Conin Mexican Cuisine

This article was intended to be run in the December issue of the SW Connection. Through a series of rather bizarre lapses in communication, it was not included. Beyond that, our relationship with the paper has now been severed. We wish the Southwest Connection and it's new Editor, Mr. Bill Gallagher the very best in the new year. Mr. Gallagher, by the way, is starting a "Letters to the Editor" column. If you wish to contact him: bgallagher@pamplinmedia.com

Okay then... In mid-September I received a tip from a reader, Katie Songer, about a place here in Southwest Portland that was simply not on my radar in any way. One of the reasons for that, I suppose, is that it’s a little bit difficult to find, even when you know the address on Barbur Blvd. Honestly, I looked, and looked and even drove right past it several times without seeing it. Part of that had to do with the direction I was traveling in. I was heading South on Barbur, knowing that it had to be on the West side of the street to my right, however the place is most cleverly tucked away in a small cluster of shops. To see it when heading South, is very much like merging onto the Ross Island Bridge off of Natio. You have to know how situate your car perpendicularly to do it, right? In the case of finding Conin Mexican Cuisine for the first time, head North, notice that the UPS store is on your right, and look to the left. There it is! Ta-da!

Let it be known, Conin Mexican Cuisine is a destination I’m only reluctantly sharing with you. The reason I hesitate is that, once known, it’s going to be much harder to get in. Fortunately, they offer reservations.

Georgina and I decided to have dinner early on Saturday night. The wind was blowing, and, because I’d just had the car washed, a light rain was beginning to fall. It was already dark in anticipation of the time-shift taking us back an hour. Not having been to Conin before, we could only hope that our intrepid, five-minute journey into the desperate wilds of Southwest Portland would be rewarded with something more than just okay.

Because of our early timing, we were the first people in the place, and, frankly, entering an empty restaurant can have something of a chilling effect, if you know what I mean? Gah, perhaps it was empty for a reason! How wrong that possibility turned out to be. To be clear, stepping in out of the weather we found ourselves in the cozy, quite beautiful interior: traditional Mexican music played gently in the background. In one corner over the full bar, two flat screens silently displayed soccer and football. By way of the time of the year, there was a lovely Ofrenda (Día de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead - offering table) set up against one wall, honoring those who are no longer with us. In this simple welcoming environment, we felt immediately at home and were greeted most warmly. What a great intimate place this would be for a party!

I started with a stellar Margarita served in a Mason jar with a handle. Georgina had a Pacifico from the tap. To keep us happily occupied while we made our decisions, fresh corn chips were placed on the table along with an excellent salsa, which thankfully contained only a hint of cilantro (allergic, you see). I ordered Tacos de Pescado: three slightly crispy shells generously filled with fish and the house’s special toppings, sprinkled with cotija cheese. Georgina had the carne asada version. Each of these dishes, and I cannot stress this enough, were O.M.G. extraordinary and delicious. Oh, and did I mention the churros made-to-order in-house? I should have!  

Katie, closed her letter to me with this, “…since we love it so much, we selfishly want it to thrive so it'll stay in business and we can keep eating there for many years.” Well I couldn’t agree more, however, Katie I would suggest this is something of a double-edged sword. An hour or so later when Georgina and I were leaving, the dining room was very nearly packed, and other rain-drenched cars were eager to contest the spot we were making available in the small parking area. People who know about Conin – know about Conin.

Rating: Extraordinarily Sincere

For reservations call: 971-808-5627

eMail: conin@coninpdx.com 

9111 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, OR 97219

Site: http://www.coninpdx.com  

DIGG

If you know of a business or person anywhere on the planet you think might meet our criteria please send their information to me jon@searching4sincerity.com. I can’t promise to write about them though, as that in itself would be, well, you know… insincere.

