Hedonia

BlogDay 2006

Because of my work with ThisNext, and because I am mildly obsessive-compulsive, I read a lot -- no, a LOT -- of blogs. Well, to be fair, when I say read, I mean glance at and make hasty assessments apropos of such information as I can absorb in milliseconds. One of the things I've enjoyed about the ThisNext blog is exposing bloggers of all stripes to a wider audience. Today, a select handful get an elite appearance on my own personal blog. Why? Because it's BlogDay, silly.

Per the site:

What will happen on BlogDay?
In one long moment In August 31st, bloggers from all over the world will post a recommendation of 5 new Blogs, Preferably, Blogs different from their own culture, point of view and attitude. On this day, blog surfers will find themselves leaping and discovering new, unknown Blogs, celebrating the discovery of new people and new bloggers.

BlogDay posting instructions:
1. Find 5 new Blogs that you find interesting

2. Notify the 5 bloggers that you are recommending on them on BlogDay 2006

3. Write a short description of the Blogs and place a link to the recommended Blogs

4. Post the BlogDay Post (on August 31st) and

5. Add the BlogDay tag using this link: BlogDay2006 and a link to BlogDay web site at http://www.blogday.org      

As usual, I am probably bending the rules. First off, do the five blogs have to be new to me? I bet at least a few of these are new to you, and that's kind of the point, isn't it? Also, I say, why five? Because I track so very many, I can't contain it to so few. And so I wish a very happy BlogDay to the following eight blogs (and that's still too few):

1. Married ...with Dinner
My very dear friends Cameron and Anita are relative newcomers to the food blogosphere, but old hats at expressing articulate opinions about all things foodie in online communities. The ongoing adventures of a couple of self-proclaimed food dorks will not be televised, but they are well documented.

2. Field to Feast
I have family in Harare, Zimbabwe, so I'm rather fascinated with this blog, as it gives me a unique insight into the foods and foibles of life in Harare. Interesting posts, exotic ingredients and a taste of a world apart.

3. The Impulsive Buy
Marvo's product-focused blog is chock-full of hilariously snarky -- yet still informative -- reviews. One of the only blogs I actually laugh out loud at. He also briefly had a très amusing blog called Cereal Mashup, but found it unsustainable.

4. The Food Ass
I interviewed him for ThisNext, as he was an early adopter of our shopcasting badge. The name cracks (heh) me up, and he's clearly got a lot to say. Plus, I love that he's both a food blogger and a rally car driver. Can you name another?

5. Quaffability
Wine blogs are a dime a dozen, and few are of as serious calibre as Vinography. Personally, I'm interested in the bloggers who are out there tasting real-world (read: cheap, corner-store) wines and giving frank reviews. I like John's rating system; it's about price-to-quality ratio. If a $6 wine tastes like a $6 wine, it gets a rating of 100. If it tastes like a $12 wine, it gets a 200. Woe be the cheap wines that don't achieve a 100 rating.

6. BillyKnowsBest
Old friend and wildly successful Avon Man Billy Kolber knows from good product, and puts his well-researched, opinionated thoughts out there on everything from oatmeal to flip-flops to dog beds. Take that, Consumer Reports.

7. Upright and Stowed
Inveterate traveler David Alport was the cofounder (with the aforementioned Billy Kolber) of OUT&ABOUT, the gay travel publication I used to edit for. His blog is a freeform forum to express his passion for travel. One of the few travel blogs that is both informative and entertaining.

8. Carpetblogger
A travel blog of sorts, she riffs on expat living, starting out in Baku, Azerbaijan, but more recently having moved on to the Ukraine, with occasional sojourns to Bulgaria and other post-Soviet wastelands. Her slogan, "Caustic Commentary from Crapistan," is dead-on. Carpetblogger is witty, insightful and sardonic, yet somehow manages to make you want to experience these places on your own, if only to see how bad it really is.

Pride & Pink Saturday 2006

Just a few shots from this past weekend's blur of debauchery. View the whole photoset here.

Sheepless in Kentucky

Well, the weather has been somewhat inclement during this trip, and as forecasts were not favorable, we decided to forego the Owensboro BBQ fest. Ultimately, we thought that, if we were going to drive two hours to end up eating indoors, we could do that with a shorter commute. So no mutton BBQ for us. Next time, perhaps. At least we haven't had to cower in the basement this time.

