Musings by the Hairslave

The idea is practically dripping with irony, at least I think it’s irony.  I did one of those things I tell myself (and others, annoyingly I’m sure) never to do.  Never say never.  I did actually say on many occasions, “I will never do it again, damn!  Never say never.”  And here I am working on plans to open a salon.

That’s not the ironic part however.  I’m working to open my “dream salon”, more later, at the exact location, albeit on the floor above, the very first salon I ever worked in.  That’s right, my dream salon Cobalt Salon & Gallery is (with a lot of hope at the moment) being planned directly above the original J. Cunningham and Co., at Mansion Square.  For many of you this will bring back fond memories.  For me it’s a strange metaphor for my life.  After the last few years, and the unfortunate events after the sale of my first salon All That Jazz, I have had some incredible lows, and recently some nice highs.  I’m close to forgiving people I need to stop festering about, and realize a secret dream (by this I mean a secret my subconcious kept secret from me…we work very hard to create our own reality).  Opening my first concept salon.

I think I’ve reached a new level in my life.  And I want my salon to be one in which I can mentor, hold classes and seminars, and inspire my friends, co-workers, and clients, to value beauty and education in their lives.  That’s where the dream salon comes in.  As much an art gallery, showcasing work by my friends, clients, and new artists from the local community, as a salon, and class room.  Designed to be relaxing for both clients, and stylists.  Spacious, serene, and with an open plan for continuing education classes for stylists and clients. And of course a beautiful oasis.  With some personal style touches such as silver and black, two colors I can’t live without, and soothing accents of blue, a color I seem to have adopted.

The salon idea is actually being forced on me by circumstances.  Our lease is not being renewed, and we have to be out in 60 days.  I’m going to make it.  I keep being told that there’s not enough time.  But I’m not going to live with those rules.  We create our own reality, so my reality includes achieving a dream.  Is it ironic that I didn’t know I had a dream?

Ok, actually, the best vacation ever is two weeks in a condo on the island of Kauai.  But this trip is definitely tied with my “happy place” trips to Hawaii.  The advantage to this one is the fun car we could drive to our destination in.  We took the back roads to Glen Ellen for three-yes I will say it-Fabulous days!

We stopped in Glen Ellen in April.  We hadn’t been in a few years, and it had matured a bit.  With several nice restaurants, art galleries, a hotel and hamburger joint, several nice bars, and some lovely scenery.  As well as two stores: a convenience store (which we used twice…tums and toothpaste, we’re old, at least it’s not dentucream or geritol yet…), and a gourmet grocery store that Pete compared to a cross between Trader Joe’s and The Sacramento Foods Co-Op.  We instantly decided to come back for a longer visit.  And that’s what we did!  Friday after Thanksgiving, until Sunday evening…

We’ve been to Napa, Callistoga, and Yountville plenty of times before. I mean really, who hasn’t by our age.  This trip was different.  Much of that was due to the charming, and comfortable cottages, attached to our favorite restaurant and bar!  We’ve been to Calistoga at least 5 times.  As a matter of fact, we had our honeymoon there 16 years ago, before we could even legally marry.  We definitely relax better there than anywhere.  We’re noodles by the end of the week thanks to mud baths, and hot tubs.  But it’s not very “fun”.  Romantic, yes.  Relaxing, yes.  Fun, in a relaxed, romantic kind of way, yes, But just fun, no.

This trip was fun.  We had two nights in the cute little town, and we got to stay in the “Secret Cottages” in back of the martini bar! O. M. G.  I mean come on, how often do you get to try to drink the menu (36, we managed about a half, we think, and that included the first time we were there in April, so really we only managed about a third, but, you know, we didn’t really keep count, ahem….), anyhow.

That’s still a lot of drinks, and we got to walk back to our fabulous cabin.  By cabin of course I mean luxury suite.  It had everything you could want.  A gas fireplace, large TV, whirlpool tub, steam shower, and perhaps most shocking of all, a very well stocked, and affordable honor bar!

Oh! and I shouldn’t forget the restaurant. Just as enticing as last time.  The first night I had the Filet Tips and Shrimp Pasta, I’m running out of complimentary adjectives, so I have to say fabulous once again.  I’ve never, ever, seen filets served in any other way than a filet.  This was fun for being so new, and because it was genuinely tasty.  A fairly rich dish of filet pieces, good size shrimp, and pasta.  Simple, but delicious.  Pete had the Sonoma Salad and the Artichoke and Gorgonzola Ravioli, both of which he finished quite quickly!

As much as we loved the food, and drinks, we also love the little village of Glen Ellen; at least we think of it as a village.  It could be a town or city for all we know, but village sounds more exotic.  The following morning, however, we decided to take a long drive, and save the tour of the village for the next day.  We hadn’t really had a chance to do a good shake down cruise with the new mid-life car; so we wasted the gas and raped the environment a little bit to drive from Glen Ellen, through Occidental; where we bought my wonderful mother, Betty, a thankyou gift for babysitting Tweedle Dee, and Tweedle Dum, and a fresh made Christmas wreath for our front step.   From Occidental we traveled to Jenner, where we had a wonderful meal, with a million dollar view, and fairly yucky service, at an establishment named (very fittingly), Rivers End.  But I still recommend this enjoyable stop.  Food was reasonably priced for the ambiance, and respectably good.  I had a cup of mushroom soup, and the beet salad.  Both very good, view amazing.  Pete had the fish and chips, for which he substituted onion rings.  An endearing habit of which I will blog fully about, at a later date.  He seemed to enjoy the dish, and didn’t seem to mind making his own cocktail sauce.  At the table…a subject upon which Miss. Manners could talk at length, I’m sure.  Again, view, amazing.  I think it’s a must if you are ever in Jenner for lunch.  Not sure I would have enjoyed it quite as much after dark, view, none.

