Dear <<First Name>>,
books and bikes and tacos
April just flew by and I nearly missed it! I had a quick trip to Portland, one to New Orleans and a stop on the way home in Chicago. As much as I love to go away it's nice to have lots of weekends at home to look forward to. Let me know if you want to take a bike ride with me....my newest plan is to arrange trips to northern California farms with stay overs at fabulous local places (like here and here and here). Want to come along? Email me.
While I've been out of touch stuff has happened. The JBF award winners were announced (that first article was written before the announcement...but it's mostly about my friend Alanna Taylor-Tobin so read it anyway) and there's nary a northern Californian on the list. The Barnraiser for OSBG is finished and they are funded. We can celebrate better food in the lower ninth ward now. And hopefully a real grocery store in their future.
We're a minute away from summer and I'm here for the duration, doing design and riding bikes. Plus it's house selling season, so I'm getting lots of calls on those retro permits. Ping me if you need me! And check out my little shop....cool stuff that I like and you might too.
Keep in touch,
Leslie
for a retro permit
for a restaurant design
for help with your online presence
james (and me)
The James Beard Award nominees for 2016 were announced yesterday and once again San Francisco and the Bay Area have made a proud showing. Below are links to our local nominees, but before I get to that, here is my own personal nominee in the cookbook/baking and the photography category for next year: Alanna Taylor-Tobin of Bojon Gourmet has created her first cookbook due out in September. read more
slide in to portland
Sometimes you really need to look down. This is what I found on a plaque on a Portland sidewalk:
We, the citizens of Oregon, recognizing that the future health and well-being of our state depends on the strength and diversity of its people, stand together to celebrate the uniqueness of cultures, lifestyles, ideas and abilities that unite us as a community.
Makes me feel a little better about some of the icky that's been floating around in these dis-united states of ours. I hope that once this election cycle finishes we can get back to being the actual United States. Portland was, however, a little slice of heaven and a break from all election coverage. And of course a lot of beer and food.
Three of us found an adorable place in the Burnside neighborhood of Portland called Slide Inn. Named after an inn owned by the chef's family when he was a child, Chef Eugen serves American and German cuisine focusing on (of course, this is Portland people!) locally sourced organic ingredients. read more
libraries are more than houses for books
In downtown San Rafael we have a couple of problems. Seemingly un-related problems. Depending on how you look at it, the first problem is homelessness (with a side of NIMBYism). You might not think that poverty and homelessness would be an issue in Marin County. You'd be wrong. Unfortunately for those that do fall into the economic cracks, there are few services that offer help. One of the organizations that exists to support the homeless and those in danger of becoming homeless, Ritter Center, lives in a swirl of controversy. Those that fall into the NIMBY court want to see it closed down or at the very least moved from downtown San Rafael (where it is conveniently located near transit, shops, etc). The rest of us wonder exactly how poverty and homelessness will be resolved by eliminating services or making them impossible to access. read more
exactly how do you tell your story?
There are an awful lot of choices out there for getting your message out. What works for one business won't be right at all for another. So here are a few thoughts you might take to bed with you tonight. See what bubbles to the surface in the morning. read more
who wants tacos?
Have you noticed all the Taco Bell chatter lately? Makes me a bit nostalgic. There was a Taco Bell next to my dorm at San Diego State all those years ago. In the light of day you'd never catch me there, but after midnight all bets were off. Sometime around 1am, when I was done (ahem) studying, those greasy little tacos called my name. read more
parti notes is...
a compilation of interesting, and hopefully enlightening, information about the worlds of architecture, design and food. My belief is that by sharing what intrigues us, the world we create will become that much more remarkable. If you'd like to expand your horizons, and get occasional tips on how to build your image and align your business, get me in your inbox.
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