(Sunday, October 8th, 2017) (Sorry, there are no corresponding photos of either any of the performances or of any of the actual food consumed. Someone decided it would be too much excess weight to pack an 8 oz small camera in his backpack. Of course, that same someone had no problem making sure to pack three frozen packs in with the bottles of Beer and water to keep them cold. Well, at least that someone had his priorities in order.) http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2017/ Place: Hardly StrictlyBluegrass 17 Location: Golden Gate Park (Helman Hollow, Marx Meadow, and Lindley Meadow) Hours: 12:00pm-7:00pm (Friday, October 6th, 2017); 11:00am-7:00pm (Saturday, October 7th, 2017); and 11:00am-7:00pm (Sunday, October 8th, 2017) Meal[1]: (these are pretty much in the order of my eating all this stuff) Broccoli Rabe - Mac & Cheese; Fried Cauliflower & Waffle (with warm maple syrup poured all on top of the waffle; Cajun seasoning sprinkled all over the cauliflower florets and also on the waffle ~ trust me; some barbecue sauce on one of the cauliflower florets; and they even threw in some freebie turnip greens on the side); (popsicle) pop nation ~ Bourbon Peach; (another popsicle, but from some u/i vendor) Corn Flakes Frozen Custard Pop (yes, this was made with corn flakes and I loved it); a slice of cheese Pizza; and two Tootsie Pops®Miniatures ~ Orange and Cherry (I think these were what put me over the limit; unfortunately, there was not an Indian [Native American, whatever] Chief on either lollipop label) (to drink) a 12 oz bottle of Ballast® PointPumpkin Down Scottish Ale with Pumpkin; and a 16.9 oz bottle of Arrowhead®BrandMountain Spring Water ~ Sparkling Watermelon Lime https://www.thepopnation.com/flavors https://www.ballastpoint.com/beers/limited/ https://www.arrowheadwater.com/7-days-of-sparkling/
Of course, all the food is secondary in this-here silly 'blog-entry. With six stages spaced out over a half-mile area in Golden Gate Park and thirty-seven acts throughout the day, it was impossible to be able to see (or hear) all the great music that was offered. I made a plan to specifically try to catch some of my favourites: Dave Alvin & the Guilty Ones[2], the Flatlanders[3], and Lucinda Williams[4]. There were also a few other groups that I caught peripherally while walking around and waiting for those three acts to play, to include: Hot Tuna Electric (they were already playing when I scoped out a good spot at the Banjo Stage to await two-plus hours of back-to-back music with Dave and the Flatlanders) and Cheap Trick ("Cheap Trick?! at a Bluegrass festival, Brian?!" ~ Yes, that would be where the "Hardly Strictly" part of the name comes in; they were playing at the next stage over while I waited for Lucinda Williams to come on and it was loud enough to hear every song of theirs, too.).
I have seen Dave Alvin perform many times now over the years: from the first time I caught him at the Guinness®Fleadh (which is pronounced "Flah" in Irish) back in 1999, to solo shows at Slim's and Freight & Salvage, to performing with the Blasters, and several other Hardly StrictlyBluegrass festivals (I think I have been to about twelve or more of the seventeen they have run now) ~ where I always make an effort to see him play. Dave's voice is sounding a little rougher year-by-year, but his shows are always entertaining. I was a little disappointed that Dave didn't play either "Marie, Marie" (which is almost always his closer), "King of California", or "Blackjack David" (all three are some of my favourites of his). I was also disappointed that his brothers Simon and Theodore couldn't join him for this show... I have seen the Flatlanders perform a few times at other Hardly StrictlyBluegrass festivals, too. I have also seen them perform together at Slim's and also a few solo Jimmie Dale Gilmore performances. If you ever get the chance to catch a Jimmie Dale Gilmore show (or with the Flatlanders), I highly recommend doing so. This so-called "Texas Tenor Whippoorwill" is always a fun show. Lucinda Williams has been one of my favourite female singer/songwriters for over fifteen years now. I had seen her perform only twice before (once at the Warfield [Thanks, Skip!] and another freebie show at Stern Grove). I think this was only her second appearance at Hardly StrictlyBluegrass. I hope she attends many more, though. Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Andytown Coffee Roasters - Ethiopia Natural Banko Fuafuate ~ 8.2; Ballast® PointPumpkin Down ~ 7.0; Dave Alvin & the Guilty Ones ~ 7.4; the Flatlanders ~ 6.9; Jimmie Dale Gilmore (solo) ~ 7.3; Lucinda Williams ~ 7.6 (I didn't bother rating any of the food today. It was all good, but the music and festival were much better... and free.) ___________________
