Sam's Grill and Seafood Restaurant; 374 Bush Street (Kearny);421-0594; Monday-Friday, 9-9; Closed Sat/Sun. Samsgrill.citysearch.com;smsgrll@pacbell.net. The restaurant was established in 1867 and thankfully new owner, Phil Lyons has not tinkered with the basics: cozy, pleasant booths with curtains and fish!fish!fish!
This seafood stalwart is as dependable as the sunrise and is where movers and shakers, financial moguls drop anchor. Dialed-in tourists also head here for fish the way your grandfathers/grandmothers remember it.
This restaurant is old-school to the core with San Francisco atmosphere that's so authentic, you have to expect Sam Spade (Dashiell Hammett) to drop by. Expect to meet Frank, a snarky seasoned geezer waiter who probably knew Jonah and the whale, and genteel gracious greetings by the host. If you're a nostalgist, you'll love the memorabilia.
I arrived on a Friday night 4/27/07 with friend Peter. We were hankering for soup, salad, and a quiet place to talk! Our waiter indicated that the split pea soup was the "best" in SF. He actually made it. "And if you like it, I'll take you home for a dip in the swimming pool," he joked. Splish-splash! What a funghi was our balding quipster of a waiter.
Peter and I settled into the booth, and briefly discussed the movie we had seen/walked out on: A Self-Made Hero (1996). Directed by Jacques Audiad. About a dreamer of minimal skills who reinvents himself as a resistance hero near the end of World War II. A boring slog, we both agreed; an unfunny "satire". We perused the menu of Sam's which originated in what was called the California Market in 1867.
Michael Bolan Moraghan, a native of Ireland, began operating an oyster saloon that year at 68 California Market. The Market was an open-air meat, fish and produce emporium. The oyster saloon became famous. I've tasted Sam's scrumptious seafood many times, where fish are still wiggling and the gruff but friendly grey-haired waiters with "Senior Appeal" don't care if you are a pawn or a king. Just don't be a pauper, and don't grip about handing over hard-earned clams.
If you're craving Seafood or New York steak, here's what I recommend:
Asparagus with mustard sauce: 5
Split pea soup: Bowl 4; cup 3 (which waiter made earlier in the day); served with sour dough bread.
Sam's Special Seafood Salad (with crab): very fresh, large triangular, pyramid of a salad. Share this with your dining companion. 20.50
Linguini with Calamari: 13.00
Poached Alaskan King Salmon with Egg Sauce: 20
Sauteed Shellfish (Scallops, prawns, crab legs): 23.50
Charcoal Broiled Chicken 12
New York Steak 27. (One of the best steaks you'll find in San Francisco).
Spinach: 4
Apple pie: 5.
Joke for the day: What has 300 legs and 7 teeth?
A: Front row at a Willie Nelson Concert
Joke for yuppies: How can you tell when a female yuppie achieves orgasm?
A: She drops her briefcase!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
BACCHUS KIRK: TUESDAY NIGHT TRIVIA APRIL 24, 2007
Here's the week's trivia questions. Match wits with the best and brightest of San Francisco:
1. In the movie, "Office Space", what channel was the breast exam on?
2. Who is the artist behind comic strip, "Dilbert"?
3. In Europe, the song, "My Country 'Tis of Thee" is known as which song?
4. What is population of the third largest city of Texas?
5. Who was the father of Kim Jun Ill?
6. Who are the 3 B's of Classical music?
7. Who is composer of the the corporate theme song of United Airlines?
8. What are the 2 types of nerve cells in eye?
9. Four smallest States in land area?
10.What symbol on typewriter keyboard is known as Octothorp?
11.Name city with this airport code: PDX
12.Who was Martha Jane Canary?
13.Who is lead female broadcaster of Fox News?
14.What sort of airplane do Blue Angels fly?
15. Who wrote Symphony piece, "American in Paris?"
1. In the movie, "Office Space", what channel was the breast exam on?
2. Who is the artist behind comic strip, "Dilbert"?
3. In Europe, the song, "My Country 'Tis of Thee" is known as which song?
4. What is population of the third largest city of Texas?
5. Who was the father of Kim Jun Ill?
6. Who are the 3 B's of Classical music?
7. Who is composer of the the corporate theme song of United Airlines?
8. What are the 2 types of nerve cells in eye?
9. Four smallest States in land area?
10.What symbol on typewriter keyboard is known as Octothorp?
11.Name city with this airport code: PDX
12.Who was Martha Jane Canary?
13.Who is lead female broadcaster of Fox News?
14.What sort of airplane do Blue Angels fly?
15. Who wrote Symphony piece, "American in Paris?"
Monday, April 23, 2007
VENTICELLO: NOB HILL TUSCAN CHARM; JACKIE MASON: MR. POLITICALLY INCORRECT AT OXFORD CAMPUS, 1992!
Venticello, Nob Hill, 1257 Taylor (at Washington);(415)922-2545 has as its motto: Chia Mangia Bene, Vive Bene! (Whoever eats well, lives well). It may have rustic Italian charm but the chef is Irish: Seamus Cronin, and he's tweaked the menu. I spoke briefly with the surrogate chef Martinus, who hales from south central Mexico. He was very warm, gracious and busy! This restaurant enchants, with cable cars clanging up the hill; wood-burning stove all fired up, it has an authentic Tuscan feel. This is an enchanting place for a marriage proposal (there was one the night Zontar and I arrived), celebration of an anniversary (ditto), a place even to take your date to meet her parents!
The restaurant caters to Nob Hill (some call it Snob Hill) neighbors. The most striking thing is the floor-length oak framed mirror, where you can adjust your tie, or just tie one on! Saturday nights are crowded and noisy so be prepared to sit cheek by jowl, so it's better to come on a Sunday night. I spoke with a retired couple who frequent this place once a week and had enjoyed the pork medallions with rum syrup ("excellent" and "presentation was good"); polenta with portobello mushrooms drizzled with balsamic; and herb and goat cheese ravioli in a fresh roma tomato, basil, garlic sauce. They also enjoyed the brownie with ice cream.
The last time I ate at this upscale restaurant, I had spaghetti and old-fashioned meatballs. I recollect asking my date, "What's so special about spaghetti and meatballs?" "The price", he said simply. They were the best I had ever tasted (outside of Italy, of course). Now the new signature dish is spaghetti carbonara! And it is equally a great comfort food special. Hats off to Seamus Cronin:
Here's what I recommend:
Appetizer: Shaved Beef tenderloin with caperberries, wild arugula, aged parma in a white truffle vinaigrette. (9)
Salad:
Radicchio cup filled with roasted beets, tomatoes and arugula in a tarragon caper vinaigrette. (9) EXCELLENT!
Mixed greens with bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, brersola and feta cheese in a tuscan vinaigrette. (10) VERY TASTY, FRESH, ORGANIC VEGETABLES.
Spaghetti Carbonara: spaghetti in a pancetta cream sauce. (17)
Grilled pork tenderloin medallions with balsamic rum syrup. (23)
Sauteed chicken breast with wild mushrooms and marsala wine. (23)
*********************************
We shared our reminiscences about Jackie Mason LIVE AT OXFORD, ENGLAND CAMPUS; 1992.
Jackie Mason is the quintessential New Yorker. Here's some of his schtick!
Don't tell a Jewish girl she looks too Jewish, you might wind up under a truck!
The way to achieve status is to go to college. Once they need you, they won't persecute you! That's why every son became a doctor, unless a little retarded, then a lawyer. If his/her mind doesn't work at all, then an accountant.
Question: Rabbi and comic similar?
Answer: Most people who come to the Temple or church would rather hear jokes than a sermon! Only time people comes religious is when they're about to die -- they turn to religion. The cat dies, that's it! But if the sister dies, she goes to heaven, or Pittsburgh, somewhere! People want to be entertained in church because they don't want to be there in the first place.
