DINNER BEFORE SF SYMPHONY

Jim and I no longer have a Season Subscription to the SF Symphony. We now pick and choose our concerts, making it more pleasant to Jim, in particular, to assure not hearing "new" musical pieces, most of which he considers not musical.

At any rate, last night's concert featured Charles Dutoit as guest conductor. The featured piece was Holst's The Planets. The other piece was Walton's Violin Concerto with SF Symphony Concertmaster Alexander Branantschik as the violin soloist.

It was a wonderful concert and a great evening which we started with dinner at one of our favorites for pre-Symphony dining, Paul K.

The food at Paul K is Mediterranean with California influences. Owner Paul Kavouksosrian is Armenian.

The restaurant is small and crowded, with most tables in the front dining room which shares space with the bar. A smaller back area has a few more tables and maybe has a bit more space between tables. I am happy where ever I am seated. It's a lively friendly place.

Meals start with fresh warm pita bread and hummus and glass of cucumber water.



The menu features about a dozen Small Plates and half a dozen or so Entrées. Two Mezza (Mediterranean appetizer) platters are always featured; one is vegetarian.

Sometimes I make a meal of the Mezza. Other times, I have a few small plates.

Last night, we each ordered an Entrée and shared the Butter Lettuce Salad with blue cheese, dates, and hazelnuts to start.



Jim had the Grilled Half Chicken on a bed of White Beans, Clamshell Mushrooms, and Green Garlic.



My choice was the Atlantic Skate Wing with a mixture of Roasted Artichokes and Sunchokes. I have a "thing" for Skate Wing and always order it if it is on a menu. The vegetables that look like roasted potatoes in the photo are the sunchokes.



I've never eaten sunchokes and they were delicious...so delicious that I bought some today at my local Farmers' Market and am going to try roasting them myself.

For dessert, we shared the Chestnut Fritters which were served with homemade Maple Ice Cream.




A heavenly meal that sent us off happily to a lovely concert.

AN OLD FAVORITE IN BERKELEY'S ELMWOOD DISTRICT

Last weekend, we went to the movies at the Elmwood in Berkeley. It's been a long time, but in the good old days, we were regulars at the Elmwood and at the shops and restaurants along the few blocks of College Avenue that make up the Elmwood neighborhood's business district.

After the movie, we walked down college, in search of dinner. Our choice? La Mediterranée, which has been one of our favorite places since we moved to California in the '70s.

At 6:30p.m., there was a line waiting for tables. We waited about 20 minutes, getting hungrier and hungrier as we watched all the beautiful plates of food pass us by.

We both ordered the Middle East Plate, a sampler of many of Mediterranée's specialties. It includes Chicken Cilicia, Grecian Spinach with Feta, a Levant Sandwich and two choices: Either Lamb Lule or Chicken Pomegranate and a choice of Green Salad, Armenian Potato Salad or Soup.



I had mine with the Lamb Lule, a ground lamb meatball in a spicy tomato sauce over rice pilaf. J chose the Chicken Pomegranate, a baked herbed chicken drumstick which has been first marinated in pomegranate juice. I had the Green Salad and J had the Armenian Potato Salad. The Chicken Cilicia is a mix of chicken, almonds, chickpeas, raisins, cinnamon and spices, wrapped and baked in fillo dough. The Levant Sandwich is an Aram (rolled) sandwich filled with cream cheese,herbs, cucumber, lettuce, feta, and tomato. Also on the plate was a selection of fresh fruit and a slice of cheese.



While we were waiting, I saw several tables enjoying a fruit and cheese plate and had thought I'd order a small one for dessert, but that was before I realized that my Middle East Plate would include a mini version of the fruit and cheese.

The Middle East Plate costs about $11, a true bargain for the quality and quantity. J's glass of house wine, was decent, and less than $4. My lemonade cost $2.50. This is why Mediterranée has endured all these many years.

In addition to its busy dining room, Mediterranée has a heated outdoor patio and, for those with dogs, a few sidewalk tables.

By the way, Mediterranée also has locations in San Francisco on Fillmore Street and on Noe Street.

Another note: We walked past Ici several times on Saturday, late afternoon and evening, and there was always a very long line of people waiting patiently for a scoop or two of their handmade, organic, ice cream and handmade ice cream cones. Next time!!