tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89019082024-03-07T16:43:51.906-08:00meet me at the corner of third and fairfax.at home she's a tourist: santos's adventures in lala landsantos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-9274013180146980422012-04-15T10:23:00.002-07:002012-04-15T10:23:55.879-07:00sunday morning at porto's bakery.<div style="text-align: left;">
a little sunday morning instagramming. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/6934471658/" title="Porto's Bakery #Burbank by chotda, on Flickr"><img alt="Porto's Bakery #Burbank" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7266/6934471658_c4a4fb7236_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/6932096710/" title="Porto's Bakery apple galette by chotda, on Flickr"><img alt="Porto's Bakery apple galette" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6932096710_658aa0d91d_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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apple galette </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/6934496322/" title="Red velvet cupcakes and flan at Porto's #burbank by chotda, on Flickr"><img alt="Red velvet cupcakes and flan at Porto's #burbank" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6934496322_b3f43901e8_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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red velvet cupcakes and flan </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/7080574441/" title="Guava and cream cheese pastries at Porto's #burbank by chotda, on Flickr"><img alt="Guava and cream cheese pastries at Porto's #burbank" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7126/7080574441_4cbe1b54a0_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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guava and cream cheese pastries</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/7080579833/" title="Parfait at Porto's #burbank by chotda, on Flickr"><img alt="Parfait at Porto's #burbank" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7185/7080579833_43b4bcfb41.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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parfait</div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/6934510634/" title="A
damn fine cheese roll at Porto's #burbank by chotda, on
Flickr"><img alt="A damn fine cheese roll at Porto's
#burbank" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7076/6934510634_65b216da08_o.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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a damn fine cheese roll. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/7080602233/" title="Medianoche sandwiches for breakfast at Porto's #burbank by chotda, on Flickr"><img alt="Medianoche sandwiches for breakfast at Porto's #burbank" height="500" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5193/7080602233_38da3d7f84.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<i>medianoche</i> sandwiches for breakfast.</div>
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<b>porto's bakery</b></div>
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various locations, including burbank</div>
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<a href="http://www.portosbakery.com/">on the web</a></div>
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<br /></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-59706552915161395832011-06-22T09:17:00.000-07:002011-06-22T09:42:01.503-07:00a walk around hayes valley.just some photos from one of my favourite neighbourhoods in the city<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5828791943/" title="bell'occhio mosaic by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5200/5828791943_edca7bd68a.jpg" alt="bell'occhio mosaic" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5828729313/" title="bell'occhio by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5226/5828729313_586f53e8a5.jpg" alt="bell'occhio" height="500" width="359" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.bellocchio.com/"><br /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.bellocchio.com/">bell'occhio</a>, a curious shop filled with curiosities. there was a lady dressed like an elegant acorn in there, and i bought a hazelnut with a stiletto switchblade in it. the elegant acorn lady gave me moss from yosemite.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5829214974/" title="MAC by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2757/5829214974_4b457a430e_z.jpg" alt="MAC" height="640" width="428" /></a><br /><a href="http://modernappealingclothing.com/"><br /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://modernappealingclothing.com/">MAC Modern Appealing Clothing</a>. fearless, gorgeous clothing and every day objects as art. loooooooove this shop, even though i can barely afford things in here. however, i have been shopping here since high school and still own every single item i've bought from here.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5828669083/" title="martin margiela feather cape by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3559/5828669083_684ef05c9b_z.jpg" alt="martin margiela feather cape" height="640" width="428" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">check out this martin margiela peacock feather cape. i mean <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span>.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5829219106/" title="chester by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/5829219106_d1feee65a1_z.jpg" alt="chester" height="640" width="414" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">chester, the nicest dog i met in san francisco. it was lovely to meet you, chester.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5827848332/" title="the fatted calf charcuterie by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/5827848332_2e493eda15.jpg" alt="the fatted calf charcuterie" height="361" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5827847424/" title="pork happy hour by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3409/5827847424_ff113ab6a6.jpg" alt="pork happy hour" height="375" width="500" /></a><br /><a href="http://fattedcalf.com/"><br />the fatted calf charcuterie.</a> a beautiful curated collection of cured and uncured meats.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5827278581/" title="true sake by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3132/5827278581_002786e389.jpg" alt="true sake" height="500" width="334" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.truesake.com/">true sake</a>, the only sake shop in america.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5827807756/" title="brighter faster by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3242/5827807756_0007dcccbf.jpg" alt="brighter faster" height="296" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5827254609/" title="pole people by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5104/5827254609_8e26bf2d27.jpg" alt="pole people" height="500" width="361" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify;" id="link_A_2" class="name lname"><span style="font-weight: bold;">bell'occhio</span><br /> <div class="pp-coverphoto"> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=15765145535364927319&q=bellocchio&hl=en&ved=0CEgQhgUwAA&sa=X&ei=2RkCTsDvKYu2oQTat4mRDw"> <div> <div id="photo-stack"> <div class="photo-shadow"> <div class="photo-border"> </div> </div> </div> </div> </a> <div class="pp-source-name pp-cover-source"> </div> </div> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" dir="ltr" class="pp-headline-item pp-headline-address"><span>10 brady street, </span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" dir="ltr" class="pp-headline-item pp-headline-address"><span>san francisco, ca</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="pp-headline-item pp-headline-phone"><span class="telephone" dir="ltr"><nobr><br />415.864.4048</nobr>.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MAC modern appealing clothing </span><br />387 grove street<br />san francisco, ca 94102-4418<br />415.863.3011.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">the fatted calf charcuterie</span><br />320 fell street<br />san francisco, ca<br />415.400.5614.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">true sake</span><br />560 hayes street<br />san francisco, ca 94102-4214<br />415.355.9555.<br /><br /></div></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-73190421122079411922011-06-14T08:52:00.000-07:002011-06-14T08:53:46.724-07:00dinner at incanto, in which i finally meet....(x-posted at <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2011/06/dinner-at-incanto-in-which-i-finally.html">my guammy blog</a>)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">one of my favourite blogs is <a href="http://www.onokinegrindz.net/">ono kine grindz</a>, which is based out of honolulu, but its author, reid, is a globetrotting kind of guy. we had made plans throughout the years to meet up in various corners of the globe, but <span style="font-style: italic;">finally</span> managed to meet up for dinner at <a href="http://www.onokinegrindz.net/%3Eono%20kine%20grindz%3C/a%3E,%20which%20is%20based%20out%20of%20honolulu,%20but%20its%20author,%20reid,%20is%20kinda%20a%20globetrotting%20guy.