Beers, Bacon, Bikes and Bao!

To celebrate Jamie's arrival, we met up with a few friends in the Haight to check out Magnolia Pub & Brewery. I came across it on Yelp after searching for beer-heavy places for happy hour. The reviews intrigued me and I was looking forward to sharing a new neighborhood adventure with Jamie. Ta da!

It was a 2-bus trip, but I thought it was worth it. We were dumped off right across from the bar and it looked pretty cozy from the outside. We walked in and it reminded me of an old diner/coffee shop more than a bar. It was standing room only, so we moseyed on over to the bar and waited for friends. I started with the Kalifornia Kolsch and Jamie got the Piper Pale Ale. Mine was kinda wee for some reason and our total came to $9. Enh, maybe no happy hour special??

I really liked my second beer - the Proving Ground IPA. They offered it as draught or cask and I went with draught mostly because I had no idea what cask was. Later on I found out that cask beers are a little warmer and are a little less carbonated. Interesting. Personally, I enjoy a chilly, bubbly beer.

We eventually decided to do dinner so we grabbed a table in the small dining area. To kick things off, we ordered some Devils on Horseback (goat cheese-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon).

DELISH. Perfectly crisp on the outside and the dates were massive. Just a note, they came 2 per order, but they are able to work with odd numbers.

Jamie and I split a 1/2 lb Prather Ranch burger with pepperjack cheese. It was beefy and paired perfectly with the Blue Bell Bitter (my favorite beer of the night...it was like a Boddington's with just a little bit of a bite). We also split the Seafood Boudin Sausage (bay scallop, rock shrimp, nutmeg with dirty rice), which was pretty bland. I wasn't into the texture of it or the lack of flavor in the dirty rice. Meh.

Overall, I really liked Magnolia. Turns out they have a pretty sweet Tuesday happy hour deal...I'd definitely check it out. Totally worth the 2-bus trip!

We were up bright and early this morning and headed off to High Trails Cyclery to pick up Jamie's Christmirthday present. We had such a great experience while buying my bike so it seemed only natural to return for Jamie's.

He was determined to get the guy's version of mine, but after a couple test rides, he went with one just a step up from mine. Fancy.

We immediately headed off on our crosstown adventure that was supposed to take us approximately 6 flat-ish miles to lunch and then another 4 miles to Ocean Beach and along the Great Highway. Sometimes I have mapping fails. We all know this by now!

After biking downtown and through the Castro, we made our way through The Wiggle, a mile long zig-zag that is known for being fairly flat and biker-friendly. Perfect!

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The Wiggle dumped us out at the eastern-most side of the Panhandle and we made our way through the quiet bike path and took a quick pause. Then we had to take a little detour to deal with a flat tire (thankfully we rocked the smart phones and found out The Freewheel Bike Shop was just a couple blocks away). A few minutes later we were back in action and on our way through Golden Gate Park.

Then we hit a random slew of hills as we were mere blocks from our destination - Shanghai Dumpling King. I could just taste the xiao long baos! SO HUNGRY! After huffing and puffing up a large hill, I just wanted to sit and enjoy a piping hot, savory, meaty soup dumpling. It just wasn't in the cards. The wait was much longer than we were willing to deal with so we biked a couple blocks over to Shanghai House. I've been here before and they have delicious xiao long bao, but I just had my heart set on trying SF's 'best shanghai dumplings'. Ah well, maybe next time.

In addition to these little nuggets of soupy goodness

we also ordered the Vegetarian Goose

It's an odd name for mushrooms wrapped in tofu skin, but I LOVE IT. I didn't love this one, though. I'm used to it being served chilled without sauces. This version was warm, fried crisp on the outside and with some sauce drizzled on it. It was good, but just not what I was looking for.

We also got the Green Onion Pancake

Standard order whenever we're at a Chinese restaurant, but not a favorite of mine. These were a little greasier than I'm used to and they just weren't that exciting.

