Ballet in the City - Giselle

I left work early on Wednesday so I have time to go home, change, meet a friend for a quick dinner before the ballet. Mijo had phoned me earlier to remind me I have to leave the office early. Mijo, Alma and I planned to meet up at the Arlequin Cafe on Hayes St. at 6 p.m. We went to this same restaurant when we saw San Francisco Ballet's Romeo and Juliet a year ago. When we got there, Alma already got us a table at 6:05 pm and she already ordered a Margherita pizza to share and a cup of what looked like a chai latte with lots of milk froth. When I saw that I thought that was an interesting combination. We hugged each other and then I fell in line to order.
My order was what I consider a designer macaroni and cheese because it is mac & cheese with a twist - gruyere and reggiano cheeses are added on top of the usual white cheddar cheese. Mijo's order was the classic caesar salad. We also ordered two glasses of cabernet sauvignon from the cafe's wine bar next door. We were number 16 so we had to wait for our order.

I think Alma read my mind when I looked at her latte because she started telling us what happened at work that day. To make the story short, she hadn't had anything heavy the whole day that's why she didn't want to drink any alcohol. The pizza, mac & cheese and salad was good. This was probably the most satisfying meal I had before a ballet. The past two or three ballets that we saw, we were running late so the dinners were all eat-and-run. The wine was so-so considering the price per glass we paid for it. It was too late when I realized that the cafe has a more reasonably priced wine-by-the-glass. I made a mental note of this for the next time we go to this place.

We got to the War Memorial Opera House half an hour before the curtain call. There was no tall person in front of me at the balcony so I was ecstatic. There was a certain excitement I could feel inside the opera house. The performance is Giselle, after all.

During the first act, I thought the music was just okay but then who am I to critique a classical music, right? All I know is that I was kindof dosing off, it felt like watching a mime. Though, I felt sorry for Giselle because Loy, who is really Count Albrecht disguised as a poor peasant, is just deceiving her. Such a tragedy that Giselle died of a broken heart at the end of Act 1.

The second act was more entertaining and particularly delightful to watch because the Wilis, the spirits who must dance forever, performed in synch. At the first light of dawn, the spirits disappeared and so did Giselle. I just was not sure if she is to return again? Albrecht was weeping on her grave when the second and final act ended. Did he die too?

I asked Mijo and Alma if they liked the performance. They both said they did.

As always, I enjoyed another great San Francisco Ballet production and I was glad I was able to finally see the ultimate classical romance Giselle. Giselle is Program 1 of the 2011 season of the San Francisco Ballet and runs through February 13.

~rl

(The photo above is a view from the entrance of the Davies Symphony Hall, the home of the San Francisco Symphony .)

Coffee in the city

Not my usual almond milk latte today inside a not-our-usual cafe in a not-our-usual neighborhood.

A good cup of Mo'z coffee and a freshly squeezed grapefruit juice to keep me company while waiting for Mijo.

Wine Bar in the city - Red and White

(The Red and White wine bar has a new look and has been renamed Sel et Vin. It is still serving a great variety of wines but with a new look.)


Mijo asked me what's the plan for tonight? That's his usual question on late Friday afternoons, either via text message, phone call or a face to face conversation. I heard myself answering "Nope, no plans for tonight".

We generally go out on Friday after office hours to celebrate the end of a stressful week. We start at home catching up on what happened at work over a glass of red with a light snack of cheese, olives, cured meats and crackers or whatever we have in the fridge or whatever I brought home from the market. And then we either go meet friends at a local hangout for a round of cocktail or a movie and eventually making it to a restaurant for a nice dinner.
"Really, no plans for a Friday night?", I said to myself afterward.
When I was younger, going out on a Friday night used to be a must because of a myth that cool people in the city go out especially on Friday nights. That is no longer the case now that I am older. Sometimes I just want to stay home and spend it with Mijo watching a movie or having a modest home made dinner.
"Come on, let's try something new", was Mijo's response. A few minutes later we were down the street in front of Red and White, our neighborhood wine bar. It opened over a year ago but we haven't been here.
I was relieved to find the wine bar is not at all pretentious. The place gives off an impression of a laid back ambience with a sophisticated feel. The couches placed around coffee tables looked so cozy they are perfect with a group of friends. Since it was just the two of us, we picked to seat by the bar so we can easily talk to the bartender if we have questions about the wine menu. The service was super friendly.
I noticed that they have wine tasting glasses which were very tempting. Because I was just getting over a terrible cold, I didn't want to drink more than a glass so I opted for their Chenin Blanc as an introduction to their California whites. Mijo ordered a glass of Malbec which was so predictable of him. We also ordered some herbed infused olives and some gougeres (pastry filled with gruyere cheese and thyme) which were great food pairings. We loved it here!
I liked that people were coming and going that evening. They most likely were just waiting for tables in nearby popular restaurants like Chenery Park, Le Petit or Gialina? Or maybe they are just like us who live in the neighborhood and wanted to have a glass or two?
Like a good food and wine pairings, Red and White complements the neighborhood of Glen Park. I hope they stay there for awhile. We will definitely be back and try their tasting glasses next time.
~rl
(The photo above was taken at Red and White in San Francisco's Glen Park neighborhood. A glass of Chenin Blanc and a plate of gougeres, olives, and dried fruits in the background.)

