good time for all...

My son and I had a wonderful visit...Austin is truly an "artsy" kind of place, which I love...Of course everyone wants to live there...I can see why...

We went to a lot of interesting art and antique shops, but there was not a lot of time...With less than three full days there, some of those places will have to be seen on my return there...I plan on going 4 or 5 times/year, as I don't want there to be another long absence...

Life is far too short for such a thing...

I had truly missed my son...Even though things have been tough, and still can be, I was so glad for the opportunity to see him and spend a bit of time together...He was at his "best"...When he is at his "best" there is no one better...

He seems to be feeling well right now....He has been to his first clinic visit, and things look good at this point...I am thankful for that...He has to work too much, of course, but in some ways I think

that it is good for him to do so...He thrives in the public....(An entertainer just like his Mom)

So what travels are next? Well just about my favorite...My return to Boston in November...It has been a year since I first visited and fell deeply in love with the place...

It is the ultimate escape place for me..I love everything about it...(yes...even the people...)

There is a very special Art Extravaganza that occurs during my visit, and I simply cannot wait...Of course then there is the Boston Symphony and The Isabella Gardner Museum, two of my favorite things EVER....If Heaven is anything like the Boston Symphony or the Garden Courtyard at the Isabella, then it certainly will be everything that I have ever imagined it to be...

My hotel there is so cool that I will save my assessment of it upon my return...I just know that any hotel room with a fireplace that automatically lights up with a control button is "my kinda place!"

(I experienced that in a Seattle hotel room, and I felt like I was in one of those early James

Bond films...If you've never seen "To Russia with Love", you gotta check out the gadgets..)

I am hoping for cool weather and good health (don't even get me started about the "plague"... Far too much of it around...)

Begins to make one feel uncomfortable...Sitting in a car dealership today, waiting for my car to be serviced, a girl start sneezing, and I find myself jumping up to leave the room...In my fantasies, I am going up to the girl and inquiring, "Are you sick? How dare you come out in public, sick!"...

Needless to say, one can get a bit paranoid...It just appears to be SO catching...Everyone that I know who has been exposed, comes down with it within just a few hours of exposure...Bit scary....

I will spend a few days, (my 4 days off), in December, back in San Francisco...I have never seen

the Wharf and Union Square all "lit up" for Christmas, and I hear that it is absolutely

gorgeous...I will stay in the same place that I stayed last visit...I cannot believe the "deals" that I have been able to get the last few trips...Taking Boston out of the picture (yeah, like New York

they want the big bucks), the beautiful hotels in San Francisco and Austin have been super-deals that even I cannot believe...Think it has something to do with the amount of time that one

researches, and then just knowing the many ways that "deals" can be gotten...I also really

love to research a vacation destination....A hobby of sorts really....(Hmm...maybe I should

consider a less expensive hobby?)

Naw...it's all good...Overtime may not be good for the body, but it pays for the trips...barely....

More later....

AN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL LAST DAY AND EVENING TO REMEMBER!

My last day in San Francisco (for this month anyway...)
Seriously it will be awhile until I return this time, because I have places to go for the next three months, (which of course I will write about), so San Francisco, more than likely will not be visited again until the new year....
This makes today, my last day here, somewhat bittersweet....
What a day and evening it has been though!!!!!!!!

I stayed up a bit late last night writing this blog, so when my wake up call came at 9:30am, I simply COULD NOT drag myself out of bed (could have something to do with my being up around 34 hours straight on Monday, don't know....)
I woke up finally at around 1100am, and had just enough time to get ready for the play that I was seeing this afternoon....
I called the concierge, and she honored my request to pick up my new necklace that was being re- sized for me a couple of blocks over...She insisted on going herself, as she had never actually seen this wonderful jewelry shop, even though she had suggested it, but only heard of it...She was excited to go...(Maybe she just wanted to be able to leave the hotel...not sure...All I know is that she was going to pick up my necklace for me, and I was happy....)
She showed up at my door with the necklace, and I tipped her, and asked if she had taken a look, and she said that she "hadn't dared to" so I invited her in to see it...She gasped...I gasped...
We both decided that it was the perfect necklace that could be worn anywhere....Jeans or velvet, it was a go....That was the selling point to me as well, as I have no patience for having to wait for an "occasion" to be able to wear a wonderful piece of jewelry, and simply refuse to....I like to wear whatever piece I want when I am in the mood to do so...One of life's many pleasures....