After lunch we headed down the coast to Bodega Bay.  Neither of us felt like stopping.  We were really enjoying the spectacular weather (65 degrees was the coldest of the three days, and this day it was nearly 70), the beautiful scenery, and I must say I was really enjoying the car. We took a lot of rarely driven back roads from valley to valley, and though I had a blast driving the winding roads, Pete wasn’t enjoying it quite so much in the passenger seat!

From Bodega we headed home to “The Valley of the Moon” as all the signs proclaimed  That’s  the Sonoma Valley, in case you didn’t know.  I didn’t.  Back to Glen Ellen for our second meal at the Oyster Grill and Martini Bar, as the establishment is actually named.

Our meal was slightly different this evening, though still charming.  We didn’t really care for our server at first.  He was nice enough, but seemed “unsettled”.  After a bit we seemed to warm to him.  The martinis were constant.  We started with the cute little mini-tinis.  Half the size and price (yes we cheated, some of the drinks we tried were half size…but we’re only human!).  After two of these we went full size for the last drink of the evening.  While he was mixing the drinks (I think all the wait staff work as bartenders), he would taste one, sanitarily, and we actually saw him throw one away.  You will not find better martini’s in my opinion.

The potential downer at the table next to us, a woman so drunk she was actually slurring.  I have honest to goodness never truly heard someone so drunk they slur, but the most charming part was the f word to punctuate every point.  Pete and I turned it to fun by playing a drinking game.  Every time she said fuck, we would clink our glasses loudly, and take a drink.  We were laughing through most of the dinner.  A dinner (our third here keep in mind), that was slightly off, but not too badly.  Pete had the salmon.  It seemed a little odd to me.  It included a ton of perfectly cooked veggies, many of which I don’t care for.  And seemed to have a green salsa on it.  Pete said it was good, and daring I might add, but didn’t think I would like it all that much.  I had the cream of butternut squash soup, and a green salad.  The soup was rich and hearty, with a touch of sweetness you expect in a squash soup.  The salad was fine, with artichoke hearts, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and a vinagrette dressing that was a little too much on the tart side.  Well, we don’t all have the same taste, so there’s nothing wrong with that.  By the way, one of the drunk woman’s friends apologized as she left.  It’s the little things you remember.

The next day we had breakfast at The Fig Cafe and Wine Bar, the equally enticing eatery is right next door to the Oyster Grill and Martini Bar!!! Once again O. M. G!  We literally walked out the gate of the cottages, up to the street, and turned left instead of right! The service was the best ever.  An absolutely charming woman, who actually knew how to be nice, charming, and helpful.  The food, we both had the spiced french toast, yum, was different, and delicious.  The atmosphere bright, clean, and whimsical, with figs everywhere, but discreet enough not to be cloying.

We walked around the little village we were surrounded by for a while.  Then packed up, and left for the Napa Valley at noon.  We took the Oakville Grade to the next valley inland.  The Napa Valley, which no one seems to agree on the meaning of, and drove to St. Helena, where we stopped at Tra Vigne, for take out.  Pete (and I, of course) had a hanker-in for their stunning Mozzarella Cheese “Al Minuto”.  This once-in-a-lifetime dish includes hand made “of the moment” mozzarella, and is served with grilled bruschetta and sicilian olive oil.  We stopped a little way up the pass towards the small town of Angwin for a quick lunch of cheese and toast, Napa style.  It would hold us until dinner.

From here we took our traditional route back through the Pope Valley, named for William Pope, not the Pope.  Then by Lake Berryessa, through Winters and Davis, and on in to our beloved city of Sacramento.

This was one of those very rare vacations that ended as well as it began.  Upon arriving home Pete used the remains of the Thanksgiving dinner (which had been carefully simmered, and frozen) to concoct the fabulous family tradition of Turkey and Dumplings.  This is the ultimate comfort food.  I can still remember how thrilled my step-brothers and I were, when Brenda (my beloved step-mother) made chicken and dumplings.  It was the best day ever, no matter how crappy it had seemed (that was two step-brothers, incidentally).  Pete and I shared this wonderful bounty with our great friends Richard and Lena Andaya.  They make any day better, and it couldn’t have ended our vacation on a more perfect note.

One final musing:  Though I’ve chronicled my favorite parts of this trip, there were other towns, views, shops, and nursery stops that I didn’t write about today.  I may update with more details later!

This is an article I wrote for Davis Life Magazine that was published in June of 2008. This is from my original writings, and probably hasn’t been fully edited.  We’ll see.  I always have a great time collaborating on projects with co-workers, or friends. This proved no exception. Tenaya and I rock this makeover challenge. We had a great time doing it as well!

photography by: Megan Klugh story by: David Martin

Tenaya and I met our models Morgan, Kelly, Shanna, and Angelica bright and early the day after Picnic Day. It was a Sunday morning, and anybody who knows me, knows I’m most certainly not a morning person. But I was determined that we would all have fun. Lucky for us Tenaya is a morning person. On this particular morning she, our 4 young clients (all UC Davis students) and I, would be shooting a before and after photo shoot for the issue of Davis Life Magazine you are now reading. Our models were recruited by our editor Cary from students she talked with on campus. They are all charming and quite attractive; so we knew our work would be easy, and we would all have a rewarding day. I met with our models at the beginning of the week to discuss their looks, so we were ready to go on Sunday.

My name is David Martin, and I have been a stylist in Davis for over 20 years. I started at J. Cunningham and Co. when it was downtown at Mansion Square, worked at All That Jazz hair salon for 15 years (owning it the last 5), and am currently back downtown at the Hair Saloon (hopefully new name at time of print).

My good friend, and coworker of 7 years, Tenaya Freitas has been a stylist for 14 years. She trained in the bay area before working in Chico and Sacramento. She has worked as a stylist and colorist in Davis for over 8 1′2 years 7 years at All That Jazz, and the last 1 and 1 1/2 years a David’s Haircutting in the Orange Court Center.

