Diary of A Mad Life Crisis

Material Girl Photo Shoot

2010-07-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Behind the scenes at the photo shoot for Madonna's Material Girl clothing line with Taylor Momsen as the embodiment of the modern Material Girl.

Why am I posting these? I designed the buttons on the denim.

Check it out at Macy's premiering August 3rd at your nearest Macy's!

Get me my pills!

2010-03-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

O-M-G!!!
Somebody found a way to render bacon, pepper it with spices and puree the whole thing into a spreadable jam! No need to break the skillet out!

This is the end of civilization! A little bit of torture just in time for Holy Week/Passover.

You can order yours here.

I'm getting a case and checking into a hospital.

My Way

2009-05-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

Makio Hasuike and MH WAY.

Makio Hasuike is a Milan based designer of Japanese descent (I think!). He first started designing portfolios for artists, designers and architects back in the eighties.

Now he has a whole line of bags and accessories that are functional, innovative and unique pieces you would be proud to own.

The store on Corso Magenta is small, concise and compact. You will not be able to resist to pick up a couple of things. I certainly didn't!

THE LIBRO LINE

(The LIBRO line)

The first thing that caught my eye is the LIBRO line. It is essentially zipper pouches in varying size and construction that you can assemble together into an urban bag by means of a "ring-strap". I thought this was very clever and very affordable at about $30. Makio uses a lot of synthetic earth-friendly materials and uses leather sparingly (usually as trim).

THE BUCCIA LINE

(Buccia Briefcase)

The Buccia line is inspired by peeling fruit. Laid flat, it remains unassuming until it is zipped up. Then, it achieves shape and volume to become a functional well designed bag. Unzipped, it stores flat and easily stowed.

(Buccia Large Briefcase)

THE ZIP LINE

(Model ZP1 - Simple Briefcase)

Continuing with his fascination with zippers, the zip line features a zipper that outlines the shape of the briefcase - including the handle! It is very light and comfortable. I use this to go on interviews and store my portfolio in it.

(Model ZP1 - Simple Briefcase Handle Detail)

A small magnetic leather "flap" creates a comfortable grip at the handle.

MH Way is also credited with a lot of other innovations including fabric moulding which is now ubiquitous in those cheap luggage you get in small side streets everywhere. He still has more designs and innovations up his sleeve and I think it's only a matter of time before a Target or other mass market retailer gets their hands on this genius.

For more info, click here to visit their website.

La Pelletteria Venezia

2009-04-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

Venetian leather arts.

I passed by this shop on the way to the Fortuny Museum and it caught my eye since it reminded me of those souvenirs from Italy I got as a child which I thought were probably made in Hong Kong.

I saw some stuff that were cool.

(Kiss-lock eyeglass case)

The first thing that caught my eye was the kiss-lock eyeglass case. It had structure but wasn't hard edged. These would make a great minaudiere. It fits small cell phone, cash, credit card and small lipstick.

(Interior detail)

I'm not sure what they do to the interior but they sueded the leather in such a way that it was so dense it almost felt like it had a rubber coating.

I interviewed the shopkeeper, Pagan, who married into the family that manufactured the leather goods. He said while this type of leather is more commonly associated with Florence, their family business has been in Venice for hundreds of years.

(Key-ring coin wallets)

The leather is first painted, then stamped in 22k Gold using stamps that has been in their family for at least 300 years. The stamps reflect what was being traded at the time, which explains the Oriental/Middle Eastern motifs. Then the leather pieces are assembled and finished.

(Detail)

(Pagan and me. That's gelato I'm holding.)

Pagan mentioned that they sold some stuff to Barney's. He said they could not supply large quantities since there are fewer and fewer tradesmen familiar with this technique. In short, it's a dying art.

(Map of La Pelletteria)

I love the way they drew the map of their store in Venice. Very Art Noveau.

Fish!

2009-04-21T01:43:00.000-07:00

Designs by Gaetano Pesce.

FISH Design is a clever play on the artists Italian name (Pesce is fish in Italian).

I caught some of his work at the Mariano Fortuny Museum in Venice.

I picked up a piece very carefully expecting it to be heavy and extremely breakable but to my surprise - it was actually some kind of latex/rubber!

It's not cheap though, a larger piece was around US$500 and the tumbler-size piece was about US$200.

He also has some wearable pieces like a bracelet and ring which looks like ceramic. I think it's amazing that in a place where designs in Glass were developed and flourished that a new medium (latex) is flourishing as well.

Latex seems to be everywhere. I am particularly impressed by the designs of Brazil-based Melissa and Cesare Paciotti's Gelly line:

(Melissa wedge)

(Cesare Paciotti Gelly platforms)

......and I covet the Cesare Paciotti Gelly mocassin! I could use a present right about now - anyone?

(Cesare Paciotti Gelly driving mocassins)

For more on Gaetano Pesce, visit gaetanopesce.com

Fish Design Srl • Viale Lombardia, 23 • 20131 • Milano

Tel +39 02 8945 1099

La Serenissima

2009-04-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

See Venice and die!

Venice is a short trip from Milan (2.5 hours by slow train). It is a very popular day trip for locals and visitors to make. I wish I could stay longer next time. I would be interested to see what Venice is like after the daytrippers leave.

(Venezia Sta. Lucia Station)

Venice is very accessible from Milan Central Station. The Venezia Sta. Lucia Station is right on the water. You can catch a vaporetto (water bus) right outside to take you to St. Mark's Square. We decided to go to the Square (about 40 minutes from the train station) then slowly work our way back to the station to catch our return.

(Venetian waterfront home)

(A venetian vignette)

(Venetian Bridge)

Covered Bridges dot the grand canal on the way to St. Mark's Square.

(Relaxing at the vaporetto)

(Gondola seating)

(Approaching St.Mark's Square)

(St. Mark's lunette showing how they smuggled St. Mark's body into Venice)

When Venice was becoming a prosperous and powerful city, the dukes wanted to have a patron saint and protector for the city. They decided on St. Mark.

Well, the problem was, St. Mark died and was buried in Alexandria in Egypt. The merchants convinced the church in Alexandria to give them the body (they kept the head in Alexandria). Since the Muslim population was growing in Alexandria the Venetians made a good case of having a safe haven for such an important relic away from the infidels.

In order to evade the nosy Muslim customs agents, the Venetian merchants placed the body in a pork barrel since the Muslims would not dare touch it. Et voila! - instant patron saint and shrine!

(St. Mark's Square)

(Café on the square)

(St. Mark's clock tower)

(Souvenir stand)

(Doge palace fountain)

(Golden staircase at the Doge Palace)

The Doge Palace is an amazing structure which housed the Dukes and government of Venice. They had a huge room for Senators (they had about 50 - for such a small city). They also had receiving rooms for dignitaries and map rooms and even a prison! I did not quite understand how the government of Venice was structured but it seemed very complicated and multi-tiered. Aside from a Senate, they had a Council and sub-council and another sub-council to do checks and balances - oy!

(Left, Doge palace. Middle, the Campanile. Right, St. Mark's Dome)

(View from the Bridge of Sighs, with construction)

One of the highlights of the Doge's Palace is crossing the Bridge of Sighs. They call it the Bridge of Sighs because the prisoners who crossed it saw their last glimpse of the glory that is Venice and they heave a sigh. Unfortunately, when I crossed the bridge, the view was obstructed by some construction (neatly covered with murals) so I could only conjure up a half-sigh...

(A typical Gondola pier)

(The winged lion - symbol of St. Mark and Venice)

(At the Fortuny Museum Courtyard)

A great discovery during the trip was the Fortuny museum. This was Mariano Fortuny's workshop, residence and storefront. It houses several of his artwork (his own and his peown personal collection. I saw Delphos dresses up close and his unique hand printed velvet capes, the technique and ink formula of which died with him.

(At the Rialto Bridge)

(Rialto Market)

The Rialto is the traditional market of Venice. If you come early enough, you can see stalls of produce and meat dotting the market area. There are also small eating places around to sample some Venetian cuisine.

(Streets of Venice)

The best thing about Venice is getting lost and discovering small and pretty side streets. We somehow found our way back to the train station using a crude map which I clipped from Travel + Leisure magazine.

Ahhhh, Venice!

A Picnic in the Park

2009-04-19T23:46:00.000-07:00

Sampling the delights of Rosticceria Galli.

We decided to do some shopping away from the city center and we ended up in Corso Vercelli. Unfortunately, a lot of the stores were closed on Sundays.

(At the Rosticceria Galli takeout counter)

All was not lost when we discovered the neighborhood caterer, Rosticceria Galli. Although it looks older, this family run enterprise has only been open some 10-odd years and they sell everything from appetizers, first courses, second courses, pizza, rotisserie chicken and dessert. The locals come here to order full meals or pick up some dishes to round out their family meals. Apparently the place is open all the time including holidays.

We placed our order using our limited Italian coupled with the turo-turo (pointing) method and before you know it, they packaged everything so we can take them with us to the park and have a moveable feast.

(Francesco Baracca Park)

We found this quiet park near the Conciliazione.

