I'm a sushi chef

I've been meaning to make my own sushi for a while.

We headed off to a book store to dig up a "how the hell do you make a sushi roll" book of some kind. They sell these cheap kits (like $20 or less) that offer the book, a little bamboo mat, and some other sushi paraphernalia (sp?).

Then, it was off to Yum Yum Fish (no website, 2181 Irving Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Street). This is an excellent place to buy your sushi-grade fish. They had some salmon, tuna, hamachi, and other fish lying ready to be picked up by us and transformed into spicy tuna rolls and whatever else we decided to make.

The great thing about Yum Yum is that you've got a couple of dolts (that would be me, or you - if you go) who are "going to make some sushi! Yup!" An older Japanese gentleman grumbles a bit and cuts up some fish for you and then the softer side comes out. "You no eat this part." OK? why? Will we get sick? "grumble" What? "grumble" OK. He then cuts out the parts that you shouldn't eat. You can also pick up some wasabi, pickled ginger, and sushi rice here if you'd like.

Now that you've got your fish, you would still have to get some cucumber, avocado, and other accoutrements for your rolls. Maybe you'll also make some miso soup? Go next door to the market (I have no idea what the name is), and you'll be able to pick up miso paste, green onions, mushrooms, and tofu. You better know what your veggies look like, because everything is labeled in Cantonese.

Cheesesteaks

A few years ago, I was in Philadelphia. I ran up the art museum stairs and struck my Rocky pose, took in a Phillies game, and of course had a cheesesteak.

Here in SF, there's two places that vie for cheesesteak supremacy. Jay's (no website) and The Cheese Steak Shop. Either one is a decent option, but for my money I have to recommend The Cheese Steak Shop.

Jay's just fell short - the steak is not as succulent, they did not have as much cheese, and the sandwiches are frankly smaller. Hey, if you're looking to eat healthy, don't have a cheesesteak.

As for The Cheese Steak Shop - big sandwiches, loaded with gooey cheese, and the right amount of peppers. The steak was better too.

Both are on Divis - TCSS between Bush and Sutter, while Jay's is between Fell and Hayes (Jay's has another outpust on 21st Street).

Mmmmmmm DOSA

DOSA is a great Southern Indian restaurant.

Read any review and they will rave about the variety of dosas. The best way to describe dosas are what the restaurant itself says, "Dosa is one of the world’s great culinary delicacies. Similar to a crepe, it is served with a variety of fillings that will offer you the most authentic and tantalizing flavors of South India."

However, that's only one thing on the menu, which focuses on South Indian food. So,here's some suggestions on how to navigate your way through the menu:
-order a soup or a salad (for example the mung sprouts salad)
-then, have a starter. Actually, not just any starter but a Dahi Vada. It's lentil dumplings, topped with yogurt, tamarind, mint, and spices.
-next would be the dosa. Dosas come with potatoes, chutney, vegetables, or any of a host of fillings
-you could continue on to the curries if you would like, but the above would already be quite filling
-finally, they have a range of south Indian delicacies

The drinks are great. Rather than the typical Taj Mahal beer, there's a well-selected wine list and the drinks at the bar are made not only with the ubiquitous soju but lillet. Lillet's a wine, which pairs well with fruit juices and are a great way to start the evening.

We enjoyed the food so much at dinner, we came back for brunch a week later. We tried a different dosa and had the dahi vada again. Also tried a refreshing mango lassi.

Green

A couple months ago, the IPCC produced its report on global warming (see link at the bottom). Since then, global warming has dominated the headlines from Republican Bush announcing plans to reduce emissions in the State of the Union Address to Democrat Gore picking up an Oscar for An Inconvenient Truth (see link at the bottom of this e-mail). Cutting across political lines, 5 Western states signed an agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions quicker than the federal government has pledged.

Political posturing aside, and for all of you who simply want to make money, even Wall Street is getting in on the act. "Climatic Consequences" is a 120-page analyst report put out by Edward Kerschner at Citigroup that shows you where you should invest.

If Wall Street recognizing that money can be made is not proof enough, here's further proof that going green is going mainstream. The NY Times magazine just had a very long article by Thomas Friedmann (also at the bottom). Levi's is now marketing organic denim jeans. And of course, Ah-nold the Governator drives a bio-fueled Hummer.

But, the key question for you is likely to be "what can I do to make a difference?" To make a difference you should consider: how can I reduce my carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions?

