19 September 2007

Dark Dining - Bella Cucina Catering

Iyengar Yoga Classes with Tony Eason

What does a yoga teacher do when he's not doing yoga?

Bella Cucina Catering

During the past 3 years of "blogging" - I have interviewed AIDS LifeCycle Participants, S.F. AIDS Walk Participants, Sports Basement, AIDS Prevention Advocate - Barbara , Author - Spill Kincaid, pondered over Oprah Winfrey, drank Fat Tire Beer, rode the hell out of my Soulcraft, sang "Whitney Houston"and finished with the Queen of Soul - Aretha Franklin. Yet, I have yet to speak of my closest friends:

Friend of Tony - No. ?

Over the past 15 years, I have worked for many caterers - Dan MC Call, Paula LeDuc, "The Joost," the Japanese Consulate, Ann Lyons, Susan Foord, Bobby Fackama, Wendy Kleckner, and the list goes on .. . . ... ..

Yet my greatest catering pleasure has been the result of my 11 yr relationship with:

A marathon participant,
A very skilled event planner/chef/floral designer/pastry chef/wedding coordinator/food stylist,
An 11yr. AIDS LifeCycle Sponsor,
A mother of two children,
A Friend,
Private Chef - Lisa Ruggieri Hines

Bella Cucina Catering
Bella Cucina Catering

From hand picking the recipe items at the produce market to repacking the truck after the event - Start to Finish - Lisa Ruggieri Hines delivers "Bella Lux." And with a tongue full of taste buds - "no ordinary potato is getting in her kitchen."

Fresh Organic Produce & Vegetarian Products
Highest Grade Poultry, Beef, Fish, & Vegetarian Items
Italian, Mediterranean, Far East, French, South American, Low Fat/Sodium, & Traditional Recipes
A mother (and we know that mother's can cook).

Check out the Bella Cucina Catering Video

Yet more recently, on 14 September 2007, Ft. Mason Center, San Francisco, - Lisa, Matthew, Kelsie, Rich, and I, huddled and prepared the logistics for our latest catering event - an exciting catering challenge- Taste TV - Dark Dining."


"DARK Dining in San Francisco by TasteTV and Million Dollar Dinner takes you into another realm of dining, one where all of your senses are expanded and focus on the food, the taste, the sound, the company and more...because you are dining completely in the dark."



MENU I: Poultry

Amuse Bouche

1st Course

  • ~Arugula salad with grilled figs, gorgonzola, & roasted pistachios, Zinfandel vinaigrette
  • or
  • ~Butter lettuces with lavendar-honey roasted pears, spiced nuts & goat cheese, Champagne vinaigrette
  • both served with pissaladiere


2nd Course

  • ~Balsamic & rosemary grilled chicken breast with pomegranate demiglace, white truffle mashed potatoes, wild mushrooms & Blue Lake beans served with house made breads


3rd course

  • ~Warm chocolate bread pudding, pralines & vanilla bean coulis
  • or
  • ~Lemon buttermilk poundcake with citrus curd, sweet cream & berries
  • ~Fresh fruit spring roll


coffee & tea

MENU II: Fish

Amuse Bouche

1st Course

  • ~Arugula salad with grilled figs, gorgonzola, & roasted pistachios, Zinfandel vinaigrette
  • or
  • ~Butter lettuces with lavendar-honey roasted pears, spiced nuts & goat cheese, Champagne vinaigrette
  • both served with pissaladiere


2nd Course

  • ~Herb-crusted wild Salmon, shrimp,tarragon and corn risotto served with house made breads

  • 3rd course
  • ~Warm chocolate bread pudding, pralines & vanilla bean coulis
  • or
  • ~Lemon buttermilk poundcake with citrus curd, sweet cream & berries
  • ~Fresh fruit spring roll


coffee & tea

MENU III: Vegetarian

Amuse Bouche

1st Course
  • ~Arugula salad with grilled figs, gorgonzola, & roasted pistachios, Zinfandel vinaigrette
  • or
  • ~Butter lettuces with lavendar-honey roasted pears, spiced nuts & goat cheese, Champagne vinaigrette
  • both served with pissaladiere

2nd Course
  • ~Yellow Thai curried vegetables & tofu, served with ginger & jalapeno scented basmati rice
  • 3rd course
  • ~Warm chocolate bread pudding, pralines & vanilla bean coulis
  • or
  • ~Lemon buttermilk poundcake with citrus curd, sweet cream & berries
  • ~Fresh fruit spring roll

  • Coffee & tea


With 3 salad choices, 2 entre' options, 3 dessert invitations, and not a spark of light in the house - Chef, Lisa Ruggieri Hines delivered a unique, authentic, and delicious event & the Bella Cucina Staff did not have a single wine glass hit the floor.

