christmas card 2013

It's that time of year again. I'm starting to test the possibilities of video holiday greetings. Merry Christmas.

portland trip in october

Wow, it's been awhile since my last post. Four day trip to Portland back in October. Video is missing our first day there, including dinner at Pok Pok. Thanks for stopping by!

sartorial choices

Timeless or contemporary?  That’s a wardrobe decision often overlooked when a fellow lays out his suit and tie combination on the bed. There isn't a right and wrong answer; my point is that it makes sense to consider what exactly is you are trying to accomplish with your outfit. Sounds lame? Yes, absolutely. But if you care remotely about the way your suit looks, it's an easy way to dress yourself. Both are sophisticated but there’s a clear distinction between choosing a clean-cut classic look (with a modern twist) or going with what’s "in the now". I’m coming to a place with my suit and tie outfitting which begins with that simple question. And what really is the look of the moment? Without picking up the most recent Esquire, let me share my thoughts. I recently explained to a good friend that multi-patterned ensembles have become the look of the day. Three to four patterns are totally acceptable if executed properly (and that doesn't even include your socks). Your shirt, your tie, your pocket square (and suit) can all work cohesively with unique colors and patterns . And again, without breaking out copies of gentlemen's magazines, it feels like we are cycling through the seventies right now - and I hope it lingers for a little while longer. This is a complete 180 from just a dozen years ago when a combined monochrome shirt and tie were considered best (see: Philbin, Regis during his Who Wants to Be a Millionaire era). Even with a timeless look, you are most likely to tap into some seventies sensibilities right now. (There's a good chance you'll be pairing your crisp white shirt with a checked tie). But I repeat, one is not better than the other. Just make sure you choose. You are the captain of your fate!  For our dear friends’ Tom and Jenn’s wedding? I elected to dress up a polka-dotted cotton tie from Ernest Alexander and built a dizzying pattern ensemble with a striped Hugo Boss shirt. The complete outfit transformed the tie from hipster malaise into a bold and dramatic look. And just so I didn’t blue myself too much, I elected to go with a standout plaid pocket square.  More thoughts on pocket squares some other time. Thanks for stopping by.

tokyo 2012 photo bomb

This couldn’t be more tardy. I’m finally sharing some photos of the Tokyo leg of our Korea/Japan trip from October 2012. And I’ve actually written about some of it already – photos from Korea, the sushi meal of a lifetime and this um, unfortunate little accident on the way to the airport. Emmelle walking through a Tokyo subway station Elevated view of the Harajuku station More Harajuku madness. Shoulder to chest contact is perfectly normal here Sake tribute at Yoyogi Park Tuna at Tsukiji Fish Market Udon. It can be delicious. But not in mainland USA Cocoon Tower in Shinjuku I rarely post pictures of us together on this blog. This is not one of those times. This is to share the refreshing Suntory Malt's beer that was my go-to adult beverage during our Tokyo stay

royal caribbean cruise to the um, caribbean

Seven day family trip with port destinations in:

• Labadee, Haiti
• Falmouth, Jamaica
• Cozumel, Mexico

More thoughts to come on this one.

Thanks for stopping by.

photos from seattle

Some photos to accompany the Seattle video posted a few weeks ago. Enjoying the Seattle skyline from Elliott Bay Shipping ports intrigue me. Especially after finishing the second season of The Wire not too long ago. Salmon for sale at the famed Pike Place Market Emmelle enjoying a Dungeness crab-filled brunch. Blue trees in downtown Seattle. I'm not going to bother researching why. Thanks for stopping by!

seattle weekend

Thanks for stopping by!

day five of ten on the east coast

day four of ten on the east coast

After pounding a few beers with co-workers near Penn Station, I took the Acela train down to Union Station in Washington D.C. to connect with my fave cousin, Eddie Money Thursday evening. Among the few places that we hit during the night, the highlight was a whisky bar called Jack Rose where I spotted the Ardbeg Galileo. This single malt recently took top honors at the recent World Whiskies Awards. Considering that the previous year’s winner was Yamazaki 25, this bottle must be pouring something fierce at a meager 12 year age expression. The two ounce pour was reasonably priced considering its recent achievement, so we had to get our hands on it. Side note: Our server did not know anything about this whisky. I imagine a groundswell of new demand once word spreads about this coronation. Ultimately, I'm trying to say that our purchase was a great one. How was it? Good – recognizable Ardbeg peat, citrus, mild sweetness, and most importantly, incredibly balanced. The other highlight? Stumbling back to Eddie Money’s house to sip on a hard-to-find sour mash bourbon called Black Maple Hill. BMH has been building a cult following in recent years, which makes it difficult to find a bottle for a reasonable price. Money seems to be able to get it relatively easily on the east coast. How was it? It was good, sour. It would be a great everyday sipper to have on the whisky shelf. Of the ten part series currently being documented, chapter four begins a three day debacle of drunken debauchery. Thanks for stopping by!