We both work extensively with color and color correction, so our focus today was to give our models a brand new summer style, complete with the perfect color, and styling recommendations.

Angelica is a 3rd year human development major at UC Davis, She is from Oakland, CA., and she works part time at the Department of Public Health. Angelica wanted her hair to look healthy and shiny for summer.

Angelica has thick, coarse, curly brown hair. She also has bleached tips growing out. After a consultation we decided not to simply cut off the bleach, but to trim her beautiful curly hair and color it a rich, burgundy/purple brown. This demi-permenent color will not only add gorgeous shine and even out her color, but also help decrease frizz and enhance her natural curl, all while covering the bleached tips.

Her cut was designed to trim off damaged ends, while maintaining length. Layers are added in back and around her face to lighten the curls.

We followed up her cut and color with the appropriate products. In Angelicas case, for curl, I recommend an anti-frizz lotion combed through the ends, followed by a curl crème. Scrunching with a good diffuser helps enhance her lovely curls.

Morgan is a 1st year Ag Management and Rangeland resources major from Santa Barbara. She is not currently working, but is a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. She had had a significant cut recently, but was still looking for a summer change.

Morgan had her hair cut quite a bit shorter a few months ago. And though she liked the change, she and I didn’t feel it was quite the right length to enhance her charming features. We decided to take it up to shoulder length, give her a striking new full bang for drama, and add a few foils around her face to give her a sparkle.

For Morgan I recommended an anti-frizz lotion (Davis Water can have a harsh effect on hair, even if you have a water softener). Followed by a blow-dry, polishing iron and a finishing crème for an especially glossy finish. I think the results speak for themselves.

Shanna is a 2nd year international relations major from Carmichael. She is not working at the moment, but she keeps busy with the UC Davis Spirit Squad and the Pi Beta Phi sorority.

Shanna is a natural redhead. After a few recent color experiments her hair is now a warm blonde.

Tenaya decided to add highlights to give it some brightness for the summer. She then worked to lighten her thick hair in front with lots of face-framing layers. She cleaned up her side-swept bangs and added layers throughout with point cutting on the ends for extra texture.

Tenaya recommended a root-lift foam applied directly at the roots for volume, and combed through for curl support.

To style, she curled it with a big barrel curling iron to give the texture that’s all-important this season. Tenaya advised her that it’s important when styling hair to alternate the direction in which you curl each time you grab a section of hair, and curl it with a big barrel curling iron. It looks more natural, with variation and volume.

Tenaya finished the look with a shine crème. These types of products are greaseless, and add a beautiful glow. Movie star chic!

Kelly is a 1st year UC Davis undeclared who thinks she might head toward psychology. Kelly is from (not emeryville) and works at the arc part-time, and is also a Pi Beta Phi. Kelly was up for a bit more of a change than the other three.

Kelly is one of the few clients I’ve had over the years who recognizes what wonderful hair she has. Kelly has a rich warm brown color, which had been lightened a few months back, and beautiful waves which she can straighten easily. We decided to add a warmer caramel brown around the front, and a burgundy brown at the crown. This block color technique is great for a dramatic, and yet professional color change. We brought her hair up above her shoulders, and added razored layers for volume.

For Kelly’s hair I added a body building blow-dry lotion and a root-lifting foam (scalp to ends). A nice blow-dry with a round brush and some spray to hold the waves, and off she goes.

It turns out we did have a fun day. Morning or not-I love my job. Tenaya and I feel that being professional hair designers allows us to touch many people’s lives in a very positive way every single day. If you think you’re ready for someone to help you design your new summer look, contact us, or your favorite stylist right now. What better way to meet the new season!

David Martin works at the Salon at Maple Court at 735 H Street, Suite B To schedule an appointment with him directly call 916-806-3141 or e-mail him at contact@davidmartinsstyle.com.

Tenaya Freitas also works at the Salon at Maple Court at 735 H Street, Suite B, and can be reached at 530-400-7163.

Now is the perfect time to consult a stylist about your perfect summer style!

One more in the continuing reprint from Davis Life Magazine.  This is from the July, 2009 issue…

Mikuni

What a wonderful group I had the pleasure of spending my Thursday evening with!  My friends from Davis Life Magazine, and our special guests, started our Mikuni review evening at Sophia’s for drinks.  This is one of the best places in all of Davis to begin a pleasant night out.  The lounge area is quiet (before it gets really busy in the evenings), and quaintly tropical. It possesses a soft ambiance reminiscent of a tropical hideaway that’s perfect for a small group.  Comfortable cushioned rattan furniture, a beautiful fish tank for soft light, and a very sweet waitress set the stage.

My husband Pete Nowlen, our editor Cary Arnold and her husband Jon Sanchez, along with our photographer Ara Arbabzadeh, met our guest reviewers for the evening, Bill and Katherine Alger at Sophia’s. Bill is Chief Operating Officer for Woodland Healthcare, and Katherine works for Sutter Health as the Pharmacy Informatics Specialist for Sacramento Sierra Region.  We all got to know each other over cocktails.  Several of us had Sophia’s Mojitos, while others ordered a cabernet, a Tequini, and a Grey Goose Cosmo thrown in for variety. We chatted about the events of the day for a few minutes, and since we were very much looking forward to our coming sushi dinner, we decided pretty quickly to walk to Mikuni.

For those of you who don’t know, Mikuni recently took over the spot at Campus Commons that Fuzio’s vacated.  Luckily (since I happen to like the place), Fuzio’s has simply moved to another location downtown.

The first thing I noticed was the noise level.  It was somewhat busy, and loud, which is great for a newly opened restaurant. Considering their reputation in Sacramento it’s not surprising.  Not so great for my poor hearing (hairstylist for 22 years, think many blow-dries), and there are TV screens everywhere, which I hate. I’m like a magpie, distracted by shiny things. But the cheery greeting you get is welcoming enough to make up for that.  We were given a high, comfortable table near the front of the restaurant, and we put in our orders after a few minutes of discussion.  Cary had some suggestions for the table, Pete and I had some very definite ideas about what we should try, as did Bill and Katherine.

