Who Let These Dogs Out?

The Dog Days of Late Summer

These are some photos that I took at the Bay Area Pet Fair yesterday in San Rafael. There must have been 300 different dogs there, partying and socializing. I was in doggy heaven!

Lineup for Yuletide Yuckfest 2007 Announced!

The Lineup for Yuletide Yuckfest 2007, a Comedy Benefit, to be held on December 2nd at Rooster T. Feathers to Raise Funds for local Toys for Tots was announced this morning.

On Sunday, December 2nd from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Rooster T. Feathers in Sunnyvale is hosting “Yuletide Yuckfest 2007,” a comedy show benefiting Toys for Tots and celebrating its tenth straight year.

Comics Mickey Joseph (top photo); Brain Malow, Larry “Bubbles” Brown (bottom photo); Drennon Davis, Sandy Stec, David Van Avermaete, Beth Schulmann, Jeff Applebaum and Your Host Hymie Laredo and many special guests will converge on the stage at Rooster T’s to make people laugh for a worthy cause. Also featured will be music by the band “Chubby’s All-Stars,” with special guest Viv Savage (middle photo, standing second from left); former keyboard player for the famous band, “Spinal Tap.” Admission is $10.00 and an unwrapped toy, or $15.00 without one. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.

Hymie Laredo, whose real name is Ed Attanasio, will host the big event. He sees the show as a chance for comedians to give back to the community, by providing new toys for those less fortunate.

“There is just something about giving kids toys that makes me happy,” Attanasio/Laredo said.
“My niece needs a storage locker just to keep all the toys I’ve given her over the years. It’s the little kid in me. It probably makes me feel better than it does the children. I guess Santa Claus must be somewhere down the line on my family tree.”

The comedians featured have been on Comedy Central, VH1, David Letterman, the Comedy Channel, Nickelodeon, the Tonight Show, and more.

Rooster T. Feathers is located at 157 West El Camino Real in Sunnyvale, next to Goodyear Tires. Ample free parking is available. Rooster T. Feathers’ phone number is (408) 736-0921.

Whoopi Steps in Some Doggy Doo on The View

When Whoopi Goldberg debuted Tuesday on “The View,” her objective was clear. Her plan was to say something controversial to get the press talking about the show’s newest addition. Say something edgy that will get the media’s attention and garner the show all sorts of free publicity. Create a buzz.

But, what the Whoopster did was about as bad as every movie she’s ever acted in (with the exception of “The Color Purple” and maybe “Ghost.”) What she said wasn’t controversial. It was just stupid.

Goldberg decides to take on the issue of Michael Vick and dogfighting -- one of the most sensitive topics currently on the minds of the American public -- and defend a man who did something so deplorable that most people in the news don’t want to touch it for fear of saying the wrong thing. But, not Whoopi -- oh no. The woman enjoys doing things that she knows will piss people off. (Example: Ted Danson in black face.)

Then, this morning, Goldberg back tracks big-time and declares that she wasn’t defending Michael Vick’s actions at all. Well, it sure sounded to me like she was. There’s only one thing worse than saying something stupid and that’s denying it later. That means that she does not even have the class to accept responsibility for what she said and makes it look even more like she was saying something controversial just to get her name in the paper.

Stay tuned. This could be the coming of Rosie, Part II. Barbara Walters is already auditioning for a replacement for Goldberg if she has any brains at all.

This appeared on TMZ yesterday. I totally agree with the woman from PETA.

Whoopi is the new Rosie on "The View," in more ways than one! It’s only her first day on the job, and she's already pissed off a whole lotta people, including animal rights group PETA. Goldberg defended Michael Vick by saying there are things that are "indicative to certain parts of our country," ... meaning the South.PETA President Michelle Cho fired off an email to Whoopi that very politely said just how ignorant Whoopi's statement was. "I think a lot of people who live and work in the South -- as PETA does -- will not appreciate the "view" that cruelty to dogs is an accepted Southern pastime. Those who fight dogs do so in New York, Chicago, and even the Republic of Ireland, and what unites them is lawlessness and callousness, not whether they eat grits or Belgian waffles for breakfast." Cho went on to say that "animals are as vulnerable to abuse as children are, and they need your voice more than Vick does right now." Whoops!