And to close things out, we had some Pork and Vegetable Dumplings

They smelled very cabbage-y and just paled in comparison to the flavors going on in the soup dumplings. I'm pretty sure they were boiled and the skin was super thick. Yeaahh, not going to order these again. Honestly, I would have been content with two orders of soup dumplings. I love them that much. *drool*

Bellies full of food, we began our trek back to my neck of the woods. We basically back tracked with a few little detours (apparently we went down a few one way streets the first time around) and then we encountered some not so friendly hills. Eeeh.

When we got home, I mapped our little adventure and instead of the planned 10 mile ride with a bus ride back, it turns out we rode 15.3 miles. DANG!

That elevation profile is no joke either. Kinda crazy for someone that's only gone on 3 long-ish bike rides as an adult and someone who hasn't ridden in awhile!

I'm proud of our excursion and the fact that I actually rode in heavy traffic - a first for me - and survived! :) Woohoo! Perfect Saturday afternoon (perfect weather too at around 65 degrees!).

Addicted Much?

Earlier this week, I sat at my computer patiently waiting for registration to open for the MoreFitness Magazine Women's Half Marathon. I don't think I've ever done that before...

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See, it will be the sister's introduction to the 13.1 club and I figured, well, if I'm going to fly across the country to cheer I might as well join in on the fun. Plus, I've got beef with Central Park.

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The last time we met (NYC Half Marathon 2008), I got my butt kicked by 7 miles of rolling hills and crazy heat. This time I'm coming prepared. Central Park, you ain't got s$#! on my hills!

Enter crazy talk...

I woke up yesterday morning thinking, you know what would be great? If I could finish 10 half marathons before my 30th birthday (which is totally creeping up). Why? I like the sound of 10. It sounds better than 9. Just like 5 seemed like a good number for marathons. I also think it makes the race a little more meaningful. Sister's first, my 10th, another one hooked on running...awesome.

Now, I know there's no way I can properly prepare for the Kaiser Half in February, BUT I was considering this: Oakland Half Marathon (3/27/11). Anyone hear anything good or bad about the Oakland Half?

Again, it's not really critical for me to squeeze #9 in before April (and I won't if I'm not prepared), but I'd like for it to work out. Any other races you know of in California in March?

Enough about my running addiction. Let's move on to this week's food & drink adventure!

Went to happy hour last night with some coworkers and discovered quite a nice deal! We went to Perry's (the Steuart Street location) and they had some pretty decent specials. $5 wine, well drinks and draft beers; $4 domestic bottles; and $5 appetizers. I sipped on a Big Daddy IPA and an Anchor Steam (yay local brews!) and we snacked on some Potato Skins and Calamari to start.

We were all craving real food, so a few of us split burgers. I split a burger with pepperjack cheese and sweet potato fries with one coworker and not only was it filling and reasonably priced at $5.25 each, but it arrived already split for us! I love when places do that...it's less messy and it ensures each person gets just the right amount! I don't even think they charged extra for splitting. Score.

We like condiments.

Happy hour runs til 6:30 and it wasn't too packed on a Thursday evening. Cozy and not too loud...I'd return.

I was a little concerned about how I'd get home afterward. I really hate the commute from my office area after peak transit hours. It usually means my ride is twice as long and involves multiple modes of transport. Boo. I was also trying to be responsible by not blowing money on a cab home. Luckily, I caught a muni train just as it was leaving the station AND was able to squeeze onto a cable car right before the driver pulled the ding ding cord to leave! Phew!

Ok, maybe not the most appropriate ride home considering the only spot left for me was one of the standing/hanging spots...it made me nervous. Clearly I did not fall off since I'm typing this ;p

Gorgeous evening, good company, tasty snacks...perfect way to ease into a long weekend :)

Exploring the California Coast

This past weekend running buddy V was in town for a mini-vacay and to run the Big Sur Half Marathon. I was super excited since I hadn't seen her since the big move and this was going to be my first real break from the city.

I left work a little early on Friday so we could start our 3 hour journey south to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Equipped with camping gear, snackies, beer and tunes, we drove our zippy little rental car down the o so scenic California coast.

The drive down Highway 1 was AMAZING. Water to the right

mountains & greenery on the left

I think our jaws were dropped the whole time.