Question: Any subject so distasteful, can't laugh at?
Answer: You won't say the same thing to grandmother as a friend. I use no vulgar language. No 4-letter words. We all censor our thoughts. England is the most polite society in the world. Hay hello, and people start apologizing. "So sorry"!
Question: What is your favorite Jewish food?
Answer: Gentiles are always looking for a drink; Jews are looking for rolls and butter. Never see a Jew in a bar unless he got lost looking for cake and coffee. For Jews, life is a ritual about eating.
The restaurant caters to Nob Hill (some call it Snob Hill) neighbors. The most striking thing is the floor-length oak framed mirror, where you can adjust your tie, or just tie one on! Saturday nights are crowded and noisy so be prepared to sit cheek by jowl, so it's better to come on a Sunday night. I spoke with a retired couple who frequent this place once a week and had enjoyed the pork medallions with rum syrup ("excellent" and "presentation was good"); polenta with portobello mushrooms drizzled with balsamic; and herb and goat cheese ravioli in a fresh roma tomato, basil, garlic sauce. They also enjoyed the brownie with ice cream.
The last time I ate at this upscale restaurant, I had spaghetti and old-fashioned meatballs. I recollect asking my date, "What's so special about spaghetti and meatballs?" "The price", he said simply. They were the best I had ever tasted (outside of Italy, of course). Now the new signature dish is spaghetti carbonara! And it is equally a great comfort food special. Hats off to Seamus Cronin:
Here's what I recommend:
Appetizer: Shaved Beef tenderloin with caperberries, wild arugula, aged parma in a white truffle vinaigrette. (9)
Salad:
Radicchio cup filled with roasted beets, tomatoes and arugula in a tarragon caper vinaigrette. (9) EXCELLENT!
Mixed greens with bell peppers, olives, mushrooms, brersola and feta cheese in a tuscan vinaigrette. (10) VERY TASTY, FRESH, ORGANIC VEGETABLES.
Spaghetti Carbonara: spaghetti in a pancetta cream sauce. (17)
Grilled pork tenderloin medallions with balsamic rum syrup. (23)
Sauteed chicken breast with wild mushrooms and marsala wine. (23)
*********************************
We shared our reminiscences about Jackie Mason LIVE AT OXFORD, ENGLAND CAMPUS; 1992.
Jackie Mason is the quintessential New Yorker. Here's some of his schtick!
Don't tell a Jewish girl she looks too Jewish, you might wind up under a truck!
The way to achieve status is to go to college. Once they need you, they won't persecute you! That's why every son became a doctor, unless a little retarded, then a lawyer. If his/her mind doesn't work at all, then an accountant.
Question: Rabbi and comic similar?
Answer: Most people who come to the Temple or church would rather hear jokes than a sermon! Only time people comes religious is when they're about to die -- they turn to religion. The cat dies, that's it! But if the sister dies, she goes to heaven, or Pittsburgh, somewhere! People want to be entertained in church because they don't want to be there in the first place.
Question: Any subject so distasteful, can't laugh at?
Answer: You won't say the same thing to grandmother as a friend. I use no vulgar language. No 4-letter words. We all censor our thoughts. England is the most polite society in the world. Hay hello, and people start apologizing. "So sorry"!
Question: What is your favorite Jewish food?
Answer: Gentiles are always looking for a drink; Jews are looking for rolls and butter. Never see a Jew in a bar unless he got lost looking for cake and coffee. For Jews, life is a ritual about eating.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
THE WIND THAT SHAKES THE BARLEY: IRISH REBELLION/REEL/REEL
The Wind that Shakes the Barley (Clay Theater; Pacific Heights). If this film by Ken Loach, English and Marxist (is that a dubious proposition?)filmmaker and Paul Laverty, veteran Screenwriter does not receive an Academy Award Nomination for BEST "foreign" film of 2007, there is no justice in Hollywood. It won the Palme D'Or at Cannes in 2006, and with good reason.
On Tuesday, April 17, 2007, I accompanied a short story writer/San Francisco native, Mark, to the Landmark Clay theater, Pacific Heights, on the very day a solemn vigil was being held in Virginia. A sociopathic, mass murderer (23-year-old Cho), filled with self-hatred and self-absorption, had slaughtered 33 students and faculty members of Virginia Tech wearing a maroon beret, and expertly wielding a 22 rifle and 9 millimeter gun. The nation was reeling!
It was a cool, sunny day and when I stood in line for the film WIND...I was expecting just another polemic of how the English abused the Irish, County Cork, 1920's. What I experienced was a profoundly passionate immersion into a personalized feud between 2 brothers, which humanizes a bloody chapter in the British imperial divide-and-conquer mentality, system imposed on the fledgling Irish Free State.
Cillian Murphy, as Damien, is brilliantly transcendent as an idealist, a romantic, who literally stick to his guns and to hell with the consequences! He plays a medical student on his way back to London when he witnesses an atrocity committed by the British occupying forces on a train platform. The Irish engineer refuses to drive the train with British soldiers on board. FATE intervenes, Damien ends up missing the train, and ends up swearing an oath to the Irish Republican Army. He joins a ragtag guerrilla gang led by his younger brother, Teddy (Padraic Delaney). In Loach's artful hands, injustice is no simplistic matter.
In a pivotal scene that cuts to the core of the movie's vise-like grip on our emotions, Murphy's Damien is grieving for a deed he has not yet committed. He is about to shoot a childhood friend in the heart for betraying the rebels. With agonized body language, Murphy conveys all the horrendous, irreparable damage of war, and then adds bluntly: "I studied anatomy for five years. Now I'm going to shoot Chris Reilly in the heart. I hope this Ireland we're fighting for is worth it."
The movie sure as hell is! In fact, it requires a second viewing, especially if there are cellphones lighting up during the infamous torture scene (not as successful as it could have been). I complained and received another ticket. I suggest you do the same if signs are NOT posted and you are distracted.
The film is riveting and highly recommended. Mr. Roach peoples his film with superb luminous actors. We ask ourselves this profound question: Is Damien an egotistical, narcissistic monster, or a tragic martyr? Is that distinction capacious?
As a friend recently opined, a strict definition of a martyr is someone who bears witness. Nowadays, reversedly, to bear witness is to be a martyr: a new, contemporary formula.
See the film! It brilliantly depicts with brutal honesty, English, actually British, acts of violence but also the often heartless tactics of the IRA. Why? Because there is nothing like an inventive, nuanced film to lift you out of the real world!
On Tuesday, April 17, 2007, I accompanied a short story writer/San Francisco native, Mark, to the Landmark Clay theater, Pacific Heights, on the very day a solemn vigil was being held in Virginia. A sociopathic, mass murderer (23-year-old Cho), filled with self-hatred and self-absorption, had slaughtered 33 students and faculty members of Virginia Tech wearing a maroon beret, and expertly wielding a 22 rifle and 9 millimeter gun. The nation was reeling!
It was a cool, sunny day and when I stood in line for the film WIND...I was expecting just another polemic of how the English abused the Irish, County Cork, 1920's. What I experienced was a profoundly passionate immersion into a personalized feud between 2 brothers, which humanizes a bloody chapter in the British imperial divide-and-conquer mentality, system imposed on the fledgling Irish Free State.
Cillian Murphy, as Damien, is brilliantly transcendent as an idealist, a romantic, who literally stick to his guns and to hell with the consequences! He plays a medical student on his way back to London when he witnesses an atrocity committed by the British occupying forces on a train platform. The Irish engineer refuses to drive the train with British soldiers on board. FATE intervenes, Damien ends up missing the train, and ends up swearing an oath to the Irish Republican Army. He joins a ragtag guerrilla gang led by his younger brother, Teddy (Padraic Delaney). In Loach's artful hands, injustice is no simplistic matter.
