Kat's 9 Lives

Are you a lover of fine foods? Are you a purveyor or buyer? You need to attend the NASFT Winter Fancy Food Show that's happening right now at Moscone in San Francisco. It is a foodies' paradise! Chocolates, Cookies, and Sauces! Oh My! There are so many vendors from all over the world showcasing their wonderful products. My advice, come hungry and pace yourself. There really is just so much to go through that my head started spinning, but in a great way. I am working my way through North Hall and trying to find the best products around to showcase here.
So far I have found a few products that have really caught my eye so stay tuned for even more updates, features, and even a few product giveaways of the new products I discover and love. O=) It's hard to get Kat's 9 Lives approval but I will be doing a Top Ten Products list at the end of the show. Of course there is still so many booths left to discover that I can divulge everything yet! One booth that definitely caught my eye was the Man Bait Bacon Lollis! If only they really work and that we could hook ourselves a great catch, I'd be impressed! lol They do offer a delectable assortment of caramels. Stay tuned for further information if they remain on the Top Ten Products list.
Another booth today had the cutest packaging and fun for kids products. I had to stop and snap a picture of the Hello Kitty Pink Hot Chocolate packages. Fun for any age and around $1.50 a pouch. Sure... the drink was not the best, but it was cute and fun. I think these would make great stocking stuffers or party favors for kids.
Who can say no to Mint Chocolate Penguins? I have a special soft spot for penguins and why not in chocolate form? Although my sadistic side came peeking through when I bit the heads off for fun. I couldn't resist!
In between all the sweets, I had to take a coffee break and cleanse the palette. Although I really should have picked up a maple candy, caramel, or chocolate to melt into the coffee. They also had a wide variety of teas set up throughout the show. I have yet to decide which is my favorite but there are many strong contenders. The loose leaf teas displayed were beautiful to look at and wonderful to smell.
There were so many great chocolate creators set up throughout the show that it will be real tough to single out my favorite new chocolate discovery. I love the vast selections of salted caramels and hazelnut centers. The chocolates everywhere were not only beautifully designed, they are also finely crafted for the public. I think this show is much better than the Chocolate Taste Salon to really introduce a new product to consumers.
For the next few days I will tough it out with my severe cold and sample as much of the great gourmet products I can to share with my readers. There are a lot of new products that really deserve to be featured and would be great for the home. They are both savory and affordable! I have been asking every vendor about their retail prices and the retailers that carry their product. Can't wait to share the final Top Ten Products and I am working with each company to set up some giveaways so others can enjoy the delectable products! Stay tuned for more! =D

I had a pedicure EMERGENCY! What was I to do when I had a flight out the next morning up to SF and no time to resolve the issue? Well I had to turn to the internet and do some research on which nail salon in SF could solve my problem and not cost me an arm and a leg! We all know that living in SF is expensive and the rent must be through the roof so of course the prices for service are the same. After a long time of researching online, I came upon Juicy Nails. They offer a mani/pedi for $29. In So Cal I usually pay $15 for a pedicure and know some great places that are $15-$20 for a mani/pedi, but hey I am no longer in Kansas anymore.
Tucked away behind the massively busy streets of Chinatown is the quaint Juicy Nails that also offers waxing. The women working here are super nice and attentive. They were all very welcoming and working diligently. June, Jerrica, and Lynn are really great. I had read online about June and how hardworking she is at what she does and by luck got her as both my manicurist and pedicurist. It is true that she doesn't talk that much but that is only because she is concentrating super hard at what she is doing to provide the utmost service. I had a severe injury on my big toe that was so painful that I needed immediate attention and fast. Throughout the whole service, I took note that she was always aware of that toe and took precaution not to put me in more pain, which was very sweet of her. After she worked on the toe, to be extra sure that the nail was fine she asked Lynn to help and they both tried their best. I was grateful that they were trying so hard and provided a great service.
For the manicure, I thought it was very interesting the way she was filing the nail and ensuring that they would be even. After they have done the traditional manicure, they use hot paraffin lotion to massage your hands and feet then wipe it off with a hot towel and a dry towel. What really set them apart in my book is how they do their pedicures. I am really tall and I always hate how I have to sit uncomfortably squished to get my toes painted. Here they let you rest your feet on the chairs foot rest and they paint your nails. I can comfortably recline as they make my toes beautiful. They did a great job painting my nails. I love how they look a little fake but they are my real nails. =D
Juicy Nails is a great find. I have convinced Ms. Lin to visit them next time for her hands and feet. The room has is always filled with a nice smell and no strong odor of nail polish. They have nice hot stones in all the soaks and they offer a wide variety of special pedicure soaks with real flowers that would be great for a rainy day. The prices may be low but service is great and they really take their time to make sure that you are satisfied with everything. Be sure to book ahead of time because they are a quaint little business that can get very busy and become fully booked. They are definitely worth it! I will be back again the next time I am up.

Juicy Nails
1015 Pacific Ave
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 931-8881

Right before our journey up to Napa, Ms. Lin and I stopped off at Deli Board for a bite. I was dropped off to pick up the sandwich and let me just say that they are truly a hole-in-the-wall in every sense! If there wasn't a bunch of people gathered outside, I would have walked right past it. I tried to walk in and they stopped me because there is no inside except a kitchen! =D It is really a pick up and go place. Also I'd HIGHLY recommend that you call ahead of time to order because there tends to be a long wait on orders since they can be swamped or have big orders to deal with. You might end up waiting for 20-45 mins for a sandwich if you don't call ahead. They also deliver! I am hoping to the apt so I can get these yummy sandwiches all the time!
Everyone talks about their corned beef sandwiches so I had to try one of their more popular sandwiches. They recommended the Mish with Corned Beef, Jalapenos, Bacon, Grilled Onions, Mayo, and Brown Mustard on a French Bread ($9). The jalapenos added a nice kick to the sandwich, but it is all about the bacon for me. I probably should have ate this sandwich first because the Paulette Chicken Salad Sandwich was so tasty to me that this sandwich didn't quite hit the mark. All I could think about was turning the car around to get more of that delicious chicken sandwich.
The Paulette ($8) has Chicken Salad, Bacon, Muenster Cheese, Pepperoncini Blend, and Board Sauce all on their Dutch Crunch. This was simply deli-licious! ^_^ I still dream and drool about this sandwich. The perfect crunch from the nice layer of bacon mixed with all the savory components. I was licking any sauce that was trying to get away from me. This sandwich was freshly toasted and the cheese was oozing out. If you know me, I am a sucker for mouth-watering melted cheese! Every bite was a little bit of heaven from me. Bacon, cheese, and chicken! Oh my!

They have yet to establish a sit down store but for now they are working diligently at this locale. Space is limited for them but they crank out the sandwiches! They started off as a catering business but they are exploring their options. With the sandwich craze on the rise, they are a perfect candidate! I will be back my love, this Friday! O=D

Deli Board
1080 Howard St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 552-7687