From cars to feets - Mission Streets!

Having spent the final Saturday of my US adventure driving out of town and admiring cars, Sunday afternoon was spent reclaiming the roads with fellow pedestrians at the Mission Streets event.

Before that though, one half of Team Brunch (the other half were out of town) decided to honour our Sunday tradition and eat. This time we stayed within two blocks of my sublet and tried out Andalu. I had never been there before, and whenever I passed it, I always had the feeling it was overpriced and probably mediocre in food deliciousness.

Well, I am happy to report that this was not the case! I had, what was probably one of my favourite brunch meals of the trip - crab cakes benedict with polenta fries, spinach salad and fruit. Oh, and a mimosa, served the way it should be - in a champagne flute!


I have never really been a fan of polenta, and to be honest I can probably count the amount of times I have tried it on one hand. However, these fries were really yummy, and as a bonus, their half moon shape could bring a smile to anyone's face...


Now as if this wasn't enough to make me want to come back, not only were the prices good (brunch plates all $10 and under and champagne cocktails under $5) and the music amazing (soul classics), but they bring you out a bowl of warm, fluffy, cinnamon doughnut holes whilst you wait for your food to be served. Andalu, for this you have won my heart, and I will be back to visit you (and use those complimentary coupons for 2 free mimosas that you gave us) again!


From Andalu, we headed down Valencia for 'walk in the street' day....and walked in the street.

There is something quite novel about being able to roam free when roads are closed off, however the novelty wears off pretty quickly, especially when there is nothing to actually see apart from crowds of people walking or riding their bicycles all over the place.




I have seen plenty of streets closed off for events or carnivals, but when there is nothing actually going on, it is a little less exciting.

The main highlight for me was stumbling upon a group of people dancing to a stereo outside someone's house - now, dancing in the streets is what I call fun!


What's even more fun, is dancing in the streets to the sounds of MJ and then wondering off to eat delicious, creamy bourbon and cornflake Humphry Slocombe ice cream...and then returning to dance to 'Footloose' and 'Dancing in the Street'...

Road Zombies Car Show.

Mention the words 'all you can eat BBQ' and you are pretty much guaranteed to have my attention.

Throw in some hot rods, danceable music and sunshine, and I'm there.

So on Saturday, the 15th annual Road Zombies Car Club BBQ took place at the Elks Lodge in Santa Clara, where I got to check out The Go Getters once again, as well as eat all manner of burgers, pasta salads, fruit and cookies.

Now it has to be said, that as well as the car show itself, I enjoyed the drive there and back too - not because it was scenic (it wasn't) but because the conversation had me in stitches, as well as being educational (I now know what a 'bat wing' is....although I'd kind of rather I didn't). Double dating is fun - especially when you all have a tendency for sarcastic/silly/smutty humour!


So when we arrived the sun was shining and a load of good lookin' cars were lined up on the grass. Everything was outdoors, with the BBQ and music under a sheltered section that was filled with tables and benches so you could sit in the shade and chow down. It was great to be able to spend the whole day outdoors rather than cooped up in some building.

Actually, this was more like how I was hoping Sacramento Swing Time would be. I think I just seem to have an inbuilt programme that makes me want to spend as much time as possible outside when it is sunny and warm (I don't know if this is because living in England, you learn that you must take advantage of every opportunity you have to enjoy good weather) - that and I really love al fresco dancing.




Knowing my penchant for BBQ, and feeling hungry like the wolf upon arrival, I was expecting to really go for it when I saw the plethora of food on display. However, one plate of food later I was full. Weird...

The Go Getters played a set with an interval in between. I have to say, I preferred them here, than when I saw them at Verdi. I'm not sure if this is because I was so impressed with Ray Collins' Hot Club that night, and they just sort of paled in comparison...either way, I enjoyed listening to them and dancing a bit. Also, whoever the dj was, he played an awesome selection of tunes!




Whilst wandering around taking photos of cars, I stumbled upon a fellow Brit - and from Harrow in London, no less! My ears always prick up when I am at an event like this and I hear a British accent floating about in the distance. As it turns out, he is a classic car photographer living in Santa Clara, and after discussing the wonders of California and the difficulties in obtaining a green card, I went and did a little bit of my own classic car photography...








