Are You a Sports Fanatic?

I think I started playing basketball before I could even walk. See I was my Dad’s last hope. I have two older sisters, neither of which were necessarily blessed with the athletic gene my dad was praying for. My oldest sister Elizabeth is the artsy type, not to mention that she has a 140 IQ! Meghan, the middle, was as athletic as she could have been considering she never rose above 5’2”. I’ll give it to her though; she was aggressive as hell, and way better than I was at soccer.

Anyway, as I was saying, I was my dad’s last hope for a basketball star, since having a son was kind of out of the question. Even though my sisters weren’t necessarily great at basketball, my dad sent them to Doug Collins a basketball summer camp every year. Don’t feel too bad for them though, on their camp evaluations they always scored very high on coachability and sportsmanship (haha, sorry Meg and Liz). My dad talked the camp director into letting me come, even though I was three years younger than the youngest age group, because my two older sisters were there. I may have been little, but I definitely held my ground, and lucky for my father I fell in love with basketball.

I spent my summers at basketball camp, my weekends playing pick-up games with the neighborhood boys, every day after school I watched Pistol Pete, an instructional video on dribbling skills, and the every winter at Chicago Bulls games with my dad. I played year-round on three different teams, and probably played more basketball games in a year than most people play in a lifetime. I think I spent more time in my driveway (see photo) and in gyms than anywhere else in the world.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved every minute of it. However, by my junior year of high school, I had undergone two major reconstructive knee surgeries and dislocated my kneecaps on countless occasions. My love for the game was becoming overshadowed the realization that if I kept playing, I most likely wouldn’t be able to walk by the time I was thirty. And the next step, knee replacement surgery wasn’t something I was ready for at seventeen. Bottom line…I quit. Yes, my father was devastated, my whole family was, even more so—I was devastated.

I shut basketball out of my life for a while, all my dreams of playing in the WNBA or even college for that matter were destroyed. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I didn’t have to be playing to still enjoy the sport. Basketball was such a huge part of my life for so long and it was hard to forget. I couldn’t play anymore, at least not competitively (and if you know me, you know that’s the only way I do things), so I started coaching grammar school girls. I now coach two teams, a seventh grade varsity team in the winter and a fifth grade club team in the spring. It’s fun, it’s hard, and it’s frustrating as hell, which sure gives me a lot of respect for every coach I ever had. It doesn’t completely fill the void of all the amazing years I spent on the court; however, it’s a pretty good replacement.


Last weekend, I found myself at Jillian’s, a huge sports bar in the Metreon down on 4th Street in San Francisco. In the heat of the NBA Playoffs, the jumbo screens made Kobe and Shaq feel like they were in the same room. Above the bar is a floor to ceiling, wall-to-wall television, with over ten different screens. Each one featuring a different sport, the playoffs were smack in the middle on an enormous screen. Outside of ten and twelve year old girls, I hadn’t watched many basketball games in the past year. I was just watching the Lakers take on the Jazz, entranced by the jumbo-screen, and suddenly all the memories of state championship games and national tournaments come rushing back.

The food at Jillian’s is basic bar food, but a bit more upscale. The menu includes items like buffalo wings (which were delicious, and not too spicy), calamari, burgers, and even a philly-style cheese-steak. Jillian’s is a bit pricy, considering they are serving bar food, not upscale cuisine. The bar is enormous, I am certain they could make you any drink you requested. The enormous dining room has hardwood floors and velvet booths, a large mirror covers the entire wall of one side of the room. (Great for undercover people watching!) There is also a billiards room, which is great if you have no interest in watching sports. And Jillian’s transforms into a full-on club at night.

All in all, I guess I am trying to say that if you have any interest in sports that Jillian’s is a great place to watch any number of games, tournaments, and other competitions. The NBA playoffs are always exciting, regardless of if you are supporting one of the teams or not, and Jillian’s is a great place to hang. If you’re looking for a place to chill and indulge yourself in the playoffs over the next few weeks, this place is great. After the playoffs don’t write off Jillian’s because there are always a great games to watch, between baseball season, football season, and basketball season there is never a dull moment in sports. Bottom line: I love food, I love basketball, and I love watching sports. Jillian’s…job well done.

Eddie's Cafe: Cheap and Fast

Eddie’s Café is a great, fast, and super cheap little diner located in the heart of NOPA, a neighborhood in San Francisco. Perfect for that greasy food you crave after a long night of drinking and partying. Eddie’s is not exactly gourmet, actually, it’s not gourmet at all, but they serve breakfast all day (always a plus) and service is beyond friendly (no, not in a creepy way).

Eddie’s is located on the corner of Fulton and Divisadero, and from the outside, I’ll admit it looks a little run-down. Once inside however, Eddie’s has great charm. The ambiance is set by a little jukebox in the corner playing great soul music; including, classics by Etta James, Ray Charles, James Brown, Carole King, and Little Richard. There are also bouquets of beautiful flowers set on random tables. And Eddie’s has hundreds of collected coffee mugs from all over, which they serve coffee and tea in. Eddie’s is small, there are only six booths and about that many stools at the counter, so you might have to wait.As the food goes, like I said it is nothing special, just classic breakfast food: pancakes, eggs, hash browns, biscuits, bacon, omelets…the usual. The menu is pretty limited, but everything on the menu is cheap! Eddie’s also offers the following classic sandwiches: BLT, grilled cheese, bacon egg and cheese.

