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.

Holiday Movie Wrap-Up

I love the holiday season for so many reasons (the lights, family and friends, the ridiculous amount of food consumed, the mulled wine), but one of those reasons is the movies. Over the last couple weeks I made sure to check out a few of the upcoming awards season’s top contenders.

My favorite would have to be David O. Russell’s “American Hustle.” The movie is nominated for a bunch of SAG and Golden Globes. While I think it’s deserving of many of them, the nomination that best represents this movie is the SAG’s  “Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture,” meaning everyone played their roles to perfection. Christian Bale is the lead con man, who while being hopeless, ethically/morally loose, wearing the most creative comb-over ever and a pot belly (he gained significant weight for this role), is also a Lothario. In his con life he enlists the skills of his lover, played by Amy Adams (whose plunging necklines required a lot of double sided tape throughout filming). At home he has an alcoholic, manipulative wife, played by Jennifer Lawrence. Lawrence seems to be getting the most accolades out of everyone and is well deserved. While she seems a little young for the role, I read she perfected her accent by watching a large amount of reality TV, which tends to be based in New Jersey. Bradley Cooper plays an FBI agent with a pretty killer ‘80s perm. Jeremy Renner has a smaller role in the movie as a mayor who ends up getting caught up in the main scheme. Comedian Louis C.K. plays Cooper’s boss at the FBI and while it’s not your standard “funny guy” role, his scenes are enjoyably laughable. Robert De Niro also has a pretty stellar cameo. It’s clearly a movie from Russell, as the movie is less about the plot and more about the character development. The movie seemed chaotic at times but the characters made it charming. The tacky and glitz 70’s were the perfect backdrop to their con-man shenanigans. So far, I’d say this is the biggest must-see prior to the awards shows.

Last weekend I went to see Martin Scorsese’s new movie, “The Wolf of Wall Street.” I was a little hesitant about this one after hearing a lot of mixed reviews but I usually love Scorsese (and Leo!) so I went for it. First off, I can see why few people over the age of 40 enjoyed it. It’s basically a 3 hour fuck-fest (sorry for the language Mom but it’s the best way to convey it) with c-notes, hookers and drugs. So I’m also guessing every guy under the age of 35 thinks this is the best movie ever. I will say that I liked it despite the graphicness (but I am nowhere near what one would consider a prude). The movie is actually based on a true story believe it or not of Wall Street broker turned convict turned motivational speaker Jordan Belfort. Some of the stories and dialog are lifted directly from Belfort’s memoir while some of the stories (like throwing midgets like human darts) are a little more questionable. The firm Belfort started, Stratton Oakmont, was actually also the inspiration behind the 2000 movie “Boiler Room.” Leo DiCaprio does a great job as the charismatic Belfort. His character narrates asides directly to the camera throughout the movie, giving us more insight into some of his crazy behavior. DiCaprio actually makes the character semi-likable that sometime you want him to get away with everything. Jonah Hill, Hollywood’s new go-to sidekick, is awkward yet brilliant as Belfort’s sidekick. Matthew McConaughey is only in one scene in the whole movie but it’s a totally scene stealer. Another upside, the 3 hour movie flies by like a frantic drug rambling, so there are never really any lulls. I’m glad I went to see once but will I ever watch it again? Probably not. One fun fact not in the movie: While serving time in a while collar prison, Belfort was cellmate with Tommy Chong, of “Cheech & Chong.” Chong was actually the one who encouraged him to write the book.

The other noteworthy movie I went to see was “Inside Llewyn Davis,” the new movie by the Coen brothers. For the most part I really like their movies and think they write great, dry dialog. I wasn’t a fan of their more recent foray, “A Serious Man,” and this one felt very similar. The plot was pretty slow, the scenery bleak and the overall feeling was just depressing. It starred Oscar Isaac, who did a decent job with all the acting and singing. I usually like Cary Mulligan, who was the main female role in this, but even she seemed lackluster. I do have to say though that Justin Timberlake breaks the mold again with a pretty amazing cameo. I never knew I’d be so impressed by his acting chops. John Goodman does a decent job in his role and Garrett Hedlund got paid to pretty much not say anything. I was happy to see Adam Driver (from "Girls") getting movie roles. Young Bob Dylan gets a clever shout out near the end of the movie. Overall, I think the best part of the movie was the cat. Unless you’re in the mood for something depressing or you really like 1960s folk music, I’d say your fine skipping this one. I think it got nominations because of the prestige the Coen name carries but I’d be surprised if it wins any of the Golden Globes it’s up for.