First things first: we needed to try some of their signature drinks and order some of the small plates.  I had the Mikuni Cosmo, with Absolut vodka, plum wine, and cranberry juice. For me it was a little sweet, but very easy to drink.  Pete had the Pamatini: Grey Goose Vodka, pomegranate liqueur, Triple Sec, cranberry juice and a splash of Sprite; “about the same”, Pete said. Cary had the Japatini, excellent, and made with Stoli Cranberry Vodka, Triple Sec, orange juice, limejuice, and Sprite (I ordered two of these a few days later in Sacramento I enjoyed it so much), and Jon had the Key Lime Moto, which is made with Absolut Vanilla Vodka, Malibu Coconut Rum, Midori Melon Liqueur, pineapple juice, Sweet & Sour, and lime juice. It was really, really sweet, so be warned! Ara had the Wasabi Bloody Mary, made with Grey Goose Citron Vodka, Secret Bloody Mary Mix, lime juice, and wasabi stuffed olives.  Bill had a glass of Ravenswood red, and his lovely wife Katherine was talked into trying the Sake sampler by Pete and ME.

The sampler was a great idea for the table, even though Katherine didn’t care for two of the sakes (she thought they were too sweet). Since I (and Cary) don’t particularly care for sake, I got to try them in a different way. The sake sampler has four different types.  They included apple, blueberry, and two “normal” premium sakes.  Cary and I liked the two fruit infused varieties, and Pete liked the other two.  They were perfectly served in a small collection of shot glasses.  The apple infused sake tasted like a jolly rancher to me (just a little to apple-y), but I liked the blueberry quite a bit; Cary liked the apple. Katherine decided to order hot sake instead (which she originally wanted) and which she liked well enough to order again later in the evening, though she says she wishes she had tried the Sake Bomb!

Our Freaky Edamame arrived with the drinks, which for some reason seemed to take forever. The edamame is really something!  Served warm, which I think is a vast improvement over the usual cold edamame, and perfectly seasoned.  I really liked it.  It has just a tiny bite to it, lightly salted and spicy.  I could eat it all night with some drinks, but luckily our orders started arriving quickly enough. At $5.00, The Freaky Edamame is only a dollar more than the regular edamame, and well worth it.

Our next small plate was the high point of the evening.  The Black and White: perfect Albacore Tuna Toro, lightly seared and served with caviar and ponzu dressing.  O. M. G.  It’s one of the three best dishes I’ve ever tasted.  The tuna melted in my mouth.  This dish is perfectly tender, very lightly seared, with a wonderful light salty seasoning.  I could do without the jalapeños, but Ara loved them.  It’s not cheap at $13.00, but I know I’ll have it any time I’m back. (I actually did two days later.)

Our next dish was one of their party platters.  We ordered Platter F.  It included 3 sushi rolls, two types of Ngiri Sushi, or tuna on rice, and a selection of the freshest sashimi I’ve ever had. The rolls included the Fair Oaks Roll: panko shrimp, avocado, masago, sauce and onion, (very good), the Spider Roll: deep fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, kaiware, sauce, masago, and onion (the crab unfortunately a little overcooked), and the Bob’s Roll: panko shrimp, cream cheese, crab mix, avocado, salmon, masago, onion and a special sauce.  One little complaint, everyone at the table agreed, cream cheese does not belong in sushi (other friends of mine said the same thing two nights later just before I did!).  The dish was, overall, worth the money at $65.00.  A better way to go may be to order the Chirashi (a large portion of sashimi over rice), and your choice of rolls, but if you aren’t sure what kind of rolls to order, the platters are great.  Mikuni has the best Sashimi I’ve ever had.  Bill thought it was “to die for”, Katherine said “fabuloso”, and I can’t disagree with either of them.

Over the next half hour or so we ordered various sushi rolls.  This included the Train Wreck Roll: panko shrimp, spicy avocado blend, and crab mix topped with chopped eel, seared tuna, roasted sesame seeds, onion, and special sauce, the Peter 2 Roll: panko shrimp, crab salad, spicy tuna, avocado, eel, seared tuna, 2 spicy dream sauces, masago and onion, and the Pimp My Roll: spicy tuna, panko shrimp, avocado, fresh salmon, and special sauces lightly torched and topped with masago, onion, and macadamia nuts.

We had quite the discussion about the merits of the sushi rolls.  Everyone agreed that all of the rolls were very good, and everyone had a favorite.  Mikuni is known for elevating the sushi roll to another level, and I think they deserve the reputation.  But in the end we all agreed that after a while they start tasting a bit the same.  They’re all very complex, with wonderful sauces, and textures, but we all enjoyed the simple sashimi better, nobody does sashimi better than Mikuni.  Bill had a wonderful quote, “The rolls were like double cheesburgers loaded with everything, whereas the sashimi was like filet migñon..”  All of the rolls we tried were around $14.00 apiece.

We followed the sushi rolls with the BBQ Albacore, the Albacore Pepperfin, and what was supposed to be Unagidon (grilled eel over rice), which Pete insisted had to be tried, but accidentally arrived as Don Don (hamachi toro with onions and wasabi sprouts over rice).  We were very confused when we first tried it, so our opinions were a little off.  We were surprised at how different the texture and presentation was from the usual unagidon, but after realizing the mistake we decided we didn’t really care for the Don Don anyway.  The texture and taste were not that pleasant.  The fish is fresh enough, but the texture overwhelms it for me.  Pete said the Unagidon was fine, not spectacular, but fine. The Don Don was $15.00, and the Unagidon $17.00

The BBQ Albacore was my second favorite dish of the night.  The pieces of tuna are lightly seasoned with Mikuni BBQ sauce, seared perfectly, and just the right size so as not to overwhelm like seared tuna can in some entrées.  Make sure to order both red and white sauce with this dish.  Cary made us try the tuna with both sauces at once, and she was right, together the sauces have the perfect balance of savory and spicy. The Davis location only has the smaller size, at $7.00, so we ordered two.

