April 29, 2005
Care for a Bowl of Tomatoes?
I love homemade salsa...the smell, the texture, the bite! Especially after its been sitting in the fridge for a few hours and all the flavors start to meld together. I usually use tomatoes, white onion, cilantro and a hearty handful of jalapenos (usually with only half the seeds). Chop it, stir it, serve it. Right? Not so with the urban tribe. When I have dinner with that tight knit group of buddies, I always have to watch out for particular tastes. One person can't stand onions. Another can't stand cilantro. And one of my best girlfriends can't take spicy food. And she's Mexican! So take out the onions, cilantro and jalepenos...what's that leave me with? A big bowl of tomatoes. No one says, "Have some chips and tomatoes!"
Posted by carolyn at 04:19 PM | Comments (1)
April 28, 2005
From Vacuum Cleaners to Rolexes
Went to an alumni event at my business school alma mater last night, where an 81-year-old David Oreck discussed his rise from military aviator to late night vacuum cleaner salesman. You could see the latter was his calling as he bonded with the packed audience, charming them with storytelling and advice. My favorite anecdote was an example he used to demonstrate the value associated with brand strength. Oreck pulled up his jacket sleeve and pointed to his watch. It was one of those black, plastic Casio deals.
"This," he said, "This is a great watch. It tells the time, it tells the date. It's got a chronograph, an alarm, and it's backlit. It's a great watch and it was $59.95."
Big deal, I think. But then he gets me. Because now he pulls up his other jacket sleeve and displays a shining gold watch. "This is a Rolex. It just gives me the time and the date, and I don't think it even keeps very good time. It cost $5000."
Just goes to show, there are people out there willing to pay more for brand prestige. Not everyone, but if there wasn't any profitable demand, Rolex wouldn't be around.
Posted by carolyn at 09:52 AM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2005
Gate Pecking Order
It is common knowledge that there is a pecking order when it comes to boarding a flight. First up the gangway are the elite first class passengers, followed by platinum card-bearing frequent fliers. Well, Travel Rogue has learned a naughty little trick. Apparently, the gate attendant does not check your platinum card status. I have not yet tested this strategy, but it is related to me by a trustworthy source. Even so, I don't understand the appeal of boarding early. Do first class passengers really enjoy watching the underprivledged coach class file past, bumping shoulders, elbows, disturbing newspapers, etc.? Wouldn't it make more sense to have first class passengers board last? Not only for operational efficiency, but also to bestow those passengers with an air of mystique. Passengers shunted to the back of the plane would whisper to each other, "Who's in first?" Additionally, since first class passengers deplane before everyone else, those in coach would never know if they shared the same re-circulated air as some Hollywood celebrity or scandalous politician.
Posted by carolyn at 09:57 AM | Comments (0)
April 24, 2005
A Taste of San Francisco
Woke up this morning to my friend's four-year-old daughter poking my nose and giggling. Ten minutes later, my little sleep nest also contained a two-year-old toddler in SpiderMan jams, complete with webbed wings, and a three-year-old beagle by the name of Lola. Spongebob Squarepants commanded the telly and without coffee or a full eight hours of sleep, my muddled mind was unable to comprehend any of the scene! But it was warm and domestic, and quite possibly the best way to kick off my trip. Later in the day, I re-entered my life as a 30-year-old single city chick, and met up with some friends at Slanted Door, a stunning Vietnamese fusion restaurant in the Ferry Building. The Ferry Building is destination shopping at its finest. The whole building is full of little shops selling cheeses, olive oils, potted herbs and even antique cooking implements! The pitstop at Slanted Door resulted in a tummy full of cellophane noodles and dungeness crab, and little rice dumplings rolled in peanuts, black sesame and coconut. Spectacular, and definitely deserving of a do-over. After lunch, I checked into Hotel Nikko, quickly swapped my heels for my tennies, and hopped on the Powell-Mason trolley for a run to Fisherman's Wharf. Be damned if I don't get a taste of lemon squeezed over freshly steamed crab while standing at the counter of Nick's Lighthouse on Taylor. To counter the guilt of an overly stuffed abdomen, I walked over to Pier 39 to visit with the sea lions. One in particular tugged my heart strings, as he swam around looking for a perch, and when unsuccessful, decided to just take his chances on the nearest floating buoy. Didn't matter that the buoy was already overloaded with sun-bathing lumps of muscled blubber, he jumped right in. The others protested, but he flopped right on top until the sheer weight of his body squished the others to the side and he was cleanly snuggled in the middle. For dinner, off to Butterfly to meet some colleagues. Three glasses of pinot grigio, a meaty yet delicate hamachi sashimi, and a positively heavenly salmon topped with two bites of black truffle. Their scent wasn't as heady as the fresh ones you might find in Rome, but their essence was enough to infuse the fish and its accompaniments with a warm, earthly flavor. Lovely, lovely day.
Posted by carolyn at 01:38 AM | Comments (0)
April 23, 2005
Hello San Francisco
I never realized how much I missed San Francisco until the plane broke through the fog and glided over the bay. Looking out the window, (I still always book the window seat when I can), I caught a glimpse of abandoned Alameda, and the vacant tarmac where I once flung aside a reporter's notebook to have a shot at driving an M1-A1 tank. I still remember the photog winking at me, as he told an enraged Public Information Officer that, "No sir, I did not get that on tape." The green camouflage of the water brings all sorts of memories flooding back from my college years. Years that part of me wants to suppress and part of me wants to re-live. But it also brings back memories of childhood, when a trip to SFO invariably meant that dad was back from a business trip, and hopefully with a pair of wings or a deck of cards finnagled from the flight attendant. What a difference airlines were back in the day! Cards, pins, meals. Today, I was gratified to know that American Airlines spent part of its cash outflow to provide each passenger with a standard issue granola bar.
