EATIN' "BIG EASY"-STYLE IN ... BERKELEY?!

Memorial Day weekend is the special three-day weekend that unofficially kicks-off the summer. Each year the grills around the country become ablaze with heat, and heaps of burgers, steaks, hot dogs, and other grill-able edibles are cooked much to everyone's delight. Sizzling burgers seem to go perfectly with ice-cold brews, and the added sounds of friendly chatter among people from all sorts of places only adds to the holiday weekend's allure. While we honor those who've lost their lives in defense of our country on this special weekend, we also take the time to relish in great memories with family and friends.

I must say, however, that being in San Francisco this past holiday weekend was a little less summery, and more blustery at best. At times I felt like I was traipsing along 5th Avenue in NYC, as opposed to San Fran's Union Square. The visions of people in coats, scarves, hats, and gloves screamed "London in winter" more so than it did "San Francisco." Wait, it was still May this past weekend, right? (Or was it March?! I kid.)

Being the acclimated Angelino, I took to the streets of San Francisco sans a coat or jacket. And despite the fact that I've traveled to San Fran many-many times, and each time I have accepted the fact that I'll never catch a 'warm' break there, I still failed to pack a jacket in my suit case. I did come close to purchasing a hot jacket by CoSTUME NATIONAL, but the $1,000+ price tag scared me off. Oh well. I was destined to brave the cold... and that is exactly what I did.

As usual, the San Fran trip was food-filled. But the highlight of this culinary experience wasn't found within the city's 7x7-miles. This time around, I got a down-home "NoLa" meal in the heart of -- wouldn't you know - Berkeley.

You heard me right, Sherlock.

Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen is a little spot tucked away along busy Shattuck Avenue, which is dotted by everything from banks and ATMs to bars, cafes, and coffee houses. In a most unassuming way, Angeline's skillfully brings a taste of New Orleans to the cornflake-ish suburb of Berkeley; a perfect addition to a busy promenade that features a full array of ethnic tastes and flavors. With the aroma of pad thai, samosas, and freshly brewed java filling the air, you probably wouldn't even realize that this gem is out there for all to see and experience.

We entered to place to find it packed. UC-Berkeley did have graduation ceremonies earlier in the day, so that surely added to the bustling pace of the neighborhood. We had to wait for about 20 minutes to be seated, which was fine. I was told that the wait would be well worth it.

New Orleans-Cajun standards are the big draw at Angeline's: po' boy sandwiches, etouffee, jambalaya, and gumbo --just to name a few. Hush Puppies are served with sweet butter, and Brussell Sprouts are caramelized and spiced to perfection. If you want catfish, then catfish you'll get. If you want crawfish... voila, it's yours. Creole/Cajun fans will surely enjoy this place. It's a "no frills" kind of joint, but meticulously clean and inviting. The waitstaff is super-friendly, and knowledgable. And the food - flavorful.

I actually stuck to a standard: fried oyster po' boy. The oysters were seasoned, breaded and fried to perfection; the bun nicely toasted, but still soft to bite. My side of cajun potato salad was a nice compliment to the sandwich, providing balance to my meal. While I didn't try the gumbo or jambalaya, which could easily make or break the credibility of a true NoLa-style restaurant, their po' boy was on-the-mark. If I could bottle it and take it with me wherever I go, I would. My Godsister enjoyed the Crawfish Etouffee, and her hubz went to town with the boneless fried chicken. Angeline does the "fried" thing uncanningly well. The only thing missing from the menu -- anything with "debris." Now you know a real NoLa restaurant will serve a good pulled-pork dish with debris... But hey, "A" for effort here regardless; debris or not.

Angeline's Fried Oyster Po' Boy

The experience ended with a shared order of warm beignets. And as soon as that was devoured, we were sent packing with food coma on our minds. If I could, I would've asked for a pillow and blanket right there, and called it a day.

Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen is a nice "get-away" in the little ol' town of Berkeley. It's a great addition to the area's food-scope, and is surely a place to "pass by, f'sure!"
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Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen, 2261 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94704, 510.548.6900

THANKSGIVING (Partie Deux)

As the holiday weekend continued, so did our sleep. At least that's how it happened for my sister, my friend, Les, and myself. While people lined-up outside storefronts, we each stayed in bed, and loved every minute of it. I did manage to escape to Target for a quick second, but that was only so that I could buy something that I needed rather than picking up any more Christmas presents. I'm so un-spirited this season it's sad.