I can’t say I was as excited about the Albacore Pepperfin.  I have to confess right off that I can’t abide sesame oil, and I don’t care for jalapeños (forgive me), so my opinion on this dish is compromised.  But everyone else thought it was very good. Bill said it was one of his favorites (along with the Sashimi, the Pimp My Roll, and the Black and White) The Pepperfin consists of thin slices of albacore tuna in citrus seasoned soy dressing, topped with jalapeños. $11.25

We asked our server if he thought there was anything else we should try before dessert.  He recommended the Flaming Shrooms.  Me, not so much.  Flaming Shrooms are lightly fried overstuffed mushrooms with crab, cream cheese, and jalapeños, lightly drizzled with special sauce and finished with shaved bonito flakes and onions.  OK, we’re back to the cream cheese thing again (I didn’t read a description, so sue me), and jalapeños (again).  But overall they were just not good, and very hard to eat.  My recommendation is just don’t go there.

Cary wanted to have the Mochi ice cream dessert, but they didn’t have it.  We were told they did have it earlier in the week, but it was much more popular than expected so they sold out.  Good for them, not for us.  So we settled for the cheesecake dessert.  It was described like cheesecake spring rolls.  But we thought of them more like a cannoli.  A very mild cheesecake slice was wrapped in a pastry and lightly fried.  It was rather nice.  The sauces were pleasant, and the pastry not overdone.  Not bad for a simple dessert.  Katherine was disappointed that there was no green tea ice cream, but that may have been temporary also.

Overall Pete and I liked this place well enough to go to the Sacramento location the following Sunday.  Other than our small companion Sarah, who had a wonderful children’s udon, we had a very similar meal.  We had to show off to our friends Lena and Richard, and so we haven’t tried any of the more traditional Japanese dishes.  We’d normally have Miso soup, and possibly something a little different, such as their Musolini pasta: udon noodles sautéed with tiger prawns, Alaskan snow crab, asparagus and mushrooms, tossed in olive oil and garlic.  Another O. M. G.?  Maybe, but one thing I know about Mikuni, the menu is big enough, and pleasing enough, to warrant many return trips.

A nice tip from our diners, if you are on the fence about trying sushi, get a group of friends together for a sushi night.  It’s easier to get started when you are with people who enjoy sushi.  I promise you there’s something for everyone, not all sushi contains raw fish.  Tempura (battered and lightly deep fried shrimp or crab) is a very common ingredient in sushi rolls.  But the selection of sushi and sashimi is so varied that you might want some help.  Have someone along who knows what to order, or ask the servers, and I can practically guarantee you a pleasant surprise.

Well, it’s been a little over 5 weeks, and the house is still on the market.

I was getting discouraged for a while, but we actually have a couple who may make an offer.  We think it’s going to be way too low, but at least we know what type of buyer we appeal to now!

Honestly, I’m loving the house being ready to show at a moments notice.  I’m such a neat freak I’m enjoying my house more while we are selling it than the last 16 years we’ve been here!  Don’t get me wrong, I love the house, and the memories.  Great Christmases,

the garden in spring,

weddings,

and many happy times

but the truth of the matter is…

I don’t have to nag!  It’s awesome!  I know I’m using a lot of exclamation points, but I really mean it!  For the first time in the the 26 years I’ve lived with someone (other than my parents, talk about neat freaks), I have a constantly clean house!

You have to understand, my ex-wife, whom I love like a sister, is a slob.  There is no other way to put it.  A slob.  Great cook, wonderful mother, lover of all things nature, but a slob.  We got along great for 10 years.  The only thing we ever fought about was slobby-ness.  Pete is not a slob, but he’s only human (which he probably wouldn’t say about me).  He has a couple of gifts though.  The first one is his absolute absence of ego.  He will make a complete fool of himself quite comfortably.  It’s truly awe inspiring.  It is his greatest gift, because it makes him the most gifted of teachers, and, I believe, the gifted conductor he is.  His other gift is the rather useless gift of disappearing objects.  I don’t say losing things, because his gift goes way beyond that.  He can actually cause an object to transport to a completely different part of the house.  I’ve seen it.  One of his lesser gifts, however, is the ability to explode upon entrance of the house.  The house can be immaculate, and within exactly two seconds the front room is a disaster.  It follows him through the house.  Luckily I love him, and he will clean when I ask, and spontaneously, and well!

Now, however, it is wonderfully tidy, and even chic!  I was worried at first that the house wasn’t selling, and maybe we needed to change it to get people interested.  Not so much any longer.  I love my house!  I love hanging out in the rooms out of a magazine.

I know eventually reality will win out.  The house will sell, and we will move, and then we won’t have a house on the market, nor out of a magazine.  I’ll still love my home though.  In the end it really matters more who’s in it, not what’s in it…

This is the second in a series of reprints of my food articles. All are reprinted from my original writings with permission from Davis Life Magazine.  I think this may be an early draft, I haven’t had a chance to check it yet, sooo there’s that…

Taqueria Guadalajara

Well, we’ve all heard of the best-laid plans, I’m sure.  Tonight was one of those nights.  Cary Arnold, her husband John Sanchez, photographer Ara Arbabzadeh, Davis Life writer Kaylin Adamski, and I, were planning a nice night of dining on the patio of Taqueria Guadalajara. Instead, due to an unexpected, and quite fierce, spring storm, we dined inside.  But luckily Taqueria Guadalajara’s food makes it just as pleasant to dine in out, or even at home with take-out!

I’ve had the pleasure of working next to Taqueria Guadalajara since the day they opened.  And though I now work near downtown Davis, I still love the trek to south Davis for this excellent (and well run) taqueria.