The play, "August, The Osgage", was outstanding...The theater was PACKED....The set was simple and appropriate...The place itself is being touted as the best "modern day Tennessee Williams type of piece" known in these times...The reviews don't lie....Along with the writing, the cast is dynamic...It is a HIT! I feel so lucky to be amongst the first to see it straight off Broadway and it's Tony Winning Award Status....The dialogue is "raw" sometimes...There are two 10 minute breaks...The play is 3 1/2 hours long...On both breaks, I hear some of the people around my parents age stating, "I didn't hear that kind of language in the Service!", or "I don't even KNOW people that speak that way!"....Well, I certainly didn't hear anything new, or even anything that I've never said before, (sorry Mom and Daddy), so it was not at all shocking to me...This is a play that I must make absolute sure that my sister sees when it comes to Dallas this January...My friend David as well...They will both LOVE it....

I took a MUCH needed nap when I got back from the Theater and had one of the worst dreams that I have ever had...The characters in the dream were all members of my family, and it was one of those dreams that you don't realize is a dream, and it was horrifying....I'm sure that it had something to do with the play, as it was a seriously DARK DARK comedy....

Thank heavens I had called and amended my dinner reservation for 9 PM, because the concierge forgot and did the wake up call a bit late, still I made it to dinner a bit ahead of time...
Tonight, my pick for dinner was a place that was called "GLOBE".... (Of course, I had never been there, as I think that I shared with you earlier, that it is always my plan to visit new places....The exception to this will be in Boston this Fall, where I WILL visit new places, but two of my very favorite places are there, so of course I must revisit them....)

As usual, I do a lot of research before spending the time, money, and calories at an establishment....I was happy that I had not eaten all day...When you have dinner and drinks at 9 PM, it's just a happier situation from the start!
The cabbie let me out on the corner from this establishment, and honestly, it looked a bit "divey" from the onset, but as that never stops me, I soared into the place...
Inside it was more what I would term, "comfortable" and "cool vibed" (if that is even still understood in this day and age...)
For the most part, the walls were rather stark, the restaurant was small and dark (LOVE DARK), and the tables and booths very comfy....The very, very small kitchen was half visible in the back, and that is where I was seated. I had specifically asked NOT to be put in what I like to term a "Manhattan" table, which is backed up to the wall, right NEXT (as though you are having dinner with them), another table...Surprisingly, my message was read, and reiterated, and I had my very own table right near the kitchen, where I could spy the chefs expressions while they worked...(I liked that...of course it did not hurt that the "main" chef looked like Kurt Cobain...not sure about that spelling, btw....)....
I ordered a house specialty cocktail (something with vodka, lemon, mint, etc)...good, but next visit I will order a glass of wine, as it would go much better with the cuisine....
The menu was small...Only a few dishes in each category, but it looked extremely promising...

For Appetizers:

Mariquita Farms wild arugula with baby beets and ricotta salata
Gazpacho with dungeness crab, avocado, cucumber and sweet tomatoes
Salad lardon: frisee with warm bacon vinaigrette and poached chick eggs
Tuna tartare with genovese basil and black olive tapenade
Blistered padron peppers and cherry tomatoes with fresh mozzarella
Rabbit rillettes with pickles, grain mustard and brioches roll
Mixed heirloom tomatoes with dry cured olives, cucumbers, Genovese basil and feta
PT. Reyes oysters (Tomales Bay)
Soup of the day

Average price appetizers was around $12 (except for the oysters)

Here were the sides....($7.00 each)

Creamy corn with marjoram
Macaroni and Tillamook cheese
Romano beans with bacon
Beets with lemon and basil

Entrees....

Braised lamb shank with potato risotto and sweet 100 tomatoes
Homemade spaghetti with roasted tomatoes, basil and garlic
King salmon on boccacino pasta with rapini, aglio e olio and salsa verde
Local halibut with Capay Organic zucchini and heirloom tomato fondue
Grilled Meyer Ranch bone-in ribeye with grilled onions and potato gratin for two
Potato gnocchi with chanterelles, bacon and chives
Quail over baby leeks, pancetta and black mission figs
Spicy monkfish stew with clams, mussels, habeneros and chili fish broth

The most expensive entree was the steak for two which was $26!

