If the Shoe Fits, Buy It! Dolce Vita studded pump

Wowzer! Dolce Vita makes these stunning studded pumps with a rounded toe and stacked skinny heel. These are available in grey suede or black leather... even if I weren't a sucker for grey suede, I would want these puppies. Are they gorgeous, or what?!

Feed Me Now! Cucina Urbana

Cucina Urbana

Location: Banker's Hill

Prices: Inexpensive to moderate - there is nothing over $20 on the menu, but you will probably order quite a few items

Good for: Gorging yourself with the most delicious modern Italian dishes you can even imagine

Pros: Everything except dessert

Cons: Dessert

Ratings and Recommendations:

9/10 - Mini rosemary potato focaccia loaf with sundried tomato dipping oil - carbs with oil? Yes, please. Delicious.


10/10 - Goat cheese mousse with apricot-chili marmelata and Tuscan toast - this was heaven in a little mason jar... the texture of the goat cheese mousse was light and airy, but it still had the tart punch of a tangy goat cheese, which was perfectly balanced by the zesty sweet marmalata topper.


10++/10 - Ricotta gnocchi with sage brown butter, parmesan, and amaretti - these treats were pillowy deliciousness beyond compare... the texture was so soft and creamy, with no hint of the toughness common in over-worked gnocchi. The slight crunch of the amaretti and crispy sage contrasted with the rich nuttiness of the browned butter and parmesan. Seriously, this was a perfectly crafted, stupendous dish.


8/10 - Caprese with burrata, prosciutto, heirloom tomato, arugula, basil, and balsamic drizzle - this was delicious but a little too light on the burrata (which was delicious, fresh, and creamy, but could have used a teensy pinch of salt).


8/10 - Mission fig pizza with caramelized onion, candied pecans, gorgonzola, and aged balsamic - simple, flavorful, and very tasty, with a thin crisp crust and big tender slices of fig.


10/10 - Goat cheese and lemon ravioli with corn puree, spring onion, and pistachio - a ravishingly tasty dish! The corn puree sounded like an odd choice to accompany ravioli, but it was perfection... the pasta and flavors were so fresh and light but savory, and each element complemented the others so well that I think a culinary genius must have put this dish together.


10/10 - Socialite cocktail of limoncello, vodka, and vanilla bean syrup - this was so good that I am attempting to recreate it at home... so far, my attempts to recreate the original have failed miserably, even though it sounds so easy! One of my dining companions described it as a drinkable version of the lemon pound cake from Costco... all I know is that it was DELICIOUS!

1/10 - Panna cotta with some fruit and junk on it - weirdly fizzy in the mouth... another of my astute dining companions compared it to Pop Rocks with fruit. It was just weird. The 4 of us did not even finish either dessert, which is unheard of in our circle.

2/10 - Roasted peaches with brown gelato, mascarpone cream, crumbled up cookie things, and some other random stuff - meh, they were good, juicy peaches but the cream tasted like bacon and the cookie things were like odd granola. I have no idea what the gelato flavor was supposed to be, but it was a strange brown color... though it was reasonably tasty.

Notes: OMG this just may be my new holy grail of restaurants. I have actually had a dream about the gnocchi.

The desserts were honestly a terrible way to end a fantabulous meal, so next time I might just focus on the real goods - the savory deliciousness of the first few courses and cocktails. After we ever-so-sweetly told the server our desserts were nahs-tay, she suggested the strawberry dessert for next time. We'll see. I would much rather have another order of that sweet ass gnocchi than risk another icky dessert.

Throwback - Simon

Beep
Beep Boop
Beep Boop Bop
Beep Boop Bop Beep

It's Simon!

"Simon's a computer, Simon has a brain, you either do what Simon says or else go down the drain." Um, apparently that was Simon's slogan in the 80s... it's a little bit creepy, no?

WTF? Cindy and the Amazing Technicolor Dog Coat

Poor Cindy the Poodle...

She appears to have a delusional owner who does not understand that, while three-legged cats enjoy wearing clothing and accessorizing from time to time, standard poodles do not enjoy having their coats shorn into odd shapes and airbrushed with obscenely colorful designs.

