Jack’s - La Jolla has hired Barry, Rob and I to perform some music on Fridays in the month of February. We performed there last Friday and they liked us! And we hope to be a mainstay every Friday night. (Note: Barry and I already had the swing band booked on February 17th, so we are committed to doing that)

Of course, you can always check my performance schedule for changes…

If you’re in the San Diego area this coming Friday, come by and say hello! Jack’s is a very happening place… it was really crowded last Friday!

if i didn’t know you
where would i be? Read more

I-Am-Asian.com: Here’s a cool site I learned about while listening to the Rice Bowl Journals podcast no. 2 (BOWLcast).

Just as the pioneer travelers of the Conestoga wagon days kept personal journals, I, as a pioneer space traveler, would do the same.
—-Christa McAuliffe

The other day, for no apparent reason, I suddenly felt an overwhelming sadness. I didn’t do much, didn’t have much energy… then I turned on the television and there on CNN was a story on Christa McAuliffe, and then I knew… Read more

If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian.
—-Paul McCartney

I wrote about Cilantro Live! before (see: Dining At Cilantro Live!) when I went there by myself for the first time to check it out. This time my wife took me, this time for a proper lunch (the last time, our dining experience was cut short by an emergency, so we had to leave early).

Sampler Platter from Cilantro Live!

The Cheeseburger Royale from Cilantro Live!

So, today was my birthday, and we finally sat down for lunch, had a nice window seat, and enjoyed a nice organic raw vegan meal without any disruptions. The food was heavenly… very fresh and full of flavor and texture!

This time I ordered the “Cheeseburger Royale” which came with a fairly large garden salad consisting of a light vinaigrette-type dressing that was very light and fresh. The actual veggie burger was totally raw:

Our house burger served on freshly prepared almond pulp/flax seed/buckwheat buns. The patty made of sun-dried tomatoes,flax seeds, red peppers, garlic & mushrooms. A layer of cashew cheese, all topped with ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and avocado.

My wife ordered what I ordered the first time I was at Cilantro, the “Sampler Platter”:

2 Nori rolls, 1 Spring roll, 1 Buenos Vida Wrap, 2 Raw-violis, 1 Mini Pizzzaza and Small House Salad

For desert we shared a scoop of raw vegan vanilla ice cream… heavenly, and tasted just like regular vanilla ice cream, even better… we couldn’t believe it was made with cashews!

Overall, Cilantro Live! is an awesome place to dine out for the vegan, and for anyone who wishes to try something a bit adventurous and different.

. . . .

Afterward we went to the theater and watched Woody Allen’s Match Point… excellent movie. If you love the UK and London in particular, you’ll love the fact that this movie was filmed there, with lots of great shots of the Thames River and the English Countryside… upper society living!

Barry Cohen asked me to play piano tonight at Jack’s in La Jolla from 6pm to 10pm. Wish me luck, folks… Either way, it’s always a blessing to be playing piano.

Update … The gig went well! Jack’s is a very classy, elegant restaurant. Read more