With the recent strength of the dollar against the euro, we decided to extend this year’s ASRS meeting in Vienna into a vacation through Slovakia and the Czech Republic. It’s been 6 years since our last visit to the Austrian capital, but our memories of the tidy city were still fresh as we navigated the U-bahn with another 72-hour Vienna card to our hotel. We arrived hours before check-in was available, leaving an exhausted and dehydrated Melody slumped in the lobby while I changed in the bathroom to make the morning session at the Austria Center across the street. The jet lag reached me by lunch time, so we crashed into bed for much of the afternoon. Dinner at the 2-Michelin star Silvio Nickol was an adventure unto itself, when we realized that the Palais Colburg, in which the restaurant was located, was barricaded for the Iran nuclear talks. After negotiating our way through the police line, we were led into the chic, cavernous dining room to join my cousin for a 10-course tasting menu that lasted a mind-numbing 5 hours. By the time we settled the bill, which was after midnight, we had forgotten most of the dishes, save several highlights including a duck liver mousse with popover. I spent most of Sunday at the meeting while Melody filmed restless reptiles and amphibians at the Haus des Meeres, missed the food stands again at Naschtmacht, and settled for disappointing Wiener pho and original sachertorte from Cafe Sacher. For dinner, we ventured to a film festival at the Rathaus, where we gobbled grilled calamari, roast pork, and spatzle with the locals. On the way home, we deboarded one-stop early to walk along the Danube, stopping for ice-cream and an eiskaffee that kept Melody wide-eyed the entire night. On Monday, after playing reporter at the morning session of the meeting, we hopped onto a train for a day trip to Bratislava. The Slovakian capital was only an hour away, and for less than $20 round-trip, the opportunity was hard to pass. From the train station, a short bus ride took us to the city center, where we passed through Michael’s Gate for lunch at Prasna Basta. The local favorite served up soul-satisfying chicken soup and escargot gratinee followed by classic bryndzove halusky and a veal stew with butter spatzle. Both the Old Town Hall and Primate’s Palace were closed on Mondays, but we did enjoy a small exhibit on Hapsburg monarchs, with the curator enthusiastically describing 18th century Spanish politics and modern reenactments. From there, we took a stroll along Hviezdoslavovo namestie, passed the medieval fortifications of the city walls, then climbed vertically up to Bratislava Castle. At the top of the hill, we collapsed on the grass, then took in views of the city, the Danube, and the closed Castle. We wound our way back down, with multiple stops for rehydration, before resting our feet at the Soup Bistro and souvenir hunting in Old Town. We returned to Vienna in time for dinner reservations at Steirereck. The other 2-Michelin star restaurant in Vienna was housed in an ultra-modern building in Stadtpark, serving up a more manageable 6-course menu, each dish with its own collectible card describing the ingredients. Back at the hotel, we packed my suit and conference materials, as we prepare for the “vacation” portion of the trip.

We will miss you…

Walter

11/23/2012 – 6/26/2015

June means graduation, and we certainly got our fair share this year. A few weeks ago, we donned our graduation attire, albeit sans the crimson color of our alma mater, and joined UCD med students at the Mondavi Center for commencement. My hands grew sore from all the applause, but it was heartwarming to watch the graduates walk the stage with their parents and loved ones. The following week was the Ob-Gyn graduation at Arden Hills, where Melody learned that she has yet to become a target for resident roasting (yet). The food was lackadaisical, and we felt too introverted to stay for the dancing. The Ophthalmology department graduation was no better, taking place on the med school campus with even worse food and no dancing. The resident skits were entertaining, while the faculty presentations were very emotional. Absent an after-party, we decided instead to head home and get down with Geralt in Novigrad, where the heroines competed for the lowest neckline. While the romance scenes were a little repetitive, we were intrigued by the integrated collectible card game called Gwent. The game brought back memories of Magic: The Gathering, and made every encounter with innkeeps that much more interesting. Meanwhile, our patio is finally coming together with our pergola recently refinished and outfitted with LED lighting, a new gas grill, and patio dining furniture. Now if the temperature would just drop below 100 degrees, we’ll be ready to enjoy some outdoor living.

Gerald of Rivia returns this week for CD Projekt’s highly-anticipated third installment of the Witcher series. With all the hype, including a three-part video preview and a 10/10 rating from Gamespot, we eagerly downloaded the game on the date of release. Sure enough, the game did not disappoint, with beautiful artwork, stunning graphics, and immersive lore that kept us entertained over Memorial Day weekend. We did take a break on Saturday to check out dishwashers and gas grills, after getting the scoop from Consumer Reports, but ultimately purchased an upholstered bed from Thomasville. While in Roseville, we made use of our Entertainment book coupons and gorged on calamari and pasta at Bucca di Beppo. On Sunday, we revisited Melody’s hometown for her mentee’s wedding at the Stockton Golf & Country Club. The dancing made us feel old, so we turned in early to join her parents for dim sum the next morning. Afterwards, we caught up with her high school buddy for a boat ride around the California Delta and Stockton Marina. We were left with little time for monster-slaying, but we look forward to many more hours of adventuring in the months ahead.

