Funny Cassoulet and a Ferry Ride

We had a great weekend here in the city. Friday night we went to the movies and saw Little Miss Sunshine with Steve Carell and Greg Kinnear, two excellent actors - it was so funny in parts that I literally laughed so hard my stomach hurt for two days. Saturday we ran some errands which included the elusive search for a kitchen trash can that looks good and doesn't cost $90. After 3 stores, I finally settled on a $12 trash can from Home Depot which doesn't look that great, but was definitely not $90. We ended the afternoon at the Ferry Building where we got takeout from Le Mistral, which I think of as Chicken Out if it was in the south of France and everything was made by a little old french grandma (or grand-mère), sat outside and watched the people and the sailboats go by. Ahhhh. I ordered the special of the day which was called "Cassoulet de Toulouse" and was so absolutely delicious. I think I got the recipe sort-of figured out, so am going to attempt to recreate it on my own tonight.

Sunday morning we walked the 10 blocks straight downhill to Fisherman's Wharf where we took a ferry over to Tiburon and had lunch at a place called Sam's Cafe which is right on the water, and pretty much the only thing to do in Tiburon. We had oysters and bloody mary's and both were excellent, though the oysters were a bit small. On the ferry back we met a very nice, uh, ferry (sorry, I couldn't resist) who told us about all his favorite restaurants in the city. He didn't have any Lebanese or Middle Eastern suggestions (I ask everyone I meet, and still no luck), but told us where to get the best steak, pasta, Ethiopian, and Greek. We briefly contemplated walking the 10 blocks back uphill, but opted for a cab. I think we could've done the 10 blocks by foot, but we still had unpacking to do, and the nap we'd have needed after that would've gotten in the way. Maybe next time. On that note, we're about 95% of the way unpacked, and will hopefully get to that 5% before the weekend.