The Burbank Factor

Luther Burbank's home is a historical landmark in the City of Santa Rosa.  

Horticulture in Northern Cali

The Burbank Gardens offers a very unique space for the City of Santa Rosa. The Gardens reflect the horticulture history of Luther Burbank and his many contributions to the development of new plants and flowers.  

Killing Time in Santa Rosa

After the awesome breakfast at Fred's Coffee Shop in Sausalito, we headed north towards Santa Rosa. My friend was going to visit a doctor he had not seen in over a decade. But before meeting the Doc at Pete's Coffee Shop in Downtown Santa Rosa, I wanted to walk around the Luther Burbank Home and Gardens a couple blocks away.  

Fred's Mail in Sausalito

We stopped in Sausalito before heading to Napa. Dan and Evonne wisely recommended Fred's Coffee Shop as the best breaksfast stop, a great diner on Bridgeway, the main strip in Sausalito.

When you walk into the small space, your expectations become modest. The service is very informal, but nice. A Korean mother and daughter team handle most of the customer relations, while three Mexican cooks dish out the reason people come here, the incredibly good food.

I ordered the apple chicken sausage omelette, some OJ, and one pancake. When I received my order, the plate looked ready for my utensils to engage in some serious battle-mode breakfast eating feast. I was blown away by the omelette's taste, awesome. The pancake topped me off. By the end of the battle, I had lost, and Fred had won!

Fred's Coffee Shop totally "delivered" one of the best breakfasts I have ever had. If you are ever in Sausalito, whether passing through or staying in town, try this place out. Sit by the counter and watch the cooks prepare you a breakfast to remember. And be sure to check out the owner's international postcard collection on your way out.

For more information about Fred's Coffee Shop visit http://dinesite.com/info/review-read/post-50355/?&t=158779.

I took this picture in Sausalito. I was impressed by the strong sense of community as expressed by the individualized painted mailboxes. The term "neighborhood" could have thousands of visual representations, and this is definitely one of them. You've got mail.

Speaking of mail, I think it is very sad what happened in New Orleans. As most people know by now, the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina will be remembered for a long time to come. A hurricane that swept through the Gulf Coast with such ferocity and strength to wipe out an entire city has left many of us feeling vulnerable and questioning what type of protection we can expect from our government. If one good thing has come of this natural disaster, it is the unity and goodwill expressed by many Americans. Despite the accusations of racism and general negligence, some Americans have opened their hearts to the residents of New Orleans.

But I was disappointed to read that FEMA had changed its policy of handing out cash cards to some of the hurricane victims, and instead promised to send money through the regular mail. I hope that this policy change is reviewed swiftly, because the city of New Orleans will not have any postal service for some time to come. And although most residents can fill out a change of address form, our federal government should embrace technology during times of uncertainty to bring relief to those who need it as quickly as possible. As I write this, I am listening to "Summer" by Moby.

In Los Angeles, several Latino radio and television stations sponsored a fund raiser for the Red Cross on Olvera Street. My parents attended and my mom donated $50 dollars to the Hurricane Relief Fund. She hopes that her contribution will reach the victims, and that her money will be used for actual relief effort and not for Red Cross administrative expenses and overhead.


 

Rancho del Sausalito

I am listenting to "Y Nada Que Hacer" by Moenia, an electronica sounding pop band from northeastern Mexico. The song reminded me of Sausalito. There is something quite charming and inviting about Sausalito. Maybe it's the fog as it creeps up on those California hills by the bay.

Sausalito is a cliffside community across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. In the mornings, the fog rolls in and covers the marina very nicely. Sausalito has a very unique history. It has become a diverse and affluent community of artists and writers. For early September, this type of sweater weather is as good as it gets in northern California.