Goode Company Seafood, Houston

This post is long overdue. It was in June of 2011 that I was in Houston with my family, and my sister took us to this place called Goode Company Seafood, a local chain that also has BBQ restaurants, and I think she said a taqueria. I was expecting sort of a Spaghetti Factory type of feel. Not so, my friends. Oh, not so. You could smell the mesquite smoke from the parking lot as you approached the genuine railroad car exterior. The interior was kind of a cross between a diner and a seafood shack in an upscale sort of way. It wasn't cheap, as good seafood never is, but it was reasonable. The waitress was the kind of motherly, down-home type of lady you just wanted to snuggle (but I wouldn't take that liberty for fear of being slapped upside the head). When asked about foods that contain gluten (because right at the top of the menu it said to ask about it and we had some gluten sensitive folks with us) she was concernedly honest like any good mama would be, and very specific about what to order and not to order. I had the grilled Coho baby salmon and, it, the seafood rice, the veggies and the tastes I had of everyone else's catfish, hushpuppies, shrimp, fried green tomatoes etc., were mind-blowing.
Goode wine, goode fresh food, goode service, goode atmosphere and our own built-in goode company. What an aptly named joint!
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
http://www.goodecompany.com/

Palatiano's Family Restaurant, Benson, Arizona

We were on a mission. The whole family went out to the Wilcox Dry Lake in Arizona to scatter some of my dad's ashes. Why there? Why that middle of nowhere, big, dry mud flat that stretches mile after bleak mile? Because he loved it, loved to photograph it, loved the "reticulated" mud as he called it. We climbed up to the train track that runs through the vast expanse, and after a train rumbled by, we took a moment, offered him to the earth and sky in English and Cherokee (thank you, Susan!), and threw his remains to the whistling wind.

On our way back to Tucson, hunger decreed that we stop for lunch. My mom suggested a place in this little cow-town called Benson, though she could neither remember the name of it nor its exact location - just that it was "Italian sounding." No problem - there's only one main street in Benson. We were about two blocks along that thoroughfare, when we saw a sign for Palatianos Family Restaurant, Italian, Greek and American Food. That had to be it.

You never know what you're going to find in an "international" diner in the wilds of southeastern Arizona. But what we did find was a modest little place that accommodated all fourteen of us without question. Our  smiling, good-humored young waitress patiently took our orders, adhering to all requirements of food allergies and separate checks, and in less than ten minutes served us our chicken fried steak, green chile cheeseburgers, etc., in huge portions. Everything was exceptional, and what we found lacking, like mustard or an extra pickle, the waitress retrieved in a blink.

We didn't try the Greek or Italian specialties, 'cause when you're in a place that isn't exactly known for its ethnic food, it may be best to steer clear. But based on the bite I had of my niece's plain linguini with meatballs, you probably wouldn't be sorry if you did. And just as you'd expect in the middle of nowhere, the prices were cheap!

New York City diners, you've got nothing on Palatianos! (except maybe location). I'm sure dad would be tickled to echo that sentiment.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!
520-586-3523
601 West 4th Street
Benson, AZ
www.palatianosrestaurant.com/

The Sandwich King of Astoria

Over the door the awning proudly informs us that this is Sal, Kris, and Charlie's Deli. More importantly it declares that this place is the the fabled Sandwich King of Astoria - which is what Georgina and I have been referring to since arriving in Astoria some 12 years ago.


On the way to board a plane that no longer bothers (now that I think about it thankfully so) to even pretend to serve food ? - Let's stop at the Sandwich King. Road trip? Sandwich King. Spontaneous picnic? Sandwich King. Etc..


Why is this place the stuff of legend? How do they have the nerve to self-declare that they are the Kings of the sandwich? The truth is in the fresh baked choice of rolls, the delicious deli meats, the available peppers, tomatoes, lettuce with a nice slathering of mayo. It is in the way the guys greet you and work together behind the counter in a dance of flying knives, happy banter and a concentration on making the best sandwiches one can possibly imagine. 


Hail to thee Sandwich King. Long may you reign! Huzzah!


Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

33-12 23rd Ave, Astoria, NY 11102

(718) 278-9240

Sorriso Italian Pork Store - Astoria

It was Good Friday. We'd spent the afternoon at St. Mark's-in-the-Bowery in Manhattan, rockin' out to the Good Friday Blues program in which Josh had performed. We'd planned an evening with Italian friends: Teresa, an Italian/American, and Elena, the real thing, who was going to cook for us at our house, after which we were all going to dye Easter eggs. But it was 4:00 and we were already famished. To complement Elena's meal, we decided to pick up some antipasti, and took Teresa's recommendation of checking out Sorriso, a neighborhood Salumeria, or "pork store," as they call themselves. We were unprepared for the extravaganza of homemade Italian delicacies that awaited us: fresh mozzarella - still warm - house made sopressata - spicy and sweet - fried ravioli and artichoke hearts, olives, prosciutto balls and Italian sparkling water. These were only the items we took home. We could have bought an entire "home cooked" meal of pastas, meats, salads and sweets, but we'd already spent a pretty penny. We weren't hungry any more though, as the proprietor had stuffed us full of samples. It was just the home-grown experience you'd expect from small town USA or Italy, but with every delicacy you'd expect to find in NYC...Queens that is. Manhattan may have it all, but I doubt it has anything to compare with Sorriso's combination of freshness, gourmet quality and friendliness.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere! 
4416 30th Ave
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 728-4392 

Parkland Theatre Entertainment Centre - Cincinnati Ohio

Okay, I'm doing something today that is indeed a small bit outside of the nature of this blog... I am gong to give an evaluation to a place I have never been, based only on photos, and a conversation I had with the very interesting man who owns and operates the Parkland Theater, Ed Miller. What I immediately found to be extraordinary was what Ed has done with the old building you see in the photos. (I just snagged them from his website). As is clearly visable, his was a labor of love: he took control in 1997 of the stately old landmark building, "built as a vaudeville house in 1881 and converted to a silent movie house in the 1920's," turning it into something that surely is a  matter of great pride within the community. That decision alone, to preserve and renovate the old gal, would be plenty enough for me to give him a well deserved vote of sincerity, but going above and beyond that high level, in charging his patrons a scant $3.00 admission price for all shows, well, you must already have a pretty good idea that I am giving this place a pretty darned great evaluation.
Oh, and one day you know we're goin' to the movies at the Parkland!  - And, I can't wait!
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

http://parklandtheater.com

513.600.7900 

6550 Parkland Ave

Cincinnati Oh 45233

Rooz Cafe, Oakland, CA - Friend of Sincerity (FOS) Post

The following evaluation of sincerity was sent to us by Beth Barany and is posted here exactly as written. 

There are many cafes within walking distance from my house. My favorite one is Rooz Cafe on Piedmont Ave in Oakland. I like the art on the walls, the funky music they play, and their willingness to let me order off the menu. And that they know my name!

 
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere

1918 Park Blvd, Oakland, California 

(510) 267-0110

   

 Links to Beth Barany's Book: Henrietta the Dragon Slayer (Five Kingdoms)

Amazon US  | Amazon UK | Nook | Smashwords

Thank you Beth

The Legend of Tian at the Riverbank

Thursday night Georgina and I went out seeking a legendary dance location. No, it's not that it's a legend in the community only spoken of in hushed voices... not that kind of legend, but rather the sort of swing-dance-community legend where word was passed around that a big band was playing in a somewhat obscure place (to us) that was expensive and flashy, but would not make you buy anything but a soda to try out the small dance floor.

We headed to the west side of Harlem with the voice of the GPS telling us in sullen tones that we needed to go over the Triboro bridge (Calling it the RFK Bridge sounds wrong to me) when we wanted to go over the Queensborough Bridge (Calling it the Ed Koch bridge is ridiculous, and I will never do it). Still we kept going, though our hopes were muted by endless shops, apartments, and chain stores that can be found anywhere in the city. Finally arriving at the corner of 145 and Riverside (all the address we had) was a bit of a disappointment. Nothing there that looks like a restaurant, and 145 dead-ends into Riverside State Park! We only chanced to see a driveway leading into the park. There was guard shack containing a guard. We stopped at the shack and asked in tremulous voices if there was a restaurant hidden somewhere down there. Lo and behold - he said, yes!