That being said, the rest of the weekend went off in a great way in terms of food, friends, and fun. Friday night, we headed into the city (San Fran) and went to The Slanted Door in the Ferry Building along the Embarcadero. I had been trying to visit this place for a while now, but each and every time we'd tried in the past we just didn't get to swing through. Not to mention that it's still sort of hard to get a table there on a given weekend. But Allan was able to pull a few strings, and we were in for a late dinner.

When we got to the restaurant, it was still abuzz with the chatter of patrons combined with the clinking of knives, forks and glasses. The main dining room was packed, as were the bar and lounge area. It made for a somewhat tight seating experience, but that was easily overlooked by the room's ambiance. Large glass walls surrounded the place giving guests an excellent view of the Bay Bridge lit up at night. The decor was minimalist, but bearing much Vietnamese influence.

The night started out with a round of vodkas (on the rocks; dirty on the side), and we shared an order of The Slanted Door Spring Rolls (with shrimp, pork, mint and peanut sauce) and Wood Oven-Roasted Manila Clams. This was soon followed by our "family style" array of fine dishes: Niman Ranch Shaking Beef, Chicken Claypot, Roasted Alaskan Black Cod, Spicy Monterey Squid, and Star Route Farm Baby Spinach. Many of these dishes are typically found in both traditional and modern Vietnamese restaurants, and The Slanted Door surely did not disappoint with their renditions.

My personal favorite: the Niman Ranch Shaking Beef, which is made with cubed filet mignon, watercress, red onions and lime dipping sauce. The beef was tender enough to melt in your mouth, and the spices were well complimented with the lime dipping sauce. This is definitely one of their gems.

We skipped dessert at TSD, and instead headed into the outer end of the Castro to a spot called Lime. There we had more drinks and a few mini-desserts to help quell our need for something sweet. Lime is a great place for inexpensive eats, and decently-priced drinks. The music (a mixture of pop, hip-hop, and R&B), not to mention, was also a bonus.

The next day (Saturday) was not without its food adventures as well. We headed into San Bruno for a late lunch at Patio Filipino, which - obviously - serves up a great traditional Filipino dinner. We ordered Lumpianitas (lumpia Shanghai), Beef Bulalo (beef shank and bone marrow soup w/vegetables), Pancit Canton (noodles with veggies, chicken and shrimp), Sizzling Chorizo Sisig (finely chopped chorizo and longanisa fried with an egg on top), Cripsy Fried Chicken, Carne Ala Cubana (ground pork cooked with raisins, garbanzos, and peas served with fried plaintains) and Kare-Kare (beef oxtail and vegetables simmered in peanut sauce). Sounds disgustingly much for a party of five, but in grand Pilipino style, we threw down... and felt sick afterwards. But the food was excellent; almost as good as mom's. The only miss would be the Pancit Canton, which I felt was way too oily for its own good.

We spent a couple of hours at a shopping center in Emeryville before meeting up with friends in Berkeley for a final dinner at Corso. Our friend from home, Franc, works as a bar-tender there so he invited us to give the place a try. It turned out to be a great experience. Berkeley, itself, is a quaint area. The main drag is, like many other cities across the country, dotted with cafes, restaurants and bars - yet without any hint of "big city" traffic. Definitely a nice area for a cool, quiet evening.

We started off with drinks, as usual, and then the food fest came in droves: Gnocchi con Funghi and Tagliatelle al Sugo (with beef and pork), followed by two pizzas (Funghi and Salsiccia), Bisteca alla Fiorentina (T-Bone), Braciola di Maiale (pork loin), and Pollo al Burro alla Sostanza (chicken breast cooked in Plugra butter).

Me personal picks: the Funghi pizza, which was prepared with truffle oil, and the Braciola -- tender grilled-pork with sweet and sour onions.

Conversation seemed to abound, especially among those of us who hadn't seen each other since our high school days. The drinks steadily flowed, and the company was top notch. We even met some of our friend's optometry school classmates, and a couple of the restaurant's regulars. We also paid the chef our compliments for a delicate, yet precisely prepared, meal.

