Chinatown Tacos

The best part of Chinatown is getting there. If you come from Russian Hill, you climb up a narrow street until you get to the top and then there's the Bay Bridge at the bottom of the final hill. Halfway down that next hill, turn left onto Grant Street and there's Ten Ren.

Of course, there's nowhere to park, so you have to go out onto Columbus Avenue for 6 minutes per quarter in the meter. But when you do that, you're parked right next to City Lights, the greatest bookstore in the world. That's two hours at least. If you never knew that books have a sweet, spicy smell, just walk into City Lights. It's the most intoxicating landmark in the city, especially downstairs.

Then, once you walk back outside, turn down the alley and slide into Chinatown, you can stop at Ten Ren and get the lady to let you smell the 50-year-old Pu-Ehr tea in the metal container that sells for $285 per pound. You say "Umm...no thank you. I'll buy the (cheap) tea bags instead."

But Plotnik did buy Pearl Jasmine and dark Wu Yi and a bunch of other really good tea too. Everyone loves tea these days. Plottie still is hooked on Martha Brothers French Roast.



Last night was the last RockHeadz Dinner, so it had to be tacos. Today, everyone except BZWZ disperses back to the East, that is if planes can land in snowed-in airports in Milwaukee or Chicago. Plot and Duck have loved having them all here. Maybe the tacos will bring 'em back next year.