day three of ten on the east coast

In short, an extremely long (yet successful) day, highlighted by a worthwhile dinner. The day started in the office, prepping and rehearsing for an afternoon pitch. The prospective client is about an hour west in New Jersey and the meeting went smoothly - no material hiccups to speak of. On the way back to the city, I hopped on another call for the west coast and remained in our office past 8pm before heading out to dinner. It was a long day for sure, but it’s easier to stomach these things when (1) you’re on the road, and (2) you've completed a successful meeting. A co-worker was thoughtful enough to make a dinner reservation at Ma Peche, one of the restaurants in the David Chang Momofuku portfolio. Dinner was terrific, no material complaints, but I was a little confused about the overall vision or direction of the food (I actually don't even know what I mean by that). Nevertheless, David Chang remains my hero, and I was pleased to check off another one of his restaurants on my “must-eat” list. I was happiest when his famous pork buns came to our table - a sure indication that we were dining within the walls of the Momofuku empire. The absolute best thing we ate, and a dish that had me banging my fist on the table in pleasant astonishment, was a foie gras with sarsaparilla, malt and brioche. What a delight. One other thing. Manhattan is obviously expensive, and sometimes, laughably so. Among several prices in the ridiculous zone, Ma Peche pours a Yamazaki 18 for $50. I was drinking this same thing at a hotel bar for half the cost earlier in the week. I really need to get my hands on a few of these bottles before it starts to retail for over $200. It’s going to happen. Thanks for stopping by!

day two of ten on the east coast

So night one actually ended with a trip to the hotel bar and a dram of Yamazaki 18 – a single malt that I’m currently seeking for my home collection (and is getting exceedingly difficult to find). I thought the $25 pour at a hotel bar of all places was a fantastic price. Day two consisted of some heavy planning and rehearsal for a new business pitch for the following day. As such, I wasn’t interested in getting into any sort of trouble, so I sadly ended my evening early by grabbing some (not-so-great) takeout Japanese food and eating in my hotel room. It’s one of the more pathetic things that you can do – eating by your lonesome in your tiny room. I tried really hard to get some rest but this proves more and more difficult. As I get incrementally older, I find jet lag getting more severe. These are small things that I notice about how my body is starting to breakdown. And I don’t mean that dramatically, just simply that there are subtle physical changes taking place if I pay close enough attention. All pretty exciting stuff, right? Life and times of GreensandBrowns on the road. More importantly, let’s talk airline miles! I think I’ll be adding another NYC trip to this list very soon:

day one of ten on the east coast

I’m writing from 30,000 feet, en route to JFK. This flight commences a work trip that spans 10 days; two New York trips on back-to-back weeks that I have elected to turn into one with a personal trip to Washington D.C. sandwiched in between. I've traveled this itinerary before, but it wasn't nearly as long as this current one. In fact, this is the longest work related trip that I've ever taken, and becomes the longest amount of time that Emmelle and I have spent apart (hold your tears). I rarely write about my work travel, but this is a unique one simply for its length. I'll try to capture a daily synopsis. I already know that my posts will be somewhat lacking; I'm not traveling with a camera and I already know that I'll be too tired/inebriated for any substantive documentation. But that's ok, let's see if I can commit to this. Today, there’s no need to wait until the end of the day for a summary. My flight will arrive around midnight, I’ll get into my hotel room around 1:30 and I’m hoping to get a handful of hours of sleep. Spoiler alert: not likely. I'll think really seriously about leaving my hotel room and finding some fast food, only to come to my senses and let myself go a little hungry (this actually summarizes about 75% of my work travel experiences in total). See you tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by!