Tian at the Riverbank has free valet parking. In the darkness of the evening the restaurant's rounded face is elegantly lit, and, for those of us who are not made of money, just the least bit intimidating. The light emanating from the interior was tinged blue with electricity, and entering felt as if we just might be treading on ground reserved for the elite. That feeling ended as the doors swung wide and swing music washed over us. One of the hosts came and greeted us, asking if we wanted dinner. When we declined, without even a pause she directed us to a table near the dance floor. We found a few friends already there, some eating, others making use of the beautifully polished wooden floor. I ordered a glass of wine and Georgina ordered seltzer with lime. Making a quick calculation based on my surroundings, I figured we'd spend twenty bucks plus tip for the waiter and another few dollars for the valet. Seemed generally fair enough, considering. But the music! The music being delivered to our ears by the Harlem Renaissance Orchestra was fantastic, smooth and perfect for dancing. The people in the place, and I mean all of them. were welcoming, talkative and friendly. We had an amazing time, and we will be going back soon. The final bill was $8.00 - I left a generous tip for both the waiter and the valet and still came out way ahead. We checked the menu and the prices are actually very reasonable - the earlier talk of it being expensive notwithstanding - an urban myth it seems.

Now the legend is of the other kind, spoken of in revered (though not hushed) tones. We're telling our friends as I'm telling you - This place is, in my...

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere! - and I recommend it highly

http://www.tianattheriverbank.com/

Tian at the Riverbank 

679 Riverside Drive 

New York, NY 10031 

Phone:

Publishing a book through CreateSpace

So, what I'd really like to do is go on and on about my own weight control book If I Can Lose It..., (but that's material for another blog) and it would really be insincere of me, wouldn't it? Okay, okay  if you insist here's a link to buy a print copy directly from the source https://www.createspace.com/3499086.   


Now that, that's out of my system what I'll  focus on here is my experience with CreateSpace as a publishing destination. I have to say that, in general, dealing with any large corporation is often annoying at best, and let's be clear, CreateSpace is a part of Amazon, but I have to say, no matter what the problem, they were amazingly quick to help me solve it. They have a button on the help page that you click to have them call you, and they do it immediately. You end up speaking with a real human being who speaks English clearly, and who actually cares about the job they're doing. Want an example? After making minor corrections, I'd received a second proof of my book that had about two thirds of the pages missing! I spoke with them about it, they apologized, and sent out a replacement overnight at their cost. The replacement copy however came out in the same condition as the first. I called in a bit of a panic because by then I had ordered a batch of copies, feeling sure that all my changes had been implemented - since I could see them in place even in the corrupted copy. The representative I spoke with did this: calmed me down by simply being a caring person, assured me that the glitch was indeed in their system and that it could be corrected, checked to see if my shipment had actually left the warehouse (it had not but was on the shipping schedule for that day), and then let me know that, as soon as our call was finished, she would get up from her desk - walk over to the warehouse and inspect that shipment before it went out. Needless to say, I felt better. About twenty minutes later, she called me back to let me know that after inspecting the materials, she could see that all of the books contained therein were also messed up. She put a stop on the shipment, and got the tech people involved. They figured out what the problem was, and had the entire order reprinted. The representative then arranged to have the entire order shipped to me UPS Overnight at their additional expense. Can I say I was impressed? Are you kidding!


By the way since I delivered all the necessary files to them fully formatted it cost me nothing but my labor to create my book. There was no minimum order, no fees, no hidden costs. OMG!


Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

https://www.createspace.com/

Estrada's Mexican Rest.- Escondido CA - Friend of Sincerity (FOS) Post

The following evaluation of sincerity was sent to us by Bill Josh Young and is posted here exactly as written. 

I remember the Mexican food that was available in Tucson from the late 1930s to the 1950s–it was the best!

Over the years the food quality has been tempered by substitution of non-fat ingredients and the demands of tourists from New York and other eastern cities. It is no longer the same.