In a pivotal scene that cuts to the core of the movie's vise-like grip on our emotions, Murphy's Damien is grieving for a deed he has not yet committed. He is about to shoot a childhood friend in the heart for betraying the rebels. With agonized body language, Murphy conveys all the horrendous, irreparable damage of war, and then adds bluntly: "I studied anatomy for five years. Now I'm going to shoot Chris Reilly in the heart. I hope this Ireland we're fighting for is worth it."
The movie sure as hell is! In fact, it requires a second viewing, especially if there are cellphones lighting up during the infamous torture scene (not as successful as it could have been). I complained and received another ticket. I suggest you do the same if signs are NOT posted and you are distracted.
The film is riveting and highly recommended. Mr. Roach peoples his film with superb luminous actors. We ask ourselves this profound question: Is Damien an egotistical, narcissistic monster, or a tragic martyr? Is that distinction capacious?
As a friend recently opined, a strict definition of a martyr is someone who bears witness. Nowadays, reversedly, to bear witness is to be a martyr: a new, contemporary formula.
See the film! It brilliantly depicts with brutal honesty, English, actually British, acts of violence but also the often heartless tactics of the IRA. Why? Because there is nothing like an inventive, nuanced film to lift you out of the real world!
Monday, April 16, 2007
EL RAIGON: North Beach's Argentinian Red Meat Temple; WC FIELDS' IDEAL MARRIAGE
El Raigon; 510 Union Street (Grant);(415)291-0927; www.elraigon.com;elchefjeff@msn.com Dinner nightly from 5:00 until 10:30. This is as close to Argentina as Bay Area gringos will ever get. I came here with my friend Brent, a writer who has a retentive mind, had just finished reading Carlotta Monti's biography, W.C. Fields and Me (1971). I asked him to recite some lines on W.C.Fields' view of marriage. Do you remember that "Bill" ran away from home at the age of 9, committed petty larceny, moved in with his grandma for a while in Philadelphia, drove shot-gun on a horse-drawn ice wagon, was a wheezy-toned"tramp juggler", and pool shark? He made his "fortune" in the movies, of course...who can forget his character portrayals as "Cuthbert Twittie" and "Egbert Souse"? Who didn't make fun of his bulbous proclivities.
Born in 1879 "Uncle Willie" sadly died Christmas Day, 1946 of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. He lived by his own rules and knew that it was "disposition" and not "position" that matters: laughter was the way to live life!
W.C. Fields:
Ah yes, marriage! I believe in tying the marriage knot, as long as it's around the woman's neck.
Marriage is a two-way proposition but never let the woman know she's one of the ways.
Never trust your wife behind your back, even if she claims she only wants to wash or scratch it.
In marriage a man must give up many of his old and pleasant habits, even if it means giving up the woman he married.
Always have a woman sign a pre-nuptial agreement that if she leaves your bed and board, she takes off with as little cash as possible.
Marry an outdoors woman. Then if you throw her out into the yard for the night, she can still survive.
Marriage is easier than leprosy, because it's easier to get rid of.
An ideal start for matrimony would be to have a drunken rabbi perform a Catholic ceremony in an Episcopalian church. Then it could be declared illegal in the courts.
Back to El Raigon. This gorgeous "red meat temple" is covered in hides and gaucho memorabilia. One of three owners, Will Harris, spent 7 years in Argentina and this restaurant serves the best beef in the city: grass-fed, Piedmontese breed grown in Montano or Uruguay. All steaks are grilled estancio style over charcoal and almond wood by Chef Jeff Addington, raised in Sausalito, a prior Sushi Ran Chef. He's a happy-go-lucky, red-head who is quick with the joke, friendly. The restaurant had lost its "100 Best in Bay Area" rating but in Playboy, May, 2007, it ranks No. 6. He was elated about that!
All meals come with bread and chimchurri sauce (the steak is drizzled with it): olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs!
Here's my recommendations:
Argentian sausage. (7) Straightforward, brilliant taste.
Arugula: avocado, parmesan cheese, red wine vinaigrette. Delicate, tasty. (7)
Tapa de Ojo de Bife (Center cut rib eye): this had a nice smoky taste and was served with a side of mashed squash. 31.
Sides are seasonal and are 7. The squash was perfectly sweet and delicious but too sweet as a companion to steak. (Comment: why not start a fad and serve it as dessert?)
Bombe de Chocolate: dark chocolate mousse with mango, strawberry, raspberry sauce:To Die For should be its name! 7.
Downstairs in the VIP, the talk was of irrelevant Don Imus, and would he be back on satellite radio? Of course! Upstairs, Jeff was happy at his grill and writing down for me his favorite "Last Supper" menu on my "Spring Stroll" card:
Tapa de Ojo de Bife (Rib eye), roast potatoes, asparagus.
Cef Jeff Addigton works hard to satisfy his meat lovers (there was even a vegetarian at the table next door who frequents El Raigon). He even put his mother on a "meat and salad" diet! On the way out, I asked him: how can you tell when Pinocchio is in love? "When he has a woody?" he whispered! Close but he didn't get the cigar. What would Egbert Souse have said? I loved El Raigon, and you will too!
Born in 1879 "Uncle Willie" sadly died Christmas Day, 1946 of alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. He lived by his own rules and knew that it was "disposition" and not "position" that matters: laughter was the way to live life!
W.C. Fields:
Ah yes, marriage! I believe in tying the marriage knot, as long as it's around the woman's neck.
Marriage is a two-way proposition but never let the woman know she's one of the ways.
Never trust your wife behind your back, even if she claims she only wants to wash or scratch it.
In marriage a man must give up many of his old and pleasant habits, even if it means giving up the woman he married.
Always have a woman sign a pre-nuptial agreement that if she leaves your bed and board, she takes off with as little cash as possible.
Marry an outdoors woman. Then if you throw her out into the yard for the night, she can still survive.
Marriage is easier than leprosy, because it's easier to get rid of.
An ideal start for matrimony would be to have a drunken rabbi perform a Catholic ceremony in an Episcopalian church. Then it could be declared illegal in the courts.
Back to El Raigon. This gorgeous "red meat temple" is covered in hides and gaucho memorabilia. One of three owners, Will Harris, spent 7 years in Argentina and this restaurant serves the best beef in the city: grass-fed, Piedmontese breed grown in Montano or Uruguay. All steaks are grilled estancio style over charcoal and almond wood by Chef Jeff Addington, raised in Sausalito, a prior Sushi Ran Chef. He's a happy-go-lucky, red-head who is quick with the joke, friendly. The restaurant had lost its "100 Best in Bay Area" rating but in Playboy, May, 2007, it ranks No. 6. He was elated about that!
All meals come with bread and chimchurri sauce (the steak is drizzled with it): olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs!
Here's my recommendations:
Argentian sausage. (7) Straightforward, brilliant taste.
Arugula: avocado, parmesan cheese, red wine vinaigrette. Delicate, tasty. (7)
Tapa de Ojo de Bife (Center cut rib eye): this had a nice smoky taste and was served with a side of mashed squash. 31.
Sides are seasonal and are 7. The squash was perfectly sweet and delicious but too sweet as a companion to steak. (Comment: why not start a fad and serve it as dessert?)
Bombe de Chocolate: dark chocolate mousse with mango, strawberry, raspberry sauce:To Die For should be its name! 7.
Downstairs in the VIP, the talk was of irrelevant Don Imus, and would he be back on satellite radio? Of course! Upstairs, Jeff was happy at his grill and writing down for me his favorite "Last Supper" menu on my "Spring Stroll" card:
Tapa de Ojo de Bife (Rib eye), roast potatoes, asparagus.
