Clairey does San Francisco

My final week - now suffering mild panic attacks about going home and leaving all the wonderful and lightly strange people I have met. Reality is looming like Damocles' sword. Every moment now seems sacred, can't be wasted. This week i have been celebrating San Francisco's infamous cuisine!

American dinners have long held a fascination for me, despite my feelings about fast and deep fried food. So often the diner features in the party aftermath in american movies and as a result, to my slightly warped mind, has as a vaguely glamourous quality. A place where  the evening's events are dissected and plans are hatched. It was always going to feature in my itinerary at some stage and Monday night was the night.  Jonny Rockets American diner. I was in heaven. Cookies and cream milkshake (can someone please explain the difference between a shake and a malt - I just don't get it) , with a tuna and cheese melted sandwich (with etc gherkins - this is the funniest word out here - say gherkin and everyone thinks you're hilarious - amazing) and of course fries. By the end of my binge I had enough grease on my face to lubricate a small lorry. I swear my cheeks instantly swelled to twice the size.

But not to worry, the Mexican quesadillas the following night soon set me straight - this is basically cheese toasty with no toast and extra cheese. delicious, and so fabulously slimming which is excellent seeing as next week is the impending bikini week!

It was Eugenie's final stache-o-thon on Tuesday (yep it's a stache here rather than a tache) Fortunately make-up artist Marissa was on hand giving stache makeovers. 826 Valencia has raised a fair bit of money with this event thanks to Eugenie's hard work - am always so impressed by people who can motivate others to do silly stuff like growing a moustache -  and organising events. This girl makes stuff happen. In fact, such was the draw of this event that even the illusive Mr. Hum showed up - and that is really saying something.

Wednesday night I discovered Nacho cheese... it's a bit like toe cheese but you keep wanting more. There is absolutely nothing right about a "cheese" with a consistency like mayo, that tastes a bit like smelly sneakers.  oh yeah and it's hot. Needless to say, I succumbed  to the sheer might of the MSG and ate a lot of cheese dipped nachos. a lot. and that was after 3 pints of keg beer and a barrel (literally) of popcorn. But wait - there is an excuse - I was at the Oakland A's match. My very first baseball game. It was too fun.

How extraordinary that what is basically rounders played by grown men in plus four style trousers and tights should become a national sport. Much like rounders, no one seems particularly interested, but unlike rounders there is really little incentive, if any, to actually hit the ball. In fact, every time any one did manage to connect bat with ball they were caught out. Of course I loved it all the same. "We" won  - so all was well.

Tonight also promises great things - will have to get back to you......