I love my new state.

The closer we got to Big Sur, we only got AM radio and it was pretty fitting.

It felt like we should have been driving a classic car with the top down wearing big sunglasses and handkerchiefs in our hair. Cell phone reception? Forget it.

We pulled into the campgrounds just as the sun was setting and immediately started setting up camp.

I must admit that I've really only been camping twice in my entire life. I enjoy the outdoors and I enjoy the idea of camping, but I can't 'set up camp' to save my life. V had our tent and fire started pretty quickly while I got to work on what I do best:

That's right, crack open beers and photograph. Oh, and make dinner:

You know, that headlamp comes in really handy when making PB&J in the dark.

We were up bright and early Saturday morning to pack up and start the trip back north to Monterey, but not before squeezing in a quick morning hike

The park ranger mentioned a couple of hike options and we opted for the shorter (1.5 mi round trip) hike to Pfeiffer Falls and Valley View.

The falls weren't huge, but still a great sight.

Valley views were fantastic...I wish I could have captured them better. Instead I will leave you with me. In a tree.

More to come!

More wine, more food, more fun.

After Rued, we made our way over to Matrix Winery where we looked forward to enjoying some Costeaux Focaccia. They had a couple tasting areas, including one out on the patio. This was where I camethisclose to buying a bottle of their 2006 Nunes Pinot Noir. Again, I don't usually like pinot noirs, but this was pretty good! I resisted the urge to buy a bottle (and by resisted I mean someone had to tell me not to) since it was either $35 or $40 :)

Unfortunately, the food wasn't as good as the wine. The four of us were convinced we were in for a fancy focaccia snack. Wrong-o. It was pretty much plain bread (texture was more like a loaf of regular bread) and some slices of gouda on the side. Eh, there had to be a food let down at some point. Can't have it all!

Next up was Twomey Cellars. Food here was PHENOMENAL. I may have actually gotten a second tasting ;p Definitely going to use the Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Walnuts and Sage recipe!

The wine here was pretty good too. I was hooked on the 2006 Napa Valley Merlot and I've never been much of a merlot drinker! Maybe it's because they snuck a bit of cabernet franc in there. Ah haaa. This bottle was on the pricier side ($50) so I passed on purchasing. Instead I opted for a photoshoot

Pretty sure those chairs were for sale. Weird.

As the day went on, the tastebuds and memory may have gotten a little fuzzy ;p Good thing C. Donatiello was serving up some super flavorful Duck & Shiitake Tinga Tostadas. I don't remember much about the wine, except that it went wonderfully with the tostadas and had a cool label.

I'd definitely visit again since the grounds were absolutely gorgeous. There was a garden with persimmons, limes and other fruits as well as chairs just waiting for a catalog-y photoshoot

We zoomed through pretty quickly so we could make it to Moshin Vineyards for some great wine and Rick's Famous Smoked Salmon in Phyllo Cups. Food wasn't bad...just kinda blah compared to the rest of the wineries. Still tasty.

I walked out with a bottle of their Promoshin Red Blend

A mysteriously delicious red priced at a wallet-friendly $18.

Our last stop of the day was Korbel Champagne Cellars where we caught them right before the festival ended (4pm). There may have been an incident pre-tasting involving dumping rinse water into the clean water pitcher...

We sampled a deliciously refreshing Orechiette Pasta with Melon & Champagne-Cracked Peppercorn Dressing. Normally I don't like creamy pasta salads, but this was AMAZING. The sweet melon went perfectly with the creamy, savory dressing. Definitely going to make this for a picnic!

Afterward we paid a visit to The Gourmet Delicatessen on site to split a pint of the much talked about Pliney the Elder

I had heard about this a few months ago but never really got around to searching for it. I was excited the the Korbel folks mentioned it and had it on tap! This double IPA is brewed by the Russian River Brewing Company and is pretty hoppy. I really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend it.

Awesome weekend.

Time out.

