I find it incredible that so much time has passed since the last post. There is so much to tell. With that in mind I will attempt to categorize my stories in terms of sections, much like I did with the Napa trip, in order to consolidate a very long post into manageable chapters, so to speak. So this elongated essay will include San Francisco, Yoga & Meditation, Phish, New York City & Boston, and finally Madison River, Montana. It is safe to say I have traveled an extensive amount over the last few months.
To put it simply, October might have been perhaps the best month of my life. November has been incredible also, although not quite on the grand scale of October. But then again, how often does one get to travel the country indulging in the passions they create enjoying each and every moment with wonder and amazement? I find it necessary to share many of these extraordinary experiences with the following stories. I do hope you enjoy reading.
San Francisco
Ahh, yes, San Fran, a place I once lived in my younger years. At the time I was only in the 3rd and 4th grade, yet fond memories encompass my thoughts surrounding this beautiful city. I had returned to visit twice since the time I actually lived there: My first visit was in August 1995. This visit included a very fateful day. I woke up early in the morning and started the trek from the hotel I was staying at downtown to make my way towards Haight-Ashbury. It was a Wednesday morning, August 9th, the day Jerry Garcia died. Still one of the most mind blowing stories in my collection of tales, this day I will remember for the rest of my life. Here I was going to see the place where the Grateful Dead practically began, and it was not until I arrived on that famous corner that I learned the news of Garcia's passing. It was fairly early in the morning, around 9am, when I arrived at the corner of Haight and Ashbury. There were about 5 people on the corner at that time. When I left later that afternoon, after mourning for several hours, there were over a thousand people, dozens of news cameras and crews, and police officers directing traffic.
The second trip to San Francisco was just a very brief visit, literally a few hours, traveling to see Phish play Shoreline Amphitheater in July of 1998. I drove to a place I lived as a child, Yerba Buena Island. If any of you are familiar with Yerba Buena Island, it is undoubtedly gorgeous with its stunning views of the Bay Area. Going back to this unbelievable place in 1998 brought back such vivid memories of a colorful time in my life, full of innocent exploration and mischievous discoveries of what it means to be alive. All of this happening at a very young age, including a influential development that inevitably carried over to my rather eventful adolescent years.
At any rate the Bay Area holds a special place in my heart. Returning to this area once again helped bring things full circle. We stayed in Marin County in a town named Ross, a beautiful setting with some friends of ours from the Restaurant, Shep and Liz Heery. Andy Kriss and I were still on our Napa excursion, so the two days we chose to spend in San Fran were an added bonus to a great trip. We continued in true fashion by dining and enjoying all that we could in the short time we were there.
We met Shep at his office in downtown San Fran located directly across the street from the Ferry Building. The view from his office window was absolutely spectacular. Yerba Buena Island and the San Francisco Bay were in full view, along with an incredible panorama of the city, and the rest of the Bay area. It was a wonderful introduction to the magnificent Bay Area.
We then walked around the city for a short while, surveying the sights, before meeting for dinner at Tyler Florence's new Restaurant, Wayfare Tavern. There were six of us, including Liz and Shep Heery, Robyn and Bill Watson, myself and Andy Kriss. Tyler Florence was actually there that evening; in fact his family was seated in the booth next to us. We enjoyed ourselves immensely that evening, although the dining was not the highlight of our experience. The company made up for the lack of service and food quality. It wasn't all bad, necessarily, considering they were unveiling a new menu that night. The staff seemed disoriented and confused, so as a result our experience was tainted by the inconsistencies that were present. Tyler did come over and say hi, which was both comforting and flattering. We had a Yellowfin Tuna Crudo, Bone Marrow, Foie Gras, Pork Belly, Oysters, and Bacon wrapped Dates just to name a few. The menu was quite creative and reasonably priced. Yet the end result seemed to lack the flair that the menu suggested. As well, the atmosphere was undoubtedly loud and keeping a conversation with anyone not seated next to you, in a crowded booth, was a challenge.