(Picnic Benches!)

(Our food neatly packaged and heated for our moveable feast)

The whole meal cost USD50.00 (for two people) and we finished everything!

(Left, Fried Octopus. Right, Fried Calamari)

We started with some fried octopus (salty!) and calamari (tasty!).

(Veal)

We got some veal which was delicious.

(Hand rolled noodles with Shrimp and Olives)

I picked up some hand-rolled pasta with shrimp.

(La Paella)

We also tried some paella, which seemes to be one of the house specialties. The locals seemed to have taken a liking to this Spanish dish and Galli is one of the places that does it well.

(Our unexpected guest)

It did not take long before we had an unexpected guest. The poor dog was drooling at the sight of this food but it broke my heart not to share with the doggy since he obviously had an owner and I did not want to cause an international incident by giving the dog something he shouldn't have!

Karim Rashid for Seven Jeans

2009-04-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

Karim Rashid had a small capsule collection displayed (not for sale) at La Rinascente in MIlan. While I was not able to take pictures, I did note that there were hot pink skinny jeans, a white translucent nylon jacket with neon pink trim, tee's with pink stitching. The colors seem to be white, neon pink and neon lime. The jacket was cute.

Luini Panzerotti

2009-04-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

Recessionista dining in Milan.

One of the delicacies that Milan is famous for is the Panzerotto. This is not originally from Milan but has gained such popularity that the Mayor has given it the Municipal seal of approval. This delicacy is also now popularly identified with Milan.

The place has long lines but they go fast. It's best to know what you want before you hit the counter but, if you are like a deer caught in headlights once you reach the counter, you'll probably be OK taking a chance on any selection.

The panzerotto (panzerotti is plural) is essentially dougnut dough filled with an assortment of fillings (prosciutto & cheese, spinach & ricotta, salami & cheese, spicy cheese - my fave!), then the whole thing is deep fried.

It did not taste greasy at all, sort of like a fried pizza. At around €3 apiece, this could be one of the cheapest meals you will have in Milan!

It also comes in a sweet version. I tried the chocolate and orange and pretty much stuck to this flavor for the rest of the trip. In this case, the dough is more of a shortbread cookie dough. Deeelish!
Luini is located on a small street behind the Duomo close to the upscale department store, La Rinascente.

A Night at the Opera

2009-04-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Il Viaggio a Rheims at the Teatro alla Scala.

(The venerable Teatro alla Scala)

I haven't been to a full-length opera and what better way to experience my first opera than the mecca of operas - the Teatro alla Scala?

(Outside the theatre)

Fortunately, there was an opera playing the night we were there. Il Viaggio a Rheims was on it's last few performances and we hastily purchased (expensive!) tickets. But it all turned out to be worth it.

(At our box seats with my program)

Il Viaggio a Rheims was an opera by Gioachino Rossini, the last he wrote in Italian. He did not intend it to be performed for more than 4 performances since he was also using the music for another opera he was writing. But Charles II of France wanted an opera to commemorate his coronation so this was created just for the occasion.

About the opera: In those days, the coronations were done in Rheims, not in Paris, and this opera chronicles the thwarted attempts of an international array of characters to get their asses to Rheims for the coronation only to find out that the coronation party was making their way back to Paris for additional celebrations.

(Scala grand chandelier)

(Scala interior)

The Teatro alla Scala was smaller than I expected but the acoustics are excellent. We were fortunate to have box seats which we shared with a Japanese family of three. I also did not notice that the booth had super titles for translation until after the intermission.

(Box Seats)

(The super title screen for the English translations)

(The royal procession makes its way to the stage)

The staging of the opera was minimalist and they had large video screens showing the royal procession outside the theatre making their way to the Scala signifying the coronation party's arrival in Paris which I thought was very clever. Also, if you haven't been to the Opera before, or accompanying who hasn't been, it's a good idea to pick a bel canto opera since they are usually filled with pretty melodies and will probably be a short one. This opera had only one intermission and was very easy to watch.

(At last, the royal procession arrives!)

(Curtain call)

(Scala ballroom)

During intermission, they opened up the ballroom for some refreshments which included champagne, light beverages, chocolates and sandwiches. It was very pleasant and not crowded and everyone was gorgeously dressed except for me who looked like I should be picking up the empties and swabbing the floor! Hahaaaa!

Barbie for Kartell

2009-04-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Plastic meets fantastic.

I came across this by accident since the Kartell flagship store was around the corner from our hotel in Milan.

It was Kartell's 60th anniversary and Barbie's 50th so the two icons of plastic came together and came up with the Barbie line for Kartell (purveyor of the famous Ghost chair among others).

(Kartell Flagship, Via Turati, Milan)

There were some Italian design celebrities at the opening who I was not familiar with (how sad).

(Kartell Event Lounge)

They set up a lounge outside the store for the opening event. This was right before the big Milan Furniture Show.

(Barbie Ghost chair, Barbie Charles stool, and Bougie lamp)

They created a special edition pink Barbie Ghost Chair with a vintage sketch of Barbie on the seat back and a special edition PINK Bourgie lamp.

(Barbie Ghost Chair)

(Barbie Girl in her Barbie World)

They also had window displays with life-size Barbies wearing vintage Moschino set among other Kartell iconic furniture.

(Skipper with Gnome table)

(Barbie with green Charles stool. normaluisa flats are on the green rolling cart)

(Barbie with original Ghost Chair)

(Barbie with Mademoiselle Chair & normaluisa flats on the blue cubes)

(Barbie's Pink Fiat)

They also had a Barbie Pink Fiat parked outside the store. I would have driven off with it but I don't drive shtick!

(Barbie Pink Fiat)

(Pink Shoes)

One of the guest was wearing her Barbie Pink shoes with her LBD. The Kartell store also sold pink and white plastic ballerina flats by normaluisa, available exclusively only at the Kartell flagship store in Via Turati, Milan.

(Barbie inspired shopping ensemble)

Later, I hit the recessionista and OFW shopping haven - Via Corso Buenos Aires with my Barbie inspired pink shirt and pink bag shopping tote.

One Day Wonder

2009-04-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

Milan sightseeing in one day.

Being a recently inducted recessionista, I was determined to do minimal shopping in Milan and take my fill of sightseeing instead. Well, as they say, resistance is futile. Milan is the Lourdes of shopping so the sooner you can get the sightseeing out of the way, the better! Of course, I jest. Milan may not be as pretty as it's other Italian counterparts like Firenze and Roma, it's still just as interesting and charming. And those with stronger sales resistance will have a field day as well as the pilgrim shoppers.

(Milano Centrale Station)

The Central Station is a good start since you can reach most, if not all, of Milan from here. This was the station that Mussolini built. Aside from being known as Il Duce, he was famous for making the Italian trains run on time.

(Giardini Pubblici)

The Public Gardens or Giardini Pubblici is a welcome respite with plenty of shady tree lanes and a dog park. This is one of the oldest parks in Europe and was built on the site of two monasteries. You can reach Corso Buenos Aires (read as: shopping!) from one of the corners.

(Teatro alla Scala)

If you are an opera fan, you must make a stop and worship at Teatro alla Scala. The theatre does not look like much but if you can catch an opera here, it's really worth the time and money. All the opera greats have performed here like Callas, Pavarotti and Domingo.

(Duomo Cathedral)

Literally at the center of Milan is the Duomo Cathedral. It took 600 years to build this church and it looks like they forgot to build a bell tower. The city radiates from this point.

(Duomo Interior)

The interior is very serene and services were actually being held as well-behaved tourists walked along the perimeter.

(View from the Duomo spires)

The church has more than 100 spires each topped by a saint. The tallest spire is topped by a gold leaf Madonnina, the patron of the city of Milan. Not to be confused with Madonna, patron saint of Malawi.

You can climb to the top of the spire via stairs or elevator. We took the stairs for €5 fee.

(Duomo Piazza)

This is the amazing view of the piazza from the very top of the Duomo. To the right is the temple of shopping, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

(Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II)

One of the oldest malls in the world, this atrium style shopping paradise has Gucci, Prada and Louis Vuitton among its illustrious tenants.

(The Little Bull)

One of the lovely mosaics on the floor is the famous Little Bull. It is said that if you step on the bulls balls with your heel and spin around, you will have good luck. I hope it works, even though, I'm wearing my $23 plastic ShoeMart shoes (hey, don't judge!)

(Louis Vuitton at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II)

(McCafe at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II)

It may be appalling for some to see a McCafe accross from Louis Vuitton and Prada. The Filipino staff at the counter were very nice though.

(Castello Sforzesco)

The Castello Sforzesco is were the dukes of Milan lived. Another famous resident is Leonardo Da Vinci who lived here for some time. He designed a canal system for transporting material to build the Duomo, among other things.

(Castello Sforzesco Courtyard)

(Santa Maria della Grazie)

For all you Da Vinci Code fans, this church might look familiar. The Santa Maria della Grazie contains the famous Last Supper by Da Vinci. If you would like to see the fresco, you would have to book waaaaay in advance. They only allow 25 people per hour to view the painting to control the humidity since the painting is deteriorating fast.