Cef Jeff Addigton works hard to satisfy his meat lovers (there was even a vegetarian at the table next door who frequents El Raigon). He even put his mother on a "meat and salad" diet! On the way out, I asked him: how can you tell when Pinocchio is in love? "When he has a woody?" he whispered! Close but he didn't get the cigar. What would Egbert Souse have said? I loved El Raigon, and you will too!
Friday, April 13, 2007
VIVANDE PORTA VIA: PLUNGE INTO SEA OF PASTA, MUSSELS, WORDS/JOKE FOR THE DAY: APRIL 12, 2007
Joke for the day: How many Pentium chips does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Answer: 1.59999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
Vivande Porta Via; 2125 Fillmore (between California/Sacramento); (415 346-4440;www.vivande.com;mark@vivande.com. I came tripping lightly to this upscale Italian restaurant whose owner/cookbook author/brains, Carlo Middione, opened the doors in 1981. It was a gorgeous spring day, and I had a song in my heart from the days of WWI:
What's the use of worrying?
It never was worthwhile
So, pack up your troubles in your old Kit-Bag,
And SMILE, SMILE, SMILE (1915, George Asaf).
I met a retired dermatologist, David, who had just moved in this Pacific Heights neighborhood, and he was truly technologically challenged (he had accidentally hit the delete button on his cellphone). It took a long time to make a lunch date. I remembered that Groucho Marx was one of his heroes. What was his favorite "Groucho" anecdote?
Groucho was interviewing a male guest on his show, YOU BET YOUR LIFE, who had 20 children - that's almost a record.
Groucho: How come you have so many children?
Guest: I love my wife.
Groucho: I love my cigar but I take it out of my mouth sometimes.
(Does Arnold ever take the stogies out of his mouth? Sigmund Freud, aficionado of cigar, aptly replied when asked if it was a phallic symbol: Sometime a cigar is only a cigar).
Would you believe "Tricky Dick" Nixon watched this show? Can you name the 5 Marx brothers, David asked. Yes! What about Beano? Beano was no Marx bro; rather, Gummo, or maybe he was thinking of Zeppo! Back to the food:
Try to find better pasta, risotto, fennel sausage, spinach salad, roast chicken, fried oysters, pecorino, primavera, or Mediterranean Mussels. I dare you. I met the executive chef, Mark Santino, the "brawn", a San Jose native, who's been at Vivande since 2001. I give him award for most outstanding chef for "upstanding" hair-do. We played a game. I asked him which dish on the lunch menu he would pick for his "Last Supper". Can you say TORTA ZABAGLIONE?
I was hankering to reel in a salmon or sole but for lunch, I 86'd the plan. (These are served at dinner). I am a bivalve lover. Did you know mussels are called "the poor man's oysters" because of their abundance and reasonable price? David, who grew up outside of Boston, told me they were routinely "discarded". In Europe they've been cultivated for more than 8 centuries, and are a supreme delicacy.
Here are my choices for this authentic, award-winning restaurant, which makes fresh pasta from durum and semolina flours and eggs;grinds, seasons its own sausage from a time-tested sicilian family recipe, and does NOT welcome cellphones! If you bring the kids, they can entertain themselves by drawing on the brown paper tabletops provided: a great idea!
6 deep-fried oysters served with tangy house relish: 9.0
fettucine alle cozze: mussels, white wine, marinara sauce, and fresh parsley: 13.25
ANNA'S VERDICT: Pasta was exquisite; the mussels unfortunately were rubbery and overcooked.
risotta alla sbirraglila: policeman's risotto from the veneto -chicken, carrots,celery; grated parmesan: 16.50
pollo arrosto: cold roast chicken with fettuccine vegetable salad and balsamic roasted onion: 12.50
baby spinach, ricotta salata, toasted pine nuts and lemon vinaigrette: 6.57
Wine of the day: Rosso: 2004 Chianti Classico 7.75/34.00.
I gave David, a Harvard graduate/scholar,who lost his wife to ovarian cancer, and a man of needless words, a goodbye hug, and recited my favorite quote from Hamlet:
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words!
Answer: 1.59999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
Vivande Porta Via; 2125 Fillmore (between California/Sacramento); (415 346-4440;www.vivande.com;mark@vivande.com. I came tripping lightly to this upscale Italian restaurant whose owner/cookbook author/brains, Carlo Middione, opened the doors in 1981. It was a gorgeous spring day, and I had a song in my heart from the days of WWI:
What's the use of worrying?
It never was worthwhile
So, pack up your troubles in your old Kit-Bag,
And SMILE, SMILE, SMILE (1915, George Asaf).
I met a retired dermatologist, David, who had just moved in this Pacific Heights neighborhood, and he was truly technologically challenged (he had accidentally hit the delete button on his cellphone). It took a long time to make a lunch date. I remembered that Groucho Marx was one of his heroes. What was his favorite "Groucho" anecdote?
Groucho was interviewing a male guest on his show, YOU BET YOUR LIFE, who had 20 children - that's almost a record.
Groucho: How come you have so many children?
Guest: I love my wife.
Groucho: I love my cigar but I take it out of my mouth sometimes.
(Does Arnold ever take the stogies out of his mouth? Sigmund Freud, aficionado of cigar, aptly replied when asked if it was a phallic symbol: Sometime a cigar is only a cigar).
Would you believe "Tricky Dick" Nixon watched this show? Can you name the 5 Marx brothers, David asked. Yes! What about Beano? Beano was no Marx bro; rather, Gummo, or maybe he was thinking of Zeppo! Back to the food:
Try to find better pasta, risotto, fennel sausage, spinach salad, roast chicken, fried oysters, pecorino, primavera, or Mediterranean Mussels. I dare you. I met the executive chef, Mark Santino, the "brawn", a San Jose native, who's been at Vivande since 2001. I give him award for most outstanding chef for "upstanding" hair-do. We played a game. I asked him which dish on the lunch menu he would pick for his "Last Supper". Can you say TORTA ZABAGLIONE?
I was hankering to reel in a salmon or sole but for lunch, I 86'd the plan. (These are served at dinner). I am a bivalve lover. Did you know mussels are called "the poor man's oysters" because of their abundance and reasonable price? David, who grew up outside of Boston, told me they were routinely "discarded". In Europe they've been cultivated for more than 8 centuries, and are a supreme delicacy.
Here are my choices for this authentic, award-winning restaurant, which makes fresh pasta from durum and semolina flours and eggs;grinds, seasons its own sausage from a time-tested sicilian family recipe, and does NOT welcome cellphones! If you bring the kids, they can entertain themselves by drawing on the brown paper tabletops provided: a great idea!
6 deep-fried oysters served with tangy house relish: 9.0
fettucine alle cozze: mussels, white wine, marinara sauce, and fresh parsley: 13.25
ANNA'S VERDICT: Pasta was exquisite; the mussels unfortunately were rubbery and overcooked.
risotta alla sbirraglila: policeman's risotto from the veneto -chicken, carrots,celery; grated parmesan: 16.50
pollo arrosto: cold roast chicken with fettuccine vegetable salad and balsamic roasted onion: 12.50
baby spinach, ricotta salata, toasted pine nuts and lemon vinaigrette: 6.57
Wine of the day: Rosso: 2004 Chianti Classico 7.75/34.00.
I gave David, a Harvard graduate/scholar,who lost his wife to ovarian cancer, and a man of needless words, a goodbye hug, and recited my favorite quote from Hamlet:
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
PAZZIA DELIVERS DELECTABLE PIZZA/BELLISMA CUISINE
Pazzia;337 Third (Between Folsom and Harrison);(415)512-1693. Hours: 11:30-2:30;5:30-10:00(Monday-Saturday; Saturday until 10:30. You'll feel like you're eating in Firenze (Florence, where there's at sister restaurant, J. Ghibellini) at Massimo Ballerini's Soma Restaurant. Come for lunch so you won't have to vye for a table with hustler-bustlers or defray the expenses with your firstborn. Loyalists love its genuine Italian atmosphere, and you'll easily become friends with the owner. Massimo married an American girl and is a proud father of newborn. He greeted me and PJ Max (raconteur/chessplayer/bon vivant) with open arms, in the Florentine fashion!
