how much do you miss this?
Nopales and Eggs @ La Mission
For under $8 – including beans, rice and pico de gallo – this fabulous plate full of creamy, cheese-infused, cactus & eggs absolutely cannot be beat.
La Mission is next to Yogizmo (sensational organic yogurt) on Mission Street. You knew that.
Domingo Still Soars
The vehicle for legendary tenor Placido Domingo‘s final salvo with the SF Opera, was a rarely-performed Cyrano de Bergerac. Composed in 1936 by Franco Alfano (a second tier workman known best for his underwhelming completion of Turandot after Puccini’s death), the opera swoops and froths its way through Edmond Rostand’s classic play. It is a delirious and often silly pastiche of between-the-wars musical schizophrenia, but there are about 25 minutes of breathtaking musical lines in all of this — and they belong to Domingo.
If his voice has been stronger, the highest registers more brilliant, c’e niente. Domingo’s voice is a wonder of sonic architecture and in this first performance of the season’s Cyrano, he showed why he can’t leave the stage just yet. With a gorgeous Roxane (more…)
Delicious Post-Op(era)
Appetites at full throttle after the drive up and back to the city, my opera companion and I hit Gabriella Cafe last Sunday like cross-dressed longshoremen after a 20-hour shift.
Gabriella complied with glasses of Smith Madrone Cabernet Sauvignon (full of cassis and leather), which made the perfect companion for a shared filet mignon that knocked us out with its utter perfection. So good was this steak — and a rare indulgence for me — that I brought The Guy back a few nights later to see for himself.
We began with a split order of the colorful Live Earth roasted beet salad, (more…)
Cabrillo Wine Dinner
The lovely Pino Alto dining room at Cabrillo’s historic Sesnon House, formed a graceful backdrop for some cool jazz and exciting food and wine pairings last Wednesday evening.The highlights for me were the elegant sounds of Hot Club Pacific trio (who also hold down the house at Soif each Monday night), and the well-trained students from Mike Wille‘s advanced culinary class, who served, cleared endless dishes and stemware, and served some more throughout the evening. The evening, this year’s version of the recent “Dare to Pair” wine & food event, marked the mid-term exam of Wille’s young team.
Another highlight was an engaging match of (more…)
Inside the Flame
A book of sensory adventure: The rituals, passions and discoveries of an engaged life.