Fate seems to give my heart a twist
Jul. 6th, 2007 07:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raybearSeven days in San Francisco is a vacation. Ten days is a relocation. I am back! I've been back for two days but the first day we didn't have internet access at home which was maybe okay. I spent the 4th with DYA having breakfast at a favorite diner, napping, sexing, bike-riding to ice cream, finished telling all my SF stories and went to bed early, which is a ridiculous thing to attempt in Logan Square on the evening of July 4th when the fireworks are out of control. And this year it was people right in front of our house joining in the fun. If you doubt the magnitude of "mere" alley fireworks, see documentation here courtesy of Liza. So I had two nights in a row with only 4-5 hours of interrupted sleep, but you know, I survived, I'm strong like that.
Onto the stories! I decided to write topically, not chronologically, so we'll see how this goes.
Coffee
Specifically, lattes. Maybe SF does do coffee better. I wasn't entirely convinced of this before this trip, but I had lattes nearly everyday and they were generally all amazing. The best was Maxfield's, which was conveniently located half a block from where we stayed for four nights (though I also made the 20 minutes walk there when I was staying somewhere else later in the week). Maxfield's was where I was sitting both times I had these a-ha moments of understanding maybe exactly why people fall in love with the Bay Area and find their way to it as a life choice. The city is not without its problems -- what city isn't? -- but much like choosing a life partner, it's about which problems you specifically want to live with. I began teasingly referring to the city as "Magic-land" because 1) people smoked pot on the streets anywhere and everywhere and all times of day; and 2) none of the windows in buildings had screens so obviously there are no bugs there.
I had lattes from Cafe Du Soleil in the Lower Haight, the unnamed coffee shop on Church Street in the Castro (where soft rock was playing and from where I posted my last blog entry), and from a place in Noe Valley with![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
limenal, where she insisted I try her iced latte which she believed to have a hint of chocolate to it. I didn't detect it. But the following day, while walking the city and visiting with Corrie, we went to a dessert coffeeshop where she bought me a chocolate lava souffle cake as a belated birthday gift and an iced latte and THAT drink tasted like chocolate, even before I bit into the cake. The power of suggestion? Or the power of Magic-land?
Manhattans
My other drink of choice for my birthday vacation relocation. I had two (or three?) on the night of my birthday. I had one the next day, after lunch with Damon down in Fisherman's Wharf (fried clams from a stand that I couldn't finish and relinquished to the aggressive birds), at this old irish restaurant and bar popular for some irish coffee drink. The decor was all dark wood and polished brass and plush carpeting, and the bartender was a tall gaunt man with thick white hair and moustache who stood before us somberly and accepted our drink order (of two maker's manhattans, straight-up) with the barest hint of respect in your gentleman's drink. We were, of course, two gentlemen that day, sporting our hats and beards. I did turn 30 after all. While he made the cocktail, I looked on the wall behind where he was just standing to see a giant painting that featured dozens of smaller images, all of the bartender we just met, mixing up drinks. Apparently he was some sort of institution and I was tempted to buy a postcard replica of the painting, but opted for the memory alone. Then I had one the next day, once again after lunch with Damon, though this time it was in Sausalito -- again by the water, this time it was sandwiches from an italian deli and gourmet food shop. Then we walked over to another "institution" of a bar, with more dark wood and polished brass, this time out on the water directly, and we ordered the same, received the same nod of recognition in drink choice, I removed my hat this time and sat it on the bar while we drank.
I took a break from Manhattans for the rest of the trip, until my last night in town, when Randy and I went to Twin Peaks (aka the Glass Coffin, aka the Velvet Coffin, aka our favorite bar) and over the course of the night had 5 of them. I also had a rum ball from Hot Cookie. In between the rounds, we were visited by many of my favorite cast of SF characters. I got to meet Sparky's snuffleupagus, aka Starlet. There was a surprise visit from DP who was also visiting from Chicago. There were accidental friendships between us and the young hustler one table over. There was a jukebox where I played Linda Ronstadt's Different Drum twice -- once to begin the evening, once to end it -- as well as my other 'theme' of the trip, Boz Scaggs's Lowdown. And there were rounds of our favorite game "Daddy or No Daddy?" and its variations "Dirty Sexy Uncle" and "PawPaw".
......
This concludes part one. There will be more food and drink, I should just tell you now -- I did go to wine country. Also, I had kobe beef for the first time. Also, amazing balsamic vinegar. Also, also......But there will be other stories too. I was eating breakfast while typing this, which I'm sure informed my storytelling choices.
Onto the stories! I decided to write topically, not chronologically, so we'll see how this goes.
Coffee
Specifically, lattes. Maybe SF does do coffee better. I wasn't entirely convinced of this before this trip, but I had lattes nearly everyday and they were generally all amazing. The best was Maxfield's, which was conveniently located half a block from where we stayed for four nights (though I also made the 20 minutes walk there when I was staying somewhere else later in the week). Maxfield's was where I was sitting both times I had these a-ha moments of understanding maybe exactly why people fall in love with the Bay Area and find their way to it as a life choice. The city is not without its problems -- what city isn't? -- but much like choosing a life partner, it's about which problems you specifically want to live with. I began teasingly referring to the city as "Magic-land" because 1) people smoked pot on the streets anywhere and everywhere and all times of day; and 2) none of the windows in buildings had screens so obviously there are no bugs there.