There's two more chances to see us (or shall I say "experience us") in action:

Friday, September 28th, Ft. Mason Center, San Francisco

Friday, November 9th, Ft. Mason Center, San Francisco

Seating begins at 7:30pm and ends at 8:00pm. No seating takes place after 8:00pm. Dining events are two hours, from 8pm-10pm.

Reserve your space now ($95/person). And if you can't make it to this San Francisco Catering Event - visit my good friend (and boss) - Lisa's brand new blog and get some simple yet tasty recipes for you, your kids, and your significant others - Not For Kids Only

Bella Cucina Catering


Related Links:
  1. Tablehopper
  2. SF Weekly
  3. 7x7 Mag
  4. Dark Dining
  5. Dark Dining
  6. What does a yoga teacher do when not doing yoga? #1
  7. What does a yoga teacher do when not doing yoga?#2
  8. An Invitation to Harpo & Oprah Winfrey

11 September 2007

Sports Basement - An Interview - Part 2

Click here for Sports Basement - San Francisco

(continued)- Sports Basement - San Francisco

With the opening of the new location in San Francisco & the opening of the Walnut Creek Location, Sports Basement has been full of excitement and fresh new employees. Yesterday, as I walked around, I chatted up the employees of Sports Basement. Here's what they had to say:

Sport's Basement - Ross

Name: Ross

Education: San Francisco State University - Journalism
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Age: 22
Occupation: Sports Basement
Favorite Book: The Hound of The Baskervilles

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

Lower rents & shorter work weeks. Also, I would turn the world into one United Nation but each country would be a seperate "state" (to keep their individual culture). There wouldn't be any one ruler but a council of states.

Sport's Basement - Back Country Department - Randy

Name: Randy

Education: B.A. - University of Hartford - Cinema
Height: 6'
Weight: 185 lbs.
Age: 24
Occupation: Back Country Hard Goods - Sports Basement
Favorite Book: One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest,

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "Free food, free rent, free health care. We would only work as much as we want to earn money to buy material possessions & go traveling (but public transportation would be free).

Basically - our human essentials are provided for but anything beyond that would cost money. So the more simple you want to live your life, the less you would have to work. But everyone would have to share in the shitty jobs of society. Maybe like, one day a week you would have to collect garbage or something... Kind of a cross between communism and capitalism.

Sports Basement - team Sports - R4

Name: "R4"

Education: I've Been Around.
Height: Tall
Weight: Heavy
Age: Almost Old Enough
Birth Place/Origin: San Francisco, CA.
Occupation: Sports Basement - "Frisbee Guy"
Favorite Book: Darwin Awards

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "Clean Air. Human Power Only."


Mark - Sports Basement - Bike Mechanic

Name: Matthew

Education: Some College - "School of Life."
Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Age: 36
Occupation: Sports Basement - Bicycle Mechanic / Musician/ Metal Worker
Favorite Book: No Contry For Old Men

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "No more pollution / return to balance with the earth / more love.

Sports Basement - Bike Department - Eric

Name: Iyengar Yoga teacher, tony eason

Education: San Diego State University - Music
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Age: 44
Birth Place/Origin: San Francisco, California
Occupation: Sports Basement - Yoga & Team Sports Department
Present Location /Where do you live? San Francisco, CA 94110
Favorite Book: Candide

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

Everyone would immediately become color blind. . .
Those who declare war would find themselves on the "front line" ...
Free Education, free food, free shelter, and free medical services would fall from the sky ....
Oprah Winfrey would have an epiphany and ring up AIDS LifeCycle
And each individual would find their inner peace . ..."