(Santa Maria della Grazie)

(Bar Magenta)

You may want to conclude your sightseeing at one of the local bars for an aperitivo. It's basically happy hour where the price of the drink doubles but you get some chichetta or little bites with your drink. Some places have unlimited buffet while the Bar Magenta gives you one small plate per drink. It's a lovely little Art Noveau bar southeast of the Duomo on Corso Magenta.

(Streets of Milan)

Now, you're ready to hit the stores!!! (If you haven't already)

Other places you may want to check out if you have the time:

+ Pinacoteca Brera and the Brera District

+ Navigli district nighlife

+ Da Vinci Museum

+ Fiero Milano

+ Meoseo dell' Ottocento

+ Venice

Buon Giorno, Milano!

2009-04-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, Milan!

(Milan Malpensa Airport)

Milan has two airports, Malpensa and Linate. Linate, the older of the two is closer to the city and usually used for domestic flights. Malpensa is 40 minutes away by train (about €85 by taxi – yikes!) and is considered the international airport. There is a train that takes you direct to one of the major stations in Milan (Cadorna) from which you can take a cab or Metro to anywhere in the city. The Malpensa costs a very reasonable €11.

The Malpensa Express traverses the lovely Italian countryside which turns into mad greyness as you near the city. Milan is not the prettiest of the Italian cities I've been to. I was surprised to see how large the city was. I was thinking I could just leisurely traipse along one side of the town to the other but that would only be possible if I traipsed in a limo with a good supply of Cristalle on hand.

Here's some advice. DO NOT take the Metro or bus once you arrive in Cadorna if you are carrying luggage. Even the locals get confused exiting the Metro so you can just imagine the horrors of negotiating the labyrinthine paths and multiple steps of the Metro with heavy luggage.

The first conversation I overheard as soon as I got into the Metro train was:

“Nakabili ka na ba ng sili para sa pinakbet?”

Yes, Milan is teeming with OFW's (Overseas Filipino Workers), which gives one a nice warm feeling in a strange city full of strangers. I guess Milan is Manila spelled backwards (forwards and sideways).

One thing I find really nice about Milan is that it was more diverse than I expected. There were Asians, Pakistani, Indians, Africans, assorted Euros and those wonderful Italians! I quickly found out that not all Italians are cute (a lot of them are) but always charming.

Another thing about Milan, in my opinion, is that it has a strong American influence in fashion and lifestyle. I'm not sure if we influenced Milan or Milan influenced America. I find that they dress impeccably and conservatively for business and those I've seen in casual dress makes me feel I never left Los Angeles. There was grunge, skate, california surf, goth, rock, tween madness everywhere. And you can easily shop for the look as well in the myriad stores that dot the city.

Milanese also dine earlier than I expected. I found out that people dined around 8pm here (like in the US). Whereas, when I was in Spain, 9pm was considered early dinner. I was hard pressed to find restaurants that served past 11pm, save for the Chinese restaurant that served spaghetti alongside the usual Chinese fare.

The Delta English Experience

2009-04-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

La nouvelle In-flight dining experience

(Todd English)

I was thrilled to see that there was a Todd English Meal option on board Delta Airlines. While I missed the opportunity to dine at Fig when I was in Boston, this was the perfect opportunity to have a taste of the cuisine English.

There was only one option available, the mushroom orzo. But considering the alternative (turkey sandwich) it was a fairly good bet.

(Mushroom Pea Orzo by Todd English)

From the menu: "Orzo Pasta with a medley of Diced Red onions, Green Peas, Sautéed Button nd Shitake Mushrooms, Chopped Parsley, Zest of Lemon and Shredded Parmesan Cheese accented with Kalamata Olives, Romaine Heart Leaves, and Pita Bread."

The verdict? It's OK. There were burst of flavor here and there possibly hampered by the limits of airline food preparation. Anyway, Todd is so cute I'll eat anything he feeds me! It cost $8 (same as the turkey sandwich). It's great to see Delta have guest chefs on the menu.

(Rande Gerber)

Another contributing celebrity to the Delta dining experience is Rande Gerber (I don't care what you say, he'll always be Mr. Cindy Crawford to me). Rande contributes two cocktails – a margarita and a “mile high” mojito. I don't really like to drink on long haul flights so I did not get to try it.

(Delta economy class amenities)

Delta has a limited amount of economy class amenities. It consists of an eye mask, earphones and ear plugs. It is a snazzy shade of red, though.

Viaggio a Milano

2009-04-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

A recessionista takes on Milan.

“How can we go, we haven't got a dime? But we're going, and we're gonna have a happy time!”

My friend and benefactor suggested we go to Milan for my birthday. He picked the most favorable dates based on an ancient Chinese calendar. That's when I quoted him the aforementioned lines from an old Carmen Miranda and Andrews Sister's song.

With my business reeling from the effects of the American recession, I certainly had the time but very little means to get my ass and my standard-issue 40 pieces of luggage to Milan for a week at the financial and fashion capital of Italy (read “shopping”).

Well, I'm not exactly sure how “The Secret” works but apparently, the universe wanted me to go to Milan as well, so, armed with my old expiring airline points with additional points supplied by my benefactor, it worked out nicely.

I was given a budget for a hotel, and while it certainly was not enough for the Le Meridien, Bulgari, Principe Savoia or the Westin Palace, I located a nice family owned hotel right by the Public Gardens. By all accounts it looked tacky, but hey, I'm getting my ass to Milan and I'm not complaining!

And we're off!

The Next Best Thing

2009-04-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

In praise of the potty topper.

This is the coolest thing for using public bathrooms.
It was actually created for lil' kids but adult asses can use this too.

I was going to steal some of those flimsy paper toilet seat covers at Starbucks for an upcoming trip until I ran into these potty topper seat covers.

It's Genius!

It;s not GREEN, though....

This is the underside. It's coated with a thin film of plastic.

There are also two sticky things to keep the cover in place while you struggle to make a deposit.

These are not flushable, so save yourself the embarrassment of overflow by trashing this on your way out.

The top side is some sort of sueded paper to carress and comfort your bottom. It is printed with a pleasant pattern to put you in the mood.

Shown above is the Disney Princess pattern. I heard there was a DORA the Explorer version. There is nothing I want more than to sit on Dora's face.

Avenue Q

2009-04-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

At Segerstrom Hall, Orange County.

I missed this show when it went on tour in Los Angeles about 2 years ago so I was determined not to miss this go-around at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's (or OCPAC) Segerstrom Hall. It's a 1 1/2 hour drive from where I live and involves crossing 3 freeways.

(Box Office)

At least two of the original cast members from Broadway was in the show and at least one from the Vegas run at the Wynn.

(Breezeway from parking lot to Segerstrom Hall)

The OCPAC is an amazing and inspiring space that seems to be holding up well against the test of time.

(Henry Moore sculpture)

They have a Henry Moore! Not sure about the donor's list on the base though. They could have moved that to the back of the piece. Nobody wants to see that. I don't care if you put in money to buy this piece or helped build this place, you should just give the money and shut up. I mean, if you're not giving enough money to have the place named after you, then just go spend your money on a tiara.

(This is a sculptural piece built into the architecture)

(Interior of Tier 3 Row L seat 134)

The interior is not your regular seating. It's built on a Tier system instead of the regular orchestra, mezzanine and balcony configuration. The best way I can describe it is like slices of pizza haphazardly stacked together.

(Striking a pose at the mirrored grand staircase)

Finding Fashion

2009-03-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Accidental discoveries at the Norton Simon Museum.

I was not prepared for the immense volume of art at the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. The collection boasts a wide range of art pieces from prominent artists such as Van Gogh, Zurbaran, Degas, Matisse, Rodin, to mention a few.

As I walked through the galleries, I realized that the collection is a rich source of fashion inspiration. Here's a sampling:

(Patience Escalier by Vincent Van Gogh)

A jaunty little summer hat for spring/summer.

(Harmony in Blue by Henri Matisse)

On Trend for 2009: Sheer!

(The Black Shawl by Henri Matisse)

On Trend for 2009: Lace!

(Autumn: Chestnut Gatherers by Georges Lacombe)

Perfect for Fall 2009 color palette.

(Saint Francis by Francisco de Zurbaran)

Hoody!

(Homage to the Square by Josef Albers)

Hermés recently did a scarf line based on Alber's work.

(Jeanne Hebuterne by Mondigliani)

Jeanne was Mondigliani's wife and frequent model. Mondigliani died at age 33 from tubercular meningitis and the next day, Jeanne threw herself out of their 5th storey apartment. She was nine months pregnant with their child.

(Detail from works by Tocqué, left and Rubens, right)

Lovely rich fabrics and embroidery.

(not identified, sorry!)

Wear it now: Bubble skirt!

(Music by Jean-Honoré Fragonard)

Her yellow dress is on trend for color and she's trying to rock the one-shoulder look but either she's having some fit problems or she's an exhibitionist.

(Portraits by Rembrandt, left and Verspronck, right)

On Trend for 2009: Ruffles!