Back when Taqueria Guadalajara opened, I owned the salon right next door.  We often joked about putting in our own take-out window (as well as asking them to get a liquor license).  At least we half joked!  Between the unique style of guacamole, the fabulous Crispy Tacos, and the free pico de gallo and chips, I, and my staff and clients ate there many days.

When we arrived, we were pleased that it wasn’t too crowded yet.  On a Friday night there can often be quite a line.  But I think the weather was keeping the crowds away, lucky us!

We started with an order of Crispy Carnitas Tacos, Shrimp Ceviche Tostada, an order of Veggie Nachos, and Guacamole.  First let me say that though I very much like the guacamole at Taqueria Guadalajara, be warned it’s not the usual sort.  The guac here is really more of a pico de gallo with a very generous amount of avocado included.  It’s delicious, but not what you might expect.  As with the other pico de gallo, it’s on the spicy side.  Not too spicy, but just enough heat to get you in the mood for a cold beer, soda, or in my case well chilled iced tea!

The pico de gallo at Taqueria Guadalajara is made fresh, with nice chunks of tomato, onion, and spicy peppers.  Why is it called pico de gallo (beak of the rooster)?  I have no idea, neither does anyone I know, but it’s yummy and free.  The nachos are pretty standard fare, but the Taqueria Guadalajara pico de gallo, and guacamole make it a little different, with generous amounts of refried beans, sour cream, and cheese.  Both the nachos and guac make very nice appetizers for the table.

The Ceviche Tostada was very good, very light, and with an extremely generous amount of shrimp.  I recommend eating it quickly; it’s very “moist”.  Overall it’s a pretty simple and tasty dish.  Tortilla and ceviche, not piled high with wasted lettuce.  But, by far, our favorite among these dishes was the Carnitas Crispy Tacos.  Wow, with a bit of lime the carnitas (deep fried pork roast) are awesome.  The crispy tacos are fried to perfection (no low fat diets here, I’m afraid), and the carnitas are among the best I’ve had, and carnitas are my standard fare at Mexican restaurants.

After a short break came the next round: Chile Verde, Camaron al Mojo de Ajo (shrimp in garlic sauce), Chile Relleno, and a special of the day, Garlic and Shrimp Fried Rice. The Chile Verde was wonderfully flavorful, and nicely tender.  The verde sauce was lightly spicy and a little sour, just like it should be. It was accompanied by rice, beans, pico, and tortillas, and made an excellent self-made burrito. The dinners include your choice of corn or flour tortillas, beans (either whole or refried), and rice.  Just in case you care, the beans are vegetarian.  We ordered both corn and flour tortillas, and though I’m not sure if they’re home made or not, they were fresh and hot.

The Camaron al Mojo de Ajo is a favorite of my friend Tenaya Freitas, and she insisted we try it.  I love anything with garlic, so this was a sure bet for me.  The garlic is actually somewhat sweet, and the prawns were a very good size.  Be sure to share it with someone you love.  I thought the Chile Relleno was a little bit of a disappointment.  It arrived a little cold, but that may be because everything had to be photographed before it got to us!  Anyway, my companions all liked it.  It had a very light batter, fresh chilies, and plenty of cheese.  So maybe I was the problem and not the dish .

The special Shrimp and Garlic Fried Rice was not something I’ve seen in a Mexican restaurant before.  It’s more what you’d expect from a Chinese restaurant, with plenty of rice, shrimp, garlic, and various veggies and spices.  I’m not sure it’s something I’d order again, but if you like shrimp and garlic, it’s another good way to go.

Taqueria Guadalajara is run café style, so you can help yourself to all the fountain drinks you want with your meal; and they of course have a good selection of salsa and chips (all you can help yourself to).  They have an assortment of red and green salsas, as well as jalapenos, pickled carrots, and limes.  Several of the salsas were very good, and several were so-so.  The restaurant itself is very small, so the patio really is a very welcome addition. Complete with a fountain, beautiful custom made metal tables and chairs, and lovely shade trees, it’s a very relaxing place to hang out.

I remember when the patio was built.  We were very pleased with the addition of the custom tiles and railing.  If you’re looking for a place to walk the dog (and kids if you like) and hang for a few hours, you couldn’t do much better!  Located in the El Macero shopping center, the patio is available even if you don’t order food at Taqueria Guadalajara.  Good food, good drink, and very pleasant outdoor dining.  What more could you want on a warm summer evening?

I feel bad, but that’s how we usually refer to Homer our (somewhat…odd) other dog. Buddha is the “special” one. We know he’s spoiled, but he just seems to be able to out stubborn us. Not when it counts though, he’s only a little spoiled.

But this is supposed to be about Homer! I was looking through my picture files tonight, and came upon some espiacially cute photos. So, in the hopes that I don’t overwhelm you with cuteness…

Though it’s too true that Homer and I often don’t see eye to eye on certain aspects of the dog’s place in life. He does have a certain charm, and though it is in actual fact the charm of Eor, it’s still charm, and he certainly does clean up well!

Homer does have quite the talent for brightening holiday pictures,

and he manages to compete (and usually win) with certain others in the “lets see who can sleep taking up the most room” contest that seems to happen as a nightly ritual!

But I don’t think he can manage to steal our hearts away from the favorite (we’re so bad).

This is the first in a series of reprints of my food articles. All are reprinted from my original writings with permission from Davis Life Magazine…

I love Indian food. When my son was growing up, the food we could always count on him eating was Indian food. Especially at 8, and if you have children, you know what that can be like. Even on a trip to Italy we managed to find fabulous Indian food. So hubby Pete Nowlen and I were very excited to try out Kathmandu Kitchen with Cary Arnold (our lovely editor), John Sanchez (her handsome husband), and Ara Arbabzadeh our photographer, for this month’s edition of Davis Life Magazine. Kathmandu Kitchen is actually Nepalese, which I’m sure is important, but truthfully I can barely tell the difference, I love both.