Other highlights from the day included: receiving a beautiful lily hair fascinator as a gift, laying about in the grass (I'm glad we brought a blanket) as the raffle prizes were being called out, and witnessing the consumption of what was, perhaps, the biggest pickle I have ever seen.


Having been to more car shows in the past couple of months, than I have in my whole lifetime, I am starting feel like it really is time for me to learn to drive...

Gooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaallll!!!!!!!

World Cup fever has truly taken ahold of the, er, world....or at least my Facebook news feed. Every day I scroll down and read multiple updates about who sucks, who is going to win, jokes, disappointment, sarcasm and patriotism, all pertaining to this international sports tournament.

So on the day of the Mexico vs. France match last week, I decided to kill two birds with one stone, and check out the match (read: support Mexico) whilst soaking up the sunshine at the outdoor screen by the courthouse at Civic Centre.


I was a little skeptical about how easy it would be to see the screen, with respects to the size of the screen as well as the glare of sunlight. Well, as it turns out, the screen was visible from quite a distance, the sound was good and the atmosphere was great!

Mexico's two goals made the crowd go crazy, and I even found myself joining in with the reverberating calls of 'ME-HI-CO! ME-HI-CO!'


I would definitely have gone there to watch the England vs. Algeria match, if it wasn't for the fact that a) it was windy that day b) Mad Dog In The Fog is full of English football fans, meaning I get to enjoy the chanting and general celebration of Englishness and c) I would not have been able to order a pitcher of cider at Civic Centre.

So Mad Dog was pretty packed, and although I initially resented the $10 cover, the fact that you get two drinks tokens evens it out, given that one drink costs around $5 anyway.

The match itself was pretty uneventful and disappointing, but nonetheless I enjoyed spending the morning with friends, drinking cider, chatting, eating pretzel M&M's and hearing the intermittent loud hoot of a vuvuzela in the room.

My highlight, though, had to be hearing the guy next to me shout "COME ON ENGLAND! How are we supposed to win the World Cup, when we can't even beat Albania?" This tickled me, but given that he bought everyone around him a drink (me included) I refrained from teasing him too much...

Hot club, hot music, hot dancing!

Last week was filled with some real tail-shaking treats with two consecutive nights of quality live music and dancing.

On Tuesday I finally got to check out The California Honeydrops at Yoshi's. This was definitely a case of do believe the hype - they are fantastic! They are super fun, and really play for the crowd, with many of their songs taking on a real bluesy feel. This makes for some great down and dirty dancing...


I had never been to Yoshi's before, and had no idea what to expect. The band played in the restaurant/bar section, so I didn't get to see jazz club's concert hall, but the area that the band and dancers occupied was huge - although, given the amount of people that turned up for the event, the floor space still ended up being pretty tight. Obviously, as this was not designed with dancers in mind, the floor is not great to spin on, but this is easy to overlook, as the venue itself is pretty cool.

The decor is modern, and the room is sort of split into two, with a diving wall between the restaurant and dining tables, and the lower coffee tables and lounge seating. The stage is in the window, which is quite nice, as you can see the world go by outside, as you watch (you can also see people smooshing their nosey faces up to the window to check out what's happening inside).


The ultra high ceilings also ensure that you don't get tooooo hot and bothered when cutting some rug. Although, saying that, shiny-faced photos of me from this evening that have since surfaced on facebook suggest otherwise...

The night was super fun, and I would definitely return for more awesome nights out dancing here, likewise I would not hesitate to go along to future California Honeydrops shows.


And so, onwards and upwards, Wednesday evening was the opportune occasion to don the glad rags and hit up the Verdi Club for some non-Stompy Jones related dancing. German band, Ray Collins' Hot Club took to the stage before Swedish three-piece, The Go-Getters took over.

WOW!

Ray Collins' Hot Club were frikkin' awesome! Holy moses, they know how to rock a crowd. They are sort of a crowd themselves, taking up the whole stage, as there are around 50 billiion of them....ok, perhaps a slight exaggeration. But anyway, they were swingtastic and fun and some of the musicians even ventured off the stage with their instruments, to continue playing to the crowd as they weaved their way between all the dancers.


The Go-Getters were very energetic and played rockabilly, with a few classic punk songs by The Clash and The Undertones thrown in. I enjoyed their set, although I felt less inclined to dance to their music, and instead, felt more inclined to sip on a cosmopolitan.