My Top Ten SF Chinese Restaurants

www.chowbaby.com asked me to select what I felt were the top 10 Chinese restaurants in San Francisco. I have been to many of these, and the others I rated simply from what I've heard from foodies here in town. San Francisco has so many great Chinese places that this list could have been a Top 40 list.

So grab your chopsticks, because heeeeerrrre they are (in no particular order):

TOP TEN CHINESE

ELIZA’S
2877 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94116
(415) 621-4819
Hours: Lunch: (Mon-Fri) 11:00 am-3:00 pm; Dinner (Mon-Fri) 5:00 pm-9:45 pm; (Sat-Sun) 4:30 pm-9:45 pm
This very popular restaurant offers culinary updates on Hunan and Mandarin cuisine with a California flourish. Offering all of the standard dishes, expertly prepared using fresh, high-quality ingredients, it’s the unusual and exotic entrees at Eliza’s that people flock for. Signature dishes include mango ostrich, Hunan lamb and salmon with asparagus. They take a heart healthier approach to the food here, with less oil and more vegetables. The décor is amazing, with a warm and friendly feel. Service is highly amiable and extremely efficient. A must visit for Chinese food lovers.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open

FIRECRACKER
107 ½ Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 642-3470
Hours: (Tues-Thurs) 5:30 pm-10:30 pm; (Fri-Sat) 5:30 pm-11:00 pm (Sun) 5:00 pm-10:00 pm
Firecracker serves some of the finest American-Chinese fusion food in San Francisco, featuring legendary dishes like Ying Yang prawns, walnut-tossed prawns, spicy, hot tossed chicken, pot stickers, Mongolian beef, hot and sour soup and spring rolls. Everything is made using less oil and without heavy sauces. An interior made up of soothing pastels and creative lighting schemes makes Firecracker a feast for the eyes.
Service is very helpful and adept at suggesting dishes that will match your particular mood and desires.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $35-$45

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open

TOMMY TOY’S CUISINE CHINOISE
655 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 397-4888
Hours: Lunch (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-2:30 pm; Dinner (Mon-Sun) 5:30 pm-9:30 pm
The cuisine here can best be described as France meets China. With a décor right out of the ancient Ching Dynasty, Tommy Toy’s is full of 300-year-old tapestries, beautiful etched glass panels, carved wooden archways, silk draperies and Tommy’s personal collection of Chinese fans. Signature dishes include pan-fried fresh foie gras with a fresh sliced pear and watercress in sweet pickled ginger sauce, vanilla prawns with raisins and fresh melon, wok charred prawns with Chinese five spice and fresh mushrooms and deep-fried tenderloin of pork with Chinese fruits in cassis nectar.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $40-$50

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open

TON KIANG
5821 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94121
(415) 752-4440
Hours: (Mon-Thurs) 10:00 am-10:00 pm; (Fri) 10:00 am-10:30 pm; (Sat) 9:30 am-10:30 pm (Sun) 9:00 am-10:00 pm
Featuring Hakka style cooking from Northern China, Ton Kiangs offers an enormous range of dim sum delights, clay pot selections and traditional entrees. All of the sauces, wines, pickles and dim sum fillings are made completely from scratch. Notable dishes include golden fried Pacific oysters, crispy shrimp balls, pea tip and shrimp dumplings, lobster steamed with ginger and scallions, diced watermelon soup and sizzling onion chicken in a clay pot. Service is very fast and the food is always fresh. For the best Hakka Chinese cuisine in San Francisco, Ton Kiang gets top marks.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25-$35

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open

YANK SING
101 Spear Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 781-1111
Hours: Lunch Only: (Mon-Fri) 11:00 am-3:00 pm; (Sat-Sun) 10:00 am-4:00 pm Serving Deem Sum, Yank Sing first opened its doors in 1958, when Owner Alice Chan unveiled her vast collection of delectable delights, including her renowned “creative collection” – an ensemble of dumplings, buns and assorted culinary gems. Signature dishes include Alice’s now-legendary chicken and mushroom dumplings dotted with garlic, chestnuts and cilantro, classic Shu Mai, consisting of translucent fluted skins holding fresh shrimp and pork, signature Shanghai dumplings with minced Kurobata pork, scallion and ginger, Peking duck by the slice, a snap peas vegetarian dish and steamed pork buns. If you’re in the mood for an exploration into the new and exciting, Yank Sing will have you singing its praises.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $25-$35