%20we%27ve%20sort%20of%20made%20vague%20plans%20to%20meet%20in%20all%20sorts%20of%20strange%20corners%20of%20the%20universe,%20but%20finally%20met%20up%20for%20dinner%20relatively%20recently%20at%20%3Ca%20href=">incanto</a>, during a quickie trip to san francisco that i took with lovely miss yoony from another great food blog, <a href="http://immaeatchu.wordpress.com/">immaeatchu</a>.<br /><br />incanto is the sort of restaurant that i wish was in every town--smartly casual and inviting, intimate and serious about its food. the menu is a market-dependent, with a rustic italian flare, and changes every day. chef chris cosentino is partial to offal and cuts of meat that most people would discard, but he manages to make the most of some of the most unusual parts.<br /><br />even though we had to cancel our reservations and suddenly re-make them (hello highway 101! you have a lot to answer for!), the staff was gracious and accommodating, and we were seated in a cosy back room with only six tables (of which four were filled with other parties taking photos of all their food as well. and everyone was eavesdropping but pretending to ignore each other. ha. love this town.).<br /><br />some of the things we ate:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5832121194/" title="incanto porchetta di testa by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3463/5832121194_3fbe143c2b.jpg" alt="incanto porchetta di testa" height="283" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">porchetta di testa</span>, a pig's head salami made by marinating a de-boned head in rosemary in garlic, then braised for an eternity. if you really need to know, there's a <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/food/video/2008/09/cosentino_pigshead">video</a> here, but it gets a little graphic.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5832119758/" title="incanto lardo by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/5832119758_d776458110.jpg" alt="incanto lardo" height="281" width="500" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boccalone.com/"><br /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.boccalone.com/">boccalone</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">iberico di bellota lardo</span>, nakita pear & mint: <a href="http://www.boccalone.com/">boccalone</a> is the salumeria run by incanto's chef chris cosentino, and this is his version of cured acorn-fed spanish backfat. yes, lard. delicate, flavour-flavy fat. the sweet asian pear and sharp, herby mint was a wonderful complement.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5832120252/" title="incanto foie gras pig trotters by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3207/5832120252_4f8a74b9d3.jpg" alt="incanto foie gras pig trotters" height="335" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">foie gras</span>, trotters & citron <span style="font-style: italic;">marmellata</span>: yeah, i'm not gonna lie. this was as rich--even richer, actually--than the backfat, as there was nothing that really cut through the sumptuousness of liver, and slowly braised pig's feet. i'm suddenly reminded of that soap opera "the bold and the beautiful". because it <i>was</i>.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5832120684/" title="incanto pulpo inzimino by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3058/5832120684_6a9e9f2926.jpg" alt="incanto pulpo inzimino" height="317" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic;">pulpo inzimino, cavolo nero & aioli</span>: baby squid cooked in its ink, with black kale and <i>aioli</i>. although more delicate than the pig's trotters, this one also had bold, pronounced flavours with the sweet, tender flesh of the squid playing nicely with the mild bitterness of the vegetable and the unctuous <i>aioli</i>.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5831570939/" title="incanto beef hearts by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3532/5831570939_371f922a20.jpg" alt="incanto beef hearts" height="281" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">beef heart, sweetbreads, spinach & potato: i don't think i've ever had beef heart <i>intentionally</i>, nor sweetbreads, but this was a wonderful introduction. honestly, though, i don't remember their flavour apart from the rich <i>jus</i>, but the beef heart was tender yet with a slight chewiness, and the sweetbreads--that's thymus or pancreas to you--were slightly springy and fork tender.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5831571527/" title="incanto goat cheese stuffed figs by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3502/5831571527_559a56ba92.jpg" alt="incanto goat cheese stuffed figs" height="367" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5832123012/" title="incanto sticky toffee pudding by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5832123012_c7dc45cc76.jpg" alt="incanto sticky toffee pudding" height="307" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">for dessert we had goat cheese stuffed figs, honey & almonds and a darned tasty sticky toffee pudding & spice ice cream.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">i wish i had something profound to say about it, but i don't. it is, however, what i consider to be the epitome of a great restaurant. and the food, the company, the surroundings, our crazy neighbour tables and conversation made for a great night out. mahalo, reid and yoony! hope we can do this again.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://incanto.biz/"><span class="pp-place-title"><span><span style="font-weight: bold;">incanto</span> </span></span> </a><br /><span> </span> <span dir="ltr" class="pp-headline-item pp-headline-address-lhp2"><span>1550 church street<br />san francisco ca 94131</span></span> <span class="pp-headline-item pp-headline-phone"> <span class="telephone" dir="ltr"> <nobr><br />415.641.4500</nobr> </span> </span><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-59340081226731244032011-06-14T05:49:00.000-07:002011-06-14T07:23:38.560-07:00trippin'!<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://immaeatchu.wordpress.com/">yoony</a> and i took a quick trip up to san francisco relatively recently...probably spent more time on the road than in the city, so yay for that, interstate highway and byway system. you own us.<br /><br />my favourite place to stay in SF is <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2009/01/where-was-i.html">hotel tomo</a>. it's small, quirky, quiet, and if there's a big stonking earthquake, i feel like i have a slightly-more-than-infinitesimally small chance of surviving than if i was in a bigger hotel. i could be wrong, but i like being deluded like that.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/2617559703/" title="tomo 1 by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/2617559703_b767bfb9d1_z.jpg?zz=1" alt="tomo 1" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />tomo is in japantown, which may have changed since i was in high school, but doesn't really feel like it. it feels like a sleepy, comfortable pocket of the city with cobblestone streets and pedestrian walkways, stone courtyards and indoor bridges. it's not particularly noted for its culinary fare (hello benihana!), but it has some great bakeries and decent comfort foodie cafés that sometimes i would rather visit than whatever is culinary <span style="font-style: italic;">en vogue</span>.<br /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5832022925/" title="benkyo-do by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3472/5832022925_83d3c321f5.jpg" alt="benkyo-do" height="500" width="500" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><a href="http://caramimi.com/">caramimi</a> urged me to stop by at <a href="http://www.benkyodocompany.com/">benkyo-do</a>, a small diner and sweets shop directly across from tomo. check out the swanky <a href="http://www.benkyodocompany.com/">website</a>, which is lovely, but doesn't really does not convey the vibe of this little shop at all. it looks like it hasn't changed since....the seventies, at least, the sixties is not a stretch at all--but it is charming, tidy and light-filled. one half of the shop is a diner counter with a couple of tables and possibly half a dozen things on the menu board, and the other half is a sweets and snacks-filled counter with <i>senbei</i>, packaged sweets, and trays of freshly made <i>mochi</i> and <i>manju</i>. <i>mochi</i> is glutinous sweet rice steamed and pounded into a paste then molded into bite-sized treats that are sometimes filled with fruit or bean paste. <i>manju</i> are other sweet treats that are filled with bean paste, but made from a variety of different flours, grains, shapes and techniques. it's a sweet sweet shop, but very, very quirky, which of course, i like.