1. I skipped any breakfast because I knew I was going to be eating a ton of junk... er... festival foods. I did start the morning earlier with a most excellent cuppa Andytown Coffee Roasters ~ Ethiopia Natural Banko Fuafuate (see previous 'blog-entry from Saturday, September 30th, 2017) made in my kitchen* via the single-cuppa pour-over/drip method. This particular roast/blend is now my current local favourite. It is even probably in my Top Ten All-Time Best Coffees of All-Time now (and quite possibly in the Top Five). http://www.andytownsf.com/purchase/ethiopia-natural-banko-fuafuate *(To all you nay-sayers† that think I do not know how to "cook", even I can boil water without burning it. Well, most times.) †(And, d*mmit, stop saying "nay" so much unless your diet consists of oats and hay.) 2. http://www.davealvin.net/ 3. http://www.theflatlanders.com/ 4. http://www.lucindawilliams.com/
http://dottiestruebluesf.com/ Place: Dottie's True blue café Location: 28 6th Street (on the corner of Stevenson Street) Hours: open 7:30am Thursday through Monday Meal: Zucchini[1]Cakes ~ topped with poached eggs & spicy Marinara sauce, ("served with" is implied; I am pretty sure they did not mean also "topped with...") fruit & potatoes; and a glassa orange juice
(I remember going to see the Pousette-Dart Band[2] at a popular nightclub [whose name unfortunately eludes me right now] in Kenmore Square way back in the Summer of 1977. I think they may have even been on the same line-up with Livingston Taylor[3] that night.) In continuing with my One Visit a Month in 2017 to Dottie's True blue café (see last 'blog-entry from Saturday, September 9th, 2017), I went back there again this morning for my one visit for the month of October.
I happened to score "Seat #1" again at the corner of the counter-seating area (which was pretty easy as I was the first idiot waiting in line this morning; I think I had arrived there about ten minutes earlier than the next idiot even).
What (else) can I say...[4] (that I haven't said ten to twenty times already) about this great take on Uova Benedetto? Dottie'sZucchini Cakes really is (are?) one of my favourite breakfastary meals in all of San Francisco. Sitting where I was, overlooking the kitchen prep-and-cook area (well, that is the technical cookery term I am going with), I noticed one of the prep-guys (also another technical cookery term I am going with) cutting up a long loaf of Dottie'schili-Cheddar cornbread for later use in the morning. This got me to thinking that I bet this would also make a great base for an Eggs Benedict-type dish, perhaps with some kinda nice chipotle-Hollandaise (even though Kurt really hates poaching eggs). Today's fruits were: green and blackgrapes (actual botanical berries [see footnote 1. below]); blueberries (also abb's); strawberries (not abb's); and honeydew melon (I think this is also abb's, but I am not exactly sure; however, if watermelons and pumpkins are abb's, I can only assume that honeydew melons have to be, too). For condimentary supplementation, I used some of Dottie'sTabasco®Brand Pepper Sauce ~ Chipotle Pepper Sauce all over the potatoes (about as much as a normal person might use plain ol' ketchup). I left the spicy Marinara sauce unscathed, as it is pretty d*rn tasty all on its ownsome (plus, I didn't want Kurt throwing me out for messing-up his creation any). Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Zucchini Cakes ~ 7.6 ___________________
https://www.kitteasf.com/ Place: KitTea Cat Cafe Location: 96 Gough Street (at Page Street) Hours: open Saturday and Sunday at 10:00am Meal: Figgy Cheese (Bubble Waffle Wrap) ~ sharp Cheddar + goat cheese + arugula + berries + fig drizzle + olive oil; and a potta Hojicha[1] (Green Tea) ~ roasted spring Sencha tea leaves gives this tea a buttery sunflower taste
(You were expecting "Hound Dog", perhaps?)