November Moviemania

While holiday season is exciting for a great many number of reasons, one of those is the release of better movies. Theater attendance spikes, with blockbuster releases planned on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days (my family always sees a movie Christmas Eve- one of my favorite relaxing traditions!). Oscar races are right around the corner so all the notable indie releases happen too. While I saw a bunch of movies last month, here's a few I think are worth mentioning:

Last weekend I went to see the second "Hunger Games" installment (I wish I was young enough to catch the midnight release and still be able to function at work the next day). I was a big fan of the first movie and felt it was the best adaptation of a book that's I'd seen in quite a while. I have to say, the second one is even better! Some people are complaining about the length (run time of 2.4 hours) but for the fans it's not an issue, I mean, it's shorter than any "Lord of the Rings" movie. The casting for the other victors was really good (love Jena Malone as vicious Johanna). Philip Seymour Hoffman is a good addition to pretty much any movie and is perfectly shady in the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, who was less memorable as a written character. All of the special affects in the arena were visually stunning and the costumes for the victor's parade should definitely be nominated for it's creative way to translate a book description into fashion. If I don't go see it again in theaters, I will probably buy it when it comes out on video. The third installment, "Mockingjay" will be split into two (mo' money for studios!), with the first one slated to come out November 2014.

Would my work judge me for Hunger Games wallpaper?

A movie likely to be up for a lot of nominations is "Dallas Buyer's Club," starring Matthew McConaughey. The movie takes place in the mid-80's when the HIV/AIDS scare was really starting to ramp up. Cowboy/hustler Woodroof (McConaughey) learns he has HIV and when he goes to the hospital finds out that the drug their testing is actually more harmful than helpful. He heads to Mexico and finds cheaper drugs to bring into the States, starting a drug club of his own. He reluctantly befriends transvestite Rayon, who I thought looked familiar but didn't find out until after that it's Jared Leto. The buzz is that Leto is likely to be up for "best supporting" awards when the season rolls around. McConaughey surprised me with his acting skills again, I thought it was on par with "Mud." I guess he just needed to break away from his rom com cast typing. My only qualm with the movie was Jennifer Garner's performance as an empathetic doctor who supposedly feels passionate about the issue but Garner's flat emotion seems the opposite of passion.

Leto and McConaughey

I have a nerdy weakness for all movies related to "The Avengers" so I went to see "Thor: The Dark World." It was pretty good, very comparable to the first "Thor." The plot line was similar but a good action movie if you need to shut off your brain for a while. Chris Hemsworth seems born to play the role of Thor. Natalie Portman is fine, but I more enjoy Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgard as her quirky scientific sidekicks. Tom Hiddleston brings the character of Loki to the forefront and makes him almost someone you want to root for. Also, the bad guys in this movie being "evil elves" was a bit silly but I'm sure that was taken from the comics so I won't blame the screenwriters for that. The movie's not a must see and will probably be a frequent rotater on cable once it comes out.

Lastly, I also went to see the (over) hyped "Gravity," with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Clooney's character is pretty enjoyable but SPOILER ALERT: he dies off fairly quickly and then it's just Bullock floating around in space, which is pretty boring. It's like Hanks in "Castaway" or Farrell in "Phone Booth." Movies with only one set location tend to give way to overly introspective monologues. Bullock should have probably died about 10 different times but seems to persevere somehow. There also just seems to be a lot of plausibility issues overall, like one second she's floating over China and the next second she's over Europe. There's no way she's just floating around the world that fast. The views of Earth from space are probably the best part of the movie, so I'd rather just watch some NASA special on the Discovery Channel. Could someone who loved this movie please explain to me what I'm missing? 

Sandra- stick to "Speed"!

