Parkside Grille - Portola Valley

The table is set with poinsettias

Appetizer: Ahi tartare in wontons with chile soy glaze

Appetizer: Homemade mushroom infused mini meatballs

Appetizer: Grilled chicken satay

Choice of Entrées:

Chardonnay poached river salmon in citrus beurre blanc with

garlic mash potatoes and braised Delta asparagus

Grilled organic hanger steak, Dijon butter,
fingerling potatoes, arugula Blue Lake string beans

Dessert: chocolate cake or gelato with homemade biscotti

Great Christmas party under the redwood trees. Enjoyed my salmon in citrus beurre blanc. It was really flavorful. A friend who had the hanger steak said that though it was delicious, the meat was a little tough. Everyone enjoyed the appetizers. Another entrée selection was the wood roasted oven breast of chicken. It was hard to steer the group to the table to start lunch. They lingered a while longer in the bar area where the appetizers where spread out over the counter. For dessert I had the chocolate gelato with homemade biscotti which to my surprise, I ate to the last drop! The staff was on top of everything and service was attentive and smooth.

Parkside Grille is located at 884 Portola Road, Portola Valley, California. http://www.parksidegrille.net/home.html

And a Merry Christmas to all!

* * *

Images by Charie

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...

The Philippine Village Life by Vicente Silva Manansala

Pamilya (Family) With the completion of their new headquarters in Manila in 1961, PhilAm Life (a life insurance company) commissioned Vicente Silva Manansala to do a series of paintings for their cafeteria. (Lucky employees!) Before long these seven large-scale paintings about Philippine village life were moved to the front lobby which was deemed a more appropriate setting for the canvases. They remained there until the building was sold in 2012. Mindful of the cultural significance of the paintings and the need for its preservation and conservation, the management of PhilAm Life decided to loan these treasures to the National Museum in 2014. “Pamilya reflects Filipino values of family solidarity and solemnity showing a common scenario of praying before sharing a meal with one’s family.” National Museum of the Philippines Pagkain (Food) One of the Thirteen Moderns and Neo Realists, Vicente Silva Manansala had the good fortune to study art in Canada, the United States, France and Switz...

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called Kasaysayan ng Maynila (History of Manila). The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and...

TravelswithCharie

Search This Blog