(Sorry for the quality ~ or lack thereof ~ of these photos of some of the cats. These were taken through the window separating the Cat Lounge area from the café dining area. I am not sure of the names of the two cats in the top photo. I was told that the big fluffy black cat staring at me in the bottom photo is named Steve; he is a full-time resident there. It was pretty funny as he almost blended into the big furry black ottoman in front of him.) Sometimes breakfast is not just about the food, but about the destination. A couple of weeks ago I saw something pop-up on the funny pages of defacedbook about a "Cat Café" in San Francisco. The idea intrigued me, so I made a mental note to check it out some day in the future. Well, today happened to be that mentally-noted future day. KitTea Cat Cafe has been open now since June 2015. It is the first Cat Café to open in San Francisco and the first ever established in the nation. The idea behind this unique place is pretty simple (as stated on their web-site): "We're a unique cafe experience dedicated to enriching the interactions between humans and felines in a relaxing environment. Slow down, sip on some tea, and support the welfare of cats. We provide high-quality care to our permanent resident rescue felines and work with local cat rescues, including San Francisco's Animal Care and Control, Toni's Kitty Rescue, and Wonder Cat Rescue to find our featured adoptable cat(s) a forever home at each cat's own pace." I did not count how many cats were in the Cat Lounge this morning, but there were anywhere from eight to ten "(permanent) resident cats" and about four or five "(adoptable) rescue kittens" lounging around inside. The actual café seating area (if you are just going for food/tea and not visiting the cats, like I did this morning) is not very large. It has just three tables for two people, one table for four(-ish) people, and five counter seats overlooking the window into the Cat Lounge area (which is where I should have sat, but stupidly took one of the two-seat tables against the opposite wall; I had to keep getting up to view the cats and kittens playing in their space). There are not a lot of items from which to choose in the breakfastary-mode, but there were still a few other waffle-ideas (in both the Belgian and Bubble categories) that I could have gone with. Plus, they do offer salads and sandwiches that I could have made into a light breakfast, too. Whereas their breakfast (and general eating) menu is not really that extensive, they do have a very prolific selection of teas from which to choose. I really liked the sound of their "Earl Grey Creme ~ Award-winning, fresh + fragrant vanilla Earl Grey tea with beautiful blue corn flowers, bergamot oil, and Ceylon black tea." From speaking with the lady working at the counter in the tearoom area (and watching her making a number of teas this morning), their most popular tea happens to be "Ceremonial Matcha~ Our Japanese Ceremonial Matcha is delicately sweet with underlying elements of green pea and mango. Made by slowly grinding shade-grown Sencha leaves from the first harvest of the year on a stone mill in Wazuka, Kyoto Japan. Matcha contains antioxidants and nutrients with many health benefits, including enhancing calmness and improving concentration."
I have only had this type of Japanese tea once before (see 'blog-entry from Monday, September 7th, 2015) and really enjoyed the smoky/nutty flavour of the one this morning. On the recommendation of the lady at the front counter, I used some milk in the first cuppa that I poured. However, on the subsequent (five or six) cuppas, I drank the tea plain all by itself; I preferred it better all on its ownsome. Due to the natural sweetness of this style of tea, no added sugar was needed or used.
