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Surprise!

Last month was a crazy one at work. So crazy that I didn't even bother to mention my birthday at all and the team that never forgets a birthday actually forgot haha. As I walk into my scheduled meeting yesterday, I walk into a conference room filled with my favorite marketing people, streamers, a birthday banner, treats from Tartine (mmm morning buns), flowers, gifts and the office pup, Cowboy. This team is so thoughtful - I unwrapped my gifts to find 2 travel journals and Pamela Barsky luggage tags. The perfect gift for me. The luggage tags are hilarious here are phrases from the other tags in the set:

• nothing worth stealing in here
• open with caution: dirty clothes inside
• i'm pretty sure this isn't your bag
• this is not your suitcase
• this is my bag
• careful: my shoes are inside

It was a fun belated celebration and I was able to relive my birthday - woohoo! Too bad I can't actually reset the clock and be a month younger!

Coach Sushi

Directly across the street from Lake Merritt in Oakland is Coach Sushi. This place is unlike any japanese restaurant I've ever been to. It's small, family owned, offers great service and is ALWAYS packed.

When friends began telling me about this place, I didn't believe them. Well, I did, but I thought they were exaggerating. Turns out, everything that was said are facts. The sushi is decent - I was definitely satisfied with my Coach, salmon skin & spicy tuna rolls. But, let's forget about the sushi for a minute because although this is a japanese restaurant, the crowd pleaser is not the sushi. What I think keeps people coming back to Coach Sushi is the masu sake (think bottomless room temperature sake poured into a small square box) and Coach's facial expressions (or lack thereof) as he splashes more sake into your box when you've only taken a sip out of it since he's last filled it up. Did I mention this is only $3.50?

Honestly, it's a cute little restaurant with an owner who truly loves his customers. It's hard to hate a place like this. I'm going back again this Friday! Perfect place to bring out of towners for a little sake-filled fun. I love this place. If you can't have fun here - there's a problem.

P.S. Avoid the long wait and make a reservation!

Hip Hop in the Park

The sun was out for this free hip hop festival in Berkeley. It unites hip hop heads from all walks of life. No food at this festival, but you will find great music, graf artists doing their thing & b-boys and b-girls bustin' their skills on the linoleum. The Blue Scholars headlined the show and before this, I've never heard of them. Events like this are a great way to introduce new favorites into your life. I just finished downloading a bunch of Macklemore tracks too.

Bakesale Betty

Fried chicken + coleslaw is a delicious combination. I love that Bakesale Betty's also has packets of Tapatio on hand because I love hot sauce on almost everything savory. After reading Yelp reviews, I was ready to order a fried chicken sandwich, a strawberry shortcake & a lemon ice. Unfortunately they were sold out of lemon ice - major bummer for me. Those who really know me, know I kill for a frozen lemonade drink. As for the strawberry shortcake, it was too huge to eat alone. Next time I'll order that when I have someone to share it with. I did, however get a free apricot scone. Good thing the sandwich was yummy because I didn't care for the scone. Can't wait to come back and try what I missed out on!

A Productive Sunday

Today was an awesome Sunday. I had just about 8 hours of sleep (very rare these days) and woke up and decided to drive to Berkeley and try Bakesale Betty's fried chicken sandwich. It's been on my radar for several weeks and I couldn't wait any longer. Post to follow.

After inhaling my sandwich, I headed down the street for a little thrift shopping and picked up a few items for myself. I scored 4 items for $40. Shopping at thrift stores is great when you're in the mood to search through heaps of trash to find the treasures. I recently found a cute vintage purse for only $7. Gotta love bargains.

After lunch & shopping, headed home to do laundry and tidy up my room. Then, went to the gym. Feeling great about the day. Got so much done in such little time - and all for myself! As lovely as it is to share the day with someone else, it's nice to treat yourself to a ME day every now and then.

Happy Mother's Day!

I love this old photo of my MOM.

Tartine Bakery: Morning Buns

#8 Morning Bun at Tartine Bakery
Mission District
7x7 The Big Eat SF 2009: 100 Things to Try Before You Die
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(Image courtesy of: bakingnuts.files.wordpress.com)

I'm a savory breakfast kind of girl, but this is one sweet & sugary treat I can have in the morning. I'll do my best to describe this, but it really won't do it justice. Here goes: It's a cross between a sticky bun and a croissant and it has a slight citrus taste to it. It's so gooood, especially when it's warm. Lucky me, I have a manager who works right by the bakery and was nice enough to surprise me one morning. Now I need to visit Tartine myself because I hear so many great things about it and all that it has to offer.

You can even find the recipe here: Morning Buns

Verdict: YUM. I want to try EVERYTHING at this bakery.