I have always gotten a huge kick out of different kinds of work jargon. In my former field, we talked about play-based programs, age appropriate activities and hands on learning. My neighbors, who are both cops use their own work jargon which mostly consists of numbers "528?" "Totally!" and word spelling to throw off their five year old. "Dude is a total Adam Henry..." Jargon is a convenient way to shorthand a conversation and a way to speak privately in a crowd. Plus, it helps pass time in boring meetings because you can play Buzzword Bingo and win valuable prizes!
Every profession has jargon, but I've gotta say my favorite all time phrase came out of my husband's mouth one day when I asked him what was on tap at work that day. "I'm going to Hayward Shoreline" he said. "Really? How come? " I asked, because it was out of the ordinary. "I've got a birdwalk there on Friday and I want to pre-bird the trail". I started giggling "Pre-bird?"yuk, yuk, yuk "What do you do, wire their little feet to the branches?" Hahahahahahaa. Just as I started running for the bathroom, he explained " No - I just want to see what's there so I'm prepared for questions" "Oh," I said, "that makes sense"
So, when he suggested a trip to The City to do recon for the HEAD Society's September burrito event, I said "We're gonna pre-burrito the trail?" And we did. We hopped on BART and headed to the 16th and Mission station then walked to La Cumbre. This is a cheefully decorated restaurant with a painting on the wall of a woman with huge tits on a battlefield. Judging by the painting, she either really likes the battlefield or its cold there. There's some other art on the wall, a huge menu, and a salsa bar. Also a clean bathroom.
We shared a burrito then set out for El Faro which was not too El Faro away. The only thing was that we went to 2239 Folsom. It wasn't there - a PG&E substation was. Confused, we rechecked our map and then I said "Well, Dyslexia Boy, you think maybe you reversed some numbers?" Ira pulled out his phone and said "Let's find someplace out of the glare so we can see the screen on this thing." We looked up and there on the corner was the Homestead Bar - the 4th oldest bar in the City!!! We went in, shared a beer, met Deb who is Ira's twin separated from him at birth. While I was in the bathroom, he told her about the HEAD Society and she showed him the binder she had full of maps, documents and photos of the place through the years. We decided to end the September event there.
On we meandered to 2399 Folsom and El Faro. Gotta say, the place is dank but we were there to try the food not the atmosphere. It seemed a little dicey since there was taped up broken glass over the food but we put the Society over our personal safety and ordered a burrito. Well obviously we survived since we got home and I'm writing this, but I just want you all to know what lengths we will go to provide you with a quality HEAD experience. You are welcome.
Remember - watch out for more HEAD Society alerts. Keep September 17 open, and be ready for some FUN!!! We may even create some jargon of our own...
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
HEAD Rush
So Ira and I have organized this new HEAD Society. We are not traditionally organized people, but, hey, this involves food, booze and history so it practically organizes itself! Anyway, most of our outings are going to be well planned out, thoroughly researched excursions. Key word here is most. Last week Ira was looking for good baseball bars in the area and he stumbled upon the fact that "Gino and Carlo Cocktail Lounge" on Green Street in San Francisco had been voted the "best bar in the City to watch the Giants play road games". I don't know who votes on these things, probably the people who drink there, but we decided to give the place a try.
Bright and early last Sunday morning, we got up showered and dressed, then headed (HA!) over to BART and up to the Montgomery Station in SF. Our goal was to get to the bar (which opens at 6 am.) about 10:00 so we could see the whole game and maybe squeeze into a seat. Our boys were playing in Miami, and the game started at 1:10 their time so...10:10 local. Vogelsong was pitching, the Giants needed a win, we were ready! We tromped through the Financial District to Columbus. The Fin. Dist. is weird when its deserted as it is on a Sunday when all the money grubbers are in bars watching baseball games, but I digress. Up Columbus to Green which was easy to find because we had pizza at Tommy Boys' Pizza when we were in the throes of our Pizza Quest and its on Green. Right next to Gino & Carlo!
