The Grove

Yesterday, my friend and coworker, Laura, flew to from Austin to SF to spend a week here at this facility to meet a bunch on onsite managers. Trust me when I tell you that after work she desperately needed a keg beer. Our commute from Redwood Shores (where we work) to San Francisco was cut in a third since I wasn't on the bus, so we made is there with plenty of daylight left (first day back to work since the time change and I'm obsessed - other than having to wake up in pitch black darkness).

When she asked where a good place to grab a few drinks was, I honestly didn't know what to say. Since moving here, it's been dark when I finally get home which kind of kills the fun of exploring the city. On the weekends, I usually stay around Castro or The Mission. I was like, "Okay this is ridiculous. I'm finding us somewhere to go". After doing a little research and consulting with friends, I decided on The Grove, located in Lower Pacific Heights. I had actually been here before my first weekend in the city, but I had completely forgotten about it.

Patio seating, beer on tap, good food, unique decor. Sold.

Anda Piroshki

Last weekend, I took the 24 down to Bernal Heights to go look at an apartment that I found on Craigslist. Literally it was the worst...unless you like the smell of cat pee and shame. However, even though it's SUPER lezzy, I really enjoyed Bernal Heights as a neighborhood. While I was there, I met up with my boss, Rose (straight) and her puppy for a beer. (we had beer; the puppy had nothing) and we got to have a little one on one time outside of work.

Before I left, I stopped by this little Russian bakery (Anda Piroshki) next door for a hot piroshki! FYI, a piroshki is an individual-sized baked or fried bun stuffed with a variety of fillings. I got ham and cheese and it was so so so good! That plus a slow drip coffee and I was good to go!

Matthew, Party for One

I've always had this fantasy of moving to a big city, knowing basically no one, where I can dine and go to movies and whatnot alone. I'm obviously very social and I love my friends more than anything, but sometimes it's refreshing to do things solo.

The other night, I had a date with one of my favorite people: me. I went to a little restaurant called Slider Bar located in The Castro, the gay district (or the gayest I guess). After enjoying the Club Med, D Lux, and Hot Chick, I was pretty damn full. Okay - I had a few beers and side of fries, too. Don't judge!

After I paid my bill and rolled out (I don't mean in a cool black way; I mean in a fat ass way) I decided to take a little stroll to burn off some calories (because clearly burning off 40 calories by walking for 30 minutes totally justifies the 2000 I ate). By happenstance (or possibly because I had seen it there earlier) I walked past a Creme Brulee truck. OMG. Amazeing. Delicious. Cellulite!

There were several flavors but I stuck with plain old Vanilla Bean - why not start with the original. As I sat outside with the "Brothers and Sisters" lights above my head enjoying French music lightly playing in the background (yes there really was French music) I realized: this is what life is all about. It was so romantic and peaceful and just...nice. Then I was mildly accosted by a homeless person (they're everywhere) and I was brought back to reality. Still lovely though.

Hurricane Isaac

Well this is fun.

But really - for us it's really not to bad...yet. Since we've been off of work since Tuesday (and probably won't go back until Friday), I'm trying to look at this as a nice little vacation. Just one where I can't exactly leave the house. I'm staying with my friend/roommate, Danielle, because I didn't want to leave her alone, and several of our friends have been coming in and out throughout the days. We still haven't lost power, so we're just hanging out, playing cards, watching TV, eating, more eating, and (of course) partaking in beverage consumption.

The weather is starting to get bad, so hopefully this will be able to last a little bit longer. I'm not looking forward to when WE lose power and it "just gets real, real hot"...

Coconut Water

This is getting me through it.

Last night, I was convinced to go to Happy's, a local downtown bar where the girls dress in skimpy clothing and serve big pitchers of beer to fat, sloppy frat guys. JK, it's fun. The point, however, is that I got in way past my bedtime and I am struggling this morning. Thank God for coconut water!

"Coconut water is an isotonic solution which replaces the fluids and minerals that the body loses during physical activities. For this reason, many athletes and persons who work out regularly are encouraged to drink coconut water to replace all the minerals and fluid that they lose while working out. " - According to this source.

AKA - it's also a great cure a hang over...when a Bloody Mary isn't an option. I've only picked them up from Whole Foods, but I'm sure other over-priced-but-super-chic grocery stores sell them, too. Cheers!

It's Mah Birthday, Y'all!

Tomorrow (August 11th), you're all cordially invited to attend my birthday party. Look for me - I'll be in the quarter in a red dress.

But seriously, how great is it that my 26th birthday falls on the day of The Red Dress Run?! "Sponsored by the Hash House Harriers, a self-proclaimed "drinking club with a running problem," the Annual Red Dress Run through the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans is another of those uniquely New Orleans fun events that doubles as a fundraiser. It is open to men and women alike and though the concept originated as a charitable event to raise money for breast cancer research, it donates its proceeds to other charities as well." - Courtesy of neworleansonline.com. Truly, it's a pretty standard New Orleans event where thousands of people gather in the French Quarter to drink and party - the only difference is that it's done in a red dress.

I'll be posting Mondayish about this year's RDR, but I thought it would be fun to repost the pics from last year to give you an idea of what we're getting into. Hopefully see you there!

Abita Beer 101

While I am an avid wine drinker, there are times when I can think of nothing better than an ice cold beer. If images of a 40oz Budweiser from the gas station complete with a paper bag and homeless man pop into your head, please think again. I'm talking quality, delicious clean, crisp beer. I'm sure any true beer pro that's reading this has about a million things to say about Abita beer (which this post is about), but I'm about keeping it simple. I'm sure you can find a better that THEY prefer like Struise Pannepot Grand Reserva from Belgium, but can you imagine the bartender's face when you ask for that?

Although I live in Baton Rogue now, I am from Covington, a quaint city about a hour east of our state's capitol. Nestled right next to Covington is a tiny little town named Abita Springs, and this is the home of one of my favorite beer companies: Abita Brew Company. They have several seasonal beers including a Abita Bock, Red Ale, Wheat, Fall Fest and Christmas as well as a few harvest brews: Strawberry, Satsuma, and this seasons - Pecan! They're not syrupy at all, but rather have just a hint of the flavor. I'd explain but I added the link above where you can check out how it's done on their website.

There are so many other options that I love including Purple Haze, Restoration Ale, and Turbo Dog, and all of the ones I listed above are my go-to beers when I'm out drinking. Truly, I can think of few things better than hanging out with a few friends on a cool fall evening while drinking a pitcher or two of Abita's Purple Haze or Pecan Ale. Ahh....