Posted by carolyn at 01:35 AM | Comments (0)
April 22, 2005
Stuck at the Gate
I'm looking out the window of a McDonnell Douglas S80. Poor thing has seen some better days. The springs of 15F are a bit saggy and the seat pocket in front of me juts out at a crooked angle, catching on my bag and exposing a galaxy of forgotten peanut crumbs. Another American S80, tail number N963TW occupies the slot next to us, surrounded by luggage cars, Gategourmet and the lavatory waste truck. The bustle of activity over there is in stark contrast to the lack of activity at ORD gate H14. My flight out to San Francisco has been delayed for 45 minutes due to "weather conditions as reported by Chicago and Dallas." There are a some young families on board. One mother bravely travels solo with her rambunctious toddler. She speaks to him half in Spanish and half in English, explaining to the couple next to her that children can learn anything. Tabula rasa and such. Bet you anything she'll be unpacking her luggage in Berkeley. Another little blonde boy, just 18 months old, bounces happily on a chair three rows up, giggling while he pushes the Fisher-Price-esque yellow light buttons and that one enticing, orange flight attendant call button. The pilot walks from the cockpit to the rear, what is it about airplanes that always makes men's shoulders broader and their stance taller? Yum.
Posted by carolyn at 01:34 AM | Comments (1)
April 21, 2005
An Evening at Home
Even the Travel Rogue needs to take a break from life every now and then. A quick run to the gym on a stolen lunch hour cleared this evening for a quiet night in. After a brief sidetrip to pick up an order of Chili Mac that I will transport with me to San Francisco this weekend (half turkey, half texas, don't forget the tabasco) so that I have currency to barter for lodging, I make it home by 7:30pm. It's early for me, and yields enough time to watch the sky fade from pink to inky black. I uncork an acceptable, if not challenging, bottle of 2003 Shale Ridge cabernet and successfully pipe Rhapsody to my moody wireless speakers. "So are you wired, or unwired?" my father is fond of asking. After deciding what corporate-wear to bring with me to San Francisco, I curl up on the couch with "Kavalier and Clay". The dishes are clean, the candles are lit. I am ready to seduce myself with wine and a good book. Chabon did a nice job. "Kavalier and Clay" is a comforting read, one that makes you refer again and again to the pithe promotional copy on the back cover. But for once, there is a book review comment that is so adequate it's humorous. "Chabon is a reader's writer; with sentences so cozy they'll wrap you up and kiss you goodnight," quoth the Chicago Tribune. It's a man's guilty read, all about comic books and war, but really, I don't want to stereotype. I just want to turn the pages. I am grasping at a love story somewhere in the plot, but it's so vague and just out-of-reach that I'm oddly satisfied by the game and not the outcome.
p.s. Crap. Only three entries and so far we have a review of Chicago hot dogs, McDonald's, chili and cheap (but acceptable) wine. My palate is clearly not coming across. Note to self: must remedy.
p.p.s. Perhaps I'm pre-menstrual?
Posted by carolyn at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)
A McDonald's with European Flair
Met up with the vagabond urban tribe yesterday, for a hump day excursion to the new Rock 'n' Roll McDonalds on Clark Street in Chicago. What a venue! The graceful, yet massive golden arches dwarfed the Hard Rock guitar signage just east. It is a Mickey D's with European flair. Mosaic granite floors, flat screen video monitors, contemporary bathroom with the ever-trendy vessel sinks and matte stainless steel fixtures...and then on the second floor (accessible via an escalator), little niches where you can suck your french fries while lounging on a black leather Mies van der Rohe chair. Also on the second floor is the McCafe...where you can top off your meal with a latte, cappuccino, cookie, baklava, or scoop of gelato. Yes, McGelato. Who would've thunk? It is very much like the European McDonald's establishments that I've seen, where the emphasis is not on get-in/get-out service, but on the experience of having a meal. It's an odd experience. Especially when you look in the parking lot and see Range Rovers, BMWs and Infinitis. At the McDonald's in my neighborhood, you generally see decade old Caddies with torn upholstery.
Posted by carolyn at 09:26 AM | Comments (1)
April 20, 2005
Chicago: A Haven for Foodies
My kind of town...Chicago is! There is a warmth to this town that fits every yin of my yang. I'm an utter foodie, and Chicago is an absolute paradise for me. Where else can you find a speakeasy converted into a stellar Italian restaurant? It was also in Chicago that I had my first taste of foie gras. I remember the date in fact, Valentines Day 1997. I don't remember who I was with, but I remember that the foie gras was perfectly seared, presented on a simple bed of fricasse, and lightly brushed with a delicate glaze. Oh goodness. Of course, true foodies also swing the other way. Chicago hot dogs are another passion of mine. What other city serves their dogs in poppy seed buns with flourescent green relish, a pickle wedge, tomato slices and celery salt? Chicagoans are smart. They add nutrition to their junk food. Ah, and of course, Garrett's popcorn. I don't have a demanding sweet tooth, but I am irresistably drawn toward Garrett's popcorn. It is entirely worth the half-hour line that often forms on the weekends. If you are ever in Chicago, you absolutely must try the caramel/cheese mix. Ah yes...there's more, much more to come.
Posted by carolyn at 05:38 PM | Comments (0)