Dogmom's Dish

Marc Jacobs: Not Coming Soon To A Runway Near You

I might have found MJ's latest San Fracisco window display vaguely arty if I hadn't been exposed to the Duct Tape Prom Dress contest I blogged about earlier this week.  Now, I think it's kind of lame.

Chinatown's Back Alleys Link To A Rich History

Forget the kitchsy shops lining Grant Street's main drag. If you want a deeper exploration of San Francisco's Chinatown, Rick Evans is your guy. Evans has been heralded by locals and tourists alike for his downtown architecture tour (see my earlier review Hidden Spaces = Public Places). He's recently curated a Chinatown Walking Tour with the same passion for digging up the history of a place. Like the original tour, this one is peppered with vintage photos, facts, and anecdotes that go unmentioned in guide books. 

Against the sometimes noisy Chinatown soundscape of cable cars, Cantonese, and Chinese violins (known as erhus and played vertically), Evans reveals the hiddens gems of Chinatown's back alleys as well as historical highlights that get lost in the continuous shuffle of 30,000 people inhabiting 24 square blocks. 

Chinese immigrants came to San Francisco looking for gold, but found extreme prejudice instead, forcing them to stay within the confines of a few city blocks for much of the area's history. You'll walk past several still-thriving institutions borne of necessity, including the Chinese Hospital, banks and schools. You'll also experience the raucous live poulty and fish markets where, as with other culturally relative issues (like gambling), authorities look the other way.

Evans repeatedly demonstrates that Chinatown is a series of contrasts and superlatives. The area contains the City's highest concentration of churches and Edwardian architecture (albeit ornamented with Chinese fixtures). San Francisco's first Roman Catholic Cathedral was built smack dab in the middle, now providing a huge contrast to the gleaming towers of the Financial District a block away. Although the inside of Old St. Mary's was gutted by the earthquake-related fire of 1906, the original bricks remain, and you can see them up close. (We peeked inside and were treated to a wedding ceremony and some of the most stunning stained glass I've seen in the US.)

Outside of the cathedral, the enormous park is all but deserted. Three blocks away, though, the smaller Portsmouth Square is affectionately known as Chinatown's Living Room. Find out why on the tour! 

You'll also learn the role that San Francisco played in Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary plans, why he's beloved by both mainland Chinese as well as Taiwanese, and why both flags fly together throughout Chinatown.

One of my favorite parts of the tour is how Evans has uncovered obscure markers and monuments that routinely go overlooked. Case in point: these lovely aunties (straight from an Amy Tan novel) are enjoying a game of cards, completely oblivious to the fact that this is where Capt. John Montgomery planted the first US flag...on what was then Mexican soil. The irony runs ever deeper when you see that the marker's sponsor is the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Don't worry, it's not all history and there are plenty of window and food shopping opportunities. Love this mahjong tile necklace and bracelet.

The tour also stops at a spot even Bill Clinton couldn't resist on his 1996 trip. No, it's not one of the ubiquitous massage parlors, but it does involve rich desserts. Personally, I couldn't resist this bakery's famous Moon Cake. I know it's sacrelege, but I snagged a chocolate-covered wedge for $1.25. Good thing they're sold in quarters, sinced they're filled with a dense, rich mixture of lotus paste and duck egg yolks. 

In addition to Old St. Mary's above, you'll experience one of the few Buddhist temples open to the public as well as the church that cupcakes built (can't give away all of the secrets, you'll just have to trust me).
There are other surprises, including the Street of Painted Balconies, the city's only kite store, a fortune cookie factory (bring quarters for the 50 cent photo charge), an ehru-playing barber (who appeared in the movie The Pursuit of Happiness), and the site of San Francisco's very first house. 

The Chinese herbal shop was another highlight. For $10, the Chinese doctor/herbalist is in -- no appointment necessary, but it is a doctors office, so you may have to wait and hours vary. The good news is that you don't need insurance and your herbal prescription gets filled a lot faster than at Walgreens. (Evans provides a map at the end of the tour so that you can return to all of the sites visited as well as some there aren't time for.)

