Art and looking for a drink

"Where the Wild Things Are" is a seminal work that since my first viewing as a little boy has always made me smile. The Jewish Contemporary Museum is showing an exhibit titled, "There's a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak" and being fans of Maurice Sendak we decided to go. Neither Shauna or I had been to the museum and had wanted to go for a while. The space was formally a power station for San Francisco and has been re-imagined into a world-class museum by Daniel Libeskind.  It is a large space that has three dedicated rooms for shows,  The Sendak exhibit took me back to my childhood and I did not realize just how many books he either wrote or did the art for, his influence on my life was immense. Not knowing it until yesterday, I owe much to Mr. Sendak, his drawings helped shape my ability to imagine. If you are in San Francisco or at least near it you should take the time to see the exhibit.

After touring the JCM we enjoyed a fantastic empanada stuffed with sweet corn and then decided to search for a drink. As we meandered through downtown San Francisco we made a detour to see the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design. This is a small space tucked in between non-descript buildings. The space is really interesting with a mixture of exposed brick, modern touches and funky art. The exhibits were alright (I am not much for silver work or enameled work) but it is free and worth a stop.

After we got our fill being cultured it was time for a drink. Now, San Francisco has tons of bars, restaurants and pubs. So when we decided we wanted a drink we thought it would be pretty easy. Of course we place a few caveats on what we will put in our bodies. I live by a mantra: If I'm going to put it in my body it has to be good. So, we did not just want to stop by any bar or pub. Our first choice was a bar called the Rickhouse Bar. A new bar from the owners of Bourbon & Branch, but it was closed. So my fast thinking mind remembered that a good bar named Gitane was right up the street....closed! So we walked to North Beach to check out 15 Romolo, a bar off a small alley....closed! By this point I was getting a bit frustrated but I had to stick to my guns...only good ingredients, not crap spirits, and no football (this was a date day, so Shauna deserved my undivided attention). We walked around North Beach and were not happy so we hopped the bus to the Marina (we had a 7:00 PM reservation at A-16) and we finally decided to grab a drink at a tried and trusted restaurant/bar: Laiola. Nick the bartender is a class act and pours a good drink. Being parched I asked for his most refreshing drink...out came the Vino de Pomelo. A very bright and refreshing cocktail that I drank a tad too fast. The drink is a blend of vodka, Albarino, grapefruit soda, vanilla and lemon. I am not usually a Vodka guy but damn it took care of my thirst. Shauna had the drink of the day though, a concoction of Spanish brandy, Oloroso Sherry, honey, lemon and orange bitters....The Patriarch (at left). The drink was well balanced, rich and the bitters perked up on the finish. Though it took longer than I wanted, it was worth the 3 hour journey to get to Laiola.

Comments

[GeraldineBARRETT]

Specialists tell that loans aid people to live the way they want, because they are able to feel free to buy necessary stuff. Moreover, different banks offer car loan for different classes of people.

[mortgage loans]

Some time ago, I really needed to buy a good car for my corporation but I didn't have enough cash and could not order anything. Thank goodness my fellow adviced to try to get the home loans at reliable bank. Therefore, I did that and used to be happy with my student loan.