*1263 - rodeo beach

Rodeo Beach is just past the Golden Gate Beach, beautiful as all beaches are on the Pacific, but this one had interestingly dark, pebbly sand.  It was a beautiful day but the winds were blustery. I had forgotten a hair tie and had to construct a turban out of a long scarf in order to be able to see and breathe properly.  Maybe this will catch on some day:

 

It was one of those situations that made you remember how teeny you were and how massive the earth is.

  

 

(Spot the tiny waving D)

 

 

 

*1262 - krispy kreme

One day while driving past our favorite In N Out joint, we realised that Krispy Kreme was right next to it.  I squeal because I've only had Krispy Kreme maybe once, and I know how everyone in Singapore raves about them and flies them in from foreign lands.  D looks at me, puzzled, and explains that far from being a cult donut place, it's a fairly low class establishment that sets up in places like Walmart and gas stations.  

I tried a couple nonetheless, and I'm no donut connoisseur, but these seemed pretty normal to me.  Hmm.

*1261 - plow sf

The acclaimed Plow in Potrero Hill, open only for brunch, allowing only small parties in, due to their extreme popularity.  We've been there twice, and the wait was about 2 to 2.5 hours each.  This works out perfectly for us because we live round the corner, so it's possible for us to trudge down in PJ's to put our names down, wade through the crowd of waiting people, head back home to wake up properly, and head back 2 hours later to enjoy the food.

I really, really want to love Plow, but I do think that they're a little overrated.  They have a few really excellent items, but other things we tried were good-normal, not fabulous-good.  

The best: lemon ricotta pancakes.  Amazing.  I need to figure out how to make these.  Paired nicely with those pancakes are maybe the best fried potatoes ever.  They cook them once, smash them, fry them up, and sprinkle generously with fresh rosemary.  Really good stuff.

 

Also tried their thick French toast.  This was good, but just not outstandingly amazingly good.

 

Crab scramble.  Missing a little seasoning, was slightly disappointed.  I know it looks really good, though ;)

We sat at the bar both times we've been there.  That's particularly fun because you get to see the cooks at work, who move like very cheerful clockwork cogs.  They're so quick and very cute and happy at the same time.  It's a nice atmosphere.  

Check out the lumpy lemon ricotta batter cooking.  Looks nastily lumpy but is so good.

 

*1260 - raw

I have a penchant for anything raw.  The only raw dish I've ever rejected was an Ethiopian raw beef dish--rather than little pieces like tartare, or thin slices like carpaccio, we're talking large hunks of completely raw, very sinewy beef here.  I thought I would like it, but it was like biting into a heavily spiced cow.

But traditional beef tartare, mixed table-side by a French server, with raw egg, capers, mustard, a good kick of spice?  Yum.

From Bisou in the Castro, who's proven themselves capable of the most beautiful eggs benedict and excellent free flow brunch minosas, and now has also proven themselves capable to us of delicious French dinners.  Mmm.

*1259 - class IV and V

White water rafting! Class four and five (the highest levels) of rapids on Lake Merced.  Woohoo!  It was my first time and I loved it.  We navigated through very safely with a guide, but I almost wish he had intentionally tumbled us around more.  Just enough to scare me and make my tummy turn as we hurtle over the rapids, but not enough to actually flip the raft.

Would totally do this again!

*1258 - two and a half years ago

Just recalled that 2.5 years ago, we had fried chicken and a long conversation over beers and pink wines--one of the first time we actually hung out outside of work, and certainly the first with just the two of us.  Then, we were babies of the company, eager and scared and nervous about the first round of promotions.  Now look at us, just a few years out, but considered oldies of the company, much wiser, settling into the rhythms of being like old people together, cooking, gardening, meowing at our cat, etc.  Things have changed so much, in a good way.

:)

I can't remember the last time we realised it was our month-niversary, and I think we clean forgot about our second year anniversary, and I can never even remember if we've been together for one year or for five, but I guess those milestones matter less to us than the journey.

*1257 - beef short ribs

I know I keep saying this, but from not knowing what boiling water looks like to whipping up full meals, healthy and delicious ... my, how my boy D has grown within the past couple of years.

Sure, slow cooker meals are easy peasy but you can't discount the fact that they turn out so intensely rich and yummy. Here we have slow-cooked short ribs, sweet and salty and caramelly mmm.  In the background, D's amazing mashed potatoes--add a squeeze of lemon and loads of fresh basil, and you'll be amazed at how much that transforms simple mashed potatoes and elevates them to citrusy fresh aromatic heights, it's like an entirely different dish!

And may I just show off, the short ribs are sitting in a C&B angled glass bowl I had been lusting after for over a year.  They are finally mine and they make me So Happy, no idea why I was holding out for so long.  I love tilted/asymmetrical dishware that's still clean and modern.