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April 15, 2005

The Best Restaurants of the World

Someone at Shane's company who sent us a Microsoft Excel file with the supposed top 50 restaurants of the world. Here are the first ten:

1. The Fat Duck (Bray, United Kingdom)
2. El Bulli (Roses, Spain)
3. French Laundry (Yountville, Calif., United States)
4. Tetsuya's (Sydney, Australia)
5. Gordon Ramsay (London, United Kingdom)
6. Pierre Gagnaire (Paris, France)
7. Per Se (New York, United States)
8. Tom Aikens (London, United Kingdom)
9. Jean Georges (New York, United States)
10. St John (London, United Kingdom)

So, some questions.... and some comments... Why are there no venues in Asia? India? Russia? This seems a bit... snobby and continental... which makes it likely to be from an uppity trade magazine... let's do a quick search, eh? Ahh yes, it's from the British magazine Restaurant. You can tell by the publications name just how much they value creativity, eh? Some of the best places I've ever eaten...hmm... I think I'm going to list my best dining experiences - which are rather subjective.

The Laurie List (No Particular Order)

1. The Red Fort (London, United Kingdom)
   Fantastic Tandoori, Great California Wine Selection
2. Phantom Forest (Knysna, South Africa)
   Gourmet Game Meat, Great Wine
3. Aqua (San Francisco, California, USA)
   Try the Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings
4. Café du Monde (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
   Simple Menu But Best Café Au Lait & Beignets Around
5. Court of Two Sisters (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
   Authentic New Orleans Favorites - Turtle Soup, Pork Tenderloin, Bananas Foster
6. Café Sbisa (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)
   More Creole Favorites - Andouille, Oysters, Gumbo
7. Mendo Bistro (Fort Bragg, California, USA)
   Mix & Match: Main Course, Cooking Method, Sauce and Side. Unique!
8. Bittersweet Bistro (Aptos, California, USA)
   Save Room For Dessert - Try The Chocolate Trio
9. Pearl Alley Bistro (Santa Cruz, California, USA)
   Best Lemon Drops, Mongolian BBQ, and Nice Port Selection
10. Mudd's Restaurant (San Ramon, California, USA)
    California Cuisine - The Pork Is Especially Good
11. PlumpJack (Squaw Valley, California, USA)
    The Ahi Tartare Is To Die For!
12. Olives (Aspen, Colorado, USA)
    Olive Tapenades, Fantastic Desert Vanilla Bean Soufflé, Indoor S'mores
13. Café Terra Cotta (Tuscon, Arizona, USA)
    Poblano chile rellenos, Marinated Pork Tenderloin. Everything is good here.
14. JBAR (Tuscon, Arizona, USA)
    Southwest Fusion - Try the Yucatan Style Plantain Crusted Chicken
15. Jenny Lake Lodge (Grand Teton NP, Wyoming, USA)
    Five course meal with some of the best-cooked buffalo dishes around
16. Asebino Ryokan (Amagi Yugashima, Japan)
    Fantastic wild boar and the best wasabi dishes on the planet
17. Salty's Beach House Restaurant (Penticton, BC, Canada)
    Alaskan King Crab, Thai Spring Rolls, Drunken Prawns, and Mojitos!
18. Mobo Sushi (Santa Cruz, California, USA)
    Special Handmade Sushi Rolls - Try the Corruptor tepura'd
19. Yesibu, Top of the Westin (Tokyo, Japan)
    Excellent Teppanyaki

Posted by sorsha at 10:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 8, 2005

Mother's Day Brunch at Top of the Mark, San Francisco

We managed to get last minute reservations at the Top of the Mark for Sunday brunch on Mother's Day. I guess they extended their hours and so we got lucky. Shane's grandma has always wanted to go there, so we did it as a little surprise, and I don't think any of us were disappointed.

I was expecting mediocre brunch food, but I have to say, it was quite well catered, for the price. We especially liked the caviar bar, the Gruyère potatoes au gratin, and the chocolate torte for dessert.

The view was quite splendid, regardless of the overcast weather.

Highly recommended!

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April 6, 2005

San Francisco Zoo - North American River Otter

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San Francisco Zoo - Hippo

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San Francisco Zoo - Western Lowland Gorillas

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San Francisco Zoo - Black-tailed Prairie Dog

Find out more about the black-tailed prairie dog at the San Francisco Zoo!