Pizza

Green tomatoes and fontina cheese
Wild mushroom and black truffle oil
Sopressata with egg sunnyside up
Fennel sausage and onions greens

Pizzas were $16

What a great priced restaurant, eh?

I have a decided weakness for Salad Lardon, having the best I have ever had at a restaurant by the name of "Hammersley's Bistro" in Boston (had dinner twice while I was there!), and so I decided to see what "Globe" could do with it....

Expertise and Quality Ingredients, plus possibly a trip or two to France is all I've gotta say....
The Frisee was mounded in the center of the shallow bowl, dressed with an almost "too tart" vinagrette, (though I loved it, some would wince a bit), and scattered nice cubed and fried pieces of lardon were on top, and on EACH side (there's usually only ONE), were TWO FRESH CHICK EGGS (you can SO tell the difference), that were lightly and PERFECTLY poached....
A real contender for BEST SALAD LARDON ( right up there with the infamous Hammersley's)
I made sure that the message got to the chef....

For an entree, I chose the homemade light and fluffy potato gnocchi....
Swimming in a light but extremely flavorful sauce with a generous amount of delicious chanterelles, with just the right touch of bacon and chives....
Someone in the kitchen knows EXACTLY what they're doing...GNOCCHI this light is a masterpiece to be able to pull off....Couple that with one of the most flavorful and light sauces on pasta that I have ever encountered, and you've got yourself something to talk about...
So here I am doing just that....

It would simply not be right of me to leave out dessert, as it was another big-time WINNER....
First I will share the dessert menu with you, though....

Warm pluot crostata, plum jam creme chantilly
Flourless chocolate mousse bar pistachio crunch
Elderberry brulee, chocolate fudge cake and almond phyllo
Peach gateau, maple-almond ice cream

All desserts were $8

Needless to say, EVERYTHING, including the ice cream, is made in-house....

I chose the elderberry brulee, chocolate fudge cake and almond phyllo.....

The dessert consisted of a square dense base of chocolate fudge cake, topped with the most delightful square, thicker than the cake, of FROZEN Creme Brulee, mixed with Almond Phyllo...Around the cake was a drizzle of elderberry sauce.....
The dessert could certainly be shared, but not too much for one...(or not for THIS one...), and was amazing...I have never had anything like it...It was light but OH SO DELICIOUS! Every bite was an epiphany!
I told the restaurant that I would not only be back, and tell everyone that I knew about it, but would also feature it in my blog....The hostess wanted the address of my blog...So....Here is my review...Hope that I did the restaurant justice....Also, lest I forget, I must make mention of the graciousness of the restaurant personnel....This makes for an even nicer experience...

I will say, that this particular trip has been a most foodie inspiring one...My last trip here a month ago was interesting as well, but this visit was certainly one that was worth writing about...I have decided to start featuring restaurant reviews in my blog when I visit places that are worth mentioning...You can be sure that it will mean most anytime that I am out of town, but it might also include some dining experiences that I have in my own city as well.....

This, as most of my solo trips, has been very interesting and rewarding in so many ways....I ended the night, before I REALLY ended it (which is when I write this blog), by having a "nightcap" at my hotel bar...Lovely space....The bar, of course, is all part of the hotel...If it's not wonderful, I probably won't stay there....
I sat at the bar, and two seats down from me, sat a man dining on what I had the night that I arrived, their wonderful burger and pomme frites....
After a few minutes, I asked the man if he enjoyed the pomme frites, as much as I had...There began a very, very long and interesting conversation with one of the more intriguing individuals that I have met for a very long time (and I meet A LOT of interesting people on my Solo Trips)...I will not go into detail, but let us just conclude that we talked of many interesting things and laughed and mutually enjoyed our conversation ...This man is very successful...A producer, director, and writer, as it turns out, of "America's Most Wanted", and previously a Stand-Up Comic, and still writes for some of the most successful comedy shows on television...He is here shooting a piece, (actually sounds interesting, though I confessed that I don't like "America's Most Wanted", because it freaks me out...Same reason that I don't watch the local news)...
They are shooting in Berkley....We have a lot in common....We talked a lot about hospitals...His young son died in one a few years ago....We talked about writing and performing comedy...We compared notes on hotels and restaurants in San Francisco, Manhattan, Santa Fe, Washington DC, (where he lives), Boston, and other places....He had MANY questions for me....(Who knew I was interesting enough for one to ask so many questions about?...Hmmm....Did I convince you for just a second that I don't think that I am?....Sucker!....Just kidding...Couldn't help myself, as usual...)

