Two Gentlemen, Two Guns

First, a marshmallow cannon:

 

Second, a 30 calibre rifle (with a Pontiac Gran Torino) :

You don't have to choose, of course, but if you did . . . ?

Restaurant Scene, Murphys California

So, we did a bit of winery investigation in the Shenandoah area around Plymouth this weekend.
(Aside, I start my sentences with "So" because I've been watching @dickc, CEO of @Twitter, and he starts all his sentences with "So.")
There have been a large number of new vineyards started since we were last on Shenandoah and Shenandoah Schoolhouse Roads. Perhaps a dozen or more, replete with tasting rooms and museums.
On the way back to Saddle Creek we detoured to Murphys for lunch. DW#1 has always wanted to try Mineral Restaurant on Main Street, so we did.
Little did I know, it's a vegetarian place. Looks like a husband and wife team, he doing the cooking, and she doing the dining room. We quickly noticed that she did it all, ordering, serving, bussing, setting with her infant on her back. The kid never woke up.
DW#1 had a veggie burger, and I a three-cheese and spinach grilled sandwich. You see it above, with pickled cauliflower and homemade garlic potato chips. The chips were magnificent, the cauliflower much less so. The sandwich was pretty good, better than okay. Prices (about $25/per) were about average for a tourist place.
So, if you're in the neighborhood, and if you're looking for vegetarian, this is a good place to check out.

Lunch in Napa

Okay, we finally went. To Morimoto's Napa outlet. For lunch on an off-season Sunday. I was astounded.
This is showtime, big time, with a gentle food theme.
This is Cirque du Soleil - showy, elegant, expensive, take-your-breath-away spectacular.

The food is pretty good to great. I would call it asian/fusion. Asian origin with Western taste additions. We were both somewhat surprised. Somewhat pleasantly.

Mieko had Uni Carbonera. She ate the sea urchin, found the noodles too rich. I tried the noodles, and found them Italian delicious. Go figure.

I had the Washugyu carpaccio - absolutely wonderful, and very rich.

This restaurant has absolutely nothing to do with Napa. (Hence, my astonishment.) It could be in any world-class city. (They have branches in Waikiki, Philadelphia, and New York.)

The interior design will take your breath away. Solid woodslab table tops, glass ohashi, polished concrete floor, elegant wall decorations, wonderful murals.

We both want to go back, to try some of the menu selections we had to pass on, or to sit at the sushi counter and see what happens.

If, that is, we can afford the visit. Figure $70/person for lunch with wine, $110+/person for dinner.

Go to morimotonapa.com and browse. :)

Marvelous View From The Hills

ABC 7 posted this beautiful pic taken from atop the East Bay Hills of the Bay Area as a Winter storm moved out.

 

Click to enlarge.

Oaktown, if you believe

Fox News, and the New York Times, take a rosy look at our favorite Second City.

Cut and paste to link: http://video.foxnews.com/v/1411956369001/

Or, click here

Carousel

Leadership!

Okay, I won't leave this up for long, but I think it's a revealing picture of Jean Quan, the current Mayor of Oakland. I have a theory, but it involves the Good Old Boys, so I'll save it for another time.

Life's Little Lessons

Bacon is healthy. Bacon is awesome. Bacon throws off a lot of fat. When I was an impressionable kid, we were trained to save our meat fat and return it to the butcher shop to be made into bombs.

I learned that lesson well, and to this day... In addition, I suspect, not throwing the stuff down a hot drain pipe may extend the life of the plumbing.

Guam USA

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AMBUNHbVZIE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

It's truly astonishing, how much video about the island of Guam is floating around on the internet. If the script above doesn't load, try this:

http://youtu.be/AMBUNHbVZIE

Ostrich Watch

A bank in Amsterdam, Holland.
A bank with a sense of humor.

Japanese New Year's Food

It all tasted really good! Even the four kids had a ball. I think you can click to expand, if your stomach wishes.

Twinkling Toes?

In Germany, I believe. Obviously, a musical city.

Cypress, Walnut Creek

This place has been open for about a month, in place of the former VeSu restaurant. The chef is from the former Virage, a French restaurant, on the other end of town.
Theme is French-California stylish.
We went to celebrate our 46-ish Anniversary.

Warm greetings upon entry, and a Kindle-like wine list pad to study. Fun, of course, but not connected to the bar. Oh well, it's geeky enough.

Super (too?) friendly waiter. Droned on and on about the specials while DW#1 was fiddling with the Kindle wine list. Got through that, ordered the escargots for an appetizer. Sobon Zin and Domaine Pinot Meunier red wines accompanied.