(Joerg Fugger by Giovanni Bellini)

I love this collar treatment!

(Baron de Mortarieu by Ingres)

This is the hottest guy in the museum! Love the crisp tailoring and I'm still trying to figure out the collar. This guy eventually became mayor of his town and the medals were painted in later.

(Young Man with Red Beret by Jan Lievens)

The proper way to wear a kaffiyeh.

(Ragpicker by Edouard Manet)

Dressing like this was anathema in the 19th century, but this is totally acceptable today. I mean, maybe clean denim jeans and a crisp white shirt. Viva boho chic!

The Norton Simon has a great detailed website, click here.

La Balanga 1975

2009-03-30T18:43:00.001-07:00

Roberto Cavalli, isdatchu?

"La Balanga" was the Bimbo Jet Band's successful follow-up to their worldwide dance hit "El Bimbo". These songs were further popularized in the Philippines by it's own specific and unique dance steps, probably concocted by the local record company, which involved holding hands and making circles in the air. Ask me to show you sometime.

This is the first time I've seen this video from French television on YouTube.

It's an explosion of animal prints. Grrrowl!

It's important to note that Roberto Cavalli rose to prominence around this time.

Hmmm.... are these Cavalli's handiwork?

Then there is the lone male dancer to add a dose of testosterone (who are they kidding!) to the scene.

Afros and cutouts everywhere! Cavalli gone wild!

To view the whole video, click here.

Be sure to wear your Happy Slip!

2009-03-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

This girl is punny www.happyslip.com

Mi Piace 2009

2009-01-25T22:46:00.000-08:00

Pasadena, California.

I'm sorry to report that this is now my FORMER favorite Italian restaurant.

What Happened?

I haven't been back in a year and I don't understand how the taste and quality of the food just plummeted.

For one thing, this restaurant was not as crowded as it usually is. Is that a bad sign? There was hardly any wait and the outside tables were not cleaned (dirty dishes and all!) and remained un-touched for the duration of our dinner.

Then, the table next to ours ordered a Cinzano and they didn't have any. So he ordered a shot of Martini & Rossi Red and a shot of Martini & Rossi White in a glass with ice and a twist of lemon. The waitress came back with a tumbler of M&R red and another tumbler of M&R white. Shit! He repeated the order three times! I could have gone behind the bar and did that myself!

Also, I'm noticing that the food tastes ASIAN! Not that there's anything wrong with that, but, if I wanted Asian food, I would not go to an Italian restaurant.

Let's start with some calamari.

The calamari was still tasty, generously portioned with plenty of heads which I likey. Traditionally served with marinara sauce, this one arrived with a sweet and sour sauce which I thought was unusual but nevertheless refreshing. And eerily Asian!

(Mi Piace Chicken)

Neil ordered his usual Mi Piace signature chicken dish which is chicken with bell peppers and angel hair pasta. He had no complaints about it. I tasted it. I swear it almost tasted like chow mein! I felt like dousing it with some calamansi and soy sauce to complete the experience!

(Shrimp and Calamari Fra Diavolo)

I ordered the Fra Diavolo with Shrimp and Calamari. The verdict: It was MEDIOCRE! I could have done the same thing at home with a bottle of store-bought spaghetti sauce. The dish was way too salty and not spicy. It did not have the depth of flavor I remember the last time I ordered it. Really sad.

(Espresso Bread Pudding)

For dessert, I wanted the usual Tiramisú. They were out (it was not even 7pm). What should I get? Mango cake or Coconut cream pie? (These were really on the dessert menu).

Thankfully, they had Espresso Bread Pudding which was great, especially the choco-caramel sauce. Of course, now I'll be awake till 3 in the morning.

On the bright side, the search is on for the next great favorite Italian restaurant. Any suggestions?

Year of the Ox

2009-01-25T20:14:00.000-08:00

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

We're finally putting that horrible Year of the Rat behind us! Here's to a more stable year of the Ox!

Pictured above is a detail from Roelandt Savery 's (Dutch, 1576-1639) Landscape with Ruins and Animals from the Norton Simon Museum's permanent collection.

Best Commercial. Ever.

2009-01-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

YSL JAZZ, 1986

Of all the commercials that I've seen since we got our state-of-the-art 13" SONY Trinitron Color TV in the (ahem!) 70's, this one influenced my style the most. I still want to dress like this, move like this and sing C'est Si Bon. This was from 1986 and directed by Jean Baptiste Mondino starring Naomi Campbell. I still remember standing in front of the video display at The Broadway Department Stores watching this over and over.

Every frame is a style statement:

View the complete commercial here.

That Bad Eartha

2009-01-02T23:10:00.001-08:00

Eartha Kitt, 1927-2008

I received the news of Eartha's death over Christmas Day lunch. I remember her most for singing Waray-Waray (which I heard was taught to her by Sylvia La Torre) and which she included in her concert repertoire up until her recent death. I was planning to see her concert in San Francisco in May of this year, but I guess not!

Speaking of Waray- Waray, here is what she says about the song and the most famous Waray of them all (excerpted from the CD, Eartha at the Cafe Carlyle):

"Now this is a song that I learned while I was travelling in the Philippine Islands. And my daughter and I used to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Marcos. And sometimes she would come here (in New York at the Cafe Carlyle) and she would sit somewhere in this area, and she would yell out - Eartha! Sing Waray-Waray! This was one of her favorite songs. But of course, she always insisted on singing right along with me!"

She will be missed!

Saveur December 2008

2008-12-07T00:57:00.000-08:00

I got this copy of Saveur after I read about it in MarketMan's blog.

I haven't read through the whole article by Robyn Eckhardt but it looks pretty extensive coverage including recipes. I wonder how the recipe testers of Saveur reacted to bagoong.

I think the article fails to mention the regional varieties of Adobo. Being from the south, I was raised on "wet" adobo or adubaw. But growing up in Manila, I enjoyed "dry" adobo, specially pork.

The Front Porch

2008-11-26T12:52:00.000-08:00

An autumn evening in Ogunquit.

One of the few places to go for a great dinner and entertainment in Ogunquit (in November) is The Front Porch right in the village.

(The Front Porch)

The building used to be a pharmacy. Now it's a restaurant/cafe, bar/lounge and piano bar. The ground floor houses the cafe and bar and upstairs is the piano bar/lounge where they have live entertainment. Khris Francis usually performs and he is very funny and raunchy.

(The Front Porch Menu)

The menu is covered in cork and has a great logo.

(Main dining hall and fireplace)

The dining room is quite cozy and filled with autumnal ambience.

(Spring rolls)

We started with some spring rolls. Very tasty!

(Salmon with chopped salad)

I had the salmon salad. The salmon was well seasoned and it was a huge portion.

(Trout and lobster croquettes with cauliflower gratin)

Neil had a decadent version of fish and chips made with trout served with cauliflower gratin and lobster croquettes.

(Lobster croquettes)

The lobster croquettes was something else! New Englanders seem to like their seafood fried and battered.

My Very First Maine Lobster

2008-11-23T13:00:00.000-08:00

Rocking the lobster.

At one end of the Marginal Way is Perkins cove. What better place to grab a taste of the famous Maine lobsters!

Jackie's, Too restaurant in Perkins Cove is right on the water. Fisherman dock at their terrace to sell them the day's catch.

5 Preparing for the feast with the lobster bib ritual.

5 One and a quarter pounds of lobster-y goodness!

The lobster was fresh and tasty. The sweet-fresh meat was laced with the briny taste of the ocean and was further enhanced by the richness of the accompanying lemon-butter sauce.

Bon Appetit!

The Marginal Way of Ogunquit

2008-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

A walk in the clouds.

The Marginal Way was a gift to the people of Ogunquit given by Josiah Chase in 1923. It is currently a paved path alongside the cliffs of Ogunquit. You can pick it up from the town and walk all the way to Perkins Cove.

5 Part of the Marginal Way

5 Posing at the mini lighthouse along the path

The path has fantastic views of crashing waves, the Ogunquit beach and nearby cities.

5 Crashing waves on the rocky coast

5 One of the gorgeous private residences along the path

There are gorgeous houses along the way. The path is peppered with bayberries, roses and twisted trees and curiosities like a mini-lighthouse.

5 Another private residence

5 And yet another private residence

5 Striking a Hollywood pose by the twisted trees

It's an easy walk but if you get tired, there are about thirty memorial benches along the way where you can sit and enjoy the view.

Lighthouses

2008-11-21T13:00:00.002-08:00

The lighthouses of Maine.

Maine is a treasure trove of lighthouses with more than 60 lining it's coast. Looking back, we did miss a couple along the way.

(Portland Head Light)

The most photographed lighthouse in the world is Maine's oldest lighthouse called the Portland Head Light. It's located in a park where you can take food and picnic. It's also one of the few that you can see up close and personal and has a museum which appears to be closed for the season by the time we got there.

(The wreck of the Annie Maguire at the Porland Head Light)

There is a wreck of an old ship just off to the side of the lighthouse. (Just how effective is this lighthouse?) Maine's coast is very rocky so the lighthouses are an absolute essential to ships navigating along the coast.