If you are wondering, he was age appropriate, highly intelligent, nice looking, very successful, kind, extremely interesting, and MARRIED to a wonderful woman who works as a producer for Lifetime television....YES....As I have said before......All the good ones....(and I'll let you finish that sentence....)
Still, I LOVE meeting these intruiguing people from all walks of life...It has simply become my absolute JOY to travel and experience these things....
I feel SO lucky to be able to do so....
This part of my life is turning out better than I could have ever hoped!
Hope you enjoy this post.....
Later.........

San Francisco Again and Again and Again......

I know that I was here a month ago...

So what...

I'm here again...

There's a reason, there is...Promise



I WANTED TO....



Hmmm....

Reason enough for me....



No one in their right mind NEEDS a reason to visit San Francisco on a regular basis...

(especially someone who lives in blaring, unreasonable, unforgiving, cruel heat, like that of

Dallas....)

Miserable is not a state in which I find happiness or contentment, so I escape it at all costs....

(if I can...and I can....)

Work yourself to death? Sure...You gotta keel over from something...Might

as well be in luxurious surroundings....



My Father told me last week, (my Mother had just said that she was going "to die in two years", and I think that I commented on that extraordinary premonition), "Well, you might as well start
preparing for DEATH the minute you're born, cause it might just be a rumor, but I think a valid one, that everyone DIES"...



THE TRUTH.....EXPOSED....



I was dumbfounded....Part of my childlike demeanor vanished forever!



So, I am in one of the most wonderful places on earth, in my opinion...

San Francisco....

Love is the word that comes to mind....

Love for weather

Love for hotels

Love for people

Love for art

Love for unique and beautiful jewelry (don't ask...Okay, but I could not stop myself!)

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....



LOVE FOR INCREDIBLE CUISINE!



Now, it is no secret to any of you that follow me, that I am a bonafide "Foodie"...

I was a "Foodie" before anyone would admit it, before anyone cared to even discuss it....

We certainly weren't the group that we are today...

Large and Looming...

Bonded and Interesting!



I do a lot of research before I leave town...I do it about everything...hotels, art, theater, weather, general happenings, but CUISINE is absolutely paramount! (hotels and food being the very most important of all...)



I do my homework, and 9 1/2 times out of 10 it pays off....

Tonight was NO exception....

Having been here a month ago, I was very interested in making reservations at a different hotel and two different great restaurants that I had not visited last month, or ever...

This time I elected to stay at "The Campton Place Hotel"....First thing is...Perfect Location...
Second...Lovely...
If you can get a decent rate as I did, (it's usually WAY overpriced), I highly recommend it...
Simple, streamlined elegance....
Service is incredible....
Royalty is the word that comes to mind...



I DID hit a "HOME RUN" with my choice to dine at "The House", an unassuming little "you'd never know unless you knew", Asian Fusion restaurant in the North Beach area of the city.



There are many restaurants in North Beach, and in my opinion, they are head to head with the delicious cuisine that one can find in the "Mission" area....

Both are known for the best dining venues in this "Foodie Heaven"....



I walked in to "The House", and almost hit someone with the door, as there were several people "crouched" around the opening of the restaurant...It was small, unadorned, LOUD, and crowded...It is Tuesday night...Even in San Francisco, this is CROWDED!

About 1/2 of the restaurant patrons are Asian...



THIS IS A VERY GOOD SIGN!



Everyone in the restaurant has a look on their face that is reminiscent of a child on Christmas morning after Santa has visited...



THIS IS A VERY GOOD SIGN!



I had read that even if one has a reservation, they still have to wait...

On the way over, I mention to the cabbie that I have heard that this restaurant is very good...

He responds, "Yeah, that's what I was told..."

This doesn't feel promising to me, and he goes on to say, "Just don't order the seafood combination plate...There was a little scoop of rice, and then only 4 shrimp! (turns out there is nothing that even begins to resemble a "seafood combination" on the menu...I feel sure that he is confusing this restaurant with "Red Lobster"....)

