california
(click restaurant name or point of interest)
Angela and I are just back from our first trunk shows of 2009. Six and half days in the San Francisco and three in Los Angeles. The weather was showery, but a green landscape was a relief to us. It is amazing how rain paralyzes Californians. Rain is seen as an opportunity to stay in bed and read, I think. A few days in the Midwest would change that. Our weather drama is ongoing and makes every day a new adventure in dressing and navigation.
Our food adventures in San Francisco were varied. Boulette’s Larder presented the most delicious breakfast treats — poached partridge eggs on triangles of “Anna’s Mothers” bread with tiny radishes, chervil and salmon roe; plenty of delicious toast, jam and butter. Tartine Bakery’s apple bread pudding on another day was worth every calorie.
I had a delicious fish soup at Eccolo in Berkeley, some olive oil ice cream at Cesar’s on Piedmont Avenue in the middle of Saturday afternoon with my sister Doris, and a bowl of mussels at Sea Salt.
Friday evening Niloufer King, Stephen Goldstine and I ate at Lers Ros, a wonderful Thai dive on Larkin street. Niloufer and I preceded that with good strong drinks at Pier 23. (Buy her fabulous cookbook, My Bombay Kitchen, if you have not already done so.)
Saturday we went to the Alemany Farmers’ Market, the gfenuine alternative to the Ferry Building Market, and stocked up on baby artichokes, tangerines, smnall cabbages, dried plums and cherries, red walnuts and more. Then dinner chex Niloufer and David with smoked black cod, delicious greens and more. There were more delicious treats that day — Parsi eggs for breakfast with rhubarb and kumquat compote etc.
In Los Angeles we tried three times to snag a counter seat at Osteria Mozza without success, so went instead to Campanile – where the sides were the most delicious, especially the roasted carrots with pine nuts and currant; to — clams, ham hock salad, chicken livers all delicious; and to Comme Ca on the last night. Comme Ca is beautiful (noisy) and tasty. Lamb shank, creamed spinach, tarte flambe (smoky), and the best moules frites of the trip. No desserts.
Driving through California is really wonderful with barely blooming almond and pistachio trees, open truckloads of oranges, Tina Beebe’s huge Meyer lemons, tumbleweeds stuck on our radiator grille are all welcome and unfamiliar things at this moment in Kansas City. Selling beautiful clothes is only part of our pleasures in this creative enterprise.