A la Recherche du Temps Perdu*

I could have blipped the beautiful fluffy white clouds, the funny little coffee kiosk in the middle of Oliver's parking lot (with it's own little patio with two tables), or the hot dog joint (called Ozzie's) which is a blast from the past. But I love cheese!

In 1973, before we moved to Edinburgh, it was before Alice Waters and the food revolution. We had young children and rarely went out. Restaurants were few and far between, and the only cheese we knew anything about was Monterey jack and cheddar.
In Edinburgh we discovered Victor Hugo's Delicatessen. (It is still there) with it's dizzying array of cheeses, pates, cured meats and bread. We went every Saturday, and in the year and a half that we were there, we worked our way through the cheeses and the pates, and were just beginning on the cured meats when we had to move back to Berkeley. It was definitely where we discovered the delights of dolce latte gorgonzola, stilton and triple cream brie.

While OilMan hung around the wine and beer section in Oliver's, I gazed at the cheese, trying to choose a nice selection for a cheese tray for our friends Ann and Harold from Corvallis, who are arriving soon. There are actually three cheese sections--one of which is totally dedicated to local cheeses. The labels themselves are worthy of collecting (if only I could think of some clever project involving decoupage or trivets!) I am constantly amazed by the fact that almost every market in Sonoma county has a wonderful cheese section and a vast selections of wine and beer.

I usually have tunnel vision when I go to the grocery store, but today, our attention was attracted by Ozzie's hot dog joint adjacent to Oliver's and since we were hungry, we decided to stop for lunch. While we waited for them to be grilled, put on a buttered and toasted bun and smothered with mustard, pickles and onions, we watched the other people having lunch there. The dark interior, decorated with iconic diner tables and booths soft drink, hot fudge sundae and milk shake signs, and large posters of muscle cars, was occupied exclusively by solitary men, each occupying his own table. Since it is close to Maria Carillo High School, they also have after school specials, including "small soda (no refills). Outside, was a group of older gentlemen, a group of young, heavily tattooed men, a scattering of worker types in overalls and heavy boots, and two young women. Almost everyone stopped by the order window to compliment the chef. I love places like this that haven't changed since 1932.

At the coffee kiosk, a woman sat at one table reading, and the driver of the ambulance parked alongside waited for his order.

On the weekend, the outdoor barbecue. operating out of a shiny red truck will be open, taking orders for chicken, ribs and baked potatoes.

Not bad for a grocery story store parking lot, which is almost always full of cars!

*Not so lost, after all