By looking at your own behavior, you can reduce your carbon footprint (which is a measure of how much greenhouse gases you produce). In addition, by choices you make on what you consume and purchase, you can benefit companies that have a lower carbon footprint (or potentially encourage other companies to have a lower carbon footprint). There are things I do every day which achieve that:
Drive less: walk, bike, take mass transit, and when I drive, I keep my tires inflated
Recycle more
Avoid products with a lot of packaging
Adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees in winter and up 2 degrees in summer
Use less hot water by using cold/warm water when washing clothes and only running fully-loaded dishwashers
Buy locally grown & produced (ideally with sustainable farming methods), fresh (not frozen), organic foods (like those found at a farmer's market)
Turn off electronic devices when not using them
I've started looking at changing all my lightbulbs to CFL's
Other things I could be doing more of:
Carpool or join a car-share program
Install a low-flow shower head
When purchasing a new appliance, get one of these
Plant a tree
Unfortunately, San Francisco's PG&E does not allow me to switch to clean, renewable sources of energy
To get to completely zero impact, you would have to become carbon neutral, which means that you've reduced your global warming pollution to zero. All of the above will help you reduce your carbon footprint. No matter what you do, though, you will never get to zero (you still have to stay warm in the winter, you have to get to work, you don't always have the opportunity to recycle, you have to fly to places, you have a fuel-UNefficient car, etc.).

You can calculate your carbon footprint and purchase offsets at many different place, such as http://www.nativeenergy.com/. How does purchasing an offset work? If you produce 8 tons of emissions and you purchase 8 tons of reductions, you are at a net zero (or carbon neutral). Purchasing an offset means you are helping to finance and build new clean and renewable energy projects. These new projects are aimed to displace electricity generated from fossil fuels or reduce other greenhouse gas emissions making up for the CO 2 emissions you can't avoid.

A month-and-a-half ago, I looked at what I could do better, calculated my carbon footprint, and purchased the appropriate offsets. I also thought that I would post this to show that the actions you take don't have to be that drastic and you are probably incorporating them in your every day life already.

To find out more about global warming:http://www.ipcc.ch/
http://climatecrisis.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming
http://economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/display.cfm?id=7933604
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/magazine/15green.t.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

Brick!

I'd heard about brick as the owners of solstice and fly (no website) decided to venture off Divis and move into the Tenderloin with a bigger place. Similar to fly and solstice, brick has its focus on both drinks and food.

While I'd heard about it, it was only recently that I'd been able to try it out. Upon walking in, you are greeted by a big rectangular bar in the middle of the restaurant. It's well worth sitting at the bar and trying one of their concoctions. They are potent and well crafted. In addition, they have a well-selected wine menu.

Their food is well prepared. We tried the calamari dish, which was grilled and had a spicy drizzle over it. We also had the hamachi sashimi. That's all I can recommend, though. The food is set up on the menu in traditional appetizer / entree style, but the concept of the place is to share. So it's sort of small/big plates? The appetizers work better in this setup, as I was not very impressed with the main dishes.

Andalu!

I've been to Andalu a few times now and it's a strange place. They get busy at times, or so they say, but whenever I've been there it's not been too crowded.

Upon arriving recently, I was told that there were no tables available. Looking around and counting 7 tables free, we shrugged and headed to the bar. We kept an eye on the tables and while a few did fill up, most stayed empty. Serendiptiously, though, sitting up at the bar gave us the chance to have the cheese fondue on the house and taste one of their desserts.

Another time, we showed up and it was half full, but the waitress told us it had been packed right before we showed up. We had the corner table with the windows which provided a full view of a girl suffering a meltdown due to (competing story assumptioins): having broken up with someone, it being her birthday, or her just being dramatic.

Anyway, Andalu's the typical tapas/small plates deal. Lots of great choices here: cheese foundue with apples and pears, various salads, duck dumplings with a dipping sauce, carpaccio, grilled shrimp, and a host of other options. While some dishes fall a little short, overall, the dishes are all prepared very well.

However, the standout dish is the Ahi Tartar Tacos with a mango salsa. Make sure to order these for your table. Great wine list and other mixed drinks. The desserts are excellent - everything from churros to donuts.

Viva la Revolution!

The Revolution Cafe is a perfect place to go on a lazy Saturday or Sunday morning. They'll have some eclectic music playing (when we went, it was folk). Tables strewn outside, with large doors that open up to allow breezes to come in from outside. Besides the eclectic music, there's an eclecit clientele, so also a good spot to people watch. Have a bowl of latte or mocha, and sit back. As for the food, well, it's okay if you go for the sweet stuff (chocolate chip pancakes with banana, for example), but the eggs were flavorless.

