Oh The Shows...

Sad to say but I've fallen a little behind on the blogging in the last couple months. Those travel ones took so much time I got a little burned out. But never fear loyal readers (aka Mom), I'm back at it! Even though I went to see the following shows in November and December, they were great enough to rehash.

The first weekend in November I went to see Charli XCX at Slim's in SOMA. She's a saucy English singer and songwriter who's been at it since 2008 (when she was 15). She gain notoriety when she was featured on Icona Pop's big hit, "I Love It." I enjoyed her second album "True Romance," which featured songs like "You- Ha Ha Ha," "Set Me Free" and "Cloud Aura." In concert she was very energetic and fun to watch. She's still pretty young so don't expect anything too deep, just an upbeat tempo that good for dancing and running. If she keeps playing smaller venues with space to dance I'd recommend checking her. In recent news she's been added to the SXSW 2014 lineup and will be releasing her third studio album in June.

The following week I went to check out a new venue and band in the Mission. The show was at the new venue, The Chapel, on Valencia. It was originally a mortuary and is now a venue, restaurant, bar and outdoor patio. The restaurant is called The Vestry. We ate and had drinks there before. They have a fun cocktail menu and a lot of small plate and flatbread options that are going for sharing. The cuisine is a blend of French, Italian and Mediterranean. The best part? Our server was fully up on what was happening at the venue next door so we knew exactly when it was time to pay the tab and head over. Inside the venue, you could tell it had been a mortuary at some point, with the high ceilings, stained glass windows and Gothic feel. The ambiance was original and very cool, with the size just big enough for an intimate show experience. The show we saw was Glasser, who I hadn't heard of until the friend I went with recommended her. Glasser is an American singer/songwriter hailing from Boston. Her first EP debuted in 2009, followed by her full album in 2010. Her other album dropped in 2013. Her sound is very funky. On her Wiki page they compared her to Joni Mitchell but with the eerie electronic vibe I'd go more with someone like Purity Ring. It was a good show, pretty outside the box, but considering what we paid plus the venue I'm happy I went.

Near the end of November I went to the Fox Theater in Oakland for Chvrches. I was very excited by this one, as they've started selling out shows since they got big and I missed them the first time around. Chvrches (don't ask me say this band name out loud although apparently it's just "churches") is a Scottish synthpop band that formed in 2011. The band has no religious affiliation, just thought the name "sounded cool." They started releasing tracks in 2012, including my favorite "The Mother We Share." Their next single "Recover" starting blowing up in early 2013. Chvrches ended up 5th on BBC's Sound of 2013, of which Haim was named the winner. Another lesser known favorite of mine, Little Green Cars, was also on the list. Back to the show, it was amazing. The lighting was fun but not overdone. Sometimes when you hear synthpop live it just sounds like over-processed EDM but their sound was crystal clear. Her voice sounded exactly like it does on the albums, so there's no digital processing there. I would highly recommended seeing them live if you can.

In early December I went back to the Fox to see the Head & the Heart. an indie folk rock band out of Seattle. They formed in 2009 and self-released their first music in 2010, got signed and released the album on CD and vinyl in 2011. The band is comprised of five guys and though it's not on their Wiki page (which lacks detail and clearly needs to be updated), there's a girl member (who plays a killer violin). Their songs range from being piano, violin or percussion driven, which shows a wide range of skill. Their lyrics are beautiful and soulful. Live it was one of those truly impactful shows where you can tell the whole audience is having an emotional connection with the music. While already a darling on the indie scene, I think this band is still in the process of taking off even more. Expect them to start showing up on a lot of festival lineups. Definitely check them out.

Kale Crazy

I have become obsessed with kale. It happened about a month ago and has taken over my diet. I literally cannot walk into a Whole Foods without leaving with bushels of kale. This is completely unexpected, as I refused to eat anything but iceberg lettuce for all of my teens (despite having no nutritional value I still maintain that its crispy, watery deliciousness). I think I have also adequately prefaced in this blog that I cannot cook (refer to the last cooking class in '10 that resulted in melted plastic, grease burns and food poisoning). Yet last week I made two intricate kale salads with homemade dressings! Perhaps I need to stick with raw foods?  