Before we squeezed into the space, and I asked PJ, is it true being married reduces the risk of heart attack --or anything exciting, really? Hm...
We sat down facing the mural: Roberto Begnini "haunting"/overlooking Florence with his hands clasped to his head. PJ: I hope he's not just had one of their pizzas! A wood-fired Tuscan style pizza just what we came for and it was a brilliantly sunny day in paradise. We decided not to dine al fresco. We perused the Daily Specials consisting of fresh mussels (11);lasagna(15);spaghetti carbonara (15);linguini(16);gnocchi(15);risotto(19);salmon(25);filet mignon (25);sauteed chicken (16);veal scalopine (23); spinach salad (11). Regulars know the trick is to stick with Chef Sergio's specials.
We decided to share a razor-thin crusted pizza, spinach salad, red wine, expresso coffee:
Insalata Di Gamberi: spinach with grilled prawns in vinaigrette dressing. (11) The prawns were "reddish orange with traces of a white underbelly." (PJ clowning).
Diavolo 10" pizza: Tomato sauce, mozzarella and spicy sausage. (10) Delivered quickly and was delectable but crust a little underbaked (my chef friend who tasted leftovers reminded me vociferously). I loved the copious amount of cheese, really, you can't go wrong with the "perfect" pizza at this upscale joint. The crust was razor-thin and lovingly but a little too hastily prepared! Make sure you get there well before closing, ok? But on a scale of 10, I'd give it a 9.
Are you a Bay Area pescaterian and hooked on salmon?
Grilled fresh salmon in crudaiola sauce with fresh tomatoes, capers and onion. Delightful! (25)
Massima recommended the Sangiovese Toscana, 2003 (7.50). I shared a glass with PJ. How did the oenophile enthusiast describe it? Seriously, he's hardly a vitaculture graduate. "Eclectic with traces of boysenberry." Ever the clown! My suggestion: Non-alcoholic beer on the menu for those hot days coming up! Massimo provides an extensive wine list of Italian whites/reds at reasonable prices. In the summer bring a ping pong paddle to battle the fruit flies!
We skipped dessert but can highly recommend this place for desserts and coffee after a night at the movies at Metreon. Massima will be razing the south green wall and come November, a bar lounge will add to this charming spot at "Ponte Vecchio West". Pay a visit and he'll make you feel like a long lost relative!
Peter's joke for the day:
A nasty, irascible Beethoven was working on a new composition. His paramour Brunhilda comes in.
She: I've decided to leave you, Beethoven.
He: I'm a sweet, kind, gentle, person, how can you leave me?
She: ha ha ha ha (hums opening notes of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
Anna's Joke for the Day: (to a random Canadian) So you're French and Canadian --you're obnoxious AND dull. (When not bringing laughter to world and pooping on things, find out what www.triumphtheinsultdog.com does)
Before we squeezed into the space, and I asked PJ, is it true being married reduces the risk of heart attack --or anything exciting, really? Hm...
We sat down facing the mural: Roberto Begnini "haunting"/overlooking Florence with his hands clasped to his head. PJ: I hope he's not just had one of their pizzas! A wood-fired Tuscan style pizza just what we came for and it was a brilliantly sunny day in paradise. We decided not to dine al fresco. We perused the Daily Specials consisting of fresh mussels (11);lasagna(15);spaghetti carbonara (15);linguini(16);gnocchi(15);risotto(19);salmon(25);filet mignon (25);sauteed chicken (16);veal scalopine (23); spinach salad (11). Regulars know the trick is to stick with Chef Sergio's specials.
We decided to share a razor-thin crusted pizza, spinach salad, red wine, expresso coffee:
Insalata Di Gamberi: spinach with grilled prawns in vinaigrette dressing. (11) The prawns were "reddish orange with traces of a white underbelly." (PJ clowning).
Diavolo 10" pizza: Tomato sauce, mozzarella and spicy sausage. (10) Delivered quickly and was delectable but crust a little underbaked (my chef friend who tasted leftovers reminded me vociferously). I loved the copious amount of cheese, really, you can't go wrong with the "perfect" pizza at this upscale joint. The crust was razor-thin and lovingly but a little too hastily prepared! Make sure you get there well before closing, ok? But on a scale of 10, I'd give it a 9.
Are you a Bay Area pescaterian and hooked on salmon?
Grilled fresh salmon in crudaiola sauce with fresh tomatoes, capers and onion. Delightful! (25)
Massima recommended the Sangiovese Toscana, 2003 (7.50). I shared a glass with PJ. How did the oenophile enthusiast describe it? Seriously, he's hardly a vitaculture graduate. "Eclectic with traces of boysenberry." Ever the clown! My suggestion: Non-alcoholic beer on the menu for those hot days coming up! Massimo provides an extensive wine list of Italian whites/reds at reasonable prices. In the summer bring a ping pong paddle to battle the fruit flies!
We skipped dessert but can highly recommend this place for desserts and coffee after a night at the movies at Metreon. Massima will be razing the south green wall and come November, a bar lounge will add to this charming spot at "Ponte Vecchio West". Pay a visit and he'll make you feel like a long lost relative!
Peter's joke for the day:
A nasty, irascible Beethoven was working on a new composition. His paramour Brunhilda comes in.
She: I've decided to leave you, Beethoven.
He: I'm a sweet, kind, gentle, person, how can you leave me?
She: ha ha ha ha (hums opening notes of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
Anna's Joke for the Day: (to a random Canadian) So you're French and Canadian --you're obnoxious AND dull. (When not bringing laughter to world and pooping on things, find out what www.triumphtheinsultdog.com does)
BACCHUS KIRK: TUESDAY APRIL 10, 2007 TRIVIA NIGHT: ARE YOU GAME?
BACCHUS KIRK/TUESDAYS TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
1.Which country was hijacked today?
2.Timbucktu is in which African country?
3. Imus insulted which basketball team?
4. What is the proposed image,amount of Forever Stamp?
5. What type of whale beached itself; where?
6. Apple published the results: millions of IPODS today! How many have been sold?
7. City with largest population in Kentucky?
8. What sporting event commemorates Greek Victory over Persia?
9. Name thing you hit during British game of badminton.
10.Name 3 States with highest population of Amish.
11.Who were 3 San Francisco mayors BEFORE Willie Brown?
12.Theater where Shakespeare's plays were performed?
13.Name award given for outstanding baseball pitcher.
14.Name current, former Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
15.Name London area with "high-end" tailors?
1.Which country was hijacked today?
2.Timbucktu is in which African country?
3. Imus insulted which basketball team?
4. What is the proposed image,amount of Forever Stamp?
5. What type of whale beached itself; where?
6. Apple published the results: millions of IPODS today! How many have been sold?
7. City with largest population in Kentucky?
8. What sporting event commemorates Greek Victory over Persia?
9. Name thing you hit during British game of badminton.
10.Name 3 States with highest population of Amish.
11.Who were 3 San Francisco mayors BEFORE Willie Brown?
12.Theater where Shakespeare's plays were performed?
13.Name award given for outstanding baseball pitcher.
14.Name current, former Chief Justice of Supreme Court.
15.Name London area with "high-end" tailors?