(Two Lights Light House)

Very close by to the Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth is the Two Lights lighthouse. It's called Two Lights because there used to be two of these almost next to each other. Like a matched set! Except, I think the other one was put out of commission. I believe this one standing is made of cast iron and is privately owned so you can only view it from afar.

This light house was painted by the artist Edward Hopper and was the first light house featured in a US Postage Stamp.

(Nubble Light House in York, Maine)

The most dramatic lighthouse we saw was the Nubble Light in York, Maine. It was a very stormy late afternoon when I snapped the photos.

(Me in front of the Nubble Light House)

As you can see, the light is pretty visible through the bad weather.

Visiting The Mother Ship

2008-11-20T19:00:00.000-08:00

Freeport, Maine - the home of LL Bean.

We arrived at Freeport around 5 pm and it was dark already. The streets are filled with Outlet Shops. It's not a standard mall layout but more like shopping on Main Street USA except all the stores are outlet stores.

The LL Bean group of stores consists of a giant regular price retail store and an outlet store directly across. There are LL Bean specialty shops (like hunting or fishing) scattered in between.

(The LL Bean flagship store in Freeport Maine)

(Bust of Leon Leonwood Bean, founder of LL Bean)

(The famous LL Bean tote bag in a jaunty stripe and zipper top)

I'm not really into LL Bean clothes, although they are well made and last forever. I am into their tote bags, which are also well made. The outlet carried a wide variety and you can even take them to the regular store and have them monogrammed. Sweet!

Andy's

2008-11-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

Cheap eats in Portland, Maine.

Passing through Portland, we found ourselves in the tourist-y area of Commercial Street. It's a mix of grimy bar and grills, moderate restaurants and nice looking shops as well as the usual seafood restaurants by the water.

Given that, I was expecting all sorts of tourist traps. Then we ran into Andy's Old Port Pub. Andy's is a bar and grill with what looks to be a happening bar in the evening with live musical entertainment.

(Andy's Old Port Pub)

(Catfish with Beans and Rice)

They were offering $5 specials which included one item (from a special menu) plus beer or soda. I picked catfish with beans and rice plus a diet Coke. Not bad, the portion was small but just right for the middle of the afternoon.

(Whoopie Pie!)

I finished the meal by going across the street to Portland Coffee Roasting Company and had my first taste of a Whoopie Pie. It's basically a large fat Oreo cookie and comes in several varieties. I had Chocolate with mocha filling. Yum!

Fall Colors 2008

2008-11-19T02:48:00.000-08:00

Snapshots from Maine.

Ogunquit is a great starting point to drive through all the little towns along the southern coast of Maine.

These were taken on the drive to Portland, Maine passing through the towns of Kennebunkport, Saco and Wells.

Distant Sands

2008-11-16T02:48:00.001-08:00

On to Ogunquit.

Ogunquit (pronounced "o-GUN-quit") means "coastal lagoon" in Abenaki Indian but it could just as well mean "Beautiful Place By The Sea" (also the city's motto).

Ogunquit is a small town on the southern coast of Maine and is about 1-2 hours north of Boston.

We booked ourselves a room at the Distant Sands guest house, only because the town pretty much shutters down after the summer peak season and this was one of the few places that was open in November.

5 The Distant Sands Bed and Breakfast

5 The Distant Sands sign (left) and Innkeeper Bob Rush (right)

It turned out to be a great choice.

The place is competently run by Innkeeper Bob Rush who was a most wonderful, charming and informative host (and cute!). Bob seems to know when you need to be alone by yourself or if you need information or simply chat. Bob left the corporate life to run this B&B and used to work under Ivana Trump at the Trump Castle in New Jersey.

Bob also prepares the most wonderful breakfasts. For the three days that we were there, we never had the same breakfast twice and they were all hearty and delicious!

5 The main living room with woodburning stove. Perfect for relaxing or fireside chats

5 The Breakfast Room

5 Muffins and coffee at the 2nd floor landing (left) and staircase (right)

The Distant Sands have five updated guest rooms in what used to be an 18th century farmhouse. I hope to come back and find out the stories behind the rooms. Your day starts with some coffee and muffins that Bob puts out at 7am for the early risers. The Big Breakfast starts after 8:30 AM.

5 Part of the back patio and the public land that provides the property with a view of the beach

The property is small but it abuts a field that is protected land for public use, which means that no commercial structure of any kind can be built on it so it provides an unobstructed view straight to the ocean from the back patio. Not only does it provide a great view, but in the summer, the residents plant fruit and vegetables on the property that they gladly share with Innkeeper Bob who in turn shares it with his guests. There are Apple trees on the property that were still bearing fruit when we were there.

5 The apple tree bearing fruit

5 The path to the beach

There is a small charming pathway to the beach from the B&B that was ablaze with fall colors.

5 View of the beach from the footbridge

The Ogunquit beach looks completely serene and abandoned in November. It's completely different in the summer when every square inch of beach is occupied by summer tourists. During high tide, the beach almost completely disappears.

For some peace and quiet, fall is a great time to visit. The place is completely desolate in the winter and comes alive again in the spring and summer.

Quincy Market, Boston

2008-11-16T02:30:00.000-08:00

The birth of the mall.

Quincy Market is one of the first covered markets in the United States, sort of like the grand diddy of the modern mall.

5 Quincy Market

As you can imagine, markets in the early days were open-air markets. It must have looked something like the palengke in Malabon.

5 Faneuil Hall with the statue of Samuel Adams

Quincy Market is actually an off-shoot of Faneuil Hall (rhymes with Daniel) and named after Boston mayor, Josiah Quincy. Faneuil Hall had a market on the ground floor and a meeting hall on the second floor where many American Patriots voiced out their views on reform and sowed the seeds of the American Revolution.

Quincy Market was further expanded by two more buildings to its left and right, or what is now known as the North Market and South Market. Quincy Market was slated for demolition in the 70's but was saved by preservationists and developed into a mall with the central building converted into a food court.

5 The Food Court interior

The Quincy Market food court is a long and narrow gallery with fast food stalls galore. The stores pretty much cover the major cuisines of the world including India and Thailand. Sorry, no adobo here.

5 Boston Chowda's busy storefront

We picked Boston Chowda for some, what else, Boston Chowder! I don't think I've had a bad cup of chowder in the New England area. The clams are always tender and juicy, not tough and dried out as it is in the west coast.

5 Boston Chowda graphics

5 My Tuna Salad and Lobster Bisque lunch

The second floor has some dining tables and a vaulted dome and brick walls.

5 Second floor dining area

5 Outside the Quincy Market food court

5 Neil is happy to be on the East Coast

The Quincy Market is on the Freedom trail and close to the water. The waterline used to be just outside of Faneuil Hall but was filled in to it's current square footage.

It's a great place to get reasonably priced food in a wonderful historic setting.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts

2008-11-13T23:43:00.000-08:00

Treasures from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts is on my list as one of the best museums to visit in the US. They let you take photos in the museum (no flash of course) and it's a great space to view all the art.

The main entrance was closed due to construction. We go through the side entrance which has a modern mid-century look.

5 One of the Asian galleries

They have a great Asian collection. It's wonderfully displayed.

5 European Painting gallery

The European gallery is a tight collection that has representations of the great artists from Europe. They have a Van Gogh, El Greco, several Velasquez and some Zurbarans. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has a Zurbaran as well.

5 Van Gogh

5 Zurbaran - let's go shopping!

Balenciaga (Cristobal, not Nicholas Ghesquiere) was heavily influenced by Zurbaran's paintings. They usually have ecclesiastical themes with wonderfully draped figures in religious vestments.

5 Renoir and Degas

Most of the paintings in their European collection came from the collections of prominent Bostonians.

5 A very sexy "Automedon with Achilles' Horses" by Henri Regnault

The best part of the museum is the American collection. Some great American artists are featured here more than any other museum. They have a large collection of John Singleton Copley (a native Bostonian), John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer.

5 Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley and the famous Revere Liberty bowl. Paul looks like Bob Hope.

5 Samuel Adams by John Singleton Copley who looks nothing like the picture on the famous beer.

5 TWO WOMEN BY COPLEY

Ann Tyng (left) and Mercy Otis (right) looks to me like two women of the same social class from the same period. Ann looks sinister and painted to seem like a devil with a headress that give the appearance of horns and holding what could be construed as a trident. She is also dressed more daring than Mercy who seems to be the very picture of a virtuous woman. They could easily have been the Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly of their time. Hmmmm...interesting.

5 One of John Singer Sargent's society portraits (left) and the sexiest Arab man (right) in the collection.

5 An Edward Hopper. This could easily be a match print for "Nighthawks" in the Art Institute of Chicago.

Around the corner is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum which is also another great museum. It houses the collection of Isabella Gardner who placed evey item in the museum with a proviso that the collection not be touched or altered in any way. Unfortunately, they had a huge theft in 1990 (the loot included a Vermeer) so security is tight and absolutely no photos allowed.

