Dancin’ till the sun comes up

San Francisco is a crazy place to live. Only in SF can you find an after hours party that goes from 3am until the sun comes up, takes place in a barn in the middle of nowhere and requires a password (a la Lindsey Lohan) to enter. Oh and we can’t forget the security detail reminiscent of a prison guard complete with combat boots and a machete (okay you’ve got me on the last part).

In a random barn, dancin'

In case you haven’t guessed by my elaborate detail, I recently attended said party. Don’t get me wrong — this is absolutely not a typical occurrence, but one of those things where you say to yourself “You Only Live Once”. So we took a cab out to the middle of nowhere and walked on a long, unlit road — and subsequently danced until the sun came out. Was I annoyed and tired, and forced to wait forever for a cab in the morning? Yes. But was it all worth it to feel like I was 17 again? Hell yes.

Play that funky music white boy....

Do I have a point? Absolutely not. Only that when life presents you with an opportunity, grab it and hold on.

Me and Christine

Security!

Sun, sun go away come back another day!

Who knew it would be so hard to find a cab at 6am?

xo.

Birthday Party, Glamour-style

Le Coloniel is one of those hidden gems in SF that has been overshadowed by the continuous slew of restaurant openings. At Le Coloniel you will find French Vietnamese cuisine in the heart of Union Square.

I recently was there for a friend’s birthday dinner. (Happy Birthday Bella!) The theme was old Hollywood glamour and scene was thick with gorgeous beauties and dapper fellas.

We were on a prix fixe menu, so I was afraid our choices would be limited. Boy was I wrong! We started with Muc Chien (salt and pepper calamari served with chili aioli dipping sauce), Bo Bia Chay (fresh spring rolls with choyote squash, shiitake mushroom, tofu, cucumber, peanuts and basil served with peanut dipping sauce), and Thit Kho Chien (confit Berkshire Pork belly with pickled bok choy, Hosui pear and quail egg). Then on to the main course: Ca Hap La Choui (steamed Chilean sea bass wrapped in banana leaves with shiitake mushrooms and ginger with a black-bean coconut sauce), Bo Luc Lac (wok-seared filet mignon with sweet garlic-soy sauce), and Dau Hu Xau Han (wok fried tofu with garlic and onion). The sea bass was so tender and moist, and the big chunks of filet mignon were so juicy and flavorful. And for a finale, a dessert plate for Miss Bella the Birthday Girl.

All of the food was ah-mazing! We definitely needed the energy for the night we had in store for us! I will wrote more about that in another post. The bill was quite pricy with the prie fixe menu, so I would definitely go there on a date or with a smaller group. But nonetheless, an evening spent with good food, friends, and conversation — is a perfect way to celebrate a special birthday. =)

xo.

Cuban Fresh off the Press

After reading San Francisco Magazine‘s piece called An opinionated guide to the sandwich, I became OB-sessed. What can I say? I’m a geeky epicurean. Or just a fat kid at heart.

Leave it to food and wine editor Jan Newberry and food critic Josh Sens to get this list right. Among the culinary delights sandwiched (no pun intended) between two slices of bread were the mushroom croque-monsieur from Sandbox Bakery, Anchor & Hope’s lobster roll, and the warm egg-salad sandwich from Cane Russo, I naturally gravitated towards Ironside’s Cubano sandwich (due to the close proximity to my office).

Ironside's Cubano

I love Ironside. It’s uber industrial chic and chock full of hipsters with witch booties and funky mustaches. Anyway, back to this sandy. Made with slow-roasted pork shoulder brined in orange juice and molasses, and layered with salty country ham, gruyère, chopped pickles, chipotle aioli and then pressed on a Cuban-style roll, this ‘wich is not for the faint of heart. But I am happy to report on the juicy, full flavor with hint of crunch from the cornichons. And I subsequently munched on fruit the rest of the day!

Side note: I upgraded to a caesar side salad, but to be honest it was not worth my $2.5 – stickin’ with the mixed greens next time!

Oh and for the complete list click here. DIE.
xo.

I’m not a surfer…

…but if I was, this would be my ride. If I could board you would find me jogging on the beach with a beach babe do (cue slow motion here) with this in my grasp. Yes, this is exactly what it looks like — a Chanel Surfboard. When your ready to lay down $9000 big ones, then this beaut will be yours! A girl can only dream….

This piece was part of the Parisian fashion house’s Sports 2010 Line which, according to Stylist Rachel Zoe, also includes a basketball, horse-riding helmet and skis.

Surf’s Up!

South Beach bay-bay

This post is all about food! I recently went to Mijita at the ballpark and American Grilled Cheese, both in SoMa. I enjoyed both meals (separately) at my desk, which explains the sneaky copier in the photos!

The first was a combo of a “Taco de Pescadero” — Baja battered and deep fried rock cod in a soft corn tortilla with cabbage and avocado-cilantro cream sauce, and a “Quesadilla Mijita” — Fresh masa turnover with a mixture of Mexican cheeses, epazote and roasted chiles, toasted on the griddle. I was super into the quesadilla, but not a huge fan of the fish taco — however I can’t wait to try the chicken and vegetarian tacos!

Had to complete the experience with Jarritos (not a fan).

Second meal was at American Grilled Cheese where I ordered the Mushroom Gruyere — with fontina, gruyère, roasted wild mushrooms, gold potatoes, melted leeks,caramelized onions, and thyme butter. I had high hopes for this sandwich, but it just didn’t perform. I don’t know what it was, but I am not giving up! I have my eye on another sandy on the menu. Next time, I am definitely going for the full, not the small =)

That’s all for my food travels for now!

xo.

365inSF

Hey y’all —

Been so bad about posting lately! To tell you the truth, I completely forgot (bad Ashley).

This one is short and sweet. Just wanted to share this awesome blog: 365insf.

Free Fishing Day. Photo Credit: David Paul Ohmer

Each day they post 1 awesomely cool thing to do in San Francisco. They are already on #90, but see if you can catch up! You’ve still got 275 days to go!

xo.