Mr. B

I'm obsessed, nay, infatuated with Anthony Bourdain. I've watched every single episode of No Reservations, read his most recent book, am reading his first book, follow him on Twitter and on Facebook, and try to get him to respond to my tweets basically everyday. Clearly, he's not having it.

That's okay, he's like the dealer to my food porn addiction and I'm still planning to hussy up every buck I have to make sure the supply never runs dry.

Alright, in reality, I like the way he thinks and expresses himself. Sometimes crude, sometimes harsh, almost always sarcastic, but frank and to the point. I appreciate honestly without all the BS. I like the fact that he can sit at a bar in Boston and take shots of whiskey with the locals, and the next week sit down to a typical, yet basic family meal in Vietnam, and have a good time either way. I like that when he's eating, he can get along with everyone (have you seen the Ted Nugent episode?) Yes, he's rough around the edges, but no one is perfect.

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend's trip to Marin by ferry to go get a pumpkin! 

 ~C

(PS. Just noticed how ugly this post looks on Safari! Check it on using Firefox instead!)

Tales From A Cafe: Nightmare

"He looked through me like I was thin air. I'm so stupid. He didn't even remember me and that night wasn't even a month ago..." Her mind kept wandering back to the last hour before she had left the restaurant. The bus ride seemed like an eternity, and she still had a few blocks to walk before reaching her apartment. The signal was red; she waited to cross the street. The light above her flickered on and off, and finally shut off leaving her standing in the dark.

"...I just can't believe  it. I'm so emb..." She felt a cold hand grab the back of her arm. A young girl with jet black hair and bright blue eyes stood behind her, staring up at her wide-eyed and emotionless.

Startled, she shook off the cold, pale hand and ran across the street. Once on the other side, she turned to look back, but the girl was gone.

"This town is creepy," she thought to herself as she hurried home. She felt a sudden gust of wind and sensed that someone was following her.

"Were those footsteps or the wind howling?"

She glanced over her shoulder and saw the girl following a few paces behind her on the opposite site of the street, head bowed.

She walked faster, fumbling in her bag to find her keys. Her heart pounded in her chest as she unlocked her front door, ran up the stairs into her apartment and bolted the chain behind her. With all the lights on, she crept to the window to peek outside. Down below, she saw the girl's blue eyes staring up at her and jumped back, dropping the window shade back into place.

Tales From A Cafe: Peephole

He tried to hold his breath to still the sound of his beating heart as he listened to the voices on the other side. They were talking in hushed voices and he couldn't quite make out what they were saying.

The thump thump thump of his heart only loudened as he grew suspicious of their words. "What are they talking about? Did I just hear my name? Why are they talking about me?" Thought after thought rushed through his mind even though he knew that the probability of him being the subject of their conversation was close to zero. After all, he had only seen them from a distance getting into the elevator before the doors closed tightly shut.

He glanced through the peephole of his front door again. Nothing. "They must be around the corner," he muttered to Sophie, his white and orange tabby cat who brushed up against his legs.

~C

Umami Burger

Umami: Taken from Japanese meaning savory. One of the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter).

The first thing I was told after having been welcomed into the flagship San Francisco spot was that Umami Burger proudly grounds their own meat every day, processes their own cheese, pickles their own vegetables, and that the word umami means savory. You should expect all of their burgers to be rich in flavor, juicy, and cooked medium-rare.

I first read about Umami Burger on one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes and Cashmere, and haven't stopped hearing about it since (my LA-based friends can't help but gush over their obsession with it). So naturally, when a co-worker casually mentioned that he had just had lunch at the new restaurant, I -literally - ran over to check it out. I wasn't the only one who was excited to be there - a reporter from the SF Chronicle was there interviewing the staff and taking photos.

A much more professional photo than mine from the Umami Burger site.

Luckily, I had just missed the lunch rush, and was able to sit down at the bar immediately. I asked the bartender what the most popular burger was and he suggested either the Umami Burger or the Hatch Burger. I chose the Umami Burger since, hey, it's Umami Burger, with a Japanese Caprese Salad to start.

Wednesday: Where In The World Am I?

Oh no! I was super busy yesterday and didn't get around to posting this. So let's pretend it's Wednesday today ;)

Where in the world am I...this Wednesday? 

This city will always have a special place in my heart. I lived there for a year while I was in college, and loved every minute of it. It's in Europe, and has played a significant role in the history of cinema due to one of it's countrymen.

Any guesses?

Thanks again to Jeremy at Budget Travel Adventures for this weekly segment.

~C

Tales From A Cafe: Rainy Days

I started writing with the intention of writing yet another cover letter. But I got distracted and wrote this instead.

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She sat at the corner table, near the door, staring out the window at the droplets splashing against the asphalt.  It was pouring down with no intention of stopping; as if the San Francisco clouds were determined to wash away all the city’s debris.  The Internet in the little neighborhood café had cut out, and she turned to gaze at the ever-loading blank screen.

Despite the rain, tourists kept coming in. Something about the cable cars on a rainy day seemed to catch their attention. Whatever it was that got them out in the rain, she wanted no part of it. She was content wrapped in her oversized wool sweater, sipping on her hot mocha, and had no desire to walk the block and a half back home to use the Internet.