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open

BETELNUT
2030 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 929-8855
Hours: (Sun-Thurs) 11:30 am-11:00 pm; (Fri-Sat) 11:30 am-12:00 pm
The fusion food at Betelnut works, because the basic building blocks of all the cuisines that are being combined are basically the same. The chef is Alexander Ong, a highly regarded food artist who worked for the Shangrai-La Hotel and at the Caesar’s Tahoe Ritz-Carlton before venturing to SF to do his magic at Betelnut. Signature dishes include the spring rolls, firecracker shrimp with 5-spiced sambal dip, emerald fire noodles with mint, thai basil and chiles and Cecilia’s minced chicken and lup cheong with lettuce cups. Consistently in the SF Chronicle’s Top 100 Restaurants, this place is fun from the minute you walk in the door. The motif is dark wood with bright red accents. Kind of like Chinatown meets a Montana hunting lodge.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open

R&G LOUNGE
631 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
(415) 982-7877
Hours: (Mon-Sun) 11:00 am-9:30 pm

Located just two short blocks from the Transamerica building on the outskirts of Chinatown, this 250-seat restaurant serves traditional Cantonese cuisine that is truly inspired. Known for its fresh fish and crab selected live from a fish tank, amazing delicacies and exotic selections, R&G is where Chinese people go for Chinese food. Highly recommended are the salt and pepper Dungeness crab, the R&G signature special beef, shark’s fin soup, fresh abalone, Peking duck and clay pot specialties. R&G also features a wide array of impressive martinis, including fresh watermelon, mango and lychee.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40
Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open

ERIC’S
1500 Church Street
335 Powell Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 397-9222
Hours: (Mon-Thurs) 11:00 am-9:00 pm; (Fri-Sat) 11:00 am-10:00 pm; (Sun) 12:30 pm-9:00 pm
There is usually a fairly long line at Eric’s and for good reason. Food like this is worth waiting for. Featuring Hunan and Mandarin cuisine, the food is fresh, the service is smooth and professional, and the prices are fair, with many entrees coming in at well under ten dollars. Notable dishes include the Mango prawns, the memorable scallops with a Szechwan sauce, an amazing Hunan lamb with leeks, red peppers and garlic, sesame crispy beef and Shanghai chicken with pine nuts and Eric’s special sauce. White tablecloths and an airy décor make this place a class act in every way.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $40-$50

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open

TAI CHI
2031 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 441-6758
Hours: (Mon-Fri) 11:30 am-10:00 pm; (Sat) 12:00 pm-10:00 pm; (Sun) 4:00 pm-10:00 pm
Tai Chi has been a highly regarded San Francisco treat for many years, mostly due to its reasonable prices, intimate setting and fabulous food. It’s a little gem that features some of the fastest service in the city. Before you can even say “Tai Chi,” a plethora of Chinese creations hits the table with a flourish. Best known for its black bean chow fun, walnut prawns, orange beef, shrimp with asparagus, twice-fried pork and General Tso’s chicken, everything at Tai Chi is properly prepared and priced right. Their sauces and soups are also highlights here, made from scratch and gleaned from years of experience and skill.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $20-$30

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open

HUNAN HOME’S
622 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 982-2844
Hours: (Fri-Sat) 11:30 am-10:00 pm; (Sun-Thurs) 11:30 am-9:30 pm
This Chinatown favorite is an old-school restaurant that has won numerous awards throughout the years for its traditional Chinese faire. Known for its sizzling plates, dry scallop soup, seafood with fish tripe soup, hot spice crispy chicken, Peking duck (order in advance) and crab with ginger and green onion, Hunan Home’s offers flavorful dishes that are elegant and made with extreme care. The attentive servers here will pamper you; the décor will make you feel like you’re on a movie set; and the extensive menu of exotic selections, including every type of seafood dish imaginable, will have you yearning for more.

Estimated cost per person for dinner = $30-$40

Holiday schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentine Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Open, New Years Eve-Open

Chupacabra: Hit or Myth?