The following is an historical excerpt from Linda & Wayne Bonnett's "Sausalito History: How We Got To Where We Are," also found on the city's main website at www.http://www.ci.sausalito.ca.us/shs/saus-hist/Sausalito%20History.htm

"Sausalito has been an oddity for well over one-hundred years. Despite its well-established appearance today, odds were against it ever becoming a town in the first place. It's unlike most of the other small towns in Northern California in its beginnings and its growth, and probably its future. When, in 1838, William Richardson, an Englishman by birth and a Mexican by choice, received a Mexican land grant of the entire Main Headlands, he took possession and called it Rancho Del Sausalito (Ranch of the Little Willow Grove). The original inhabitants of Sausalito, called Uimen by the Spanish and no doubt something entirely different by themselves, had lived for centuries along the shore but , by Richardson’s time, already had been decimated by European ignorance, neglect, and exploitation. Now a new epoch was about to begin. Richardson envisioned a sprawling cattle ranch similar to other land grant ranches in the region, but with one big difference. His property included a cove, a safe anchorage about as close to the Golden Gate as one could find. The springs above the cove poured abundant fresh water into Richardson’s storage tanks, thus creating a salable commodity, fresh water for visiting whaling ships."

"Richardson wasn't interested in starting a town. He wanted to create an empire. He wanted control, power, and wealth: control of the access to San Francisco Bay and its tributaries (he was already Captain of the Port of San Francisco), political power that would come from hobnobbing with the powerful Mexican families of the region (he was already married to the daughter of the Commandant of the Presidio), and wealth that would spring naturally from his diverse enterprises. In addition to raising cattle and selling water, he sold vegetables and firewood to visiting ships, collected duties and port fees, and traded along the California coast."

To read more about what happened to Richardson and the history of Sausalito, visit the city's main website at http://www.ci.sausalito.ca.us/shs/saus-hist/Sausalito%20History.htm.

 

Yellow @ Cascade

Joe's of Westlake's Cascade Room was full of a 1970s crowd that never left. Although the room has been recently renovated, the crowd maintains its contract with time, not cheating even a second of it. You could see some Italian grandfathers with neatly pressed clothes and impeccable hats enjoying a nice meal at Joe's. The Cascade Room provides tranquility for some. But patrons in the Cascade Room do not dine alone.

The two large salt water fish tanks in the room are quite impressive, especially the colorful fish inside. This yellow one is enjoying its privileged place in the world of Italian restaurant aquariums. Joe's is the place to be for everyone. Nemos found daily.  

Stop Clowning Around

When Josh and I stayed at Dan and Evonne's place, they lifted the SF curtain and really showed us what the Bay Area had to offer in terms of dining and ambiance. One of the choice selections they made for us was Joe's of Westlake.

Cristian, Dan, Josh and I visited Joe's of Westlake on a clear Thursday night in SF. Josh and I had an idea of what we were getting ourselves into, but upon arriving at Joe's, I felt like a scene from Goodfellas was about to unfold. This was classic Italian dining with a smooth bar lounge while you wait for the tuxedo-dressed waiter to walk you to your leather dark booth.

I kept looking over my shoulder, waiting for My Cousin Vinny to walk around the Cascade Room (a dining room with two giant salt water fish tanks) or Joe Pesci to ask me what the hell I was laughing at!

While we waited at the bar lounge, a 60-year old waitress that called me "hon" took our orders and quickly returned with our drinks.

At the bar, a 75 year old man was grooving to the jazz music playing live a couple feet from him, but from his corner of the bar, all he could see were the grape-like lamps hanging behind the bartender. I pointed out to Dan that I really liked his hair piece, a smooth dark black, with some pockets of gray hair poking out of the places where the wig didn't reach. Perfect.

Then we had the jazz ensemble, including the chain-smoking and drink-holding middle aged man belching out some tired lyrics...but nonetheless in the moment. Joe's of Westlake is just that kind of place, where you come to see what the neighborhood chaps are up to these days.

The portrait displayed above hangs over the waiting bench in the lobby. So stop clowning around with your olive garden, and get yourself some real food from the old country!

For more information about Joe's of Westlake, visit http://joesofwestlake.com
If you order the Minute Steak Special, medium rare of course, you will not be disappointed. And Ray Liotta would be proud. "Forget about it."



 

Where the Streets Have a Name

During my days in SF, I stayed with some friends at The Villas, a great housing community in the Bay Area. It is here that I discovered this street sign that I thought appropriate to document. Who'd of guessed that I would be staying on my own street!  

The Blue Lady of Moss Beach

After Half Moon Bay Brewery, Dan, Josh and I headed north up the Pacific coast towards Moss Beach. This is a nice hideaway spot for the locals. And when I say locals, I am not just talking about the ones still alive. According to legend, a blue lady graces Moss Beach with her ghostly presence quite frequently.

