List 71

Love:  Richard Harrow on Boardwalk Empire. It's been a stellar second season for the show overall, and one of the big reasons is this fascinating, poignant character, a World War I vet who's as wounded inside as he is outside. 

Like: Parmesan Walnut Salad in Endive Spears - the hors d'ourvres I brought for Thanksgiving.  It was able to walk that line of being refreshing and light, yet rich and a bit decadent at the same time. 
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Parmesan-Walnut-Salad-in-Endive-Leaves-13042

Discovery:  Barrel-aged cocktails. At home!  Our friends made up a batch of Negronis and aged them in a small barrel for a month. They were delicious - a bit mellower than the usual Negroni - and are a perfect winter-month house project.  This is a link to Clyde Common bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler's blog with more information, including a good source for barrels.

http://www.jeffreymorgenthaler.com/2010/barrel-aged-cocktails

Obsession: I've already written about mine with World War II in a past list.  Now I'm happy to find that Alwyn Collinson has taken it to an epic new level with his RealTimeWWII's "live" tweeting of World War II events as they would have unfolded, day by day, starting with the German invasion of Poland in 1939. I hope he manages to keep it up for the next six years, going through the bombing of Britain to D-Day to V-J Day and everything in between.

Complaint:  Why didn't we have sing-a-long movies when I was young?  I took Stella to Sing-A-Long Sound of Music at The Castro Theater and it was truly The Rocky Horror Picture Show for kids (at the matinee at least - no doubt it gets way raunchier in the evening).  They passed out prop bags (a bit of edelweiss,etc.) and instructed the crowd on things to shout.  It's playing through this coming weekend.

List 61

Love: Soniat House in New Orleans, an idyllic bed and breakfast and the perfect home base for exploring one of the world's most original cities. It's on the edge of the French Quarter, a comfortable distance from the not-for-me Bourbon Street scene. The breakfast in the courtyard is lovely.

Like: Steellllllaaaaaa! P.S., Marlon Brando, what happened to you?

Discovery: The National World War II Museum. It started as a tribute to D-Day, since the Higgins boats that made the beach invasions possible were manufactured in Louisiana. Overtime, the museum's scope has expanded to include the Pacific Theater and exhibits on the homefront as well.

Obsession: Bouligney Tavern. I love when bars or restaurants take over little houses. (Bonus if they're painted grey!) The Bouligney's lounge decor and vibe are right up my alley.

Complaint: That I didn't stick with Treme. The first couple of episodes that I did watch were a bit slow, but I have faith that David Simon will weave his spell, and need to make time to catch up.

List 48

Love: Swedish girl group Those Dancing Days' infectious song "I'll be Yours." They recently opened for Belle & Sebastian on some European Tour Dates. That's a double bill I'd love to see.

Like: A lunchtime getaway to Hog Island Oyster Co. Most days I only have time to quickly eat something uninspired at my desk while continuing to work, but twice in the past few weeks I've had the chance to walk down California Street to the Ferry Building. It's always worth the trip, and the hike back up the hill helps to work off the clam chowder.

Discovery: Stella can do tricks.

Obsession: Acme Pain au Levain is the monkey on my back. Especially when paired with a dish of McElvoy olive oil sprinkled with sea salt.

Complaint: That I don't have my own copy of Ken Burns' The Civil War. Today is the 150th Anniversary of the firing upon Fort Sumter and I'd love to acknowledge that by re-watching parts of this great documentary. Years before there was a "Ken Burns Effect" in iPhoto, his ways of bringing still photography - not to mention our history - to life were pretty revolutionary. And that Sullivan Ballou letter? It never ceases to amaze. (The embed doesn't appear to be working. You can watch that scene at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=693065493279283445#.)

List 34

Love: Landmark, the Best Bar in America. Built 80 years ago, it has three bars, pool tables, darts, an arcade room and a bowling alley. Erich and I had our first date here, and anytime we're in Milwaukee visiting the parents, a night at Landmark is required.

Like: The weather flame on the old Wisconsin Gas Company building.

When the flame is red, it's warm weather ahead.

When the flame is gold, watch out for cold.

When the flame is blue, there's no change in view.

When there's a flickering flame, expect snow or rain.

Discovery: The East Side of Milwaukee, on the edge of Lake Michigan, is really lovely - miles upon miles of gorgeous single-family homes on tree-lined streets with wide lawns, snow-covered this time of year, but manicured grass edged with hostas in other seasons.

Obsession: My diorama obsession appeared in List 3, but I feel the need to repeat my deep love for the Milwaukee Public Museum here. In addition to the amazing animal dioramas (like the lion one below), they have The Streets of Old Milwaukee, an India street scene, and an igloo in Alaska, among many other human dioramas. The museum feels a bit like it was encased in amber in the late 1960s.

Complaint: We have great food in the Bay Area, but in the 18 years I've lived there, I haven't found places that scratch the itch for pizza and Mexican in quite the same way that Milwaukee's Zaffiro's, with its perfect cracker-like crust, and Conejito's, with its greasy paper-plate messes, do.