Hey guys, it's been super busy around here so I'm going to do a quick photo post. I'm also taking a brief time out from posting since Jamie returns on Tuesday!! He's only here for a week, so I figure I should spend time hanging out w/him and not blogging :p Don't worry, we'll be doing some touristy stuff and I'll have PLENTY to write about later!

Big news first - I MOVED! I finally have my very own apartment :) After a somewhat stressful Memorial Day weekend move, I think I've finally gotten the bulk of my stuff unpacked and organized. One of these days I'll show you the final product!

From now on, I'll be creating delicious dishes in here

And blogging to you from somewhere in here

All while staring at this

Hurrah!

During all the moving/shopping/unpacking, I was able to meet up with Susan for dinner in the Mission. We met up at Limon, a pretty snazzy looking Peruvian spot on Valencia and 16th. From the website:

Limon's menu boasts entrees that offer a bounty of fresh Pacific seafood, hearty beef, succulent pork, and rich savory sauces. Tempting ceviches and masterful tiraditos tempt your palate with the freshest sashimi grade Ono, Ahi Tuna accompanied by flavorful and colorful Peruvian sauces.

So many delicious options on the menu! I settled on the Ceviche Limon (mixed seafood ceviche - fish, calamari, shrimp)

and the Costillas Nikkei (crispy spare ribs with Peruvian style slaw and rocotto-soy sauce)

The ceviche was good, but not as exciting as I wanted it to be. The ribs were deliciously crisp and sweet, but the slaw was way too bitter. Have you ever had cabbage that was incredibly bitter? bleh. Overall, I thought the food was ok, but not worth the price.

The weekend ended with some serious outlet shopping in Napa, where I loaded up on fun accessories. No fun weekday eats since my cabinets and fridge are pretty bare. By the time Friday rolled around, it was time for me to head back east for a wedding in Vermont!

I've never been to Vermont and I was really bummed I'd only be spending a whopping 14 hours in the state that has such awesome stuff, like Ben & Jerry's, maple syrup and Magic Hat!

I wandered around Burlington and loved all the cute shops along Church Street...such a great pedestrian street to stroll!

The wedding was in nearby Charlotte, Vermont (note: it's pronounced shar-loht) and was absolutely gorgeous. Of course I forgot my camera in the hotel room, but I managed to get a few little shots w/the camera phone

The breathtaking view from the reception (held outdoors in the bride's backyard)

no one could resist busting out the phone cameras for this one!

Speaking of Magic Hat...

I was told that the Wacko was a legit summer brew and had to sample one. Two giant thumbs up. It was crisp, refreshing and much lighter tasting than my favorite #9. Big sadface moment of the evening - THEY DON'T SELL THIS IN SAN FRANCISCO! AAAAGGGHH!! At least that's what the location map says :( :(

After a few Wackos and appetizers, we sat down to dinner at this simple and pretty table

Salad was exactly what this girl needed and it was promptly followed by a dinner of salmon and chicken

Not sure how the salmon was cooked, but it tasted sort of teriyaki-ish to me. There was definitely a sweet factor in there.

Then it was time for dancing!

How cute is this setup?? I've never seen the pointy tents before and I like them!

A few hours later, I was up and at the airport for my 6:45am adventure home. Apparently I was so tired that I took a brief nap pre-boarding and a very kind person woke me up as the tail end of boarding took place. PHEW. I eventually made it home with a pitstop in Chicago and Orange County (o hey, John Wayne Airport...I didn't know you existed).

It was a very fun filled weekend, but now I'm so exhausted I can barely move! How was your week/weekend??

I did it!

First half marathon of the year/first long run post-injury - CHECK!

Probably not my best idea ever, but I decided to still run/walk/jog the National Half Marathon this weekend. My longest run/walk had only been 45 minutes, but I couldn't let my running buddies run their first half marathon alone - especially since I coerced them into signing up ;p

Susan came over to drop off our race packets, feast on some pasta and talk race morning logistics. Check out the nifty new bib timing:

Crazy, right? These little strips are located on the back of your bib and you need to strategically place your bib on your torso and have it visible at all times on your outermost layer. Eh....ok? I ended up attaching my bib to a t-shirt that I wore over a long sleeve shirt. Long sleeve shirt got tossed (and may I say it was quite a sight as I tried to take off the long sleeve shirt mid run) eventually. I think I prefer the D-tag timing. Much easier to deal with.

