Food::Late Saturday Lunch @ The Boiling Crab

        It was almost 2:00 p.m. and we haven't had lunch yet.  We were waiting for the LBC guy to pickup a box that we (just Dinah actually) prepared the night before bound for the Philippines.  In times like these, we normally just go out for lunch.  I asked Dinah and the kids where they wanted to go.  Dinah suggested The Boiling Crab on 65th Street but Dylan and I wanted to try Capital Tea Garden dimsum and Danii didn't care (as usual).  Finally, the LBC guy came and we were off to The Boiling Crab.  I just told Dylan that we'll just go to Capital Tea Garden next time.

        The place didn't look that busy when we got there.  We asked for a booth, since it will be more convenient for me to take pics for my blog.  We were told that we had to wait at least 15 minutes since all their booths were occupied, so we waited for a few minutes, looking over their menu.  It did not take 15 minutes before we were told that they have a booth ready for us.

        This was only the third time for us to eat at this place.  The last two occasions, we were with Tita P., Tita Wendy, Ayah and Paulina.

        For starters, the kids wanted some Fried Calamari.  Dinah and I wanted to get the Fried Oysters instead but what can we do?  And so Fried Calamari it was.

        

       

        First of the cooked crustaceans to arrive were the big King Crab legs.  All 5 pieces were seasoned with "The Whole Sha-bang", which was their Rajun Cajun + Lemon Pepper + Garlic Butter seasonings combined.  We opted for their "Mild" spice level.  It was the first time we tried King Crab legs.  We used to always get their Snow Crab legs.  The meat looked the same as the Snow Crab's but just bigger.  I was having a hard time getting a pic because they were inside a plastic bag that held the sauce as well.  So I asked Dinah for help to get all legs on the table so I can get a better shot.

        Next were the pound of shrimps in their "Rajun Cajun" (original) seasoning with "Mild" spice level.  These shrimps  reminded me of the garlic/butter shrimps from "Dampa" but with more flavor.  Could be due to the crab boil seasoning they use.

        We also got a pound of crawfish in their "Rajun Cajun" seasoning, also with "Mild" spiciness.  These bugs were my favorite although they didn't have much meat in them.  You can think of crawfish like mini lobsters, wherein only the tail has the meat.  But that didn't stop me to suck the heads of all their "aligue".

        This is Dinah, "git'n down n' dirty" with it.

        The place suddenly became packed with people crazy for crustacea!

        Then, It was time for me to don the bib and get in on the action.  Enough of the shoot first eat later for now.

Postcards::Carmel::San Carlos Borromeo Mission

Postcards::Monterey Bay Aquarium

Postcards::Napa Valley

Food::Easter Sunday Lunch @ Queen Sheba

        It has been years since the last time I've had Ethiopian food.  The last time was when I was still working in the Bay Area.  I had this officemate, Yosief from Erithrea who introduced me to their cuisine.  One time he treated me for lunch as thanks for completing the test program he requested from me that I was able to deliver earlier than the commit date.  We went to a place called Zeni somewhere along Saratoga Ave.  My first time to try Ethiopian food was an enjoyable experience.  We went to that place a couple more times during my stint at SST in Sunnyvale before my family and I moved here in Sacramento.  Last Easter Sunday, after hearing mass at St. John, I took Dinah and the kids to Queen Sheba to try Ethiopian food.

Combination Platter for Three - $12.99/person

        The place was located along Broadway and 17th St. in downtown Sacramento.  They didn't have a parking space for customers except curbside parking along Broadway St. so we drove around 17th St. to find a parking spot in the neighborhood.  Upon entering the place, my eyes started looking for the traditional round wicker tables.  The waitress asked us if we prefer a table or a booth but I had something else in mind.  When I asked the lady if they have those round wicker tables, she said they don't have them and asked me if I saw those in the Bay Area.  I said yes.  I also told her that a booth was just fine.

        Dinah said that I was in charge of the order since they have no idea on the items on the menu.  First I asked the lady how their per person pricing works.  After confirming that it was not the actual customer headcount but rather how many people the item was good for, I went ahead and ordered the Combination Platter for Three since it had three meat dishes, considering Danii who prefers meat more than veggies.

Enjeera

        The lady first brought us some Enjeera.  These were soft, spongy, pancake-like sheets of thin bread that were rolled up like towels.  The Ethiopians used Enjeera to pick up food from the communal platter.  

        Then the lady brought the combination platter next.  I noticed right away that their serving was more generous than the ones I've had in the Bay Area.  You wouldn't see the Enjeera lining the big platter anymore since every part of it has been covered with the menu items included in the combination platter.

The Combination Platter for Three included the following menu items:

1. Chicken Tibbs - cube pieces of chicken breast sauteed in turmeric, spiced butter, and garlic/ginger, accompanied with various mixed vegetables (onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms).

2. Key Wot - A stew made up of selected pieces of tender beef, prepared in onions, seasoned butter, garlic/ginger, and mixed spices.

3. Lamb Tibbs - Tender chunks of fresh lamb, simmered in mild spices and garlic/ginger, along with onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers, topped off with our purified butter.