Ever since that movie, everybody talks about their "bucket list". What was the name of that movie? Well I have a bucket list which mostly involves working at See's (just one day - please - they let you eat all the chocolate you want) and visiting Ireland. However, there are a few lesser things I'd like to accomplish. One of them is to be pointed out to a tour group as an attraction. I was in my complete Giant's mufti ( hat, sweatshirt, Lincecum tee, and orange and black shoes) waiting for Ira to take a picture of the bar when a tour group went by on Segways. I was staring at the group, mouth agape, trying to come up with a word for just how nerdy you have to be to take a Segway tour when the tour guide gestured at me and said "There's a Giants fan". I smiled serenely and waved, kind of a royal wave, kind of a "Damn, I'm waving at a Segway tour " wave. Then Ira finished taking his pic and we entered the bar.
Another thing on my bucket list was have a drink in a dark bar. I always wanted to go into one of those bars that looks like night on the inside even though its high noon and sunny outside. Gino and Carlo is just such a bar. Inside there were several men with Duane Kuiper hair hunched over bar stools, a "rode hard put up wet" looking bartender, a box of free donuts (!), several tables, Ira and me. The only light came from two very nice flat screen tvs mounted high on the wall at either end of the bar which were beaming the Giants vs. Marlins into our midst. It was heaven. In fact, if I wasn't already married, I'd have the ceremony in the pool room in the back and the reception in the bar during a Giants/Phillies game where the G-Men crush the Little Ponies. Hey, our 35th anniversary is coming up...!
Squeezing in didn't end up to be a problem - not many people will go to a bar that early, I guess, but its their loss - the Bloody Marys were delish, the people were bleary-eyed but nice as can be, and the Giants won the game. Plus there were free donuts. We didn't have any, but we did share a couple of Anchor Steam beers, which is on tap in G&C and tastes a lot better that way. I also finished the crossword puzzle and read the New York Times during the commercials. Pretty high end for a dive bar. Which this place totally was. With good tvs and free donuts. I want to live there.
After the game we stopped for lunch at Caffe Greco on Columbus - delicious pannini and salad - then headed back to BART and home. We had a great time, I'm calling it a HEAD rush since it was so impromptu. Future HEAD trips will be engineered for more planning time - like our burrito - a - thon
in September - See you then!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Let's Get The Party Started!
The San Francisco Bay Area is the epicenter at the heart of Northern California ’s food universe. It is a magical place where food, drink and history all come together. It was here that a hearty band of explorers (well, it was actually Liz and me) came together at the Buena Vista Café on Irish Coffee Day but more about that later.
Native Americans, Spanish explorers, Russian trappers and Mexican settlers all brought their own food heritage to California's table Marshall
The world rushed in and in the early 1850s, the Bay Area was filled with, mostly, young men seeking their fortune. Not just Americans but gold fever drew 49ers from Peru , Hawaii , Australia , China , Europe and just about everywhere else.
The new arrivals needed places to eat, drink and enjoy diversions. Remember I mentioned they were mostly young men? Well there weren’t many women available so the Argonauts flocked to saloons and houses of ill repute. It was a question of supply and demand and bars and brothels sprung up everywhere.
Suddenly the customers had lots of choices and innovative businessmen and women needed an edge, pretty girls just weren’t enough. They found this “added value” in their kitchens. The free lunch became that added attraction – California
When gold seeking Americans arrived they found themselves in a new world filled with many pleasures, both carnal and culinary. They were released from the old (East Coast) idea that food was a basic of survival, just nourishment, nothing more. Now in this new place filled with new ideas and a diversity of people, eating became a pleasurable experience necessary to nourish both body and soul.
Surveys show that eating out is America 's No. 1 hobby and San Francisco is the nation's No. 1 restaurant town, ahead of New York City or New Orleans
- Cioppino
- Sourdough Bread
- Pisco Punch
- Eggo Waffles
- Popsicles
- The Mai Tai
- Green Goddess Salad Dressing
- It’s Its
- The Martini
- Steam Beer
- Hangtown Fry
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Crab Louis
- Joe’s Special
- Irish Coffee
Speaking of Irish Coffee, another one of San Francisco
Irish Coffee Day - July 28th
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