Archive for the ‘events’ Category

SaberCats Strut

Saturday, July 9th, 2011

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You want to know what’s awesome? I’ll tell you what’s awesome. The San Jose SaberCats are awesome. That’s what’s awesome. I’ll tell you why.

The SaberCats are San Jose’s professional arena football team, and they play at HP Pavilion on Santa Clara Street which is El Camino Real to me. They’ve been in San Jose for over fifteen years but my family had never gone to a game, continually telling ourselves, “there’s always next season.” Sadly, two years ago “next season” never came as the league cancelled the entire 2009 season for economic reasons. The league relaunched in 2010 without the SaberCats, who didn’t re-incorporate until 2011. When we saw billboards announcing the return of the SaberCats, we didn’t hesitate. We bought tickets right away.

CIMG0156.jpgWe weren’t ready to commit to season tickets, but we took advantage of their convenient ten-pack deal which gave us a lot of flexibility on which games to attend and where to sit. Thanks to outstanding high-touch service from Jimmy Dilks, the SaberCats ticket manager, we ended up with tickets to seven home games this season, and have had a blast. It’s a fast-moving high-scoring sport, and the San Jose fans didn’t miss a step in showing their support for the team with ear-ringing cowbells, face-painted super fans, and costumes.

The first game was a surgical 76-48 dismantling of the Spokane Shock at the season opener March 11, 2011. Hilariously the opening kickoff bounced off the giant overhead scoreboard. Veteran quarterback Mark Grieb and standout wide receiver Nichiren Flowers and running back Chad “Tank” Cook showed that the SaberCats under returning coach and new owner Darren Arbet had lost none of the finesse that has earned the franchise three ArenaBowl championships. The SaberCats’ season roared to a strong 5-2 start but then key injuries contributed to a disheartening seven-game losing streak culminating in a tragically lopsided 82-21 defeat at the hands of the Cleveland Gladiators. That was Game 14. We had tickets to Game 15 the following week at home against the Jacksonville Sharks. Jacksonville had the best record in the league and was looking to extend their league-record thirteen-game winning streak.

My son is a big fan of the SaberCats but even his faith was shaken. As we took our seats for the Jacksonville game on July 1, he told me, “This is going to be a bloodbath,” so certain was he of another SaberCats loss. I decided to play the die-hard for his benefit so I turned to him and said, “This is going to be glorious.” Mine was a classical gambit. If we lost, it would be no surprise and I would lose no face. But if somehow we won…glorious indeed.

We won.

DSC09524It was cosmically perfect. We had celebrated my son’s birthday at the SaberCats’ previous home game on May 28. He and eight of his buddies had the time of their lives and even won the Jumbotron chicken-dance contest, out-flapping and out-tailfeather-shaking all challengers at the Pavilion. The ‘Cats losing streak was only three games then and it looked like we had ended it when Grieb miraculously found receiver Ben Nelson in the end zone for what would have been the tying score as time expired, but there was a gut-punch of a flag on the play: offensive holding, no score, game over, SaberCats lost. That was the bitter taste we were all left with when the SaberCats left on a roadtrip for the entire month of June, losing every game. That July 1 game against high-flying Jacksonville was their first game back. We were there with three of my son’s buddies, all of whom were at that birthday loss. The stage was set. San Jose wanted redemption, and we got it.

CIMG0983.jpgSaberCats awesomeness extends off the field. The day after that epic win over Jacksonville, my son attended a free football clinic hosted by the SaberCats. He spent the day at their Sunnyvale practice facility running through drills and playing flag-football scrimmage matches with 20 other kids under the skilled tutelage of the SaberCats training staff. Throughout the day several of the SaberCats players dropped by to give some pointers, toss some balls, and clown around a bit. At the end of the day, Head Coach Darren Arbet addressed the kids and impressed upon them the importance of effort, discipline, and school. The generosity of the SaberCats organization towards these kids in the community was wonderful.