My boyfriend (Ryan) and I often head to Eddie’s on the weekend to both recover from the previous night and because we know the two of us can eat for about $15. On my most recent adventure to Eddie’s I ordered a grilled cheese and French fries, which were both piping hot and cooked to perfection. Ryan ordered a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich, which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy considering there was nothing left of it within minutes.
All in all, Eddie’s isn’t where you want to take someone your trying to impress or somewhere to expect a five-star meal. However, Eddie’s is fast, comfortable, friendly, and best of all cheap. I would absolutely recommend Eddie’s to anyone I know, especially after a rough night.



Which coffee mug will you get?

One-Minute Movie Review: Forgetting Sarah Marshall

Reasons why you should see Forgetting Sarah Marshall:

The Plot…
Hilarious
Great one-liners
Sarcastic
Romantic
Ridiculous
Raunchy
Original
Full Frontal Male Nudity (enough said)

The People…
Beautiful women: Mila Kunis & Kristen Bell
Jason Segel, who wrote the screenplay and starred in the film
Great cameos: Bill Hader


In San Francisco, about a month before FSM was even running commercials or trailers on television; billboards, taxi cabs, buses, and so on were plastered (literally) with ads for the movie. However, the signs read like this “I always hated Sarah Marshall” and “You do look fat in those jeans Sarah Marshall”. At first I had no idea who Sarah Marshall was, all I know is that by the time I saw the fifth or sixth advertisement—I just had to find out! I searched the web for Sarah Marshall and found out it was a movie, written and starring one of my favorite actors! I was stoked. You might be wondering the reason for this little anecdote. I just think that the marketing team for FSM did a phenomenal job to say the least. They had me wanting to see the movie before I even saw a trailer, that’s impressive!


Trust me it is absolutely worth the $10.50 to see it in theaters, I might even see it again!

Even Rotten Tomatoes rated FSM: 85%

Scrumptous Crispy Chicken Recipe!

Another school year is quickly ending. Final exams are approaching, and it is time to finally do everything that I had been putting off all semester. After a long week of endless hours in the library, the last thing I wanted to do was get dolled-up and go out to a restaurant. Friday was spent lounging on the couch, watching the Food Network, and attempting to both recover from the previous week and prepare for the next. By about 6 p.m., I think I had seen just about every Food Network star doing what they do best—cook. It was ideal. I had no energy to dine out, but after watching hours and hours of cooking, I had more than a few ideas for a delicious meal!

The recipe is extremely basic and easy. The entire meal only takes about 30 minutes to make, complete with an appetizer.

Ingredients: Boneless/skinless chicken tenders
All purpose flour
Garlic & herb seasonings
Butter
Plain potato chips
Asparagus
*Optional: Grand’s Flaky biscuits

Steps
(CHICKEN & BISCUITS)
1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Melt 1/2 stick of butter, pour into bowl
3. Combine 1 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of seasonings into large serving dish
4. Crush potato chips into a separate serving dish (fun for kids and boyfriends!)















*For the above ingredients, you will only need enough to cover the chicken tenders, so you are welcome to eyeball the amounts. Also, make sure to keep them in separate dishes.

5. Take chicken tenders and dip them first in the flour
6. Next in the melted butter
7. Last, completely cover the tenders with crushed potato chips8. Place the tenders into the oven on an un-greased cooking sheet for 20 minutes, or until
the chips are golden brown.
*If you are also making the biscuits, place them in the oven with the chicken.



(ASPARAGUS)
1. Preheat a griddle, with the burners on high.
2. Wash the asparagus and lightly coat it with olive oil or butter
3. Place the asparagus horizontally on the griddle and season them with garlic salt
4. Cook time is about 8 minutes, 4 minutes on each side

Well you are basically done! Just place the asparagus on a plate and top it with fresh Parmesan cheese. Grab the chicken and biscuits out of the oven, and you have yourself an amazing and quick dinner. Next time you don’t feel like dealing with the masses and would rather have dinner alone or spend some time at home with a loved one, try out this recipe!

Hope you love it!

A Holiday for the Hippies!

Voicemail: Hey darling, it’s your father. I am with your sisters and they wanted me to call and make sure you were celebrating 4/20 in Golden Gate Park. (Laughing) They said San Francisco was probably a big cloud of smoke today. Well I hope you’re having a great day and I guess…be careful.Well that was by far one of the most ridiculous and funniest voicemails I have ever received, especially because it was from my dad. I cannot believe my dad called to make sure I was celebrating 4/20…does he not understand what that is? I mean he couldn’t possibly have been calling to make sure I was getting high? But I tried to look at it from his point of view: his baby daughter (me) went off to college and she is no longer that sweet little girl who tells daddy everything. The result: dad will bring up just about anything he thinks will spark a conversation. I guess it makes sense.

