Mason Jar Films

Bay Area Recommendations, Fresh Fish!!!

It is with great sadness that I leave this town and all it’s splendor.  But in order to ease my pain, I stopped by the Swan Oyster Depot for a late seafood breakfast.

Swan is a legendary establishment in the city, one of those slices of life that seem preserved from a time long gone.  Just walk in and sit down at the counter and the friendly staff will strike up a conversation and send a bowl of fresh clam chowder your way.

can they make it any better in Boston?

The salmon plate is $17.50 and half a dozen oysters will run you $12.00, but if you want to sample a variety of the mouth watering delicacies displayed in the window, they’re happy to give you half orders of each. 

fresh!!!

You can never arrive too early (before 11 unless you like multi-hour waits), and it’s never to early to have a fresh Anchor Steam.  They only take cash, so load up your wallet beforehand.  You can park outside and feed the meter ($0.25 = 10 minutes), or if you are cheap (like me) and need a little cardio, the neighborhoods two blocks to the west have free curbside parking IF you can find a spot.

jones

Bay Area Recommendations, Random San Francisco

I love this town. I could spend the summers here if not move here entirely. It's that wonderful. I wake up and it's 50 degrees out and I feel no need to hit the snooze. I'm ready to go.

Had to get moving this morning because the street sweeper was scheduled to scrub the curb where I was parked from 9-11 a.m., so I headed on over to the Haight with a bagful of dirty clothes hoping to do some laundry before my morning appointment. Fortune found me, as a laundry was three doors down from the Reverie coffee shop, and a parking spot opened for me like a drop of sunshine through the fog.

I had breakfast with San Francisco based destination photographer Ben Chrisman. Ben was voted as the Wedding Photojournalist of the Year in 2007, and I had the pleasure of meeting him at Huy Nguyen's Foundation Workshop in February of this year. If you are a San Francisco bride (or beyond) and need one of the world's most creative photographers, contact Ben - he'll take care of you.

The Bay Area offers a plethora of outdoor activities, so I ventured on over to the Golden Gate Bridge to take a little walk and soak up some sea.

If you're looking for the zenith of views of the city, continue past the overlook to the next exit and head to the Marin Headlands. You'll drive up winding roads and have your choice of lookout points, but I recommend that you wait until you get to the last respite where the tunnel is just ahead. The view is spectacular, and the fog practically rolls over you as you gaze upon the city below.

After winding my way back down to the 101, I decided to continue north to the Muir Woods.

For $5, you can hike all you want on trails that wind through one of the largest (if not the largest) Redwood preserves in the United States. It is truly a breathtaking display of nature...no wonder the Ewoks guarded it so vigorously.

Redwoods are approximately 2" across and 250' high

walking among giants

tree hugging - a rite of passage in California

Heading back into the city over the Golden Gate Bridge, you'll have to pay a $5 toll, not required when leaving the city. Always keep a pocketful of bills on ya when driving around the Bay Area.

Tonight I was blessed to be served dinner by a couple of past clients, Marianne and Ryan Esposto, who hired me to produce this documentary on Marianne's mother for her mother's extravagant birthday party last year:

Marianne is a certified French chef and owner of L'Atelier, trained at the Cordon Bleu Academy in Paris, and she always serves up a magnificent feast. Even little Lucas wanted a piece of the fellowship:

My point is this - The lady Margarita, featured at 18:02 in the film, passed away last month. Her expressions of her friendship and congratulations to Maly are made all the more poignant by the inability to hear such words from her in person anymore.

So for the videojournalists reading this, take great pride in what you do, for the value is eternal. And for those who hire videojournalists to document their lives - the value of the work produced is an inherent investment, so take care of the souls that do such an act of service for you.

It's been an amazing day - it hurts to leave tomorrow! But I'll not go without some fresh oysters, so stay tuned for that recommendation once I land back in Texas.

jones

Bay Are Recommendations, Napa

I'm a lucky fella - sometimes I just stumble into things.

My Pilates instructor Susan just happened to be in the Bay Area this week with her family and friends.  Today was guys day out in the Napa Valley, so I had the pleasure of meeting up with her husband, his father and brother, and their friend Daryl (none of whom I've ever met before - isn't that how many great adventures begin!).

Daryl was our team leader, having ventured out this way 7 times this year alone.  He's a member of a number of the wine clubs, and he was able to get us the v.i.p. treatment at a couple of wineries.

Of particular enjoyment was Rubicon, an estate that filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola has rebuilt after it's vineyards had been parceled out over the last 100 years.

the chateau where we were to sample the vintages

grapes and olives (foreground)

Coppola is quite the Renaissance Man - very hands on with the vineyards and winery - he didn't buy the estate just to have a side business - he actually lives on the property when he's not making movies and has his hands in all aspects of the production process.

Our guide, Stan, was rather extraordinary, engaging us with the history and taking us into underground caves and cellars to taste of the offerings.

Each barrel holds 60 gallons of wine (good for 300 bottles) and weighs 550 lbs.

In our tasting cellar, the bottles from 1936-1964 were off limits - only Coppola has the keys!

Our setup was exquisite - 5 wines and plenty of bread and cheese

Our tasting included a Rubicon from 1988, which, even considering the leftovers in my refrigerator, might be the oldest consumable I've ever ingested.  Other vintages included the 2005 Rubicon and the 2005 Cask Cabernet.

The highlight of my day was the Rubicon 1999 - If you've got a really special occasion in the near future, get a bottle - it's best wine that has ever crossed my palate.

I can't say enough about the experience that this estate provided - but remember, wine always tastes better when shared with friends - bring some old pals, or make some new ones and the fellowship will be oh-so-sweet!

Cheers!

jones