Exhibit A: Cindy the Garden



Exhibit B: Cindy the Peacock



Exhibit C: Cindy the Rooster



Exhibit D: Cindy the Dragon



Exhibit E: Cindy the Camel



Exhibit F: Cindy the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (Leonardo, to be precise)... now, this one I must condone, as it is freaking awesome!

Take Your Pick! Senses

If you had to give up one of your senses, which would you pick?
	Hearing
	Sight
	Smell
	Taste
	Touch
pollcode.com free polls

Words! The Sequel: Word to Your Mother

Words I Adore:

• Sinister - singularly evil or productive of evil. "Ann Coulter is possibly the most sinister being I have ever come across, and I regularly work with deranged serial killers."
• Awkward - lacking dexterity or skill, lacking ease or grace. "Dude, I totally posted Joe's picture from the frat party on awkwardboners.com. It was epic."
• Robust - having or exhibiting strength or vigorous health. "John Goodman is the picture of robust health, and is considered by many to be a sexy bear."
• Illicit - not permitted. "Chester thought their illicit affair was a secret until the crew of Cheaters shoved a camera through the window of his big rig's cabin."
• Succulent - full of juice; moist and tasty. "The juicy peach was as succulent as a sultry Southern summer day at Hollingsworth Manor."
• Ligature - something that is used to bind. "Based on the ligature marks, this pork roast appears to have been bound before being subjected to painful roasting and knife wounds."
• Spectacular - of or like a spectacle; marked by or given to an impressive, large-scale display; dramatically daring or thrilling. "My behind-the-scenes tour of Food Network's new show 'What Would Brian Boitano Make?' (which I secretly adored) was a spectacular example of how an entire television network can jump the shark."
• Sizzle - to burn up or sear with a hissing sound. "There was an audible sizzle when I leaned on my curling iron, and my arm is now branded with part of the word Conair." (true story)
• Lurid - causing horror or revulsion. "As much as I love watching lurid happenings on trashy television, the Miley Cyrus pole dance was too much, even for me."
• Draconian - cruel, severe; of, relating to, or characteristic of Draco or the severe code of laws held to have been framed by him. "The California Bar Exam is such a painful and Draconian rite of passage, it causes attorneys to turn into big huge jerks."

Words I Despise:

• Nub - knob, lump. "Don't talk smack about my cat's nub... she'll cut you."
• Devein - to remove the dark dorsal vein. "B, you best devein that shrimp before you even consider putting it in my shrimp cocktail."
• Spelunker - one who makes a hobby of exploring and studying caves. "If you are looking for a way to greatly reduce both your frequency of sexual activity and your level attractiveness to the opposite sex, studies suggest becoming a spelunker."
• Phalange - one of the digital bones of the hand or foot of a vertebrate. "I jammed my finger playing basketball, and the darn phalange just wouldn't stop aching."
• Merman - a fabled marine creature with the head and upper body of a man and the tail of a fish. "You know your blind date is starting off on the wrong foot when he announces that his occupation is as a merman."
• Hermetic - airtight; impervious to external influence. "After touching Amy Winehouse, the fan was forced to be sealed in a hermetic chamber until his skin regained a natural hue."
• Flaccid - not firm or stiff; lacking normal or youthful firmness. "The boiled hot dog was markedly flaccid when compared to its barbequed peers."
• Gristle - tough cartilaginous, tendonous, or fibrous matter especially in table meats. "On my way home from Tijuana, I scored a delicious gristle taco and some Chiclets from a kindly mustachioed street vendor."
• Corpulent - having a large bulky body. "The corpulent manatee is also known as the cow of the sea, and we all know that happy sea cows come from California."
• Pendulous - suspended so as to swing freely; inclined or hanging downward. "Jack Nicholson's pendulous man boobs swung to and fro as he excitedly cheered for the Lakers."

Retail Therapy - Barcelona Chair

I adore the Barcelona chair... this glorious example of chic German design and craftsmanship was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition held in Spain.

The incredibly modern design has transcended the decades, and would fit perfectly into a contemporary home. If you have a few thousand dollars to spare, Barcelona chairs, stools, and tables are available through Knoll.