After saying our farewells to our friends, we headed back to Fremont. The next morning was spent preparing for the long drive back to Los Angeles.

Ultimately, the Thanksgiving weekend was well-spent. Great company, amazing food, a nice flow of libations, and a lot of catching up. There were lots of laughs, stories exchanged, and yes - even Les and I were "roasted" for our recent stint as NKOTB concert goers. The experience was truly the epitome of a family affair, and a distinct reminder that despite the petty drama that we experience daily there is so much for us to be thankful for.
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The Slanted Door, 1 Ferry Building #3, San Francisco, CA 94111, 415-861-8032

Lime, 2247 Market Street, San Francsico, CA, 94114, 415-621-5256

Patio Filipino, 1770 El Camino Real, San Bruno, CA 94066, 650-872-9888

Trattoria Corso, 1788 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709, 510-704-8003

INNER RICHMOND GLEAM: B STAR BAR

As long as I have been traveling to and from L.A. to San Fran, my Godsis and her hubby had been wanting me to try one of their favorite Burmese restaurants in the city. But for some reason or another, we would never find the time. We always had something else to do, or ended up changing plans for whatever reason. I’d wanted to check out their picks, especially since I’ve only had Burmese food one other time back in DC.

Back-track: Burma Restaurant in DC’s Chinatown is a little hole-in-the-wall space with good food. At the time that I was there, however, I felt that it was a little too “Chinesey” for my liking. Maybe it’s because I didn’t really know what to expect at the time.

Fast-forward: When I was in The Bay a couple of weekends ago, we finally made plans to go to Burma Super Star in San Francisco. However, it was closed for renovations. Luckily, however, their sister restaurant – B Star Bar – was open for business. We called in a reservation, and were on our way to the Inner Richmond. The Inner Richmond is an interesting area, and Clement is filled with a potpourri of culturally-based businesses – mainly Asian. At first glance, I thought it was basically on off-shoot of San Fran’s ever-popular Chinatown (one of the best in the nation, in my opinion). But after looking closer I realized that there is actually a mélange of Asian businesses reflecting Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and even Japanese ethnicities. We drove past Burma Super Star, and I was disappointed that it was closed for the day. But that feeling was about to change.

We drove a couple of blocks from Super Star, and scored parking right in front of B Star Bar (that, in itself, was a good sign). There were already people waiting in the doorway of the little spot (I was told that this was a normal occurrence at Burma Super Star). People were waiting for tables at the already filled spot. Luckily, since we called ahead, we were whisked inside, and quickly lead to our table amidst all of the chatter and clanging of silverware and glasses. The place didn’t seem spacious at all, but that was probably because it was pretty much filled to capacity. But the turnover of customers was quick, and people were seated promptly. The first thing I noticed was the ambience and décor of the space. I didn’t think “Asian” the instant I walked in. I actually felt like I was in an old, classic Nantucket café…with wood plank floors, and wood plank furniture pieces to match. There were some lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling that gave off a vintagey-modern vibe, which softened the dining area a bit. I honestly felt like I was about to skim through a menu of lobster tail, seared sea scallops, and rock fish fillets. If it weren’t for a few Asian-inspired art pieces scattered cleverly around the restaurant (and the green and black melamine chopsticks at each table), I would’ve never guessed it to be an Asian restaurant. Instead, it gave off an impression that the atmosphere was more Asian-“dipped” than actually Asian-inspired… which was fine.

Once seated, we were given menus. I was not at all prepared for what was to come. While I was expecting traditional Burmese fare such as NanJee Thoke (curried noodles) or AMeThar ASane Gyaw (beef and veggies in a brown sauce), I was instead turned to a bistro-esque fusion menu. I’m a fan of fusion cuisine as long as it is done right. As I skimmed the menu, I got a feeling (from the food descriptions) that everything would work out nicely.