FFG in the City

The scent of butter, dates and toasted nuts fills the air as soon as I unwrap a piece. Dinah's Kitchen's Food for the GODS, or FFG for short, are heavenly! I look forward to receiving a box every year. I received mine shortly after the New Year. Thank you, Dinah!
The box contained ten rectangular pieces. The rich buttery and nutty taste mixed with all that chewy goodness all wrapped up in foil and red cellophane. Did I mention that I could finish them all in one sitting?
My friend Dinah has been baking FFG for several years now and she'd give them away as gifts to her friends and loved ones during special ocassions. I think that makes her friends feel extra special and you are as lucky as I am if your name happens to be in her list.
Though she is in data processing by trade, her hands are blessed with baking skills and a palate for good food. I've been prodding her to bring Dinah's Kitchen to the next level and create a cart version, where Tweeter and Facebook fans could follow her FFG around town. Hint, hint!
I am under the weather this week and been staying at home and working remotely... and sadly I am on my last piece of FFG.
(The photo above is Dinah's Kitchen's FOOD for the GODS)

Happy New Year! in the City

I can't believe that I am back to work tomorrow. It is a bummer that the holidays are over. I waited for a long time, and it came and then it was over fairly quickly. Mijo explained that spending Thanksgiving in Australia maybe the reason why the Holiday season felt so short? He's maybe right.

However short it felt, I did enjoy Christmas. For one thing, I got to see the Nutcracker once again and I discovered that the views from the balcony seats were not as bad as I thought it would be. I've attended the festive Grace Cathedral's Men and Boy's choir caroling tradition which I am including in my Christmas to-do in San Francisco list from now on. I never though I'd enjoy trimming our Christmas tree and found some unique ornaments. I also took so many good pictures of friends and photos of the holiday scenes in the city especially the Christmas trees on street corners. Here are my favorites:

This is the tree in Union Square and is undoubtedly the mother of all trees in the city. Thousands of twinkling LED lights illuminate this giant Shasta fir. where the lighting ceremony happens on Friday after Thankgiving. Locals and tourists alike, dressed in their holiday gear, flock around this tree to have their photos taken. According to the UCSF Beniof f Children's Hospital, this tree has raised almost $900k the past years for the hospital's Compass Care. So it is not only the most festive tree in the city, it is also a good fundraiser. This tree is equally stunning during the day as it is at night.

This one can be seen around the Ghirardelli Square plaza. I was showing an out of town friend around the Fisherman's Wharf area when I chanced upon this scene.

We were walking from the Opera house to the train station when I noticed a a bunch of people were congregating in front of the cityhall. That's when I saw this tree. Luckily, I had my handy camera with me.

This one can be seen on California and Kearny Sts. around the A.P. Gianini plaza infront of the former Bank of America building. The tree has a warm orange color that shimmers and can be noticed from within a three block radius.

I saw this angle from Kearny St using my iPhone.

This is my modest tree at home. Since I am staying in town for Christmas, I thought getting a real tree would be a great addition inside the house for the holidays. I trimmed this tree using a variety of hand painted ornaments, candy canes, LED lights and greeting cards from friends and loved ones.

Happy New Year everyone.

~ rl

Ornaments in the City, Part 2

I finally found the ornament I was looking for, and I found two.

I was told that a couple of stores sell special holiday ornaments and there I might find what I was looking for - a Babushka doll ornament. Why am I obssessing about these type of ornaments? I still don't know. Maybe in my mind, these dolls epitomize what a winter scene truly is because they're from Russia? I did check out those stores. While I knew they sell decorative items that cost more than the average price, I was surprised to learn that most of their ornaments are extremely expensive. It was a relief to discover that they don't carry my ornaments.

This story ended well because I found a couple of unlikely stores that have them. I was ecstatic, of course.

This is kind of a Russian doll but it works for me. It has a modern twist because of its simple patterns and minimal color. It comes in three sizes in frosted orange, frosted silver and shiny silver. They're currently on-sale at CB2.






We were on our way to our favorite Ethiopian cafe on Valencia St. when I saw these beautiful Babushka dolls on display inside a store window. They're the traditional ones with lively colors and they come in a box of three in small, medium and large sizes. I got them from Serendipity on Valencia @ 20th Sts.




~rl

Ornaments in the City

We got a much bigger tree this year, about 7 feet tall.

The ornaments we had from last year's looked inadequate to accessorize the tree so we went shopping for more. We found a lot of hand painted wooden toy soldier and shiny glass ornaments, although I was really looking for Russian dolls or something similar to it. I haven't found one yet. I should have bought the ones I saw at a toy store inside the Royal Arcade in Melbourne! I was told that Gumps on Post St. should have a good variety of quality ornaments and it should include Russian dolls.

I never thought ornament collecting can be this fun and addicting. Maybe I should make it a holiday tradition, much like seeing the Nutcracker or drinking spiced latte during Christmastime, from now on?

~rl

(The photo above is a wooden toy soldier ornament which is part of a set of six soldiers.)