I felt just a twinge better...It dawned on me that he was just "cheap".

I know "cheap" when I hear or see it....For some reason, people that work in a hospital tend to be afflicted with it...

Sorry, just the truth...Not sure why...



When I arrive at the restaurant, I start to feel a bit negative that no one has come over to ask me
if I have a reservation...I ask the group of people next to me, "Is there even someone that comes to ask?"
They reply "Yes...It's usually just one of the waiters...They came about 20 minutes ago and told us that they were getting our table ready..."

Hmmmm.....

The waitresses look harried and crazy...The patrons look exhilarated...

I say, "Well, you know, it's Tuesday night, and there are many other places that I could go..." as my eyes gaze at the bevy of cabs driving up and down the street...

A young woman in the waiting party asks, "Have you ever been here before?'

"No", I reply....

"It's Asian Fusion, you know..."

"I know"

"It's amazing"...

"Not what my cabbie said..."

This, by the way, is an entire family waiting together..Her Mother smiles at me...
One of those, "I know something that you don't" smiles"..

"I can't imagine...It's quite amazing...", the young woman comments....



About this time, people are starting to line up out on the street..
Cramming to try to get into the door...One of the waiters comes over and says, "Please shut the door...You have to stay out on the street....You MUST close this door!"

A poor, waiting girl on the street pleads, "But we just want to put our name in ....Paleeeeessseee!"

The owner...it appears...goes outside, and is heard to pronounce, "It will be at least an hour, unless you have a reservation...."

No one moves...They all look like they're having a "block party"...No one attempts to leave...

People just keep coming...There is an absolute small "crowd" outside...
You would think there that was a celebrity inside..

They wait tirelessly...They MUST have dinner here....
It's an obvious obsession...



Finally a waitress comes over...She asks me if I have a reservation...I tell her that I do and in my Bitchy "KNOW IT FRIGGIN ALL VOICE" ask her...

"How long is the wait expected to be?"

( I have one foot in the door and another headed for the Mission area....)
She says 10 minutes...I wait...

I get a table...Near the kitchen, which I usually turn my nose up at, but somehow this time it is inconsequential....

The aromas that waif from the kitchen are heady and aromatic to the point that I almost feel weak with anticipation...

Suddenly I remember what it felt like to fall in love...

I am mentally drooling....(I think that I have mentioned previously that I NEVER drool in public)



I start with the crab cake with a spicy Asian remoulade..



It comes beautifully stylized, standing up in a shallow dish dressed and fried as a "pear" and the stem is a "taro chip strip"....(now I only know this because I have seen and tasted taro chips at Whole Foods....)



I have had MANY crab cakes in my time, some of which have been utterly delicious...

This one is unspeakable...There are no words to describe the sensation my tastebuds are
experiencing...It's obscene....

When I take the first bite of this crispy amazing concoction and dip it in the spicy Asian Remoulade, I have to take a deep breath, for fear that I will cry in public!

From that point on, I take small delectable bites, chewing slowly to savor each flavorful moment...


Next is a dish of spicy Sechuwan Noodles with a Grilled Flatiron Steak....


The noodles are homemade and thicker than spaghetti or the usual oriental noodles......They are mixed with a sauce, 2 or 3 different julienned peppers, sesame seeds, and other ingredients, then layered with sauteed and delicious shredded Napa cabbage, then the flavorful grilled steak, and finally topped with more sauce, flash fired onions, peppers, and sesame seeds...
Across the bowl are a couple of thinly sliced radishes topped with a very small amount of a florescent orange substance, which I believe is salmon roe, though that is just an educated guess...
(the only kind that I care to make...Okay..just hit me...)

This dish is so creative and beautiful that it takes me a moment to delve into it....but ONLY A MOMENT.....

The homemade noodles, of course, do not even resemble those in a box, and the sauce is so complex that even I (a pretty good dissector, as cooks or foodies go...), cannot quite place all of
the ingredients together in my mind....
The steak is sliced and cooked to a PERFECT Medium...pink and juicy, and the entire dish is a dream....

Dessert is not NEEDED (when is it ever?), but is ordered out of sheer curiosity...
What will an Asian Fusion restaurant, which is quite clearly, "the real thing", do with a homemade apple pie?
Curious foodies everywhere need to know...
It is my duty to find out!