I hear that Ray Collins' Hot Club will be playing in London next month, so I will be sure to check them out and spread the word to my fellow London dancers!

Mama said there'll be days like this...

Sunday a week ago was Team Brunch's last brunch, as a complete set, for a while, so we went big and tackled Mama's in North Beach.

We waited for quite a while....

....there was a long line outside....

.....and then we continued to queue when we got inside.

I went for the shrimp and avocado benedict and ate it in our window booth whilst pointing and laughing at the large group of people going past on segways.


Watching them riding over the crosswalk in single file was sort of reminiscent of the album cover for Abbey Road....but on wheels.


Whilst the food was tasty, I would have to say it was not special enough to have me rushing back to wait in line for soooo long. It is very cute and homely inside though, and the yellow decor makes it a sunny and cozy environment. One plus is that because you order and pay up front, canteen style, it makes it quicker to leave once you have finished eating. Although, what if you suddenly got an important mystery phone call, and had to rush off before the food was served to you, but you had already paid?


Before we allowed ourselves to fall into a food coma, we took advantage of the hot weather and headed for China Beach. As we approached the area, we started driving through quite a foggy patch and the temperature really dropped. This made me anxious that we were leaving the hot part of the city to hang out where it was chilly - and I didn't even bring a jacket!

Fortunately once we got there it was super sunny and nice enough to run into the ocean and splash around a bit! This was the first time I had visited this particular beach, and I really liked it! It has a great view of Golden Gate Bridge, and is in fact quite similar to Baker Beach, but less crowded.


On our way home we spotted a friend riding her bike just ahead of us, and proceeded to try and catch up with her. Thanks to all the Stop signs and red lights that we encountered, this turned into a Bullitt-style car chase across the city...

After zig-zagging our way through multiple streets, (trying to keep up with her crazy route) sometimes losing the bicycle, but then seeing it in the distance, we finally caught up with her when she stopped at a shop. We waved as we drove past, in a slightly anti-climactic end to our chase. I don't know what exactly we were expecting to happen when we caught up, but in hindsight it was a lot of palaver for a drive-by wave....

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, we ended up dancing the night away at The Knockout where our friend's band Slim Jenkins played their third ever show. They pulled in a great crowd and looked very dapper up on stage, whilst they got the audience dancing and performed a great set. I am looking forward to seeing how they progress, as they have great style and make a very welcome addition to the live music/dance scene - I definitely think they're one to watch.


The Hi-Rythm Hustlers headlined the show and played an awesome set, as per usual. In fact, the first time I ever saw them play was one Sunday at The Knockout last November, and I really enjoyed myself that night too. They are just so much fun, and play the perfect songs to dance to - I am sad that I will miss their CD release party next month! Waah!


Sunday funday ended with a little photobooth action, and a strip of photos that made me nearly pee my pants with laughter. Fun times, fun times...

Football vs. Soccer...

So after much anticipation, the England vs. USA World Cup match took place on Saturday morning. My weeks of umm-ing and ahh-ing over where best to watch the game resulted in us taking a short walk in the glorious sunshine over to Mad Dog in the Fog in the lower Haight. As we approached the venue, the united voices of football fans singing along to 'Three Lions On A Shirt' (which was playing on loop) only served to heighten my excitement - the long queue outside the pub, on the other hand, did not.

So with an hour 'til kick off, we went and had breakfast, and I tried to sit still and eat my croissant and fruit salad before we headed to a nearby pub, where, although we were packed in like sardines, there was no line to wait in, and no cover charge.


Once inside I double fisted a couple of bottles of Magners and resigned myself to the fact that I would have to get used to the constant drone of 'U-S-A! U-S-A!' cheers. I don't know what it is about American football (not to be confused with American Football) fans, but I find them to be highly irritating. Maybe it's because their chants lack the wit and fun (and smuttiness) that you hear from the mouths of English footie fans, or maybe it's because post match you find yourself laying in the park, soaking up the sunshine, and a group of people walk past shouting 'U-S-A! U-S-A!' when they didn't even win the match (I sat up from my sunshine slumber in Dolores park to point this out to these imbeciles). Either way, I was seriously disappointed with the draw, as it was not the required result to get the people around me to shut up.

My disappointment soon subsided when I received these though:


And when I saw the slip'n'slide in Dolores:


EN-GER-LAND, EN-GER-LAND, EN-GER-LAAAAAAND!!!!!!

