第十三天：This badass girl decided to come visit me for a couple days.
After driving for four hours from her home town, St. Luis Obispo (pronounced St. Louis – yes I was confused too), Caitlin somehow managed to find my sketchy basement apartment in Lower Haight.
And thus our adventures began.
So both of us are pretty much on the same wavelength when it comes to food – LOVE IT. So nothing else was on our minds other than omnomnom-ing.
We started at Papalote, which is known for its salsa and burritos but we got neither of them (our bad). Instead, we got some Camarones (Shrimp) Tacos and Chile Verda Quesadillas (Pork in green serrano sauce). They were tasty but nothing really stood out to me about the dishes. Then again, we avoided what Papalote won awards for so I might be dragging Joss back for Round Two.
Afterwards we met up with Todd, another classmate from Harvard, and he introduced us to this sick place called Chile Pies.
What an amazing gem. We got a slice each (we were playing with the idea of four). Let me introduce you to a few people I met there:
Name: Green Chili Apple Pie – sassy, eclectic, and thoughtful; she stands out from the crowd thanks to her mixed heritage and can come off a little awkward, but is a lot of fun once you get to know her
cheddar crust, walnut streusal topping, red chile honey drizzle
So I grew up proudly proclaiming that I was the Apple Pie a la mode queen and that it was by far my most fave dessert (and probably only dessert – I was a pretty picky eater and then did a 180 in college). This pie was definitely my favorite. Apple Pie has officially evolved (insert Pokemon reference here) into an aromatic bundle of sweet and savory. The cheese crust was a delightful surprise in each bite of the deliciously spicy apple filling. It was perfectly crisp and moist.
Name : Mexican Chocolate Pecan – grounded, comforting, but has a dark side and isn’t someone you want to mess with; a brunette beauty, men can’t keep their eyes off of her
This was a very close second place. I love Mexican hot chocolate, chocolate popsicles, etc. etc. and this seriously hit my sweet spot that was dying for satisfaction. Nothing too surprising, just a great idea: chocolate, cinnamon, and pecans. Need I say more?
Also, the freshly made whipped cream served on the side was homemade and was so milky and good with a hint of sweetness. YUM.
Name: Berry Pie – the girl-next-door, merry, selfless, eager to please; it’s hard to say no to someone with such a big heart
Looks delicious, but I was honestly rather disappointed with this flavor. Caitlin and Todd adored it – I was a) not very intrigued by the flavor & b) the sweetness of the filling overpowered the potential freshness of the pie. Instead of a crisp filling, it was rather dull and almost as if someone had opened a pot of (nice) jam and dumped it into the pie crust.
It was around 2 pm when we finished eating and food coma time commenced. In an attempt to rescue ourselves from delirium, we went for a stroll through the Golden Gate Park (we only made in a fifth of the way before heading back). Dropped by People’s Cafe for a quick pick-me-up (and by that, I mean a hazelnut latte) and then headed to Susan’s house for our Midori Promotion Event.
Thank you Caitlin for photos.
Midori is a Japanese Melon liquor, and they were promoting their new flavor at Sugar Cafe. Socola was invited to promote their products and give out samples (and maybe sell if we were lucky). It was super fun as usual to talk about Susan’s products and I had a blast. The crowd was so entertaining and Caitlin, Susan, and a handful of strangers were good company. It’s very interesting to contrast the dynamics and interactions of different scenes (bar vs. farmer’s market vs. food promotion event).
Me in action!
Lessons learned (yes, I’m cheating. More than one lesson of the day):
1. Don’t forget how different the modeling/thinks they’re a model/clubbing crowd is to a foodie crowd (the guy in my picture is rejecting the small slice of truffle because he had a photoshoot the next day). Potential ideas:
- say chocolate has no calories
- ask them to close their eyes and open their mouths thus allowing us to shove in a sample
- ask them why they are drinking (that’s bad too, right?)
- ask them to make a pyramid with the samples in under 30 seconds to win a photoshoot with Vogue
- make them say chocolate backwards five times fast (subconscious, baby)
Did I mention Kim Kardashian was there for her company Shoe Dazzle? She couldn’t stay away from me the whole night. Me = irresistable. I know.
2. Men with baby blue blazers and LV hats should be approached with caution. This guy was great fun, and it was sweet chatting with him in 中文, but I have to say － I’m a little overwhelmed when someone consistently asks/says things like: “How old do I look?” “Do you like my pants/shoes/hat/jacket? I made it.” “I’ve been partying since I was 15 man.” (Want a certificate for that?) “I’ve been out for three days straight.” “Do I look like a superstar? Lemme see lemme see.” (after having his photo taken)
Honestly it sounds like I’m hating on him, but I’m not. He was extremely nice, energetic, and an interesting character.
Partying since fifteen? Susan’s been doing it since she was born.
3. There is cotton candy Pinnacle. (shout out to Ms. McBride) We didn’t get to try it, but apparently you can combine it with lime juice and it’s good (also known as a Whippidy-Do-Da for those who are curious).
4. To attract endless positive energy, wear artwork created by yourself or your friend. You become a living masterpiece.
Maybe a little more elegance would make it more complete. Beautiful flowers made by Susan the YBCA Art Museum.
I’m trying to think of an ingenious way to say “to be continued”, but my brain is pretty much dead after a weekend of production (30 hours baby – more on that later). For now:
未完待续
the chocolate apprentice 