<br /><br />man, i want to tell you the quirky stories, i really do, but i feel like i might be banned from the shop if i do. so, let's just say if you go, you might walk out with a story of your own, along with some of the most tender, tastiest, freshest <i>mochi</i> and <i>manju</i> i've had. the <i>age</i> donut with red bean paste, <i>dorayaki</i> pancake with whole red beans, <i>habutai</i> white steamed <i>mochi</i> with red bean paste are very good, but my new favourite has to be the blueberry <i>mochi</i>, filled with teeny, tiny blueberries in a not-too-sweet goo that complements the glutinous rice nicely.<br /><br />the <i>mochi</i> and <i>manju</i> are made fresh every day they are open (closed sundays), but often sell out way before the shop's 5pm closing time. take a moment to stop by.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5831576593/" title="cherry blossom japantown 1 by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 889px;" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5275/5831576593_ffaebe8e7b_b.jpg" alt="cherry blossom japantown 1" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">benkyo-do</span><br />1747 buchanan street<br />japantown<br />san francisco 94115<br />415.922.1244</div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-4092851514364198642011-04-02T20:33:00.001-07:002011-04-03T14:18:11.424-07:00the don draper float<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5584153124/" title="the don draper float by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5584153124_68de146141_z.jpg" alt="the don draper float" height="640" width="376" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">the don draper ice cream float: one scoop of don draper-flavoured ice cream--vanilla, bourbon, caramel and smoke--floated in boylan bottleworks creme soda. from the <a href="http://www.lakestreetcreamery.com">lake street creamery</a> truck at the santa anita race track food truck festival.<br /><br />at first it was like licking the inside of don draper's mouth after a hard day at the office and a liquid lunch--sweet and enticing, with a little bit of booze and ashtray for some dirty intrigue. but then it got a little intense and overwhelming and i began to regret having sucked him in. although he was the one who was kicked to the curb, i was the one who made the walk of shame after that rendezvous.<br /><br /><br /></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-57177328629184516692011-01-08T01:20:00.001-08:002011-01-08T01:20:37.152-08:00contents of my fridge.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5334843715/" title="contents of my fridge by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5334843715_283d57bd95_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="contents of my fridge" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">what's in yours?<br /></div></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-21691107883213243632010-10-28T21:58:00.000-07:002010-10-28T23:45:19.192-07:00chung king debris.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5051278419/" title="chungking debris by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 887px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/5051278419_c4b2451a8c_b.jpg" alt="chungking debris" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">it's not as spicy as the photo would suggest. also, possibly not as interesting in its pre-digested state. i do, however, highly recommend <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5051898012/in/photostream/">the eels with brown peppercorns</a>.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>deelish.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br />chung king</span><br />1000 s san gabriel blvd<br />san gabriel 91776<br />626.286.0298 <br /></div></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-14698969298009892272010-10-07T09:37:00.000-07:002010-10-07T12:28:36.137-07:00belle + sebastian forever.<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5057841242/" title="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/5057841242_c6a14bb664_z.jpg" alt="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever" width="360" height="640" /></a><br /></div><br />it was literally a dark and stormy night. lightning was in the distance, and rain pouring sobering buckets on a drunken euphoria of the thought of belle + sebastian playing at hollywood forever cemetery, after a screening of "trainspotting." really? did i want to be doing this?<br /><br />however, an $8 tarp from target, a long underused anorak (hello my boyish days!), and the luck o' the scottish (snort) got us to the graveyard in the nick of time, parking right in front, and prime seating for both the screening and the band.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5057839590/" title="trainspotting hollywood forever by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4146/5057839590_ef0005407a_z.jpg" alt="trainspotting hollywood forever" width="640" height="360" /></a><br /></div><br />miraculously, it was clear and mostly dry in the cemetery itself. the rains kept away the crowds and we got prime seating--better than an cinespia outing--and bundled up with a blanket and because--"picnicking is encouraged during the screening"--some provisions. now the thought of dinner during "trainspotting" seemed sort of unlikely to me, unless it included smack and lucozade, but we made due with a bottle of wine and a lot of chocolate and cheese. with the brisk winds and the wet chill in the air it was almost perfect scottish weather, in an almost perfect scottish surrounding, albeit with big palm trees and police helicopters buzzing overhead. seriously, though, if you ever get the chance, choose life, choose a career, choose a family, choose a big fucking television, choose to see "trainspotting" should it ever be screened in a celebrity cemetery because it is the perfect non-squalid surrounding for that film. i've probably seen it a hundred times, but not in almost a decade, and the film held up better than i would have ever expected.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5057841514/" title="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5057841514_1e6f6db175_z.jpg" alt="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever" width="640" height="536" /></a><br /></div><br />and then to belle & sebastian. i thought that <a href="http://thirdandfairfax.blogspot.com/2006/07/17965-belle-sebastian-fans-cant-be.html">the show at the hollywood bowl </a>was phenomenal, but this was something else in another league of awesome. intimate and engaging, casual, relaxed yet energizing, and with probably the best sound and sight lines of any concert i have attended. i know i've said it before but this was magic, pure magic. belle & sebastian bring it every time. magicians, musicians, morticians, storytellers, storm quellers, graveyard dwellers....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5057841940/" title="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5057841940_ce55253985_z.jpg" alt="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever" width="360" height="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5057230011/" title="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5057230011_142623c91d_z.jpg" alt="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever" width="640" height="442" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5057843916/" title="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5057843916_9dafd7b968_z.jpg" alt="belle + sebastian at hollywood forever" width="640" height="360" /></a><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/sets/72157625115546902/with/5057230011/"><br />more photos here.</a><br /><br /><br /><b>hollywood forever cemetery</b><br />6000 santa monica boulevard, between gower and van ness<br />323.243.2366.<br /></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-11544598354930578022010-09-28T00:21:00.000-07:002010-09-29T00:29:26.494-07:00special delivery<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/5035075345/" title="thrifty ice cream truck by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 592px; height: 334px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5035075345_c25f9eb10e_z.jpg" alt="thrifty ice cream truck" /></a><br /></div><br />it may not be the most glamorous job, but delivering ice cream on <a href="http://mobile.latimes.com/wap/news/text.jsp?sid=294&nid=23162863&cid=17190&scid=-1&ith=0&title=Local">one of the hottest days in los angeles</a> might be the best.santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-845916501169042322010-07-31T04:14:00.000-07:002010-08-01T03:31:50.562-07:00the inevitable jitlada post, probably *not* the one you want to read.<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">yeah. i knew i'd get around to it. i haven't been to jitlada in maybe six years, and i remember liking it but not loving it. it was quite possibly before the current owners took over and transformed it into the internet-loved-and-hyped, southern thai cuisine palace that it is today. i hhhhhhhhhhhate hype but if a family-run business deserves it, then kudos.