Wednesday, March 07, 2012

It was good to be back, good to be going home
So am on the plane on my way back to SF, and its been a fun few days back in NYC. For the first time being back, since I moved West, I felt vaguely nostalgic about my time in NYC and kinda missed the familiarity of everything. Wandering around the office and my old neighbourhood, I know where the Sephora is. Where the drug stores are. Paragon Sports. All within a block or two of each other. I guess its inevitable, after so much change in such a short period of time, that a little familiarity feels comforting so i'm not freaking out about it, just observing it with interest. I know that that will come with SF and its already starting to - it will just take time. I really do think i have the best of both worlds in terms of being able to come back and enjoy NYC whilst living in one of the most spectacular cities in the US.

Work-wise, I definitely did miss, this time, being part of the bigger group - it was such a luxury to be able to spend a good couple of days with my colleagues, sharing ideas, knowledge, issues and complaints. It helped me with the sense of isolation i've been feeling recently - to be back and to feel valued again. I need to figure out how better to retain this back in SF and to use my colleagues more effectively as the support network i need. It was obviously less of an issue in NYC - just seeing folk to talk to makes you feel less isolated. I do miss the camaraderie. BUT with my election to the Board of Directors of the SF Chapter of the HBA (whoo-hoo), maybe this will help feel that need too.

Sunday, March 04, 2012

Frankly, a little disappointing
So, am back in NYC for a work mtg (3 days of strategery) so came straight in from the airport, dumped stuff, got changed and headed back out to meet the posse for dinner and drinks at the long-awaited WD-50. Ironic that it was somewhere I kept meaning to go the whole time I lived in NYC, but never made it, but finally get to go on a visit back! So, met up with Lisa, Stephanie & Rachel (Komal was sick) and, whilst the company was great, the food, frankly, was a little disappointing. Here's the menu we dined from - between us, we tried a range of stuff but honestly, it was just OK. For the money, it was overrated. But we did get to meet Wylie Dufresne and have a look inside the kitchen but was it worth the $120 each for that? No. But, at least its now ticked off the NYC gastronomic bucket list. Have decided that, every time I'm back, i'm going to check off one restaurant or foodie place that I didnt make it too whilst living here in NYC, so I'm still glad I went. Not quite what the Weight Watchers points for a WD 50 meal are though.....

Sweet potato soup, scallop ravioli, kalamansi, hazlenut .... 18
Smoked cuttlefish, parsley root, fuji apple, parsley oil .... 19
Corned duck, rye crisp, purple mustard, horseradish cream .... 16
Eggs benedict .... 17
Cold fried chicken, buttermilk-ricotta, tabasco, caviar .... 20
Aerated foie, pickled beet, mashad plum, brioche .... 20
Peekytoe crab roll, salt ‘n vinegar chips, celery mayonnaise .... 18
Bay scallops, cauliflower, caper, preserved lemon .... 21


Mediterranean bass, artichoke, forbidden rice, white chocolate-green olive .... 34
Smoked char, bearnaise spaetzle, broccoli rabe, pork sausage .... 36
Skate, sunflower seed, sunchoke, giardiniera .... 36
Tilefish, manhattan clam chowder, oyster 'crackers' .... 36
Parsnip tart, quinoa, hazelnuts, bok choy .... 27
Duck breast, black sesame dumplings, red cabbage, parsnip consommé .... 33
Pork ribs, hush puppies, spaghetti squash, red-eye gravy .... 35
Lamb shoulder, pistachio ‘polenta,’ endive marmalade, spiced apricot .... 36
Wagyu chuck steak, black-eyed peas, fig, rutabaga .... 37
Dusting off and plugging in!

So, i thought it was about high time I dusted this old blog off again and started capturing my adventures since my move to San Francisco. After literally years of effort and persistence with no luck, things just fell into place in the easiest possible fashion when I was offered the chance to transfer with Sudler back in August out to our West Coast office. Talk about providence! So, of course, I leapt at the chance and so moved out here last August. Since then, its been a whirlwind of moving, buying, settling in and resettling in, but now i'm in my fantastic place in King Street and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, so its now time to start chronicling my adventures again!!

As a very condensed potted recap of some of the stuff I've been up to so far:
Lived in One Hawthorne for a month in corporate housing
Rented 3 months Noe Valley in Daniela's old house
Bought my place on King Street
Joined Urban diversion, a local social club
Ski-share in Tahoe (to date, only been once so far!) and bought first ever set of skis, boots and poles
Camping in Costa Noa
Murder mystery dinner party
House cooling party in Noe
Joined Costco
Bought a car!! A Chevy Equinox
Trampolining at House of Air
Dinosaur date night at Academy of Sciences Museum with dino burlesque!
Maharaja exhibit at Asian Art museum
Sunset sail under Golden gate bridge
Ghiradelli chocolate festival (cop's number!)
BBQ cooking class one summer Sunday, where all the dudes hang out
Singing lesson at Blue Bear School of Music
Multiple bad and not-so-bad dates
Helicopter ride under and over Golden Gate bridge with Thomas
Segway ride through town
Duck Tour where got to steer the boat out in the bay near AT&T Park
Team building baseball game
Ross with Mum
Jeremy's with Ashley
Talk on particle physics at the Jewish museum
Houdini exhibit

Am sure there is stuff i've forgotten but am going to start keeping better track now, especially with some fun travel coming up!! Next trip is to Joshua Tree next month, then a food truck tour in Portland and THEN my once-in-a-lifetime amazing luxury trip to Bhutan for 2 weeks for my 40th birthday. Its going to be absolutely spectacular and I can't wait!!!