Wandering in Glasgow

Years ago I was traveling through the UK with my friend Matt. We were both teaching in France at the time and in the fall decided to take advantage of the generous Toussaints holiday to explore life on the other side of the channel.  We started off in London and took an overnight bus to Edinburgh; after a few days exploring the highlands, we arrived in Glasgow on a crowded blue and yellow bus on October 30th. We had booked an early morning flight to Dublin on November 1st, so that gave us only a day and a half in the city.

Glasgow Green

I never really thought I would make it all the way to Glasgow, but we embarked on this trip with no real plans, expectations, research or reservations—so I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised that we would be spending Halloween in Glasgow. The weather had been rather gray since we arrived and it had begun to drizzle as we descended from the bus and onto the damp Glasgow street. We had found a hostel (generically called the Euro Hostel) about two blocks from the train station, on the corner of Jamaica and Clyde Streets.  Compared to the hostel where we stayed in Edinburgh (which still ranks as my worst hostelling experience ever—rampant theft, filth and fleas), the Euro Hostel was a breath of fresh air with a clean, modern design and maple wood bunk beds. After settling in, we started walking. With no map in hand and no real idea about the layout of the city, we wandered. I had caught a nasty cold in Edinburgh (probably from that nasty hostel) so I quickly found a drug store and bought cold medicine and cough drops.  We were still trying to accustom ourselves to British business hours. Popping a cherry-flavored drop in my mouth and relishing the immediate effect, we continued walking, this time away from the busy shopping district. Continue reading →

What I Love About San Francisco

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In her last cityseekr post, our intern Ayeon Song reflects on her time here and what she will miss most about the City by the Bay.

Night Views 
San Francisco has the most beautiful scenery in the world! The view from Twin Peaks is my favorite.

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Wine for the Weekend, Vol I: Blanc et Noir

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We here at cityseekr understand times are tough, and many of us might find it difficult to enjoy a decent bottle of wine on a budget. However, what many don’t realize is that the selection of delicious but affordable wines available at such grocery outlets as Trader Joe’s or Safeway is quite expansive, indeed.

Long gone are the days when great bottle of wine would run no less than $15. Unfortunately, this was a time when the average wine enthusiast related the actual cost of the wine with its resulting taste–i.e., the more expensive the wine, the better it will taste. This correlation was, and still is, certainly false. Many wine producers, distributors and sellers took advantage of the economic “miracle” of the last decade and over-charged for wine that would most definitely turn the noses of even the least experienced of wine connoisseurs. Today, market forces have driven down the cost of wine to something more manageable for the 99% of us who have barely $10 a week to spend on such beverages.

The proposed format of my reviews will include one red and one white wine selection, chosen mostly at random, or by label (if I find the label to be particularly captivating). Every now and then, I may review an apéritif or a beverage best enjoyed after dinner or during dessert. In the end, my goal with this series is to bring to your attention several affordable but delicious wines available at your local grocery store, my thoughts on how they taste, and whether or not I recommend that you buy a bottle.

This week I’ll be reviewing two wines showcased by Trader Joe’s: Comique Révolution Blanc (Central Coast) and Three Knights Pinot Noir (Los Caneros). Continue reading →

Restaurant Review: Muguboka

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Yes yes, another Korean restaurant. I fully intended to venture into the Inner Sunset and stuff my face with crack chicken (that’s for another day) but, well, I was tired. It was cold. And Muguboka has the misfortune of being so close to my apartment that I can literally spit on it.

Muguboka is very plain outside and in; its name isn’t even written on the awning and instead, is on a tiny sign hidden on the side of the building.

It specializes in what I qualify as home-style Korean cooking – lots of classics, cooked competently. The flavors have definitely been Americanized somewhat – the gochujang for the bibimbap tastes like it has been watered down, the kimchi jiggae lacks a certain edge (that edge, as amply demonstrated at restaurants in Korea, often left me gasping for water).

If only you were a little spicier…

But Muguboka definitely hits plenty of right notes. The banchan is plenty and varied. The staff eagerly brings you thoughtful freebies (sometimes this is a seafood pancake; sometimes a steaming bowl of soup) and will fill your side dishes happily – once you catch their attention. We ordered their fried chicken for the first time, and it was nicely seasoned, with just the right note of sweetness. Their décor is a touch quirky; it’s not often you see a framed bible quote juxtaposed with a photo of a topless woman advertising alcohol positioned directly below (and best of all, I think it’s entirely accidental). Continue reading →