Dinner at Joe's*

Corner of Sacramento and something. I was early so I walked from the downtown station to Berkeley North

San Francisco: day 10

I went out to Berkeley this afternoon to see my friend Joe Lambert. He's one of the
dudes who founded the media institute I've been researching and he's such a lovely man. I interviewed him during my 2009 trip and we had to finish up so he could help his son find their runaway kitten before he flew off to Portugal. We've met numerous times since then.

He picked me up at the Berkeley BART station around 6pm and we popped in to Country Cheese for last minute dinner ingredients. They were just closing up but all three of the staff helped us find the slivered almonds and candied orange peel. It was all very important because his wife had promised their little daughter they'd make Florentines for dessert.

Back at his place, Joe and I stood side-by-side making two batches of risotto (one veg, one meat) while his wife patiently showed us how. Daughter danced around and between us all in the tiny kitchen. Teenage son played teenage boy angst music in the livingroom, and ceaselessly moved his bangs out of his eyes. Somewhere in there, wife and daughter made the cookies but I was completely absorbed on adding water to the risotto when necessary and hamming around with Joe.

We finally convened at their dining room table amidst kids' toys and a crazy
kitty (not the runaway--I asked), his wife's art stuff, a leopard gecko named Gracie (Gracie was in a cage) and a dog that lay on my feet for the entire meal. The food was awesome.

We sat for ages sharing crazy stories. At some point the florentines came out, drizzled with chocolate. At another point the kids disappeared into various rooms.

More stories,
more laughter,
more memories.

I didn't want to leave, but I could tell Joe was getting tired. I popped my head in to the next room where wife and little daughter had gone to watch a video. Joe drove me back to the downtown station, still talking, and I made my way home on transit with a tupperwear of leftovers.


*completely random shot but the only one of the day. My battery crapped out before wonderful food-related activities were underway.