The (Non) Spectacular Now

Last Friday night I went to see "The Spectacular Now." This movie is based on a book, which I was warned was rather depressing. It’s adapted by the writers of “(500) Days of Summer,” which I thought was a brilliant movie. However, IMDB lists the movie as a comedy/drama/romance. After seeing the film, I'm really wondering how they decided to classify it partially as a comedy. There were a couple fast but fleeting "cute" moments that made you smile but overall it was pretty depressing (although according to people who've read the book, not as depressing as the novel). The premise of the movie surrounds teen alcoholism and poor parental role models. So yeah, pretty cheery stuff.

I liked the casting of this movie. Most of the ensemble is fairly unknown. Ray Liotta makes a cameo as a drunken, absentee father. My favorite was the lead actress, Shailene Woodley, who’s been rising to fame via indie movies and complex roles ever since “The Descendants.” Miles Teller plays the male lead and is very convincing in the role. I’m glad that they chose an average looking kid, although apparently he makes Sutter a more likable character than in the book.

I’d say wait until rental for this one unless you are a fan of depressing stories and teen angst. My other recommendation, don’t go see this on a blind date. Watching an awkward teen sex scene next to some guy you barely know if almost as painful as watching “Eyes Wide Shut” with your father (thank you high school Stanley Kubrick film project for that unforgettable moment).

Speaking of uncomfortable movies, I rented “The Paperboy” last night. I was half paying attention at first until I realized the movie is perturbing. I’m not going into detail but let’s just say there’s grisly murder, racial crimes, a “sex/masturbation” scene at a prison and a brutal gay rape. I think this movie was Zac Efron trying to prove he’s edgy and not just “High School Musical” and Nicole Kidman trying to be sexy. Matthew McConaughey’s performance is sub par as usual (with the exception of “Mud”) and somehow they roped John Cusak into this as well, which makes me supremely disappointed. Did you know Macy Gray can act? No? That's because she can't. I do not recommend this movie at all, even knowing there’s no way this is airing on cable. 

Some Really Weird Movies Involving James Franco

I feel like all the movies I've seen lately are just weird. Like they're made for people on drugs weird. And coincidentally or not, James Franco played a major role in each.

The first movie I saw fitting this trend was "Oz the Great and Powerful," the prequel to the "Wizard of Oz." This movie focuses on a carnival magician who ultimately ends up becoming the Wizard of Oz. Conveniently enough, his name is Oz. Oz is played by James Franco, who embodied the conceit and swarminess of the character. He was pretty unlikable in the role, which his character was supposed to be. However, at some point the audience is supposed to connect with him and for me that never happened. We meet Glinda, the Good Witch, played by Michelle Williams. Her innocence, optimism and naiveness works in this film. Mila Kunis plays Thoedora who (spoiler alert) tuns into the Wicked Witch from the West. When her character gets green skin and warts, they don't change her voice for some reason so the Witch almost has a sing-songy quality to it. Rachel Weisz plays Evanora, Theodora's evil sister. Her character is actually quite intriguing but they don't finish the story on her, so we have no idea why she's not in the "Wizard of Oz." On this note, there a quite a few things that don't really tie back to the originally movie so fans of the oldie may be disappointed. The only thing is really explains is why the wizard stays behind a curtain and uses a projector. However, the CGI effects for Oz are out of control, so it might be interesting to see in 3D. Or on drugs*. On a tangent, has anyone seen the sequel "Return to Oz"? I remember watching it when I was little and being totally freaked out by the wheelers and hallway of heads. It was recently brought to my attention that the girl playing Dorothy in this version grows up to be the creepy head witch in "The Craft." Anyway, this 1985 sequel is worth checking out, as it brings up valid follow up (i.e. of course they're going to put Dorothy in a mental institute once she starts telling everyone about Oz).

