Maybe next year for Thanksgiving we should make it into a pot-luck art project. Check out this random posting I came across...scroll down to the Sherman and Byrne pieces! yikes!

http://daniellespencer.com/graphics/projects/various/jello_turkey/2009.htm

Went to NYC for a wedding on Halloween. Had a blast. Ate some delicious stuff, gorged myself. Notable items eaten while roaming around town: Pretzel Croissant from The City Bakery; Ramen from Setagaya; Cappuccino from Ninth Street Espresso; Doughnuts from The Doughnut Plant (PB&J, Tres Leches, Blackout); Croissant from Balthazar; Essex St. Market; Union Square Greenmarket; and of course, H&H Bagels.
Probably the best part of the trip was the day we arrived. I was totally jet lagged but so excited to be in New York, that it didn't get to me until about 10pm. We took a red eye thursday night. I didn't sleep on the plane at all. After freshening up at our swank, pricey hotel we met up with McDuff, a wine blogger friend and ate delicious ramen in the East Village area. We then tried to get pizza at a recommended place but failed (it was closed!). Instead we stepped into the nearest coffee shop (I really needed a pick-me-up), Ninth St Espresso, lured by the abundance of recommendations and awards in the front window. A damn fine espresso they pull! Similar to Blue Bottle in SF (which is still my fave), a quality, aromatic cup. Next on the menu came a tasting of delicious cheeses from the cheesemonger in the Essex St. Market, an indoor market I'd never been to before. They had a nice selection of farmstead offerings.

Then on to donuts. The Donut Plant is everything I wanted Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland to be and more. Less precious than Dynamo Donuts but made with the same know-how. My favorite were the Blackout, and Tres Leches. Both were cake style with a glaze, flavorful cake, and injected with custard. OMG were they great. If only there was a bacon one. The PB&J was also notable. A yeasted style with a chunky peanut butter glaze and filled with jam. Also, it was square (like a sandwhich) and had a hole in the middle. Someone there has a sense of humor.

Totally high on sugar, we walked to a tasting Ten Bells, a great wine bar in the area. About 5 French winemakers were there. And lots of wine geeks. Delicious wines. Then onto another tasting starring Kermit Lynch at Chambers St. Wines. Strange and crowded. Then back to Ten Bells. It was a long night which ended with a terrible meal at a Mario Batali tapas place, Jamon, where I ate a Clif Bar I found in my bag because the food was so flavorless and unappetizing. The food was an insult to the wine we ordered and to Spain.

I just realized that I haven't posted any recent work. Here's the recent work: They are all 2"x2" canvas oil paintings. Some I spend a lot of time on, some I didn't.

Finally! Something to do with all those spent tea leaves and coffee grounds clogging up my compost bucket! A digital printer which uses them for ink! And it's human powered!!!

http://wholelattelove.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/8/11/Turn-Those-Coffee-Grounds-into-Green-Ink

Herzog on the obscenity of the jungle

your daily zen. the last few seconds of the video are my favorite.

Journey to the Moon by William Kentridge

Yesterday I made a trip to the SFMoma's new rooftop garden. It's basically behind their top floor gallery. It has a sense of corporate park loneliness mixed with upper crust privilege.... Or at least that's what I felt as I waited behind a fussy older woman who ordered the "Wayne Theibaud Cake" not the "Piet Mondrian Cake" which she was served at the Blue Bottle Coffee kiosk(!). The cakes, I should mention, looked delicious, and took kitsch to a new level. Anyway back to the point of my visit.......

There are several notable sculptures on display, and the back wall of the indoor gallery is now a window looking out on the space. Inside are some really cool pieces, new acquisitions and permanent collection items. I recommend the top floor gallery and the William Kentridge survey currently on display (awesome).



I had only seen his drawings before, never his videos, which really grabbed my attention in this show. Drawing on theater, film history, classical music, and the artist in the studio doing art for art's sake, his has created fantastic yet simple films which are some of the best I've seen from a living artist. The thing I liked the most about them is that the materials used were often just paper, charcoal, eraser and ink. I'm going back soon to re-watch everything. It's very rare that I pay such close attention to a whole museum exhibition.

Justin Timberlake Death Metal

there's a soft spot in my heart for death metal versions of pop songs....

Went to Paris and Epernay. It was awesome. Drank some champagne and red champagne wine. Ate some sausage, croissants, ice cream, chocolate, bread, cheese, falafel, yogurt, pureed veggies, and macaroons. They were delicious. Went to museums saw some sights. Walked around and took the metro. Awesome, and awesome. More later. Sorry I didn't send a postcard.

I had my last cup of coffee from Ritual Roasters the other day. Not that I'm quitting, it was just the fact that it was sooooo bad, so burnt and acrid tasting, I almost returned it. Even with cream and sugar, I only managed to choke down half of it. I've had bad cups there before (french press) but I thought I'd give it one more shot, so to speak. I still might go there for espresso drinks, which have always been good. What's the deal?
The best cup of Joe in town has to be from Blue Bottle Coffee. I had their Gibraltar a couple weeks ago, and it was definately one of the best cups I've ever had. It comes in a large shot glass and is basically espresso with a little foam and milk. Like a cafe con leche. So fucking good that I didn't mind the 15 minutes I had to wait to get my drink. Their beans are always fresh and classy. It's best to go when they aren't busy. Pictured is a superb latte from 4 Barrel, Ritual's rival, they make a damn fine latte. The hipster quotient is high, but they don't have free wi-fi like Ritual does, so the minimal table space isn't taken by mac books.

I'm confused. Is this offering the services of a child molester?
seen at 17th and mission.

I will not get discouraged by the rain, the cretin who stole my back rim on Monday, the cancelled trip out of town, tmj, my palsy wages, that lost envelope of tips, jury duty, the failing economy, or my lack of production in the studio. There are many things to be excited about. I'm cramming for an upcoming trip to France. I'm going to eat a lot of things made with butter (beurre) while I'm there. I got a new rim with a keyed skewer. Things are popping up in the garden. I made some lentils. Colleen brought me candles. See? Lots.

Will Ferrell as Bush