The following is an excerpt from the Moss Beach Distillery website:

The Moss Beach Distillery is well known for its famous ghost, "The Blue Lady", and the popular NBC TV series "Unsolved Mysteries" recreated a haunting version of "The Legend Of The Blue Lady" and presented it to the world.

According to the ghostly Coastside legend, some 72 years ago a beautiful, young woman met by chance, a handsome dangerous man and fell in love with him. This sophisticated ladies' man was, say some, a piano player in the bar. The naive young woman, always dressed in blue was already married to another but her unsuspecting husband and young son never knew of the illicit affair. She made many trips to the restaurant to be with her lover.

The beautiful lady in blue died in a violent automobile accident and it is here at the Distillery you will now find her searching for her lover.

Many strange events have been documented since that time that can not be explained such as mysterious phone calls from no one, levitating checkbooks, locked rooms from the inside without any other means of entry, women diners losing one ear ring and then several of these are found in one place weeks later, date tampering with computers, sightings by small children. We are glad she is not destructive with her pranks and continue to hear of new events that cannot be explained.

Come visit us for ocean view dining and try to catch a glimpse of the "Blue Lady".

Reservations: (650) 728-5595
140 Beach Way, Moss Beach, CA 94038

For more information visit their website at
www.mossbeachdistillery.com/ghost.html


 

Half Moon Bay & Beyond

My Labor Day Weekend got off to a great start. I arrived in Oakland on Jet Blue, which delivers incredible service considering how cheap the fares are between California cities. From Long Beach to Oakland, the fare is only $69 dollars, and the flight time is a crisp 55 minutes. In Oakland, I took the AirBart for $2 to the nearest BART metro station. At the BART station, I coughed up another $2 to get to Berkeley. The airport lady told me to take the Richmond train, but somehow I ended up in Embarcadero in SF. But I switched trains, crossed the bay, and soon I was at the Jupiter enjoying lunch with Vikas, a friend currently at Boalt.

The Jupiter has awesome pesto chicken pizza with a nice thin crust. Josh met up with us at the Jupiter an hour later, and although we encouraged him to order some pizza, a development that would change all of our perceptions about The Jupiter unfolded. Vikas spotted the critter first. He was looking over my right shoulder, and his eyes said it all. And then he verbalized it.

A big grey rat was working its way down the patio steps in the back of the Jupiter. We were all amazed at how slowly and confidently the rodent was moving. It felt at home in this environment. Vik tried to alert the attention of the wait staff. He eventually got up and went inside to inform them of the new patio guest.

A young asian girl with thick glasses immediately pulled out a take-out box and tried to capture the rat to no avail. The rat slowly turned around, hopped its way up the steps and slid into a narrow rock crevice. The girl with the take-out box sighed in relief, turned around, put the take out box back where she got it from and that was that. Many of the patrons outside, including us, started laughing.

No apologies, and clearly no discounts for witnessing such a rodent invasion. But after all, we were in Berkeley. And then we just decided to order another around of their blonde beer.

The next day Josh, Dan and I headed south towards Half Moon Bay, where the sampler seen here is served to the stranger of the land. The sampler is great if you really want to get a feel for the beer up here. The Half Moon Bay Brewery has outdoor fireside options that keep you warm while you enjoy some of the great menu options. For more information about the Half Moon Bay Brewery, visit http://www.hmbbrewingco.com

The community of Half Moon Bay overlooks the majesty of the Pacific Ocean, as it pounds some of its strongest waves on Maverick's, a place for those surfers that are looking for not only the perfect wave, but the perfect size as well.

"One of the seven natural wonders of the world, a phenomenon somewhere between Tommy Lee's manhood and Angel Falls, Maverick's is that rarest of things: not just a perfect wave and not just a giant wave but a perfect, giant wave. It's rare when a person or place lives up to the hype, but Maverick's really does. To surf it or see it from the channel or the cliffs on a perfect, giant day is to be held in awe of one of the most amazing waves on Earth. Maverick's is, in one overused word, awesome." To read more about Maverick's, visit the following website: www.surfline.com/travel/surfmaps/us/sanfrancisco_monterey/mavericks.cfm