Not that I really went there expecting some kinda 4-paw breakfast, but what I had turned out to be pretty good. They serve these egg puff/bubble waffles in a wire cone (kinda like you would see at a Belgian or French frites joint) and wrapped around the various ingredients. The berries in my wrap were blueberries (an actual botanical berry) and strawberries (not so much an actual botanical berry). I bet this would have been equally as good with either mint or basil leaves in place of the arugula. I also bet this would have been even better with some of the balsamic drizzle that they offer on a few of the other dishes; I am well aware that figs and strawberries go great with balsamic vinegar (and I would expect blueberries would, too). I had checked out their menu before heading over there and did not really see the need of bringing any of my own hot sauces with me for use as condimentary supplements. I suppose I could have used some fresh-cracked black pepper on top, but I only thought of that after I had finished the meal. I doubt that I will be getting back there any time soon for breakfast, but any time I am in the neighborhood, I will have to stop in for a cuppa or a potta and to check on all the kitties. Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Figgy Cheese (Bubble Waffle Wrap) ~ 6.5; Hojicha (Green Tea) ~ 7.1; Cats and Kittens ~ 8.45 ___________________
♪ "Gotta get Coffee Gotta get Coffee Gotta get Coffee Won't you take me to Andytown? Won't you take me to Andytown? Won't you take me to Andytown? Won't you take me to Andytown?... " ♫
http://www.andytownsf.com/ Place: Andytown Coffee Roasters Location: 3655 Lawton Street (on the corner of 43rd Avenue) Hours: open "7-5 everyday [ sic ]" (I mention "[ sic ]" there, because I think that it should actually read "every day" [as two words, not "everyday", the one-word adjectival form]. But what the h*ck do I know? I use completely madeuppery words like "breakfastary" and "condimentary" in this silly li'l 'blog-thing all the time.) Meal: one Cheddar-Jalapeño Corn Muffin; one Chocolate-Pumpkin Scone; and, especially (seeing as this was the reason for the visit), a cuppa Wind & Sea Blend "We wanted a Coffee to rejuvenate us after a long, hard Ocean Beach surf session. So, we created the Wind & Sea blend. A hearty mix of Colombian and Ethiopian Coffee, the Wind and Sea is sweet, bold, and well rounded. This blend is best paired with a foggy day[1]."
(Now, I have no idea whether either Crosby or Nash prefer their Coffee locally-roasted or if Andytown believes in Whale Conservation, but I figured this would be a much better EweToobular juxtaselection for today than any ol' songs by Andy Williams or Andy Griffith.) In an attempt to keep trying new and varying places throughout my fair city, I am always open to suggestions of new (or untried) places. A few weeks back, after an afternoon snack at Saltroot Café (see previous 'blog-entry from Monday, February 20th, 2017), while talking to the owner guy-person about local Coffee joints in the city, he mentioned Andytown Coffee Roasters to me. This new(-ish, only opened since March 2014) coffeehouse fits both criteria: it is new (to me) and I had never been there before. Andytown Coffee Roasters has a very local-neighborhoody feel to it. This shop is located only six blocks from Ocean Beach. There are currently three locations in the Outer Sunset. This location is the original spot and used to do all the roasting and baking duties; now it is just a coffeehouse and where the baking is done for all three shops. Now they have a much larger roasting facility which also serves as a storefront coffeehouse and retail shop. (I made sure to stop by there right after breakfast and check it out; there are some great gift ideas to be had... be forewarned, anyone getting a Christmas gift from me, expect some kinda Coffee-themed gift from Andytown Coffee Roasters.) Like the (also) Sunset District-local Snowbird Coffee, this place will probably be my "go-to" roastery for both gift Coffees and Coffees for my own use. (Okay, I did also buy an 8 oz bagga their Ethiopia Natural Banko Fuafuate for later home-use. I plan on making a cuppa or two-a later today or at latest tomorrow morning. It smelled really good while I was grinding-up [-down?] the beans for use. I gotta say my entire kitchen smells absolutely great right now. [I don't know why the jeenyuses at Lysol® or Febreze® don't make a Coffee-scented aerosol; it seems like a no-brainer to me.]) http://www.andytownsf.com/purchase/ethiopia-natural-banko-fuafuate This particular shop is a medium-size coffeehouse. The seating includes: one large table up front (as soon as you walk in) that can seat four to six people; four tables for two along the side wall (facing their bakery area); and four tables for two to four outside on the 43rd Avenue sidewalk side. There is also a long bench on the outside front wall which would be the perfect waiting area for any of your loyal pupsters. (When I first arrived, there was a small dog with his family of two seated there). There are even free fresh homemade (well, bakery-made) dog biscuits by the front door!