Another amazing surprise is a Julia Morgan building right in the middle of Chinatown central!  She was one of the few female architects at the turn of the century and is most famous for Hearst Castle. (Berkeley-ites know her for the City Club and a handful of other iconic buildings across the bay.)  Again, don't want to spoil the surprises, but here are some close-ups illustrating her dedication to craftsmanship...note the presence of her beloved asymmetry in the design and placement of the windows.

Seeing Chinatown from the perspective of its back alleys was illuminating and unforgettable. Who knew that one of the best views of the Transamerica building can be seen over the laundry-topped brick walls of Chinatown? This is just one of many 'aha' moments you'll experience on the tour. We happened to take the second tour ever offered and weren't surprised to find that all but two in our group of 12 were alums of his original Architecture Tour. Get your tickets here  or on Goldstar and do it sooner rather than later -- once his devotees find out, it's going to fill up fast.

Our tour lasted about 2.5 hours and we were mighty hungry at the end. Sam Wo's, home of the now-deceased Edsel Ford Fong, aka The World's Rudest Waiter, is across the street from the tour's end.  Supposedly it's more of an experience vs. quality place, but it's cheap and open until 3 am. Buddha Bar and the unfortunately named Li Po Cocktail Lounge are also at the end point and rated by locals and Yelpers alike as Chinatown's best dive bars. We headed straight to a spot we'd noticed on the tour, The Pot Sticker. The browned-on-one-side namesakes hit the spot and the healthy portions of green onion pancakes and rice cake pork main dish left us with smiles and $$ left over to do it again.

Poketo Pop Shop + Japanese Street Food Prix Fixe @ LA's Royal/T Cafe

 

I've written previously about the awesomeness that is Royal/T Cafe...any place that has a pink tiara over the entrance is a-ok with me!  This always evolving space is hosting two related events until July 18. 

First is a pop shop for the independent art collective Poketo, beloved by fans as well as museums for their unique prints.  Think of it as grown-up kawaii with a dash of Murakami mushrooms and Orla Kiely retro.  The shop will feature a range of items including their famous wallets, t-shirts, and mugs.

Poketo's founders love food and travel as much as they do art.  They've translated their experiences into a yummy 3-course prix fixe menu inspired by Japanese street food.  Definitely check it out if you're in town.

Stink No More: New Dog Shampoo Removes Skunk & Dead Bird Odor

Our Chow-Shepherd mix Mimi is a charming princess, but even royalty slums it from time to time.  Unfortunately, she just can't resist rolling in dead bird muck.  Yes, I know that we should be careful about spotting it, but she runs ahead of us on the beach and the tide occasionally washes up the dregs of a seagull's existence.  Trust me, the smell is worse than skunk and it lasts longer, too.

Now, rather than banning her from the bed for weeks, we carry Dinovite in the car and scrub her down as soon as possible after every fowl incident.  It rinses easily, thanks to natural ingredients such as saponified oils (coconut, olive, jojoba) and there are none of the harsh ingredients found in other brands of dog shampoo to irritate skin.  The natural, essential oils (tea tree, peppermint, bergamot, etc.) also serve as a flea deterrent and minimize cuddling downtime.  For something so strong, it's surprisingly gentle on Mimi's skin and doesn't cause the flaking we've experienced with other products.

I love Dinovite so much, I'm going to try it out on DogDad's stinky, banished-to-the-back-yard hockey gear!!

Check out their website--they even feature a Chow Chow (!!!) and I couldn't resist snagging this photo.

More Frites For Your French Franc: Dining VAT Reduced from 20% to 5.5%

French diners received un cadeaux this week in the form of significantly reduced VAT.  Restauranteurs have long decried the disparity between the fast food rate (5.5%) and theirs (19.6%). 

Whether or not they'll pass these savings on to diners is another story.  One proprietor has--Willies immediately reduced their 3 course prix fixe from 48 to 42 Euros and expects significant business as a result.  Their current seasonal menu is focusing on tomatoes and strawberries, so it's a delicious bet.  Bon appetit!

Coming Soon To A Project Runway Near You: The Duct Tape Prom Dress

Can't believe we haven't seen this as a PR challenge!  Duck Tape is sponsoring a contest for the best duct tape prom ensemble. 

The prize for Stuck At Prom is a $3000 scholarship for the creative couple...click here to vote for your fave. 

I love this Peacock duo, constructed from duct tape, copper leaf, and baling wire. 