The most amazing thing about the evening to me was the fact that Cary and John had never tried Indian or Nepalese! Pete and I (and Ara) got the honor of teaching them the ways of the vindaloo.

We met for drinks beforehand to get everyone in a good mood (liquor is the social lubricant after all). By the time we hit Kathmandu Kitchen we were starving! When we arrived at a little after 7, on a Thursday, the place was packed. I noticed it was mostly college students, but that’s not a bad thing. A busy restaurant is usually a sign of good food! The decor is a little odd. It used to be a pizza parlor, and that’s kind of hard to hide. But the colors are bright, and it reminded me of most Indian restaurants I’ve been too.

We dove right in with two appetizer platters, the Himalayan platter, which includes vegetable pakora, samosa, momos, naan and achar ($6.50), and the Kathmandu special jumbo platter, with 4 chicken pakora, 4 meat momos, 4 shrimp pakora, and 4 chicken tikka with naan and achar ($9.95). What a great deal! Two platters were plenty for the 5 of us. The platters are served with four sauces. One is tamarind chutney, one is mint chutney, and two we didn’t recognize (good, but one was VERY spicy).

One thing I learned doing research on the Davis Wiki was about the momos. Momos are steamed dumplings filled with a savory mixture of meat or vegetables and spices. I’d never had them before (they’re not on a lot of menus). I started with a meat momo, and I can happily say it was fantastic! Great flavor, moist, and perfect size, they’re similar to pot stickers, and I like them just as much. The pakoras and samosas were very good; a pakora is a fried fritter consisting of a batter with vegetables, or vegetables and meat. A samosa is a pastry stuffed with chickpeas, potatoes and sometimes chicken or paneer, the homemade Indian cheese. I would have said samosas were my favorite Indian appetizer before I tried the momos, but they’re still a very strong second, maybe still first? We’ll see.

The chicken tikka on the appetizer platter was somewhat dry. If you like chicken tikka, don’t judge it by this. The chicken on the mixed grill platter that we had later was much better.

One thing about the platters that I really liked was the size of each appetizer. Pete and I often have to cut the pakoras and samosas to share, but on the platter everything was single serving.

Cary and John fell in love with the naan, which I have to admit is my favorite part of Indian, or Nepalese food. There’s something magical about dipping hot fresh naan in the various sauces and chutneys. Naan is a type of flat bread cooked in a clay pot in the Tandoori oven and served hot and fresh. They have 9 different types of bread, but we stuck with the plain naan. Pete and I usually order garlic naan as well, but we were doing well to cut down on the number of different dishes to choose from. The menu is very large, and tempting with plenty of choices for anyone, meat eater or vegetarian!

At the time the appetizers came we got the lassis we requested. Lassi is a yogurt drink that comes in a few different flavors. None of us had ever tried them, so we didn’t really know what to expect. We got mango and salt, and yes, I mean salt flavor! The mango was not overly sweet and did go well with the chutneys and spices, but we didn’t really appreciate them the way others might. I might be able to get used to them, however. The salt lassi was totally undrinkable to us. One of our company said if you froze it, it would make a good salt lick. Though I’m sure someone must like them, it wasn’t us. Be warned.

We also ordered two of the soups. We all tasted the multani, and the dal soup ($3.50 each). They were very flavorful and delicate. Multani is a type of chicken soup, and dal is a light, sometimes almost bland, lentil soup. Neither of these soups was bland, I didn’t even feel the need to salt, which is often the case with bean or lentil soups. I could easily make a meal of a salad and bowl of one of these soups, especially with an order of naan.

Next up were the lamb vindaloo ($10.95), and the baigan bharta ($8.95). I don’t normally like lamb, but the vindaloo was excellent. We got it medium (after this everything was ordered mild!), and though most at the table thought it was too spicy, I think it was perfect. The spice was just enough to get the endorphins pumping, but not so much that you were sorry you started. With a little raita, a type of flavored yogurt sauce which I love, and the very light basmati rice, the spice is easily managed. The lamb was very tender and flavorful.

The baigan bharta is eggplant roasted in a clay pot with green onion, garlic, bell pepper, herbs, and spices. I don’t like eggplant, never have, but it was good. It was rich and flavorful. Everyone enjoyed it with the naan. We ordered this dish as a thali, a traditional Nepalese dinner that is served with rice, dal, naan, chutney, and several vegetable curry dishes. I always order the thali; it’s the best deal other than the lunch buffet. The a la Carte comes with rice only.

Next we were served the chicken tikka masala ($10.95), the palak paneer ($8.95), and the mixed grill platter ($14.95). The masala was good, but it was a little sour for my taste, not bad, but different than I expected. The fact that it’s not as red as I’ve seen leads me to believe they use less food coloring in their recipe, which I for one am glad of. When I go back I’ll probably order it again, I can be a terrible creature of habit.

The palak paneer was exactly as I like, house made cheese (paneer) in a creamy spinach and herb sauce. I like this dish because it’s easy to eat along with the other spicy dishes. The creaminess of the sauce is very mild and soothing.

Cary especially enjoyed the rack of lamb on the mixed grill platter, which she thought was the best of the lamb. The mixed grill is a selection of marinated red snapper, prawns, chicken, lamb, and rack of lamb, which is roasted and served on a sizzling platter. Pete enjoyed the prawns (but he thought shrimp was a better description, they were on the small side), and I think John enjoyed most everything from what I remember.

We decided at this point we had had plenty to eat, and though some of the desserts seemed worth trying, none of us was hungry enough to be tempted. The kulfi, a creamy and rich ice cream made predominantly with saffron and pistachio ($3.25) sounds like a possibility the next time.