Service was a bit slow, but the cremini mushroom tops with escargots were well worth the wait. A basket of French bread to help with the butter sauce was delicious and welcomed.

We continued with the sea bass dinner and the knife-sliced beef carpaccio. Both were excellent, tasty, beautifully presented. Again, service was a bit slow.

Piano at the bar was a welcome distraction. Noise level is a bit above pleasant, but okay.
Staff continued friendly. Nice to see.

Dessert was crackers, fresh fruit, heavy sweet cream with fruit drizzle. Excellent.

Tab for two, with wine and tip, about $100.

Highly recommended. California cuisine with a definite French touch. Next time you're in town, let me know and we'll go. Split the tab? :)

The Importance of Eyes

We've had a few questions about eyes (left eyes) today, but all has turned out well. So, here's a chance for you to rest your own eyes.

And, of course, our all-time favorite for study and peaceful contemplation:

And, to all a good night! :)



Don't Mess With My Grandma

I was most impressed, of course, with the graceful placement of Christmas lights on the porch railing. Obviously, a welcome family to the neighborhood.

Apologies to Edward Hopper (1882-1967)



 In case you forgot the original:

Shanghai China

(Wondering why the Party didn't change the name "Shanghai.")
I've been to China only once, and that was to Shanghai, perhaps the most cosmopolitan of the mainland cities. It was sometime in the early 2000s. Very exciting and accessible city.
Here's a pair of pics from Shanghai, looking over the Bund, across the river, to the Pudong New Area. Top was taken in 1990; bottom in 2010.
Wow!

Click to enlarge.

America's Porous Borders!

Two immigrants, captured on digital chips, moments after crossing the (Saranap/Lafayette) California border!

Miscellaneous

This is called the Taxi Corral. It's in the middle of the parking structure at San Francisco International.

Buttons, buttons

Evan Williams, of Obvious Corp., has posted a gotcha link on @Twitter:

http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/02/10/placebo-buttons/

Please push on it, and watch what happens. :)

She must be a relative, by birth or by marriage

What we know: She resides in Germany. She is fluent in English. She has dyed her hair purple.
Don't ask, because I don't know. :)

"Moneyball"

It's always fun, and often frustrating, to be a fan of the Oakland A's. So it was great to head out for the big screen and watch "Moneyball" with Brad Pitt. I mean with DW#1, not Pitt. Pitt stars in the movie.

It's a fun flic, replete with many shots of the Coliseum and West Oakland. And it's a good story, highlighting the buying and selling of human beings, always in search of the World Series ring.

The movie has been out for a while, so catch it soon. Or, get the DVD. Heartily recommended.

It's not (quite) Vermont, but . . .

. . . here in Saranap, we do enjoy some Autumn colors.

All in all, I modestly believe, a pretty decent show for November.

Oakland rioting, Berkeley loving

Cut and paste time, just because I can't get blogger to embed videos anymore. Things have gone to hell since Rudy left Blogger. Anyway, please do it:

http://youtu.be/r_UsM05Qt1U

And, if that's not enough (you know whom I'm talking to), try this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScAv_GN8FGU

Random notes from Japan

Yes, there are Halloween decorations all over Tokyo...any excuse for a holiday, I guess.

Y100 is worth about $1.60. Dollar coins are very convenient. We should have some.

Most things in Japan are very polite and very efficient, You pay for it all. It's (almost) worth it.

99% of taxis in Tokyo run on CNG. We're at about 20 % of SF taxis. We can do better.

"Green" beer is non-alcoholic. It's getting very popular in Japan.

Tokyo streets are, almost uniformly, clean, well signed, and smooth. Green asphalt for walking, red asphalt for stopping. No potholes anywhere.

Old San Francisco

I'm thinking that may be a pic of North Beach and the hill now under Coit Tower.

Fleet Week 2011

Cut and Paste. Enjoy the sounds.

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8382264

Bummer

Miscellaneous

(So, I had these two pics and no place to put them.)

 I would take my new Jeep out for a spin,

but, then I'd have to buy some insurance.

:-)

Percussion Time! (In a three-piece suit)

http://youtu.be/wgaD54YcXpA

(I can't seem to do easy links any more. My fault. So cut and paste if necessary. Tks.)
(Tried again Saturday morning.)

Which Was Wrong?

Three pics are of relatively recent man-made objects. Each was designed to be attractive.

As for me, I see humor in each. And, I wonder if Frank Gehry's work will be considered as poorly as the Edsel design now is.

Memories

Please forgive the lack of scale and the reprehensible color combinations but, guess what we found this weekend. Memories of warmth, anyone? :)