The other movie I saw was "Spring Breakers." When I first saw the preview for this movie my initial reaction was yuck, that looks like a tacky movie meant for teenage boys that's all about boobs and getting hammered. Then I read an article in Rolling Stone (which I was hoping to link to but isn't available online unless you subscribe), along with some review highlights, that made it seems like it was one of those hilarious, voice-of-a-generation type films that shouldn't be missed. They made it sound like director Harmony Korine was making "Trainspotting" for the new generation. It's not. It's not even close. My original assumption was right. There's nothing deeper to this movie that getting wasted and naked girls. And oh, by the way, these slutty college students are also complete psychopaths. Because why just have girls in bikinis when you could have girls in bikinis wielding KA-47s. The only good part of this movie, and only things that elicited laughs from the audience, is James Franco's role, a drug dealer named Alien. With corn rows and a grill, Franco has been completely transformed. There's a scene where he plays a haunting rendition of a Britney Spears song on a white grand piano while his harem of deranged spring break girls dance around him in pink ski masks waving guns. There's also nothing more haunting than his sing-songy chat, Spring break, spring break forever. The females leads are ex-ABC Family/Mickey Mouse Club/Disney stars Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez and Ashley Benson, looking to break out of their PG mold. The 4th girl in the movie is Korine's wife and is also one of the most scandalous in the movie. But apparently he's proud of her for it, so to each their own. It's kind of hilarious that Selena Gomez gets second highest billing when she's barely in the movie. She plays the more conservative, religious girl in the group who bails back to college as soon as things start getting dicey. The only good thing about this movie outside of James Franco is the soundtrack. Dubstep DJ Skrillex teamed up with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Clliff Martinex for 5 quite epic tracks. Other artists on the soundtrack include Ellie Goulding, Meek Mill and Gucci Mane.

*This blog does not advocate the use of drugs. It advocates suggestions on how to enjoy an otherwise awful movie.

Eats Near Union Square

I’m always impressed when I find hole-in-the-wall restaurants with quality food, tucked away in the Union Square area. I live in Nob Hill, right above Union Square and am constantly navigating my way through hordes of tourists. I don’t understand, when one goes on vacation do you automatically forget how to walk normally and extend common decency to other pedestrians and drivers? When tourists come to Union Square they either flock to the familiar chain they love so dearly, like the Cheesecake Factory, CPK or Burger Bar, or they head to the over-hyped, San Francisco branded restaurant where you have to wait in line (which must mean the food is good) like Sears Fine Food or Cable Car City Pub. I've lived in this neighborhood for over a year now so when a friend suggested dinner at Ryokos Japanese Restaurant & Bar I was like isn't that the sketchy looking sushi place I head by when going to Owl Bar (a good place for drinks)?

Ryokos is on Taylor St, near Post. The restaurant front is small. You basically duck under some low-hanging Japanese banners and walk down a staircase. Once you’re at the bottom things come alive. We went there on a Monday night and the place was hopping. We had to wait 15 minutes for a table. Once seated you’re bombarded  by different sake handouts and menus. After deciding that reading all of these descriptions was just too much after a long day at work, I opted for the plain hot sake. Nothing special about it but a large bottle is $7, which is a pretty good price.  The food menu is pretty extensive with a lot of Japanese cuisine options, even for those crazy people who don’t like sushi. The sushi selection is pretty good, with one full page for nigiri/sashimi selections, one for standard maki rolls and one for specialty maki rolls. They automatically give you an order of edamame on the house when you sit down. We ordered the miso soup, which was nothing out of the ordinary. We also ordered a house salad to split. Usually house salads are served in the same small bowl size as miso soup but this one was gigantic, a great deal for $5. The table next two us had the gyoza, which smelled delicious so we got an order of that. It comes with this spicy dipping sauce instead of the standard soy, which was a nice change. For sushi, we for the spice scallop which was listed as a standard roll when a lot of places charge premium prices. And it wasn't a weak spice, it was actually so spicy that the friend I was with couldn't eat it (which means more for me!). We also ordered the rainbow roll, which is a choice you can’t really go wrong with as long as the fish quality is up to snuff. I would definitely recommend checking out Ryokos if you want good sushi near Union Square (although my favorite will always be Sushi Toni).

On another note, I went to dinner with a couple girlfriends on Valentine’s Day. We went to Jasper’s Corner Tap on Taylor, also in the Union Square area. It’s a pretty sizable place, nothing too special about the ambiance. Surprisingly they have a pretty extensive cocktail list, although they were supposed to have special anti-Valentine’s cocktails, which they ended up not having. Don’t plan on being healthy here. When you sit down there’s a French fry menu on the table, where you can pick the type of fries, seasoning sprinkles and if you’d like to make it poutine. If you don’t know what poutine is, you need to make friends with a Canadian ASAP. Poutine is one of their national dishes where they take a plate of French fries, douse it in gravy and melt cheese curds on top of that. A complete heart attack but worth it! Anyway, nothing too special to report about the food. It was your average, run of the mill appetizers that you’d find at any American bar. I didn't order it, but Yelp overwhelmingly recommends the grilled cheese with pork belly sandwich. The prices do reflect the proximity to Union Square and I most likely will not be back again.

