Te Quiero Barcelona

Friday it was too hot to cook so I drove over to CMU to pick up Dave and we walked over to Joe Mama's in Oakland. It doesn't look like much on the outside so we did not have great expectations, but the menu was much more extensive than I imagined, and we were both pleased with our meals (Dave had the gnocchi and I had the Crispy Chicken Milanese).

The sauces were tasty and the portions were generous. The salad was weak (served us a big bowl with a tiny amount of salad, dressing on the side in the Pittsburgh fashion), but the waitress offered to bring us more with no prompting when we finished the first bowl. The only really bad part of the meal was the 1/2 lb. meatball which was not very hot and kinda too dense and chewy. The weekend brunch menu looks good so I think we'll be back for that.

Question for you Pittsburghers: Is dressing on the side a Pittsburgh thing? Even when I request it tossed in I still get it on the side, usually in a plastic container.

Saturday we breakfasted at Kazansky's, but I think this was the last chance we're giving them. The weak french toast ensures that Dave will not want to come back, but the bagel, lox, and eggs breakfast was great.

We went to the Fair in the Park over at Mellon Park. It was the usual arts and crafts village of tiny white tents, just like a smaller Castro Street Mountain View art and wine fest with the same pottery, photos, hippie skirts, and jewelry. The thing that made it pleasurable was the musical performance, Cellofourte, which we are so glad we got to hear while strolling around the aisles of tie-dye scarves and hand-woven tea cozies.

We stopped for lunch at Point Brugges where we have been to dinner before. It was very busy so we understood that it would take some time to get seating, but once we were seated it took 30 minutes to get water. The food was good and we'll be back, but the service was very sloooooow.

Not willing to take any more risks, we went to dinner at Alladin's. We just can't go wrong there.

Afterwards we saw "Vicky Christina Barcelona" at the little theater on Murray. It was enjoyable but not very thought provoking or memorable. The acting was odd and stilted most of the time, but Penelope Cruz stole the show as the crazy murderous ex-wife.

Of course it wouldn't be a Woody Allen film without some annoying song running through the whole show. Thankfully there were plenty of beautiful classical guitar songs throughout the movie, but the "te quiero Barcelona" line from the annoying song is the one stuck in my head today.

Well that's the stuff that happens around here. Today is a boring day of chores and errands. I'm making chicken broth and planning the week's dinner menus. Soon I will start the laundry and nag Dave into vacuuming.