Look for creator and Colorado student Izzy Bristow on a runway near you!

Save Your Soles

I'm missing a chunk out of my left shin.  Why?  I once made the mistake of going dancing after work in heels.  Running to jump on London's last Tube train home, I failed to 'mind the gap'.  Piccadilly Station's gain was my leg's loss and I still have the scars to prove it.

Fast forward 20 years...the gaps remain, but there's a better way to dash for the train.  For a fiver (pounds sterling, that is...~$10), those in a similar bind can snag a pair of ballet flats from vending machines at many UK clubs.  Genius!!

I'm sure they'll be in Japan soon...right beside the $10/can Kirin machines.  Imagine the possibilities...

Click here for product info on Rollasole.

photo courtesy of Rollasole 

First Look: Tokidoki's Simone Legno for Target

 Simone Legno is the genius behind the colorful characters of Tokidoki.  He's achieved cult-like status among lovers of kawaii and great design...click here and here to see some previous pieces I've done on Simone's inspirations (punk rock, Japan, anime, skateboarding) and his superfans. 

He's doing a very small series of items for Target, including a couple of t-shirts for kids as well as a messenger bag and back pack.  They don't have the usual Tokidoki crew--instead, he's created some adorable new ones with a punk rock theme.  Here are some early photos from some I grabbed at a local store today. Girls ts are all cotton with cute glitter accents; boys are cotton/poly (90/10).  Enjoy!! 

 

Click here to get $5 off a $50 purchase and free shipping at Target.com ($5 off confirmation appears as pop-up window, which some browsers may block.)

More Tokidoki at Dogmom's Diva Deals.

Petaluma Food Porn @ Tolay's $20 Fixed Price + Wine Dinner

Petaluma claims many superlatives, including the World's Ugliest Dog Contest (see below) and one of the coolest open space dog parks in the Bay Area.  It's also home to the best prix-fixe dinner in the North Bay @ the Sheraton Petaluma's Tolay restaurant.  Served weeknights from 4:30-6:30 pm, the first seating includes 3 courses made with localy sourced, farm fresh ingredients and a glass of Sonoma wine.  Served 50 miles south in San Francisco, food and wine of this quality would easily be $80, not $20.

Selections include Niman Ranch pork chops, pasta with bolognese sauce, and goodies such as homemade salad dressing.  Desserts are divine and include the Meyer lemon tart pictured above or foodie cult-fave Rosen's cheesecake (made just around the corner from the hotel).  This was my first intro to Rosen's...it gets 5-stars from the tough crowd on Yelp and is better than anything I ever tasted living in New York/Boston.  

Can't resist sharing photos of our extra-value-prix-fixe-meal, plus a snap of the bagels/lox from room service the next morning.  Again, better than anything I've had on either coast...this hotel is a must-stop for serious foodies.

   

Pabst Wins A Blue Ribbon @ The World's Ugliest Dog Contest

All dogs are beautiful, period.  That said, I'm always intrigued to see what others consider hideous.  Surprise!  This year's winner isn't a Chinese Crested, it's an adorable boxer mix named Pabst. 

According to his bio, Pabst was rescued as a pup, has a "2 inch under bite, a large burn scar on his stomach and his nails grow in any direction they feel".  Hobbies?  Napping and hanging out in the California sun.  My kind of guy!!!

Click here to see the contestants' bios and their doggone cute head shots.

Cheetohs and Michael Jackson Spark Violence

People need to settle the hell down.  Seriously.  Yesterday, two men who are old enough to know better (54 and 60) got into a knife fight on a Florida bus after an argument over whether Michael Jackson should be remembered as a criminal or an iconic artist.

Today, the madness continued in Tennessee as a couple ended up in jail over a domestic dispute involving Cheetohs.  Makes TruTv's Tazed and Confused look downright tame.

Betrayal: It Takes Two To Tango

Jenny, Elizabeth, and  Silda.  We're on a first name basis after witnessing their agony over philandering husbands.  It's almost redemptive to see Harold Pinter's Betrayal--the lead character is an unrepentant  adulteress.  Although set in 1970s London, the issues feel contemporary and remind us that it takes two to tango.  Of course, this is Pinter, so there are also a few story lines about how the same events are remembered very differently.