Seduced by Sushi

First off, apologies to the few loyal readers (my parents, a co-worker, a couple really nice friends), life has been crazy so I haven't had time to write! I got promoted at work so now I actually have to work :) Thanks for bearing with me and constantly pretending that my blog is an important read.

Onto the sushi! My first review needs to go out to my favorite neighborhood joint, Sushi Toni. When I moved to Lower Nob Hill in December, I left behind an apartment a few blocks away from Japantown, where there were sushi joints on every corner. I tried a couple sushi places once I was settled at my new place, but they were too close to Union Square, which meant they were over-priced and aimed at tourists. I always walked by Sushi Toni on Bush Street, but it looked like such a random hole in the wall that I didn't trust them to fulfill my sushi needs. Eventually I looked them up on Yelp, saw they had four stars and a ton of rave reviews so I decided to give it a try. I am now hooked. To be honest, I get carry out at least once a week. The waitress has stopped asking me if I need one pair chopsticks or two (apparently I order way too much sushi for just me). Last week I officially added them to my favorite contacts list so I could call them quicker. Their maki rolls are creative, tasty and affordable. The 49er roll (tobiko, siso, avacado topped with salmon and a lemon wedge) tastes just as good as the salmon citrus roll at Michelin rated Sushi Ran. I'm a huge fan of seaweed salad, so the fact that I can get it over a spicy tuna roll and call is a Swamp roll is pretty perfect. Yelp reviewers rave about the Romeo and Juliet roll (salmon and avocado wrapped in soybean paper, topped with scallop) and I have to concur. I like the Family Affair roll (tuna, white tuna and cucumber) even though they get a little carried away with the white and green onion garnish on top. The Red Dragon and Crunch rolls are also worth trying out. They're also able to make spicy scallop handrolls, which are a favorite of mine ever since I moved to SF. Basic maki rolls range from $4.50-$6.50 and specialty rolls are on average $9-$10. Everything is rolled well and made with quality ingredients. If you're looking for an affordable sushi dinner, this is the place to go.

The next place warranting discussion is Zushi Puzzle. When I ask San Franciscans what the best secret sushi places in the city are, they usually say Zushi or Sushi Bistro (coming up next). This place also looks like a hole in the wall and an unattractive gray facade. It's on a rather barren part of Lombard, which is still technically Marina/Cow Hollow but definitely on the edge. I've tried to go here before but there's always a wait and it seems to be always at least an hour. Plus they have some random business hours, which means I have to go to Mas Sake (which is good but like eating sushi in a Vegas club after 10pm). A friend and I finally got in on a Friday night by going directly after getting off work. I can't wait until I'm old and it's acceptable to eat dinner at restaurants at 5:30p. Anyway, we ended up trying a couple of the specialty maki rolls. I'm going to spare you the details. No one roll specially popped as being more memorable than the others. My main takeaway from this place was that there was a lack of skill/finesse. The sushi wasn't rolled very well. Every time we went to grab a piece, it would fall apart by the time it hit the soy. I was pretty disappointed by my experience, this place definitely did not live up to the hype!

After checking out Zushi Puzzle I had to check out the other local favorite, Sushi Bistro. There's two locations, one in Inner Richmond and in the Mission. I went to the one in the Mission that's fairly small but didn't have its usual wait that night. I think my favorite roll was the Billie Jean. I fully support the new trend of using soy paper as a substitute for the seaweed wrapping. The Billie Jean was filled with baby lobster, avocado and cucumber, topped with salmon. I have a propensity to order anything with tuna, so I also got the albacore dream, which is spicy tuna and avocado topped with albacore and their signature spicy sauce. I have to say, if someone asked me if I would recommend Zushi Puzzle or Sushi Bistro, I would hands down always say Sushi Bistro.

