MOVIE: WEST SIDE STORY
Director Stephen Spielberg brings a classic musical back to the silver screen, West Side Story. With music by Leonard Bernstein and words by the recently departed Stephen Sondheim this 1961 musical gem is given new life with a more contemporary script, terrific casting and a big screen sheen that sizzles from beginning to end. Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the original, returns six decades later playing Valentina, the widow of doc. Moreno also played the role of executive producer. Dance your way to the box office now and get your tickets for this musical blockbuster with West Side Story never losing or sounding so good. It’s now playing in Bay Area theatres.
EVENT: METALLICA LIVE STREAM
Bay Area band Metallica is celebrating four decades in music and they are inviting you along for the party. See the music legend’s live and local shows next week at Chase Center and The Fillmore. Here’s the good news: the Friday night Chase Center concert will be streamed LIVE and will be available to watch later. The four metal rockers launched their careers in San Francisco in 1981 and a year later released their first demo “No life Til Leather”. They have called the Bay home for forty years but today the world remains their musical oyster. More on other anniversary events at their online home.
EVENT: OAKLAND ZOO LIGHTS
Oakland Zoo invites you to Glowfari, a mile long illuminated nighttime walk. It’s a lot of fun for the whole family and showcases all manner of animals from elephants, giraffes and pandas. Walk through the 65 foot Queen Ant tunnel, take a ride on the lit up gondola and wrap up with a visit to Santa. The express train is also a magical way to traverse the illuminated zoo. Get tickets soon as this is a hot ticket. See you where it’s all happening, at Oakland Zoo.
HOLIDAYS: TEA AT THE FAIRMONT
The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco is the place to be for the Holidays from tea-time to Santa suites to the massive Gingerbread house and the MOET Champagne bar, this spot has it all. The tea-time is the ultimate holiday experience for the kids and kids in all of us. Santa’s elves do the rounds during tea time performing magic and interacting table side. Santa is never too far away. You can even stay in one of a few Santa holiday suites that ignite the spirit of the holidays with a Christmas Tree in each, interactive activities for the kids and the luxury The Fairmont offers. Happy Holidays.
EAT HERE: ULA
A classic SF restaurant has been reborn, the former Farralon space is now ULA, serving up Mediterranean dining and crafted cocktails. This inviting spot lures you in with the Pat Kuleto designed underwater seascape. The menu offers up broad selection of seafood dishes from crab to oysters to lobster. The casual bar is always a great spot to enjoy crafted cocktails, bar bites or anything from the entire menu. My favorite new cocktail is the Energizer with gin, limoncello, absinthe and lemon. This gem of a spot on Post street, a block from union Square is alive and cooking once again. See you there, from my favorite table, number 33. Cheers.
COCKTAIL : WHAT WOULD BRIAN BOITANO MAKE?
Hello Gourd-geous (recipe courtesy of Brian Boitano).
Menu Description - reposado tequila, spiced pumpkin, lemon, chocolate
Ingredients:
2 oz reposado tequila
1 oz pumpkin syrup, recipe below
.5 oz lemon juice
4 dash chocolate bitters
Lemon peel for garnish
Preparation:
Shake all ingredients in cocktail shaker filled with ice, strain into rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish.
Pumpkin syrup ingredients:
1½ cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
3-4 cinnamon sticks
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
¼ cup canned pumpkin
Preparation:
Combine the water and sugars in a saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Stir until the sugars dissolve, then reduce heat to low. Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin. Whisk to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Make sure it does not boil. Take heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and store in the refrigerator. Freezes well.