I had lattes from Cafe Du Soleil in the Lower Haight, the unnamed coffee shop on Church Street in the Castro (where soft rock was playing and from where I posted my last blog entry), and from a place in Noe Valley with
limenal, where she insisted I try her iced latte which she believed to have a hint of chocolate to it. I didn't detect it. But the following day, while walking the city and visiting with Corrie, we went to a dessert coffeeshop where she bought me a chocolate lava souffle cake as a belated birthday gift and an iced latte and THAT drink tasted like chocolate, even before I bit into the cake. The power of suggestion? Or the power of Magic-land?Manhattans
My other drink of choice for my birthday vacation relocation. I had two (or three?) on the night of my birthday. I had one the next day, after lunch with Damon down in Fisherman's Wharf (fried clams from a stand that I couldn't finish and relinquished to the aggressive birds), at this old irish restaurant and bar popular for some irish coffee drink. The decor was all dark wood and polished brass and plush carpeting, and the bartender was a tall gaunt man with thick white hair and moustache who stood before us somberly and accepted our drink order (of two maker's manhattans, straight-up) with the barest hint of respect in your gentleman's drink. We were, of course, two gentlemen that day, sporting our hats and beards. I did turn 30 after all. While he made the cocktail, I looked on the wall behind where he was just standing to see a giant painting that featured dozens of smaller images, all of the bartender we just met, mixing up drinks. Apparently he was some sort of institution and I was tempted to buy a postcard replica of the painting, but opted for the memory alone. Then I had one the next day, once again after lunch with Damon, though this time it was in Sausalito -- again by the water, this time it was sandwiches from an italian deli and gourmet food shop. Then we walked over to another "institution" of a bar, with more dark wood and polished brass, this time out on the water directly, and we ordered the same, received the same nod of recognition in drink choice, I removed my hat this time and sat it on the bar while we drank.
I took a break from Manhattans for the rest of the trip, until my last night in town, when Randy and I went to Twin Peaks (aka the Glass Coffin, aka the Velvet Coffin, aka our favorite bar) and over the course of the night had 5 of them. I also had a rum ball from Hot Cookie. In between the rounds, we were visited by many of my favorite cast of SF characters. I got to meet Sparky's snuffleupagus, aka Starlet. There was a surprise visit from DP who was also visiting from Chicago. There were accidental friendships between us and the young hustler one table over. There was a jukebox where I played Linda Ronstadt's Different Drum twice -- once to begin the evening, once to end it -- as well as my other 'theme' of the trip, Boz Scaggs's Lowdown. And there were rounds of our favorite game "Daddy or No Daddy?" and its variations "Dirty Sexy Uncle" and "PawPaw".
......
This concludes part one. There will be more food and drink, I should just tell you now -- I did go to wine country. Also, I had kobe beef for the first time. Also, amazing balsamic vinegar. Also, also......But there will be other stories too. I was eating breakfast while typing this, which I'm sure informed my storytelling choices.
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 01:05 pm (UTC)Coffee? Who knew? I thought montreal did coffee like whoa.
I'm so glad your birthday was amazing. One day I will travel for my own, but I don't know it just doesn't seem lieely.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 01:14 pm (UTC)I think with any city, what makes it really great is the people. And I don't mean that in a hippie way of saying that the general populace of SF is somehow amazing -- I mean, that lots of specific people I love a whole lot live there (or are getting ready to move there) so hanging out with them in any city means I have a good time.
I don't think Chicago is the end all be all of cities -- I have great affection for it, but I have more affection for the dozens of people here I like and love. And affection for living in a 3 BR apartment for $900, cause you sure as hell can't do that isht in the Bay Area.
also....
Date: 2007-07-06 01:16 pm (UTC)yes! totally. also, any white people who say they hate the south (especially when they haven't been there). i assume they are trying to look progressive when really they are just scared of being in cities where they are outnumbered.
Re: also....
Date: 2007-07-06 01:56 pm (UTC)drinking.
Date: 2007-07-06 01:23 pm (UTC)2. The Manhattan is a good choice. A perennial favorite of mine, that tastes good in hot and cold weather. When I next see you, I'll make you a Sazerac (or, depending on which of the houses I live in and we're at, a Sazarak)--you will probably like it. Except if you hate anise. Also, if you want to go to that bar on Armitage with me and drink obscure cocktails, I'd be into it. Or if you want to have Manhattans at the Matchbox, where they make a mean one. Or, apparently there's some new bar at the crotch that makes their own everything and is run by an extra pretentious dude--I'd go there too, as I am an extra pretentious dude. Sometimes.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 02:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 03:42 pm (UTC)and in chicago-- intelligentsia's lattes come the closest to SF lattes.
so glad you're back! and that you've finally fallen in love with SF!
no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 01:30 am (UTC)it came second only to blue bottle coffee which was THE BEST EFFING CAPPUCCINO of my life (i took DP to blue bottle and she too agreed)!! that said, though, i was a regular at ritual all this week since it is in the mission and i was staying within a 20 min walk from it.
also, ray: i tried making it to twin peaks too but i was stuck in san jose. sorry to have missed you.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 04:47 am (UTC)i was bummed you couldn't make it to twin peaks!! it was a fun night. but there will be others. hope you had a great time in SF!