There's a First Time for Everything...

...and tonight was the first time I tried anything related to the infamous Durian. People say that even it smells so terrible, that it's illegal to carry it on the bus in Singapore. People say it's so delicious, they will risk the fine. So when we were poking around the Manila Oriental Market for a snack and we saw durian ice cream, we had to try some. It certainly smells bad. Even frozen, the it pierces the nostrils. I pinch my nose and lift a neon-chartreuse bite to my lips. I slurp it up, roll it around, swallow it down, and make a face. A bad face. That stuff tastes horrible too. Like green onions, stuffed in a dirty sock and left in a dark place for a week then pureed, sweetened, and frozen into an innocent little plastic tub. Only worse. So I ask you, dear readers, if we have any: what's the big deal?

Valentine's Day: In or Out?

Love is in the air, wafting and mingling with the odor of heart-shaped pepperoni pizzas, heart-shaped rib-eye steaks, and "Kama Sutra quail". We looked for a nice fixed-price romantic dinner, something fancier than Love Castle and a shade less expensive than Incanto. We settled on a nice intimate little place where we're regulars:

Chez Schaefer

Valentines Day Fixed-Price Menu Friday, February 13th, 2009

Oysters on the half shell Dairyless Fennel Soup Leek and Gorgonzola Pizza with Pancetta Celeriac and Thyme Ravioli Braised Pancetta-Wrapped Lamb's Tongues Agro Dolce, with Rosemary Cannelini Beans and Braised Cabbage Lemon Vanilla Sponge Price: $30 Gratuity Included Reservations Required Casual Dress

And Speaking of things wrapped in baon...

Try our website wrapped in bacon! Thanks to Plebiscite via MissionMission

And We're Back! (No, Seriously, We're Back!)

For many months I've been fascinated with the bacon dog. It's a heady concoction of grease held loosely together by a squishy bun, heated (I hesitate to say "cooked") at a streetside stand. And when I say "stand" I mean plastic wheelie cart holding a propane burner topped with a large cookie sheet, all set up in front of a parked van so it's easy to grab more dogs from a cooler. Or to make a quick getaway. Yelpers say it's delicious, the Health Department says it's unsafe, and Drew Carey defends it with a passion! For lo these many months I have missed out. Sometimes the cart wasn't there, sometimes I was in a rush, sometimes I just chickened out, but yesterday things were aligned. I stepped up to the cart, I ordered one with onions, and I added a little mustard. I forgot my camera, but SF Weekly has some good shots: It tasted...okay. It made my lips slippery. I'll go back every once in a while, probably after a few warm-up drinks around the corner.