<br /><br />i went on a saturday at lunchtime. jitlada is in a small mini-mall with an even smaller parking lot. saturday at 11.30 am still meant that there were several cars double parked in an already full lot , but there was a decent amount of parking on sunset blvd, albeit with meters. the place , however, was empty. almost. our party of six walked in and was met by two older gentlemen, one who greeted me in thai (?) and i think said "hello again." again? either i have a doppelganger, or someone remembered me from half a decade ago (i'm going with doppelganger). neither actually helped us to a table, but one of the handful of servers ushered us to a table in the back of a honey wood paneled, wood furniture filled room. two other tables were filled--one was a large group of buddhist monks, and the other a smaller table of young thai women in white, who were not eating. it soon became clear that they weren't there for the food, but to pray with the monks, who started their prayers soon after we sat down. lulling, mesmerizing. a real honour; a good sign.<br /><br />the menu is massive, more type than photos, with a somewhat confusing numbering system--you will find several numbers repeated and they aren't in any particular order. there is a "regular" or "front" menu, and then two densely packed back pages with southern thai specialties. our nice waitress was very patient and amusingly (to me, anyway) so not thai. she did well with us jumping around the menu, and only needing the slightest of clarifications with our requests. she did not, however, ask us about our heat level tolerance, and i forgot to tell her. i actually found almost everything to be at a high, but acceptable level for the most part. can't say the same for the rest of the table (sorry). i did not read any reviews or order suggestions beforehand, mainly because i forgot, but then again, i don't really listen to anyone anyway. however, if you are interested, there are numerous reviews and suggestions under the glass at every table, and on the walls.<br /><br />the service was good, not particularly speedy, but not slow. dishes tended to come out one at a time, rather than together. we started with soup from the southern thai menu in the back, no. 89 cucumber clear soup. it was exactly that, a clear soup with slices of cucumber, ground chicken, and cilantro, flavoured with ginger or galangal and lemon grass. no spiciness, and not overwhelming in flavour, but a nice way to whet the palate. simple, homey. one of my favourites of the meal. there was <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4846140000/"><i>pad thai</i></a>, which was okay. i'm not a fan, and i am especially not a fan of ones that come in a sallow sweet orange sauce, so allow me to ignore it. the other starch was spicy brown rice (no. 126 in the front menu), which i also ignored. i like fried rice, but not as a starch to a meal, and not as a side component a meal, but as a one-course dish. i did try a bit of this was good as such--chewy, not too oily and all the flavours one would hope to find in a fried rice, along with their signature heat. it would have been interesting to try this with traditional red rice, but i think the brown rice provides a better texture.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4845521333/" title="jitlada spicy brown fried rice by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 400px; height: 533px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/4845521333_440e241c7d_z.jpg" alt="jitlada spicy brown fried rice" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4846140290/" title="jitlada water crest (kang kong) in a lemon sauce by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 432px; height: 574px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/4846140290_73e2568aa9_z.jpg" alt="jitlada water crest (kang kong) in a lemon sauce" /></a><br /></div><br />the water crest (<i>kang kong </i>or water convolvus) in a light lemon sauce (no. 9 in southern menu) was very good--crunchy, sweet, weedy. the sauce nothing more than the liquid from the crest from cooking, and a light lacing of lemon. despite the presence of several small dried thai chilis, there wasn't any heat to this as well. we also had <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4846140572/">chinese broccoli</a> (<span style="font-style: italic;">kailan</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">gailan</span>) prepared in a similar manner with cashews added on top. i found this to be slightly overcooked, but still tasty.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4845520467/" title="jitlada fried morning glory salad with shrimp by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 400px; height: 533px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/4845520467_33f9a1d17e_z.jpg" alt="jitlada fried morning glory salad with shrimp" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">an apparently vaunted dish is the fried morning glory salad with shrimp (no. 91 in southern menu). i don't remember eating this. i don't even remember ordering this, or it even being on the table. maybe someone ate it all, it was so good. i should point out that there aren't that many vegetable dishes on the menu, and there are listings for both water crest and morning glory dishes. however, both signify the same vegetable, <i>kang kong </i>or water convolvus, or hollow vegetable.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4846138946/" title="jitlada crab and pumpkin southern style curry by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 400px; height: 531px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/4846138946_dd47656fe4_z.jpg" alt="jitlada crab and pumpkin southern style curry" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">crabmeat, pumpkin (kabocha squash), and long beans in a dry southern curry sounded better on paper than in execution. the crab meat was okay--restaurant service-quality canned blue crab perhaps--but still sweet, the kabocha and long beans cooked just almost to the edge of overdone. i believe you have a choice of curries for this, and the southern curry overwhelmed the flavour of the crab and pumpkin. this is a lovely idea, but pick a different curry.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4845521049/" title="jitlada kaeng kóp sôm tháwn by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/4845521049_8e78d4e800_z.jpg" alt="jitlada kaeng kóp sôm tháwn" height="640" width="480" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>kaeng kóp sôm tháwn</i>, frog legs and santol fruit in curry (also no. 9 in the southern menu. ha! so be careful!) . now this is something i would order, did order. a coconut creamy, spicy yellow curry with a generous portion of frogs' legs and santol, a tropical fruit that is related to <a href="http://scentofgreenbananas.blogspot.com/2005/05/name-that-fruit-mighty-mangosteen.html">mangosteen</a>. i was disappointed to find that the santol fruit used was the red variety, and not the velvety yellow variety i'm used to eating on guam and in the philippines. the difference is that the red variety has brown flesh and a mostly sour taste like a tamarind, whilst the yellow variety is white fleshed and has a more sweet-sour taste like its cousin mangosteen. i think the yellow variety would offer a more interesting contrast of flavours, but i liked the plummy-ness of the fruit in this. the frog legs were somewhat overcooked and not the best quality i've had, but yes, you can tell it doesn't taste just like chicken and thank goodness for that. the joint cuts left brittle shards of bone throughout the dish that were a slight nuisance, though.<br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4846139770/" title="jitlada fried red snapper salad by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 409px; height: 543px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/4846139770_3ce11b6ebe_z.jpg" alt="jitlada fried red snapper salad" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">not the most exciting of dishes, but i really enjoyed the relative simplicity of the fried red snapper filets with a cucumber, tomato and cilantro salad and sweet and sour dressing. everything was well balanced, with a lot of crispy textures playing against the moist flesh and soft tomato and the not overpowering sweet and sour dressing enhancing the vegetal elements as well as the delicate fish.<br /><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4846140746/" title="jitlada sea bass by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/4846140746_bb45d5fd6e_z.jpg" alt="jitlada sea bass" height="480" width="640" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">i don't remember exactly which dish this is, but i don't think it was on the southern thai side of the menu. it is a whole sea bass, fried, then smothered in what is generally known as a jungle curry, but i think is described as "wild curry" in jitlada's menu. i really loved the sauce on this--it's hardcore bitter, spicy, and tough--it really tastes like someone just went hacking through a thai jungle with a machete, picked up the detritus along the way and chucked it into a cauldron to simmer into semi-submission. i did have issues with the sea bass, however. we checked the market price on it, and this dish came out to almost $40 for the one fish, to which we consented; however, i seriously doubt it topped the scales at more than one pound, pound and a quarter, maybe. i was expecting something more substantial--not monster, but i found the size of the fish for the price to be unacceptable.