I told Lenore, Allan and Tes to run amuck with the menu, and just order for me (since I was the neophyte), but that idea was nixed after we “ooohed” and “aaahhhed” at different menu items for a good two minutes. For starters, Len went with a classic from Burma Super Star: the Tea Leaf Salad. Spur-of-the-moment-ly, I decided to put in an order of Spicy Tuna (a pepper crusted tuna tataki). Following suit, Tes ordered a side of Szechuan Salt and Pepper Fries (perhaps to satisfy the fry-monster that I am), and Allan ordered baguette slices with Edamame Hummus. A lot of food, yeah?! We were a hungry bunch. When it came time to order our main courses, we decided to go with three main dishes, and split them between the four of us. We decided on the Kau Soi (a coconut chicken noodle dish), Beer Fed Pork and White Beans (braised pork belly), and Chicken Biryani – a nod to the famous Indian dish. As quickly as our order was placed, another server brought me a glass of red wine, and the ride was about to move along quickly…

The fries came out first, and was an instant fun time. The Kennebec shoestring potatoes were nicely tossed in “Szechuan” salt and pepper, and came with a garlic aioli dipping sauce. On the spot yum.


The tea leaf salad came next, and was easily one of the best parts of the meal. I had never tasted a “tea leaf” salad before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The dish was made with romaine lettuce, and was nicely showered with ginger, garlic, peanuts, sunflower and sesame seeds, chopped tomatoes, and a tea leave paste that – when all mixed together – brought a fusion of sweet and salty that was both refreshing and flavorful. It easily had become one of my favorite salads ever created, and I can’t wait to have it again.

The spicy tuna tataki came next; each piece nicely garnished with a sliver of jalapeno. I’ve never had tuna tataki that fell short of quality, and this was certainly no different.

The yum-factor continued with the baguette crisps. Edamame hummus is most definitely interesting and delicious.

When the appetizers were done (we cleaned off each dish like hostages), we quickly prepped the small table for what was to come by piling the dishes together. Servers swooped by and took our finished tableware, and the next wave of flavors instantaneously began to flow.

The pork belly came first, and it was melt-in-your-mouth good. The meat was tenderly cooked, and was served over a bed of jasmine rice, white beans, and bok choy. It reminded me of the flavors of the ill-fated Yi Cuisine’s crispy pata dish, but with the delicate texture of slow-cooked Filipino adobo. It definitely was everyone’s favorite dish.

The Kau Soi and the biryani came out soon after. The coconut curry sauce of the Kau Soi added a nice change of pace after the pork dish, and the bean sprouts and pickled mustard greens gave it a distinctly Asian flavor. The crispy wontons and bean sprouts added a nice crunch, giving the dish some texture.

And finally, the “baked” biryani was just as good as biryani gets – but not at all overpowering with flavors. The texture and flavor were nicely balanced.

Needless to say, we were stuffed. We had dessert plans elsewhere, so we didn’t even entertain the thought. Although their menu boasts a comforting Warm Chocolate Cake, a Black Rice Pudding (which made me think of champorado for some strange reason), and a Vietnamese-style Afogato – espresso drip coffee poured over coconut ice cream, topped with fresh berries and toasted almonds. I’m sure any of these would’ve been a nice way to end the dinner experience, but we had another agenda.

To sum it up, B Star Bar was definitely a nice surprise. Although I had expected the real-deal, down-and-dirty and authentic tastes of Burmese cuisine, I was instead bowled over by a graceful fusion of traditional flavors and modern flair. I wouldn’t exactly call it a place to run to for comfort food, and if you’re looking for super-large dishes to last you all evening (and well into the next), then this place is not for you. For foodie enthusiasts, however, the menu is chock-full of personality and clever wit. It’s perfect for great tastes, awesome conversation, and an overall groovy time.

REALITY BITES (SOMETIMES)

This weekend I made a little trip to San Fran. Trips to The Bay have become one of the easiest things ever... sort of like how easy it was for me to hop in a car and drive to NYC from the DC area back in the day. It's becoming more and more common for me to hop on a plane to San Fran on a whim. Yes, the hour-long plane ride is so worth the while. I'd probably spend just as much (if not more) on gas. But why waste almost six hours on the road?

So San Fran... I've been many times already, and I feel like I've done it all. So this time around was more of a laid-back trip. I got in late on Friday night, and took BART into the city from SFO. I checked-in to my hotel, ordered room service, then called it a night. But even though room service cost me an arm and a leg, it was yum: a quesadilla with chorizo (yum) and steak fries (of course). Well, it was either yum, or I was just way too buzzed for my own good. Oh well. I still ended up signing the $30+ check. Boo.