The next day we toured into the city via the Ferry from Marin County. Our day started with visiting a couple Farmers Markets and tasting the most unbelievably flavored grapes, tomatoes, white peaches, etc.. As a chef it was a tremendous experience to view such divine products. At the same time I was slightly discouraged, having the knowledge of what is available, since living in Montana limits the opportunity to work with such amazing foods. We met a friend of mine, named Alex, for lunch at Chez Papa Resto. This actually was a recommendation from one of the Maitre D's at Wayfare Tavern. It was Alex's birthday and we were treated to a delightful lunch. The menu went something like this:
*Seared Ahi Tuna Nicoise, Roasted Peppers, Haricots Verts, Artichokes, Quail Eggs
*Roasted Eggplant and Mozzarealla Tartine, Roasted Peppers, Pistou, Tapenade, Mixed Greens
*Snake River Kobe Beef Tartare, Dijon Mustard, Capers, Shallots, Garlic, Toast Points
*Ratatouille
*Liberty Farms Duck Confit, Lentils, Cippolinis, Parsnips, Sherry Apple Sauce
*Grilled Coho Salmon Meuniere, Spinach, Fingerling Potatoes
We shared all of the above and enjoyed a wonderful lunch. We later decided to take a walk around Union Square to take in some various sights, including viewing some expensive designer stores, taking cheesy photos, and just being tourists. We followed this with a few raw oysters and some delicious wine while overlooking the bay. We had dinner reservations at Acquerello around 8:30pm with Gregg and Mary Swietek, so we were mainly killing time before then.
Gregg and Mary Swietek are long time aficionados of Cafe Kandahar, so it was only natural we would get in touch with them prior to visiting their neck of the woods. Acquerello was a trip to another place and time as it resides in an old chapel. Complete with musty odors and a visually appealing historic setting, it felt as if we went back in time to rediscover the marvels of timeless architecture. The dining room was gorgeous. Just walking across the glorious room surely made us look even better than we already did; and, if nothing else, we felt as if we became gorgeous too. The highlight of the evening was most certainly the White Alba Truffles from Piedmonte, Italy. Simply put Alba truffles are the worlds best and most expensive culinary ingredient. Here is a quick glance at some of the menu items we enjoyed:
*Grilled Lamb's Tongue, Celery, Salsa Verde, Gaeta Olive Oil
*Beef Tartare, Parmesan Cream, Quail Egg, Truffle Drizzle
*Ridged Pasta, Foie Gras, Black Truffles, Marsala
*Carnaroli Risotto, Walnuts, Poached Pears, Radicchio, Gorgonzola
The rest of the dinner was superb, we all ordered multiple courses and shared each dish. The flavors were delightful and the whole experience was unforgettable. The white truffles are so intoxicating that they permeate the senses in such a way that reminds the entire body that one is alive and well. It is like god tasting itself through your own palate, if that makes any sense.
Yoga and Meditation:
The experience of these two choices are as fulfilling as breath to the lungs, they give life to an organ that is already alive. In other words, they remind that which is alive that it is fully alive, as if to awaken from a dream only to remember that the body is still alive in the dream, yet fully aware in the waking state. I am so thankful for the opportunities that exist regarding the yogic realm, mainly the teachers available to me locally, both Jodi Petlin and Debra Sykes. Jodi teaches locally here in Whitefish, several days a week, a brilliant yogini with years of experience. She is incredibly fiery and feisty, a combination that yields both authority and inspiration, while incorporating humor with delight into her teachings. She is most certainly a blessing to this wonderful community. Her studio, aptly named Shanti, is a jewel amongst the charming downtown setting.
Debra Sykes is a certified Anusara instructor who lives in Polson, Montana. Every other week, or so, she has a three hour practice at her studio yogaheart. Debra's practice is like coming home, welcoming one back to the source, reminding us to dwell in the heart and soul of one's being. She has a radiant glow that extends through the light of her being. Her practice is playful, challenging, and inspiring. There are very few words to describe the feeling of being present in her studio with such a wonderful kula. All I can say is that inside the purple walls I feel nurtured, complete, and full of life. The co-owner of the studio, Bonnie Kiser, is also a prominent yogini who exudes brilliance, balance, and integration. Below is a picture of me and Bonnie:
The highlights of my fall yoga action included taking two classes from Jeanie Manchester, who is my favorite Anusara teacher, in Boulder. She has a way of combining the tantric texts with a mindful and invigorating practice. I hope to continue to study with such an amazing teacher! Another highlight was attending a meditation workshop with Paul Muller-Ortega, a weekend that most certainly adjusted the course of my life. The most profound being I have ever had the pleasure to witness or be around, Paul had a way of defining the meaning of life with a direct and utterly fascinating explanation of what our purpose is and how we choose to embrace it. His demeanor and tone were as graceful as the wind, you could feel it was there but you could not see it enough to study it. It is something you are aware of its existence, yet you do not know the source of. Such is the breath of life.
