Monday, December 31, 2018
Vacation day. Breakfast at Wooden Spoon with Patrick, Kerry, and Mom Ryan: pancakes and hot earl gray tea for Mom Ryan, The Big Spoon (eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, pancakes, fruit) and coffee for Patrick, breakfast panini and coffee for Kerry, breakfast panini and hot earl gray tea for me, water all around. $78.43 before a $12 tip. Afterwards we all walked together to Verve Coffee. They continued on a walk then home. Patrick and I stayed in the cafe to read, Patrick with whiskey latte from The Velvet Rage, me with chai tea latte from The Torturer's Apprentice. Rode UberX home. Patrick prepared red beans while I edited and uploaded photos to Flickr. Filed my timesheet. Nap. Rode UberX with Patrick to the Mission. Two rounds of pre-dinner, late evening drinks at Lolinda (415-550-6970, 2518 Mission Street): The Countdown (Japanese whiskey, sea gin, elderflower, salt, soda) for Patrick and Ano Nuevo (tequila, pineapple, lemon, mint, cava, rose water) for me, then Dick Clark (bourbon, campari, aperol, sweet vermouth, salt) for Patrick and Ano Nuevo for me: happy hour pricing all night on new year's eve, $31.60 before a $6 tip. Prix fixe New Year's Eve dinner at Foreign Cinema (2534 Mission Street) with Patrick: amuse bouche: some kind of rice cake thing in some kind of broth on an Asian-style soup spoon. Drinks: glass of Listan Negro (Los Bermejos, Carbonica Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain, 2017) for Patrick, glass of Muller-Thurgau (Weingut Mann, Rheinhessen, Germany, 2016) for me. One beau soleil oyster for Patrick. Appetizers: Patrick chose the beef sirloin tartare with burgundy truffle (quail egg, waffled potato gaufrettes, capers, shallots, parsley), I chose the white gulf shrimp tempura (delicata squash, hen of the woods mushrooms, rabe, malt vinegar-fresno chili dipping sauce). Entrees: Patrick chose tea-smoked duck breast with basmati-currant-foie-gras-stuffed quail (pink peppercorns, warren pear, turnips, French caviar lentils, caramel orange sauce), I chose the seared moroccan pacific tuna (jeweled couscous, green beans, toasted hazelnuts, cara cara orange, harissa). Dessert: Patrick chose the gateau brest (hazelnut mousseline, raspberries, toasted almonds, dragon's beard cotton candy), I chose the bombe glacé (vanilla-tart-cherry semifreddo, chocolate sauce, bruleed meringue, graham streusel). A very satisfying meal. $334.82 before a $62 tip. Service by Liz A was excellent.