4. Vegetarian Combo - A small combination of Misr Kik Wot (Spiced red lentils, stewed in onions, garlic, and berbere sauce), Kik Wot (Yellow split peas, pureed in onions, garlic, and special turmeric sauce), Gomen (Chopped spinach and collard greens cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs), cabbage, potatoes/carrots, and fresh salad.

        I showed Dinah and the kids the way to eat it.  I got a roll of Enjeera, tore a tiny piece and used that to pick up some food from the platter.  The kids followed and were soon having fun eating.  Dinah said that the meat dishes were good.  She said it reminded her of Indian food somehow.  After a few minutes, this was how our platter looked like.

Other::Good Friday Night Pussycat Galore

        I've waited for more than a month for that day to come (last Good Friday).  That was the first time Dinah and I got to watch a Broadway musical.  We were at the Three Stages parking lot a few minutes before 8:00 p.m. to see the featured musical, "CATS".  A lot of things were going on in my mind while we were walking towards the entrance.  I told myself, "I bet it's going to be an all-star cast of well loved feline personalities from books, TV and movies.  I bet Garfield will be there, as well as Sylvester, Felix, Tom and maybe I'll even get to see Hello Kitty".  Ok, I was just kidding.  I've known this famous and multi-awarded musical for quite some time now.  My friend Bernie from New York even sent me a playbill when I was still in college in Manila.  But I really didn't know what to expect from it or how it was gonna be like.  All I knew was that they looked like the Thundercats.

Three Stages @ Folsom Lake College

 
        After they checked our E-tickets at the entrance, we were asked to go to the upper level where the H section was.  I told Dinah that it was a good thing she made some effort to dress up since I noticed no one was dressed casually (except for me being a t-shirt & jeans kind of guy).  
        
        After we got seated, I immediately took out my PEN camera and started taking pics of the stage.  One of the ushers approached me and told me that taking pics was not allowed during the show (darn). 

        As soon as they turned off the lights, I noticed some shadowy figures walked toward the audience.  I had a hunch that they were the performers.  I was right.  They lit up some kind of head gear that looked like cats' eyes in the dark.  That opening act reminded me of the very first play I saw at the "Met" when I was in high school.  It was a play called "Panata sa Kalayaan" ("An Oath to Freedom") wherein the performers started coming from behind the audience singing the opening song.  

        Then they hurried back towards the stage for the opening performance - "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats".  I  was blown away by this performance.  It was also strange that the song sounded familiar to me  Here is a YouTube clip of the same performance from the original cast.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONGa4pFQRII

        Then the program started introducing a new cat character one after another each with a different story and history to share.  The ones that stood out for me were "Tugger"  the macho, a bit on the flirtatious side kind of a cat which strangely reminded me of Freddie Mercury from Queen.  "Bustopher Jones", the 
 fat cat in the tux.  And of course, "Old Deuteronomy" who was kind of like the cat tribe's elder who looked like a yeti to me or the abominable snowman.
         
        Before Act I concluded, they introduced another cat character who looked like an old female cat which was treated like an outcast by the other cats.  That character was "Grizabella", the former glam cat.  She sang "Memory".  That was the first time I heard that song being sang with so much emotion.  When Act I ended, I was left wanting for more "Grizabella" and the song "Memory".  Here is a YouTube clip of the same performance from the original cast.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_slQkHIdXp4

         During the break, Dinah and I got some coffee from the concession stand in the lower level since the one on the upper level only had cold bottled drinks.  I saw one colleague from work volunteering in one of the concession stands in the lower level.  

        We weren't able to finish our coffee before people started heading back so we had to throw them in the garbage bin.  Dinah said that next time she would just share a cup of coffee with me.

        Act II introduced more cat characters.  There was "Gus", the theatre cat, "Skimbleshanks", the railway cat and "Macavity" who was like a notorious criminal cat (cat burglar?) who kidnapped "Old Deuteronomy".

        Then "Tugger" performed again.  The song's melody also sounded somewhat familiar to me:

"Oh well, I never was there ever"
"A cat so clever as magical"
"Mr. Mistoffelees"

        "Mr. Mistoffelees" was like a magician cat.  He magically made "Old Deuteronomy" reappear and the cats were happily reunited once more with their tribe elder.  Here's a YouTube clip I saw of the same performance.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx7HhYXCxa4

         Then "Grizabella" entered the scene again and once more sang "Memory"  My favorite part was when she sang the portion of the song:

"Touch me"
"It's so easy to leave me"
"All alone with my memory"
"Of my days in the sun"
"If you touch me"
"You'll understand what happiness is"
"Look a new day has began"

        So much passion and emotion from the character who played "Grizabella"  I wondered how the original Broadway production must have sounded like, live.  Here's a YouTube clip I saw of Elaine Paige who played "Grizabella" singing the same song and she sounded phenomenal.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPcf67Vyri0

        In the end, "Grizabella" was accepted by the other cats again and she went up in the sky with "Old Deuteronomy" on some kind of flying saucer-like thing.  I knew it!  They're the Thundercats from Thundera!

        It was a very memorable first Broadway musical for me and Dinah.  We hope that more of these Broadway musicals will be featured here at Three Stages.  

        I'm wishing for "Phantom of the Opera", "Jekyll & Hyde", "Les Miserables" and "Miss Saigon".