While this might not look like a whole lotta food for a simple breakfast, it really was more than sufficient for my early morning appetite. I am very happy to state that I enjoyed the baked-goods stuff just as much as my cuppa. I especially liked the corn muffin; it had a good amount of Cheddar cheese melted all over the muffin-top and just the right amount of sea salt sprinkled into the melted cheese. Both the scone and muffin were crunchy on the outside, but super-moist on the inside; this is something a lot of places can not get right ~ a scone should not/does not have to be as hard as a rock. And now, down to brass tacks (if you like drinking a steaming cuppa push-pins made of copper and zinc, that is), and the main reason for this trip "all the way over" to the Outer Sunset, just how good is their Coffee?! Well, I am verrry pleased to say that I liked the cuppa that I did have. Wind & Sea is their touchstone/paradigm and standard house-blend, it seems. They do not offer other roasts/blends as single-drip/pour-over cuppas at this location, but I was informed by one of the very friendly and knowledgeable barista-type guys-persons that you can get that specific style for a number of roasts/blends at one of their other coffeeshops (the one on the foggy far-reaches of Taraval Street, just one block away from Ocean Beach). As far as any condimentary supplementations that may be available at Andytown Coffee Roasters, I have no idea. I did not ask and none were really needed today with my simple breakfastary fare. (See? I used two of my completely madeuppery words in the same paragraph even.) The only questions that remain unanswered are: "Who is 'Andy'?" and "Why 'Andytown'?" The next time I go back there (and I will be going back), I will have to remember to ask them why they came up with that specific moniker. Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Cheddar-Jalapeño Corn Muffin ~ 7.5; Chocolate-Pumpkin Scone ~ 7.1; Wind & Sea Blend ~ 7.3 ___________________
1. If you know that area of the Outer Sunset*, you know that you will be able to pair this particular blend with about 367 days a year. *(Much like I don't really have a separate Label for the "Inner" or "Outer" Richmond District[s], I am sticking with just the one "Sunset District" Label-designator, too.)
♪ "Watch out now, take care Beware of greedy leaders They take away your Cliff HousePopovers(!)... " ♫
https://cliffhouse.com/bistro/ (I was trying something a little different today. This photo was taken from atop Sutro Heights Park overlooking Cliff House.) Place: the Bistro Restaurant at Cliff House Location: 1090 Point Lobos (at the end of the Earth/Ocean Beach, "Since 1863... Where San Francisco Begins"[... and Society ends?!]) Hours: open for breakfast Monday - Saturday at 9:00am, Sunday at 8:30am Meal: Thick Sliced Sourdough French Toast ~ maple syrup, crisp bacon (whether it is crisp or limp, no thanks), powdered sugar, and fresh apple compote; a basket of three (3) (World) Famous Cliff HousePopovers(!); and a glassa Cliff House Classic Bloody Mary ~ Skyy Vodka, house mix of tomato juice/chili sauce/clam juice (which I made sure they nixed; even if I wasn't already a vegetarian, there should never be any reason to put clam juice in with decent Vodka or tomato juice, that is just wrong)/horseradish
(There are no EweToobular juxtaselections between French toast or Popovers[!] and either Wendy, George Harrison, or Frances Farmer [that I know of]. Johnette Napolitano happened to turn sixty on September 22nd, and I figured I would link a couple of her songs in her honour.) To finally complete the Pre-Playoffs Workout of my Breakfastary Starting Rotation, I went back to the Bistro Restaurant at Cliff House(see last 'blog-entry from Saturday, June 3rd, 2017).