Tonight, July 9, is the final home game of the regular schedule. We’ll be there, ready to celebrate the SaberCats’ return season. It’s been a bumpy year and the SaberCats will have to be perfect for this and the remaining away games to keep their post-season hopes alive and get to a .500 record. Whatever happens, San Jose is proud of its hometown heroes. Besides, there’s always next season. And we can’t wait.

Bear Flag Revolt

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

This past weekend my wife and I skedaddled to Sonoma for a romantic getaway to celebrate our wedding anniversary. My first priority of course was to bask in her company and to enjoy the chic yet homey North Bay town. However, on the way up I confessed to Paulette that, you know, if on a stroll around the Plaza we just happened to stop by the mission for a minute and maybe take a quick look around, well, that would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it? She said, “riiight.” Am I that transparent?

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Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma is in fact a very special mission. It was the final mission established and the northernmost one in the chain. It was founded so late, 1823, that the missions weren’t even outposts of Spain anymore. By that time Mexico had declared its independence from the motherland and Alta California was Mexican territory. Sonoma is literally and historically where El Camino Real ends. There are historic El Camino Real bell markers on Broadway, SR-12, the road that leads right into the heart of town. CIMG0755Saturday, June 11 was International Yarn Bombing Day so the bell in the Plaza was charmingly bedecked with hand-knit California Poppies by a tagger who blogs at knitibranch.com.

I mentioned to Paulette that there were two things I wanted to explore while in Sonoma. The first was a question: how did the padres travel from San Francisco to Sonoma? There was no Golden Gate Bridge to span the mouth of the Bay and the tides there are too treacherous for easy crossing. As coincidence would have it, in our hotel room was the Spring, 2011 edition of Sonoma Magazine which was all about…water! In his article titled “Coming to Sonoma by Water,” Gerald Hill confirmed that Padre José Altamira deliberately sited the mission near Sonoma Creek so ships could sail passengers and cargo from San Francisco into San Pablo Bay up the slough to an embarcadero. “A bridge over the gate was more than a century away, roads were primitive and at times impassable, there was yet no railroad nearby, so in every real sense, the road to Sonoma was water.” El Camino de Agua?

CIMG0802The second thing I wanted to explore was the famous Bear Flag Revolt monument in the Plaza. There, in a coincidence beyond coincidence, we hit pay dirt. That very Sunday, June 12, happened to be the day Sonoma was holding their annual Bear Flag Revolt Celebration. We couldn’t have picked a better time to visit.

The Bear Flag Revolt is a quirky chapter in California history. In 1846 Alta California was still Mexico but it hosted numerous settlers from the United States. Relations between the Mexican government and the Americans were strained over issues of land claims, property ownership, and religion. The recent struggles in Texas were fresh in minds of the gringos who remembered all too well the Alamo. On June 14, 1846—165 years ago today—thirty-three armed Americans stormed Sonoma, took the local Mexican commander Mariano Vallejo prisoner, and pronounced themselves free of Mexican rule. They weren’t authorized to do this in the name of the United States, so they declared California to be a new democratic republic. They raised in the Plaza a hand-painted flag of their own design featuring a lone star in Texas’ honor, a grizzly bear, and the words, “California Republic.” That flag is the basis of the modern California flag flown today. The revolt lasted 25 days after which the U.S. Army arrived and raised the Stars and Stripes. Unbeknownst to the Osos (“bears” in Spanish), the United States had already formally declared war on Mexico and California was on the verge of changing hands yet again.

Happily the brief Sonoma revolt was bloodless; no one on either side was harmed. General Vallejo did catch malaria in captivity but he eventually recovered. History looks fondly on the Bear Flag incident, I think because there is something half-baked and frankly whiskey-soaked about the whole affair. It is after all in the heart of wine country. The revolutionaries were audacious but ultimately successful, and I imagine they fancied themselves Western sons of the Founding Fathers as they played their parts in the unfurling of Manifest Destiny.

So now, every year (off and on) the Native Sons of the Golden West Sonoma Parlor #111 commemorate the Bear Flag Revolt with a festival in the Plaza, traditionally with barbecued chicken dinners. After a whirlwind tour of the mission, Paulette and I stood in the shade around the amphitheater and watched the citizens reenact the revolt with a costumed, scripted play. Well, most of it was scripted. The locals in cowboy hats who portrayed the uprising mob mostly ad-libbed, punctuating dialogue with hearty “Hyahs!” as they fired blanks into the air from their period replica firearms. All the participants clearly enjoyed themselves and so did we.

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The Morning After Maker Faire

Sunday, May 29th, 2011

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The headline on San Mateo Patch read “Meet Your Maker at the Maker Faire.” I don’t know if it was intentional or not but the irony in that line was sublime. My family and I and thousands of others were in fact at Maker Faire at the stroke of 6:00 PM on Saturday, May 21, 2011, the hour when the Rapture was predicted to occur and the destruction of the Earth guaranteed. The moment basically when humanity was indeed to meet its Maker. I am happy to report there was no global cataclysm (though there was a magnitude 3.6 earthquake in Hercules an hour later) but I will tell you this. Had civilization as we know it fallen that day, I can’t think of a better place to be than at Maker Faire.

CIMG0470Much has been written about Maker Faire, the annual expo put on at the San Mateo County Event Center May 21-22 this year by Make Magazine to celebrate handmade crafts, do-it-yourself spirit, and infectious eccentricity. We were there courtesy of GeekDad.com and GeekMom.com of which my good friend Ken Denmead is Editor and Publisher.  They are blogs for and by geeky parents about the ways they share their techie/sci-fi interests with their kids. (I aspire to be a geek one day, but today I only rank “nerd.”) It was my family’s third time going to Maker Faire. This year we helped the GeekMoms and GeekDads by volunteering at their booth, showing off fun musical toys and tee-shirts from ThinkGeek.com. My favorite was the Otamatone, a note-shaped puppet that sings when you squeeze it. Many passersby didn’t quite know what to make of it but I got pretty good at playing the theme to Star Trek on it and the keening synth hook from MC Breed’s “Ain’t No Future in Yo’ Frontin’.”

CIMG0481The alleged Armageddon was treated with general amusement by the denizens of the booth. The kids monitored their watches and occasionally shouted out the remaining time: “Forty-two minutes until the End of the World!” Together we counted down the final 10 seconds and at the stroke of 6:00 PM PDT Ken dropped a test tube full of Mentos into a two-liter bottle of Diet Pepsi, causing a spout of soda to erupt 20 feet in the air in a physical reaction well-known and much-loved by geeks and children everywhere. And that was it. No catastrophe, no second coming, no nothing. One GeekDad hilariously summed it up: “Worst…Rapture…ever!”

CIMG0465As I said though, had this been an actual Apocalypse, San Mateo Expo Center may well have represented mankind’s last best hope for survival because there were thousands of people there who knew how to make things. Useful things. At their disposal were contraptions and tools and raw materials. We had engineers, knitters, artists, and chefs. We had solar cells, compost containers, organic vegetables, and kits to make your own chewing gum. Should the End Times have also spawned a savage zombie horde, we could have defended ourselves with flame throwers, laser-cut trebuchets, a remote-controlled navy, and Victorian jet packs. I have no doubt that Maker Faire would have become a near-mythical outpost, a destination for the last Californians to seek out for salvation, and El Camino Real would have become the pilgrim road that brought them there. Someone get me Hollywood’s phone number; I have a screenplay idea to pitch to them.

In all seriousness I don’t like to make light of the failed Rapture predictions. I gave them no credence and they didn’t fit into my core beliefs about the destiny of mankind, but recent world events have brought us true disasters and unfathomable human and ecological suffering. Reflection on the end of existence on Earth did not inspire levity in me. That being said, I do consider humor to be a force of nature and there was so much wit and waggishness at Maker Faire intermingled with imagination and creativity, it forced me to view my most dreaded doomsday notions in a brighter light that put them in perspective. Everywhere at the Faire I saw faith, hope, and generosity of God-given talent in abundance. I did not meet my Maker, but I became reacquainted with the wonder of Creation.

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(Disclosure: Ken gave us free passes to Maker Faire and kindly treated us to dinner afterwards with the GeekDads and GeekMoms.)

El Camino Calendar

Friday, May 6th, 2011

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It’s been a minute since the last El Camino Calendar. Sorry about the hiatus but I’ve been so busy lately I could hardly see straight. There’s so much awesomeness going on this weekend though, it has shocked me out of inactivity. I’m baaack!


Morgan Hill No Bull BBQ Cook-Off

Saturday May 7 2011
10 am to 6 pm
Morgan Hill Community Center

17000 Monterey Rd. Morgan Hill, CA 95037

The public is more than welcome at the Morgan Hill No Bull BBQ Cook-off. You’ll enjoy great music, vendor offerings, and of course the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the most dynamic gatherings of BBQ Pitmasters on the West Coast.

http://www.mhnobullbbq.com/


South FIRST FRIDAYS Art Walk

Friday May 6, 2011

JOIN US for the next South FIRST FRIDAYS art walk on MAY 6th!
7pm ’til 11pm — ART WALK venues are free and open to the public

http://www.southfirstfridays.com/


SJ Eats

Saturday, May 7th, 2011
Peralta Adobe
175 W. Saint John
San Jose, CA

Some of the best food trucks and carts across the Bay come to Downtown San Jose. Silog plates, short rib burritos, samosas, lobster rolls, horchata ice cream and more. Free admission.
http://www.sanjosemade.com/sjeats


Stanford Powwow

May 6-8, 2011

Welcome to the Stanford Powwow. Come visit us on Stanford campus May 6-8, 2011. The Stanford Powwow is held every Mother’s Day Weekend in the Eucalyptus Grove on Stanford campus.

Open to the Public | Rain or Shine.

Donation for admission

http://www.stanfordpowwow.org/


Mother’s Day

Sunday, May 8, 2011 all day

Technically this happens everywhere, not just on El Camino Real.


SJ Homegrown

Friday, April 1st, 2011

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Saturday, April 2, 2011 is a big day in Downtown San Jose. Two of AllCamino’s favorite entrepreneurs, The Usuals and Treatbot, have conjoined to turn San Pedro Square into a serious San Jose fab fest. They’ve organized a pair of events called San Jose Made and SJ Eats. San Jose Made is a wares faire featuring locally produced apparel, accessories, and other items. SJ Eats is a gathering of my new favorite thing: gourmet food trucks.

This is the second San Jose Made event. The first took place at the Mayberry Workshop Pop-Up shop on Santa Clara Street on January 29, 2011. It was a collaboration among The Usuals’ Mari and Mike Millares and the Bay Area Die-Hard Mayberry family. Regrettably I had to miss that one because I was up at MacWorld in San Francisco. I plan to attend this one though.  As before they’ve invited a bunch of vendors who will be selling cool stuff: t-shirts, jewelry, portable electronics, a real variety. Find the full list on the San Jose Made web site. I know a few of them from The Usuals and other places, folks like Cukui, Kerfufle, and Mayberry Workshop. Others are new to me but have cool names like Bad Ass Chica, Booger Kids, and shop.find.love. There’s a baker coming called The Hole Cake who sells candy-coated bite-sized cake pops on sticks. I’m there.

This is the first ever SJ Eats and it’s taking place in the historic Fallon House parking lot at N. Almaden Ave and W. St. John St. I’m really excited for this. I’ve been waiting for a gourmet food truck caravan to roll into San Jose since I started frequenting them individually last year. Ryan Sebastian, the Treatbot dynamo, has pulled this together. The event will have two shifts, lunch and dinner, and will feature local trucks and some well-known heavy hitters from other cities. Here’s the lineup:

Lunch (11:30 AM to 3:30 PM)

  • Babaloo – Fresh and healthy Cuban cuisine, based in Carmel. Haven’t tried them, but I’ve yet to see a food truck with a liquor license so I suspect they won’t have Mojitos on the menu.
  • Bill’s Beer Steamed Hot Dog Cart – San Jose doggie wagon, but new to me. Sounds like they take frankfurter abuse to new heights. I am intrigued.
  • Chairman Bao – From San Francisco, really outstanding Chinese-fusion buns. Try the duck. You won’t be disappointed. I once drove an hour just to get them.
  • Hapa SF – Filipino truck, also from SF. I sampled their lumpia at Edgewood Eats and they were great, but I think it’s just the tip of their culinary iceberg.
  • Kara’s Cupcakes – Local gal bakes good. This pint-sized truck is as cute as the half-pint confections they’re famous for.
  • Louisiana Territory – One of my South Bay favorites. It’s always a good time when Cherie and the LaT rolls. You can’t go wrong with their menu but my pick is the popcorn shrimp po’ boy with a bread pudding chaser.
  • MoBowl – Oh MoBowl, so clever, so delicious. San Jose’s own Chef Andrew is seriously pumped up to represent the 408 against all comers. Their five-spice pulled pork packs a punch, but their new barbecue chicken bun is looking at you, @ChairmanTruck!
  • MoGo BBQ – The Godfadda of mobile eats around these parts. Their Korean tacos and burritos are an homage to the genesis of the genre. I’m partial to their chicken and pork. My biggest beef is they can get a little slow sometimes. I hope they bring their “A” game.
  • Sam’s Chowdermobile – All the way from Half Moon Bay, what they do to a lobster roll is obscene. Obscene, I say! I imagine the arguments in their kitchen: “Scotty, I need more butter on this sandwich!” “But Sir, ye canna break the laws of fezzix!”
  • Treatbot – Ice cream. Karaoke. Reppin’ San Jose’s East Side. Your host for the evening. Perfection.

But wait! There’s more! Half of the trucks are staying but some new ones are rotating in for the second seating.

Dinner (5:00 PM to 9:00 PM)

  • Bill’s Beer Steamed Hot Dog Cart
  • Chairman Bao
  • Curry Up Now – This Peninsula-based Indian truck has been around for a long time but ironically I’ve never tried them. They even do a regular rotation on El Camino Real. They’re bucking the trend and opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant in San Mateo soon.
  • Little Green Cyclo – Street-style Vietnamese grub. I’ve been watching them for a while but haven’t connected yet.
  • MoGo BBQ
  • Roli Roti – Not a Scooby Doo interjection, a rotisserie chicken truck that’s been delighting farmers’ markets for years. I’ve heard great things about them and hope to sample their wares.
  • TacGos – Haven’t tried them but tasty Mexican always sounds good to me. Their motto is, “Fresh, fast, affordable & around the corner!” and that is so true. I mean literally, their business address is right around the corner from my house.
  • The Wow – San Jose newcomer slings silogs: Filipino rice plates. The chicken silog and corned beef silog are my favorite. I have it on good authority this is straight up home-cooking…chicken-and-rice for the soul. Don’t miss their fried banana rolls.
  • Treatbot

What I love about these twin events is that they are bottling the abundant raw creativity and talent in the South Bay food and fashion scenes, and unleashing them in unused spaces. This is all happening in San Pedro Square which is bustling nicely and very hip on its own. Still I think the influx of commercial energy that is coming to the vacant shells that were Spiedo and Tied House will be transformative. This is a formula that begs to be repeated. The beauty is this guerrilla art-ification can happen anywhere. But only in San Jose.


San Jose Made

San Jose Made LogoVendor Faire
Saturday, April 2 · 12:00pm – 8:00pm
San Jose, CA
151 W. Santa Clara Street
65 N. San Pedro Street
San Jose, CA
http://www.sanjosemade.com/

SJ Eats

SJ Eats LogoA Moveable Feast
Saturday, April 2 · 11:30am – 9:00pm
Fallon House Parking Lot
Almaden Av and Saint John St
San Jose, CA
http://www.sanjosemade.com/sjeats/

Leave Milpitas…Alone!

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

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Rooster T. Feathers is the award-winning comedy club on El Camino Real in Sunnyvale. It’s been there for 30 years. I used to go quite a bit and always had a great time there, but for some reason I hadn’t been in over ten years. It’s been obvious that Rooster’s deserves some time and space in this blog because it’s one of the exceptionally unique venues on El Camino. Happily this month brings not one, but two opportunities to make that happen.

CIMG0091From out of the blue a friend, Charles Ellis, sent me an invitation on Facebook to attend his stand-up comedy debut at Rooster’s on Wednesday, February 16. His comic aspirations were news to me; I knew him because he was my barber. This was just the kick I needed to get back to Rooster’s. Most Wednesdays they hold a New Talent Showcase, voted Best Open Mic Night in the 2010 Metro Newspaper Reader’s Poll. I headed over after work and ordered a Calistoga sparkling water and some chips and salsa to satisfy my two-item minimum.

My friend assumed the stage name “Charles Goodnight” and appeared in a lineup of over a dozen funnymen (and woman) ranging from rank rookies to seasoned pros. Charles did a good job for his first time out, striking an edgy attitude and delivering a mostly improvised stream-of-consciousness set about observations and personal topics. He radiated a lot of confidence and presence and got a positive response from the audience which was supportive of everybody. My constructive criticism to him afterwards is that the routine lacked a steady flow of coherent content; he would start a thought then abandon it. I recommended he keep wood-shedding, writing material ahead of time and sticking to it. He shared with me his plans to keep doing comedy, so I think preparation and practice is his key to continued growth and success.

Leaving MilpitasThat was February 16. Exactly one week later, February 23—three days away as I write this—there’s another show at Rooster’s I look forward to seeing. Local DJ and comic Sandy Stec is headlining there, performing for the first time a one-woman show startlingly called, “Leaving Milpitas.”  Her story is compelling. A couple years ago a relationship went sour and ended up driving her so deep into debt she had to move back in with her parents in Milpitas, where she grew up. She feels stuck now, not fully living her adult life and longing for her own space. This is an inner purgatory she’s trapped in but she is using the city of Milpitas as an allegory for her torment. Her new blog, LeavingMilpitas.com, is a tongue-in-cheek account of her gripes. She set a goal to save up $10,000 towards moving out by May 26, 2011, her 30th birthday.


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Stec has released some Leaving Milpitas web videos which are very funny, and has developed the standup routine she’s debuting Wednesday. I’m looking forward to the show but I’m nervous too.  I’m afraid I might get defensive. In her videos she pokes fun of Milpitas’ shortcomings—the famous smell, the lack of night life, and general status as the butt of much Bay Area teasing. I don’t live in Milpitas but I work there and spend a lot of time there and even blog about it, so I’ve grown to identify with the city quite a bit. At last week’s show at Rooster’s the headliner coincidentally happened to poke fun at both Milpitas and Hayward (where I tweened and teened) and managed to tick me off. Up your nose, Jack; it’s an East Bay thang, you wouldn’t understand. The difference though is that that guy was from San Francisco, an outsider. Sandy’s an insider so when she laments that Kohl’s is the only place open late enough for her and her girlfriends to hang out, I know it’s coming from a loving place.

It promises to be a memorable show. Tina Allen Gallo is hosting and Joe Klocek is featured. You should call or visit the Rooster T. Feathers web site for tickets before they sell out. Expect a lively caravan of friends, family, and fans to trek down SR-237 from Milpitas to El Camino Real Wednesday night. Milpitians will be in the house, ready to support their own and able to take a joke.  We know Milpitas is a great place to live, and when Sandy reaches her goal and moves out it will still be a great place for her to visit.


Sandy Stec: Leaving Milpitas

Wednesday Feb 23, 2011 8:00 PM
With Special Guest Joe Klocek from Comedy Central and Tina Allen Gallo
Reserved Seating $12.00
Rooster T. Feathers
157 W. El Camino Real
Sunnyvale, CA 94087
Info & Reservation Line: (408) 736-0921
http://www.roostertfeathers.com/

El Camino Real Derby

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Turf Race at Golden Gate Fields

Saturday, February 12, 2011 was the 30th running of the El Camino Real Derby, a 1 1/8-mile grade 3 horse race for three-year-old thoroughbreds. This race has been held at scenic Golden Gate Fields in Berkeley for the past three years, but it originated at historic Bay Meadows in San Mateo, just off El Camino Real. Bay Meadows closed for racing in 2008.

This year’s derby was an exciting one. The winner, Silver Medallion, trailed in fourth place on the far side before coming from behind in the final furlong in a dramatic upset, paying $15 on his 1:50.45 time. Early favorite Comma to the Top floated him wide but failed to answer the challenge as Silver Medallion mounted an impressive drive, scoring 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Jakesam who flattened against the inside rail but held on along with Positive Response to finish in the money. I have no idea what I just said but a secret fantasy of mine is to learn to speak horse-racing-ese. It’s way cooler than pirate. Watch the entire race below:


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This was Silver Medallion’s second and biggest win, earning $120,000 out of the total $200,000 purse for owner Michael J. Ryan. His trainer is Steve Asmussen. His jockey, though, is no stranger to the El Camino Real Derby winner’s circle. Saturday he was ridden by the great Russell Baze, who has won this event eight times, more than any other rider by far. He is in fact the winningest jockey in North American history—11,000 victories and counting—and an inductee in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

Silver Medallion, Russell Baze

The El Camino Real Derby is aptly named after the Royal Road because the derby is on the path to the coveted Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Past El Camino winners have gone on to win one Kentucky Derby, five Preakness Stakes, and one Belmont Stakes. Silver Medallion is off to a great start. Let’s see if he can continue to bring in the gold.

Sweet Memories

Monday, January 24th, 2011

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You should probably know something about me: I have a big sweet tooth. I love sugary treats like candy, ice cream, cookies, and cakes. It stands to reason then that I love sweet shops, especially the old-fashioned kind with displays of hand-dipped chocolates, bins of bulk gummies, shelves of packaged novelties, and a freezer full of rich flavored ice creams. Whenever I pass a place like this my sugar sense starts tingling. That’s exactly what happened when I first saw Sweet Memories Confectionery in Millbrae out the bus window on my transit trip down El Camino Real last year. I saw that big pink-and-white sign, my heart skipped a beat, and I knew I was going to be back.

It took a few months but I finally got my chance. On Saturday, December 11, 2010 Sweet Memories  celebrated their first anniversary. It was not a hard sell to convince my family to make the trip up to check it out. I had them at “ice cream.” As it so happened that was the same day of the Wreaths Across America ceremony at Golden Gate National Cemetery in San Bruno, not at all far from Millbrae. We had two excellent reasons to head deep into San Mateo County, so off we went.

Sweet Confections put a flyer and coupon up on their Facebook page which I printed out. We drove up and easily found the spot at 1395 El Camino Real. I’m still learning the ropes of this blogging gig and one thing I always have trouble with is interviewing people at the places I visit. How do I introduce myself? What probing and insightful questions can I ask? How do I get these folks to take time from their busy day to answer my questions, especially the ones that fall short of being probing and insightful? All these anxieties were gripping my mind as I approached the woman behind the counter at Sweet Memories, but happily I needn’t have worried because the woman was Elsie.

CIMG0773Elsie is a delightful lady with a warm smile and chatty disposition. I think I got as far as saying, “hello,” then off she went, giving me a rundown on the anniversary celebration, the variety of treats available, and the history of the business. I told you it was their first anniversary, but as Elsie explained to me, that’s not the whole story. The sweet shop has been at that location for 78 years and is a Millbrae institution. It began as Shaw’s, then changed names to Sweet Charlotte, then Charlotte Confections, then West Coast Confections. In 2009 it changed owners and changed its name again to Sweet Memories, hence the one-year anniversary. This also explains the big “Shaws Plaza” sign out front, an immutable reference to the original business. Elsie herself has been there for fourteen years. As generous as she was with her information, bless her heart she was too shy to let me take her picture. The best visual I can offer you is this one. You get the idea. Pun fully intended, she’s a real sweetheart.

The earlier incarnations of the business used to make candy on premises but currently they do not, instead retailing premium treats from vendors local and away. Examples include Jelly Bellies from Fairfield, fudge from Z. Cioccolato in San Francisco, and gorgeous jewel-toned ribbon candy from Hammond’s in Denver.

CIMG0770The big draw of the anniversary celebration was $2 single-scoop sundaes. We each had one. Elsie served me mine with peppermint stick ice cream covered with hot fudge. And whipped cream. And a cherry. Heaven. Afterwards we lingered, tasting various fudges and picking out some holiday gifts for friends and family and (forgive us) a little something for ourselves.

Sweet Memories is a happy place, bright and shiny with tables laid out in front of big floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a perfect spot for kids from Capuchino High School around the corner to congregate, or for generations of Millbraeners to bring their kids just like their parents brought them, or for anybody to just sit and destress and watch El Camino roll by. Sweet Memories offers free wi-fi too so it’s even great for bloggers. Especially bloggers with a sweet tooth.

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Merry Christmas

Saturday, December 25th, 2010

Christmas in the Park

Our family tradition for Christmas Eve is to enjoy Chinese food at P. F. Chang’s downtown San Jose and stroll through Christmas in the Park before heading home for last-minute preparations and a longish winter’s nap. Last night was no exception, though there were little differences. We hit Christmas in the Park first to beat any bad weather (we needn’t have worried, it was a beautiful evening). DessertI always buy a wad of raffle tickets and fail to win a mountain bike, but this year they had no raffle! Flabbergasting! At P. F. Chang’s I usually opt for one of their mini desserts, but this year I…went in a different direction.

Everything evolves but the light in the heart never changes. It was a magical night. We wish you a very Merry Christmas full of all the joys of the season!

Season's Greetings 2010

El Camino Calendar

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

CIMG0623

Not too much on the El Camino radar this weekend. I even had a couple last-minute cancellations. I have every confidence you’ll find ways to keep yourselves occupied. I hope it involves the indoors; this weekend is supposed to be a wet one. Don’t forget to check out the El Camino Calendars page for a list of venues all up and down El Camino Real which always have a variety of activities going on.


DIY Art: Festive Family Fun

Saturday, December 18, 2010
12 — 3 pm

Free with Museum admission

Celebrate the season of lights by using LEDs to make a high-tech holiday decoration. Bring the whole family for festive art-making. Art materials will be provided.

San Jose Museum of Art
110 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113

http://www.sanjosemuseumofart.org/event/diy-art-festive-family-fun-0


Brandi Chastain: a Tribute to a Champion

Special screening
Thursday Dec. 16th
7-8 p.m.
Mayer Theater
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053
Admission is free
http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=0cdde11b432388f981bc17c08&id=2b1715b28e&e=7a1612bc64