Luxury

If you could spoil yourself with any luxury, anything at all, what would you desire?

Remember, there would be no limitations, so let your imagination run wild. Would it be a warm cashmere blanket, a sleek private jet, a custom-designed yacht to sail the seas, exquisite jewels, rare wines, or perhaps a fleet of classic cars?

Of course, what one person considers a luxury may be totally different to someone else.

“I’d love to have a giant telescope installed at my home in Hawaii to show my 11-year-old granddaughter the stars,” says Ann Getty. “My idea of luxury really hasn’t changed that much over the years, but luxury doesn’t have to be ostentatious. Ideally, it’s something that makes you happy, like when it’s a rainy day and you can just stay home and read a great book.”

Growing up on a walnut farm in the Sacramento Valley, Getty remembers her earliest luxury was four-wheeled. “It was my first car, a two-door Ford coupe, when I was 18,” she says. “That was pretty special.”

As a renowned philanthropist, anthropologist, fine furniture collector and head of her own interior design firm, Getty knows luxury when she sees it. “I found this marvelous early 18th C. Chinese silk gauze that I used to cover my living room walls,” she says. “Nobody was paying any attention to it when I found it backstage at an auction, so I bought the whole lot.”

Her keen eye for detail has served her well, helping her acquire treasures from around the world. One of her prized pieces is a rare Sévres porcelain table made for Napoleon. “There are just four in the world,” she says. “I own one, another collector has one, and the Queen of England has two.” And, no, Her Majesty hasn’t called about buying the table for her own collection.

“It’s important to remember that you shouldn’t regret not buying a luxury, fine furniture for example, because let’s face it, it’s just furniture. Life is more than just about the luxuries you possess.”

Nobody celebrates life more than San Francisco’s Mr. Nightlife, Harry Denton. Surrounding himself with luxury starts even before he gets out of bed. “To me, luxury is splendid fun and lots of self-indulgence,” he says. “One of my good friends gave me some thick linen sheets from Italy. There’s nothing better than sleeping on those sheets. Just like me, they get better with age!”

Besides his sheets, Denton says he’s crazy about Baccarat crystal. With more than 100 pieces in his collection, he always keeps a Baccarat water glass on his bedside table. “It’s the only kind of glass I’ll use for drinking water or Diet Coke.”

At work, Denton always has six dozen Ecuadorian roses delivered and arranged every week. “I get more comments about those fragrant roses than I do about my magnificent view.”

Of course, his biggest splurge was for his mom’s 75th birthday in Idaho. “It was the most luxurious, wonderful party I’ve ever given,” he says. “There was a full orchestra, a catered silver-and-white-themed dinner for 250 people, 3000 silver balloons, and more than four cases of rhinestones used to create a truly glittering affair.”

When the time is right, Denton says the one luxury he’d buy for himself is a beautiful home in Rio de Janeiro on Ipanema Beach. “It’s not as commercial as other areas, the people are beautiful, and it’s a great place to relax.”

Relaxation is something community activist (and former Miss Gay SF, 1993) Donna Sachet rarely finds time to do, often attending more than eight events a week. “Luxury is anything you want that makes you feel a little bit guilty having,” she says. “It’s really the icing on the cake of life.”

With all her charity work, Sachet says she’s often given a little bit of luxury in surprising ways. “At many of these events, someone will leave a beautiful bouquet of flowers in my dressing room or hand me a gift certificate to a charming store, or try to give me some of their mother’s jewelry that they say they’ll never use. All of that is a bit of unexpected luxury.”

Would there be anything Sachet wants to help her through her hectic schedule? “I’d love to have a red helicopter that would take me from event to event,” she says. “The crew could dangle me from a rope attached to the bottom of the darn thing and swing me into each place. With all the time I’d save, I could attend twice as many events, all for good causes.”

For wealth manager Erik Davis, “Being passionate about my job and working with people to achieve their goals is a great luxury,” he says. “For example, I worked with a couple in their early 40s who retired, bought a sailboat, and are now traveling around the world. The fact that they’re doing what they love, on their own terms, makes me feel great.”

Davis also enjoys the luxury of being able to volunteer for the Read Aloud program. He works with groups of volunteers buying books for in-need Bay Area schools, reading to students while stressing the importance of a good education, and donating the books to the school’s library.