Yet another highlight is the three day workshop with Desiree Rumbaugh in Bozeman. This was a really incredible weekend. Desiree is famous in the yoga world, her capacity to see everyone in the room was almost superhero like. She is a beam of light that radiates a strong, consistent understanding of the core principles of alignment and the methods used to embrace truth and peace simultaneously. All through her yoga practice. Her life is a testament of overcoming adversity and staying true to the cause of rediscovering one's full potential. Part of what made the weekend so special was the 6 hour trek to Bozeman with Jodi Petlin and Elaine Johnson (both of whom are yoga teachers), as well as Beth Morgensten. Elaine and I actually drive to Polson (about a 1 and 1/2 hour drive), so we are very close and know a copious amount about each others lives. We all stayed at the Lucky Dog Ranch that housed about 20 of us, we actually did a dinner one night where we all participated in making a feast with Desiree joining us! It was a memorable occasion, to say the least.
Also to note was the opportunity to cook for the folks who make up Shantala, Benjy and Heather Wertheimer. They were playing a concert in Polson, mid-November, and I was able to cook dinner for them prior to their concert. So I had dinner with both of them, along with Debra Sykes and her partner Jim, it was both an honor and a treat to enjoy their company and get to know them.
Phish:
Traveling to the east coast to see my favorite band play a run of shows in several venues they had not played since 1994 or 1995 was like an invitation to go back in time and experience something I had always wanted to do. Which was to see Phish in their stomping grounds, mainly Amherst and Manchester. Something about seeing Phish on the east coast in the fall, especially in smaller venues, with the autumn foliage in full effect reminded me of why I love to travel and see music.
So there were 10 shows I would see from October 10th through October 31st, the first three shows were actually seen in Broomfield, Colorado (just outside of Boulder) in a 6500 seat venue. Starting the wave during the third night of Broomfield was easily my greatest accomplishment at a Phish show.
Some of the greatest shows I've ever seen Phish play occured on this 10 show trek, mainly Manchester and the second night of Atlantic City. So I saw three shows in Broomfield, CO, then one in Providence, two in Amherst, MA, one in Manchester, NH, and three shows in Atlantic City, NJ. Traveling on a red bus throughout the northeast was undoubtedly a unique experience. There is something unusual about a red short bus, full of stickers, riding down the highway, that makes people want to honk and wave constantly. The trip was full of meeting lots of new friends, enjoying good times, and dancing to some great music. The highlight was Halloween weekend in Atlantic City and a large suite at the Tropicana with some of my closest friends.
New York City & Boston:
Is there another city in the U.S. that even comes close to the wonder that is NYC? Um, well, I think not. NYC is in front by a long shot, and is by far my favorite city in the United States. If you have ever spent any amount of time there, then surely you are aware of what I speak of. If you have not, well then, what are you waiting for?
The dining and culture is unsurpassed, the city is full of possibility and ambition, and the people are as diverse as the globe itself. I stayed in Brooklyn for a few days. Immediately upon my arrival in Brooklyn I was greeted with a spectacular double rainbow that arched over Prospect Street. It was magical!
Seated meditation on Brooklyn rooftops are such a tranquil and serene setting. It is an accessible sanctuary amongst the hustle and bustle of the city.
I enjoyed dinner at a wonderful little place in Brooklyn called with my good friend Mark who I was also staying with. I took a yoga class with my friend Liz at Elena Brower's studio and then we had lunch at Balthazaar. A classic french bistro that was busy and bustling, what a treat to enjoy duck liver terrine for lunch! Dinner that night was at Blue Ribbon in Manhattan, with my old sous chef Will Rogan and his significant other Karin, which turned out to be the best sushi I have ever eaten. Toro, Uni four different ways, Bone Marrow, etc.. were all divine installments in a thoroughly enjoyable evening. And this was all before going to see Micheal Franti and Spearhead. All in all just a couple of days in NYC.
Madison River, Montana:
I will update this more soon, for now, enjoy a few photos:
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