i am swell » san francisco

Sea Life & Noodles

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:32:12 +0000

My youngest sister came to town a couple weeks ago and we had an awesome time geeking out over jellyfish and stars. We went to both the Aquarium of the Bay and the California Academy of Sciences. I’d never been to the Aquarium before and though it pales in comparison to the Academy, they do have some really cool stuff like large sea nettle jellyfish, stings rays you can pet and sharks. It was really fun to go to these places with a fellow lover of marine biology and joke about things like claspers (if you don’t know about claspers, look them up…very weird!).

We also went sailing around the bay, ate a bunch of fabulous places like Little Star Pizza (my sister said it is the best pizza she’s ever eaten), Bi-Rite Creamery and Pica Pica, fed Oakley a la Lady & the Tramp and dressed her up like a pirate princess, and even had time to make a stop at Anthony’s Cookies (best cookies any of us have ever eaten!) on the way to the airport.

Great times! Love you sis!

Another Day at Ocean Beach

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:00:56 +0000

Nick has gotten really good at photography in the last few months, so I wanted to share some of these great shots he took at Ocean Beach last week…

Bon Voyage Fog & On To Sunny Napa

admin — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:27:43 +0000

Nick surprised me a couple weekends ago with a romantic weekend in Napa at the Carneros Inn. We were going up to water my mom’s lawn while she was out of town, and he told me to pack for a couple days. Little did I think we would end up in such a blissful spot. Heated floors, cozy fireplace, outdoor shower, private patio, excellent food…sigh…I finally got some sleep and learned to breath again! I also ate a ton.

We started the weekend at Oxbow Market, where we tried Pica Pica for the first time (they just opened a spot in the Mission too) and had a cupcake from Kara’s (where we got our wedding cupcakes from), sampled some Three Twins ice cream (they have vegan flavors), bought some cheese, then on to the Carneros Inn where we had dinner at Farm. (P.S. I’m allergic to dairy and usually don’t eat any of these things, which made them all the more wonderful!)

The next day we walked around Sonoma and then returned to the Carneros Inn to bask in the sun for hours-making up for all the lost sun time in San Francisco, before having an INCREDIBLE meal at Ad Hoc. We also had a tremendous meal at Boon Fly somewhere in there. Highly recommend these two spots.

Can’t wait to do it all again!

Macarons

admin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:00:47 +0000

My new obsession is Paulette on Hayes in Hayes Valley. Their French macarons are insanely delicious & completely different than traditional macarons. For one, there are three textures in Paulette’s delectable cookies, crunchy, chewy and gooey. And as you bite into them the flavors explode like a mini filled cupcake of gloriousness. Two, there is a large variety of flavors, from rich and decadent to light and fruity. I highly suggest the dark chocolate, coconut and passion fruit flavors. And three, each one is like it’s own piece of art. Sigh.

Hog Island Oyster Co.

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:51:39 +0000

Yesterday Nick & I went up to Hog Island Oyster Co. in Tomales Bay for our friend Dean’s 30th Birthday…

Growlers

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 18:21:23 +0000

I have seen a lot of growlers in my day, but nothing like these. The giant mason jar is from Lagunitas Brewing in Petaluma and with an ale inside, it looks a bit like a pee jar. On the other hand, Magnolia Pub & Brewery makes a beautiful growler complete with a ceramic and rubber stopper.

Spork & Cheese

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:30:47 +0000

While Nick’s mum Kathy and brother Johnny were in town, we ate out a lot. One of those spots was Spork in the Mission, which has a really yummy Southern-inspired brunch. While I had a take on huevos rancheros with carnitas and cabbage, Nick had a burger with gravy and an egg. Both were exceptional.

We also had a lot of cheese.

Little did I know that the cause of my persistent sinusitis was from said cheese and that I am actually allergic to dairy. Having just recently learned this, I had to dedicate this post to these wonderfully cheesy meals I can no longer eat but will always dream of. So long cheese plate. I will miss you!

San Francisco Through An iPhone

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:09:58 +0000

Break

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:30:56 +0000

I’ve been taking a break to focus on creating my new portfolio website and finally get our new apartment in order. Cannot believe it’s the 1st of March already. The season is changing!

2009

admin — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:22:05 +0000

2009 was a huge year for me. I got married, graduated from school and moved to San Francisco (all within five months) and went on many interesting trips. Here are some of my favorite memories from the past year.