Not that the trip has been without its moments. Highlights so far include:

• Dinner at the aptly named Overlook, overlooking the Ohio River in Indiana. The food was good enough, typical of the area, but the view was to die for. One of the helpful servers showed us photos on his cell phone of the twister that blazed across the river just two days before. Yay.
• Lunch at my beloved Doe Run Inn. I finally got the fried trout again, which I've dreamed of since I first had it several years ago. It lived up to the memory. Doe Run Inn remains one of my favorite spots anywhere for its quaintness, romance and off-the-beaten-track charm. This time we inspected the rooms upstairs, which further support the rustic, down-home atmosphere.
• The obligatory and always welcome trip to Glendale, KY. This perfect slice of Mayberry is an idyllic picture of small-town Americana, with gingerbread-laden houses and copious antiques and Kountry Kraft stores in a postcard-perfect town. It's a little self-aware, sure, but endearing nonetheless. We purchased a substantial collection of appropriately worn mid-century kitchen utensils (yes, including an eggbeater -- interested, Shuna? There's about a hundred where that came from.) with handles in cherry red and seafoam green. We plan to compose them oh-so-artistically on a wall in the kitchen or dining room.
• Yes, we got our barbecue. Being Mother's Day, we trekked down to Bowling Green, to DPaul's grandmother's place, where we were treated to a mountain of the stuff from a local favorite joint. (I don't know which ... stay tuned, I'll find out.) Pulled pork, smokey-sweet-hot sauce, fluffy buns ... mmmm. Good stuff, Maynard.

Here on the northern edge of the state across the river from Indiana, the news reports refer to the area as Kentuckiana. DPaul, being from south central, mused last time we were here why they don't merge Kentucky and Tennessee, to which I replied, because it would then be Tennessucky, which is just not pretty.

Truly, Kentucky is a diamond in the rough, a touristic destination largely untrodden and undiscovered. Each trip I try to find something new, some hidden gem that is taken for granted by the locals. And without doubt, whether this trip or the next, I will get my mutton.

Sheep thrills

I'm off to Kentucky to visit the in-laws. I'll have limited Internet access for the next few days, so am likely to be dark until next week.

Saturday we're heading to Owensboro to attend the International Bar-B-Q Festival, the oldest in the country. Whereas barbecue means pork throughout most of the south, or beef in Texas, Owensboro's claim to fame is mutton. Makes sense to me -- what better to do with stringy, gamey meat than to dry-roast it for hours on end, then slather it in pungent sauce?

You just know there will be pictures and much commentary. So stay tuned!

Spring Frolic

The sun never broke for us, our original location was mired in mud, but we went ahead and had Spring Frolic just the same. About 20 people came, some in the obligatory hats, to the Dahlia Garden in Golden Gate Park (which, oddly, lacked dahlias but did have lovely rhododendrons).

For the uninitiated, Spring Frolic has been happening almost every year for about 16 years now, started by Trauma Flintstone née Anderthal as part of the Shaque d'Amour, later the Shaque d'Amour No More. It started out as a pan-religious spring celebration that happened to occur on Easter Sunday. In more recent years, in an effort to court better weather, the date has shifted to as late as mid-May.

This year's theme was white trash, and yours truly won the White Trash category with my pink flamingo bonnet. DPaul took the Queen Janet Fly Boozy Booze basket for his PBR Beeramid bonnet.

A good time and much fried chicken were had by all. Click here to see photos from the event.

The butterflies are back!

They're baaaaack: Butterflies have descended en masse once again at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. Hundreds of butterflies will hatch and flitter about within one of the wings of what is in my opinion one of San Francisco's coolest attractions.

Interpretive panels will explain butterflies' role as pollinators, as well as the transformation from chrysalis, blah blah blah ... just come check out the butterflies. We went when they had this display last time, and it is undeniably magical. The above photo was taken by my photographer husband, and more amazing macro shots are available here.

The sparing of the green

Tomorrow's St. Patrick's Day, and to make matters worse it's a Friday. Lock your doors and fetch the gun. Or at least avoid the insanity that spews forth from the Royal Exchange and Harrington's in the Financial District.

Although I do in fact have a little Irish in me, I put this and a few other holidays -- New Year's Eve leaps to mind -- in the category of missable. They're like amateur night. If you need such a big excuse to cut loose and drink yourself silly, you're just not partying hard enough in life generally. And green beer? How about something more creative. Like a Tipperary.