“Personally, I enjoy having nice things, like my red 1975 Mercedes Benz 450 SL, but I remember to take the time to enjoy what I already have rather than accumulate more stuff.”

After mentioning an upcoming month-long safari in Africa, Davis decides the one luxury he’d consider buying is a diamond-tip cane and platinum monocle. His reason? “Because every gentleman needs one, and it reminds me of the Monopoly Man.”

Speaking of gentlemen, Danielle Steel’s assistant Cody Lee is always on the go, but even with his hectic schedule, he’s given our subject some thought. “I don’t like to cook, so I’d enjoy having someone cook all of my meals, prepare snacks (Lee’s favorite snack is Sour Patch Kids candy), organize my dinner parties, and do all the grocery shopping.”

What would be the first meal he’d have prepared? “My favorite meal is grilled lamb rubbed with rosemary, served with fresh steamed Brussels sprouts, and homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert.”

Of course, while great food is important, getting away from it all isn’t a bad idea either. Business consultant Alice Zhang, executive director of Executive Business Mindshare, enjoys taking time traveling around the world to rejuvenate after spending long hours organizing conferences and roundtable discussions for new CEOs and co-chairing events for the San Francisco Opera’s Bravo! Club.

“It’s fun dressing extravagantly for opera galas,” she says. “If money were no object, I’d really love to buy a home in the South of France with its own stable of Hanoverian, Warmblood, and Arabian horses,” she says. “I love the sport, but it’s very time consuming and expensive. It would be nice to have a large staff, so I wouldn’t have to worry about anything.”

And what would she do when not riding horses? “I’d love to do…public relations at a major fashion house.”

A passion for fashion often includes designer shoes. Just ask lawyer Sharan Johal, whose collection includes more than 200 pairs of Gucci, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo footwear.

“Besides shoes and Bulgari jewelry, I’d buy homes around the world,” she says. “I’d buy an apartment in Rome by the Spanish steps, an apartment in Paris near Place Vendome, a summer house in Sardinia, a home in Provence, a one-bedroom penthouse in New York’s SoHo District, and an apartment in Bombay. All the homes would have an elegant, modern décor, which would be perfect for entertaining when my friends come to town.”

New director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco John Buchanan, Jr. shares Johal’s vision of owning homes in exotic locales. “It would be wonderful to have a mansion in Marrakech,” he says. “Many of my friends from Paris come to Morocco on vacation, so it would be nice to be able to play host.”

Buchanan adds he’d also want to own the Château Balleroy in France, completed in 1636 by famed French architect Francois Mansart. Currently, the family of the late publisher Malcolm Forbes owns the château. “It’s filled with the most incredible French furniture, and I love visiting whenever my schedule allows.”

That isn’t often, as he’s currently planning several exhibits at the de Young and Legion of Honor museums, including Masterpieces of French Jewelry, and in 2008, Faberge, Tiffany, and Lalique.

“Luxury to me is the total and utter caressing of one’s senses through touch, taste, sound, and smell,” he says. “It’s something I’ve experienced before. Growing up in Tennessee, there was no better luxury than good Southern cooking, particularly fried chicken.

“These days, I love having the opportunity to just be alone and relax,” he says. “Time, you see, is one of the greatest luxuries we have.”

Quote for the Day

"We write our own destiny; we become what we do."

-- Madame Chiang Kai-Shek

The Richmond

615 Balboa St
San Francisco, CA 94118
(415) 379-8988
The Richmond
Categories: Wine Bars, American (New)
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond

The longer I was here, the better I liked it. But it took some time! For a party of five, we arrived right on schedule after trying for a long time to find a parking space!

It's a small venue, so there isn't a host stand waiting for you. We stood for a few minutes before a waiter appeared to take us to our table. Matt was friendly. Water service never ended...I was a bit water logged by evening's end. The Bordeaux blend ($9) glass of wine was tasty, and the bread with three butters (olive, sea salt and chive) was delicious. The butter should have been thawed a bit more, but overall was quite good.

The potato leek soup with crab dumplings was superb, and my main entree of pork tenderloin was excellent, if a bit salty, and had to be sent back to be cooked a bit more, as it was too pink for my taste. The accompanying Gruyere mac-n-cheese and veggies were out of this world. Coffee after dinner was strong, and the service throughout the meal was quite good. They were nice about satisfying dietary needs, too.