<br /><br />despite the issues with the seafood, i did enjoy the meal. i'm not entirely sure i would order any of the same dishes again, especially with so much to explore in the massive menu. maybe the water crest in lemon sauce, especially since there aren't very many straight veggie dishes on the menu. i'm not particularly excited about the menu's southern thai cuisine slant, like many people seem to be; it doesn't seem to be too far from what i can get in other places in los angeles, and it is definitely what i can find here in guam, philippines and most of asia. however, i do acknowledge that the chefs and cooks of jitlada do what they do well. i like the space--it's intimate without being too small, homey but actually one of the nicer decorated thai restaurants i've visited in thai town. the service is somewhat perplexing as it seems that the less help they have on hand, the better the service seems to be. everyone seemed quite pleasant, and even though i'm pretty sure it was different management the last time i was in there many years ago, there was a familiarity about them and possibly about me that made me feel quite comfortable in the space. i would definitely go back on a weekend lunch if it means so few people. it won't be my first or second choice, but definitely an option every now and again.<br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />jitlada</span><br />5233 west sunset boulevard<br />hollywood 90027<br />323.667.9809.santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-72307916920557993052010-07-21T15:57:00.000-07:002010-07-21T16:39:25.502-07:00thursday night market at yamashiro's.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4816773080/" title="yamashiro's stone fruit by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 450px; height: 599px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4816773080_f17b2d71ff_z.jpg" alt="yamashiro's stone fruit" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">i brought the wrong camera lens for the market, so there aren't any food shots for you (besides the gorgeous stone fruit. <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> good.) . but here's what you need to know: a few flower and produce vendors occupy a short row, but the rest is food, baked goods, bulgarini gelato, and liquor. yeeeeeah. a farmer's market on the grounds of a restaurant with a full liquor license means you can bring the family, do some shopping, eat some tasty grub, and wander around the gardens all whilst sipping a beer or quaffing down one a bottle of wine. full on hipster scene poolside (! yes! a pool! with a dj!) which means some bikini-clad women in search of duck confit tacos mix in with children dancing to a live jazz band.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4816148707/" title="yamashiro's pool by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4816148707_1b15672821_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="yamashiro's pool" /></a></span><br /></div><br />parking: you can get valet parking from the restaurant; if you tell them it's for the market, it's $4. don't forget to tell them it's for the market or you'll be charged $7! there's free(?) valet parking and free shuttle down the hill at the christian science church parking lot at la brea and franklin, too.<br /><br />the main reason to go, though, is this:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/4816147923/" title="patchy view by chotda, on Flickr"><img style="width: 900px; height: 419px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4816147923_d85c33b71e_b.jpg" alt="patchy view" /></a><br /><br /><br />from griffith park observatory to century city, you have a true panoramic view of los angeles. priceless, with parking.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">yamashiro's garden market</span>,<br />thursdays from 5pm to 9pm.<br /><span class="adr" id="adr" dir="ltr">1999 north sycamore avenue,<br />hollywood.<br /></span> <span dir="ltr" class="nw"><span class="tel">323.466.5125</span></span>.<br /></div></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-56519270753381480772009-07-07T08:28:00.000-07:002009-07-07T08:32:23.212-07:00the golden era of the silver screen<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/3698355036/sizes/o/"><img style="width: 631px; height: 359px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2528/3698355036_53d7f04087_o.jpg" alt="the golden era of the silver screen" /></a></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-45612125973395251762008-08-04T20:39:00.000-07:002008-08-04T20:43:23.909-07:00diversion.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/2733715715/" title="Untitled by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3278/2733715715_3721cfa16b.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="331" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">my new favourite diversion is the flickr group, <a href="http://flickr.com/groups/guesswherela/pool/">guess where LA</a>. g'wan over to see if you can figure out where each photo was taken. </div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-76622935384365127222008-07-18T04:58:00.000-07:002009-07-07T05:31:57.876-07:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/2679687604/" title="fire truck by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2679687604_318ee73732_b.jpg" alt="fire truck" height="650" width="450" /></a></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-75614789776777064022008-05-30T04:27:00.000-07:002008-06-20T04:33:01.339-07:00R.E.M. at the hollywood bowl 29 may 08<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/2536080749/" title="R.E.M. at the hollywood bowl 6 by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3183/2536080749_f4364782e3.jpg" alt="R.E.M. at the hollywood bowl 6" height="500" width="360" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">i was told that the sound was terrible for most of their set. i was in the garden boxes, and it was actually quite good--not particularly loud, which should have tipped me off. that, along with the "louder" taunts.<br /><br /><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/santos/sets/72157605336959072/">slideshow</a> of this and the two berkeley shows (31 may and 01 june).<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/2547382398/" title="REM at the greek theatre berkeley 2.1 by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2176/2547382398_dbe92f0915.jpg" alt="REM at the greek theatre berkeley 2.1" height="500" width="375" /></a></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-9972106998473375782007-11-15T09:09:00.000-08:002007-11-15T06:40:59.333-08:00basquing in bakersfield: lunch at wool growers.<div style="text-align: justify;">i have always had a bit of affection for bakersfield, ever since a long ago trip down the 99 in the wee hours of the morning, with my only company being the radio. i turned to the left of the dial, hoping to at least find a little merle haggard in the mix, only to find the local college radio station dj, doing some sort of animated recitation over heaven help us all, starship's "nothing's gonna stop us now." wtf? he was as bored as i was, and reading out the entire script of <a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0093493/">"mannequin"</a> as a monologue. it was the sort of absurdity that made perfect sense at 1am in the central valley, in the dark of night. that, combined with <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105947/">"bakersfield, p.d."</a> and buck owens makes me think there's something subversive going on...and i like it.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">however, i hadn't actually been in the town since i was a wee one, so when dave and bekki suggested lunch there, i was a little surprised, but totally game. unfortunately, we wanted to go to on a sunday, and it seems that the restaurant they had in mind was closed, so we had to wait for another day. turns out, we had to wait for another year before the opportunity arose. luckily, in that time, i managed to catch huell howser's <a href="http://www.calgold.com/roadtrip/Default.asp?Series=100&Show=508">trip to bakersfield</a> on tv, and reconnect with an old friend (more on him in later posts) who had moved up there. so finally, bekki and i managed to take that 2 hour-trip northward one saturday.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">so, why lunch in bakersfield? there is a small but significant <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_people">basque</a> population in the area; many came to california in search of gold, but it was sheep herding that brought even more immigrants after WW2. the basque region lies in the mountainous territory between france and spain, and is reknowned not just for the fuzzy livestock but for its cuisine, which relies on fresh ingredients and simple cooking techniques to accentuate the natural flavours of the food. the basque restaurants in bakersfield don't really specialize in regional dishes, but do apply the basic principles of their cooking to american ingredients, served in generous portions. i'm sold!