San Francisco's Actors Theatre presents this classic with spare staging and a stunning Emma (Linden Young).  She's a dead ringer for Princess Di and gives the evening's best performance as an unfulfilled wife who devolves into an equally empty infidel. Not that either her husband (Christian Phillips) or lover (Frank Willey) really care.  They're both too wrapped up in their own issues.  In this love triangle, there's drama but minimal hurt and life goes on.  It has to.  Just ask Hillary.

Runs through July 12, Goldstar 1/2 price tix available here.

photo courtesy of ATSF

Get The Lead Out: Target, Walmart, Bloomingdales Sued For Hazardous Handbags

Sweet Jesus.  Forget slathering yourself with a shot glass of sunscreen every day.  Or even eating nine servings of fruits and veggies.  Let's not even talk about Purell-ing every five seconds.  Maybe the healthiest thing you can do is to bag your purse. 

Oakland's Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has sued sixteen major retailers (check out their site for a complete list) over unsafe levels of lead in a number of accessories, as defined by California standards the Proposition 65 consumer protection law. Some accessories tested up to 90 times higher than the federal lead paint standard (federal regulations limit lead in paint to no more than 600 ppm). 

Why does this matter?  Think about how many times a day you grab your wallet or something out of your bag--including those apples that are supposed to keep the doctor away.  Check out the CEH site for a complete list of stores and brands named in the suit.

Even Babushka Dolls Sing The Blues

The lingering recession is toppling the nesting doll industry.  Heard an interesting piece on NPR yesterday with interviews up and down the matryoshka supply chain.  Seems that there's an oversupply, reduced demand, and cheap imitations, so many of the aging crafts people are throwing in their paint brushes.  Yet another casualty.  photo courtesy of ProStores

Doghead: Denmark's John Irving

Backstreet Love @ Cindy's Sonoma Kitchen

The Bay Area is blessed with an abundance of women chefs.  San Francisco has Traci Des Jardins, Marin, Heidi Krahling, and Berkeley, Alice Waters.  St. Helena has Cindy Pawlcyn.  Perhaps most famous for Mustards and her new, highly praised seafood house Go Fish, she's also been involved in regional heavyweights Tra Vigne, Betelnut, Buckeye Roadhouse, Fog City Diner, and Bix.  Her most personal creation, though, has to be Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, one block off St. Helena's main drag.

CBK feels like going to your cool friend's house...you know it's going to be a blast.  Decor is low key and there's a large patio for dining al fresco.  Inside, Cindy's personal passion for ceramics is evident both upstairs and down, giving the entire space a warm and cozy feel. 

Food is outrageously good, using ingredients from the local farms favored by chefs and foodies aloke. The papaya avocado salad was a brilliant combination of tastes, accented by tiny toasted hazlenuts.  We also liked the Grilled Quail (with larger than expected portions) and the Incredible Mushroom Tamales, filled with super fresh mushrooms, grits, and a Mexican-inspired sauce that makes me want to buy her latest cook book to see what the spices were! 

Dessert was equally over the top--two weeks later and I'm still dreaming about Camp Fire Pie.  Take a look at the photo...'nuff said!

The best part, though, was the wine.  In celebration of Mustards' 25th anniversary, Chef Cindy is offering 25 wines for $25.  That's bottles...not carafes or glasses.  These are really good ones...not 2 buck Chuck or lame-o ones that you won't remember.  Luckily, there's resident wine princess Jamie who can hook you up with one and recommend more when you've worked your way through the list. (We loved the Red Field Blend, York Creek Cuvee One, Spring Mountain...can't find it @ retail, so we may have to go back...)  She also happens to be the bartender and is happy to share her knowledge whether your seated at the bar or in the dining room.  We were so impressed with Jamie's mad skills that we sat at the bar after dinner and tried a few glasses based on her recommendations...Twisted Rivers (Clarksburg) was the hands-down fave find of the night. 

Hey, Mon! Let's Fall In Love: Jack Goes Boating @ The Aurora Theatre

People are flawed, love is imperfect.  What's a poor Wasta* to do?  Find out in Jack Goes Boating, now playing at Berkeley's Aurora Theatre through July 19.  (The film version directed by and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman opens in 2011.)

