Author Archives: Kiki

Mosswood Meltdown: Brenda’s Oakland

Brenda, chef/proprietress of Brenda’s. Brenda’s Meat and Three and Brenda’s Oakland, comes from a long line of French and Filipino inhabitants of New Orleans, which explains the ube beignet. Besides ube, they also serve crawfish, Ghirardelli chocolate, and apple beignets. … Continue reading

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Mosswood Meltdown: Redd Kross and the B-52s

So they have these things called Space Bars. They are legal in SF, especially if you join a church. Well, someone I know joined the Church of Joe. But of course, I would never, because someday someone looking to hire … Continue reading

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Mosswood Meltdown: Pansy Division

The park for Mosswood was much bigger than I expected. There was a row of food booths, but we had been stuffing ourselves before hitting the event. there were shops, lots of records and band T-shirts. We met the guy … Continue reading

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Mosswood Meltdown: Exciting Breakfast and Lunch Saturday

There are so many amazing international restaurants in Oakland now. We got takeout for breakfast from the Koffee Pot. It was a little hole in the wall that could be easily overlooked. It is owned by a nice Vietnamese family … Continue reading

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Mosswood Meltdown San Francisco: Horn’s BBQ

If you ask around for the best BBQ in Oakland, the answer is inevitably Horn’s. Recipient of a well-deserved Michelin Bib Gourmand award, what started as a pop-up has found a new home. The interior is very simple but very … Continue reading

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Mosswood Meltdown Oakland, Here we Come

The Mosswood Meltdown was formerly called Burgerama, until Burger Records had a Me Too moment. Nonetheless, it’s back with the same diverse, punk rock, queer lineup and host John Waters. We usually couldn’t really afford it, but this year was … Continue reading

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New Orleans: Ghosts and Gators!!!

Saturday Lauren arranged a swamp tour. I love the swamps; it’s one of my happy places I go to in my mind when I’m experiencing pain or anxiety. We chose this tour because it was super Cajun and they give … Continue reading

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New Orleans: Bayona and Doreen Ketchens

Russell called us from Bayona on Friday and invited us to lunch. We rushed over and made ourselves comfortable in the elegant dining room. Chef Susan Spicer’s cooking is influenced by international flavors from Spain, Italy, France, the Mediterranean, and … Continue reading

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New Orleans Vow Renewal at Dat Dog

We were pleased to discover that not only had Dat Dog reserved a part of the balcony for us, but an entire upstairs room with a dedicated bartender and a server who would come up and take orders! I was … Continue reading

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New Orleans: Galatoires

Galatoire’s is one of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans. It’s very fancy, so it wasn’t the kind of place I would cry in. In spite of barely drinking for years, as soon as I sat down, I ordered a … Continue reading

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New Orleans: Greg (This is sad, but I can’t avoid it. You still can)

My eldest brother Greg and I always had a special relationship; maybe because He was the oldest and I was the youngest. He taught me a lot about the world, proper manners in different Asian restaurants, how to not “bruise” … Continue reading

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New Orleans: Deanies

Frank and Barbara Chifici founded Deanie’s Seafood Market and Restaurant, which is now run by their kids. The family included farmers, cooks, and purveyors. They have three different locations, but our hotel was right across the street from the French … Continue reading

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New Orleans Audubon Aquarium of the Americas

Wednesday morning we ordered room service, which was OK, but just OK in a food city like New Orleans. We met up with Anne, who has been my best friend since our teen years, and her husband Ed, who I’ve … Continue reading

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New Orleans 2024: Acme

Tuesday night Bob and I headed out to Iberville to hit Acme, and immediately everything reminds me of Pirates of the Caribbean. Acme and Felix’s face each other and are both Oyster joints with creole food. There is a Pat … Continue reading

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New Orleans Vow Renewal, Hyatt Centric

It has been 20 years since we got married in New Orleans. We are back for a vow renewal. Galatoires has purchased the balcony where we got married and wanted over 4k for an event. So, we are holding the … Continue reading

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