springbank 10 and 15 years

I’ve been fairly lazy blogging about my whisky-drinking experiences. Bottles have come and gone, and I’ve done a poor job of labeling, categorizing and penning my thoughts about them (huge concern I know). I recognize that I have a bit of a collector’s mentality in mind when I buy new bottles, and I’ve received a few notes in the husbandry suggestion box lately to tidy up all of the half open bottles that sit on our bar shelf. The edict comes at a good time; I've become increasingly interested in Japanese whiskys (both single malt and blends) and actively trying to create some real estate for my latest passion. Why Japanese? Well a few reasons actually - none of which are rational. After learning about single malt for the last few years, I'm looking to sustain the hobby by diving in a littler deeper into one speciality niche. Also, the vast majority of Japanese whiskys remain unavailable in the United States. Admittedly, I'm attracted to procuring objects that are not as easy as driving to the wine shop (it should be much harder, like punching in your credit card on an online whisky purveyor). Lastly, I like the labels. I'll write more as the collection grows but just say a few words here. The Japanese (whisky) invasion has already begun. My current (seemingly original amongst my peers) desire to learn more about this niche may very soon be viewed as commonplace. Each month, I feel like I'm reading about another distillery or specific expression ready to export to the US market. This will be interesting to watch in the next handful of years. Just two years ago, I could easily pick up a Yamazaki 12 at my favorite wine store for under $40. I can't find it consistently now. And even when I do, I can pretty well kiss that price goodbye. Anyway, the original intent of this blog post was to talk a little about Springbank - a great, great single malt. At a whisky event, I got to try the 10, 15 and 18 year expressions - all unique and all delicious. There was one additional expression I tried that I kept going back for that night but cannot recall now what it was exactly. And as a fan, I pretty immediately purchased the 10 and 15 year expressions. Additionally, the lovely Emmelle gave me a 14 year single cask bottling as well (unopened). Note that these were opened in 2011. I just didn’t drink these fast enough, so I’m combining these notes with ones from memory. Springbank 10: (46% ABV) This is definitely for fans of peat. Its pronounced on the nose and lasts through the experience. Unfortunately, the wonderful salt and brine that define this scotch have diminished since I first opened it. More on this in a second. The finish is satisfying as salty smoke fills your mouth and escapes through your nostrils. By comparison, this is most similar for me to Talisker 10, and I'd really have to do a side-by-side tasting to really compare. Both are great if you appreciate smoke and peat. Springbank 15: (46% ABV) Relatively speaking, much milder and more refined. The 100% sherry cask maturation fills this with vanilla, it coats your mouth a little more and gives you something to chew on. A lemon zest profile emerges. I like this as much as any single malt I've had in the last couple of years. But it's time to part ways, as you are not Japanese. I’ve read a lot of mixed notes about how long you can keep an open bottle of whisky. There are some blogs I follow that suggest that you need to drink up that bottle within six months. Furthermore, if you are at a bar and interested in a particular bottle that’s about a third or less full, you shouldn’t take your chances. Just assume that it’s been sitting on the shelf for a long time and elect to get something that’s at least half full. That’s playing it safe. But I’ve read in some places that as long as heat and sunlight exposure is minimal, your brown juice should keep for years. From my experience, the former is true. And it really puts a great deal of pressure to drink and drink when you open up a new bottle. You know what this means? I'll be buying rare and expensive Japanese whiskys without any intention of opening them. I'm just planning to stare and maybe run my fingers along the Japanese calligraphy. Thanks for stopping by!

beef braised short ribs

We've officially hit the one year mark on our condo investment out here in West Oakland. There’s something about owning your own place that encourages you to stay home on weekend nights. And to explain a bit further, the best off those times are spent in the kitchen slow cooking for long hours and drinking classy (expensive) booze. As we get older, I’ve certainly adopted the mantra to “eat and drink less, spend more”. That’s not a real phrase, but it’s not an unknown concept either (I’ll work on making it punchier). But that's essentially the best parts of our life these days. At least I think so. So the search for new (easy) and flavorful recipes and cooking techniques is a true pursuit. Recently, I stumbled upon this fantastic beef short rib recipe and have had great success with it. It’s basically a one pot meal and takes nothing more than a dutch oven and time (you might also consider some short ribs, aromatics, a bottle of cab and chicken stock). This particular recipe pairs the meat with a parsnip puree but the first time I tried it, I basically made a bowl of minty glue. I haven't made an attempt since.   Thanks for stopping by!

baby adeline's baptism

Baby Adeline celebrated her 100 days and baptism all in one momentous day this past Saturday. Congratulations to the Mustards on the blessed events. Nice touch by the parents matching tie and dress. These aren't my photos, but I took them. I rage with jealousy over my brother-in-law's camera equipment. Thanks for stopping by!