A rancher in South Texas claims that she captured one of the legendary chupacabras and has the evidence in her freezer.
A chupacabra is a mix of a hairless dog, a rat and a fox. For decades, the hybrid beast that sucks the blood out of livestock has been viewed by many with skepticism. But, now that farmers and ranchers are capturing these strange creatures right and left, people are starting to believe.
Knowing that these beasts are out there gives renewed hope to people who believe in Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster. But, until they capture one of those, I am going to continue believing that they’re myths.
But, the chupacabra is real and the proof is accumulating with every one that is captured. Maybe one day they’ll find one alive and be able to learn about its behavior and habits.
Here in the report that appeared recently on http://www.aol.com/:
Phyllis Canion says that the chupacabra has been lurking around her ranch for years.
She said it first snatched cats, then chickens right through a wire cage.
“[It] opened it reached in pulled the chicken head out, sucked all the blood out, left the chicken in the cage,” she said.
Canion says two dozen chickens were sucked dry. The meat, she says, was left on the bone.
Neighbors speculate the blue-colored animal that was doing all that damage was a chupacabra. The name is translated from Spanish and means goat-sucker because the creature sucks the blood of livestock.
Canion says not one, but three chupacabras were spotted outside the town in recent days. All of them, she says, were blue-skinned, had no hair and had strange teeth.
Although Canion and her neighbors feel she captured a chupacabra, others -- like State Mammalogist John Young -- say she captured a grey fox.
“When mange goes untreated it causes this type of reaction. they start to itch, lose all their hair, blue grey coloration. and the animal usually dies from it,” he said.
It wasn’t mange, but a car that killed the creature that Canion captured.
“There have been so many stories for so long. The chupacabra is a mythical thing and maybe it is, but this is something…a cross between something. What? I don’t know, I’d love to find out,” she said.
So, KENS-TV took samples of the creature and sent it off for DNA testing.
Those results are due.
Meanwhile, the creature’s head, which is in Canion’s freezer, will go on her home’s wall.
“This one hands down will draw the most attention. Because they’re gonna say you got zebras, you got this, you got that, what is this thing here? That’s what we call the South Texas taz devil," she said.

Millennium in SF: A Second Visit

The other night we ate for the second time at a place called Millennium, a totally vegan restaurant in downtown San Francisco. I had only been to a couple of vegetarian spots in my life until moving to SF last year, but now I’ve been to several and I can’t believe that in many ways I am beginning to think I could live sans meat and actually enjoy it.

Don’t get me wrong – a nice steak, a couple of fried pork chops with apple sauce, meat loaf, barbecued ribs, a juicy brisket and other such items still cause me to salivate and swoon – but I’ve learned not to be frightened by meals that don’t involve the demise of something that was at one time walking, flying or swimming prior to hitting my plate.

Millennium is a true vegan establishment – they talk the vegan talk and walk the vegan walk, because they don’t have anything on their menu that had a face or anything that comes from something that has one. That means no dairy, no eggs, and no honey, for that matter. The only things you’ll find at Millennium grow out of the ground. And, believe me; they don’t sacrifice taste or variety in doing it that way.

Located in the Hotel California on Geary Street, this restaurant explores the pleasures of perfectly prepared produce from every angle using every method of preparation imaginable. To kick off this all-natural exploration into the vegan universe, we started off with some pretty amazing appetizers. By far the best thing we ate all night was the Sesame Cornmeal Crusted Oyster Mushrooms ($9.00). They came with a cucumber mint salad, and a sweet & spicy apricot ginger coulis and they kicked ass. The texture and the flavor was a winning combination. I ate more than my share of this appetizer, which resulted in sideways looks from some of my dining companions, but to be honest, I really didn’t care. If this is the kind of stuff vegans eat, count me in! The other appetizer we sampled was a Black Bean Torte ($8.00), which consisted of a whole wheat tortilla, caramelized plantains, smoky black bean puree, manchamanteles sauce, cashew sour cream (without dairy), and a golden watermelon-jicama relish. I would say it was just okay. When I saw plantains listed as an ingredient, I thought it would have some of those flavors, but the rest of the dish overpowered the entire affair.

