What’s Spanish tapas without some sangria?! The sangria at Canela is slightly on the sweeter side, but still very drinkable. 1/2 bottle $16
Canela, San Francisco CA
Marinated olives. Complimentary
Happy Birthday Stache! Random sidewalk message, Castro.
With green lip mussels, black mussels, clams, and shrimp. $20.95
Mission Street Oyster Bar, San Francisco CA
Mmm, this was really delicious and there was plenty of seafood on the plate. The broth was very tasty and full of fresh sprigs of thyme. Everything was steamed beautifully and not overdone. Noms!
House merlot. $6
Colorful Aeonium (Crassulaceae), West Field Road.
This sangria was very light and slightly bubbly so I’m guessing they cut it with ginger ale or club soda. I liked it though especially since we were eating pretty heavy menu items. Glass $5.50
Craw Station, San Francisco CA
Octopus anti-skateboarding public “art”, Embarcadero.
Dungeness crab, prawns and clams in a rich tomato stew. You pick it from the shell. We provide the bib. $29.95
Fishermen’s Grotto, San Francisco CA
Mmm, this was SO delicious! The tomato stew was certainly rich and flavorful and there was A LOT of cracked dungeness crab in there. I had fun wearing the plastic bib and picking out as much crab meat as possible. 🙂
House cabernet sauvignon. $7
“Spunky Monkey” flowers (Mimulus naiandinus ‘Mega’, Scrophulariaceae), 18th Street.
Frisee salad with bacon and poached egg, croutons, sherry vinaigrette. $11
Le P’tit Laurent, San Francisco CA
This salad was very tasty! I loved the poached egg and the crunchy croutons. Perhaps some people would think this salad was a bit tart from the sherry vinaigrette but I enjoyed its brightness.
Pinot Noir, Tarrica, Monterrey, CA, 2011. Bottle $34
Mmm, nice and peppery!
Ocean Beach, Great Highway.
Red wine, fruit liqueurs, fruit juices, fresh fruit. Pitcher $17.95
The Prado at Balboa Park, San Diego CA
After a day of walking around Balboa Park, this pitcher of sangria was welcomed with open arms. Mmm, SO refreshing!
‘Poet and Muse’ mosaic sculpture, Niki de Saint Phalle, located outside of the Mingei International Museum.
1/2 dozen quail eggs, sunchoke, mixed greens, and ravigote. $12
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco CA
This dish was very different! The sauce ravigote tasted great with the quail eggs because it helped to cut the richness of the eggs. The crispy sunchokes were also fun.
St. Laurent, Johanneshof Reinisch, Thermenregion, Austria 2009. $11
Kwanzan cherry tree (Prunus sp., Rosaceae) with double pink flowers, 19th Street.
Garbanzo beans, cucumber, tomato, capers, potato chips.
State Bird Provisions, San Francisco CA
Dining at State Bird is kind of a trip because I sometimes expect the hipsters pushing the food carts around to yell at me in Cantonese or Mandarin. Instead, they kindly explain every dish and patiently wait to hear if you’d like any. What a trip, lol!
Mencia, D. Ventura, Vina do Burato, Ribeira Sacra, Spain 2011. $10
Lilac hibiscus flowers (Alyogyne huegelii ‘Swan River’, Malvaceae), Castro Street.
Mimosa. $9
Starbelly, San Francisco CA
This visit to Starbelly was the straw that broke the camel’s back. The service was horrendous and the food and drinks could not have come any slower. The time elapsed between our appetizer and entree was just stupidly long. While these cocktails tasted fine, the time it took waiting for them completely erased any enjoyment we could have derived from their consumption.
Sangria. $8
Cabernet du jour, fresh pressed lime, fresh pressed lemon, fresh pressed orange, pineapple juice, orgeat syrup.
Hula’s Bar and Lei Stand, Honolulu HI
Mmm, I love sangrias! They serve this in a pretty large glass so you can take your time to enjoy. Thanks Hula’s!
Mokoli’i (Chinaman’s Hat) Island, Kane’ohe Bay.
Fried soft-shell crab served on a bed of sauteed noodles tossed with soy garlic sauce, egg, and butter. Garnished with a wedge of lime and cilantro. $20
Zadin, San Francisco CA
Mmm, this had SO much flavor! The lime and cilantro were a great touch to bring it back to the Asian side of things. I love soft shell crab! 🙂
Pinot Noir, Kings Ridge, Oregon, 2009. Bottle $32
Alluring aromas of rose petal with spicy red fruits, black cherry cola and earth. Soft and elegant style.
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
Kusshi (BC), Kumamoto (WA), Shigoku (WA), and Fanny Bay (WA). Served with cocktail sauce and a mignonette. $24
Lot 7, San Francisco CA
I usually prefer the smallest oysters, but in this grouping I think the Shigokus were the best tasting. Omg, I’m finally making my way up the raw oyster chain, lol!
Malbec, Tahuan, Mendoza, Argentina, 2011. $9
Pinot Noir, 24 Knots, Central Coast, 2009. $11
Yerba Buena Center for the Arts advertisement, 24th Street Bart Station.
Vittle Monster 