Towse: views from the hill

August 5, 2013

Another source for North Coast’s Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout in San Francisco

Filed under: food,San Francisco — Tags: — Towse @ 6:10 pm

Before a chance met friend pointed me to the Kezar back in June 2011, the only place I knew to find North Coast’s Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout on tap was at the mothership, the North Coast brewpub up in Fort Bragg. That’s fine for the few times a year we go up for a few days, but not for those of us who think Old Rasputin is tops and would rather have it on draft than in a pricey dinky bottle.

For those who are searching for Old Rasputin on tap in San Francisco, we found it yesterday at Inferno Pizza, 1800 Fillmore St, corner of Sutter. (Tasty pizza there as well. …)

Old Rasputin is also available at the Kezar Bar (900 Cole @ Carl). (Not at the other Kezar Bar on Stanyan, I’ve been told.)

The Page at 298 Divisadero Street (at Page) also has it on nitro-tap, alleges the Web. We’ll check that out soon.

Know of any other places in San Francisco where Old Rasputin is on tap? Comments welcome!

[This has been a public service for those hankering for Old Rasputin on tap in San Francisco]

March 5, 2013

This week’s Photo Friday challenge: Mornings

Filed under: PhotoFriday,photographs,San Francisco — Tags: , — Towse @ 3:34 pm

This week’s challenge: Mornings
09 Jan 2012. 8:33A Pier 14, San Francisco

Pier 14, San Francisco

October 23, 2012

Clear, crisp day with lovely clouds in fluffy blue skies.

Filed under: photographs,San Francisco — Tags: , — Towse @ 2:37 pm

October 19, 2012

In which I go to a concert at the Bill Graham Memorial Civic Auditorium

Filed under: life,music,San Francisco — Towse @ 4:02 pm

I missed a special event down the peninsula that my pal Karin was involved with last night because we were at the Bill Graham Memorial Civic Auditorium for a joint (heh heh. The SMOKE in the building!) concert with Mark Knopfler (who was excellent) and Bob Dylan (who was sounding very much like Dr. John).

Back during the first Live Aid (1985), our daughter Anne came in from watching part of the concert and said, “But who was the funny-looking guy who can’t sing?” We were able to guess correctly without much trying.

Dylan’s voice is raspier. His range is abbreviated. He’s changed his music to reflect those factors. I could, every once in a while, recognize a lyric and realize he was, f’rex, singing “Highway 61″ or “Like A Rolling Stone.” But when you’re straining to hear lyrics and it takes you a good twenty seconds to recognize he’s singing “Blowin’ In The Wind” =despite= the fact you’re hanging around at the back of the venue for the predictable encore and you are willing to lay bets that the predictable encore will be “Blowin’ In The Wind” being as it’s an election year … well, that says something.

He sounded so much like Dr. John it’s as though he’s been taking pointers. But he’s in fine shape. Looked good. Was obviously having a good time. Fine fettle. Good musicians backing him.

And there’s nothing wrong with sounding like Dr. John.

But I’d seen Dr. John at The Independent a few days after my birthday in August and hadn’t been expecting him or a Dylan who sounded like him last night.

We bumped into the illustrious William T. Quick et compagnon whilst waiting for Muni to deliver us home. They, too, had been at the concert albeit in upper crust seats rather than standing with the plebes on the general admission floor. Animated dissection of the concert followed and continued on Muni for two stops, where we disembarked and caught a surface-street bus to the bottom of the hill.

Up the hill and down again and home, with memories.

September 5, 2012

Tasty Txoko on Broadway

Filed under: food,restaurants,San Francisco — Towse @ 4:20 pm

It was the last Saturday in July and I’d had lunch with my pals in MWA-NorCal at Villa d’Este on Ocean. The M-OceanView/45/39 connection brought me home in time to meet up with his nibs before we headed down to La Mar for before-dinner pisco sours (in honor of Peruvian Independence Day) and a beef empanada snack. We stopped off at Palio on our way home to say farewell and “Have fun!” to retiring chef/owner Dan Scherotter, who is moving on to interesting times.

