A SPONTANEOUS EVENING

J and I had our evening planned out...first see "The Merry Gentleman" and then have dinner nearby at Pasta Pomodoro.

As the fates would have it, this evening as planned was not to be.

We are having an early heat wave and the temperature was over 90 degrees when we arrived at the movie theatre. It is an older multiplex and the air conditioning was working in all the theatres except the one showing "The Merry Gentleman." The show was going on, but the theatre felt warm and stuffy.

So, standing in the lobby I looked around at what else was playing and noticed "Every Little Step," the new film about casting the revival of "A Chorus Line." I'd read good things about it and had seen the revival when it came to San Francisco last year, so we decided to give it a shot.

Well, "Every Little Step" is an amazing film...I and those around me did not want it to end. Truly, I think it is better than the Chorus Line revival that I saw last year. I am recommending it to everyone and might just go see it another time.

After the movie, we drove the short distance to the shopping center where Pasta Pomodoro is. On the way over, the traffic lights were out at the intersection by the shopping center. Turns out the entire downtown Pleasant Hill was without power. Pomodoro was not taking new customers because they could not cook. We walked around and just about every shop and restaurant was closed.



Then, we got to Left Bank and the were open and serving only their cold items, both inside and out.



It was still warm enough to sit on the outdoor patio and we enjoyed a French "picnic" dinner...glasses of chilled rosé, two kinds of paté, cheese, and salad. What better meal could one have on a warm night?



J ordered Crème Brûlée for dessert and was so thrilled with it, I only got a photo of his empty dish.



The chef prepared a beautiful fresh fruit plate for me.



Sometimes the unplanned is far better than the planned...certainly the case this evening.

LAST CALL FOR WARHOL

The "Warhol Live" exhibit at the DeYoung Museum closes on May 17 and my time was running out. So today, I made a quick visit to the DeYoung just for Warhol.

Actually, any visit to the DeYoung, no matter how short or long, is always a treat. I love its spaciousness and I love its art and architecture.

Today, I only had time for Warhol and lunch. Unfortunately, photos of the exhibit were not allowed, so all I can show are some announcement signs.





What I most loved is that this exhibit combined Warhol's art with his love of music and his involvement with the music industry. I had no idea, but the exhibit brought me back to the 60s and 70s when I had friends who hung out at the Factory and the time Jim and I went to see a Warhol movie in Harvard Square where the camera focused on a person chewing for the entire length of this movie. When I met Jim, I had a poster of Warhol "Flowers" hanging over my couch. This exhibit and the different music that accompanied it in each gallery is really a blast from the past...Was Mick Jagger ever that young? Was Debra Harry really such a glamor girl? What ever happened to Nico? I never knew the Velvet Underground used the Factory for its practice space. What about Baby Jane Holzer, Ultra Violet, and Viva...they were my contemporaries...Yikes! And, then there was poor Edie Sedgwick. I left the exhibit with my mind reeling...and I loved it.

"Warhol Live" has its own gift shop right outside the exit of the exhibit. And the final best surprise is that just about all the Warhol items are marked down, as much as 50%. My find was a silk scarf with the Flowers on it.

Before heading back downtown, I stopped for lunch in the DeYoung Cafe. My choice of the Tuna Nicoise "Open Faced" Salad was an amazing salad, accompanied by a grilled piece of bread. Very creative, very fresh, very very tasty.



The weather was warm and sunny so I could enjoy my lunch outdoors.

Coming up next at the DeYoung is the King Tut exhibit. Tickets are on sale now and it is a good idea to buy ahead as this will be a very popular show.

PIZZA, WINE, & FRIENDS

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.

THIS WEEK'S CONTRA COSTA DINING, SO FAR

IL FORNAIO FOR THE REGIONAL MENU


Il Fornaio's monthly regional menu featured the Campania region (southern Italy) this month and was too temping to pass up. So, Wednesday night, Jim and I headed off to the Walnut Creek Il Fornaio.



We started with the Tegamino e Cozze, Fresh mussels on the half shell, baked with white wine, garlic, lemon, olive oil and bread crumbs. The serving of a dozen mussels was perfect to share...we sopped up all the juices with Il Fornaio's always-delicious bread. Unfortunately, I got so caught up in the meal that I forgot to take a picture of this yummy dish..I'd consider having it with a side salad as a meal.

But, the best was yet to come and I did remember to take pictures.





We both ordered the Scaluppine a Caprese, Thinly sliced veal with tomato fillets and fresh mozzarella. The vegetables were roasted Yukon Gold potatoes and Peas with Prosciutto. We both ate every bite of this dish.

Along with a few glasses of Chianti, this was a wonderful dinner.

Il Fornaio's special regional dinner menus are featured the first two weeks of each month, in addition to the regular menu, at all the Il Fornaio restaurants. Once you are on their mailing list, they send you a special passport twice a year. Each month, for 6 months, if you order from the Regional Menu, they stamp your passport and give you a special gift. This month the gift was a small bottle of lemon-infused olive oil.



ESIN




The next day, I met my friend Mary for lunch at the relatively-new Esin in Danville. Esin has been in Contra Costa County for many years and has many followers, but this location is far larger than the previous one.

The weather was warm enough for us to sit on the outdoor patio.

Mary had the Salmon Salad, one of the day's specials.



I chose the Grilled Chicken Salad.




While we did not "need" nor were really hungry for dessert, it is a high crime to not have one of Esin's freshly baked desserts when one dines here. So, we shared a generous slice of the day's Brown Butter Tart which was made with fresh apricots...the first of the season in this area. Unfortunately, we were so caught up in conversation and oohing and ahing over the tart that I forgot to take a picture. Trust me, you must eat dessert at Esin.