As you can tell from my blog, I am fascinated with food. I always want to try new places, discover local favorites, and try different ethnic cuisines. I am a foodie at heart. So when I opened up an email from Williams Sonoma ( I love their stuff, by the way.) and they announced a book signing, I had to go. Why? Because it was Thomas Keller. Yes. The Thomas Keller in Pasadena. All I could think about was how this man alone makes me want to go back to Ad Hoc for waffles. Whenever I have waffles, I always compare it to the sourdough ones from Keller’s restaurant and I have yet to find one that matches the deliciousness of Ad Hoc waffles. On top of that, the pastries from Bouchon are amazing! Their food, also, does not fall short of expectations. Because of my positive experiences at both restaurants, and my desire to go to French Laundry, I had to meet this legendary man.
Taro thought I was slightly crazy for wanting to get a book signed by Keller, but he knows how much I enjoy watching Top Chef and cooking. He told me to go 30 minutes early and I actually thought that would be plenty of time. I didn’t expect a line to be around the corner! There were all sorts of people waiting – from aspiring chefs from Cordon Bleu to people who didn’t even know Thomas Keller’s name! Regardless I waited in line and after an hour and a half, I was in front of Thomas Keller.
What do I say? How do I act? Should I be nonchalant about it or do I rave about the food? I ended up telling him it was an honor meeting him and I truly enjoyed my experience at Ad Hoc – and slipped in the fact that I thought the sourdough waffles were amazing. That perked his ears and since I was also getting a copy of the French Laundry cookbook signed, he asked if I ever went there. I sadly said no, but told him I wanted to go this year. After a small chat, he took a picture with me and I walked away happily with two signed cookbooks.
I feel like such a nerd getting cookbooks signed, but I loved Ad Hoc and Bouchon. Plus when are you ever going to meet the chef? They are usually not at the restaurant and actually cooking so this is the next best thing. Maybe I will meet him again someday, but for now, I’m satisfied with that brief, giddy conversation I had with the man himself, Thomas Keller.
I was ecstatic that there was someone who was taking pictures at Williams Sonoma:
My signed copies of Ad Hoc and French Laundry:
Taro’s coworker who lives in San Francisco gave us two suggestions on places to go while we were up north. The first was Forbes Island, which we went to after our day trip at Alcatraz. Forbes Island is actually a restaurant, but the story behind it is very interesting. Forbes Thor Kiddoo built the original island in Sausalito and moved it to San Francisco; it was originally a private floating home and now it serves as a restaurant. This isn’t any ordinary restaurant, though. You have to take a boat to get there because it floats next to the sea lion harbor and you are literally dining in a boat! The dining area is underneath and we actually saw a fish swim by one of the port holes. On top of that, it has its own lighthouse which you can climb and get a view of the harbor. Plus despite it being a built island, it rocks back and forth as you dine.
The experience was very unique and not like The Hornblower or any other boat which you might dine on. It’s small, intimate, and from what I understand, more of a local place than a tourist attraction. The food was reasonable and we ordered off the Passport Menu. Our starters were soup and a baby green salad. Taro had the Pan Seared Flat Iron Steak – Mustard Cognac Creme Sauce, Potatoes au Gratin, and Haricot Vert – while I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto – served with fresh Vegetables, Herbs, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze. The potatoes au gratin stood out the most while the risotto was unlike any I have tried before. There were a lot of vegetables in it and the best way I can describe it was “crunchy.” It was different, but good because it was filled with different types of vegetables. For dessert, we ordered one of each since it was a three course meal – Chocolate Mousse – Hazelnut and Pecan Crust Cake topped with Whipped Creme – and Berry Napoleon – Hazelnut Tuiles, Respberry Sauce, and Mascarpone Creme. Having one of each, they actually complimented well together; it was a nice mixture of chocolate and fruit. Overall, for $35, it was a steal; in addition, there was a wine pairing for $18. In general, that price isn’t bad, but what stunned us was that they were full glasses of wine. We didn’t know that and we each decided to have a tasting so by the end of the night, we had three full glasses each!
We had a great time at Forbes Island and what was fun about the end of the night was that Forbes Thor Kiddoo himself drove us back to the dock. I think it’s great that the owner invests his own time in making sure his patrons had a good time in the boat he used to call home.
To end the night, we went to go see Beach Blanket Babylon, the second recommendation from Taro’s coworker. The play was hilarious and I loved all the political, celebrity, and fake celebrity (like Jon and Kate) references made in the play. At times, my stomach hurt from laughing and I really enjoyed the elaborates hats and wild costumes, singing, and dancing. It was a fun show and something that I definitely will not forget!
Sunset view from the top of the lighthouse, which was amazing:
A picture of us while we were waiting for the boat:
Of all the times I have visited San Francisco, not once have I ever been to Alcatraz. Interestingly enough, neither has Taro. So for this trip, we decided that this was one place we wanted to visit. Taking the ferry, we headed to the legendary and infamous Alcatraz Island, also known as The Rock. In the daytime, there is a beauty to this island that once held under 200 prisoners. There is wildlife – both plants and native and protected birds – living amongst the broken down, decrepitated remains of former buildings. Despite looking like they might tumble at any minute, these bits and pieces of structure that still stand have a beauty to them. The buildings that are still in tact but are clearly empty also stimulate interest and intrigue just based on their structural elements. There were interesting arches, staircases, and color to the buildings that occupy the island.
One of the highlights of Alcatraz is their main prison. This is where famous criminals like Al Capone and Robert “Birdman” Stroud were housed. In the daytime, the prison is not eerie or strange, but I can only imagine and shiver how the night tour must be like. There is a haunting feeling to the place, though, especially when you see the solitary confinement cells. You have the option of actually going into one of the cells and a worker at Alcatraz closes the cell and leaves you in there for no more than a minute. Taro tried it and he said it wasn’t too bad. The idea of prison in a pitch black cell that doesn’t allow light in? No thanks; I’ll definitely pass.
The self-tour of Alcatraz Island was pretty interesting, especially listening to the narrative background through the headphones. It gave a much better perspective of the use of the prison during the 29 years of its operation. Although the main attraction is the prison itself, the view from Alcatraz and the garden and wildlife surrounding the prison are also things to take in while there.
I am glad I had the opportunity to visit Alcatraz not just because it is a well-known tourist attraction, but because I was able to learn more about the historical aspect of it. In addition, capturing the beauty, although haunting at times, of an island that was once used as a federal prison is definitely out of the ordinary.
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