Boston Hotels

2008-11-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

Boutique and Grand Hotels in Boston.

Boston has a profusion of new boutique hotels and Grand Hotels that never fail to impress with it's opulence.

5 Ian Schrager's Morgans is opening up a branch next year!

5 Nine Zero is another boutique Hotel that is on the Freedom Trail

5 The pebble-wash at the front of Nine Zero Hotel has the word "relax" embedded in brass which was a nice touch.

5 The Fairmont Copley Plaza on Copley Square. This was formerly the Museum of Fine Arts and was converted into a hotel in 1912.

5 The sumptuous and opulent lobby. John Kerry had his election night festivities here.

5 What's this? A stray dog?

5 It's Catie Copley! The Official Ambassador of the Fairmont Copley Plaza. She represents the hotel in public functions like store openings and community events. You can also take her out for walks (she has an appointment book). And she's available for a friendly chat and free hugs right at her station in the lobby!

Emmets

2008-11-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

Exploring Bar Food in Boston.

Someday, I'd like to do an entry just on the bar food that is available in Boston. Boston has a lot of Pubs and Bars, some of which are really old venerable establishments with a wide variety of food that is served along with the myriad beers that are made in Boston (Samuel Adams comes to mind).

Emmets is located on a quiet street and is a typical Irish Pub with wooden panels and "Ye Olde Victoriana" decor.
It has a very inviting storefront, a welcoming atmosphere and friendly service.

The food is fairly simple with some wonderful surprises like mussels and other local seafood. The menu is peppered with old favorites such as burgers and chicken wings listed alongside curry, spring rolls and quesadillas without feeling TGIFridays.

5 Turkey Club with Fries

5 Mussels in Garlic and White Wine

Emmets is on 6 Beacon Street, Beacon Hill, Boston.

Harvard in 23 Minutes

2008-11-11T12:30:00.000-08:00

College is a breeze!

We thought we'd take a peek at Harvard before we headed back to the airport not realizing we didn't really have that much time so here goes!

00:01

00:02

00:04

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00:09

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00:21

00:23 Done!

The Boston Public Library

2008-11-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

Read it and weep.

The Boston Public Library is the first library in the United States that was built with public funding and the first library to lend books for free.

5 Side view of the Boston Public Library

The current building in Copley Square was designed by the famed architectural firm McKim, Mead and White who also designed Penn Station, Madison Square Garden and the Morgan Library in New York.

5 Facade with Bela Pratt's sculpture of Science on the left.

There are two statues on the platform by Bela Pratt. One is Science and the other is Art. The facade is flanked by gothic looking sconces that are at once sinister and majestic.

5 The sconces

5 The Grand Staircase

The central staircase is flanked by two lions created by Louis St. Gaudens and murals of the muses by Pierre Puvis De Chavannes.

5 Pierre Puvis De Chavaness mural.

5 Bates reading room

The reading room has amazing vaulted ceilings and large windows. One can't help but think that this is what a library should look like.

5 The Abbey Room

This library has a ballroom (actually called the Abbey Room but I'd like to have a party there someday so let's call it the ballroom). The murals of "The Quest For The Holy Grail" by American artist Edwin Austin Abbey surrounds the room.

5 The Courtyard

There is a wonderful Italianate courtyard with galleries that are perfect for sitting and reading a book or having a snack. It's very quiet and peaceful.

5 The Novel Restaurant

They have several choices for eating including a formal dining room called Novel. It seems empty as people seem to prefer the more casual snack bar right next to it.

5 John Singer Sargent Gallery

The Boston Public Library has a whole gallery that has murals by John Singer Sargent. It depicts scenes from Judeo-Christian history and Sargent worked on a lot of it in a studio in London. These murals were recently restored and is something to see. For more about the Sargent murals, click here.

If you are a devout Catholic, you may even want to walk on your knees from one end of the hall to the other to fulfill your "panata".

5 Sargent mural lunette.

5 Mural with highly articulated crucifix

5 Bela Pratt's sculpture of Art overlooking Copley Square and Trinity Church

From what I understand, the Boston Public Library is severely underfunded, compared to the New York Public LIbrary. A lot of the rare books are deteriorating. The BPL has 2 curators versus New York Library's 35, so you can imagine how overworked the curators must be.

Legal Seafood Boston

2008-11-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

All the seafood that's fit to eat.

Legal Seafoods seems to be an appropriate name due to it's very stringent standard for serving the freshest seafood available. But actually, it was named after patriarch Harry Berkowitz's "Legal Cash Market", the precursor of the restaurants.

The restaurant was actually more of a fish market that cooked the fish you bought and now it's a dine-in restaurant and one of the best seafood restaurants in Boston.

5 Dining room at Legal Seafoods, Copley Place

They expanded a lot in the 90's and now have locations up and down the east coast.

5 Haddock with Thai Red Curry Sauce

I had the Grilled Haddock with Red Thai Curry Sauce. Considering that haddock is very bland, it was nicely seasoned (a little mild for me, though). The Thai Red Curry Sauce tasted like it came out of a bottle (it probably did!). I also had the popcorn shrimp (inhaled it before I could take a picture) which was enjoyable.

5 Lobster and clambake dinner

They also ship complete lobster meals across the state including the pot to boil the lobster in.

Cheers!

2008-11-07T21:28:00.001-08:00

Election night 2008.

We stopped by the bar that inspired the popular TV series, Cheers for a pre-election celebration before watching the election returns.

The exterior was used in the TV series and the interior inspired the look of the bar on TV. This was originally the Bull & Finch pub when it was discovered by one of the TV shows creators who brought back pictures to Hollywood to be copied by the production designer.

The whole bar is small. For the TV show, the bar was expanded and turned into an island bar to facilitate shooting in front of a live audience. They do have a backroom and the backstairs does lead to a restaurant and hotel. The bar is a basement bar and this was true with the TV version as well.

I had a locally brewed beer called Harpoon IPA.

GOBAMA!

Suite 706

2008-11-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

The suite life at the Omni Parker House Boston.

Having taken the red-eye to Boston, we knew we were arriving early but forgot that clocks go back that evening so our 6:45am arrival was actually 5:15 (oh, and we had speedy the pilot who cut 30 minutes form the flight time).

I was assigned a suite but since it was early, we were placed in a Deluxe Room as our "holding cell". Having seen both the suite and the Deluxe Room, Suite is definitely the way to go when staying at the Omni since the Deluxe is way too small for comfort.

5 Suite 706 is a queen bedroom suite also known as the Adams suite.

5 It has it's own private hallway. Door to the left can be the maid's quarters (not included in our rate so it was non-functional), Middle door is main entrance and Right Door is direct entry into the bedroom.

5 Just to make sure you don't forget the provenance of the suite, commemorative plaques are on the main entry door. It was named after the 2nd President of the United States, John Adams and First Lady, Abigail Adams. Also known as the parents of John Quincy Adams (also a U.S. President).

5 The spacious sitting room

5 Desk area and entry to bedroom

5 Queen size bed

5 Teeny-tiny bathroom

The Omni Parker House

2008-11-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

An historic hotel experience.

The Parker House hotel, currently operated by Omni comes with an illustrious 150 year history. It is the longest continuously operating hotel in the U.S.

5 Lobby

JFK has a long been tied to this hotel having made his first speech here at 6 years old (at a party for his grandfather where he was asked to say "This is the best grandfather a child ever had"), to his announcement of his candidacy for the Congress and to his proposal to Jacqueline Bouvier at the Parker Restaurant.

5 Elevator Decor

Malcolm X worked here as a busboy and Ho Chi Minh worked as a baker in the pastry shop.

Staples of American Cuisine - Parker House Rolls, Scrod and Boston Cream Pie were all invented here.

And best of all, there's an H&M around the corner!

A Boston Meal

2008-11-03T20:14:00.001-08:00

The quintessential Boston meal at the Parker Restaurant.

Dining at the Parker Restaurant of the Parker House Hotel is such an incredible and delightful opportunity to learn about American Cuisine and local history. The hotel itself is chock-full of history, but that's a separate entry.

The restaurant has no sign, it's just there. There's a "P" on the hostess podium and that's about it.

5 Entrance to the Parker Restaurant

The restaurant is wood paneled with carved detail. The crystal chandeliers are by Waterford. This is pretty much how it looked like in 1855.

It's important to understand that the Parker Hotel was one of the first hotels in the U.S. to offer a European plan, this is when the hotel charged separately for meals and lodging. Previous to this, hotels were meals and lodging, so the food was basically the cheapest (and often bad food) the hotel could serve in order to turn a profit. So having a separate restaurant to serve the meals meant they can serve better food and charge for it accordingly.

5 The Dining Hall

The first item of historic importance is Table 40. What is so significant about Table 40? Table 40 is where Jack Kennedy proposed to Jackie Kennedy, right in this restaurant!

5 Table 40 is shown above on the rear upper left.

Ever heard of Parker House Rolls? They were first served here. The restaurant also served unique and specialty dishes not served in fine dining establishments like Jonah Crab Cakes, which must have been considered exotic at the time.