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
BIRTHDAY BASH AT TIERNAN'S IRISH PUB: FISHERMAN'S WHARF
Tiernan's Irish Pub; Fisherman's Wharf opposite Buena Vista overlooking the Cannery is THE place for a birthday bash Saturday nights. Irish-Italian stallion Terry Savastano (terrysavastano@aol.com)is from Oxford, England and entertains with his electric Martin D-18. He came "home" to San Francisco after hiatus on East Coast (Hilton Head; Sarasota) and lyrically "channels" the Beatles, Dylan, Paul Simon, Jim Croce, Sting, Irish, Scottish folk ballads. Terry sells his CDs (one had sold out; the other? "only 5,000 left for the other CD", he joked). Do you want to hear Norwegian Wood, Operator, The Boxer, or Billy Joel's "The Piano Man"? Laugh? Singalong? Have lots of fun at Fisherman's Wharf? He has the lyrical strummings of a virtuoso. He should. He's been fingering the guitar/piano ever since he was a wee laddie!
Sing us a song, you're the piano man/Sing us a song tonight.
'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody/You got us feeling alright!
La de da de de da!
The waitress is practising politics...we're all sharing a drink called loneliness but it's better than drinking alone...it's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday...the manager gives me a smile...to forget about life for a while.
The crowd roared! Terry is an charming geezer with wit, humor and the joie de vivre of a 12-year old. The boomer dude plays Saturdays nights circa 8:00 p.m. Check out this San Francisco musical treasure with a group of friends. Welcome back, Terry, you are a true blue gem! We love you!
Sing us a song, you're the piano man/Sing us a song tonight.
'Cause we're all in the mood for a melody/You got us feeling alright!
La de da de de da!
The waitress is practising politics...we're all sharing a drink called loneliness but it's better than drinking alone...it's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday...the manager gives me a smile...to forget about life for a while.
The crowd roared! Terry is an charming geezer with wit, humor and the joie de vivre of a 12-year old. The boomer dude plays Saturdays nights circa 8:00 p.m. Check out this San Francisco musical treasure with a group of friends. Welcome back, Terry, you are a true blue gem! We love you!
Saturday, April 7, 2007
MYRON COHEN: RUDE? INVECTIVE? DIALECT COMEDIAN/HBO;WARWICK, RI, 1978: DYING BREED
Myron Cohen was the original "dialect" comedian. Whether it's laughing at his words or trademark facial expressions, his kind of comedy was rare. I stayed home on a Friday night (rare for me, missed "Cinema Night" and watched this brilliant comic with his trademark Bambi ears, bald head, rolling eyeballs, cherub face strut his stuff in a dingy nightclub in Warwick, RI (1978) on an HBO DVD I rented at the Jewish Community Center. Good God, I thought, do you mean to say this place is a club?
Steve Allen called him a "vanishing species": he made fun of the speech of immigrants. My advice to you amateur comics: don't do it, unless you are terrific at it! Myron Cohen preceded Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) as one of the first "insult" comedians!
Myron Cohen was a travelling salesman, a man used to selling textiles who became a stand-up in his white panther years! : funny, Jewish, brilliant, maybe offensive to the politically correct crowd: a rare, vanishing breed!
Here's some of what he said: Enjoy and Mazeltov!
Salesman's approach: I'd tell a joke; he'd laugh. He'd forget what I'd come for.
He'd sell me a book of raffle tickets. I'd make a sell.
Typical, devoted husband comes home to adored wife. I bought a bargain: 4 white-walled premium tires for practically nothing!
She: What the hell's a matter with you? You don't have a car!
I said, What the hell's a matter with you--you wear brassieres! (Do I have to explain it to you???)
Husband
comes home early. Wife is spread out on bed. What the hell's the matter
with you...cover yourself up! I want to take you out to dinner.
She (takes him to closet): But I've got nothing to wear!
Husband: What about blue one, red one, navy one, BLACK one?
Woman
comes home to husband. He's making love to another woman. She is
outraged, throws him out the window. He lands outside, splattered on
sidewalk, bones everywhere. During the police investigation, she was
asked: Why'd you do that?
She: At his age, if he can make love, I figured he can FLY!
Truth is so much stranger than fiction; I won't lie to you. Two incidents that happened in Las Vegas. Hotel Riveria. A buxom blonde
was sitting at the bar. A young man offered to buy her a drink, and
another, and another! I thought he was ready. He began his approach
(rolls eyes). She: Let's get one thing straight, I'm a LESBIAN, so how
are things in Beirut? (Laughter).
And no more than 100 yards a
black man was beating up a little Jewish guy. Police cam along: what
are you hitting him for? 'Cause he called me a Black Bastard! Jew: I
never called him a Black Bastard! He asked me where is the Riviera
Hotel, and I said you're a Block Past It!
Let me digress for a
moment: Let me tell you about a married man who finds himself with a
woman in a compromising position. Suddenly there's a key in the door.
(It happens). It's the husband.
He: Where's the back door?
She: There isn't one!
He: Where would you like one?
In my 27 years of going to the casino in Las
Vegas, there was a lady of the minute. (That's how much time they give
you). That's how much time it takes for me to take my shoes off for
which I'll forever hate myself. She walks up to a man and says I like
your face...for you $25! I'll do it twice!
He: But I'm only going to be here 6 months. Does that remind you of anything in the family?
Little
Italian man who went into a bank to borrow some money. Bank manager:
I'm sorry, sir but the loan ranger is out to lunch. Italian: If I can't
talk to the loan ranger, I'll talk to Tonto!
Let me tell you
about the Italian photographer who was sent to Rome to photograph the
holy man -- he had taken many shots but this was his crown achievement.
Camera was set and focused. He said many times before to this revered,
respected holy man: Your holiness: Please say CHEESE. The holy man drew
himself up to his full height and said: PROVOLONE! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
MOZZARELL?
I want you to hear a Watergate story to end all
Watergate stories. A couple checked into that Watergate Hotel, in
Washington, D.C., where all that infamous bugging took place. Don't
know whether they were married or single --it's non of my business! He
evidently had something to hide because he began checking drapes,
walls, chairs, tables, under the bed--every thing humanly possible.
Finally he picked up the rug and found 4 tremendously large screws--the
largest ones he's ever laid his eyes on. There's that bugging outfit,
he thought. They're looking to nail me! I'll fix those creeps! One hour
later, he had the screws up. He checked out the next morning. HOW WAS
THE ROOM, the manager asked. VERY NICE! WERE YOU DISTURBED BY COMMOTION
IN ROOM UNDERNEATH? He said NO, WHAT HAPPENED? A CHANDELIER FELL ON A
GUY'S HEAD!
HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY EASTER! HAPPY WESTER!
Steve Allen called him a "vanishing species": he made fun of the speech of immigrants. My advice to you amateur comics: don't do it, unless you are terrific at it! Myron Cohen preceded Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) as one of the first "insult" comedians!
Myron Cohen was a travelling salesman, a man used to selling textiles who became a stand-up in his white panther years! : funny, Jewish, brilliant, maybe offensive to the politically correct crowd: a rare, vanishing breed!
Here's some of what he said: Enjoy and Mazeltov!
Salesman's approach: I'd tell a joke; he'd laugh. He'd forget what I'd come for.
He'd sell me a book of raffle tickets. I'd make a sell.
Typical, devoted husband comes home to adored wife. I bought a bargain: 4 white-walled premium tires for practically nothing!
She: What the hell's a matter with you? You don't have a car!
I said, What the hell's a matter with you--you wear brassieres! (Do I have to explain it to you???)
Husband
comes home early. Wife is spread out on bed. What the hell's the matter
with you...cover yourself up! I want to take you out to dinner.
She (takes him to closet): But I've got nothing to wear!
Husband: What about blue one, red one, navy one, BLACK one?
Woman
comes home to husband. He's making love to another woman. She is
outraged, throws him out the window. He lands outside, splattered on
sidewalk, bones everywhere. During the police investigation, she was
asked: Why'd you do that?
She: At his age, if he can make love, I figured he can FLY!