However, since 1957, there has existed in Escondido CA an unpretentious Mexican restaurant that is quietly serving the most delicious and purest of traditional Mexican food -- without a trace of colloquial influence. Every time I visit Escondido, I make a pilgrimage to Estrada's to satisfy my Mexican food addiction.

The restaurant has passed from the older Estrada family members to the younger members without missing a beat, nor has the quality of the food deteriorated. If anything, it has improved.

The price for # 1 on the menu -- 1 shredded beef taco with small, diced bits of potato mixed with the beef, a bean & beef tostada, refried beans and fried rice, plus ice tea is only $8. Their gorditas are to die for as are the chili rellenos -- all the food is unpretentious, but first class in quality and taste.

Most of the diners are of Latino descent, but a number of enthusiastic Anglos can be found among them. The Anglos always appear smug, as if they had discovered a great culinary secret that they just might share with the world, or maybe not.

Do not be put-off by the modest appearance of Estrada's -- both inside and out. It is truly a world class restaurant.


Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

  

Estrada's Mexican Restaurant
246 S. Quince St.
Escondido CA 92025.
Phone (760) 746-3441
Owners: Guillermo & Lily

Two Coves Community Garden

This is a place of wonder and relaxation. It is a green oasis contained in the midst of the community endlessly bustling around it. Trucks and cars whiz by, some slowing down to view the riot of colors provided by  flowers. Kids wander home from school and, whether they know it or not, are influenced by the beauty provided by their neighbors. These are neighbors who have come together to form something very special. This is not a park, though the Parks Dept. has provided some welcome support such as drinking fountains and a few benches. This is not a project promoting exclusivity but rather one that offers a chance for people from the surrounding blocks to create a synchronicity of cultivation. All of these unique urban farmers, some highly experienced and some who are, for the very first time, plunging their hands into fresh soil, find themselves on a mission: growing things that they can  take pride in, display as centerpieces, and serve as fresh produce that they personally have a relationship with.

Two Coves opens doors where none existed before. Communication amongst its members is as precious a commodity as the foodstuffs they place on their tables. Fall is upon us and Winter is on the way so the garden will soon begin to sleep and replenish itself. Come the Spring, life will begin reassert itself again with new greenery, and the air will fill with the scent of renewal. Together then, we will all move forward, growing together, sharing an experience of incredible depth and fulfillment.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

 

VestaTrattoria and Wine Bar

Recently, two lost, bedraggled Texan ladies staggered through the streets of Astoria, Queens, trying to find their way to the home of their sister/step-aunt who cruelly was not answering her cell phone. Determined to be strong, they found refuge in a quaint wine bar called Vesta until said sister/step-aunt could be reached. There they found sustenance in a couple of lovely glasses of wine and, lo and behold, a friendly Texan bartender. They had miraculously stumbled upon one of Astoria's little treasures.

They had no way of knowing that they were only two blocks away from me, sister to one, step-aunt to the other, who's cell phone had died. But as soon as I got home and plugged it in, I was able to guide them on their way. Well, they were in no hurry. Vesta is cozy and pretty: dark woods and cheery windows, not more than ten tables in the whole place. If they'd stayed for dinner, they would have been treated to fresh, seasonal food, much of it locally grown, Italian in theory, but with an international flair. The menu is small and changes now and then. The staff is indeed the friendliest you'll find anywhere in NYC and the prices are affordable.

Jon and I were thrilled to see a place like Vesta open in our humble neighborhood, and other like-minded establishments soon followed. Yet somehow we don't feel we're being gentrified, just grateful to have such a nice place within walking distance. Those two Texan ladies will attest, Vesta is:
Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

21-02 30th Ave
Astoria, NY 11102
7 1 8 - 5 4 5  -5 5 5 0
http://www.vestavino.com

Tacos Mexico, Las Vegas

Where to begin...

If I were asked to rate the cities I've visited as to which was the least sincere, the one that would immediately jump to mind would have to be Las Vegas, Nevada. To be fair, I've heard of other cities that might to step up to possibly vie for the honor, but I've somehow managed to avoid them.