5 Parker House rolls and variations

5 Jonah Crab Cakes

The Parker Restaurant is also said to have introduced Scrod to the world. Scrod is not a type of fish. It's actually either Cod or Haddock topped with a bread crumb crust and served with beurre blanc. The Parker House uses skin-on baby cod and a ritz cracker and bread crumb topping. So why is it called scrod? Oftentimes, the maitre'd had to produce a menu before the chef came back from the market so he did not know what the fish of the day was. So he wrote S.C.R.O.D which stood for Special Catch Right On Day. And it stuck!

5 The famous Scrod

The most famous Boston dessert and the official dessert of Massachusetts is the Boston Cream Pie. This was created by the Parker Restaurant chef Monsieur Sanzian when the restaurant opened in 1855. It's basically two layers of sponge cake with creme filling and topped with chocolate. I think the nuts were a later addition.

5 Boston Creme Pie

5 Bon Appetit!

I'm finding out that Boston is jam-packed with History at every turn. Sometimes, you don't have to go further than the hotel you're staying in!

Blogging in Boston

2008-11-03T07:33:00.000-08:00

It's very cold.

Part One: West Holly-weenie 2008

2008-11-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

The annual Carnavale of West Hollywood.

I always come to Carnavale with the impression that the costumes keep getting worse every year but I always find a gem or two at the end of the evening.

It's always fun to see what people can come up with. The recession certainly affected the glam factor (for the straight people at least). And the upcoming election was a very prominent theme. Still, there were a lot who came in "throw-on" costumes and some who wore the same costumes from last year - but they still get an A for coming down and having fun.

THE LICENSED CHARACTERS!

Is it the recession that causes people to seek comfort in familiar faces from childhood? Licensed characters were everywhere including pre-school huggables and super heroes.

First up are the muppets and sesame street. There was Bert and Ernie conducting themselves in a lewd and lascivious manner:

There was an Oscar the Grouch. I also saw Cookie Monster but he ran away before I could snap a pic:

Here's Marvin the Martian. His costume was actually outlined in "neon" lights but the flash ruined the effect:

Then there are the Disneyana divas:

5 Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and Ursula

Standard issue Storm Troopers from Star Wars (yawn):

Here's a larger-than-life Freddy:

The best part are the superheroes doing what they do best. (Yeah, you just know that slut Wonder Woman slept with everybody!)

To see Part Two, CLICK HERE.

Part Two: West Holly-weenie 2008

2008-11-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

Poli-tickle follies.

Politics was a big theme this year.

Here's the Barack-the-Vote group:

Some people dramatized the California propositions also in the ballot for the elections. Prop 8 bans gay marriages in California:

Prop 2 is about stopping cruelty to animals bred for food:

Barack was very popular, this version was particularly cute:

5 Watch that other hand, Obama!

This was a weird take on Hillary. I'm still trying to figure it out:

I was surprised there wern't more Sarah Palins. It took some time before I ran into this incarnation:

And of course - Larry the Plumber!

Everybody wants to be President! This one is from the Smurf Party:

As always, the protesters. This year they were surrounded by a phalanx of sheriffs:

To see Part Three, CLICK HERE.

Part Three: West Holly-weenie 2008

2008-11-02T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hunka hunka burnin' luuuuv!

This year provided a decent amount of man eye-candy.

The Gladiator and the woman who loves them:

Walk like an Egyptian (or Egyptians!):

If you have a nice body, the costume is beside the point:

Keeping it TIGHT!
Keep the Satyrs satiated!

To see Part Four, CLICK HERE.

Part Four: West Holly-weenie 2008

2008-11-02T09:25:00.000-08:00

The Creative and The Originals.

My favorite part are the people who build upon a concept or come up with something completely different and fun.

Here's an attempt at being a Blue Man Group trouper. Unfortunately, he ran out of blue paint so we did not get to see his blue balls:

The trannies were out in force, as always:

Harajuku girls come in regular and jumbo size:

Butt pirates! This is how the gays do pirates - impeccable fabrication and carefully studied aesthetics:

Refugee from New Orleans Mardi Gras:

The fifties housewife. I guess all that multi-tasking, Miltown tranquilizers and vodka martinis finally drove her to vacuum the streets on her way to a bake sale:

Pucci!

There was a number of Mayan/Aztec dancers. This one looks authentic:

And this is the Cher version:

Most clever costume of the evening is Boy On A Swing. Took a while to figure out the "trick":

And how weird is this - SwingBoy, Aunt Jemima and Barack!

Best ensemble costume goes to Tranny Air!

They came with their own refreshment cart....

.....and ground crew!

This is how my evening ended....

That's one big greasy 12-inch piece-a-meat!

To see Part One, CLICK HERE.

Happy Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

Be afraid, be very afraid.

This year I decided to dress up for Halloween.

This year's costume consist of bedsheet turned into a tunic with 700 plastic lids. The lids are takeout sauce lids, the kind you get from La Salsa or Baja Fresh or El Pollo Loco to put your salsa in.

The mask is modified store bought mask. I cut the rest of the face out to accomodate my glasses. Trust me, my face is scarier than the mask - mwahahaaaa!

So what is this costume exactly? It was supposed to be a ghost, but when people asked me I just told them I was Cher on her farewell tour after the holocaust.

Some people didn't get it.

So, I just said "Boo, I'm a ghost!"

Inspector Gadget

2008-10-26T23:33:00.001-07:00

I discovered this neat little cell phone shelf in eye-popping colors:

This solves the problem of resting your phone on the floor while recharging. This becomes really helpful when travelling specially in hotels where the outlets are in an odd location, or worse, in the bathroom.

RockSugar

2008-10-21T23:25:00.001-07:00

Cheesecake Factory's foray into Southeast Asian cuisine.

From the menu:

"Where the distinct flavors, dishes

and aromas of Southeast Asia

bring an exciting new experience

to the American palate.

Pass through our doors and

you travel halfway around the world to

Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia,

Singapore, Indonesia and India"

BAKET WALANG PILIPINS!!!! (How come no Philippines?!?!?!)

5 When they say "pass through our doors", they weren't kidding!

It's tall, it's ornate - and you're gunna LOVE IT!

The entrance is a long and narrow passageway akin to entering a different world far far away from the mall you thought you were in. Sounds exotic and romantic? Knowing how long the lines get at Cheesecake Factory restaurants, this may just be an exercise in creative crowd control.

5 Don't forget to look up! Every inch of space is filled with stunning details.

5 And then you arrive at the hostess station - finally!

The name is a bit odd and I'm not really sure about the nomenclature. The first restaurant of it's kind from Cheesecake Factory (and I'm sure there will be more!), RockSugar debuted in June 2008. The chef is Mohan Ismail.

5 Oriental Exoticism runs rampant at the bar.

5 The Main Dining Hall

For all the drama involved in the entrance, the restaurant has a relatively small dining area. The passageway is almost the same square footage as the dining room. We arrived 30 minutes late from our appointed time and we ended up sitting in the indoor/outdoor patio area, which wasn't bad at all.

5 Survey the tablescape.

The tablescape consists of: napkin, fork, spoon and chopsticks. They sure covered all the bases (I used them all!). The hot towel before the meal is a nice touch that is common in restaurants in Asia but a rare surprise in these here United States. Does moist towelettes count?

5 Flatbread and sauce.

They start you off with some crispy crackers (very similar to kropek but without the shrimp-y flavor). It's embedded with black sesame seeds and comes with a sweet savory sauce.

5 Sambal Eggplant

First up is Sambal Eggplant. The eggplant is cut like fries (crisp outside, tender and moist inside) and arrives atop a sweet soy based sauce (a little too sweet really - I guess that explains the name RockSugar) and topped with spicy Sambal sauce (not enough).

5 Short Ribs

Next up is the short ribs served on top of Udon noodles and broth. The broth still has a hint of sweetness and the shortribs were bland. Maybe it needs to be seared more but the flavors did not carry through the meat leaving it bland with a sweet aftertaste. The Udon in broth may not have been the best pairing .

5 Mens toilette

This may be the coolest men's toilet I've seen yet. The tiles on the wall is actually clear glass tiles placed over a colored wall. This creates a really nice effect.

And now, the verdict. Overall, I found the sugary sweet flavors pervasive in all the dishes I ordered. But, the menu is full of very interesting and inventive dishes that is worth a trip back. The service was attentive and efficient.

I would love to work my way through the menu in the next few months. They also have an onsite bakery and the waiter boasted they had fabuloous desserts as well. To find out more about RockSugar, click here.

An Evening With Tina Turner

2008-10-17T00:13:00.001-07:00

Put your hands on your hips and let your backbone slip...

Wow! What an unbelievable evening this concert turned out to be. I almost missed it since the original date was October 13 and SOLD OUT. Then, they decided to add a second date, Thursday, October 16. I guess, due to the late announcement, some tickets were available and I finally got to see the show with my friend, Amy.

First off, TINA looked GREAT! She's 68 and she can still do her moves. She has not toured in 7 years. She was supposed to have retired after her concert tour of 2000. I am told a lot of the exciting elements of this show were first seen in that show.