I had a pretty good jog on the Mall Friday evening - 30 minutes of straight jogging (yay!) followed by a nice long stretch session so I figured I would be good to go on Saturday morning. Plan was to take it at a comfortable jog for the first few miles and then switch to a run/walk. I was feeling good for the most part so I ended up running at a comfy pace until about mile 8 and then took it down a notch.

Kept it at a slow pace until mile 10 and then switched to the run/walk, with a little extra run at the end, and finished in 2:18. Definitely not my fastest time, but not my slowest either! I'll take it :) I stretched, Sticked and iced a bit before work and was feeling pretty good...until the next morning. OW. Achilles is still a little swollen, but not really painful. Fingers crossed I didn't mess things up too much :(

Enough about my lame run. My running buddies finished their first half marathon!! WOOO hooray for Sparky and Susan! We celebrated with a few of these

at the Brickskeller in Dupont where we met up with another half marathon finisher friend and shared some race stories. Apparently there was a dude running barefoot through the streets of DC. UM, no. I'm sorry, but every time I see people running straight up BAREFOOT, I cringe. These are city streets. They are filthy. I don't even like my shoes touching them. Who knows what you are stepping in...and I'm pretty sure there are random sharp particles scattered around. *shudder*

O wait, I forgot the most important part of the weekend - DINNER! Haha. Susan and I planned a pre-race sushi dinner, but I swapped it out for a home cooked diner last minute since I should be saving some cash. I got a little experimental and made Artichoke Edamame Pesto. Totally winged it and the consistency of the pesto in the blender was looking a too thick, but it ended up fine once I mixed it with the pasta. I must say it was a tasty success!

Bowties with Artichoke Edamame Pesto and Mushrooms

1 1/2 tbsp Artichoke Edamame Pesto (see below)

3 c bowtie pasta, cooked

1/4 c pasta water

1/2 package cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes. Add pesto, pasta and some of the pasta water. Stir to coat, adding pasta water as necessary to thin out the mixture.

Artichoke Edamame Pesto

1 1/2 c edamame, blanched

3 cloves garlic

6 pieces quartered artichoke hearts

1/4 c hazelnuts, chopped

2/3 c olive oil

1/4 c manchego cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp chili garlic paste

14 large basil leaves

Place first 4 ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree. Add remaining ingredients and puree.

Super easy, right? I think that was my fastest meal this month! Also, note my lack of meat. No, I'm not going vegetarian...I'm just too impatient to wait for my frozen meat to defrost haha.

Tonight's dinner was another impromptu dish since I wanted to clean out my cabinets and fridge. My creation - Tahini Mustard Wheatberry Salad.

I wanted to make a fish dish and started thinking I'd do a quick seared fish over mixed greens, but when I opened up my cabinet and saw the bag of wheatberries, I thought I should try something new.

Tahini Mustard Wheatberry Salad

1/2 c wheatberries, rinsed and drained

1 3/4 c water

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c tahini

2 heaping tbsp whole grain mustard

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 c roasted red peppers, chopped

2 tbsp basil, chopped

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Boil water, salt and wheatberries for about 1 hour, drain and set aside.

In a measuring cup, combine tahini, mustard, honey, vinegar, oils and garlic powder. Scoop one heaping tablespoon of mixture into wheatberries and stir in basil and roasted red peppers. Let sit for at least 20 minutes for flavors to blend.

I made a simple white fish (um, I say white fish because I don't remember what the vacuumed pack freezer pack was) to set atop my wheatberry salad. I seasoned each side with salt and pepper and cooked it for a couple minutes on each side, drizzling it with some of that Balsamic Glaze my sister sent over.

Light and delicious - perfect for the weather we've been having lately! To round it all out, I had a mini salad with some leftover Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette.

Um, these pictures make my meal look GIGANTOR. Let it be known, that piece of fish was about 2/3 the length of my iPhone.