Nevertheless, there is one place in Las Vegas that stands out, even within the sprawling insincere splash across the Nevada desert that is Las Vegas; one that literally exemplifies sincerity. It's just a little taco joint on the corner of Sahara and Valley View Blvds, where the tacos are inexpensive and absolutely authentic at the same time. The people working there take pride in what they are serving, and as far as I can remember, there are no slot machines in the dining area.

Alas, the last time we visited my parents (yes, they live in LV) the place was closed. Judging by the photo that I snagged from Google Maps, it looks to me as if that continues to be the case. Perhaps in the swamp of insincerity, it was just too much to expect that such an odd little oasis could be expected to survive. But maybe the photo was taken at an off time, or during a vacation or whatever. It looks like in might have been recently painted, so perhaps there's hope after all.

The fact is, at least in memory, Tacos Mexico was a shining example of a local business that glimmered brightly amongst the over-the-top lights of a city that long ago forgot what stars actually look like in the ink black of a desert night sky.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!




3820 W Sahara Ave,
Las Vegas, NV 89102
(702) 444-1171
() ‎

The Local Farmstand

Over the past few years it seems that the local green markets have become more and more sophisticated and unfortunately more commercialized. Vendors vie heatedly for spaces, and pay rather large sums to be included in what once was one of the most sincere of trade methods: the farmer bringing his produce to the marketplace and selling it for a reasonable price directly to the customer. No middle men involved. It was nice, right? It felt as if we were somehow hearkening back to an earlier time when the community had not become so monetized.

A couple of evenings ago, Georgina and I ate at a popular dive in Manhattan where we ordered watermelon juice. It was so delicious and refreshing that we talked animatedly about making it ourselves. Wouldn't you know, the very next day, back in Astoria, we chanced upon an actual farmer selling his New Jersey grown produce in front of the home he had grown up in. He spoke of how he felt he was somehow completing a circle, selling from this location. I don't know if the city condoned his activity, and I didn't care when I purchased a perfect watermelon for $4.00. I did not take his photo. I did not write down the address. Let's just say if you're over by the Post Office on Twenty-First Street between 30th Ave. and Astoria Blvd, and you see a man selling produce under a collapsible awning in front of a home that's been there for a good long time, do yourself a favor and pick up on what the experience of sincerity is all about.

Watermelon Juice: place half of a small watermelon in a blender. Fill to the top with water. Spin to a froth.

It tastes exactly like Summer.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Curious Frog Theater Company, New York City

Romeo and Juliet

What has no office, gallery, theater or headquarters and yet manages to exists as a unique and inventive organization? Curious Frog Theater Company of course. This tiny group has two people in leadership roles, Nic Musolino and Artistic Director Renee Racan Rodriguez, plus a handful of staff members. All of them, it seems, mostly run things out of their homes. However, it is their ideals that make them stand out from all the myriad off-off Broadway theater companies in New York, renting space as needed or just plunking themselves down in a park somewhere. We've seen maybe six of their productions over the past three years, and not only was each one just plain, damn great, but each stayed ultra-true to the company's mission: "to present new, modern and classical works with the goal of showing a new, multicultural perspective through non-traditional casting that does not hinder understanding or believing a work, but rather enhances the work in an innovative manner and fosters fresh perceptions."

They embrace this ideal, they live by it, they use it to inform all the work they do and they never veer from it, ever. So this, and the fact that they have the vision to unfailingly hire the most intriguing actors and excellent crew while keeping ticket prices low, or free, such as their summer Shakespeare in the park productions, makes them Extraordinarily sincere!
You can check out some of my reviews of their shows if you want to:
 http://georginapress.blogspot.com/2010/08/magical-marvelous-midsummer-nights.html
http://georginapress.blogspot.com/2010/04/curious-frogs-maids-review.html
http://georginapress.blogspot.com/2009/09/romeo-juliet-and-greek-comedy-great.html
http://georginapress.blogspot.com/2009/05/urious-frogs-theater-cos-true-west.html

www.curiousfrog.org

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

Vesuvio's Bar - San Francisco - Friend of Sincerity (FOS) Post

The following evaluation of sincerity was sent to us by Rich Mattiello and is posted here exactly as written. 