And what a production! Tina starts the show shakily suspended on an elevated platform in the middle of the stage and descends to start the show. Suspending a 68-year old on a 3'x3' platform 40 feet above ground zero seems like a risky venture since she could fall and never get up!

The stage is amazing, constantly morphing into staircases, jungle gyms and reveals. She had ninjas, 4 backup dancers, two background singers and a first-rate band. There were several pyrotechnics during the first half.

As for her performance, Tina can still bring it. She did have difficulty with the ballads particularly Private Dancer, but she more than made up for it with the rest of the show (choreographed by Toni Basil).

Then there was a 30 minute intermission. I assumed she was getting a blood transfusion after all that bouncing around. When she returned to the stage, she revealed that she had a very special guest backstage in the person of Denzel Washington. Since we had nosebleed seats and conveniently forgot our binoculars, we weren't able to spot him.

The crowning glory of the evening was the performance of "Proud Mary". By the end of the song, the crowd was on their feet dancing. Amy and I tried to re-create the moves in our very narrow (and steep!) bleacher seats.

A lot of people left after this number assuming it was the finale. Mostly to get to their cars and avoid gridlock (this is L.A. after all).

But then she returned to perform two more songs!

And then the most amazing thing happened.

The stage transformed into a 60 foot lateral cherry picker which allowed her to hover above the audience as she sang Nutbush City Limits with the audience (see photo above).

If she happens to be in your neck of the woods, it's worth the effort and money to go and see this wonderful, wonderful performer. Check her tour dates here.

WOW.

Preview of Coming Attractions

2008-10-14T18:47:00.001-07:00

The Little Harbor Collection from Halsea.

Here's another print I designed for Halsea based on a vintage print.

www.halsea.com

MIJITA

2008-10-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Breakfast at the Ferry Building, San Francisco.

The Ferry Building is filled with wonderful artisanal edibles but can be a very expensive place to have breakfast. Mijita is a great cozy little Mexican place to have breakfast and is located next to the pier with a view of the Bay Bridge.

5 They have a small limited breakfast menu among the usual tacos and burritos.

5 A Mijita regular recommended the chorizo con huevos which was great! San Francisco is filled with great people like that. Crumbled chorizo whipped in scrambled eggs and served with tortillas, beans and salsa for about $8.

5 You can watch the ferries dock as you dine. Great people watching.

Another Opening, Another Show

2008-10-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

Bruce Brown's The Faces of Northern China

5 The spread of cheese and paté laid in front of the kimono series.

Dr. Bruce A. Brown, surgeon by day, photographer at other times, showed the photos he took in Northern China. He spent about a month in 2001 travelling to XinJiang, which is close to the border of China and the 'stans (Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan). The facial features of the people change from typical Chinese to almost Middle eastern.

5 The show was held in his photo studio/loft at the Brewery, Los Angeles.

5 Some of the more interesting guests.

5 Smooching in front of The Faces of Northern China

R&G Lounge

2008-10-05T14:25:00.000-07:00

Incredible Chinese food in San Francisco's Chinatown.

There are plenty of mediocre, touristy and some plain dirty places to eat in San Francisco's Chinatown. To be honest, some of the better Chinese restaurants are in Clement Street. But, R&G Lounge is one of the few restaurants with excellent food and facilities that is perfect for dining with friends and family.

5 The bar at R&G

They've added a new bar on the street level. The restaurant remains popular and can get crowded, so this is a nice area to hang around and wait for a table.

5 R&G Lounge Dining Area

The downstairs dining area is not very big as far as Chinese restaurants go. After all, it's not a dimsum place. They do serve dishes prepared with the ever elusive "XO Sauce".

5 Ginger and Onion Chicken

This time around, for lunch, we decide to try the ginger and onion chicken. While it is a far cry from it's Singaporean counterparts, it's still quite tasty. The main difference is they smother a ginger and green onion sauce over the steamed chicken. The sauce is quite good by itself.

5 Three Treasures

This is another dish I haven't tried here before called Three Treasures. The three treasures consist of tofu, eggplant and peppers stuffed with shrimp in a garlicky sauce.

There are plenty of other dishes to try (and I hope to try them soon!) but this combo was a nice light prelude to an afternoon of exploring San Francisco's Chinatown and it's neighbor, Little Italy.

Omni Hotel San Francisco

2008-10-04T11:21:00.001-07:00

A great hotel experience.

The Omni Hotel San Francisco is located on California and Montgomery Streets in the financial district, a couple of blocks away from the Mandarin Oriental and the TransAmerica Pyramid. It's also very close to Chinatown and Little Italy. It's a little off the beaten path but if you go on a weekend, it's relatively quiet.

5 Main Entrance on California Street

5 View from the grand staircase upon arrival.

The lobby has a grand staircase and a grand lobby. It also has a lot of pocket areas where you can meet friends and a mezzanine lobby-bar area sometimes with live music during the cocktail hour.

5 Lobby with view of the grand staircase

5 Small pocket areas in the lobby provide a great area for meeting friends, private conversations or a cocktail.

5 The bedrooms are on the small-ish side but quite comfortable and clean.

5 View of entertainment center with flat screen tv, mini-bar and desk area.

5 View of bathroom

The bathroom has a pocket door and the shower/tub has a really tall ceiling which is quite nice when you are sitting in your bubble bath (provided).

5 Amenities include a bubble bath and surprisingly - spray starch!

5 They do a double point fold on the toilet paper and gift wrap the emergency roll - nice!

5 The slippers appear when they turn down the beds. It comes with it's own floor mat.

5 The housekeeper left a nice note.

While the hotel may not be so different from other great San Francisco hotels, what sets it apart is the great people and unobtrusive service. The service was impeccable from the front desk, concierge and housekeeping. I would definitely love to stay here again.

Coming Attractions

2008-10-01T15:09:00.001-07:00

The upcoming Yves Saint Laurent exhibit at the De Young Museum, San Francisco.

Here's a good reason to return to San Francisco this winter. The opening of the Yves Saint Laurent exhibit at the MH De Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. This will be the only US venue for this show.

Yves died June 1st of this year so this exhibit is very timely.

I wonder if they have special YSL merhandise for this exhibit ala Murakami.

Photo courtesy Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent

5 Yves Saint Laurent (L) and Pierre Bergé (R).

Yves partner, Pierre Berge, is involved in this exhibit. There will be a lecture on YSL on November 1 by one of the Euro Vogue editors.

Original Sketch, Fall-Winter 1991. Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent

5 Yves iconic "Le Smoking" jacket.

Photo: Alexandre Guirkinger. Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent

5 This is from the famous Van Gogh collection of 1988. The Sunflower jacket took six hundred hours of individually sewing 350,000 sequins and 100,000 ceramic bugle beads by the House of Lesage, who did a lot of Yves embroidery work.

Courtesy Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent

5 Sketch from the 1976 Ballet Russe collection. I believe this spawned all those peasant dresses from that period.

Courtesy Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent

5 Fall Winter 1991 Goddess Gown

Courtesy Foundation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent

5 Fall-Winter 1990 Robe De Plume.

To find out more, click here.

Diary of A Mad Life Crisis

Material Girl Photo Shoot

Get me my pills!

O-M-G!!!Somebody found a way to render bacon, pepper it with spices and puree the whole thing into a spreadable jam! No need to break the skillet out!

This is the end of civilization! A little bit of torture just in time for Holy Week/Passover.

You can order yours here.

I'm getting a case and checking into a hospital.

My Way

La Pelletteria Venezia

Fish!

La Serenissima

A Picnic in the Park

Karim Rashid for Seven Jeans

Luini Panzerotti

A Night at the Opera

Barbie for Kartell

One Day Wonder

Buon Giorno, Milano!

The Delta English Experience

Viaggio a Milano

The Next Best Thing

Avenue Q

Finding Fashion

La Balanga 1975

Be sure to wear your Happy Slip!

Mi Piace 2009

Year of the Ox

Best Commercial. Ever.

That Bad Eartha

Saveur December 2008

The Front Porch

My Very First Maine Lobster

The Marginal Way of Ogunquit

Lighthouses

Visiting The Mother Ship

Andy's

Fall Colors 2008

Distant Sands

Quincy Market, Boston

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Boston Hotels

Emmets

Harvard in 23 Minutes

The Boston Public Library

Legal Seafood Boston

Cheers!

Suite 706

The Omni Parker House

A Boston Meal

Blogging in Boston

Part One: West Holly-weenie 2008

Part Two: West Holly-weenie 2008

Part Three: West Holly-weenie 2008

Part Four: West Holly-weenie 2008

Happy Halloween 2008

Inspector Gadget

RockSugar

An Evening With Tina Turner

Preview of Coming Attractions

MIJITA

Another Opening, Another Show

R&G Lounge

Omni Hotel San Francisco

Coming Attractions

O-M-G!!!
Somebody found a way to render bacon, pepper it with spices and puree the whole thing into a spreadable jam! No need to break the skillet out!