At night, a good place to stop for a wine or a beer.

Medjool

On a nice night in SF, this place is one of the best to head to. With a large outdoor deck, you can kick back with a drink or two (good mojitos and an extensive beer & wine list). Plus, they fire up the grill, so you can have a variety of grilled meats and veggie options.

Later, as it cools down, head to the mezzanine level where you can have a view over an expansive restaurant.

Green Bar

I've been to Elixir a few times because I like the friendly atmosphere and the drinks are very good.

The other day, I noticed that thimmakka.org had it listed as one of its green-certified bars. And then I found out that the city has green certified it, the first bar to have been certified as such.

They produce organic drinks, make sure to recycle, and have taken all the right steps.

Mediterranean

There's a couple great Mediterranean places throughout the city.

Depending on your mood, these are two great bets.

If you want something quick and easy, head over to the Mission to check out Truly Mediterranean (no website - 3109 16th Street @ Valencia). They have shwarma, falafel, and um, that's about it. It's tiny with only a few stools lined up facing a mirror. Absolutely worth it, and very well-priced.

For another option that's more of a sit-down place, head over to Fillmore or Noe for
La Mediterranee (they also have an outpost in Berkley). I really like the plate of fillo dough specialties. One is with feta and spinach, one is with cheese, one with lamb, and finally one with chicken (that could almost be a dessert). Their hummus, baba ghanoush, tableh, and others are great with some pita bread. They have a rotating menu of specials. All the food is very well-priced, as are the wines that help round out the meal.

Tapas!

I love coming to Ramblas and sip some of their (a bit too sweet, but strong) sangria and then decide what I'm in the mood for that particular day. It's by no means the best tapas place in the city, but it's loud and friendly and a good start to your evening.

If you want cold, they range from olives, a plate of cheeses, different jamons, Spanish tortilla, and other choices. As for hot, they have sausages, potatoes, mushrooms, calamari, and a host of other choices. I've not had their paella, but noticed it's on the menu.

Truckee

Here's a few places to check out next time you're up in North Tahoe. Most of these places are located along Donner Pass Road a/k/a Commercial Row.

Breakfast: Swing by Squeeze In for one of their amazing omelets.

Lunch: you'll have lunch on whichever mountain you're skiing.

Dinner: I don't know the real name of this place, but it has a big sign above it that simply says "Mexican Restaurant" (no website as far a I can find). This place is not on Commercial Rowe, but located next to Porter's and has excellent Mexican dishes plus a salsa bar.

Live music: Moody's is the place to go to check out live music, especially jazz.

Drinks: Tourist Club (no website) is a good place to hang out with locals and skiers/snowboarders. Friday night is karaoke night (you've been warned).

More drinks: Bar of America (no website) is a bigger spot that occasionally has live music. Go to jambase to find out who's playing.

Mom & Pop

There's a little restaurant in Hayes Valley that you've never heard of, but should check out. You haven't heard of it, because it's just one block off the beaten path and it's attached to the Day's Inn. You should check it out because this husband/wife team craft exceptional food and work together to create a wonderful ambiance.

When you arrive, you first come in downstairs where the small bar is. Tracey will greet you and take you upstairs to your table. There could not be more than 6 tables upstairs.

We arrived and ordered our meal. The waitress/wife/owner could not have been more helpful. Her suggestions on what we should have, and that we even might be ordering too much, were spot on. The food was all excellent as cooked by John, the chef/husband/owner - the wonderful lobster bisque (with 2 huge lobster pieces in it!), the 2 different salads, the lamb chops, and the filet Oscar. For dessert, we had a rice pudding that was a perfect light/sweet/creamy balance.

The waittres also went out of her way to make sure we would get to the symphony on time, which was an excellent extra touch of service.

Bahama Mama

I haven't posted in a while as I've been up to Tahoe (post about Truckee coming soon) and the last week of January and first few days of February I was in the Bahamas.

I'd highly recommend staying on Paradise Island. If you're more into the Vegas-type atmosphere or have kids, stay at Atlantis.

For a romantic, couples-only atmosphere, I'd stay at the One & Only Ocean Club.

Even if not staying at either place, they are worth visits. We particularly liked hanging out at Bimini Rooad (Atlantis) and Dune (Ocean Club).

Stick to local specialties (conch fritters, cracked conch, and other types of seafood) and wash it down with your choice of Kalik (the local beer), Goombay Smash, or a Bahama Mama.

