Meet Your Meat: Berkeley Edition

Relax, this is not a PETA expose on factory farms! Besides the fact that it's Berkeley and that's just not how Berkeley rolls, this post is about a children's farm.




Deep in the heart of Berkeley, well actually fairly far up into the winding hills, is Tilden Park. And, at the North-East end of Tilden Park can be found a nature center, a series of pretty nice hiking and walking trails, and most importantly for today, a working farm. Yes, a working farm lies just a few minutes from Shattuck Avenue, and it may just be one of my favorite things about the East Bay.




On the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend my mother and I enjoyed a lovely breakfast at La Note. Unfortunately, all of the arty photos of La Note's lovely back garden, which is straight from Provence, landed on my mother's camera, but I will briefly gush over their merguez sausage. It was a spicy, salty, delicious break from the usual breakfast sausage and it couldn't have been a more perfect side for Sunday brunch. I have also been craving their bowl o' latte pretty much daily ever since. Afterwards, we took a jaunt around the bookstore and the art supply store, and we headed up to the farm.



Little Farm is aimed at children and families, you can feed the animals, pet the cows (and the pigs if you can bribe them to venture close enough to the fence), and go nose to nose with rabbits, goats, sheep, and fowl. As I happen to 1) basically be a kid in a grown-up's body, and 2) relish any opportunity to interact with all things agricultural, I think it's completely worthwhile to take a trip out, even as a supposed adult. (The farm is also surrounded by a fair amount of thistle so watch your step, those leaves are sharp!)





When we went the piglets were only 3-weeks old and awfully cute, and the goats and cows were remarkably friendly, but even if you're not into adorable farm animals, (sorry, I have to slip in some moralizing, it's a post about food and Berkeley) it never hurts to remember that your breakfast of eggs, sausage, and buttered toast owes a heck of a lot to animals just like these.

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Memorial Mojitos: San Franciso by Stomach and by Foot

So I'm a little late in posting my entry this week, and a little later posting these photos at all. Memorial day weekend my mom came up for a little visit. Saturday morning after I picked her up from the airport, we went on a little culinary/cultural walking tour of San Francisco. Good times and a couple of large mojitos were had.

We started out at the Ferry Building to peruse the Saturday Farmer's Market and pick up a light picnic lunch. We went with local faves Cowgirl Creamery, Boccalone, and Acme Bread. I highly recommend Cowgirl's St. Pat cheese wrapped in nettle leaves - yum!

After the Ferry Building, we walked along the piers until we got to Fisherman's Wharf. We tried chocolate at Tcho and enjoyed all the tourist attractions Pier 39. Those sea lions really never get old, and the street performers were fun, too. I particularly enjoyed this family of circus students and this giant skeleton.

















After the Wharf we headed over to North Beach for a little pre-dinner cocktail and appetizer. Calzone's makes a great mojito, and the large open air bar and cafe seating make for great people watching. Then a quick walk through Chinatown and it was on to dinner at the Stinking Rose, a perennial favorite.













Later on it was back home to the East Bay, but not without a walk past one last city landmark. It was a very good day.

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Cross-temporal Blogging

It's today, but its tomorrow, and it's... three weeks ago?



I am writing this on Tuesday, to post on Wednesday, about a drive I took three week's ago to pop over to Guerneville and visit the family.



Guerneville is not actually that far from the bay where I spend my days, 80 miles or about an hour and a half's drive. Trying this at 5pm on a weekday, and then turning around and coming home the same night, is a bit of a madman's journey though.



There were some extra family member's in the area visiting though and I was told that there would be a basket of Easter goodies with my name on them. Free dinner, Aunts and cousins, and Reese's Peanut Butter eggs? It's on!




Even though I was totally exhausted by the time I got home that night (well before my 12:00am bedtime, but driving 80 miles in the dark takes a bit out of you), I was really glad I went. It was nice to get a home cooked meal cooked by someone other than me, and to catch up with my family.



I don't get down to L.A. often so it's easy for things to pass me by. I got to hear all about plans for prom, college, and my cousin Andy let me play with his iphone. There was even an attempt by the kids to make brownies. They turned out a bit more like chocolate lava cake, but that's not a bad alternative.




Smiling faces, I declare this journey a success!

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