Summer rain

As we all know, not only is it hot in the sticky summer months, it is also invariably rainy.  I really love the sudden downpours (as long as I’m not driving), the utterly drenching warm showers that are so common in our sub-tropical climate.  When the skies darken and the […]

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Half Moon therapy

Like the Circle Bar, the Half Moon Bar & Restaurant on the corner of St. Mary Street is a local watering hole that I used to frequent quite often.  It was at the Half Moon that I heard about a shooting that happened on St. Charles Avenue during Mardi Gras […]

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You could go nuts

One of the biggest surprises I encountered while working downtown was the inability to find a great doughnut shop.  Isn’t there a corporate law somewhere stating that doughnuts are mandatory for good employee morale and longevity?  Admittedly, I was certainly not one to turn down a slice of doberge cake […]

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Cheating ain’t fair

While I was in California visiting my crazy, beautiful family, I over-indulged on the local food knowing I wouldn’t get another chance at it for a while. I decided not to cheat this past week because my extravagant dining behavior cost me a weight gain of five pounds, but it […]

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Freshly squeezed at Cafe Van Kleef

After we left Mexicali Rose, my friends wanted to introduce me to one of the coolest jazz clubs in Oakland, Cafe Van Kleef. Known for a killer Greyhound, Cafe Van Kleef is located in the “Oaksterdam” district of downtown Oakland at 1621 Telegraph Avenue. The nickname developed quite recently due […]

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Blowing my diet at The Fish Market

Since I have been visiting my family in California, my eating regimen has been a total bust.  Although I have been getting out and about more than usual, I have been balancing the new exercise with a healthy dose of local cuisine.  For example, the other day my mother offered […]

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A ladies’ lunch at Pho Saigon

It seems that more than allergies, large hips and early onset gray hair runs in my family, there’s also the love of pho!  Just the other day, my sister suggested lunch at a small Vietnamese restaurant in Foster City called Pho Saigon and much to my surprise, my mother and […]

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Plied with Persian food

Since I have been back in the Bay Area, my mother has been making all kinds of delicious Persian food, something I never get when I am at home in New Orleans.  I can always make it, but most recipes feed a small army!  Anyhow, I will enjoy it while […]

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Reliving the past at La Cumbre

Ever since I moved to New Orleans, I have needed for nothing in the realm of incredible cuisine. From gumbo to pho, the Crescent City has a lot to choose from, but there is one item it lacks: an delectable, yet affordable burrito. Whenever I come back to visit my […]

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