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1822452157/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2267/1822452157_5dabde4c82.jpg" alt="woolgrowers" height="300" width="425" /></a><br /></div><br />it was my fault that we missed out of eating at <a href="http://www.apejet.org/sites/noriega_hotel/">noriega's</a>--huell's choice--but there is a single seating for lunch where everyone is served family-style at communal tables, and we were never going to make it. however, bekki already had a back up in mind: <a href="http://www.woolgrowers.net/">wool growers restaurant</a>. despite the fact that we arrived somewhat late, the parking lot was full; both the dining area and bar were packed (not for nothing is the word 'cocktails' so prominent on the sign). we were seated in the homey, floral wallpaper bedecked dining room with tables and booths filled with families. although the menu features standard <i>a la carte</i> items, family style meals are available, with a different entrée every day. we opted for the latter, which came with what's known locally as "the set-up": vegetable soup, slow-cooked pink beans, a simple but fresh tomato salsa, crusty bread with cold pats of butter, a crisp iceberg lettuce salad with tomatoes, red onions and green peppers dressed in a light vinaigrette.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/2032271624/" title="wool growers set up by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2099/2032271624_a60f4f6e28.jpg" alt="wool growers set up" height="400" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />there is a little procedure involved: the beans are spooned into the bottom of a soup bowl, followed by a ladle of the soup, then topped with the salsa. the salad follows, and then an array of dishes--a beautifully slow braised oxtail stew with root vegetables, a haystack of french fries unabashedly deep-fried in beef fat, and perfectly roasted lamb, adorned with a deep, rich gravy.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/2031569831/" title="wool growers meat and potatoes by chotda, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2031569831_0a0e792bdd.jpg" alt="wool growers meat and potatoes" height="200" width="400" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2270/1822457403_2059db8e5c_m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 90px; height: 160px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2270/1822457403_2059db8e5c_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>all the food was simple but fresh and prepared well. the portions were more than generous, but if somehow you weren't sated, they will bring second helpings of any of the items. also included in the family meal was coffee, tea, or a bottomless bottle of the house wine, which is a young, fruity, medium-bodied red, served ice cold, and is somehow the perfect foil for the large meal. you could, however, indulge in basque cocktail known as picon punch, a potent combination of <a href="http://www.liquoranddrink.com/Ingredients/697-Amer-Picon/">a bitter aperitif</a> and brandy. it reminds me of one of my favourite (if completely manly mannish) cocktails, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_%28cocktail%29">manhattan</a>, but with a nice citrusy edge. be warned: it is a large and powerful cocktail--it's called a punch for a reason.<br /><br />and what price does one pay for such abundance? the family style lunch is priced at $10.50 per person. satisfaction comes cheap around here.<br /><br />*<br /><br />i really like the atmosphere of this place, but i'm not sure if it's just down to the restaurant itself. the day we drove up was one of an all-too-rare rainstorm, through the somewhat daunting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tejon_Pass">tejon pass</a>. however, i was with great company all throughout, and the grey sky that threatened to be ominous cleared just enough for the sun to peek out when we arrived into town. driving through the quiet streets to the restaurant was at first surprising (where was everyone?) but it was cheering once we got to wool growers--ha! it looked like everyone was here, taking the time to enjoy a good meal with family and friends.<br /><br />the further away from the city i get, the more i feel the tethers come free. i enjoy discovering places new to me, no matter how mundane they seem from your car window as you speed along the highway to somewhere else. there are always hidden gems to be found, no matter how rough.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">wool growers</span><br />620 east nineteenth street<br />bakersfield, ca 93305.<br />661.327.9584.<br /><br /><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=620+E+19th+St,+Bakersfield,+CA+93305,+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title"><br />google mapped!</a><br /><br /><br /></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-8970713588438309282007-11-08T19:42:00.000-08:002007-11-09T02:25:26.126-08:00drive by: dolce isola.<div style="text-align: justify;">just a mini-report from my cousin, ed, regarding <a href="http://www.dailycandy.com/los_angeles/article/33550/Sweet+Action">dolce isola</a>, the ivy-offshoot that is in a very, very unlikely location--about half a block away from hamilton high school on robertson. but, fabulously, across the street from the v. cool <a href="http://www.losanjealous.com/2007/08/21/a-west-coast-conversation-about-hip-hop/">midnight records</a> (and barbershop):<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">"The Ivy Bakery" is good, we got a baguette and chocolate croissant, very yummy. Really good looking menu; white chocolate lemon cake, fresh pumpkin cheesecake, marjolaine cake (4 layers of hazelnut and almond meringue filled with vanilla, chocolate and praline butter cream with ground roasted hazelnuts and almonds on the side). Weird ass location though, full of Hamilton students literally asking "What can I get for a buck?" Reply: "I guess I can make you some cinnamon toast"</span></blockquote></div></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">i love it already.<br /></div><br /><br /><b>dolce isola</b><br />2869 s robertson blvd (x-streets cattaraugus + hargis)<br />la 90034.<br />310.776.7070santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-14436796623195643982007-10-28T04:26:00.000-07:002007-10-28T20:31:22.994-07:00weekend lunch in san pedro.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1684443511/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2067/1684443511_c9ef626714.jpg" alt="gull" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />sunny weekends in los angeles are wonderful, but sometimes the heat can be a little more than one can take. one of my favourite weekend day escape is lunch on the waterfront in san pedro, at the ports o'call village, near <a href="http://www.portoflosangeles.org/recreation_Cruising.htm">the cruise ship terminal</a>. as far as waterfronts go, the area isn't the most glamorous, but it's far from being rough and tumble. it is rustic, charming, and easygoing, despite its proximity to the shipping docks.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1684443493/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2096/1684443493_856f0bb297.jpg" alt="san pedro crowd" height="250" width="425" /></a><br /></div><br />during the week, the plaza of restaurants on the north end of the village is pretty sleepy, catering to few locals and day fishermen; however, the weekends see it filled with families, packed onto the outdoor decks, enjoying a meal amongst roaming <span style="font-style: italic;">mariachi</span> bands, bewildered tourists on their way to day cruises, and hungry seagulls. the ocean breezes and convivial atmosphere make the crowds bearable; waiting for a table to free up can take time. there are several restaurants to choose from--the majority of them serve inexpensive fresh seafood, cooked in a number of ways: steamed, grilled, and fried making up the majority of the dishes, but with a good variety; a few of the restaurants even have little markets where you can pick out your fish of choice, before sending it off to be cooked.