Wednesday, July 20, 2005

Beautiful Dreamer

It's cool and grey and heavenly out here on the West Coast, and the avocados grow on trees, as do the oranges and Meyer lemons and the jasmine and rosemary. OK, not the last two, but it's so beautiful here. When I was packing late last Thursday night (after a swell Bastille Day dinner in the pretty back garden at Gavaroche on 14th St)I couldn't imagine coolness, even after 12 years of cold SF summers. So I threw in sundresses and sleeveless linen and now I'm huddled in the same sweater and sweatshirt every day. But it's still bliss.

Going to my all-time fave restaurant Delfina tonight, yay. And with perfect timing, Delfina's also just opened its new pizzeria next door--yet another gourmet addition to the food-lover's row of 18th St between Guerrero and Dolores--Tartine, Delfina, Bi-Rite, Dolores Park Cafe, and that's not even counting the other side of the street. Although I do miss Anna's Danish Cookies--not that I ever went in there, but I loved knowing that someone was actually making those Danish butter cookies from scratch, proof that not all butter cookies were born in those big blue metal tins. And Kim from KQED's Bay Area Bites blog gets the She's On It scoop award for eating, musing, and posting the very first night they opened for dinner. Check it out (with pictures!) here.

On Sat. morning, C. and I hit the Lakeview farmers market in Oakland, which was a shady riot of heirloom tomatoes and fantastic white peaches and organic strawberries. Lunch was tomatoes from Eatwell Farms' Tomato Wonderland, a few stolen basil leaves, Afghani spinach bread, sun-dried tomato pesto, half a corn-fed Sonoma chicken cooked on the rotisserie, and the best chewy chocolate-brownie cookies ever. Went down to Santa Cruz on Sunday to walk on the beach, look longingly at the sailboats, let the chilly Pacific lap round my ankles and eat avocados at every opportunity. Monday morning Shar and I went to the Wharf to commune with the sea lions and their whiskery dog faces and eat fish and chips away from the thieving seagulls upstairs at Stanganaro's, which Shar loves for their Marina Mary, a Bloody Mary served in a pint glass adorned with 2 huge prawns. It's dinner in a drink! Then back up to SF and a glass of super-tasty McPrice central coast Syrah at the wine bar in the Ferry Building.

I might just get too happy to ever come back to Brooklyn....

3 comments:

shuna fish lydon said...

as Ernie and Bert would say, I'm here and you're there! I'll be in NYC until the 1st of August. might I see you?

don't forget to check out some of the new Miette macaroon flavours...mmmmmm.

xo

Stephanie J. Rosenbaum said...

Hi there Shuna! I would love to get together while you're in NYC--give me a call anytime. getting my fill of fabulous sourdough out here...

Anonymous said...

It was great to see you while you were out here, Miss S! I only wish we'd had more time. So...when are you moving back? :-)