Saturday, June 08, 2013

Ballet in the City - U.S. Premiere of Wheeldon's Cinderella at the San Francisco Ballet

SF Ballet Cinderella - Program bookCinderella is one of my favorite farytales so I was thrilled to learn that Program 8 of San Francisco Ballet's 2013 Season included Cinderella. I was also intrugued how this story would translate to a 2-hour ballet program because Cinderella is one of the shortest stories I've heard.

After seeing the U.S. premiere of Wheeldon's Cinderella at the San Francisco Ballet, I can now say Cinderella has also become one of my ballet favorites!

Sunday, June 02, 2013

Everyday Wine in the City - Carneros Pinot Noir 2011 by Merryvale Vineyards

Merryvale Pinot Noir 2011 Carneros -  CorkBefore Mijo left for the Philippines and Thailand for a relaxing vacation, we opened a bottle of Pinot Noir from Merryvale.  What's a guy to do with an open bottle of wine? I rarely drink alone but I had to finish this wine by pairing with my dinners at home.

As expected, this bottle was delicious and pairs well with different kinds of dishes and finger foods. Merryvale is one of my favorite reds.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Dinner in the City - Matterhorn Swiss Restaurant and Bar

While I was cleaning our home office table, I unearthed a 7 month old restaurant gift certificate given by one of our friends. It was for Matterhorn Swiss Restaurant on Van Ness Avenue.

We didn't have plans that evening so we decided to finally redeem the certificate. This was our first time going to a Swiss restaurant or to a fondue place. We discovered this place serves well made fondues and the restaurant is great to bring the whole family or a big group.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Dinner in the City - Central Kitchen

Central Kitchen is probably one of the most creative restaurants we've dined in. Not only for the beautiful plates they put together but also because of the wonderful fresh flavors they create.

Their dinner menu is short and sweet and easy to read. Their wine list is not overwhelming at all. The dining area is hip but not noisy. Service is very friendly. This restaurant is easily one of our favorites!

Monday, April 22, 2013

Landmark in the City - AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants

It is baseball season once again and the city's baseball fans will be getting together again at the AT&T Park to cheer on their beloved team, the San Francisco Giants.

I've been to the AT&T Park many times since it opened in 2000. The park has breathtaking views and the San Francisco bay can be seen from even the cheapest seats.  I posted a 360 degree views of this beautiful ball park in the blog post. Enjoy!

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley - Markham Vineyards

Before driving back to the city after our overnight stay in Napa Valley a couple of weeks ago, we checked out this winery off Main St. in St. Helena called Markham Vineyards.

Going to Markham Vineyards was a random choice so I kept an open mind about the winery. Once again, without a lot of expectations, I was rewarded with great wine tasting experience. The bottles were also reasonably priced which was a bonus!

Saturday, April 06, 2013

Wine Tasting in Napa Valley - Merryvale Vineyards

I first sampled wines from Merryvale Vineyards at last year's SF Chef event in the city. Mijo, Claudia and I thought their wines we sampled were all good.

Mijo and I finally made it to the Tasting cellars of Merryvale Vineyards in St. Helena in Napa Valley where we sampled their house favorites including their proprietary red blend Profile wine. This is one of my favorite wineries in Napa Valley!