A couple of weekends ago, I visited the site of an Airstream trailer that Yoshi and I shared outside Stinson Beach, California. The trailer is long gone, but the spot is still the same: Overlooking the Pacific Ocean on a scraggly lawn at the end of a farm road. We spent many a night sitting on a homemade couch out under the stars, listening to an increasingly crusty Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain tape, hanging out with farm people, and getting into adventures. They were simpler times, so the adventures were simpler. One time, police showed up and asked Yoshi if he knew anything about the ritual animal sacrifices happening in the area. Naked toddlers often woke him up by tickling his eyelashes with wildflowers.
Look at our boy now! Gourmet Magazine. Articles about obscure vegetables. Lunches, brunches, interviews by the pool. What's next? Condos in Queens? Indo for weeks? Sold out seats to hear Yoshi Yamada speak?
The article is vintage Yamada, reminding me of the many excellent, excellent letters and postcards that I've accumulated over the years:
I have not put ramps in my pipe, but I ...
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05 Aug 08 · filed under: food, san francisco · 
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I always meant to write about my close encounter with public television fame -- the only kind that's worth pursuing, if you ask me -- but somehow I got waylaid by summertime, its various parties and good ol times. But I've got a sec, so I should just spill it before the good times take hold again.
Time spent combing hair: zero minutes. Time spent ironing shirt: zero minutes. Number of heart attacks my mom would have if she saw this: countless.
Check, Please! Bay Area is a restaurant review show on our local public television station, KQED Channel 9 (what!). On each show, three Bay Area residents sit around a table and discuss their thoughts and feelings about three local restaurants. At the beginning of the process, each person gets to choose a favorite1 restaurant; then, each participant goes to all three restaurants; THEN, everyone assembles at KQED studios to discuss them in front real TV cameras.
So, yeah, it all started back in June.
Mara and I were at Pauline's ...
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05 Aug 08 · filed under: food, reviews, san francisco · (0) ·
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[Danger: I could only get the video to play in IE. Not sure if it's my particular array of Firefox add-ons that are blocking its mojo, or what.]
So every few weeks I sift through the mostly asinine archives of SFist, and today, against all odds, I found something interesting: A llittle blurb about urban beekeeping in San Francisco with a link to a CurrentTV short.
The director profiles this guy Jon Ralston, someone I vaguely recall from my time in the bee club. He's younger (in beekeeping age, anyway) and takes a very similar approach to beekeeping that I did: Just get a hive, put it in your backyard, let the bees do what they do until someone complains. Worked for me until my landlord stumbled upon it during a very active day (that turned into a swarm), and became terrified.
I also identify with Jon's reasons for getting into beekeeping in the first place -- feeling closer to the outdoors, and having a source of cheap gifts. He seems like an interesting ...
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26 Apr 08 · filed under: food, urban · (0) ·
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You may recognize me from somewhere, somewhere like YOUR TIVO.
Pretty much the only thing the director told me: "Don't look at the camera." Dang.
More on my explosion onto the local public television restaurant-reviewing stage sometime soon; until then you can check out my episode of the Check Please Bay Area here.
11 Apr 08 · filed under: food, reviews, san francisco · (0) ·
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Via Burritophile, an awesome resource for all things burrito.
11 Apr 08 · filed under: food, san francisco · (0) ·
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