What can they do?
A LOT... is the answer to that...
Now, some would say that it was not sweet enough, but then I am not one who likes an overly sweet melange of apples...
The topping IS sweet with cinnamon and the crust is something that my Daddy would be exhilarated over, plus the accompanied scoop of vanilla ice cream was the perfect foil as usual...


The dessert looks so appealing, that a diner next to me exclaims,

"WHAT IS THAT? THAT LOOKS DELICIOUS...OH, MY..."

She is eating her entree, but I ask her if she wants a bite anyway...She doesn't, but a very pleasant conversation follows between the couple and myself...
He wanted to know how I found out about the restaurant, as it is somewhat obscure to those who don't already know about it...
They ended up wanting to know what the website address of my blog was, and I hope that they enjoy it...
(I can be such a braggart...almost as bad as that aforementioned type of parent that sticks window stickers on the back of their cars about their incredibly talented child...)

Most of the time, I think that I am almost just as bad....even worse because it's about MYSELF!!!!


SHAMELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I go to the Tony Award Highly Touted Play, "August, The Osage"....
It stars Estelle Parsons, and from the Tony Awards presentation, it seriously looks like a winner...It is said to be one of the best pieces written in many years...
I am stoked..

It will be amazing...I can already feel it...(It better be...it's 3 1/2 hours long!!!!!)

Well, I have finished the "Lemon Drop Martini" that the Bartender brought while I wrote this...

I have had a nice impromptu conversation with a Drop Dead Gorgeous YOUNG man from Switzerland next to me on the other computer, so now it's time for sweet dreams....(which should be NO TROUBLE after this lovely evening's end...Oh to be young again...In a city by myself...Beautiful and appealing...To meet, by chance, a member of Switzerland's Royal Family...the Prince himself...)

Aw....c'mon...who am I talking about?
IT'S SO TIME FOR BED!

Later....








Time for a sweet dreams........Later......

Truth... Life...Timelessness

"To live is so startling, it leaves little time for anything else"

Well said, Miss Emily Dickenson

Well said..

The Truth is often Timeless...Endless....

Life is sometimes best lived without a lot of "occurrences"

People tend to get bored with this type of existence, though...

Upon reflection, this would not really be "Life"

It would be more of a dream, or only possible when one is asleep, or in a coma...

There has to be "occurrences," at times both tragic and joyful in nature...

Lately, news in my life has been shocking, tragic, and yet joyful

if one can find the light inside.

My oldest son is HIV positive now

My sister had cancer

This was all found out within a few days of each other...

My son and I will see each other and spend time together for the first time in over a year next month...

It is something that we both look forward to...

With all of the turbulence in our relationship..... the anger, the sorrow.... in the end, we love each

other more than we can say....

We miss each other...

Time is felt to be more limited now...

It is a "wake-up" call of the worst kind, but we will hopefully utilize it to come together again, to mend our relationship,

to not allow the past to ruin our "present" anymore...

My sister was successfully operated on and is CANCER FREE.

She still feels horrible...

Hormones rage and rule...

Pain is slowly leaving...

She is angry and hurt with me....

She often is...

I am so sad about this that I cry while I write about it....

I had a trip planned the day she had to have emergent surgery....

She said that it was okay, as I would call when I was there, making sure all was okay...

there were plenty of people there for her...

I would have come back if it had not been okay...

She does not believe this...

I went to San Francisco....

I called, several times, and she said that she was surrounded by people, and that I should enjoy myself....

This was true...

My Mother told me that I should go....

I did....

When I got back I was punished for going....

I am so grateful, and we all are, that my sister is joyfully clear of cancer.....

She, as usual, has found a way to be angry with me...

I am back to being the "black sheep" of my family....

I have played this role for many years...

I am unfortunately getting used to it....

I feel like my Father is the only one who does not dislike me....

I hate that, and that "might" not be true, but it feels like it most of the time....

What will I ever do without him?

I break down at the thought....

What will I ever do without my Mother?

I adore my Mother, but she and I are like oil and water lately...

I pretty much upset her most of the time, though we love each other very much...

I think that forever, including now, I am a bit "too much" for her...

She is older now and does not tolerate as much...