Truth is so much stranger than fiction; I won't lie to you. Two incidents that happened in Las Vegas. Hotel Riveria. A buxom blonde
was sitting at the bar. A young man offered to buy her a drink, and
another, and another! I thought he was ready. He began his approach
(rolls eyes). She: Let's get one thing straight, I'm a LESBIAN, so how
are things in Beirut? (Laughter).
And no more than 100 yards a
black man was beating up a little Jewish guy. Police cam along: what
are you hitting him for? 'Cause he called me a Black Bastard! Jew: I
never called him a Black Bastard! He asked me where is the Riviera
Hotel, and I said you're a Block Past It!
Let me digress for a
moment: Let me tell you about a married man who finds himself with a
woman in a compromising position. Suddenly there's a key in the door.
(It happens). It's the husband.
He: Where's the back door?
She: There isn't one!
He: Where would you like one?
In my 27 years of going to the casino in Las
Vegas, there was a lady of the minute. (That's how much time they give
you). That's how much time it takes for me to take my shoes off for
which I'll forever hate myself. She walks up to a man and says I like
your face...for you $25! I'll do it twice!
He: But I'm only going to be here 6 months. Does that remind you of anything in the family?
Little
Italian man who went into a bank to borrow some money. Bank manager:
I'm sorry, sir but the loan ranger is out to lunch. Italian: If I can't
talk to the loan ranger, I'll talk to Tonto!
Let me tell you
about the Italian photographer who was sent to Rome to photograph the
holy man -- he had taken many shots but this was his crown achievement.
Camera was set and focused. He said many times before to this revered,
respected holy man: Your holiness: Please say CHEESE. The holy man drew
himself up to his full height and said: PROVOLONE! WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?
MOZZARELL?
I want you to hear a Watergate story to end all
Watergate stories. A couple checked into that Watergate Hotel, in
Washington, D.C., where all that infamous bugging took place. Don't
know whether they were married or single --it's non of my business! He
evidently had something to hide because he began checking drapes,
walls, chairs, tables, under the bed--every thing humanly possible.
Finally he picked up the rug and found 4 tremendously large screws--the
largest ones he's ever laid his eyes on. There's that bugging outfit,
he thought. They're looking to nail me! I'll fix those creeps! One hour
later, he had the screws up. He checked out the next morning. HOW WAS
THE ROOM, the manager asked. VERY NICE! WERE YOU DISTURBED BY COMMOTION
IN ROOM UNDERNEATH? He said NO, WHAT HAPPENED? A CHANDELIER FELL ON A
GUY'S HEAD!
HOPE YOU HAVE A HAPPY EASTER! HAPPY WESTER!
Thursday, April 5, 2007
RUMI: 1207-2007 UNESCO MAN OF YEAR: SUFI POET/RELIGION OF LOVE;COLEMAN BURKS: CODY'S SF
Coleman Burks on RUMI; Cody's Books, 2 Stockton, San Francisco. A favorite poet of mine once said "I am in the world to change the world". Rumi (1207-1273), was a teacher, mystic, founder of what we now know as "Whirling Dervishes," and a poet of lyrical spiritual power, who created 20,000 poems or oral extemporizations that were recorded by his students. He believed that prayer has a form and physical equivalent, that every thought has an expressive action. As part of the UNESCO declaration of 2007 as the Year of Rumi in honor of the 800th anniversary of his birth, Coleman Barks visited San Francisco from his native Georgia and "ruminated" on this great man, and read from A YEAR WITH RUMI: DAILY READINGS.
The Self we Share:
Look fish, you are already in the ocean
just swimming there makes you friends with glory.
What are these grudges about?
You are Benjamin.
Joseph has put a gold cup in your grain sack
and accused you of being a thief.
Now he draws you aside and says,
You are my brother. I am a prayer. You are the AMEN.
We move in eternal regions,
yet we worry about property here.
Let this be the prayer of each:
You are the source of my life.
You bring rivers from the mountain springs.
You brighten my eyes.
The wine you offer takes me out of myself
into the self we share.
The Love Religion
...Love is the religion in me
whichever way love's camel goes,
that way becomes my faith.
the source of beauty, and a light
OF SACREDNESS OVER everything.
Rumi's poetry feels like it belongs to everyone. When he died in 1273, members of all religious came to the funeral. As Coleman Burks pointed out, wherever you stand, his words deepen your connection to the mystery of being alive.
QUESTION AND ANSWER:
Q:(me) I have a friend who is a very devout Catholic who insists that the soul needs "feeding" with rituals,and that you need to attend church in order to fulfil the hunger of the soul. I believe that the body and soul need laughter. I think i understand the mystics, Sufis, but how does humor figure in?
A: It's very humanistic isn't it, laughter?
A Nazradene went into a store (he was a trickster), and the shopkeeper comes forward. Trickster says, did you see me come in that door? Yes, I saw you. Trickster: Have you seen me before in your life? Shopkeeper: Never have I seen you! Trickster: HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS ME?
I'm not against church. There are wonderful things that happen there...the singing. Some people have more use for it than others. I just feel that the EXCLUSIVITY of the God Names, you know, the God Claims, are causing danger to the planet.
Me: Norman Mailer was in San Francisco. He believes in the soul.
Burks: I like Norman Mailer's writing, but he's very mean though, isn't he? He's a boxer!
M: Coleman, religion and politics are so intertwined in the United States, do you not agree? What was Rumi's political bent? Did he have any kind of political life?
A: We have 147 letters that have survived that tell about his day-to-day life -they're not about politics...Sultanate was in charge there, but he was deeply involved in the nitty-gritty of life with friends, his community, helping neighbors, relatives with loans, whatever he could do to make a difference in the world. Trying to help out, micromanage ways with the world around him so you'd call that politics, wouldn't you.
Coleman Burks is a dynamic speaker/poet and was 39 years old before discovering Rumi. It was hopeless at that age, he said, to learn Persian (farsi) and relied on scholars to help "translate" the poems.
There is a French saying that TRANSLATION is a betrayal. Burks' language, poetry seduces, and is no betrayal! His meditative, ruminative, poetic RUMI is worth visiting if your "soul" needs inspiration, awakening, wit, and humor!
The Self we Share:
Look fish, you are already in the ocean
just swimming there makes you friends with glory.
What are these grudges about?
You are Benjamin.
Joseph has put a gold cup in your grain sack
and accused you of being a thief.
Now he draws you aside and says,
You are my brother. I am a prayer. You are the AMEN.
We move in eternal regions,
yet we worry about property here.
Let this be the prayer of each:
You are the source of my life.
You bring rivers from the mountain springs.
You brighten my eyes.
The wine you offer takes me out of myself
into the self we share.
The Love Religion
...Love is the religion in me
whichever way love's camel goes,
that way becomes my faith.
the source of beauty, and a light
OF SACREDNESS OVER everything.
Rumi's poetry feels like it belongs to everyone. When he died in 1273, members of all religious came to the funeral. As Coleman Burks pointed out, wherever you stand, his words deepen your connection to the mystery of being alive.
QUESTION AND ANSWER:
Q:(me) I have a friend who is a very devout Catholic who insists that the soul needs "feeding" with rituals,and that you need to attend church in order to fulfil the hunger of the soul. I believe that the body and soul need laughter. I think i understand the mystics, Sufis, but how does humor figure in?
A: It's very humanistic isn't it, laughter?
A Nazradene went into a store (he was a trickster), and the shopkeeper comes forward. Trickster says, did you see me come in that door? Yes, I saw you. Trickster: Have you seen me before in your life? Shopkeeper: Never have I seen you! Trickster: HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS ME?
I'm not against church. There are wonderful things that happen there...the singing. Some people have more use for it than others. I just feel that the EXCLUSIVITY of the God Names, you know, the God Claims, are causing danger to the planet.
Me: Norman Mailer was in San Francisco. He believes in the soul.
