Today I had a "South Bay" adventure. First I took BART, our carpeted and padded-seat subway. The funniest thing about this cushy subway ride is when they announce over the intercom, "We are looking for a missing black leather wallet..." which still makes me laugh out loud. Good luck is what I say. Ha!
Although exorbitantly expensive, BART is a nice ride. After exhausting all the possible routes from my house to a CalTrain station, a commuter line between Silicon Valley and SF, I devised my own way.
For today I had to go to Mountain View. Being a real city person I had no idea where this suburb was. Although SF is no Manhattan, we have the same lingo. People not from our 7X7 radius are 'bridge and tunnel' folks. (The other night a carful of young women leaned out their window on Market and Montgomery streets and asked me where "the strip" was. "Excuse me?" I said quizzically. "You know, Downtown." They replied. The light was turning green and the processor in my head was trying to shorten my answer. "You are downtown" was what I disappointed them with.)
Until today I had no idea if Mountain View was north or south. And if it was south, was it below Stanford, close to Santa Cruz? I had no idea. And I had no idea what CalTrain was.
The CalTrain is a really big machine. Double decked, as it turns out. With a really neat row of single seats in the top bunk. I sat in those both ways, knitting my newest tea cozy.
Mountain View was hot today. I had on a "light" SF outfit and I was immediately overheated there. This is a good place to visit if you want to see what California towns looked like in the 40's and 50's. It hasn't changed much. Except for the sesame bubble tea I bought on my way out.
On my way to Chez TJ I spotted some tiny photo tasties. In every town I am always drawn to the union hall. Although I don't know their details, The Odd Fellows are a group I feel allied with. (I am often known as an odd fellow myself.)
I arrived at my appointment early and cased the grounds. Chez TJ is a green house under two tall shade trees, (possibly rubber tree plants), and right now the plum trees are snowing tiny petals everywhere. The menu can be taken from a container on the porch and upon first glance I was reminded, for the second time in five minutes, of The French Laundry. Both restaurants are in houses, & both menus employ Copperplate typeface. An elegant typeface but overused. If I am not mistaken Gramercy Tavern in NYC uses it, or something similar.
The menu is tiny. There is a $115 10 course chef's tasting and the a la carte menu has 9 savory items and 2 desserts ($75). Joshua Skenes is the chef. Ginger haired, round faced, pale young man with a firm handshake that met mine. I took a chance with my outfit: pinstriped trousers and my "Camper" blue-grey suede Adidas.
We had a good talk. We established ourselves as old school by way of sharing a mutual language. We talked about salt, food philosophy, East Coast vs. West Coast kitchens, citrus (he knew what a mandarinquat was!!), and seasonal produce.
And I spotted something in the kitchen I have not seen more than once. An upright knife stand, (reminiscent of a fruit picking = orchard ladder), with various Japanese knives. The last kitchen I saw this in was The Fifth Floor when Laurent Gras was still at the helm. (He had the most beautiful touch with raw fish I have ever had the opportunity to closely observe.)
Might be nice to work in a small house with a serious chef again. A kitchen with windows, a five day work week, a garden to plant small tea roses, verbena, and chocolate mint...
It was fascinating reading about my town from a city girl's perspective - you see, I've lived in this little city for the past 15 years, since I moved out of North Beach and bought a house with a tiny yard but little or no fog (I say little because it was foggy when I went out to walk the dog this morning, but it burns off quickly).
Good luck with Chez TJ and let me know if you come back to my town - it's a great place for food (did you notice the 60+ restaurants in the downtown "strip"?
Baird
Posted by: Baird | 09 March 2005 at 12:15 PM
Upright knife stand? I need more description or somethin'.
I have my magnetic knife holders running vertical and the knives going horizontal. Sawr it in Julia's kitchen that way, figured it was the way to be.
Biggles
Posted by: Dr. Biggles | 09 March 2005 at 02:12 PM
love your website. what's the serif font?
Posted by: Lee Shepherd | 25 October 2005 at 06:24 PM