I have been going to the Bistro Restaurant at Cliff House for over twenty years now, and I think that this might be the first time that I had ever had their French toast. Believe me, it will not be my last time. While this may not be in the same category as Baker Street Bistro's Pain Perdu Extraordinaire (which is the Marilyn Monroe of French toast, of course), it is a very good version. Sometimes French toast can tend to be a bit on the soggy-side; however, this being made with thick slices of sourdough bread might be a factor in keeping it nice and crispy. The apple compote was nice and chunky and went very nicely with the added maple syrup on it. They were nice enough to substitute roasted potatoes for me this morning in place of the (crispy or soggy) dead, decaying porcine bits. Now if someone could just figure out a way of making French toast outta Popovers(!), you'd have a perfect 8.5 Glen Bacon Scale meal. I actually mentioned this to my waiter/server guy-person, Chris (who has probably been working at Cliff House longer than I have been going there), and he told me that one of the workers takes home any leftover Popovers(!) and makes a delicious bread pudding out of them; I could see that being a great basis for that dessert ~ they are already eggy and fluffy. I did use a few drops of maple syrup on the last one of my Popovers(!) and it really went well, too.
The Bloody Mary was a full meal all in itself. It included: a stuffed olive, a yellow/greenchilli pepper, a celery stalk, and a quarter of a lime. Even without the extra added Vitamin C from the fresh lime, tomato juice is pretty high in Vitamin C[1], anyway, making this a perfect breakfastary accompaniment. the Bistro Restaurant at Cliff Househas just Tabasco®Brand Pepper Sauce ~ Original Red Sauce for use as a condimentary supplement. I used some of my own Palo AltoFire FightersXXX GhostPepper Sauce (Thanks, Brian and Amys!) on the potatoes and some Toad Sweat Chocolate Orange Dessert Hot Sauce™ (Thanks, Sean!) on one quarter slice of the French toast. I specifically brought that "dessert hot sauce" with me because I was planning on ordering the French toast this morning and I hardly ever get a chance to use it normally with savoury dishes (it does get used occasionally on Ice Cream at home).
Hollywoodland Spotlight of the Day On the wall behind me on the other side of my table, one of the autographed photos this morning was Frances Farmer (19 September 1913 – 1 August 1970). I do not think that I have ever seen a Frances Farmer movie; granted, her film career was not very long and off and on. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002068/ Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Thick Sliced Sourdough French Toast ~ 7.0; Cliff House Classic Bloody Mary ~ 7.2; (World) Famous Cliff HousePopovers(!) ~ 8.2 ___________________
1. Just as a comparison, a 3.5 oz glassa tomato juice has 70.1 mg Vitamin C, which is 84% of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). That equates to be about 192% for a 16 oz glassa. Similarly, a 16 oz glassa orange juice has 124.0 mg, which is 149% of the RDA. (Sorry, I do not know what kinda RDA for Vitamin C Vodka possesses. These scientist-guys never give you the information on the really important stuff.)
http://botasf.com/ Place: bota.[1]tapas & paella bar Location: 490 Geary Street (at Taylor Street) Hours: open for breakfast & "Brunch" (but I only saw the one Specialty Breakfastmenu) Monday - Friday at 6:30am and Saturday - Sunday at 7:00am Meal: Spanish Tortilla[2] ~ eggs, potatoes, onions, peppers, tomato toast; and a glassa jugo de toronja
(I have no idea whether Miss Cassidy[3] liked drinking wine straight out of a goatskin bag or if she liked Spanish breakfastary food items, but it is the beginning of Autumn and this song seemed appropriate enough for me. Now if the Gipsy Kings also did a version of "Autumn Leaves"... ) I happened by a new-ish restaurant a few weeks ago (apparently open only since the beginning of December 2016). I liked the looks of their Specialty Breakfast menu well enough and figured I would check them out in the future. Who says the future never arrives?! The future is today, my friend, and I had my breakfast at bota.tapas & paella bar. This is one of the house restaurants in the Warwick Hotel[4]. I like that they open up very early for a downtown location (however, I expect that might just be to attract/steal the neighboring hotels tourista business; even so, this is still a very nice early opening time). There is spacious seating for about fifty to sixty people (where most of the tables are for two). They have a really nice space and design, and there is a large wall-display of vinos españoles (hence the name bota.).