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San Francisco Zoo - Slender-Tailed Meerkat

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San Francisco Zoo - Adult Male Lion

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San Francisco Zoo - Magellanic Penguin

Check out more about magellanic penguins at the San Francisco Zoo!

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Check out our Jackass Penguin Colony In South Africa podcast - an video program that highlights these animals!

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San Francisco Zoo - Reticulated Giraffe

Check out more about reticulated giraffes at the San Francisco Zoo!

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San Francisco Zoo - Birds!

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San Francisco Zoo - Lizards!

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San Francisco Zoo - Petting Zoo

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San Francisco Zoo - Grizzly Bears

These are two young grizzlies. They are sisters who were problem bears in the wild. They caused so much trouble that they've ended up in the zoo.

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San Francisco Zoo - Polar Bears

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San Francisco Zoo - Snow Leopard

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San Francisco - Primates

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San Francisco Zoo - Tigers

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April 4, 2005

Alaskan Roadtrip

• Santa Cruz, CA -> Eugene, OR
• Eugene, OR -> Redmond, WA
• Redmond, WA -> Bowron Lake, BC, Canada
• Bowron Lake -> Misty Fjords
• Misty Fjords -> Skagway
• Skagway -> Skulane NP
• Skulane NP -> Wrangell-St Elias, AK
• Wrangell-St Elias -> Fairbanks
• Fairbanks -> Coldfoot
• Coldfoot -> Gates of the Arctic
• Gates of the Arctic -> Prudhoe
• Prudhoe -> Wiseman
• Wiseman -> Yukon Flats
• Yukon Flats -> Denali NP
• Denali NP -> Anchorage
• Anchorage -> Homer
• Homer -> Kodiak (via ferry)
• Kodiak -> Katmai (via plane)
• Katmai -> Kodiak (via plane)
• Kodiak -> Seward (via ferry)
• Seward -> Glenallen
• Glenallen -> McArthy
• McArthy -> Tok
• Tok -> Whitehorse
• Whitehorse -> Mt Edziza
• Mt Edziza -> Prince George
• Prince George -> Redmond, WA
• Redmond, WA -> Eugene, OR
• Eugene, OR -> Santa Cruz, CA

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Mexican Roadtrip

• Santa Cruz, CA -> Bakersfield, CA
• Bakersfield, California -> Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
• Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument -> Culiacán, Mexico
• Culiacán, Mexico -> Guadalajara
• Guadalajara -> Mexico City (via Teotihuacan Ruins)
• Mexico City -> Oaxaca
• Oaxaca -> Palenque
• Palenque -> Chetumal
• Chetumal -> Cancun
• Cancun -> Merida
• Merida -> Villahermosa (via Uxmal Ruins)
• Villahermosa -> Veracruz
• Veracruz -> Morelia or Puebla
• Morelia -> Mazatlan
• Mazatlan -> La Paz (via Mazatlan overnight ferry)
• La Paz -> San Lucas Cove
• San Lucas Cove -> San Diego, CA
• San Diego, CA -> Santa Cruz, CA

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April 1, 2005

Death Valley National Park - Fauna

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Solution to NPR's Exploding Maple Trees

Today's top story on NPR's All Things Considered followed how the declining maple syrup industry of the North East had lead to untapped maples exploding from an excess of sap. I would like to put forth a solution to this dilemma - the maple syrup harvesting red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). These squirrels are already native to the area, so they wouldn't be threatening any resident species. They just need to be encouraged, perhaps in a crop rotational pattern, to spend winters in the neglected maples. It's kind of like time-sharing...

A downturn in the maple syrup market is having harmful side effects for trees in northern New England. For the first time in decades, the maples are remaining untapped, with sometimes-dangerous results.

More at: NPR : April Fool's: New England Suffers Maple Woes

One of the more crafty mechanisms, Serrao notes, is the maple syrup harvesting of the red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). The tree-dwelling rodent is found throughout the northern United States and parts of Canada.

When its stores of pinecones and nuts gathered during the summer and fall run low, the squirrel scores the bark of sugar maple trees with its sharp teeth, allowing the sap to drain.

Once most of the sap's water has evaporated in the winter sunlight and left a sugary residue on the bark, the squirrel returns to lick it.

More at: No Nuts, No Problem: Squirrels Harvest Maple Syrup

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