The first salad I made was the "detox" salad, with dinosaur kale, oranges, avocado and almonds. My second attempt was a passed on recipe of curly kale, pine nuts, cranberries and lemon vinaigrette  I went a little overboard with the lemon (insert pucker face here). But the first salad turned out pretty amazing if I do say so myself. I also made kale chips, which take about 15 minutes to make. Cut up some kale, toss it in olive oil and whatever seasoning you want, then cook on a baking sheet for 10-15 minutes. Considering kale chips are all the rage right now and sell for an outrageous $4+ per bag, just make your own. If I can do it, you can do it. Promise.

I also went on the hunt for the perfect restaurant kale salad. After some serious searching on Yelp it was clear that the top contender was the salad at Darwin Cafe in SOMA. It's one of those cute, hidden spots on a random side street that you would never even notice if it wasn't for the parklet outside. The cozy restaurant sits maybe 20 people max but allows for takeout. The sad thing is that it's only open weekdays from 8a-8p, so no hanging out there on the weekends. Their menu is seasonal, rotating fairly consistently. The one constant is their kale salad, the most popular dish. It's a pretty amazing mountain of a salad once it's set in front of you. There's a giant pile of kale, mixed with radicchio, lemon, prosciutto and garlic, tossed in balsamic and topped with a ton grated Parmesan cheese. It's definitely one of the most flavorful salads I've had in a while. If you like kale, you definitely need to stop by this place. I plan swinging by for takeout on a regular basis. If you eat-in, they also have a small but local selection of beer and wine. 

Looking for Prospective Places to Dine?

Last night I went into the depths of SOMA, which I do not do often enough, and had dinner at Prospect. Prospect serves new American cuisine with a modern twist. They have a large bar area, make amazing cocktails and feature an extensive wine list if you are looking to imbibe in a liquid meal (although they'll also serve you smaller dishes). Or if you're a bit more peckish, you can sit at the communal table, which still has the more lively bar atmosphere. I really liked the interior of Prospect. It achieved being contemporary without being too formal or stiff, with harsh whites, angular lines and uncomfortable seating. The interior was more of a creamy white, which complimented the different wood tones features. There were a lot of unique lighting fixtures and the place have an overall sense of warmth.

Since I work in Sausalito, I'm never able to make it to city happy hours. If you do work in the area, check out their happy hour from 4-6p. Their specialty cocktail list boasted an array of eccentric concoctions. I had the Pompelmo Frizzante, which consisted of vodka, sparkling wine, lemon, grapefruit and vanilla. This "summer in a glass" as I call it would be so refreshing on a hot day. They have a few more upscale beers and a fairly lengthy wine by the glass list. If you're planning to get a bottle, be warned that the decent ones tend to be fairly pricey. However, they are one of those establishments that allow to bring in your own wine and just pay a corkage fee. 

For the food, we started off with a couple small plates. We tried the asparagus, which had a little too much butter/oil/sauce on it for my taste (why distract away from this beautiful vegetable), but featured an amazing crispy squash blossom stuffed with ricotta and summer truffle. Sadly, there's only one on each plate. We had the shrimp with calamari atop black quinoa, which was decent but not a staple on their menu. The last thing we tried was the ravioli, which was amazing, so I wish that was a menu staple. For my entree, I was torn. People had great things to say about the seared sea scallops, with fingerlings, broccoli rabe and charred onion potato puree. When the dishes came, the scallops did look tasty, but I'm glad I went with my gut feeling when it came to ordering (and later caused a food gut from eating too much). I ordered the New York steak, which sat on a bed of sauteed spinach with baby artichokes and sunchokes. There were also tiny sunchoke chips sprinkled on top to get that needed crispy element on the plate.There was also horseradish aioli and a beef jus that soaked into everything (which is a good thing). It was so delicious. My only complaint is that one of my sliced steak pieces was entirely a piece of fat. Otherwise, one of the better steak dishes I've had in this city. The dessert list looked too good to pass up so I ordered the banana parfait. I mean, how often do you see that on a menu instead of something like bananas foster? The creamy vanilla pudding was topped with caramel, roasted bananas (which tasted like they were caramelized) and nib crumbs. It was so good that even though I was already stuffed my this point, I cleaned my bowl (although I did have some help). 

All in all, a good place to eat and drink. I like the ambiance and the specialty cocktails a lot. The starters left a little to be desired but the entrees were superb. And the desserts were delightful. Just be prepared to spend a fair chunk of change there.