Still, there are a couple of worthwhile things going on. Pop into Café Flore (2298 Market St, at Noe) for "Erin Go Bra-less" for some top-notch drag/cabaret entertainment, benefitting Project Open Hand. Emceed by personal friend Trauma Flintstone, the lineup features such luminaries as Connie Champagne and Ethel Merman (yes, Ethel Merman!). $7 for green beer (ick)/soda, plus raffle.

If you're looking for something a little more traditional, yes still San Francisco, head on down to Keane's 3300 Club (3300 Mission St, at 29th) -- my new favorite place I've not yet been to -- for colcannon and corned beef tacos. The Keanes' own colcannon recipe follows after the jump, in case you would prefer to make a quiet evening of it at home. Just don't forget your potato ricer! (If you wanna go whole hog with the Irish/gourmet thing, check out corned beef four ways.)

It's pouring: Wine events

Newly (re-)opened Swirl on Castro hosts a different wine tasting event (with winemakers or distributors) most Thursdays. This month's upcoming tastings include Bordeaux (March 16) and Codorniu Group, featuring California and Spanish wines (March 23). $15 if you RSVP ahead, $20 at the door, provided there's room. Swirl on Castro, 572 Castro Street, 415/864-2262

Perennial fave K&L Wines' Saturday tasting events are always a draw. Check out Bordeaux this Saturday, March 11 (and follow up at Swirl for Bordeaux-a-palooza, I suppose); down-under wines from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa on March 18; the 25th promises a "spectacular" Louis Dressner event, featuring wines of France under a big top, plus Hog Island oysters and appies by Slanted Door. Advance tickets required. All tasting prices TBD. K&L Wines, 638 4th St, 415/896-1734

Rhone if you want to: Rhone Rangers comes back to San Francisco for their 9th annual festival of American Rhone-style wines from the West Coast, March 17-18. Grab your tix now to join in for the "Kick-Off Cioppino Feed and Auction." Appetizing. Still, my curiosity is piqued; I've always wondered why we don't have more blends in American wine. Festival Pavilion, Fort Mason, 415/345-7575.

Wine not: Settle in for a wee dram or ten at Whiskies of the World Expo at the Hotel Monaco and on board the San Francisco Belle, March 24-25. The "tasting extravaganza", on the boat on Saturday, will feature not only whiskies but brandies, cognacs, bourbons and other boutique spirits. Hope for calm waters. $135 for the seminar; $95 for the extravaganza only. 888/748-2800.

Good thing: Martha gives us her John Hancock

Deliciously evil bitch goddess Martha Stewart descends on her broom for a book signing at the flagship Williams-Sonoma store on Union Square tomorrow. (Did I mention I'm a fan?) The event begins at noon, but prospective attendees are being encouraged to show up very early.

In other news, I predict PlanetOut, Gap and Schwab headquarters will face office closures due to an unusually high number of gay employees calling in sick.

Williams-Sonoma
340 Post St, between Powell and Stockton

Mmmm ... beer

Bit of a bummer, but I didn't know until today that February is Strong Beer Month here in good ol' Ess Eff. Brew pubs and bars around the city are showcasing their heaviest, strongest beers, such as barleywines and imperial stouts; 21st Amendment and Magnolia have specially crafted brews for the occasion -- the former leading the pack with the strongest, the cannily named Lower de Boom.

A couple of years ago, a group of us piled into a limo and made a circuit of the city's microbrews. It was a great way to sample the wares, contrast and compare. I've always been a big 21A fan; I was surprisingly impressed with Gordon Biersch; but I gotta say, I did not love Magnolia. But that's just me -- they rose to the top of the list for a couple of our tasters. Most interestingly, there was exactly zero concensus on which brewery was best. In my mind, it means we have high-quality microbrews to suit every taste.

SFGate Culture Blog! thoughtfully notes that these beers are tailor-made for the chilly, rainy days of February. Too bad, I guess, then that we have been topping 70º for several days in a row. On second thought, I'll take the glorious weather and hoist a hefty stout to Mother Nature.

Say hey to Strong Beer Month [SFGate Culture Blog]
Strong Beer Month [SF Metblog]
Strong Beer Month [Gridskipper]