 

If one were searching for sincerity in San Francisco, one could do worse than a visit to Vesuvio’s, a bar in North Beach on Columbus, near the grand intersection with Broadway.

Vesuvio’s is a time portal, unchanged since at least the late 1960s. The walls are packed with all sorts of hippie and beatnik kitsch, intricate dreamy murals and framed art posters. An ancient Kodak slide projector shows Victorian postcards on a screen over the bar. The street level has the bar, tables in mahogany booths, and is usually populated by locals, making it an authentic neighborhood bar. Not being a local, I always go upstairs to the loft where there are more tables, and sit in the front near the big windows that look out over Columbus and Broadway, or along the side overlooking the Mexican ‘Paz’ mural across Kerouac Alley on the wall of City Lights Bookstore, itself a most sincere bookstore, long-owned by famed beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and where Allen Ginsburg ‘Howled’.

From your perch in Vesuvio’s you can people-watch the endless parade of characters, locals, tourists and ‘what is THEIR story?’s bustling by.  Diagonally across the intersection you see Carol Doda’s, which I supposed is sincere in a tawdry kind of way, or at least sincerely tawdry. It is a tourist trap, but so original and quaint that you could say it is a sincere tourist trap. It’s claim to fame, emblazoned all over the front, is that it is ‘the place where it all began’, meaning strippers taking their tops off. At one time of course this was quite scandalous but the world has moved on and Doda’s hasn’t, so it now seems a quaint relic from a more innocent past.

On the corner to the left is a four story building, the top three of which are a MAGNIFICENT mural of jazz musicians that dominates the area. You can almost hear them playing over the cacophony of traffic.

The corner to the right holds a solid, sober bank building, built back when banks were built to last. The bank of course is long gone, and for years there was, sadly, a Carl’s Junior there. It seemed out of place inside a bank building, and even more out of place at that particular intersection, because it made North Beach seem like another Disney attraction, like Fisherman’s Wharf. Today, however there is a fine expensive Italian restaurant that seems more fitting.

You can take this all in, as well as a terrific view of downtown SF with the TransAmerica Pyramid towering over it, while sitting by the windows at Vesuvio’s, ideally with a pitcher of Anchor Steam on the intricately tiled table before you, next to a book of poetry from City Lights. If you are really lucky it will be a typical San Francisco summer day, cold and foggy, and the under-dressed tourists will be shivering.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

 

vesuvio.com
Vesuvio

255 Columbus Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 362-3370

Hour Children - Thrift Store, LIC, NY

There are some of these kinds of stores that are just filled with junk lying around in corners. There are some that are set up to mimic large department stores, and then there is Hour Children, which has a flavor all its own. The prices are very reasonable,  their cause is just, and the people running the place are so kind and gentle that its a pleasure to walk in and wander around.

I bought a couple of shirts there some days ago, and after a quick run through the laundry (they were already clean but I wanted them pressed) they were absolutely perfect. I paid six bucks for the two, and felt like I'd scored, which is how one should always feel when having purchased something from a thrift store. Also the woman running the place on the day I went in  is was so much like a favorite character from a book I was reading, Into The Beautiful North by Luis Urrea, that I took something else home with me when I left... a sense of family.

I love this place!

