The Happenings in San Francisco

Foodies, take note: there are few cuisines or precious ingredients that San Franciscans do not have access to. Tonight, while dining at the uber-hip A 16 in The Marina neighborhood of San Francisco, I found a confounding group of ingredients on the menu. One hates to appear ignorant, for fear of losing one's hard earned semi-hipster status, but, seriously, anchocress and salumi!! Brown butter gelato? Honestly, aren't we trying just a litttle too hard?

Go the their website and check out that menu. I had to reread it to plow through.

Now I am exhausted. It is hard work being a foodie! One must speak the language.

Your Imaginary Friend,
Patsie

Brad Pitt!!!

Funded by Brad Pitt

Dear Imaginary Friends,

How nice is Brad Pitt? REALLY nice. He built this and many other modern new homes in the Hurricane Katrina-ravaged area of New Orleans, the lower ninth ward.

The house is sustainable and has solar panels, to keep costs down for the local working poor. Tulane University School of Architecture was in on the deal, designing the most energy efficient houses, while staying above possible future flood levels.

You are so dreamy, Brad Pitt!

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie

I Phones

Dear Imaginary Friend,

Today, I wrote two blogs with my new I Phone, so I could get used to the device. I thought it worked, but the blogs never posted.

They must be in Blog Heaven. Dead on arrival.

So- did I just hear you ask where I have not been for 15 years? I thought so. San Francisco! Land of fog that creeps with silent cat feet. Land of high taxes, expensive meals, and train- wreck- fabulous vistas.

The most crooked street, the most vineyards nearby, the ocean on one side and the bay on the other.

The bridge with the most suicides. San Francisco, with its cable cars, China Town, and the all kinds of Hitchcock movies filmed there, is uniquely American and uniquely romantic.

I gotta go!

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie

What's Good To Eat?

Patsie, Angie and Wendy Tackle Turtle Soup, Cosmopolitans and Tains de Crabes at Commander's Palace

Sazeracs at the Roosevelt Hotel

Shrimp Creole and Shrimp Remoulade at Galatoire's

Beignets at Cafe du Monde

Wendy Tries the Chocolate Freeze at Camellia Grill

Angie has her Shrimp Po Boy at the New Orleans PoBoy Company

Wendy Has a Great Redfish at Bayona

In New Orleans, Cher, everything is good to eat! Not enough days in the week to have it all, but we sure did try!

Your Imaginary Foodie,

Patsie

Beall and Brumbaugh : Old Town's Newest Art Gallery

The Owners of B and B: Martha Brumbaugh and Lee Beall

Oil Paintings by Patricia Uchello at B and B Gallery

The Grand Piano

Want to visit Old Town Alexandria's newest Art Gallery? Look no further than 215 King Street, nestled among the great restaurants and shops of Old Town's King Street.

The owners, Martha and Lee, live in Old Town and have a long relationship with the Old Town art scene. Lelia Beall is the main organizer of the Annual St. Paul's Art Show just up the street on South Pitt Street, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

The gallery includes a wide array of realistic paintings, abstracts and even bronze sculptures.

Come by and see for yourself!

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie

Who Do That VooDoo?

Note The X's On Her Crypt, 

Also Flowers, Pennies, and candles

VooDoo Priestess Gives Lecture About Marie La Veau

Dear Imaginary Friends,

If you trek to New Orleans, you must learn about VooDoo. It is an Afro-Catholic religion that harks back to the slaves of Haiti, who were orignially West Africans. In Haiti today, it is still the official religion.

Above is the much visited vault of Marie LaVeau, the most famous practitioner and high priestess of VooDoo in New Orleans. She is buried in St. Louis Cemetery #1 on Basin Street.

For good luck, visitors make three x's on her grave. That keeps away the HooDoo, which is black magic and bad luck.

There is also something known as Gris Gris. A variant of Murphy's Law, it says that if you say "We never get hurricanes this time of year, " you will bring bad gris gris upon yourself, thus resulting for sure in a whopper of a hurricane.

I made my three x's. I don't want bad luck, cher!

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie

The Friendliest People on Earth

The friendliest people? They seem to live in New Orleans! They chat you up, no matter who they are, or who you are.

Nighttime on Bourbon Street

The Gumbo Shop, with its Ambiance and Great Menu

Patsie, Angie and Wendy Enjoy Commander's Palace Exquisite Food

From the bars on Bourbon Street and the Lucky Dog man, to the waitress at The Gumbo Shop, to the waiters at Commander's Palace, you cannot beat the smiles, the friendly open personalities, and the sense of  fun that permeates the beautiful city of New Orleans. If you haven't been there, it is time. What are you waiting for??
 
Your Imaginary Friend,
Patsie