Anyway, yes I was in fact at Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park with the other thousands of people who were celebrating 4/20. If you are not familiar with 4/20, it is a (discreet) term used to reference the use of cannabis or marijuana. On April 20 (4/20) thousands of people gathered in GGP and I am sure many many other places to celebrate! Do not think that the only people who showed up to Hippie Hill on 4/20 were a bunch of stoners and pot-heads, while that is mostly correct…other people, from all walks of life came to enjoy and observe cannabis day. It was a beautiful day in San Francisco, a little windy but otherwise sunny and nice. Even if you are not a smoker, 4/20 in Golden Gate Park is a great place for people watching and relaxing.

At 4:20 on 4/20 everyone that had gathered in the park stood up and cheered, and of course smoked: a joint, a blunt, a spliff, a piece, a bong…you get the idea. A huge cloud of smoke hovered over the dancing, singing, cheering hippies. However now it is 4/21, the holiday is over and it is back to reality!

There is no place like Home!

Most people can probably agree that nothing compares to a great home cooked meal. That is exactly the concept that Home Restaurant, in San Francisco’s Castro district, has built their menu around. Home is open until midnight, seven days a week and its menu, which is full of home-cooked inspired favorites is sure to satisfy any craving.

Everything from the menu to the ambiance at Home is extremely comforting. The inside of Home features a full bar, complete with a dinning counter, a main dining room with big red booths (classy though, not tacky), and an enclosed patio with another bar and a wood burning fireplace. The staff is super friendly, almost as if your mom was actually delivering the food to your table!

The menu is made up of comfort food with a gourmet twist. For example, the Duck and vegetable spring rolls with spicy chili dipping sauce; which by the way is delicious. Other options include: Sloppy Joe dip with sour cream, red onions, and corn chips, Niman Ranch meatloaf with potato puree, gravy, and brown sugar carrots, and Wild mushroom ravioli, with zucchini, truffle oil, mushroom reduction, and parmesan. Those are just a few of Home’s menu choices, they also have macaroni and cheese, that is too die for, and decadent honey corn bread.

I suggest you share! Although a few of the entrees do sound (and taste) super delicious, there are a bunch of appetizers and sides that are perfect for sharing with friends or family. While dining at Home, my friends and I ordered about six of these different small plates, and were more than satisfied and stuffed.

If you insist on ordering your own thing, I know some people don’t like to do the whole sharing thing…at least order the Mac’n’cheese for everyone to taste. The pasta is always cooked perfectly, the cheese is hot and stringy, and there are little breadcrumbs on top that make this dish Amazing!

Christmas lights year round, magnetic walls and letters, 200 different bottles of wine...What's Not to Love?

Q is a fabulous inner-Richmond restaurant that serves American comfort food with a twist and features an expansive wine list with over 200 hand-selected California favorites. Q is located on Clement Street, and the people dining there are as eclectic as the restaurant. The staff is friendly and helpful. As for ambiance, Q is on the loud side. The great food brings in large crowds, which means a ton of people talking; and the kitchen is out in the open, so you have all the noise of cooking. All of that noise is topped off with music; however, the tunes are very recognizable and classic, you know… songs that everyone seems to love. Etta James…At Last, enough said.

The interior decorations are a cross between a child’s playroom and an industrial plant. The bottom half of the walls are magnetic, and come fully equipped with magnet letters for your enjoyment and sheer amusement. The daily specials and desserts are written on a huge section of a chalkboard wall. Christmas and chili pepper light-strands hang from the ceiling and on the booths; there is even a tree in the middle of the big table in the back, which is of course covered in lights.

Don’t think the decorations stop there. One half of the ceiling is painted midnight blue and a huge moon, craters and all, completes the illusion of a night sky…inside! All of these things may seem overwhelming, but they actually give the place a quirky and comfortable feel. Once you get over the embellished interior and focus on the food and wine, I know you will be satisfied! One suggestion, come hungry because the portions are pretty big.

The extensive and versatile wine list, of over 200 different wines as I mentioned earlier, was created by Q’s chef/owner Andrew Gillen. He has even taken the time to pair his favorite wine selections with specific menu options.

The lunch and dinner menus focus on classic American favorites. A few examples: Macaroni and Cheezy with Tate R Tots, Grilled Harris Ranch Angus Meatloaf on Mashed Potatoes with Country Gravy and Braised Vegetables, and Ultimate Vegan Grill-Grilled Squashes, Corn On The Cob, Yams, Portobello Mushrooms, Carrots and Onions with Marinated Beets, Black Beans, and Wild Rice Pilaf. My absolute favorite dish at Q is the Potato Croquettes appetizer, which is served with asiago cheese, rosemary, and smoked tomato salsa. No exaggeration I order it every time I am there! It’s just that delicious.


Q is more than worth venturing out to. The food is great, and comforting. The wine will never stop flowing. And I promise, the magnetic wall and letters are always great entertainment!