Wow- I haven’t heard such buzz since Paris Hilton married Michael Jackson….just kidding!
But really, the chatter has been virtually non-stop about the new San Francisco Yoshi’s.
Will Yoshi’s Save Lower Fillmore? Is Yoshi’s the Rebirth of Cool in S.F.? Will tourists actually venture into the Western Addition to hear a little jazz,and while we’re on the topic, do people even listen to jazz anymore? Just how many millions did it really cost? Sheesh- it’s not the second coming, people…..tho actually since the first one opened in Oakland over 30 years ago, maybe it kind of is the second coming.

To answer all your questions, the other night I went to the press opening of the 28,000-square-foot Yoshi’s San Francisco which anchors the $72 million Fillmore Heritage Center, located in the historically African-American and Japanese district.

And yes, it really is the “rebirth of cool!” What a fantastic space! It was designed by the same architects who did the original Yoshi’s, but this version was done more on a tasteful Vegas sized scale. The ceilings are mile-high, with tons of curving wood, beautiful flower arrangements, warm lavender back-lit plexiglas panels, and open-glass viewing posts at the upstairs bar let you check out the dining room scene or the bustling open kitchen action. No less than 30 cooks were busy turning out succulent bites of sushi, sashimi and carpaccio, and unique hot dishes utilizing the charcoal grill, wood burning oven, or tableside-do-it-yourself Shabu Shabu. Executive Chef, “Sho” Kamio uses only the freshest, quality, seasonal ingredients, often spiced with a surprise little twist. You’ll be completely satisfied with these lighter dishes, but not overly full, which was the plan behind hiring Marisa Churchill, Pastry chef-extraordinaire, who offers an array of creative “East meets West" desserts that share in Chef Sho’s philosophy. We fought over the last Warm Cinnamon Sugar Okinawan Doughnut with it’s Japanese Whiskey Milkshake, but I “lost”, which was really my fiendish plan, since I then got to scoop up the last bite of zingy Key Lime Mochi Cake with roasted marshmellows and pineapple. Delish!

If you’re just stopping in just for a nibble and a drink, Yoshi’s also offers an impressive list of sake, soju, wine,and creative cocktails-I loved the sparkling wine mojito.
To check out the Club calendar or menu go to:

Yoshi’s | Website
1330 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 655-5600

http://sf.yoshis.com/sf/jazzclub

Have you ever wondered where best selling authors go for vacation? Where does a multimillionaire author go for dinner?

Well, I have the answers for you!

You have watched me travel around the world, so I thought it would be nice for you to see what I do when I have some time off and have friends over to my cozy home in Half Moon Bay. On Saturday, my husband Tim Williamson, cooked a fabulous dinner of salmon and paella for some amazing friends. They incluced:

Tim Ferriss, author of the 4-Hour Work Week

Robert Scoble, the number 1 blogger in the world and the author of Naked Conversations

Christine Comaford-Lynch, author fo Rules for Renegades 

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I just saved over $400 on airline tickets to Cancun from SFO because I talked to a…… real, live PERSON! Yes, step aside expedia and Orbiz, and welcome to the world of 1-800-Your-Airline. Remember the olden days? Where you would call your airline and talk to a lovely airline respresentative and they would give you a few options about your flight? You would laugh and share post-Thanksgiving stories while the computer looked for flight information.

Guess what? They still do! But we have gotten so wound up over the Internet that we foget about this great service. 

I looked online and the ticket price was around $800-$1200 per person from SFO to Cancun (okay, I should have booked them over 21 days in advance). So, I took my own advice and called a few different airlines. United was good, but American Airlines was ever better! The great thing is, you can book your ticket with a real live person and then search the Internet for a better deal before you have to pay for it. If you don’t find a better price, call back before your reservation expires and you are good to go!

Our tickets on American Airlines are $640 per person over the holidays. Now, that is what I call good hunting!

 
American Airlines: 800-433-7300

United: 800-864-8331

JetBlue: 1800-538-2583 

Artists Consider the Dali Lama. A must see showing from Dec 1st thru March 16, 2008

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Works by more than 88 artists from more than 30 countries comprise a landmark exhibition. A truly diverse and delightful collection of intriguing executions with one man as the central subject, the life of the Dali Lama himself. A mission of peace.

Opening night was pulsing with music and color and people. Several pieces stood out. Particulary an absorbing 3D holographic ceramic sculpture by Laurie Anderson – my favorite of the show. An installation by Dove Bradshaw depicting the slow progress of change by a single yet repetitive drop of liquid on a rock bed. A painful photographic burn blend with nature by Bin Danh calls for lingering.

Beatutifully design and stenciled quotes from the Dalai Lama are placed throughout the museum to further illuminate the ideas that inspired the artists – at least one of which will resound with you.

Many of the installations have video, music and audio – impossible to hear in the roar of the opening nite crowd – so a quiet time is needed to enjoy each piece.

Make this a must see during your stay in San Francisco. 

Artists include Marina Abramovic, Seyed Alavi, Laurie Anderson, Richard Avedon, Sanford Biggers, Squeak Carnwath, Long-Bin Chen, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Chuck Close, Santiago Cucullu, Binh Danh, Richard Gere, Jim Hodges, Jenny Holzer, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, Anish Kapoor, Kimsooja, Enrique Martinez Celaya, Michal Rovner, Sebastiao Salgado, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, Mike and Doug Starn, Pat Steir, Adriana Varejao, Bill Viola, William Wiley, Negishi Yoshiro and many more.