Overall I have to say I enjoyed the evening. The service, while not overly friendly was good, but the lighting was kind of harsh. Not necessarily a date night sort of place. As a businessperson I feel compelled to complain about the bathrooms. Everyone agreed that they were some-what scary, think frat house. But it was a very busy evening. Maybe they’re better most of the time. The prices were very reasonable for the amount of food we consumed. The beers were large (they say the Taj Mahal is the most popular) and food delicious enough that I’m sure Pete and I will be back. I think we even managed to snag the newbies.

Kathmandu Kitchen is located at 234 G St., in Davis, (530) 756-3507, www.kathmandukitchen.com.

Just got back from a wonderful trip to Montana. We went for a few days for a family wedding. I love hanging out with hubby Pete’s family. Other than his nephew and his husband trying to give us alcohol poisoning, we had a blast (actually, the alcohol poisoning was fun too, but I have to give them s**t for it). Pete’s family is fun, welcoming, and truly generous.

While we were there we took a trip over the Beartooth Mountains to Cooke City, Montana.

Beginning of the pass

The scenery is breathtaking. As is the altitude. We both fought panic attacks from the lack of oxygen, and neither of us slept very well that night. The food was nothing special, and the drive back through parts of Wyoming was not nearly as pretty…

but I think this was one of our better vacations.

The tool party we came back to (to build a doghouse for the soon-to-be newly weds puppy), the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, and the reception, were warm, inviting, and fun. This is a group of people whom I always look forward to seeing again. Every family has drama, but this one is so large, none of it is of much import. They are all deeply religious, but in a very real, non fundamental way. I would be happy with any one of them deciding the course of this country.

The Nowlen clan.

I would bet that at least 99% of them support the “public” option.

Now, who are these communists (or more accurately, socialists, artistic license with the title)? Almost every person you see in the photo below (and above)!

Socialists enjoying Shoshone National Park.

Most of them have no idea, but we all are. These people are enjoying, and I bet 99% of them would vote to protect, “public” lands. A national forest is a public project, just like the “public” option. Would any of them vote to eliminate medicare, public schools (well, at least 60%), post office, “public” works? I could actually go on for quite a bit, “public” libraries for instance. Come on, get over it already democrats. We need to be demanding at least a public option! In a few years these nut jobs are all going to be proven wrong. Again! I’m not even going to list the religious rights failures. And just so you don’t get me wrong. Unlike my ex-wife Laurie, I am not an atheist. I consider myself a true Christian, though I truly think I would fall in most people’s category of Agnostic.

Laurie will be sad to hear this, but Pete’s family inspires me more and more to follow Christ’s teachings. If he existed, which I don’t really care about, he taught only about love and forgiveness. Pete’s family lives it. They are not only welcoming, but celebratory, of my and Pete’s marriage, and our young nephews B and T. But I also believe that Laurie could be absolutely, 100% right. She usually is, and her arguments are always eye-opening. But I’m human, and I doubt. So I just try to live correctly.

I don’t think of the religious right as “christians”, I think of them as Bible-ists. True Christians follow the teachings of Christ. A prophet, maybe a real man, maybe the son of God, maybe completely myth. Whatever I truly think of him, I follow his teachings, much as I follow the teachings of Buddha, and a few other ethicists. The average evangelical, follows the teachings of the bible. They don’t truly ever sit and think about what Jesus would do, they are too concerned with what the old testament, or Paul, or Peter would do. So even if I don’t have the faith they do, I have the honesty of my convictions. Based on logic. And love. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”, said Jesus. That’s not religion, that’s not faith, that’s the golden rule. That’s the “public” option.

Laurie, by the way, is one of the truly finest Americans I’ve ever met. I might be able to say “the”, but I always doubt there’s not someone else up there with her, like her mother, or Pete. She’s much more passionate about individual rights, and common sense laws, than I. I trust her as much as I trust Pete’s siblings.

Well, I was very excited about my new position as an ISO advisor, but now not so much. I think since I was recruited in the early spring, I have had two classes, more if you count the backstage work at the show (which I loved), but absolutely no teaching scheduled. In the mean time, my work has increased quite a bit, part of the problem is I’m just too busy to be included in classes that are scheduled within just a few weeks, or days.

However, I have to say I love the new ISO wet line. Between the Bouncy Curl créme, and the absolutely awesome Tamer foam. I am a big fan.

I have to admit to being a bit of a snob at first. The products are all priced quite a bit lower than my next favorite line, and the packaging is rather dull, but these products do what they say they do. Oh, not all of them. I don’t really like the daily foam. But the daily shape, and daily finish, are among my top 10 finishing sprays. I don’t really care for the color care line. Sorry, but fragrance is a big part of the package, and all of these products smell like baby powder. Honestly, no one wants their hair products to smell like baby diaper. Anyone who has a child, or younger sibling knows baby diaper smell. Ick.

On the other hand, every single product from the Bouncy line is fantastic. They are light, fresh scented, and moisturizing, just what curly hair needs. The shampoo and conditioner are fine, but the styling products are the true asset. The Bouncy spray is pretty good for styling, or actually better, refreshing naturally curly or permed hair, but the Bouncy créme is the best. It can be used on damp or dry hair. Apply a moderate amount (enough to coat all of the hair), and comb through for best results. Dry with a diffusor, or scrunch and allow to dry naturally. Then scrunch a smaller amount through dry hair to define curl and decrease frizz.

But hands down, my favorite line is the Tamer line. It took me a while to warm up to these products. I tried the Tamer foam first. It actually feels like snot (not a great first impression), and you have to use a lot, and comb it through extremely well. In the end it magically disappears, but it took 3 or 4 uses before I didn’t feel I was going to have to re-wash my clients hair. I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a better straightening product. And I’ve tried dozens and dozens. The gel is a lighter version of the same, and I even like the shampoo and conditioner.

As I said, I really like this product line, and whole heartedly endorse the company. Always keep in mind, however, I endorse many different lines. One persons favorite product will be totally useless to their best friend. Try lots, you will only look more stunning for it.