Salsa and Meatballs

If you continue up Mission, when you cross Cezar Chavez you enter the Bernal Heights area. There, you will find a restaurant specializing in "urban Italian 4-star ghetto dining" called Emmy's Spaghetti Shack (no website). It is a small, intimate setting with a DJ spinning records from the 70's and 80's. Think comfort food like bbq ribs, risotto, spaghetti with meatballs, and the best brussels sprouts you've ever had. There's no reservations, so you'll have to wait. What you should do is head towards the restrooms and then go through the unmarked door which takes you into the local Latino dive bar next door. Play a game of pool, have a corona, and listen to some reggaeton. After that little appetizer of Latino music and after you've had your fill, walk down Mission a few blocks for a stroll into what-could-be-another-country: Roccapulco. With a live 10-piece band churning out salsa, meringue, mambo, and everything in between, you'll be dancing all night long even if (like me) you have no idea what the right steps are. When you get tired, kick back in the many booths and tables arrayed around and watch the floor show of people dancing.

Boogaloo

If you wake up hung over, head on over to 22nd and Valencia in the Mission for some greasy breakfast at Boogaloos, where watching the hipster assortment of freaks and free spirits is half the fun. Diagonally across the street is an amazing old school, NY-style deli called Lucca, which has fresh homemade ravioli, lasagna, and pesto; imported parma ham and other prosciutto; and other delicacies. Finally, back across the street again is a very cool t-shirt shop called Fabric8, which features local artists.

Coachella 2007

Damn, that's a tasty lineup.

Before or after the Indpendent

Heading down Haight and then taking a right on Divisadero takes you to the slowly-but-surely gentrifying part of the Western Addition now dubbed NoPa (North of Panhandle). This designation was further cemented with the opening of the same-named restaurant. Anchoring this stretch of Divis is The Independent, a great place to see a show. On Friday the Onion had their Celebration of Broken Resolutions with many local bands performing, including The Lovemakers, Chow Nasty, and Persephone's Bees. A couple blocks further north is Fly Bar (no website) where you can have unfiltered sakes, sake & soju cocktails and a healthy assortment of beers either before or after the show. If you go before, have one of their salads or pizzas.

beer & sausage

The Lower Haight is not the hippie-touristy section of the Haight, but rather has a more hipster vibe - sort of a mini-Mission. Toronado is a great place to grab a beer. Their selection is legendary and ever-changing. Rosamunde (no website) is located right next door. All they do is sausages (except on Tuesday afternoons when they serve up burgers). You can eat the sausage at the limited seating, take it to go, or take it next door to Toronado. Beer & sausage? Doesn't get much better than that.

Best films of the year

[Update - Oscar nominations announced http://www.oscars.org/79academyawards/noms.html]

Little Miss Sunshine is my favorite movie of 2006.
Just your typical black comedy about a dysfunctional family that goes on a roadtrip to enter their child in a beauty pageant. Death, Nitzsche, drugs, failed suicide attempts, and motivational speakers were never this darkly funny

Half Nelson
Ryan Gosling shines in this look at a drug addict who is a teacher at an inner city school

The Departed
While I still prefer the original Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs on which Scorcese based this movie, this was quite possibly the best movie of 2006

United 93
Moving and extremely well done, which points out the breakdowns in communication on 9/11 and serves as an homage to the passengers on this airplane (the only one of the 4 hijacked planes not to reach its target)

Borat
Wa wa wee wa! I like this cinemafilm very much. If you were Youtubing every scene before seeing the movie, it may not have lived up to expectations. This was a movie you needed to see early in a packed theater.

Babel
Intricate layered film that looks at how connected the world now is, while questioning the larger war on terror

Children of Men
Bleak vision of the future which actually takes a hard look at the current governments in power and terrorism

Pan's Labyrinth
A fairy tale for adults that intersperses a disturbing story about World War II with a darkly fantastic tale of a princess, a faun, fairies, and a monster.

Volver
I'm a big fan of Almadovar's movies and this was my favorite foreign film of the year. Penelope Cruz shines in this movie (as she always does in Spanish-language films).

An Inconvenient Truth
Best documentary of the year that is a must-see to understand global warming

Thank You for Smoking
Darkly funny and very politically incorrect

V for Vendetta
The movie I most anticipated in the early part of 2006 was a topical, intelligent take on the comic adaptation

Brick
Film noir (nods to Maltese Falcon) in a modern high school setting

Hard Candy
A disturbing, psychological thriller that heralds the emergence of Ellen Page