(Sorry, they did not offer a breakfast paella on the menu. Even if they did, a vegetarian/Vegan version of paella is just called "rice".) Not that I really needed to change my mind in any way (I had gone there predetermined to order the dish that I had), but they did offer a few otras buenas ideas: Picaso[ sic; now how the h*ck can you mispel the name of one of the most famous Spaniards of the 20th Century?! The Spanish must still be p*ssed that he liked living in ese c*ndenado Francia better. ] Omelet ~ select three: peppers, onions, mushroom, tomato, Cheddar, Jack cheese, ham, bacon, smoked salmon; served with potatoes (just my luck and this would come out with three eyes and four ears in it); Broken Eggs ~ over easy eggs, chorizo (which I would have ochenta-y-seis-ed, of course), spinach, house cut fries; Poached Toast~ poached egg, house bread toast, avocado spread, olive oil, sea salt (I assume that this is their version of the ubiquitous avocado toast); or possibly Warwick French Toast ~ home made [ sic; with a space between the two words (even if it is really restaurant-made) ] brioche bread; add one: bananas, strawberries, blueberries (And what have we learned about these fruits in the past, children? Bananas are the only actual botanical berry of the three.).
While this dish may not have been quite as exciting and breakfastarily exemplary as last weekend's Fried GreenTomato Benedict (trust me, not many dishes are), I always enjoy a breakfast that incorporates potatoes as a main ingredient in the dish. This was a very well prepared version of this dish. The potatoes were abundantly present in the omelette/frittata thing; they were nice and thinly sliced (think like as in an au gratin kinda dish). I liked that the roasted sweet red peppers were on the side; I ended up cutting them into small strips/pieces and adding them to forkfuls/bites of the tortilla. The tomato toast was something like garlic bread with a light tomato sauce on it; I liked it, too. I really have no idea what bota. might have had to offer in the way of any condimentary supplementation; I did not bother to ask. I just used some of my own Old St. Augustine Snake Bite Datil Pepper Sauce (Thanks, Greg & Cindy! [Yes, those two, again.]) on one half of the tortilla and some Hot Licks®Serrano Hot Sauce (Thanks, Brian! [who does not get hardly as many "Thanks!" as he deserves]) on the other half of the tortilla. Glen Bacon Scale Rating: Tortilla Española ~ 6.7 ___________________
1. Stupid, useless cunning linguist/etymological pointer of the day, número uno: The Spanish word "bota" (a traditional leather wineskin, typically made from goatskin) comes from Late Latin word "butta/buttis" (meaning "cask").
Now, even though I can not find any corroborating evidence to support this, I am assuming that the same Latin word root is also associated with "bodega" (originally meaning a "wine cellar") and "boutique". There is this bit of confusing information from Mary Ann Webster's(since 1828) Dictionary: Apothecary, bodega, and boutique may not look very similar, but they are all related both in meaning and in origin. Each of these words can be traced back to a Latin word for "storehouse" (apotheca), and each one refers in English to a retail establishment of some sort. Although bodega initially meant "a storehouse for wine", it now most commonly refers to a grocery store in an urban area, especially one that specializes in Hispanic groceries. Boutique has also taken on new meanings: its first sense in English ("a small retail store") is still current, but it now may also denote "a small company that offers highly specialized products or services". Of the three words, apothecary has changed the least; it has gone from referring solely to the person who sells drugs or medicines to also naming the store where such goods are sold. (See, this kinda obfuscatorystuff is why I always preferred Ginger Webster over Mary Ann Webster.) 2. Unlike its less-sophisticated Mexican cousin, an actual tortilla española does not mean a type of thin, unleavened flatbread, but is usually more of an omelette/frittata kinda dish. Tortilla de patatas or tortilla de papas is a very common Spanish tapas dish. Stupid, useless cunning linguist pointer of the day (and taken directly from this morning's restaurant), número dos:
3. http://evacassidy.org/ 4. Back when this hotel used to still be known as the Regency (circa late 80's - early 90's), I knew a guy (Hey, Abu Johnson!) that was part-owner of the larger of the two restaurants there. The restaurant used to be called Regina's (this is just a coincidence, the name of the restaurant did not come from the name of the hotel; Regina happened to be the main owner/chef-person behind the establishment) back then.