Next morning, I was up early and walked around - hitting up H&M and a few other spots around the hotel. I even came away with a new pair of shoes (of course). When the Godsis and Godbro came into the city, they scooped me up and we headed to The Ferry Building. The Saturday morning farmers' market was alive, and we were hungry. After deciding not to wait for almost two hours for a table at The Slanted Door, we opted for cheap/casual eats a few doors down at Mijita . I had the chorizo con huevos, which was yummm. I wish I took a pic of it before I devoured it. They also had some of the greatest chips and salsa I've ever had. And I'm usually not discriminative when it comes to chips y salsa. Seriously, throw me a bag of chips from Chipotle, a little salsa, and I can call it day. Gross, I know. But that's just how much I don't pay attention to chips y salsa. But Mijita serves their chips thick and crunchy. And the salsa - absolutely understated; not too strong, and not at all flavorless. For sweets, we went inside and grabbed some Parisian macaroons at Miette. Yum, again. I tasted the hazelnut and the pistachio macaroons, which were amazingly soft, chewy, yet not overly rich. Len got a rose-flavored one, which she let me taste. It was interesting to say the least, but I'd rather not gnaw on something that reminded me of my mom's perfume from 1987 or something. Bleh!

Since the weather was amazing, we decided to jump on the ferry to Sausalito on-the-fly. Sausalito is a nice, quaint place. Too bad we realized later that we weren't in the mood for "nice" or "quaint." The heat made us sleepy, and we stopped in at Starbucks for a pick-me-up that lasted about an hour. After walking around more, we decided to hop back on the ferry and return to the city. We headed back to my hotel for the complimentary hors d'oeuvres (mini quiches and egg rolls were the hi-lites here) in the Executive Lounge, and then got ready to meet up at my sister's. We went to my sister's place in the Potrero Hill area to meet with her and my nephew and nieces. We all went out for dinner and drinks at Lingba, a Thai-inspired restaurant/lounge. The spot was nicely dim, but very chic. The food smelled awesome. I, on the one hand, did not indulge in any traditional Thai dishes. Perhaps it was the effects of the alcohol, but for some reason I was swayed more to eat an L.A.-esque "dinner" of six pieces of kanpachi tartare, which did nothing to help absorb the alcohol. BUT it was tasty, to say the least... as were the pieces of sashimi that my nephew and I split. Surprisingly enough, the sashimi was fresh considering it was (1) a Saturday night, and (2) it was a Thai restaurant (as opposed to an authentic Japanese spot). When that was over, we dropped off my sister at her pad, then headed back to the hotel where I decided it would be apropos to throw up...and then an attempt to eat a slice of pizza was made. Gross attempt, btw.

Next morning we scooped up Tes, and headed to Napa. We stopped for lunch in Sonoma, at a charming little spot called The Girl and the Fig, where I had the best Quiche Lorraine ever. It was soft and silky as if it were butter, and the flavors were bursting. It was paired nicely with a side salad of mixed field greens, and a huge portion of julienne French fried potatoes. When lunch was done, I was desperate to buy flip flops, and luckily I was able to switch out my annoying ass Chucks for a pair of Havaianas. We drove further into Napa, and made a pit-stop at Domaine Chandon for a four-flight sparkling wine taste. YUM. Afterwards, we drove our sleepy asses back to my hotel for another evening of hors d'oeuvres in the Exec Lounge (this time: fried mushrooms w/ranch dipping sauce, and fried jalapeno poppers filled with cream cheese). Later that night, the gang took me to Cafe Colma at the Lucky Chances casino, where I had a Filipino "rice plate." I guess that's supposed to be the "Filipino" equivalent of a Hawaiian "rice plate," but instead of chicken katsu and rice, I had longanisa (and a porkchop - it was a "combo" plate) and rice. Yum and weird at the same time.

My last night was spent packing, and the next morning I pretty much hung out for a little bit, met up with a college buddy for a split second, then a quick lunch (spicy teriyaki chicken bowl from Mr. Hana) with Len before hopping on BART headed back to SFO. I was back in L.A. in no time.