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1685008152/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2275/1685008152_90ed3d08fa.jpg" alt="fajitas on the grill" height="400" width="250" /></a><br /></div><br />walk around to get an idea of what you want--everyone's tables seem to hold something tasty and delicious. one of the most popular items is a family-sized portion of <span style="font-style: italic;">fajitas</span>, made with shrimp still in the shell or filleted fish (or <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf79bdcGE-SKVJIBkoKT7dfdPML-HA2AG1AqGuG19SzaRrPVMcKjIuK-1z4jvNxGeP6BnAw7Y0W_HP66U-EAnMEueMMtrpOPuAWhOKtYe80gKKxngYDn9EBnXadBguH0_pvqvY/s1600-h/fishandshrimpfajitas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 184px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf79bdcGE-SKVJIBkoKT7dfdPML-HA2AG1AqGuG19SzaRrPVMcKjIuK-1z4jvNxGeP6BnAw7Y0W_HP66U-EAnMEueMMtrpOPuAWhOKtYe80gKKxngYDn9EBnXadBguH0_pvqvY/s200/fishandshrimpfajitas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124188367948551922" border="0" /></a>a combination of both); the seafood is cooked on a large grill with onions, garlic, green peppers, and potatoes. the fajitas are heaped up onto a plastic school lunch tray, garnished with cut fresh lemons, a container of salsa, and served with a choice of either flour <span style="font-style: italic;">tortillas</span> or large loaves of garlic bread. depending on your party's appetite, this can either serve a family of six, or three very hungry people. along with some <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/santos/1685005320/">beer </a>or <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/santos/1684171037/">mexican sodas</a>, this could be enough to fill you up for the rest of the day, but there are so many other dishes you could try instead, or heck, along side it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1684168923/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2255/1684168923_c66428853e.jpg" alt="siete mares soup" height="230" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br /><br />i recently tried the restaurant called alaska seafood, which offers not only the standard grilled and fried items, but also a number of asian/korean-style dishes including hot and spicy soups, tempura, and even <i>galbi</i> and <i>bulgogi</i>. the <i>sopa de siete mares</i>--seven seafood soup--has a clear, spicy broth, accented with tomatoes, cilantro and cucumbers, and of course, the<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg85g_bmozzfuQ0DX2qZ0_xSkwDIpGRTVVmLsoDZaS74mVhNocToUTlS-TJnwJWcvL8m86QjkQvKMY95pd9EtP_9pE_7a9wZXm4yZZQtVdic-Qb7SvYbVVPX5_fSTIXsouzbJ/s1600-h/spfriedoysters.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg85g_bmozzfuQ0DX2qZ0_xSkwDIpGRTVVmLsoDZaS74mVhNocToUTlS-TJnwJWcvL8m86QjkQvKMY95pd9EtP_9pE_7a9wZXm4yZZQtVdic-Qb7SvYbVVPX5_fSTIXsouzbJ/s200/spfriedoysters.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126034309378296562" border="0" /></a> eponymous ingredients: squid, octopus, crab, mussels, and several types of firm fleshed fish. the soup was very good, due to the fresh seafood that makes up the stock along with what was added in; only the octopus seemed ever so slightly overcooked, mainly because the soup arrived scalding hot, and by the time it was cool enough to eat, the tentacles had been cooking for awhile. everything else was tender, with very clean flavours. alaska also does what they call oyster tempura, but is really breaded in <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5R0ZmCS1Mk0BhxIpAZDNuc3LSyw9qT81LEnqlhTlRA6BbEOou6_DD2rTMR79wTSjvLyKtlDsLkXJmkIvxC1GT9iaepGA-rO1B0H-eR57Gg8ZanCEgww6PJwqXdx0IMVVgRGf/s1600-h/spmixedfajitas.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu5R0ZmCS1Mk0BhxIpAZDNuc3LSyw9qT81LEnqlhTlRA6BbEOou6_DD2rTMR79wTSjvLyKtlDsLkXJmkIvxC1GT9iaepGA-rO1B0H-eR57Gg8ZanCEgww6PJwqXdx0IMVVgRGf/s200/spmixedfajitas.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126063081364212562" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">panko</span> bread crumbs and deep-fried. the oysters are freshly shucked though, quite large but still sweet and tender. i don't recall if they are served with a sauce, but they didn't really need it. they too have the ubiquitous <span style="font-style: italic;">fajitas</span>, either just with shrimp, or a combination of seafood. their fajitas differ in that they are somewhat wet from an unknown strangely pinkish sauce and the addition of fresh tomatoes. i can't really say i care for their version, but they probably have the best cooked seafood in their <span style="font-style: italic;">fajitas</span>; most of the other versions around the pier that i've tried tend to have overcooked their fish and/or prawns. unfortunately for alaska, the seasoning is a little off on theirs; it lacks the nice, piquant spiciness of its dryer counterparts. still, there are so many other items on the menu, you could give their version a pass.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1684174323/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2192/1684174323_223c302b1b.jpg" alt="tub o tilapia" height="310" width="500" /></a><br /></div><br />i think my current favourite restaurant of the lot is the one my friends dave and bekki turned <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUoEuxNPTfrYq8CbnChgjU63DObYbjGVNm3x6zgdtS5_r6yF3t5Blz8zDWqHY6ueopRE58rKjYqq1N8D-IbRBp2eqv9zozPLyH5sXFkJtoYG1kyGPPIQtWXXmYiS2lA-rNLxI/s1600-h/davepicksafish.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUoEuxNPTfrYq8CbnChgjU63DObYbjGVNm3x6zgdtS5_r6yF3t5Blz8zDWqHY6ueopRE58rKjYqq1N8D-IbRBp2eqv9zozPLyH5sXFkJtoYG1kyGPPIQtWXXmYiS2lA-rNLxI/s200/davepicksafish.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126049517857491762" border="0" /></a>me on to, the crusty crab (isn't that a character on "the simpsons"?). it has an extensive fish market, with large iced vats of whole, gargantuan fish, shellfish, and a long refrigerated case of various filleted items. you pick out your seafood of choice, pay for it, then bring it to a grilling or frying station outside, where it will be cooked accordingly. i have yet to try anything deep-fried as i am addicted to the crazy delicious citrus and herb marinade that is used by the grilling guys. it's light, spicy, and zesty, complementing the vast slabs o' flaky, fresh fish grilled to perfection.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1684157957/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2409/1684157957_434cd862fe.jpg" alt="fish on the grill" height="500" width="392" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">it does take a chunk of time before your fish will be ready, depending on its size and the crowds--45 minutes seems to be the minimum. so what do you do in the meantime? drink more beer, eat a little <span style="font-style: italic;">ceviche</span>, and those <span style="font-style: italic;">fajitas</span> make an excellent, albeit substantial starter. or, watch the boats out in the bay, count the thousands of shipping containers across the way, and enjoy your day.<br /><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1684443325/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2183/1684443325_daea42a4e8.jpg" alt="fireboat" height="282" width="500" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><br />alaska seafood</strong><br />ports o'call, berth 79<br />1112 nagoya way<br />san pedro 90731<br />310.547.1961.<br /><br /><strong>crusty crab</strong><br />ports o'call, berth 79<br />1146 nagoya way<br />san pedro 90731<br />310.519.9058.<br /><br /><a href="ttp://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&ie=UTF8&om=1&msa=0&msid=114250687465160386813.00043d08ac31fe3357571&ll=32.990236,-116.732483&spn=1.234787,3.010254&z=9&num=1000&utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-mapshpp-na-us-mm&utm_medium=mapshpp&utm_term=fires">google mapped!</a><br /><br />technorati tagged: <span id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_lblResultHtml"><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/restaurant" rel="tag">restaurant</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/san+pedro" rel="tag">san pedro</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/los+angeles" rel="tag">los angeles</a> <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/seafood" rel="tag">seafood</a></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:GREEN;"><b></b></span></div></div></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-17121714258589382972007-10-23T06:44:00.000-07:002007-10-24T23:03:21.483-07:00ashes.<div style="text-align: justify;">everything's <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fires24oct24,0,2250066.story?coll=la-home-center">burning</a>, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7057636.stm">a horrible thing has happened</a> in my manila neighbourhood, a <a href="http://welovelancehahn.com/">long ago friend has passed</a>; i am unspeakably sad today. i wish for anyone who passes through here to be well, happy, and safe; please take care of yourselves and the ones you love.</div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-55958873533942989342007-10-19T06:18:00.000-07:002007-10-19T06:33:43.677-07:00the refresher.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1629762289/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2335/1629762289_e1adc4eba5.jpg" width="282" height="500" alt="the refresher" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">i'm ashamed to say i don't frequent the refresher in the farmers market all that much. it is one of the few stalls i clearly remember from my childhood that is still in the market, and one of the least changed. it only sells drinks--and soft drinks at that--and a few of the frozen confections that are house-made at the owners' other stall, bennett's ice cream. despite its quaint exterior, though, it does have a rather remarkable selection of sodas from hard-to-find brands (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cactus_Cooler">cactus cooler</a>, anyone?) to bottled microbrews--in fact, at some point the bennetts had their own branded soda--a tasty root beer, an interesting lemon cola, and i think there was even a habañero cola. don't know if that still exists. i might just have to stop by to find out.