Bella Intima, 2009 - Allied Arts Guild, Menlo Park
Posted April 20th, 2009 in Event8events Design and Allied Arts Guild had put together an amazing bridal event this past weekend, and we had the pleasure of meeting many other talented wedding vendors in the San Francisco bay area. Patty from 8events and I worked together last year at Vivien and Nathan’s wedding, and I distinctively remembered how gorgeous her floral arrangements were. Peggy and I were thrilled to have a chance to attend this event, but once again, we ate too much cake…
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Una Bella Sera, 2009 - Julia Morgan Ballroom
Posted April 19th, 2009 in EventUna Bella Sera is an exquisite bridal event created and hosted by the always-talented Nichole Ha and Amazae Special Events. They brought together some amazing wedding vendors to showcase the latest trends and designs in floral, table tops, and decorations. Of course, we couldn’t pass up on all the cake tasting!
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San Jose Sharks Practice
Posted December 5th, 2008 in EventI don’t why I hadn’t done this sooner, but I went down to the San Jose Logitech Ice Center to watch the Sharks practice this morning. They just came off their victory last night, the best first 26-game record (45 points) in NHL history. It was a nail biter as they looked flat especially early on in the game.
I didn’t know what to expect or how crowded it would be. Turned out it was a pretty slow day with just a handful of folks in the bleachers. The players were mostly just messing around, generally having a good time on the ice. It was great to see some of them up close, really got to appreciate their sizes and the intensity they must bring night after night. They did some one-timer drills at the end, and it was just amazing to see it up close and in person - the speed, the accuracy, and the loud crack when the stick struck the ice/puck.
Jody Shelley
Dan Boyle - why would you want to mess with this guy?
Jumbo Joe!
Just chilling? Whatever happened to the work ethics?
Douglas Murray
Mike Grier
Patrick Marleau
Devin Setoguchi
Yo Devin, shouldn’t you keep your eyes on the puck, quit checking out the bleacher!
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Oakland A’s and the “Diamond” treatment!
Posted July 29th, 2008 in EventIt was the red carpet experience, or the life in the “diamond” section of an Oakland A’s game! The diamond section refers to the seats directly behind the home plate. Tonight, we were so close to the action the security guards had to repeatedly remind us before entering the section that we must not interfere with the game (like shouting out “Strike!!!” randomly). It was the first A’s game for Peggy and me, and we could never see a baseball game the same way again.
First, it started with parking. There was a special parking area for the diamond ticket holder which directly led us to the back entrance of the stadium. Once we checked in, there were a series of security guards who guided us through the maze of stairs and hallways. On TV they normally show the behind the scene interviews with players and coaches in stadium corridors and tunnels… that was exactly what we walked through! In fact, as we were making our way down the corridor to our seats, a few players from Kansas City Royals passed right by us!
Once we entered the stadium, the feeling was indescribable. We were right in the middle of the action where the umpire/batter/catcher were no more than 50 ft in front of us. The bright lights and the chants from the crowds were dizzying. The thunderous clap when the pitch hit the catcher’s mitt (gave me a whole new appreciation of a 95MPH fastball) and the heavy thud when the batter made contact with the ball really brought us into the game. The only other way I could describe the feeling would be that from the outer bleachers, you feel like you are “watching” the game - behind the plate, it does feel like you are “in” the game.
And then, the free food and drinks. I proceeded to devour 2 beers, a pizza, a sausage, chips and nacho, ice cream bar, and ice cream sandwich.
By about 7th inning, we had finally taken in all the experiences and realized there was a baseball game going on. The Oakland A’s mounted a decent comeback but unfortunately lost in the end. Nevertheless, this was an incredible experience we would never forget.
View from our seats (I wasn’t sure if a D-SLR would be allowed, picture taken with the phone)
and look, we were on TV!!
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Chez TJ Restaurant and Happy Birthday!
Posted July 20th, 2008 in Event, FoodHappy Birthday, Peggy!
We celebrated Peggy’s birthday last night at Chez TJ, a contemporary French restaurant in Mountain View that recently received a 2-star rating from the Michelin Guide. Our friends Margie and Jim and Peggy’s sister Cat all came over to our house in Mountain View before heading out to the restaurant. There were quite a few memorable dishes including the foie gras trio, habibut fennel, lamb “four cuts”, and the desserts - orange mocha mudpie and summer berries! We each ordered different dishes and in the end got a chance to sample almost everything on the menu.
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White Corn Veloute Tarragon Gnocchi, Summer Truffle
with 2006 Prius Verdejo, Rueda, Spain
Heirloom Tomato Cubes Balsamic Gelee, Pistou Goat Cheese
with 2006 Moshin Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, California
Cucumber-Mango Lobster Salad Mint, Yogurt-Creme Fraiche
with 2005 Esterlina Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, California
Hudson Valley Foie Gras Trio: Summer Truffle, Torchon, Peche-Romarin
with 2006 Viento Reisling, Columbia Gorge, Oregon
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Seared Californian Halibut Fennel, Saffron Saveur
with 2004 Chateau de la Preuille Muscadet, Loire, France
Day Boat Scallop Paire Asparagus, Chanterelle, Preserve Lemon
with 2004 Macon Cruzille Les Avoueries, Burgundy, France
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Elysian Farms Lamb “Four Cuts” Artichoke Arpege, Lemon Thyme Garlic Jus
with 2004 Rosso di Montalcino, Montalcino, Italy
Meyer Angus Sirloin-Mishima Ranch “Kobe” Short Rib Zucchini Melange, Cabernet Jus
with 2004 Domenico Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
California Duck “Salmis” Rainbow Chard, Roasted Porcini, Apricot Gastrique
with 2006 Summers Charbono, Napa Valley, California
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Fromage Plate: Crottin, Chevre, Fourme d’Ambert, Tete de Moine, Brillat-Savarin
with 2002 Chateau Peyruchet, Bordeaux, France
Summer Berry Flood Blueberry Financier, Jus de Fruits Rouge
with Kir Royale (Black Currant and Sparkling Wine)
Pineapple Carpaccio, Spiced Cake, Vanilla Nougat, Rum Gelee
with Hana-Awaka Sake “Sparkling Flower”, Hyogo, Japan
Orange Mocha Mudpie, Chocolate Ice Cream, Trifle
with Domenico Orange Muscat, San Carlos, California
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Cooking Party: Crepe!
Posted July 18th, 2008 in Event, FoodThis is starting to feel like an episode of “Iron Chef” - today’s theme is CREPE! Thankfully there was no ticking clock or some un-pronounceable secret ingredient.
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Cooking Party: Chinese!
Posted June 4th, 2008 in Event, FoodIt’s once again the time for our monthly cooking party! Instead of tackling ambitious recipes from likes of Thomas Keller, Michael Mina, and Ming Tsai as we (okay, the lovely ladies… guys were mostly drinking beer and watching TV) did in the past months, we were ready for some simpler dishes. We prepared honey prawn, egg tarts (with egg white only!), fried rice noodle, and rice-covered meatball!
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Dinner at Gary Danko, San Francisco
Posted June 4th, 2008 in Event, FoodGary Danko is definitely one of our favorite restaurants in San Francisco: the service is impeccable and the food never disappoints!
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