The thing I love about San Fran is that it has that "big city" feel that I miss about the East Coast. I think the slow-pacedness of SoCal is something that I have truly began to acclimate to, but I still can't deny that I'm a city guy at the core. I thrive in quick-paced, high-voltage living. I am so not made for a life too simple. It's just not me.

My weekend mini-vacay was much needed, and reminded me of how important it is to step out of your comfort zones from time to time. I've got my life pretty-much scheduled-out these days, so to be able to run off someplace once in a while is definitely a blessing. Getting back into the swing of reality is what bites... sometimes.
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Random: I'm watching an episode of Work Out (which I never watch ever) on Bravo, and that new trainer named Greg totally used to work out at the Gold's I went to back in Arlington (VA). He's way too over-muscled, and looks like he wears eye-liner. I can't believe he's on TV.

(Photos from TOP to BOTTOM: The Ferry Building logo; view of Mijita restaurant through it's store-front window; Parisian macaroons from Miette Patisserie; inside view of Lingba Restaurant/Lounge - Potrero Hill; main entrance - Domaine Chandon winery; headshot of Greg Plitt from Bravo's Work Out.)

NEED. MO. TI. VA. TION.

I’m having one of those weeks where I feel completely un-motivated to do anything at work. I usually handle things in the office as they come, and today my work flow has trickled in super slowly. I'm talking tortoisesque. It’s weird though, because some days I’ll be praying to the gods to allow me a moment to breathe. Today is not one of those days.

On the upside, days like this actually allow me to be absolutely mindful of some of the things that wouldn’t usually cause me to blink. For instance, one of my co-workers came by and we literally discussed The Hills for a good 40 minutes. FORTY FUCKING MINUTES. Yes. For 40 minutes we talked about how (1) Lauren and Brody should stop the madness and just hook-up (again), (2) we’ve decided that Audrina actually looks pretty retarded, (3) Lo is cool, but she’s been looking pretty hurt lately (word is out that she has some commercial on TV now), (4) Spencer is still an idiot, (5) Heidi is still an idiot (with collagen injections in her lips), and (6) Whitney is actually one of the only people (aside from Lauren) who actually may have a real future on her hands aside from being a peon in the world of pseudo-reality tv. Yes, folks. We discussed this for 40 minutes as if it was our job.

Another thing that happened… Well, over the weekend I ordered something from Overstock.com. This is the first time I had ordered from this company, so I had 10% apprehension running through my veins; not too much since I know of many people who have ordered from them previously. I think I placed my order late Friday night/Saturday morning. The first item delivered yesterday morning, and I was floored. That kind of speedy service, for $2.95 no less, was reason enough for me to pledge my allegiance. But I held back since I hadn’t received the other item just yet. That other item came in today, and that excited me. But when I opened it I was disappointed, and felt somewhat cheated. The shoes that I ordered were el bore-o; not like how I thought they looked on the website. Thing is, you have to fill out something online in order for Overstock.com to get the “return” process started. How fucking annoying is that? But I don’t know what I’m more annoyed at: the fact that their return procedures are whack, or that I faced a momentary lapse in judgment and ordered the ugliest shoes ever?! I think I’ll have to go with the latter. Those who know me know that when it comes to shoes, I am quite the particular one. Everything has to be right – fit, style, size… I don’t go for your run-of-the-mill personality-less pair of shoes. I always go with a pair that can tell 101 things about a person (yes, I believe that shoes – in many ways – are windows to a person’s sense of being, style, and sanity). This pair from Overstock, however, was a complete miss. I almost feel like I’ve lost that Midas touch because of it. It’s disappointing, and a blow to my ego. I must now seek solace in solitary confinement for a night or two to sit-back and ponder the error of my ways. I’m mad at myself, but a little mad at Overstock.com, P.S.

Other things… Oh yes. I’m going to spend next weekend in San Fran, so I’ve spent a good time of my day researching stuff that I want to do while I’m there. All I know is that I will be going to Citizen Cake once I get off BART from SFO (and after I check-in my hotel room). My Godsis also found a cool lounge/restaurant, Madjool, for everyone to meet up at Saturday night. And Sunday is supposed to be spent in either Napa or Santa Cruz. I guess I’ll flip a coin Saturday night as I’m falling off an ottoman after having way too many drinks.

Needless to say, it’s time for this day to end. Honestly.