Saturday night, J and I celebrated Ted's birthday with a few special people from his life. Unfortunately, Ted is no longer with us to celebrate.
J, Louie, and I always celebrated Ted's birthday with pizza...Usually, pizza at Skipolini's in Clayton where dogs are welcomed on the large outdoor deck. Since Ted's birthday is close to Mother's Day, this also gives Louie the opportunity to take me to dinner for that occasion, at a restaurant where he can join in on the festivities.
We did not want to let our tradition go, so we invited Ray, Al, and Liz to join us as we continue to savor memories of our connections with Ted.
J & I go way back with Skipolini's. When we came to California in the 70s, Skip's only had the Clayton location and Clayton itself was a tiny rustic community. Early on, we "discovered" it because we kept seeing the bumper sticker "Where the Hell is Skipolini"s" on cars. It remains our favorite pizza place, both for its pizzas and its ambiance. And, while, the Clayton Skip's has expanded a bit, it pretty much remains the same, maybe with a few extra pizza combinations, a few other salads in addition to their Traditional Italian salad, and a few more wines and beers from which to choose.
Today Skip's also has restaurants in Antioch and Walnut Creek. And, Clayton's population has greatly increased and there is a new, more modern part of downtown, around the corner from the old old-West downtown. Skipolini's was opened in Clayton in 1974 by Bev and Skip Ipsen. Today, their son, Kent, is president of their small restaurant group.
Skip's remains a popular gathering spot for people of all ages. When we arrived before 6 p.m. almost all the outdoor tables were taken. Fortunately, we were able to share one with some other people...it's that kind of place.
As you can see, there is nothing like pizza and wine or beer, especially when it is shared with friends.
As I have done in the past, I brought a birthday cake, this year a Chocolate Decadence Cake from Whole Foods.
It was a wonderful evening.
Ted, we miss you achingly and hope you were looking down on us Saturday night and smiling.
1 comment:
Lovely post ~ I did a search to find Ted and guess he was the one who provided Persimmon Pudding? I'm sorry for your loss, but it looks like you remembered him in the style he would have loved.
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