Our department’s annual symposium takes place in Napa, which gave me an excuse to bring my wife along for the weekend to indulge in the culinary mecca. With clinic canceled, I drove up on Friday in time to share tender seared scallops & cumin-y lamb meatballs at Redd for lunch. After dropping some cash for macarons at Bouchon Bakery, I quickly changed in the car and arrived at the hotel just in time to catch the first session. For dinner, we went to Oenotri for speedy, efficient service and delicious Southern Italian fare including a salumi plate, a fava bean pizza, and mushroom tagliatelle. I awoke early Saturday for my morning presentation, but ducked out early for lunch at Morimoto Napa, where the dense bone marrow appetizer and heavy sea urchin carbonara was offset by a chirashi rice bowl that was a feast for both our eyes and taste buds. In the afternoon, we were overwhelmed by the tradesmen and exhibitors at the Napa Home & Garden Show, and decided instead to unwind with a matinee showing of Pitch Perfect 2 before heading to the faculty dinner at Bottega. We drove back home on Sunday to check out a few friends’ houses with recent renovations, before firming up our design plans with our designer for our upcoming kitchen and bathroom remodels. With our new outdoor patio set, and a mid-century modern dining set from Bryght and Overstock, we finally feel our home starting to come together.

The ARVO meeting this year was very different from my first experience attending the event in 2010. Fort Lauderdale had been a long-time host, so casual shirts and shorts were the typical attire. And as residents, we paid more attention to the beach and nightlife than the actual research posters and lectures. But this year, as a new faculty attending the meeting in Denver, the experience was much more formal … and stressful. Between trying to attend both clinical and basic science talks, I was also arranging meetings with collaborators, mentors, and industry reps – not to mention catching up with old friends whom I rarely see. On Saturday, after bumming a ride with my fellow and almost forgetting to bring my poster, we made it to the airport in time to grab a burger at the gate before a restless flight sitting next to his two toddlers. Dinner with my roommate at Panzano included calamari and polenta sticks followed by a hearty “Carbonara alla Panzano” that was made with homemade pasta cooked to al dente perfection. Sunday was packed with meetings, and the blue bear figurine near the entrance made for an easy landmark to coordinate. For dinner, I met up with my Duke co-fellows at Rioja to reminisce, then walked to the Harvard reception which I’ve found to be bigger and less familiar each year. I dressed more formally on Monday to meet with some industry reps, and was glad that the suit survived both tacos at Los Chingones for lunch and eclectic street foods at Linger with MEEI residents for dinner. I presented my poster on the morning of Cinco de Mayo, then braved the torrential rain for more tacos with my UCD colleagues at Tamayo, and splurged on dinner with a friend at Mizuna with foie gras and Chilean sea bass. My energy was winding down by Wednesday after back-to-back morning meetings. So I just got a burger at nearby Stout Street Social before catching an Uber ride to the airport for my flight home. Despite the busy schedule and being mildly depressed by the successes of other clinician-scientists, I was well-fed on my first visit to the Mile High city and look forward to future meetings.

As our home renovation projects began to gain momentum, we set out to explore various showrooms for cabinets, countertops, tiles, and fixtures. Last Saturday, after breakfast at Brookfields, we visited the Ferguson showroom, Arizona Tile, Bedrosians, Premier Bath & Kitchen, Medimer, Ashley Furniture, and Tubz. As we considered the many options – quartz or granite counters, ceramic or stone tiles, MDF or plywood cabinets, pull-down or pull-out faucets – the exhaustive day left us in shock. We had little time to begin delving into the details as we each took off for conferences this weekend. After Friday clinic, we dined at a new place in Little Saigon before my wife dropped me off for my red-eye back to Durham for the Duke AVS meeting. Although I was only able to catch the last bits of the meeting, I was glad to catch up with my mentors and colleagues at the fellows dinner that night. I hung out with my co-fellows and residents over beignets and briyani on Sunday, before setting out bright and early for High Point, considered by many to be the furniture capital of the world. The city had just recovered from their week-long market event, and many samples were on sale. The new Visitor’s Bureau helped distinguish the manufacturer showrooms from the furniture stores that are actually open to the public. Among the many places I visited, I found the best selection at Furnitureland South. Considered the world’s largest furniture store and home to the 85-foot tall highboy, the massive complex housed various designer showrooms such as Baker and Bernhardt, a massive market store, and an expansive outlet of samples and clearance items. I left with a camera filled with furniture photos, measurements, and price tags, grabbed my last bite of fried chicken and sweet tea at Smithfield’s, then caught my flight home. As we further immerse ourselves in the process of both remodeling and furnishing our home, we are beginning to realize what is meant by the tyranny of choice.

