News - Bay to Breakers loses its sponsor

The day after I made my final Bay to Breakers photos post I have discovered that Bay to Breakers sponsor ING, a dutch global financial services company, has turned its back on Bay to Breakers. Click here to see the SFGate mention of this.

Apparently the event has caused too much bad press. Fair enough.

That means the run and the preceding costumes and booze craziness may not get to celebrate its 100-year anniversary next year.

Do you think it will still happen? I hope so, for the sake of San Francisco traditions.

Style + Photos: Bay to Breakers (part 3)

Tired of Bay to Breakers photos yet?

Of course not. This is the last B2B photos post.

Just had to share some only in San Francisco images.

Alamo Square.

This photo might not be as awesome

without the "freshly cut meat" sign.

So much compassion.

When in doubt for a Bay to Breakers costume, go with colored spandex.

Is Bay to Breakers the only day you can get away with this?

Propeller head mom.

He was part of a Tool Academy group.

Tutus - another street party costume staple. Please notice Whitney's boat shoes.

She was happy to pose for me.

Quite the complete outfit.

This definitely does not fit into the "only in San Francisco" category.

Style + Photos — Bay to Breakers trends (part 2)

Bay to Breakers RAWR trend:

animal prints and fabrics

I was going to be a peacock this year for Bay to Breakers (and I saw quite a few), but changed my mind when I realized how chilly it was going to be, especially compared to last year's scorching weather. I raided my roommates closet and borrowed her golden zebra leggings and a psychedelic top. I also threw on mittens and my panda hat I bought at a Chinatown in Japan (yep) a few months ago.

I was warm ... and ... hideous...

Panda hat side note: I was not aware that SF Giants third baseman Pablo Sandoval, nicknamed "Kung Foo Panda," has inspired tons of fans to own panda hats. The hats were out in full force at B2B. So much for wearing a unique hat.

Likely due to what I was wearing,

I couldn't stop noticing all the fur and animal prints.

Here are some of my favorites.

Tiger power stance.

This bunny was swinging his leg back and forth.

Pink bunny #1.

Pink bunny #2.

Fur booties.

And the animal prints.

And the hats:

This guy gets bonus points for his neon colors.

Brett in his panda hat. Plus a mustache leftover from our "ocho de Mayo" party.

More animal hats.

Big bird?

Style + Photos — Bay to Breakers costumes (part 1)

Just in case you haven't already heard, the 99th annual ING Bay to Breakers was last Sunday. Just a few of the hundreds of photos I snapped will be featured in a series of blog posts.

This first one focuses on some of super amazing and creative costumes we spotted.

B2B attire that is perhaps the most

famous is wearing nothing at all.

Here was a creative spin on the birthday suit,

captured in front of the painted ladies in Alamo Square.

Each one of these ladies (their group was much bigger)

was a different Mr. Sketch scented markers color.

You know, it's the markers that smelt so good you ended up with marks on your nose.

Turtle power.

Smurfs.

One of my favorites...

Lady Gaga bubble outfit.

She hot glued clear plastic ornaments together.

Synchronized swimmers.

Tiger Woods and fans.

Rainbow full body suit. Of course.

BP worker.

Her sticker is of Sarah Palin and says "Drill Baby Drill!"

More B2B photos and posts to come.

Travel + Style — Inside Sausalito’s Yellow Ferry

Houseboat fans unite.

Here's some photos from Sausalito's famous yellow ferry, which few get to see inside.

Briefly, here's how I got to see the extraordinary interior.

Some influential architects (below) came to Sausalito from China recently to study the community’s distinctive houseboats and floating homes. They’ll use Sausalito as a model for a huge waterfront development in Shandong, China. I wrote about their visit for Marinscope Newspapers (click here to see it) and then we gave the site Buoyant Life permission to publish it.

Their elaborate visit to Sausalito (unfortunately the sea plane tour was cancelled due to weather) included a stop at the Yellow Ferry Dock, where they met with the dock owner Chris Tellis, inside his historic yellow ferry, the S.S. City of Seattle.

The yellow ferry is one of the oldest houseboats in Sausalito — originally built in 1888, it was the first ferry boat in the Puget Sound. Tellis has done some amazing work on the boat, which he lives on (it’s divided up for different family members).

Tellis spoke to the architects about the history of Sausalito houseboats. He has designed quite a few, including the area's first green houseboat, and has big plans for the dock he owns and operates. If the architects get the gig they want in China, they will use Tellis as a consultant.

Now here's some photos of the ferry interior:

(The above right photo shows a couch swing. Sweet idea for a home on the water.)

The decor in the ferry is bohemian and inviting, but the half with lots of books and bookshelves was the coziest.

Chris Tellis (left) gives his presentation to the architects from China.

One of the newest parts of the ferry, a sunroom with a view of Mount Tamalpais.

The living spaces make excellent use of large window and doors that open to decks.

My favorite feature is below. Chris Tellis put a motor on this dock, equipped with a sound system and heaters. He hosts dinner parties on the small dock, driving it to the middle of the bay.

Most of the photos are courtesy of Photography by Privette.

Food — Beyond Cornbread

The Pica Pica Maize Kitchen opens in San Francisco’s Mission District this Friday.

At a media preview last week I tasted samples of the Venezuelan kitchen’s three different maize (corn) breads (patrons have 10 fillings to chose from) and sangria (it’s licensed for beer and wine).

Here's the sample platter we ate:

My big winner was the cachapa pabellón — it’s a sweet yellow corn pancake with shredded skirt steak, sweet plantains, black beans and cheese. (I stole the below pabellón image from their menu.)

The “maize’wich,” grilled sweet cornbread, with ham and cheese (Clásica) could be considered a far superior cousin to the grilled cheese. (I also stole the below photo.)

The arepa, the third bread on the menu, wasn't nearly as flavorful as its two sisters. The grilled corn flour flatbread tasted dry and is probably most dependent on a wise filling choice. Of course my inner fat kid tells me it would be best with something spicy or greasy.

Co-owner Adriana Lopéz Vermut said the kitchen was a spin on traditional Venezuelan arepas, 24-hour street food spots that offer arepas (flatbread sandwiches) and beyond. Adriana, her father Leopoldo Lopéz Gil, and Luis Sosa opened the first Pica Pica Maize Kitchen in Napa in January 2008. Below, Adriana (far left) speaks to food samplers at a Pica Pica preview night last week in the Mission.

Adriana told my friend and me that to Americanize the food they offer six different salsas ranging from garlic and olive oil aioli to a signature hot sauce (Pica’Pun).

They remodeled their small corner space in the Mission in a hurry once they found it, Adriana said. Large operable windows should make it a favorable food stop during sunny and warm weather. You can see all the sunlight filling the space in the above photo (many occupants kept their sunglasses on for the event). I'm a huge fan of ample daylighting.

Everything is wheat and gluten free.

Prices range from $7.99 to $8.99 for the filled maize bread. Menu also includes empanadas ($3.99), soups ($3.99-$5.75) and a house salad ($3.99).

The new eatery is located at 401 Valencia Street (at 15th Street). For more info, call (415) 400-5453 or visit http://www.picapicakitchen.com.

Travel — We Are Golden

Two years ago my best friend and I reached road trip euphoria.

We shared the driving. I did most of the filming.

We left Boise, Idaho in May 2008 and over the course of six weeks went to Buckley (Washington), the San Juan Islands, Seattle, the Oregon Coast, Chico, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Catalina Island, San Clemente, Las Vegas and Reno. At each destination we stayed with a friend or relative.

Music - "We are Golden" by Mika