One Tough Lady

April 25, 2010

It's been hectic recently, with work and what-not. As you may recall, I headed to Vancouver in mid-February in a last-minute trip to see my ailing auntie who has been battling liver cancer for over 12 years. On April 11, my aunt Irene (who I call my "Gooma") passed away after a very long and strong fight. She was an amazing woman, a feisty and loving person.

Will and I flew to Vancouver for her funeral on the weekend of April 24th. It was a very touching service and the dreary, rainy weather matched our emotions.

Although we were brought together in sad circumstances, it was nice to see my family. Angie and Olivia flew from Albany, NY while other family and friends also made the trip. Will and I also managed to catch up with a few friends and family during the weekend, and see below for a couple pics.

Quince

April 22, 2010

On Wednesday, I went for dinner with a bunch of folks from Genentech that I used to work with on various teams. This crew has stuck pretty close throughout the years and try to get together every now and then to catch up. This time, we had gotten together to wish our friend, Julie, well in her new adventures at a new company.

We headed to Quince, which I was very excited about. Quince had moved to the old Myth space last year and the food was still getting rave reviews.

Our table decided to go with the tasting menus instead of ordering a la carte. There were two choices (I chose Menu 2), but I have pics below from both tasting menus.

An amuse bouche of Maine lobster and a horseradish foam with shaved fennel to start. Great start.
From Tasting menu 2: Farm egg with baccala crust, asparagus, and salsa di bottarga.
From Tasting Menu 1: Sitka king salmon with raw asparagus and fava bean salad.
From Menu 2: Trofie "Fatto a Mano" featuring clam, mussel, and striped bass.
From menu 1: ravioli giganti, with ricotta cheese, english pea, nettle, beet and artichoke.
From menu 2: Tortellini "alla modenese" with extra vecchio balsamico (fantastic dish).
From menu 1: Pici Toscani with smoked squab and black trumpet mushroom.
From menu 2: Suckling Pig with fiddlehead fern, spring onion and Jerusalem artichoke.
From Menu 1: Watson Farm milk fed spring lamb with artichoes "alla romana".
From menu 2: Tomatero Farm Strawberries with almond and tapioca.
From menu 1: Chocolate pave with lemon gelato and sable.
Little "mignardises" for after dinner sweet tooths.
Quince was fantastic and I can see why it continues to rank amongst the city's best restaurants and the new space in the Financial District is beautiful.

It was also wonderful to catch up with these fine folks. Good luck to Julie in her new career opportunity!

Kate & Ray Get Hitched...Flapper Style!

April 10, 2010

On Friday early evening, Will and I put on some fantastic 20's-inspired garb and headed to the Verdi Club for Ray and Kate's wedding. It was a fantastic night, and I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Congratulations to Ray & Kate!