history's greatest day: volume 32

Wonderfully creative birthday meal tonight at Commis in Oakland. Thoughtful and inventive, with a great deal of restraint. I’m still trying to figure out what exactly I tasted. The menu (because the host kindly gave us one): pacific oyster with mustard cream, mousse of pea leaves dungeness crab in green anise bouillon, wilted sprouts and sea fennel semi-dried beetroot with steamed apples, hazelnuts and burnt honey poached farm egg with sweet and savory spices and potato grilled cod with artichoke and sauce of truffles from oregon, miner’s lettuce calf’s saddle roasted in salted butter, young green garlic and grasses cara cara orange pudding and sassafras ice parsnip mousse and parsley ice milk, oro blanco jelly with cocao nib Thanks for stopping by!

emmelle master of the slopes

pliny the younger

General Mustard, Sukie Chung and I went to Bobby G’s Pizzeria in Berkeley to finally get our hands on a pint of the famed Pliny the Younger (right). For those not in the know, Pliny is a triple IPA released for two weeks in February each year by Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa (no bottling). If one isn’t willing to make the trek up to the brewery, the devout are subjected to keeping their ears and eyes peeled to track Bay Area establishments fortunate enough to obtain the coveted ale. This year, I’d read about lines several hours long and Pliny disciples making pilgrimages from as far as Europe and Japan. I love effective marketing. A co-worker tipped me off that this little pizza place (great by the way) would tap a keg on the last Friday of the frenzy. We stood in line for roughly two hours. Pliny the Younger, a triple IPA colored with a rich pale amber hue is smooth and drinkable even at a robust 11% alcohol. But as smooth and flavorful as it is, paired with Pliny the Elder under an inviting winter sun, we were all borderline drunk. The Beer Advocate’s proclamation of the Younger Pliny as the second best beer in the world certainly has a great deal to do with the hype surrounding its annual release. Is it true? I don’t know; I have no idea how you quantify or qualify that kind of hyperbole. You skim their list of top 250 beers and quickly notice that Russian River beers are sprinkled generously throughout that list. It almost feels like one of those airline magazine advertorials listing the “Best Steakhouses in America” or “America’s Best Dermatologists”. I wouldn’t dare say that it’s a paid placement but established relationships, reputation – all of those elements are influential factors. But I can say it is tasty, and I’m proud that the beer is made right here in our backyard like a lot of great beers, alcohol, produce, etc. I have a difficult time envisioning where the craft beer movement will be in five to ten years, but we are definitely in a period when all anybody wants is more hops. Would I do it again? I think so, except next year you can find me at the brewery double fisting. Thanks for stopping by!

pain

For posterity's sake, 2012 season (11-4-1). Blew out the Packers, squeaked by the Falcons...one game short. Another heart-wrenching ending to the season, but filled with promise. It looks like the Niners finally have their franchise quarterback. I'd love for my future first born to have vague memories of watching Kaepernick to Crabtree just as Montana to Rice became an indelible image from my childhood. In the grand scheme of all things, this means nothing for fans. But there is an affect that all Niner fans must endure for years to come. Every time NFL Films runs this Super Bowl, you have to change the channel (unless you are some sort of sports sadist). That pains me. It already annoys me. Thanks for stopping by.

It’s MLK 2013. President Barack Obama was officially sworn in for his second term as our president. In four years’ time, he’ll leave the highest office, and we’ll hopefully be helping our children one day with school projects about some of the progressive work he accomplished. It doesn’t feel that far away, does it? From what I can gather, time flies. In local news, the 49ers just won the NFC Championship game to get to their first Super Bowl in 18 seasons – I was in eighth grade the last time they made it this far. And I remember it well. Time flies. Even more personally, Emmelle and I did a one day snowboarding trip to Northstar on Saturday. The weather was sunny and pleasant. Such warm, sun-drenched days afford you the ability to plant yourself in the snow and people watch. And nothing is as worthwhile as observing the schools of little ones deftly zip down the slopes in their oversized helmets. I can’t help but think that we’ll get to drive up to Tahoe with Baby Addy in the not-too-distant future. Time, my friends, flies by. Back to today. We woke up and had brunch at Chop Bar, a trendy hipster-ish spot near Jack London Square that’s been growing on me. We sat at the bar and recounted the events of the weekend. Peaceful. I came home and slept. Emmelle just finished baking a banana bread and the smell of bananas and cinnamon has crept upstairs to our bedroom, strong and inviting enough to wake me from this rare Monday afternoon nap. Thanks for stopping by.

christmas card, 2012