Uptown girl (she's been dancing in an uptown world)!

I'd never been to The Uptown night club in Oakland before last Friday, but I had expected it to be a little divey and waaaaay smaller than it actually is. Yes, the venue is, in fact, kind of swanky.


There is a huge bar when you first walk in, with a live feed of what's happening in the adjoining room, playing on a big screen. I found this to be useful in the sense that you can see when the band is setting up, and how near they are to starting the show, and thusly time the purchasing of your cocktail accordingly.

The main room where the bands perform is long and narrow-ish, but with more than enough room to dance, or spectate. There is also an upstairs floor with seating and a view of the stage, as well as a back patio where you can cool down, or puff-puff-puff that cigarette.

As much as San Francisco folk complain about crossing the bridge to Oaktown (me included), it was easy peasy, with BART karma on our side, and the venue being a 30 second walk from 19th St station. That being said, it's still a royal pain in the ass to get back to the city if you're not the sort who turns into a pumpkin and you haven't got a ride.

So I went along to shake my tail feather to two of my favourite local bands, The B-Stars (this was also their CD release party) and Red Meat. I thought the sound was great, and in particular, The B-Stars were spot on with their precision and togetherness. I was not too sure about their 'wet t-shirt contest' (well, actually, I wanted that damn t-shirt!) but they get me dancing every time they play Ink Free Baby of Mine - I just cannot get enough of that song!!!


I think one of the things that I enjoy about their shows, aside from their jingle-jangle harmonies, is that they always have the perfect balance of being laid-back whilst really enjoying themselves onstage. That, and their sharp outfits.

Red Meat were equally entertaining, with not only their music, but their talk of 'National Testicular Awareness Month'. I'm not sure if it actually is (nor do I have the inclination to google it), but the slew of predictable jokes that followed amused me nonetheless.


It was also interesting to see the bass player out of the huge Hairspray style wig and coat that she was wearing the first time I saw them play at El Rio...I hardly recognised her!


Their set was great, and offered me the opportunity to dance (read: blag my way through) a polka and a 2-step! Once I had accomplished this, I felt like my work was done, which was a good thing actually, as it was time to go home and get some sleep before the England vs. USA football match the next morning...

Time is flea-ting...

Team Brunch (which is now turning in to Team Eat, due to the rapidly expanding amount of meals we have been consuming together) converged upon Maverick last Sunday, for a classy (did I hear the words 'duck confit'?) dining experience.

Not only were we lucky with the gorgeous sunshine that morning, but we also lucked out with acquiring a table. Apparently, the whole restaurant was fully booked, because this is the type of popular joint where it's advised to reserve a table in advance dontchaknow (we didn't). However, there was one table available - on the condition that we would be able to eat and leave within 45 minutes. "Do you think you can do that?" the naive waitress asked. I had to stifle a condescending laugh - clearly, she was oblivious to the fact that we are not a bunch of amateurs, and are, in fact, champions in the breakfast food world.


The menu at this place is exciting, and the Duck Hash (duck confit, russet potatoes, medjool dates, sunny side up eggs, mustard sauce, fresh picked herbs) won my vote. It was delicious, BUT, I kind of wish I would have gone for the Andouille Sausage Benedict (grilled andouille sausage, poached eggs, crawfish and jalapeno hollandaise, English muffin, home fries), because having had a few bites of this, I am in no doubt that this was the most delicious breakfast option.


So, onwards and upwards, Team Brunch (sans one) took our full bellies across the bay to the Alameda Flea Market to walk off some of those mid-morning calories.

Well, huge is not the word! This flea market is ginormous. The sheer volume of cars alone, means that if you are unlucky you will have quite a walk from your vehicle to get through the car park and into the market itself. We got there around noon, so many of the hardcore bargain hunters had already left, and we were able to park fairly close. Once inside (or, outside, as it were) you will have to use all of your will power to stop yourself from buying....well.....crap. There is an abundance of broken, limbless dolls, creepy figurines, tatty old furniture....and trolls.






If you manage to stay strong and hold onto your dollars, forsaking the luck of the troll, then there is a lot of good booty. For instance, if you are in the market for furniture, then there are a number of items to choose from, although much of it seems a bit overpriced, so get your haggling hat on.