I am older now and stubbornly "myself", and find it difficult not to be,

even during a short visit or phone call...I often punish myself for not being able

to pull that off...afterall...I am an actress by nature...

If she were given the "truth serum" injection, she would say that I am her child and she loves me, but she would concur with my impression....

I cannot change who I am, and she cannot change who she is....

It is just the way that it flows....

My older son once told me in a rage, that I only loved the little boy that he once was...

As much as that hurt, I had to reflect on it and admit, that he WAS so much easier to

love then...and, in truth, his most precious and precocious times were in those early years...

Long before things got SO MUCH harder...hurtful....

I'm sure that my own Mother feels much the same...

My sister...well...

I would love for that to be like other "sisterly" relationships that I have heard about, you

know the kind, "My sister and I are BEST FRIENDS!!!"..barf....

Kinda like those people that put "My daughter is on the Student Council!!!!" or

"My son is an HONOR ROLL student!!!!"stickers on their cars....

Give me a friggin break....

How bout putting a sticker next to it that says

"I'm their Parent and a Braggart as well!"

Don't you people realize that you make the rest of us feel inadequate?

Do you think that we NEED more help with that?

"Imbeciles!"....

(God, how I love that word...not "in vogue" anymore, but so descriptive and satisfying!)

I don't give up entirely on my sister's and my relationship turning out like the kind in the

movies, but I try to be realistic about the chances of that happening...

Sometimes the best one can do is to accept what is, and try like hell to forget about

"fairytale expectations"...

I am constantly trying to "grow up" and adhere to that truth...

So there you have it...

The tragic and the joyful...

The past and the present...

The reality and the hope....

They say that Life passes by so swiftly...

So much happens in such a relatively short amount of time...

So often I feel like there is so little time for what really matters...

With the kind of work that I am involved in, that truth is reinforced every day..

"To live is so startling, it leaves little time for anything else"

The Truth...

Timeless....Endless....

Happy girl in San Francisco

Yes, I think that I loved it more this time than I ever have..



Somehow that sounds weird because for the first time, I went alone....Go figure...



I had a wonderful and VERY SHORT visit...



I met friendly and interesting people everywhere I went...


There was the financial whiz from New York, the opera singer from San Francisco, the electrician that told me that he was a rarity, since he was born and raised in San Francisco...He proceeded to tell me just how it had all changed...There was the couple vacationing from Texas, and a woman who does the registration at the hotel, an artist, who called me her "sister", who wanted to know my website address to read some of my poems...There was the guy at the corner that was waiting for a bus while I was waiting for a taxi, and we struck up a conversation after witnessing a horrendous scene involving two probable schizophrenics on the other side of the street..After viewing this outburst he commented " I HATE this city...This is the SECOND worst city in the world!!!"...I asked "What's the first", and he said "Tucson, Arizona!" Suppose that I will never visit there, as this guy seemed pretty passionate about his opinion...I won't test it...Just won't visit there...



Saw a wonderful attraction at the Modern Art Museum...The very best of Richard Avedon's collection...If you are not familiar with the photographer Richard Avedon, you would be familiar with some of his work, as it has been seen here and there for many, many years...Although he was known for photographing famous people and cult classics, I especially liked his photos of the "common" people...the everyday set...His artistry captured amazing thoughts, feelings, lifestyles, etc, without a word...just a photo....I adored this show...


I bought a new bracelet there...The new lucite that has the silver behind it so that it "shines".. Beautiful...Art museums always have the most wonderful jewelry...My favorite pieces over the years have all come from different art museums and galleries...


I also bought a coin or makeup purse made out of silver beer or coke can tabs strewn together with thick blue thread...Very cool, though sounds weird...Very futuristic looking....


Bought some other goodies as well, including my sister's birthday present for September....At first I thought that I simply could not part with it, but then my "other voice" told me that I should give it away and practice less selfishness...Hmmm...hate that "other voice"...


She will love it...A splendid reproduction...Beautiful....Don't think that she reads my blog, but just in case, will not say exactly what it is....