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1630652510/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2365/1630652510_e99639d81a.jpg" width="327" height="500" alt="eam bars" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">the refresher<br /></span><span class="popuptext">stall # 622 at the farmers market<br /></span>6333 w. 3rd street (x-street fairfax)<br />los angeles 90036.<br /><span class="popuptext">323.939.6786.</span><br /></div></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-58691392289037423602007-10-17T22:59:00.000-07:002007-10-18T05:58:42.378-07:00the fun starts here: la county fair.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1609816909/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2200/1609816909_f2bd078315.jpg" alt="the fun starts here" height="300" width="425" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">oh, the<a href="http://www.lacountyfair.com/2007/homepage.asp"> los angeles county fair</a>. it's over, but you know, you can always plan for next year. i loved the ad campaign, which poked fun at la stereotypes, but god knows everyone i know has their own preconceived notions about the fair. i haven't been in some time now (we're talkin' twenty years, probably), so i was a little sad to see the fair more commercialized, and standardized (one company seems to run all the county fairs these days). the midway was no longer in the muddy fields, but on sterile concrete--it was actually clean and bright. i remember it being dark, somewhat sinister, and filled with drunk carnies and shady games that were virtually impossible to win--wait, those are still there. whew! at least some things don't change.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1610695746/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2387/1610695746_1368a4744a.jpg" alt="racers town" height="250" width="425" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1596137603/" title="Photo Sharing"><img style="width: 360px; height: 305px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2094/1596137603_f346194f24.jpg" alt="bottle game" /></a><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1609795967/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2211/1609795967_0d1933599e.jpg" alt="corndogs" height="250" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">it used to be that the great innovation/novelty of fair fare was that it was on a stick--hot dog on a stick, corn dogs, cheese on a stick, cotton candy, lollipops, popsicles, strawberries and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaN_WtS261JLDtkHNld8AGLBF_DJJ8NmA1xXxXAEtldZ3jfS8bwcd5EiS50OFwYIT8vZFMtesqRdcatbAmGRlaJH1kDPIRl1XDJfl1fkXhMbTmEfXb_0Wa4TtRHUqRP10hFDu/s1600-h/eggrollonastick.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBaN_WtS261JLDtkHNld8AGLBF_DJJ8NmA1xXxXAEtldZ3jfS8bwcd5EiS50OFwYIT8vZFMtesqRdcatbAmGRlaJH1kDPIRl1XDJfl1fkXhMbTmEfXb_0Wa4TtRHUqRP10hFDu/s200/eggrollonastick.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122653200438643218" border="0" /></a>cream on a stick....nowadays there's not that much being skewered, maybe because of lawsuits from punctured people? an environmental effort to save the trees or at least bamboo? i did see a pork chop on a stick at the rattlesnake chili kiosk, but the most interesting thing on sticks was the eggroll on a stick, which means <span style="font-style: italic;">not very interesting at all</span>. i guess there was a glut of chopsticks at the chinese place.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1592573849/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2132/1592573849_be912dad39.jpg" alt="chicken charlies" height="225" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">the draw now is deep-fried everything--chicken charlie's seemed to be ground zero for the more unusual items: frog's legs, peanut butter banana and honey sandwiches, whole vegetables, s'mores, avocados, soda (yes, deep-fried cola), cookies and cakes. and the talk o' the town: the fried chicken filet smothered with raspberry jelly, and sandwiched between two warm glazed krispy kreme donuts, and served with a packet of honey.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1600534894/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2281/1600534894_9c80364735.jpg" alt="krispy kreme khicken sandwich" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">sadly, i've no photo of the real thing for you. i was sick from eating most of <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/santos/1593311336/">a very large doughnut</a> and my companion refused to touch the thing. i asked several people in line if they were going to order it, but no one said yes. i offered to pay for the sarnie ($6.50!), then pay for someone to actually take a bite of it to let me know how it was, but even then there were refusals all around. sheesh. i guess you can only go so far (i also couldn't find anyone ordering a fried cola).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1609798937/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/1609798937_72af4bd6e1.jpg" alt="pile o smoked turkey legs" height="150" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />actually, i had read that the most sellable food item at the fair was the smoked barbequed turkey legs--positively healthy compared to the alternatives, even at such gargantuan proportions. i myself opted to go for the freshly roasted corn, which really was fresh as, sugar sweet, smoky, and crisp.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1584297757/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2245/1584297757_abf38c7a37.jpg" alt="corn guys" height="225" width="400" /></a><br /></div><br />'course, you could always opt for as many pats of butter as you could possible want, or why not dress it up with something from the condiments bar? shaker cheese? two kinds of hot sauce? lime? a giant vat o' mayonnaise?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1584298831/" title="Photo Sharing"><img style="width: 310px; height: 463px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/1584298831_2a1b7b25f4.jpg" alt="corn essentials" /></a><br /></div><br />**<br />i have to say, i sort of miss the old days, with the travelling salesmen setting up shop, the overwhelming smell of farm animals no matter where you went, the student art and the 4-H competitions. but the people still remain friendly, the fair-goers are excited to be there, and the giant stuffed toy prizes on the midway are still as cheap and as suspect as ever.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1610692386/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2388/1610692386_e4bf647912.jpg" alt="midway tent" height="500" width="281" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-54604691249354983312007-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:002007-10-17T07:11:38.921-07:00frenz4eva<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1597028186/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2010/1597028186_a3df2c9eda.jpg" width="449" height="250" alt="frenz4eva" /></a>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-73925580455218737872007-10-11T22:30:00.001-07:002007-10-17T07:12:43.644-07:00everybody wins.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1549198918/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2333/1549198918_6d28e9ed71.jpg" width="450" height="250" alt="everyone wins" /></a>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-66867162313762659762007-10-11T19:59:00.000-07:002007-10-11T20:01:49.566-07:00la grande wheel.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1547502657/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2038/1547502657_9b30123512_b.jpg" width="450" height="700" alt="la grande wheel" /></a><br /><br />midway, los angeles county fair.santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8901908.post-29592209730205348652007-10-10T03:34:00.000-07:002007-10-11T02:10:36.263-07:00somewhere under the rainbow: rufus wainwright at the hollywood bowl.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1509332397/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2060/1509332397_8dff361ca6.jpg" alt="rufus over the rainbow" height="300" width="450" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">rufus wainwright at the hollywood bowl, recreating judy garland's 1961 concert at the carnegie hall. september 23, 2007. was he up for the task? "recreation" would be too strong a word; perhaps channeling judy would be more appropriate. despite his inability to reach certain notes, or even remember the words, he was a consummate showman. this was less about garland than it was about him, despite lorna luft (and her independently operated shocking pink gown) being there. the best moments were with his mother and sister, who could have easily stolen the show on their own; imho, though, they were at their best when they were interacting with rufus. when is the wainwright-mcgarrigle cabaret hour going to be produced?<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/1509331053/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2304/1509331053_4ed69d592b.jpg" alt="rufus family orchestra bowl" height="250" width="450" /></a></div>santos.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15941170936050458728noreply@blogger.com4