There is also tons of jewellery (both cheap and pricey), clothes, bags and Native American feather headdresses, if you want to revamp your wardrobe. The trip alone was worth it for the awesome leopard print box bag that was bought for me on the day! It's soooo me, and the ultimate accessory for an Incendiary Blonde...




Taking place the first Sunday of every month, you are bound to run into some people you know....or not, given the span of the area. In any case, there are bound to be friends and acquaintances milling around, whether your paths cross or not, is another matter entirely. If you are prone to wandering off or dawdling then you might want to go alone, so that you can do your own thing without being hurried.


Even if you don't want to buy anything, this is a great setting, with views of the bay bridge, the San Francisco skyline, and those Port of Oakland container cranes. The combination of a beautiful backdrop and a plethora of weird and wonderful stuff, means the Alameda Flea Market provides some great photo opportunities.




We were lucky that the combination of blazing sunshine and our fascination for junk made for a super dooper fun day out. Just remember to wear sunscreen....*cough* farmer's tan *cough*....

Sx3 (San Francisco, Santa Cruz & Sacramento).

It's been a little while since my last blog, due to an extreme lethargy and sleepiness that enveloped me last week. I am thinking that I might have a vitamin deficiency, despite taking a multi-vitamin tablet every day...either that, or I just got really lazy.

So let me rewind a week and start at Memorial Weekend. I love long weekends, and this one coincided with bank holiday in England, so most people I know had an extra day of fun in the sun. Yippeeee!

Saturday was perfect beach weather, so with a Mr Pickle's sandwich in hand, and Journey playing on the radio, we hit the road and headed to Santa Cruz.


As well as being home to The Lost Boys, Santa Cruz is also the place to go for a mean fish & chips. So after skipping the boardwalk in favour of laying on the beach all day (and listening to the insignificant ramblings of a gaggle of girls sat nearby) we had worked up enough of an appetite to walk to the end of the pier and pick up a delicious dindins in honour of my homeland. It was yummy, and I liked how the batter was spicey and the fish was sliced into bite-sized pieces.

No trip to SC would be complete without the dipping of one's toes in the ocean either...


My desire to spend a whole day laying in the sand, soaking up the sunshine was satisfied, and we left happy, and with a set of photobooth pics to remember the day...


Sunday we were up bright and early for another trip, this time up to the capital of California for 'Sacramento Swing Time'.

Of course, we could not start our Sunday without a meeting of Team Brunch. This time we went to Pork Store in the Mission, and feasted on eggs and waffles so as to keep us all going on our journey to Sac-Town.


The event was held at an automotive museum, filled with classic cars. There was also a classic car show outside, where it was hot, hot, HOT! I was grateful for the 29c weather, as it finally provided me with the opportunity to get some use out of my play suit!


The musical highlights for me, were: Big Sandy and his Fly Rite Boys, Stompy Jones and Andy Santana. A whole day of fast-paced dancing in the heat made it feel hotter than hell and helped me on my way to looking like a drowned rat...but, it was FUN!

There was also a pin-up contest, which I have to say, was disappointing. Apart from the fact that none of the girls really looked or dressed like pin-ups (er, sorry...) the way the actual competition was conducted, was disorganised to say the least, with some girls getting more opportunity to chat-up the crowd, and others only getting a brief introduction. It all went horribly wrong though, when the third prize went to the most obnoxious, loud-mouthed trollop, who had an ego the size of a small continent. Bad move, judges, bad move - you should have picked the nice girl with the Jackie O. gloves and hat.

Obviously, I can't go without mentioning the food at the event - $1 tacos (score!) and ice cream. I don't think a cone of mint-choc-chip has ever tasted so delicious, than after a day spent working up a sweat on the dance floor. Oh, and then, of course, on the drive home...



Monday brunch was possibly one of the most frustrating brunch experiences ever, with a super long wait for a table, followed by slow service and mediocre (at best) food. St Francis Fountain, I used to love you, but honestly, based on my last two visits, you have gone down in my estimation (although your milkshakes would still bring me to the yard). Sigh.

El Rio hosted a day of music and mayhem on their back patio, with headliners Red Meat making a lasting impression on me. They. Were. Awesome. Their rendition of Wanda Jackson's Funnel of Love was particularly enjoyable to me.


The only other comments I could make about this day of bands and bbq is: dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance dance fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun fun.