As a result, I have spent most of my time and dollars thinking about and trying to improve basic functionality. The focus is concepts of space planning and layout — and lighting — also very important.  So I decided to take a gander at Julia’s Child’s Kitchen, now memorialized in the Smithsonian Institution, to see how she had things arranged.  I figured, why not? Julia moved into her Cambridge home in 1961, the same year my house was built. Her kitchen was 14 x 20, which is pretty close to the overall space I now have allocated to mine.  Her cabinets are now dated (like mine) and she had none of the most modern and pricey conveniences (also, like mine). Nevertheless, for 45 years she used this kitchen to cook up a storm and a filmed a cooking show there to boot!  Apparently, quite a lot of thought was put into the design of her kitchen, both to accomodate her prolific kitchen artistry and her 6’2″ frame, as well as the TV show she filmed there.

So, low and behold, Julia Child’s Kitchen is proof that a functional space does not always have to look like one in a magazine! happended to stumble along the interactive online version of the kitchen recently and found it to be pretty cool, so I thought I would share the link.

Julia’s Online Interactive Kitchen allows you to browse the various work stations on her kitchen, giving you and idea how she organized her tools and supplies, and how she stored her dry goods. It also has vignettes featuring personal and kitschy items she had in her kitchen, sharing with online users more of her unique personality.

Noteworthy Areas of Julia’s Kitchen:

The Wall of Pans - She has an entire peg board wall of cookware, much of it copper or copper bottomed. She also has peg board racks for lots of cooking tools and gadgets in various areas of the kitchen. I like the idea of the convenience and it showcases her nice items beautifully, but I am not jazzed about the pegboard. IMHO, Pegboard and particle board have NO place in a Hawaii kitchen, with the humidity here. They just don’t last well. She did paint it a lovely French Blue, but I need to use this idea a bit differently in my own kitchen.

Mixed Working Surfaces - I like that Julia has a variety of working surfaces in her kitchen. She has an integrated stainless steel sink/drainboard counter, a separate butcher block, and maple countertops on three different work stations. She had no soapstone, granite or other hard surfaces. I’d like to see concrete counters with an integrated drainboard into my farm sink in my own kitchen and at least one hardwood work space, most likely on my center island.

Work Stations - Julia had all her baking and pastry supplied organized on one side of the kitchen. She kept her oils and vinegars by the stove. She did a good job in organizing her work stations for maximum functionality. 

I am using a similar concept in my own kitchen, creating three (besides the stovetop and sink)  functional areas:

(1) Beverage Center: located between the refigerator and sink. This is where glassware is kept. Near the water/ice maker. The coffee maker and grinder are here, as well.

(2) Wet Prep Area: Between sink and stove. Pull-out garbage underneath, for easy disposal. Cutting block here. Knives above. Perfect for cutting and chopping and getting ingredients straight to the pan, with easy clean-up to sink.

(3) Dry Prep Area: On kitchen island across from sink, stove and refigerator. Integrated cutting surface here. Perfect place to make a sandwich or mix ingredients.

Colorful Painted Cabinets – I love colorful kitchens! Julia’s was blue and green. (Mine is going to be green with accents of bamboo and dark wood.)

Personal Touches - Julia’s Kitchen has many personal touches and even some unique one-of-a-kind items, which I like. Not too sure about hanging paintings on my cabinets doors, but to each his own. Some people like kitchens that are sterile and minimalist, but I like a little personality.

What do you think about Julia’s kitchen? What do YOU like and dislike? What are your best tips for desiging a functional kitchen?

HMM, Golden Gate Bridge, Victorian & Edwardian Architecture, Exploring Antique Shops … AND OF COURSE,THE RESTAURANTS!!!

I have already started making my list of where we will eat, and I’ll provide actual reviews while I am there. This is a list of my Top 10, in no particular order. Not all necessarily gourmet cuisine – but tried and true favorites. I’ve included a little of this and a little of that, in various neighborhoods and at a few different price points. I hope they are all still as good as I remember, but I am probably safe because, in San Francisco, if you are not really good, you don’t last long.

1. Restaurant LuLu - SOMA (Rustic Italian, great wine list) I worked up the street from here and used to pass it when I walked to and from work. Love the fact that you can get tasting size portions of a huge list of great wines. Food is consistent and comforting. Rotisserie oven. Family-style place, good for groups. Makes me want to venture out into the Tuscan Sun.
2. B44 – Belden Lane, Financial District (Spanish Food) Great, lively downtown location and delicious authentic food. I prefer the Tapas to the entrees, here. Ole!
3. Aqua – Financial District (High-end Seafood). I always liked to go there without a reservation and sit at the bar counter. Less stuffy that way. Mussel souffle, tuna tartare, warm goat cheese salad – mmmm.
4. Gary Danko - Fisherman’s Wharf (High-end, high-end). Another counter sitting place, if no reservation. Amazing food, expensive – for the most special of occasions – like seeing my husband again, and celebrating a year of missed birthdays, anniversarys and Valentines – This place rocks!
5. Delfina - Mission District (Italian) Local favorite. Delicisoso! Crowded, but worth it.
6. Cha-Cha-Cha - Haight Ashbury & Mission (Carribean) Fun and friendly. An old favorite, I think I have been there 100 times. The Warm Spinach Salad is to die for!
7. Betelnut – Cow Hollow (Asian) Trendy and fun, in a great walking neighborhood full of shops, cafes & nightspots. YUM for the Chicken Lettuce Cups & Thai Bloody Mary’s.
8. Puerto Allegre – Mission District (Mexican) Great for Breakfast, in particular. Inexpensive.
9. Limon – Mission District (Peruvian/Nuevo Latino Cuisine) I used to live in an artist’s live/work loft literally around the corner from the original location of this place, when it first opened. Glad to see people noticed how great they are. Delicious fish dishes and ceviche.
10. Maya – SOMA (Upscale Mexican) – Great tacos to go at lunchtime. They make authentic red chile and homemade corn tortillas. Awesome Happy Hour for margaritas and complimentary Botanas.