Burks: I like Norman Mailer's writing, but he's very mean though, isn't he? He's a boxer!
M: Coleman, religion and politics are so intertwined in the United States, do you not agree? What was Rumi's political bent? Did he have any kind of political life?
A: We have 147 letters that have survived that tell about his day-to-day life -they're not about politics...Sultanate was in charge there, but he was deeply involved in the nitty-gritty of life with friends, his community, helping neighbors, relatives with loans, whatever he could do to make a difference in the world. Trying to help out, micromanage ways with the world around him so you'd call that politics, wouldn't you.
Coleman Burks is a dynamic speaker/poet and was 39 years old before discovering Rumi. It was hopeless at that age, he said, to learn Persian (farsi) and relied on scholars to help "translate" the poems.
There is a French saying that TRANSLATION is a betrayal. Burks' language, poetry seduces, and is no betrayal! His meditative, ruminative, poetic RUMI is worth visiting if your "soul" needs inspiration, awakening, wit, and humor!
Monday, April 2, 2007
farmerbrown: trendyloin soul fool; groucho marx: march madness on april fool's eve
farmerbrown; 25 Mason (Turk);415-409-3276;www.farmerbrown.com;info@farmerbrownsf.com;dinner from 5:00p.m. nightly until midnight;Executive Chief is Jay Foster who provides soul food at its finest and gives a New Orleans meets California spin at this Tenderloin rookie restaurant sourcing local, organic produce from Bay Area African-American farmers. The rough-hewn bar is dominated by a long bar where trendyloin hipsters can find comfort food with mint juleps and down home classics like fried chicken, gumbo, seafood jumbalaya, po'boy of the day, BBQ pulled pork sandwich, crispy cornmeal catfish, Columbia River (Oregon) steelhead trout. There's even an antique bicycle in the restroom!
credo: farmerbrown is about supporting local and african-american farmers, using organic, biodynamic and/or sustainably raised foods (whenever possible). our focus is southern food a gift that is often misrepresented. we love our food and want you to love it too, please let us know what you think. happy hour all night on sundays and mondays!
Saturday night was hopping with mad-as-a-march-hare lunacy! My date, a Groucho Marx lover, and I waited in the mezzanine lounge of the Hotel Metropolis lounge (www.personalityhotels.com) for 1/2 hour (complimentary drinks and appetizers provided) where I've attended the Sneak Peek Literary Lounge on Monday nights (6-8), a weekly author reading featuring brand new books, plays, poetry, short stories. (Contact John Templeton at (415) 265.9455 for the calendar.
What are your favorite Grouchoisms? Here are Jay-Jay's:
Military intelligence: contradiction in terms.
Outside of a dog, books are a man's best friend, inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men. Other 999 follow women.
I find TV very educating. Every time someone turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
(on hair) Why should I pay $10 for something I can see in the bathroom for nothing.
Time flies like a banana, but fruit flies like a banana.
A man's only as old as the woman he feels.
Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.
Don't ever put ice in my drink. It takes up too much room.
Ever since they found out Lassie was a boy, the public has believed the worst of Hollywood.
On Victor Mature: Never to the movies when her tits are bigger than heroines.
I've had a wonderful evening but this wasn't it!
EPITAPH: Here lies Groucho and LIES and LIES and LIES.
Here are my favorites from farmerbrown but remember start working there, and in a month you'll gain 10 lbs. Guaranteed, like Jonathan, our Coos Bay, Oregon server.
Gumbo with seafood, chicken and andouille sausage (made with jalapenos;vegetarian option available).11 (Pompae, our neighbors, loved this dish).
farmer's green salad with parsnip crisps and lemon vinaigrette 5.5. Delicate flavor, plentiful, a great job!
Fulton valley fried chicken: new orleans style with southern greens and macaroni and cheese, is the BEST chicken in the city. Finger lickin' good and beats Colonel Sanders by a mile. 16.50
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: crispy cornmeal catfish w/southern greens and candied yams. 16.50
columbia river steelhead stuffed with herbs and bacon over clementine salad. 21.50
The sides are plentiful, including sauteed collards, baked white beans, angel of biscuits (order of 5), roasted veggies (brussels, parsnip, carrot). 5.
All of the entrees comes with homemade jalapeno cornbread with maple butter, a great treat!
Desserts include banana pudding, bourbon pecan pie, chocolate beignets, strawberry-rhubarb pie. 6. Try my favorite: bourbon pecan pie, which I tasted after a literary event one rainy Monday night!
We left the restaurant in a rush! What's so great about Spring break, and March Madness? Jay-Jay came out with a Leno quip: A chance for commoners to get drunk like Prince Harry. This was the week the Prince came out of a bar, tried to punch a photographer and fell into a gutter. Lucky his fall was broken by George Michaels lying there. (Jay Leno, The Tonight Show, 3/26/07)
credo: farmerbrown is about supporting local and african-american farmers, using organic, biodynamic and/or sustainably raised foods (whenever possible). our focus is southern food a gift that is often misrepresented. we love our food and want you to love it too, please let us know what you think. happy hour all night on sundays and mondays!
Saturday night was hopping with mad-as-a-march-hare lunacy! My date, a Groucho Marx lover, and I waited in the mezzanine lounge of the Hotel Metropolis lounge (www.personalityhotels.com) for 1/2 hour (complimentary drinks and appetizers provided) where I've attended the Sneak Peek Literary Lounge on Monday nights (6-8), a weekly author reading featuring brand new books, plays, poetry, short stories. (Contact John Templeton at (415) 265.9455 for the calendar.
What are your favorite Grouchoisms? Here are Jay-Jay's:
Military intelligence: contradiction in terms.
Outside of a dog, books are a man's best friend, inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.
Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men. Other 999 follow women.
I find TV very educating. Every time someone turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.
(on hair) Why should I pay $10 for something I can see in the bathroom for nothing.
Time flies like a banana, but fruit flies like a banana.
A man's only as old as the woman he feels.
Anyone who says he can see through women is missing a lot.
Don't ever put ice in my drink. It takes up too much room.
Ever since they found out Lassie was a boy, the public has believed the worst of Hollywood.
On Victor Mature: Never to the movies when her tits are bigger than heroines.
I've had a wonderful evening but this wasn't it!
EPITAPH: Here lies Groucho and LIES and LIES and LIES.
Here are my favorites from farmerbrown but remember start working there, and in a month you'll gain 10 lbs. Guaranteed, like Jonathan, our Coos Bay, Oregon server.
Gumbo with seafood, chicken and andouille sausage (made with jalapenos;vegetarian option available).11 (Pompae, our neighbors, loved this dish).
farmer's green salad with parsnip crisps and lemon vinaigrette 5.5. Delicate flavor, plentiful, a great job!
Fulton valley fried chicken: new orleans style with southern greens and macaroni and cheese, is the BEST chicken in the city. Finger lickin' good and beats Colonel Sanders by a mile. 16.50
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: crispy cornmeal catfish w/southern greens and candied yams. 16.50
columbia river steelhead stuffed with herbs and bacon over clementine salad. 21.50
The sides are plentiful, including sauteed collards, baked white beans, angel of biscuits (order of 5), roasted veggies (brussels, parsnip, carrot). 5.
All of the entrees comes with homemade jalapeno cornbread with maple butter, a great treat!
Desserts include banana pudding, bourbon pecan pie, chocolate beignets, strawberry-rhubarb pie. 6. Try my favorite: bourbon pecan pie, which I tasted after a literary event one rainy Monday night!
We left the restaurant in a rush! What's so great about Spring break, and March Madness? Jay-Jay came out with a Leno quip: A chance for commoners to get drunk like Prince Harry. This was the week the Prince came out of a bar, tried to punch a photographer and fell into a gutter. Lucky his fall was broken by George Michaels lying there. (Jay Leno, The Tonight Show, 3/26/07)
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