For entrees, we had the Grilled Rosa Bianca Eggplant Napoleon ($22.00) which had more produce in it than your average Whole Foods Market. It’s a sage scented flageolet bean ragu seared garlic polenta cake with a summer ratatouille, arugula and Greek basil salad and a smoky Romesco sauce. If you know what that means, go for it, but all I know is that it tasted pretty damn good. The only criticism I might have with this dish is that it was very busy. There were so many flavors bombarding my taste buds in unison that some of them got lost. We also had the Chipotle Grilled Portobello and Zucchini Tamale ($21.00) with dried cherries and toasted almonds, sautéed greens, ancho-carrot “cream,” roasted tomatillo salsa and spiced pumpkin seeds. A version of high-end Mexican vegan cuisine, no doubt, this dish was muy caliente and mucho flavorful.

All in all, I would say that Millennium is a very intriguing place that has taken vegan gourmet food to a whole new and exciting level. I would recommend it if you’re on a healthy food kick and even if you’re not. Millennium is located at 580 Geary Street in SF and their phone number is: (415) 345-3900.

Gabriele Bungardt is a Top Pet Painter

I have always wanted to get a professional portrait of my dogs. But, most of the dog painters I’ve seen out there paint canine portraits that just aren’t appealing to me – they look too much like cartoons or they’re too abstract. I want a dog portrait that actually looks like my dog.

That’s why I was so pleased when I recently ran into Gabriele Bungardt and her web site, http://www.ipaintyourpet.net/. Bungardt, who lives and works in Alameda, Calif. is an incredible animal portrait artist. She is well-known throughout northern California as well as throughout the United States and Europe.

Bungardt grew up in Germany in the ‘50s with dogs – lots of them. Her father trained hunting dogs and owned many wirehaired dachshunds and German pointers over the years. Gabriele’s fondest childhood memories include her adventures following dogs into the woods surrounding her home town. Their companionship and protective nature allowed the young girl to roam the forests without worry.

After a very successful career as an Industrial Designer in the Bay Area, Bungardt decided to do something that would allow her to combine her two passions – painting and pets. In just a few years, she was receiving all kinds of kudos for her paintings. The local press has embraced her painting style and the pet community keeps her busy painting pets year-round.

Gabriele moves between larger than life size portrait commissions to more abstract story telling pieces that relate the canine world in a unique and compelling way. She uses a multi-layered application of acrylic paint to achieve depth and three-dimensionality.

Bungardt usually paints her animal portraits from photos, but normally likes to meet the pets first, so that she can get a feel for the animal’s personality.

What attracts Bungardt to pet portraiture? “I love to paint pets, because for one, it’s very relaxing and fulfilling,” she said. “When I am able to capture their expressions and character, I find it so satisfying. I concentrate on the animal’s eyes and if I can get the eyes right, I know I’ve done a good job. I also love the challenge of painting the different breeds.”

Bungardt’s paintings will be featured on Sept 8th though the 29th at the Alameda Women Artists 15th Annual Museum Exhibit at the Alameda Museum in Alameda. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, September 8th from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm.

Samsonite Luggage Will Stand Up to the Gorilla Test Every Time

Why is this gorilla so sad? Because he tried to break a piece of Samsonite luggage and couldn't do it, that's why. When you think of luggage – good, well-made, sturdy and reliable luggage – the one name that immediately comes to mind has to be Samsonite luggage. No one on this planet makes a piece of luggage like Samsonite. They’re the one and only, the numero uno, the top of the list, because when you buy a suitcase from Samsonite, you know it’s going to last a long time. You never have to worry about those mad airport baggage handlers treating your bags like a red-headed stepchild if you have Samsonite. It will take the punishment every single time and then ask for more!

I've Got Shower Faucets on My Mind

We need a new shower faucet. I know that might not sound like an earth-shaking thing, but to me it’s frankly very important. Without a good shower faucet, you can’t get a decent shower. Hot or cold water will drip down off the faucet onto your back and it’s extremely uncomfortable. The water pressure is affected and the entire showering experience just becomes an arduous chore. A good shower faucet can make your day a wonderful thing. A bad one can ruin your day. These are the things I think about shower faucets all the time. Maybe I need help.