How lucky am I? Soooooo lucky I got to spend this marvelous goddess’ birthday shenanigans with her.
We met up in the cozy, heat-lamped, BART-accessible backyard of tiny, gourmet, hole-in-the wall, classy dive, The Sycamore. I’d been to this place before, because it is a favorite of my beer-snob (he’s from Milwaukee) Cinematographer, Tom Krymkowski. They do, in fact, have a delectable beer, cider, ale, etc. selection as well as yummy and well-priced (for the high quality) bar food and snacks. Similar-quality bar food menus in the surrounding few blocks charge twice as much for the same portion sizes. Granted, I assume that they have to, because the commercial rent on their spaces (at least twice as big as low-ceiling-ed The Sycamore, in total square footage) is presumably twice as expensive. I liked the coziness and the clientele is still remarkably douche-bag-free. You are much more likely to actually strike up conversations with friendly strangers in this chill, low-key vibe, smaller space. Which we did.
Ms. Grace Bones is a locally-reknown burlesque performer and producer/director as well as a fashion, costume, and accessories designer. If you couldn’t tell by her absolutely fresh-to-def, slaying style. That hat though. @_o Dem hairs!!! Ugggh… The total package of deadly elegance and withering social critique essaying is almost too much fabulousness. Meeks makes me weak in the knees, fo sho.
I got to meet one of her friends that she had arrived at the bar with from Beach (Dolores) Park sunbathing. We had pan-fried artichokes and were grateful for California produce being utterly lush, organic, local, and breathtakingly delicious. So spoiled. Traveling around the USA makes us appreciate the bounty here all the more. The pork belly “donuts” were more like beignet dumplings, wrapped around thick slabs of shreddy pig meat. They needed a lot more Maker’s Mark-maple syrup glaze, and as Meeks suggested, a snowdrift of powdered sugar. It was an interesting concept that could have used thinner slabs of pork belly, more batter, and a lot more wet sweetness on the outside. Came out just too salty and meaty; boring in execution. Glad we tried them, though! They sounded darn good on paper. What is an adventure without trying new things together? Finished our ciders and apricot ale, opened gifts, and scrambled the mere two blocks in plenty of time for a moving picture show.
I got her fabric for her birthday. She has some sewing projects on deck.
The Roxie Theatre staff pick was a one-night, one-screening only affair of David Lynch’s surrealist masterpiece, “Wild At Heart,” which I had not seen since the 90’s. Willem Dafoe, rocking a John Waters moustache, careening through a ‘Wizard of Oz’ parable with Isabella Rossellini is a beautiful, perfect moment. I am so blessed to be able to make a few perfect moments with a darling friend and conspirator on her birthday! That’s what life’s all about, folks.
(Grace looks amazing, as always. I was sneezy, aching, and already running late, so I ran out the door, to not keep my Queen waiting any longer! You would, too.)
xo
~Ximena
