David Hockney

Got some culture over the past couple of weeks.  Brother and sis-in-law were in town, and we embarked on an epic dining adventure spanning a full 6 days.

One of the dining experiences was at Commis, a Michelin starred restaurant. Don't get me wrong - the food was good.  But it wasn't $85/person (after gratuity, turn that into an easy $100) for 8 courses, served over 2.5 hours.  Also, the portion sizes were ... small. Since this is my second experience dining at these types of places (first being Corazon del Tierra, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico), I think that I just don't really gush over these.  The platings were fabulous, some of the courses were excellent, as in, please give me 10 more of these. And the service was like watching synchronized swimming.  But really, if I pay $100 and want to go eat tacos afterwards because I'm still hungry, I'm a bit disappointed.

The hit of the trip was Tuba, a low-key Moroccan place tucked away on 23rd x Guerrero. Interspersed with a lot of oysters. I mean, A LOT.

Also, went to the De Young museum to see the David Hockney exhibit, which was fantastic. A lot of mixed media, including a series of paintings that he'd done on his ipad. Seriously awesome stuff.  His watercolors were great, and one of the "cubist" video series that is on display is great.  As a plus, Bulgari has an exhibit w/ a lot of Elizabeth Taylor's collection, a lot of which was purchased back by Bulgari after her death. Ostentatious, and quite gaudy, but who doesn't like staring at baubles?