It's taken a while to get around to this post, and I think it's tied to digestion. The lovely Dr. Cheese and I made a Memorial Day weekend trip to San Francisco, and we ate. A lot. Oh sure. We wandered the streets at 4:30 AM. We rode a cable car. We went to the Mission for Carnaval. We saw a brass band and a bunch of burlesque dancers. We stayed in a cute little hotel with a wine reception every night. But mostly, we ate.

I haven't lived in SF for almost 10 years, now, and I'd almost forgotten just how many restaurants are packed in there. Unlike LA, which has its share of crappy burger joints and skanky taco shacks sprinkled in the mix, almost everything is SF is at least marginally good, and much of it is awesome. The highlight of the weekend, I think , was introducing the Cheese to Taiyaki, red bean-filled, oddly fish-shaped waffles. Leave it to the Japanese to innovate in my absence--the place in Japantown that sells 'em now offers chocolate and chocolate-banana, as well. Good times.