With my last few clinic charts closed, I rushed home with Melody to pack, change, and prepare for our dinner reservations at the Restaurant at Meadowood. It was Melody’s birthday weekend, and what better way to celebrate than at a 3 Michelin starred restaurant. We drove through scenic Napa Valley and St. Helena to arrive at the restaurant, tucked inside a luxury resort. After gifting a new pendant from our friends in the diamond business over non-alcoholic cocktails, we started our 10-course odyssey. Our menu began with a crisped kale chip that reminded us of papadum, tiny pickled garden veggies, and a borage oyster leaf mignonette served in a ceramic oyster shell. This was followed by a salad of miner’s lettuce, caviar, asparagus, and smoked butter; a mackerel verjus escabeche with celery; a mesmerizing grilled abalone with beans and wild onion appetizer; and an incredibly round kohlrabi cooked in its own juice with rye porridge and mustard seeds. The fish was a trout with a realistic buckwheat skin and fermented turnip, which was followed by a “duck tea” with chrysanthemum dill. The recent California ban lift allowed us to indulge in the coal-seared foie gras with raw rhubarb, which led to grilled duck with “duck fudge,” yam, and sorrels. The cheese course was a goat cheese with apple porridge bread. After cleansing our palate with a sheeps milk yogurt with hibiscus rose and wild plum, we enjoyed a chocolate burnt milk walnut spicebush dessert and a frosty chocolate chestnut. The birthday girl got a tiny chocolate cake on the house, presented in a wooden box that splayed open when the lid was lifted. By the time we returned to the Candlelight Inn, it was past midnight and too late to enjoy our pricey hot tub room. We awoke to a nice breakfast and took our time planning the day – until we realized we had only booked a single night, not two. We hastily packed up and headed into town to sample olive oils, browse art galleries, comb antique shops, and bypass the multitude of wineries. For lunch, we pre-ordered fried chicken and ribs at Thomas Keller’s Addendum, which let us skip the line and enjoy extra time dining in the lush vegetable and herb garden. After recovering from our postprandial coma in the car, we strolled through Yountville – skipping the lines at Bouchon Bakery, surveying the French Laundry‘s culinary garden, chicken coop, and bee hive, and looking at the art in V Marketplace. We spent the evening at Ox Bow Public Market, dining on oysters and seafood stew at Hog Island Oyster Bar, strawberry and cardamom ice cream from Three Twins, and cream puffs from Ca’ Momi. Despite the short trip, we are left with fond, foodie feelings for this one-of-a-kind birthday celebration.

For an East coast transplant like me, the long weekend for Cesar Chavez day was an unexpected surprise and a chance to catch up with home improvements. After a series of strategic coupon purchases, we dropped a few hundred bucks at the local Home Depot and Lowes to deck out the backyard. While Melody plucked weeds and planted a small herb garden, I was replacing old defunct path lights with new LED ones. After the sun went down, we hoped to relax to the new Game of Thrones video game by Telltale, which also produced the Wolf Among Us. But like the TV series, the game’s harsh decision trees and unavoidable calamities made the whole exercise seem rather futile and us feeling constantly defeated. I felt a similar feeling after spending 2 hours with an electrician unsuccessfully trying to locate a voltage drop in the landscape lighting. On Tuesday, we attended a special showing of the movie After Tiller, which did not lighten the mood, but gave me a better sense of how important and special my wife’s work truly is. We concluded the show with a Q&A session, followed by tapas at Aioli Bodega (and not at Plan B, as I had predicted). With our upcoming weekend trip to Napa, we can’t wait for the week to be over.

Frustrated by the dearth of contemporary furniture offerings in the Sacramento-Davis area, we decided to head into the Bay area to expand our search. After a 4-hour marathon of med student skits last Friday, we awoke early on Saturday to drive to Berkeley to peruse CB2 and a Crate & Barrel Outlet before meeting with a friend from the East Bay for lunch. Afterwards, we drove into the city to check out KD Buttercup, Room & Board, and Bo Concept; but was disappointed that the Baker furniture showroom was only available by appointment on weekdays. We stopped for fancy Cantonese seafood at Asian Pearl before returning home. My clinical duties kept me busy last week with a pair of RDs that kept me up until 3am Monday night, and our Dean Symposium where I tried to showcase my recent work. Fortunately, my lab work has been alleviated with a new technician whom I hired. In just the few weeks since starting, he has proven to be a quick learner and hard worker. This past weekend, we returned to Berkeley to revisit the C&B outlet among several nearby modern furniture stores in Berkeley and Emeryville, including West Elm, Ikea, and an enormous granite outlet endorsed by Martin Yan and likely run by the Triad. A Yelp coupon gave us a small discount for momos and goat curry for lunch, which was offset by the $5 taro egg puffs after dinner at the Pacific East Mall – our now regular Richmond stop on the way back from the Bay. On Sunday, we ventured back to Vacaville to find more inspiration, scoring a small end table and towering faux ficus plants from Scandinavian Designs and another end table from Pier 1 that Melody’s been eyeing. Despite the low yield of actual furniture purchases, we were encouraged by our slowly-emerging consensus of how we want our new home to look.