{18 August 2012}
three years ago he bought a motorcycle and left chicago to See About a Girl who’d gone to california. he sold the motorcycle, we bought a car together, made some wedding rings, and set a date. now we’re headed home, together.
{10 August 2012}
not pictured: the actual front door of Betty’s, because it’s so far down the block. Would you eat a fried chicken sandwich so delicious that people queue up halfway down the block every day of the week. oh hell yes. and, if that’s not your thing, they have egg salad sandwiches, strawberry shortcake / apple pie (depending on season), giant cookies, and lemon ices.
{09 August 2012}
the quintessential dive bar, in wrong-side-of-the-tracks mill valley, directly across the street from my theatre company. it is perhaps stretching the definition of culinary farewell tour to include Joe’s, given that the only thing to eat there are packets of doritos. but the drinks are cheap, the bartenders friendly, and the juke box is full of classic rock power ballads. the occasional bar fight breaks out here, in a town otherwise filled with classy pricey wine bars. i watched the giants win the world series here in 2010.
{07 August 2012}
the tofu tostata at Joe’s is something that i will dream about after i leave this place. it’s the deep-fried chunks of tofu i can’t get enough of*: salty, battered, greasy, and just out of the fryer. it will change your mind about tofu. dang.
Joe’s collection of hot sauces is rivaled only by their collection of virgin mary statues.
*add this to the list of phrases that 16-year-old-me never thought i’d say.
{06 August 2012}
this hippy cafe in Mill Valley makes this chipotle dressing that I would eat on cardboard, if necessary. and everything is made with love.
{04 August 2012}
the Albatross in Berkeley is as close to being the perfect bar as i could ask for. large, but compartmentalized into several rooms. old wood paneling and heavy beams, dim incandescent lighting, a comfortable collection of kitch and odd conversation pieces decorating the walls (including this strangely misspelled sign), darts, even a pool table hidden at the back. a wide selection of board games. a nice whiskey selection but beer cheap enough for the grad students who frequent this place. bottomless popcorn for a dollar. i will miss the Albatross greatly.
{03 August 2012}
seemingly unable to decide, Lanesplitter embraces both motorcycle AND bowling themes, with menu items named after things like “7-10 split” and a pocketbike ridden by a stuffed dinosaur suspended over the door (i only dine at the classiest of establishments, as you can see). split personality aside, this is the ideal neighborhood pizza joint: pizza is adequate and slices are generous, salads are great, the beer is cheap, and bartenders (and resident homeless dude at the bar) are friendly. it’s also the only place in walking distance of our house open for dinner later than 9pm. we find ourselves there embarrassingly often.
{01 August 2012}
sadly, i forgot to get a picture, but quite simply, this is the best ramen in the bay area. a tiny tiny space that seats no more than 20 and a line out the door any time of the day, and it’s totally worth it. forget everything you know about ramen based on the freeze dried stuff. this is the real deal. a meal costs about $8 and the bowls are so enormous that i could swear that they get bigger every time i go there. just don’t take a party larger than 4. or hope to eat anything vegetarian. or expect ambiance or non-weak japanese beer. just go for the ramen. bonus points for being open late enough to get a bite post-show (and being located directly across the street from the Geary theatre).
{25 July 2012}
This wasn’t actually a stop on the tour, because we scheduled a dessert and wine date with friends for Tuesday night…only to discover that they are closed on Tuesdays!
Cioccolata Di Vino holds a sentimental place in our hearts since this is where we went out for dessert the night we got engaged. An excellent place for a glass of wine or a gooey dessert and an espresso in the gourmet ghetto of Berkeley.
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embarrassing to admit, but we actually ate here twice. in a row. at a mac and cheese restaurant. it couldn’t be helped! the two groups of friends that we routinely go to Homeroom with both wanted to eat there on the same weekend. what could we do but fill our fridge with leftover mac and cheese?