NEW TO TRY:
Chapeau (used to be a great restuarant called Clementine) – Clement Street/Lake/Richmond (French) – Would have been on my list as the old place, but not sure about the new restaurant yet.
A-16 - Marina Dist. (Wood-fired Pizzas/Wine Bar, Southern Italian) – Sounds so good! Going to check with my friend, Priya (still a city dweller) for more ideas on the new ones. Hope we can fit them all in!

Aloha!

What I found was disappointing. The main disappointment was the service. Once seated, around 9pm, I sat for over a half hour before being even provided water or asked if I wanted a drink. And that was only after I got up walked inside the restaurant and flagged down a waiter for another section. Also, it was a Saturday and the place was LOUD. Very Loud, DJ -Techno Music Loud. RumFire is more of a trendy watering hole (albeit with pretty good food), than a great restaurant. There were other poor aspects of the service, which I wont go into, but trust me — there are still quite a few kinks to be worked out in the service and management.

The menu is rather small and uninspired, save a few dishes – like the Miso-Sake Butterfish. I ordered this dish and was suprised when it came (another very long half hour later) because it was rather small and had no accompaniments. I suppose it was a little larger than an appetizer-sized portion, but stingy for a $24 entree. And it was not described well on the menu, as the otherwise deliciously prepared fish was totally covered in raw onions – something I would definitely have had them omit, had I known from the menu that they would be there. The onions completely overpowered and ruined the taste of the fish.

I would have liked to see a better selection of grilled meats on the menu, and perhaps some rum-inspired recipes. A “Hot Diggety” Hot Dog is one on the other menu items, if that tells you anything. And being a hotel, they actually have a childrens’ menu, but it is definitely not a place for kids.
On the other hand, there was nothing stingy about the drinks. Only one of the rum drinks is enough to knock most people out for the night! Which is good, because they too are quite expensive. I had a Rumrunner and would highly recommend it to anyone. The bar apparently has a famous Rum Tower, as well. And the setting is superb – oceanfront on Waikiki and many tables with nice views, during the day. At night, the flames come out. It was a cold night when I was there, so I have to wonder what it will be like in the warmer months, when misters and ceiling fans may be more appropriate. If you do sit outside, just be sure not to sit downwind of the fire pits or torches, or you may get smoked out, like I did.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of a sneak preview of the renovations at the famed Pink Palace of the Pacific - the Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach. For those of you who don’t know the Royal, it is one of the oldest and most prolific hotels in Hawaii. Built in 1927, in the Spanish & Art-deco styles, it is currently undergoing a much-needed facelift, coordinated by the esteemed West Coast design firm, Philpotts & Associates. The grand re-opening is scheduled for January 20, 2009 and appears to be on-track. Design changes include room renovations and reconfigurations of the check-in area, entry pathways/drives, and the main ballroom, The Monarch Room. A more updated color scheme and new lighting, paint, rugs and furniture are all prominent changes. Fortuntely, they has the good sense to keep the art deco stenciling on the ceiling in the main hall and most of the historic detail.

The Royal is the site of a fundraiser I am co-chairing at the end of January, helping to open the hotel, and closely following Hawaii’s Grand Inagural Ball in honor of President-Elect Obama on opening night. I was invited to the hotel for a preview of the site and tasting of the delectable meal our guests will savor that evening. The theme of our event involves musical entertainment in the Hapa Haole style by award-winning Paul Shimomoto (think 40′s crooner – Hawaiian music & hula) and ali’i (royalty) luau-themed food and decor. Of course, at $150 a plate, we didn’t want a traditional luau buffet, featuring kalua pork, white rice and mac salad, so requested something more upscale and plated.
Here is the menu Chef Alfred Cabacungan created for the guests of our Ali’i Style Luau:

First Course: Salad of Local Greens and Lomi-Lomi Salmon with Guava and Taro Rolls

FOOD NOTE: Lomi Salmon is named after the Hawaiian word for massage: “Lomi-lomi,” meaning “loving hands. It is the Hawaiian version of Pico de Gallo — diced tomatoes & onions and/or green onions, tossed with salt and sugar cured salmon, also diced. The salt and sugar are massaged into the fish, in the curing process. It is served cold and is a traditional accompaniment to luau food.

Entree: Macadmaia-crusted Mahi-Mahi topped with Hamakua Mushroom Sauce, teamed with Chicken and Pork Lau-Lau with Pineapple Lomi Salsa, Fresh Spring Vegetables & Roasted, Sliced Sweet Potato.

FOOD NOTE: Lau-lau is another traditional Hawaiian luau food. Lau-lau is usually made by combining butterfish with chicken and/or pork, and wrapping in taro leaves, sort of like a Mexican tamale. It can be steamed or wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a undergound oven, called an emu.

Dessert: Royal Hawaiian Signature Chocolate Ganache Cake with Creme Anglaise, Vanilla-Bean Ice Cream on a Butter Cookie and Macadamia Brittle, Gold Leaf and Berry Garnish.

We asked for a few minor changes, but overall, were very happy with what the Royal Hawaiian prepared for us — Luau food elegantly presented and fit for a king!