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

 
3554 11th St
Long Island City, NY 11106-5043
(718) 433-4724
hourchildren.org

Porto Rico Importing Company - Coffee

We've all seen the cartoons where the little mouse is carried along by the very sinuous and slinky odor of a block of cheese. The mouse is lifted from his feet and there's music  heard as he's wafted along by that enticing smell.  We all now associate that music with snake charmers ( research let me find "Dance Of The Snake Charmer") from old black and white movies. Or maybe you know it as the melody to elementary school songs that had to do with France and ladies without pants? Anyway, there was no music (that I can remember) as I walked by the entrance to Porto Rico that day with Georgina on my arm. What I do remember is that she kissed me, and went on to work whilst I was lifted from my feet and carried by the aroma of roasting coffee into this little store. Honestly, I had no choice. I ordered a large iced coffee. They charged me $2.00. I commented on the stunning perfume of the coffee out on the sidewalk, and the one other customer in the store agreed heartily, and informed me that I just happened in at a perfect time since under typical conditions the place would have been packed with other mice such as myself. I was indeed thankful for my good fortune. The woman behind the counter was kind and helpful. The coffee was delicious. What more might I want? Well, since you ask, I just happen to like agave nectar or chocolate soy milk as condiments for my brew, and they did not have them, but I'm forced to admit that such exotic elements are generally found to be available only in my home where the coffee is just as good. Still, there's nothing like finding something so wonderful as a freshly made cup of coffee served by pleasant people, available at my whim as I wander the streets of Manhattan. This ain't no starbucks. This ain't no disco. This ain't no foolin' around. This, my friends, is the real deal.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

 

PORTO RICO IMPORTING CO.
201 BLEECKER ST.
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10012
212-GR7-5421
1-800-453-5908
http://www.portorico.com/store/ 

Ad Hoc Art

This is perhaps one of the more challenging evaluations I've posted, the reason being that Ad Hoc Art is something more ethereal than what we usually address on these pages. Ad Hoc Art is the organization we originally contacted to assist us in making the Welling Court Mural Project happen. When Georgina and I were originally introduced to the gallery owners, Garrison and Alison, also known as the art entity Buxtonia,  there was a physical location for their highly creative endeavors, but now that earth bound caterpillar (though quite beautiful and compelling all on it's own), has become more than the sum of  its parts. It has gone thorough a synchronistic metamorphosis.
Alison and Garrison continue to do exactly as they have always done, in that they are a focal point and a guiding force for the creation of public art by both up-and-coming and internationally recognized artists. They have an uncanny ability to bring disparate people and thoughts together into works far beyond what might occur without their subtle intervention. They are organizers and soothers in a highly chaotic and tumultuous world through which artists pass, create within, and are free to explore their newest visions. Ad Hoc assists in making it safe to be an artist in a consumerist environment that has identified this particular art style as having no value: works on the bricks of the local bodega cannot be monetized (OMG!) and are possibly even a bit dangerous. This sort of art often pushes people's buttons, though to my mind that's what art should be doing.

So it is that with the help of Ad Hoc Art, the world is slowly coming around to the understanding that there is a significant difference between the thoughtless and angry expression of gang-taggers, and graffiti artists. This art form originated here in NYC, and has since expanded onto the international stage with massive gatherings in Paris, Rome, and Amsterdam. Ad Hoc has very quietly allowed and encouraged many of those same artists, who now display their works on walls as well as in major galleries around the world, to return to where it all started, to pay homage to their beginnings, and it has done so with utter and complete sincerity.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere!

 

http://adhocart.org

The Food Conspiracy Co-op, Tucson

Once upon a time, health food stores were dank, dark hovels where you would find bins of mouse-gnawed, burlap sacks harboring bulk quantities of odd sounding comestibles such as "Bulgar Wheat," and "Rose Hips." Or such was my impression back in the '70's when, with trepidation, I set foot with my slightly older hippie friends into the Food Conspiracy Co-op on the hip Tucson strip, 4th Avenue. The bins of bulk were there, as were organic yogurts and "kefir;" loaves of heavy, dark bread and "granola." It smelled like roasted coffee beans and patchouli. I was intimidated and intrigued.

Fast forward a few decades. There the Co-op still sits, defying the Whole Foods and Trader Joe's of the world. It still smells exactly the same but now features items that I recognize and need: agave nectar and Fair Trade organic chocolate. The staff is kind, helpful and rather attractive - the vibe, loving.

In my neighborhood of Queens we have a few, great little health food markets that deserve shout outs: Sai Organics, Fresh Start Organic Market, Vitality and Health Organic Market...but my first health-food-store love is and always will remain that standard bearer and fore-runner of them all, the Food Conspiracy Co-op.

Evaluation: Extraordinarily sincere! 

 
412 North 4th Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85705-8443
www.foodconspiracy.org