Set in modern day New York, the four characters aren't slick and self-aware like their TV counterparts in Friends and Sex In The City.  These quirky, bridge and tunnel types are more complex.  They cope with anxiety and confront the messiness of love in vastly different ways...with a little help from their friends and the righteous herb.

Clyde (Gabriel Marin) embraces life as an expert, who's prone to the occasional bout of obsessive thinking.  His side-splitting swim lessons will have you rolling (correctly) in the pool.  Marin's hyperkinetic physicality and fuugghheddaboutit diction brilliantly brings this earnest Italian boy to life.

His sweet best friend Jack (Danny Wolohan) is as passive as Clyde is aggressive.  Jack isn't so much a Wasta slacker as he is befuddled by life's barrage of demands.   Perhaps that's why he finds reggae music so comforting...the simple notion that everything really is going to be all right.  'Boating' quickly becomes a metaphor for everything Jack has been too overwhelmed (or just hasn't had the gumption) to try. 

Clyde's perky wife Lucy (Amanda Duarte) has the SITC theme as her ringtone.  Although she clearly loves Clyde, she can't let go of the romantic notion that a strong, powerful Mr. Perfect is still out there and will one day make everything a-ok.

Lucy's co-worker Connie (Beth Wilmurt) is guided by a sense of extreme caution.   Her belief that the world is a dangerous place gets solidified by a subway mugging.   Like Lucy, she spends a lot of time fantasizing about how love could perfect her life.  In the meantime, she's not so much looking for love as trying to keep the roving mitts of married men at bay. 

Jack Goes Boating is a beautifully acted  and directed (Joy Carlin) exploration of contemporary life that feels like a classic film.   Various pieces reminded me of the madcap Breakfast At Tiffany's as well as the chemical-fueled, rapid-fire viciousness of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

Although the reggae standard Rivers of Babylon serves as the play's unifying theme--trust me, you will sing it in your shower--the redemptive ending reminded me of Billie Holiday's For Heaven's Sake:

Here is romance for us to try
Here is a chance we can't deny
While heaven's giving us a break

Lets fall in love for heaven's sake
Don't say a word my darling
Don't break the spell like this
Just hold me tight; were alone in the night
And heaven is here with a kiss

This pair of eyes can see a star
So paradise can't be so far
Since heaven's what were dreaming of
For heaven's sake, lets fall in love

Don't miss your chance to fall in love with Jack and see the original before it becomes a hit film.  Playing at the Aurora Theatre until July 19.

*Wasta: (noun) White Rasta.  Person of Caucasian descent imitating aspects of Rastafarian religion (hair in dreadlocks, use of marijuana) whilst no holding rasta beliefs.
- from Urban Dictionary

Photo credit for review: David Allen
#1 (Gabriel Marin, Amanda Duarte, Beth Wilmurt, Danny Wolohan)
#2 (Danny Wolohan, Beth Wilmurt)
#3 (Beth Wilmurt, Danny Wolohan)

More Dog Cloning: Paws Up or Down?

Still struggling with this issue...the latest set of cloned canines comes again from scientists in South Korea.  If you recall, this is the same group who cloned Booger for the desperate dog mom who later turned out to be a wack job. 

This time around, they've cloned Trakr, the search and rescue dog who found the last 9/11 survivor under 30 feet of rubble.  It's tough to deny the joy of Trakr's handler (now living in California), but I'm still not convinced that cloning is a great idea. 

Jason Wu Dances With Himself: Fashion Meets DWTS

Love this Michelle Obama-fave and how he melds the go-go 80s with DWTS sensibilities here.  LOVE this inspired publicity photo taken by a team of creatives (including director Tray Laird and photographer Craig McDean) for the CFDA award nominees. 

President (and supreme goddess) Diane Von Furstenberg's only caveat was, "Capture fashion.  Do something fabulous."  Words of wisdom for us all.

London's Hoxton For A Pound A Night

The Hoxton is my fave London hotel--I've blogged previously on the cool neighborhood and friendly staff.  They're having another sale on July 2, starting at 12 PM (UK time) with 500 1 pound rooms & 500 29 pound ones up for quick grabs.  Click here for full details and get your fingers flying!

For more bargain hotel options, check out Solo Lisa's post for another budget boutique option, 40WINKS. 

 

500 rooms at £1 & 500 rooms at £29
Available 1st Aug - 31st Oct 2009