The hotel was beyond my expectations...I got upgraded on arrival though I am still not sure why...Asked for their biggest deluxe and a corner room, and stepped into my room only to see a place that was almost as big as my apartment...The closet itself was almost as big as my bedroom! Two chandeliers! Fantastic room...History surrounded me...Amazing photos from the turn of the century all down the hallways, which were curiously about 3 or 4 times wider than any hallways that I have ever seen....(Speaking of photos, I had not even been to my room yet, when I saw the very photo that Stanley Kubrick used in the last scene of "The Shining", the one that has Jack Nicholson's face superimposed on it...with all the gentlemen in the grand dining room...that was from the St. Francis....I had to call and tell my son that....He freaked...) I could certainly feel the many spirits that resided there from the past....It really added to the entire atmosphere...I truly loved my stay at the St. Francis...



The lobby was filled with antiques, chandeliers, huge vases, rugs, all from the grandeur of the past...


The "Clock Bar" in the lobby, new, with outrageously wonderful cocktails and warm and friendly bartenders...



Restaurants...A trip to the "Tadich Grill," a favorite of mine, was a disappointment...The fish suffered from lack of crispiness and the sourdough tasted more like rye...The infamous tartar sauce suffered from an overly added amount of dill (so easy to do when using dill)....

I cannot complain about the dining experience though...That is where I had two very interesting conversations with two very nice and intriguing people...(the wall street guy and the opera guy)

When you are by yourself, they won't give you a table...you must eat at the bar...In this restaurant it is THE PLACE to sit and eat anyway, it's just that in my travels, I have NEVER been refused a table for one...Only at the Tadich...a place KNOWN for their attitude...Kind of goes with the place...I said..."Hey isn't that discrimination...against the law?" and they said "Probably"...Can't help but love the place though...Oldest restaurant in San Francisco...Talk about atmosphere...


"The Slanted Door" was also slightly disappointing, although maybe my expectation were a bit high...This has been one of the most highly touted restaurants for the last few years in San Francisco...The restaurant itself was very cool..Beautifully modernistic Asian approach...Gorgeous lighting...Packed with beautiful people...all quite impressed to be there...Great drinks (they use a pick to break their own ice)...Great app...rice dumplings that were extremely unique in texture and taste...Ordered their "signature dish", shakin beef, think that is what it is called, and it was good, but not GREAT....Expensive, of course...Dessert was a small slice of butter pecan homemade pound cake, with a bit of homemade gelato and drunkin cherries scattered about...The pound cake was sublime and so was the gelato...I could have inhaled the cherries, but...umm...another time...another place perhaps....




The Swan Oyster Depot...an infamous, small, unpretentious and dark little raw bar near Nob Hill. Here one can sit on wobbly barstools and feast on fresh crab and shrimp cocktails ( you make your own sauce) along with sourdough and have a beer if you care to... You are joined by a lot of characters...That adds to the place....


I met and enjoyed my conversation with folks there that come in everyday, and have for years...The staff is really tight, like family...When I got home, I saw them pictured in my one of my travel magazines...Great crew...Incredible seafood....


"Boulevard"...a very impressive popular restaurant in San Francisco...Gorgeous decor...tons and tons of beautiful people (I could REALLY do without this but it comes with the territory, besides, I live in Dallas and it's par for the course here...)

The food was not only excellent, but almost too pretty to eat..

Starting with a composed and artistic salad that was sprinkled with shaved truffles, followed by
a silken tenderloin that could have almost been cut with a fork, and a dessert of a very small but delicious double chocolate pudding tart topped with a toasted homemade marshmallow, that was drizzled with chocolate sauce, and sprinkled with chocolate "curls"....Yummy meal...


Think that I was the only single diner there...Bothered by that? No....As I travel more by myself, I really do enjoy the positive aspects of travelling alone, and I have found that there are many...


I walked the entire length of the wharf, enjoying the sights of the performers, the sounds of the musicians, and the smells that surrounded me...I loved the sound of the waves...the sea animals...the site of happy people all around me....


The weather was beyond perfect...At home it raged in the 100s'...Here it was typically in the upper 60s'...wearing a light sweater was a dream come true....I have decided that it is the weather that causes those in San Francisco to be in perpetual good moods, and it is the weather in Dallas that causes many to stay in a bad one...(especially those behind the wheel of a car...don't get me started)


I got home and made plans immediately to return in August...


September everything goes up price wise...


I couldn't help myself and won't...


Getting ready for more overtime at work starting tomorrow, it makes it all worth it to be able to think about spending my days off there again in just a few weeks...


Such a glorious place...