Just a thought...

I've noticed on restaurant menus lately that the phrase "our chef uses the freshest ingredients whenever possible, including organic and locally grown/produced." So what are they trying to tell me? Before they weren't using the freshest ingredients? I've been eating food that isn't organic or locally grown? Should I hide my head in shame? Just a thought...

Orson Restaurant Review

Orson
Category: American
Neighborhood: SOMA
508 4th St
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 777-1508

Only open for two months, Orson was in a recent 7x7 Magazine article which I noticed, so thought I'd head over to see what all the noise was about. It's a big space, walking distance from Market, with a nice interior, great circular bar and modern interior. The front door staff were professional, which I can appreciate, and our waiter was helpful in explaining the menu (small plates). Here's the scoop:

* Some dried rice in a bowl that reminded me of rice krispies with seasoning is served as their bread. Skip it....not good.
* The duck fat french fries with brown butter bearnaise ($5) were delicious and tasty
* The charred hamachi tartare with avocado, radish, and citrus ($11) was fresh and delicious...a must have
* Tempura egg with nori, scallion bouillon ($8) was light and delicious, too. One breaks open the egg, and the insides run into the bouillon creating a nice soup effect
* Black cod with butter beans pimenton, and saffron rouille ($15) was a bit bland, but fresh and quite enjoyable. If you like more spice, this isn't the dish.
* Short Ribs with spinach, espresso rub, and potato broth(?) ($15) was mediocre. The ribs (meat off the bone) were not tender or tough, but somewhere in between. The accompanying spinach was somewhat bitter/tangy and didn't work. And the white stuff on the plate which was called potato something or other was just a white mess. The chef should substitute this horror with truffled mashed potatoes, steam the spinach, and leave off the citrus oil or whatever they're using. Don't try to impress me with odd combinations if they don't work well together.
*The general manager, a really nice guy named Matt, came to our table and seemed genuinely interested in hearing our feedback about our dining experience. I liked him and was impressed that he took the time to chat with me.

I'll definitely try Orson again as I assume they're just getting the kinks out of the menu. As the place was packed, word must have gotten out what a hot spot this is. But, hot spots cool off rather quickly if the food doesn't match the great interior or social vibe.

Mini-Frisee Restaurant Review

Neighborhood: Castro (in San Francisco)
2367 Market St
(between 16th St & 17th St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 558-1616
www.friseerestaurant.com
Three Stars!

I had the chance to dine here last night, and was pleasantly surprised. The brothers who own the place have done a nice job turning a former Thai restaurant into something rather swanky. We sat upstairs, which was nice, although the ceiling is rather low and as a tall person, I had to duck several times on my way to the bathroom. Service was attentive, and the food, for the most part, quite good. The ahi tuna tartare was fresh and delicious, and the cheese plate was outstanding. The wine list was also good, and the white wine our waiter suggested, whose name I didn't catch, was also a hit. My chicken entree was superb...however, the accompanying spinach had way too much salt on it. Whomever prepped the dish needs to relax their wrist when salting away! One of our fish dishes was slightly undercooked, which for some people may not have been a hit. It sufficed for us. No dessert, as we were too full, but I'll try Frisee again to see if the salt has decreased. If so, it well be a definite "4 stars"!

Blue Bottle Coffee Company

66 Mint St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Bluebottle Coffee Co.
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: SOMA

Stopped by for a light nibble and something to drink before heading to a pilates session yesterday. It was one of those hot weekends in San Francisco (a rarity) and I'd heard this place had great coffee. Unfortunately, I didn't have any as me on caffeine and pilates isnt' a good combo. I did try the poached eggs on acme bread, which was really tasty. For $1 more, I got some of their sweet jam to go on the bread. Not a lot of jam for $1 mind you, but enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.

The staff was nice...my only complaint is that it was TOO DARN HOT in the place. One wall of windows wouldn't open, and the staff said they'd be fixed next week. Luckily, I snagged a stool near one of the open windows on the other side of the room. I'm going back to try the coffee, which I did this morning...wow! Smooth, strong and delicious, just like a date I had last week.