We turned up Kearny toward North Beach as we walked home on a Saturday night. Dinner decision time:  Original Joe’s? The House? Park Tavern? But wait! Broadway! Kearny! Txoko! at Kearny and Broadway. Perfect. And what a delicious meal I had: crispy pork headcheese, glazed beef cheek with crispy sweetbreads, Shishito peppers with sea salt. Tasty. Perfect. The mains were staged on a medley of tasty peppers and vegetables blended with sauces, more. Bringing the Basque back to North Beach.

The food at Txoko’s is amazing. The wine list has an interesting selection of Spanish wines. The service was low key and on the money. What a perfect evening.

I was talking up Txoko’s to a friend of ours recently and he said, “But it’s on [gasp] Broadway.”

Well, yes. It is. In the former Enrico’s space. Hello? Did people not go to Enrico’s because it was on [gasp] Broadway? Two-star Michelin Coi is across the street and down a block and a half.

*sigh* Oh, what a sorry rep the Broadway strip has, but it was always thus.

Txoko’s has the food and ambiance (see the Jeremy Fish mural on the back wall) to be a magnet for local foodies. I wish I could convince more people (neighbors especially, who just have to walk down the hill) to get down there and see what I mean.

March 22, 2012

This week’s Photo Friday challenge: Unwind

Filed under: photographs,San Francisco — Tags: , , , — Towse @ 3:42 pm

This week’s challenge: Unwind.

Standing above the engines and winding wheels at The Cable Car Museum at Mason & Washington, San Francisco.

Winding wheels and engines at the Cable Car Museum

October 12, 2009

Blue Angels flying over the Hill

Filed under: photographs,San Francisco — Towse @ 7:32 pm

 

Posted by Picasa

October 8, 2009

[PHOTO] Blues

Filed under: photographs,San Francisco — Towse @ 11:53 pm

For some reason, our jet jockeys have decided to come RIGHT OVER the deck.

 

Posted by Picasa

LOUD!

July 2, 2009

Fishers give up on plan for Presidio art museum

Filed under: art,museums,news,San Francisco — Towse @ 11:07 pm

Fishers give up on plan for Presidio art museum

… so I wrote another letter to the editor at the Chronicle (previous letter was 09/2007):

The Presidio was never the right place for the Fishers’ Contemporary Art Museum for reasons both practical and historical, reasons soundly argued by neighbors, historians, park enthusiasts, and environmentalists.

There are wonderful alternatives to the Presidio site in our city. Consider for a moment the effect of having the Contemporary Art Museum located near Pier 70/Potrero Point, an area poised for redevelopment! Donald Fisher could do immense good by building his museum there, at the edge of the Bay. Plenty of public transit. Space for parking without cutting down a single tree! Near the ballpark and the new UCSF Medical Center development at Mission Bay. Near all the new condos south of Market. Within shouting distance of Bernal Heights and Potrero Hill. A short transit ride from the southern neighborhoods.

The Contemporary Art Museum could knit the city together, bringing folks from the northern neighborhoods and the western neighborhoods over to our “other” shore.

Look what the ballpark and UCSF@Mission Bay have done for the surrounding areas!. The Fishers have the opportunity to do wonders for the central waterfront and the city if they build their museum there. Say you will, Mr. Fisher!

Update: Letter in today’s Chron.

June 10, 2009

Privacy? Circumspection? Privacy? Privacy? Fuggedaboutit.

Filed under: politics,real estate,San Francisco — Towse @ 9:35 pm

And so with nary a care, Leah Garchik spills the beans about Gavin’s new digs, with enough information (price, street) that any stalker worth his/her salt could track down the address in (oh … say …) about ten seconds.

I dunno. If I were someone who attracts stalkers like Gavin does, I’d be a bit annoyed at Ms Leah leaking the info just because she could.

Maybe it’s just me.

(And, yes, even though I’m not a stalker, the challenge of the day — after finishing the ***Sudoku and both crosswords — was to track down Gavin’s new address. And it didn’t take that long. …)

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress