Dirty Martini Society

The Bike Kitchen: Ingredients for the SF Bike Enthusiast

So it's been two months since the "Big Move" to SF. These first eight weeks I enjoyed catching up with various DMS members for drinks, dinners, and wandering about the city. Taxis were the the main choice of transportation besides walking, and soon it began to add up. As with most of the world the past couple of months (or maybe a year now) has been an economic rollercoaster. With that in mind I set out to find other modes of transportation that didn't involve gas or a never-ending meter. Enter the Bike Kitchen. SF is full of bikers, some friendly, some not so friendly. On a sunny day I would secretly wish I was one of those care free souls biking to Dolores Park to lounge the day away. However, being young, broke, and fabulous there was absolutely no money in my budget for a bike...(happy hour is important ok!) That's when I decided to check out the Bike Kitchen. The BK is a co-op shop in the Mission that allows you to work on your bike using donated tools and assistance from volunteer staff members. If you decide to volunteer you can earn a year long membership after completing 6 hours of service. Once you hit 12 hours of service you earn "digging rights." This allows you to build a bike from donated spare parts in the shop for $30! I couldn't pass up this deal, so last week I signed up as a volunteer and in the next week or so will start to work on a bike I've already named Le Femme Nikita. Soon I'll be riding to Happy Hours around the city in style and getting awesome cardio in.

A Milkshake to Wash Away the day

After a particularly busy day at the office I arrived back at my flat in the Mission to a minor heat wave. A gallon of water and a half-read copy of Vogue later I decided to venture out into my neighborhood for some good comfort food. Tacquerias were out of the question as I feel like burritos have become a staple since moving to the new place exactly two months ago today. Chinese food sounded equally ungratifying, and as I rounded the corner of 24th and Bryant I rememberd that my favorite little brunch place was open on weekdays as well. St. Francis Fountain, San Francisco's oldest ice cream parlor (est. 1918), is a great place to get a Guinness Ice Cream float along with a classic burger and fries. Admittedly, until yesterday I was only a brunch regular ordering the My Chef Jess and sipping a Manzanita (apple juice and champagne...yum!). However, it's pretty obvious that I'll be dining there on the regular for both dinner and brunch.

SF or Bust Baby!

Have you missed the DMS? No where to go on the weekends and need suggestions? Well not to fear cause the DMS has moved....to SAN FRANCISCO. Now we can bring you the hottest spots, openings, and events going down in the city by the Bay each week.

Feels good to be back!

Re-mixing the Pomegranate Martini

In search of a signature cocktail to start the year off right I decided to begin my adventure at the Sunday Farmer’s Market. Wandering around the vast tents of fruit vendors my mind went over all the possible concoctions I could experiment with. Just then my sights settled on the pomegranate stand. Thinking they would be out of season soon I grabbed a mini armload and transported safely back to my homegrown laboratory. What I came up with was a very interesting version of what many consider to be a pomegranate martini.

• 4 Parts Vodka (preferably Grey Goose, but Stoli works as well)
• 1 Part Simple Syrup
• 1 Part Triple Sec
• 3 Parts fresh pomegranate juice
• Shaken over ice
• Pour into a highball glass (martini glass works as well)
• Garnish with pomegranate seeds

This may be a little strong to the taste (DMS members tends to like’em strong), so feel free to play around the ingredients. I haven’t come up with a name for this cocktail as of yet, but my working name is the Pomegranate Cosmo.

Where have you been?

Yeah, I know, no post since the Treasure Island Music Festival. For Shame. Well the good news is that the DMS is back from a lengthy vacation, and ready for the new year. Upcoming we got a long overdue shout out for Dirty Sue, an olive juice product, that spices up any cold martini. Also, we are unveiling a new section entitled "From College to Couture," in which we show you how to take your post college wardrobe from Hoodie to Houndstooth and not break the bank.

It's good to be back.

Walking the Plank @ Treasure Island Music Festival

Imagine sitting on the grass with a gentle breeze blowing while you listen to Antibalas. How about dancing your blues away while Hot Chip gets you "Ready for the Floor." These thoughts race in my head while I sit at my desk on this typical Tuesday.

This weekend was the 2 annual Treasure Island Music Festival and the DMS crew was in full effect. Because of the amazing Saturday lineup (Hot Chip, Justice, CSS, TV on the Radio...just to name a few) we headed over to the island around 1:45. We missed Aesop Rock, but our disappointment was short lived as the rest of the festival was perfectly sized and musically abundant. The highlights of the day were TV on the Radio and Hot Chip, whose performances pretty much rocked from start to finish.

4:40 on a Friday

Happy Hour is in fact not just an hour, but a block of time set ahead for people to unwind after a hard day's work. Friday, I decided to visit some the SF DMS members for a little fun.

The decided spot was 440 Castro. Formerly Daddy's, Happy Hour at 440 is now a DMS favorite. Chill environment, a wide variety of cute guys (scruffy rugby types and 9-5 financial districts suits just to name a few), and bartenders that know how to pour a nice stiff Grey Goose Tonic. The music was definitely a highlight. Not sure who was the DJ but there was a perfect mix between 80's pop/R&B/Top 40. After a couple of hours there we all departed for our various Friday night plans, but decided that 440 for Happy Hour needs to become a staple.

Boulevard of Broken Dreams: Vietnam

After navigating their way through Vietnam the past couple of weeks the JetSetZero field team reaches a crossroads; stay in Vietnam or head for another country.

read more | digg story

Brideshead Revisited: Worth the Stay?

The end of summer has brought houseparties, birthdays, bbqs, and outdoor festivals. Sadly the bartender has been crazy busy being a social butterfly to update. But alas I bring you my thoughts on the movie Brideshead Revisited.

Not a hugely popular film in my various circles, but luckily there was one DMS member that loves English films as much as I do and we made a night of it. After dining at a nameless one star restaurant...yes that bad (we were in a hurry), we made it to the theater just in time to catch the opening. The English countryside looked amazing as it served as the main backdrop for this 1920's drama with a very talented cast. Emma Thompson commanded the screen as the film's matriarch, Lady Marchmain, and served her post faithfully til the very end. There was a perfect mix of intrigue, sexual tension, and of course catholic guilt. Though it seemed slow and almost painfully dull in some parts I would suggest checking out Brideshead Revisited...but not as a Friday night movie.

All Aboard the Pineapple Express!

Back from a little digital vacay with a review of "Pineapple Express." First impression: complete and utter stoner movie. If you hate stoner humor in any way, shape, or form, then you will not find this movie funny in the least bit. That being said, the DMS crew and myself LOVED IT! After seeing the trailer a couple of months ago I knew that I would be in a theater opening night watching this movie. My main interest was across seeing Seth Rogen and James Franco on screen together after their Freak and Geeks days.

After suffering through sold out theaters using Fandango we were finally able to score tickets through some other website I hadn't heard about. We get to the theater and of course it's a complete madhouse. The DMS kids and I snag the last 5 seats together and settled down to witness the greatness. Awesome one-liners, a little bromance, and a plot that seemed as clueless as the actors managed to make a movie that I wouldn't mind owning. I didn't think the subplots were all that great, and could have been edited in my opinion. However, there was another great gem in the movie...

Rosie Perez

That is all

Tea is the new cocktail!

Well not exactly the new cocktail...I've realized that unfortunately a Grey Goose Martini w/a twist cannot be consumed every time the urge hits (you can, but there is a word for that:), so that prompted me to hunt for the next best thing. I present to you Teavana. This little slice of heaven provides the public with "Teaologists" who seem to have vast knowledge of how tea works. Since my first visit I have become midly obessed with all things tea. Specializing in only loose tea, Teavana offers regular teas as well as highly creative blended teas. Current DMS favorites include their "Earl Grey Creme" and "MateVana" blends. So find your nearest Teavana and pop in for sample! It's not a martini, but it does help move the day along.

Mamma Mia Mania!!!

*Disclaimer: If you don't like Abba, the original play, or actors who weren't born to sing, then this isn't for you*

Otherwise I saw grab your besties and sing your heart out to Mamma Mia. Thanks to a dedicated DMS crew member we were able to get a private screening of the movie. From the very beginning to the credits there was never a dull movie as each scene was sprinkled with a little Abba, some hot guys, and amazing scenery. I refuse to spoil any of the scenes, so take my word for it and be a dancing queen of the theater for one evening.

The Happening: Nature is pissed!

Everyone knows that I'm a huge horror film buff, so when I heard about M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening" I knew I would be front and center for a decent thriller. What I got instead was a mild heart attack. With most recent thrillers the villain is usually a deranged butcher, a creature from another world, or someone you know. However, 10 minutes into this movie there were still no clues as to what was causing the chaos.

The rest of the movie seems like a warped psych study on mass societal hysteria combined with gruesome suicides that seemed to happen every second. I would get into the storyline of the main characters, but it would be pointless seeing as how the movie could have had the same disturbing effect without them. What happens when there are no answers, only mass suicides?

Activate the Cone of Silence!: Get Smart

Originally, I wanted to wait til this movie came out on DVD, but couldn't pass up a late night showing with a couple of DMS members. Dark and Stormy cocktails in hand, we sat in a near empty AMC to catch Get Smart: The Movie. Though it is definitely not Oscar worthy, Get Smart offers enough funny moments and scenes with The Rock a.k.a Dwayne Johnson (Agent 23) that I was very content. Ann Hathaway pulls off a surprisingly sexy Agent 99, although her attraction to Agent 86 (Steve Carell) was a bit far fetched. Overall, it was an entertaining movie and you should certainly queue it up on your netflix when it hits DVD

The Evolution of Friendship

While grabbing drinks at the Midnight Sun on Castro a friend and I were catching up and updating each other on friends we hadn't seen in weeks. It was weird because 2 years ago my group of friends and I were attached at the hip; a constant fixture in each others lives. However, that has started to change. In reality it is no ones fault because our own personal lives have taken different paths and hanging out isn't as feasible. This seemingly unavoidable distance got me thinking about how friendships evolve and the various places in your life they seem to settle.

For example, your friends in high school are with you through your angsty teen years; trying to figure out who you are in relation to your other peers. Most times than not these friends do not last past high school graduation unless you all go to same college or live in the same region. Then there are the people you meet in college. While still trying to figure out who you are in relation to the rest of the world these people are there with you; partying til the wee hours, cramming for exams, and wading through endless bad relationships. These friends tend to follow you after your college career into the real world. This is where things get a little hairy. As much as you want to hang out with your best buds every weekend and lament about work, life starts to happen. New relationships, new friends, engagements, work stress, etc start to seep into our daily lives and we found ourselves trying to stay afloat. When life starts to happen how can you preserve the friendships of those who mean most of you? Will this evolution be smooth or will there be some friendships that can't adapt thus rendering them extinct?

J-Hud's New Video

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Jennifer Hudson's new single "Spotlight" is a DMS favorite. In addition to the song be sure to check out Ms. Hudson's amazing fashion choices!

Duffy...Total DMS obsession

Here's Duffy performing my favorite song "Stepping Stone" from her album "Rockferry." I came across Duffy at 4am one night while watching MTV. Fighting insomnia I watched her video "Mercy," and was instantly hooked. Her raw, scratchy delivery of notes as she belts about lost love, the need for attention, and refusing to settle for anything less than stellar stirred up my own emotions as I listened to her album on repeat time after time. I've had the album for about a month now and each time I'm feel as if it's 4am and I have no clue who this amazing singer is. Fav tracks to check out are "Warwick Avenue," "Stepping Stone," "Rockferry," and of course "Mercy."

Disco's "Bad Girl" is Back!

As an early birthday gift I received Donna Summer's new album "Crayons." I heard the first track "Stamp your feet" over the weekend and while I was happy that the disco queen was back in action the single failed to impress me. However, I am happy to say that the rest of the album is a definite DMS keeper. Sip mojitos and get lost in her latin fused song "Drivin' to Brazil," or preparty with friends and jagerbombs while dancing to "I'm a fire." I'm sure that I will hear more of this album as Pride month gets well under way. So take a chance and color outside the lines with "Crayons." How long has it been since you colored? ;)

M-Dolla sells her Hard Candy.

I held out as long as possible. After hearing "4 Minutes" over and over in the SF Clubs and radio I was highly opposed to reviewing the entire album, but a free copy fell into my clutches so I figured why not! If you like Confessions on the Dance Floor, then Hard Candy is a nice follow up. Madonna or "M-Dolla" pairs up with Timbaland for a beat heavy 12 track cd which for the most part is fun to dance to. For the hardcore fans I recommend checking out the track "Incredible," as it had me table dancing at a recent birthday party. Overall, Hard Candy is a strong album, but falls short of a DMS endorsement. Don't get me wrong, we love Madonna, but Hard Candy is a sweet reminder that home girl can always sell an album even if the material is a bit over the top and lacking in originality.

DMS Movie: Sex and the City!!

Last night the boys and I catwalked our way into the SATC midnight showing. With my large black carnation pinned ever so fabulous on my sand colored cotton blazer we grab seats and prepared to see our girls for once last bang!

For the occasion we decide to sample Sterling Vineyards 2004 Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon. Like the movie it was full bodied, smoky, and a definite DMS favorite.

As for the movie, I refuse to release any spoilers, but will say that if you are a true die hard fan this movie lives up to the show. It's an emotional roller coaster to say the least, and my only critique was that the 2 hr and 15 minute run time could have been cut by a couple of scenes.

The fashion throughout the film kept me gasping and gripping my seat. Half way through I decided that this was my "Indiana Jones" moment. It had been 4 years since the end of the show, and despite the fact that the series is on constant repeat in my dvd player I was aching to see what the fierce foursome had been up to. Last night I got my wish along with a theater full of hopeless romantics.

I would recommend seeing this movie with a gaggle of your best friends along with a nice bottle of vino because let's face it...everyone loves being young, fashionable, and fabulous!