Bike Department - Sports Basement - Jeff

Name: Jeff

Education: YES
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 195 lbs.
Age: 39
Occupation: Sport's Basement - Bike Mechanic
Favorite Book: Blood Meridian

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "Every able bodied person would ride a bike.

Sports Basement - Roberto

Name: Roberto

Education: The Streets
Height: 5' 11.5"
Weight: 165 lbs.
Age: 24
Occupation: Amateur BMX Free Stylist, Sports Basement Retailer & Fun Date.
Favorite Book: A Separate Reality

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "Everyone would reach their highest level of conciousness.

Sport's Basement - Security - Art align=

Name: Art

Education: College
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 240 lbs.
Age: 59
Occupation: Sports Basement - Security
Favorite Book: Fools Crow

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "Humanity would care and respect all."

Sport's Basement - Shoe Department - Ron

Name: Ron

Education: A.A Liberal Arts - CCSF & SFSU
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 150 lbs.
Age: 24
Occupation: Sports Basement - Shoe Department (like Al Bundy) / Pre-Med Sudent
Favorite Book: The Hound of The Baskervilles

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- " Part of me realizes that this great power should be used for the benefit of mankind, such as discovering clean power sources, endings wars, and fostering understanding for all humanity.

Another part of me, however, has always wanted to be a shooting guard in the NBA and this part won't allow me to let this opportunity go without taking advantage of it.

If possible, when I opened my eyes, clean air would be a reality, coral reffes wpi;d be flourshing, and people would realize that they can still dislink others and just not kill them. I would also be a fantastic basketball player with the court vision like Magic and larry. But if I could only get one, I'd go with NBA stardom."


Sport's Basement - Shoe Department - Diana

Name: Diana

Education: College
Height: 5'2"
Weight: Hugable
Age: 25
Occupation: Um this is pretty much it - thanks though
Favorite Book: All the Pretty Horses & Dharma Bums on the Rex

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "Everybody could take back one bad thing they did."

Sport's Basement - Shoe Department - Francia

Name: Francia

Education: Graduate of "Super Hero School."
Height: 5'2"
Weight: Hugable
Age: 25
Occupation: Sports Basement - Shoez Department, Coach, Good Friend, most importantly "Super Hero."
Favorite Book: Stranger in a Strange Land & Atlas Shrugged & The fountain Head.

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "Nobody would grow hungry % everyone would be able to buy shoez"

Sport's Basement Employee

Name: Niamh

Education: Freshman - SFSU.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 130
Age: 17
Occupation: Sports Basement Employee / Full - Time Student.
Favorite Book: The Beach

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "If I could change the world with one blink - teachers and artists would get the respect and recognition they deserve & a cute guy would bring me a Peach Pleasure Jamba Juice while I'm at work."

Sport's Basement - Lalo

Name: Lalo
Education: Pre- school
Height: 5'10"
Weight: More to Love
Age: 17
Occupation: Whatever Paul Hass does ..
Favorite Book: Sex Drugs & Big Bird

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "I would make everyone take a survey like this one"

Sport's Basement - Bike Department - Dan

Name: Dan
Education: BA Psychology - American University
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 158
Age: 26
Occupation: Sports Basement - Bike Department Soft Goods / General Do Gooder
Favorite Book: Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "More bikes - less cars, more community- less ? , universal health care, less survival of the fittest, more emphasis on self improvement rather than owning more things, cultural understanding not tolerance, fear pushing us to change not ?, free education, quality of life not determined my class .. Easy? Sure."

Sport's Basement - Bike Department - Dan

Name: Themba (Temba)


Education: Super Super Senior SFSU & Infinate Student at the Institute Of Earth

Height: 5'11"
Weight: 155
Age: 24
Occupation: Sports Basement(Bikes), Red Bull North America, El Rincon, being me, and Student

Favorite Book: SM 101

If you could change the world with just one blink - what would happen?

- "We'd all live in harmony as a global community and not forget that we are a part of nature and not above it....& I want to run around naked without being arrested!"


TO BE CONTINUED - Check back to see what other Sports Basement - San Francisco employees have to say .. ..

Click here for my Official Website

Wishing the best of all possible worlds,

Iyengar Yoga Teacher, tony