We are so lucky to live in a part of the world that has access to terrific produce all year round. And while I love a visit to the farmers market in spring, the East Bay winter farmers markets are pretty wonderful. As we are all kicking off a new year and various attempts to eat healthier, perhaps this post will inspire you.
With Sophie home, I planned a fun family day trip into San Francisco with some friends. We are lucky to have the Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibit in San Francisco. It’s the first stop in the North American tour of the exhibit. I had planned the visit (plus a stop for dim sum at Yank Sing) a few months ago. But despite the cool exhibit and food, it was marred by some scary events. And it makes me think I should probably revisit this assessment of the city from earlier this year.
Dear Husband and I had a lovely day trip to Sebastopol recently, full of great food. We rounded it out with a very nice, mellow hike. I’ve got all the details to make your outing just as nice.
Note to readers: I’m reposting what I wrote last year on why November is the best month ever. All I can say is- it’s still true! 🙂 But this year, I am making a promise to myself to try to enjoy it more, each of the 30 glorious days….
Fall in Northern California is an amazing time. It can be hot, it can be cold and rainy. Frequently, and sadly, it can be filled with stories of fires and power shutoffs. This year, it is particularly lovely. The early October rains (we don’t usually get significant rain until December) has meant the fire risk is much lower than normal. And some of the hills are already getting green after months of browning. November in Lamorinda is my favorite month, and I’d like to share a few snapshots to explain why.
The month of Sophie’s high school graduation celebrations culminated in a big group dinner at Social Bird in Lafayette. It’s a fun restaurant with great food and a nice vibe. What a lovely evening with friends and family!
Kate and Steve came to the East Bay for Sophie’s high school graduation a couple of weeks ago. And they kicked the celebrations off right with a wonderful meal at Chez Panisse Cafe. Kate really took the graduation celebrations over the top- I can only imagine what she’s going to do for college grad!
We had some wonderful friends in town a couple of weeks ago, and it was a great opportunity to revisit The Cooperage in Lafayette. It’s one of the largest restaurants in Lamorinda, with a large outdoor patio. And the menu can accommodate almost anyone’s tastes.
Dear Husband, Cheddar and I spent a wonderful afternoon on a walk through Potrero Hill and Dogpatch in San Francisco last weekend. We were dropping Sophie off for a really fun afternoon of CPR and First Aid training 🙂 And we used the opportunity to explore a couple of neighborhoods I don’t know very well.
Kate came for a weekend visit recently from Santa Barbara. And she was lucky enough to arrive right in the middle of Friday night traffic in the Bay Area. So I planned for Italian comfort food in Oakland at Marzano, a stop about halfway between the airport and our house. Not only was it a convenient way to miss some traffic, but the food was delicious!
We are big fans of ice cream at Two California Sisters! And most of the time, we’re talking about our favorite Santa Barbara ice cream stops. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight some of the terrific sources for ice cream in the Bay Area. And I stumbled across a great stop for ice cream at Humphry Slocombe in Oakland.
