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Darryl Kalthof (1968-2019)

Darryl I just heard the news and I still can’t believe it.  Thank you for being my friend.  I’ll try to live my life in a way that would make you proud.   Clear Skies Gordon  

Review:  Squid Ink Pasta & Prawns, Osteria Toscana in Palo Alto

This was the first time I’ve eaten Squid Ink Pasta and it may be the last.  The flavor was extremely disappointing and difficult to describe.  The best I can do is to liken it to seaweed.  It wasn’t appetizing at all.  Perhaps it’s just a personal preference.  Perhaps it’s just me.  I don’t care for […]

Review: Jumbo Prawn Linguine, Sundance Mine Company, Palo Alto

I’ve ordered this entree many times and I’ve never been disappointed.  In fact I consider it as near to perfection as is possible.  The Sundance Mine Company, a.k.a. Sundance the Stake House, Jumbo Prawn Linguine consists of sautéed wild gulf prawns, campari tomatoes, garlic, chili flakes, basil and baby spinach with a white wine cream sauce.  […]

Review: McDonald’s Big Mac

As a boy I loved McDonald’s.   However I’ll admit I was never a fan of Ronald McDonald.  To me clowns have always seemed scary with their chalky white faces and floppy shoes.  I just don’t get that type of humor.  But disregarding Ronald what I liked about McDonald’s was that it was kid friendly.  […]

Review:  Mandarin Pressed Duck, Su Hong Eatery-Palo Alto

If the McDonald’s McRib is the sandwich that plays hard-to-get then Mandarin Pressed Duck is the Sasquatch of Chinese luxury food.   It’s a dish so difficult to find that its very existence is called into doubt by some.  I first encountered Mandarin Pressed Duck at age eight while dining with my parents at the […]

Food Review:  Saltimbocca alla Romana at Osteria Toscana in Palo Alto

I recently tried the Saltimbocca (Italian for jumps in the mouth) at Osteria Toscana on Hamilton Avenue in Palo Alto.  I was expecting a veal cutlet pounded thin and folded over to create a pocket to contain the cheese, wrapped in prosciutto then pan fried to the point where the prosciutto begins to take on […]

Game of Thrones Season 8 Disaster and How to Fix It

The verdict is in.  Season 8 of Game of Thrones is an embarrassment and a complete debacle.  However I know how to set it right.   Before I explain please allow me to remind you of a bit of TV history.  The writers of the highly rated TV series Dallas realized that Season 9 wasn’t […]

Fire at Notre-Dame

I was deeply distressed when I heard of the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris but very relieved that no one was injured and that the structure wasn’t a total loss.  I was privileged to have visited the cathedral some years ago.  This may sound strange but what left the greatest impression on me wasn’t the […]

First Video Game & Hidden Subplot of 2001: A Space Odyssey

Years before the Magnavox Odyssey Stanley Kubrick showed the world what video games would look like in his groundbreaking film, 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Bound for Jupiter aboard the spaceship Discovery Astronaut Frank Poole passes the time by playing a friendly game of chess with super computer HAL 9000.  Space being limited the game pieces […]

Today’s Cartoon:  December 17th 2018

What a difference two years makes.