Tastes around town

Last weekend my friend from Boston came to San Francisco, so I gave the whirlwind 48 hour tour. I'm getting pretty good at this. We hit multiple neighborhoods, drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and down the curvy part of Lombard Street, saw the Full House house, took in the city skyline from Dolores Park and ate some really good food.

Saturday night we went to this Mediterranean restaurant I had a Groupon for, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The restaurant is called Taste by Paul K, named after it's Armenian owner, which cleared up a bunch of things for me as I couldn't think up any famous chefs by the name of Paul K. The place in near the Civic Center, on Gough and Oak. The interior is warm, with lots of vibrant colors and art. The menu features a lot of traditional Mediterranean fare, with everything from Greek to North African dishes. we started out with salads. I got their iceberg wedge salad, which was drenched in my very favorite green goddess dressing and topped with shaved pecorino cheese. For dinner I got a Greek sampler platter of sorts, the mezza with lamb riblets and kebabs, baba ganoush, pickled cucumber, olives, rosemary and yogurt. It was nice to get to try a little bit of everything. The kebabs and baba ganoush stood out amongst the rest of the plate. My friend got the pappardelle, which usually comes with duck but the evening special was with wild boar. She said it was good but complained that it was too "meat heavy," which a lot of other people I know would consider a definite plus. We tried some fun cocktails from the list as well, which were good but nothing to write home about. Overall, a good experience but not amazing enough to draw me back. In a city like San Francisco where there's so many amazing restaurants, you really have to be good to garner repeat visits!

We went to Mas Sake on Lombard for dinner on Sunday night, and I will be going back here! We stumbled across this place on accident. Everyone always recommends Zushi Puzzle, which is also right there in the Cow Hollow/Marina area of Lombard. Turns out they're closed on Sunday, but we were determined to track down sushi, so we kept walking. We were drawn into Mas Sake by its tagline, "freestyle sushi." After eating there, I'm still not sure what that means but you have to admit, it does sound fun.This isn't your typical Japanese sushi restaurant. They actually boast themselves as a Japanese/Mexican fusion, which is two cultures I never thought I'd see on a menu together. While options like the ahi tacos sounded delicious, we stuck to the rolls. We tried the You're Hot, I'm Scot (yellowtail in spicy cream sauce, with avocado and cucumber), the Spice Marisa Roll (my friend visiting is Marisa, so this tempura spicy tuna roll topped with seaweed salad was a must!), the Crazy Courtney roll (tempura shrimp, mango, avocado, sirracha and cilantro) and a standard spicy tuna roll. The prices weren't too bad but if you're looking for affordable sushi, this place has all-you-can-eat every weekday from 6-7p and all day on Sundays. There's also all-you-can-drink hot sake, which is irresistible. My only minor complaint, the ambiance is that more of a club scene that a restaurant and I feel like that's overdone in sushi restaurants. regardless, it's a great place to eat. I can't wait to compare it to Zushi Puzzle.

I watched a Lifetime movie and liked it.

Confession, last night I watch the Lifetime movie I DVRed a while ago, "Amanda Knox: Murder On Trial In Italy." I thought Lifetime only made sappy, weepy movies but apparently this has changed. Now Lifetime is all about cashing in on salacious American crimes. The other day I was channel-flipping and saw they had a movie about the Amish school shooting that happened a couple years ago. Who is profiting off these movies beside Lifetime? How do they get the rights? I know because of the Son of Sam law criminals can't sell the rights to their stories. So who can? Interesting thought. Anyway, back to my movie review. It was actually pretty good. They got Hayden Panettiere to play Amanda Knox and she did a decent job. Marcia Gay Harden played Knox's mother and did an excellent job. I've always thought she was a great actress and I wonder why she isn't getting better offers. The movie did an excellent job of not making any judgment calls on if Knox and her boyfriend did murder British student, Meredith Kertcher. I followed this in the news and always thought it sounded like Knox did it. After watching the movie, that's still my conclusion. Knox and her boyfriend were convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison, but appealed the decision in December 2010. I will admit the evidence is not air-tight, so I'm interested in seeing what happens. Well, I guess I like the true-crime Lifetime movies. I'm still going to avoid the sap-fest ones though....