Saturday, January 24, 2004

Lunch at The Butler and the Chef: crepe du jour (shrimp and tomato) and coffee for Patrick, potatoes au gratin (with emmenthal and California goat cheese, bacon, tomatoes) and chai latte for me. $26.58 before a $4.50 tip. Bought 2 new power supplies (Antec True480) at Central Computer. Grocery shopping. We had planned to go to Golden Produce and Safeway, but there were picketers at Safeway so I decided we should go to Tower Market instead. Dinner at home with Patrick: grilled cheese sandwiches for me, bagel with cream cheese for Patrick. Met Erick S at The Bar on Castro for drinks. The Bar has remodeled since the last time I had been, and it's much nicer now. The DJ booth got moved to the back of the room (rather than the side), they purchased many flat-screen TVs, and elegant cushioned wall panelings with gold buttons in a diamond pattern now line the walls. The lighting is still too dark for my tastes—small red globe lamps make everyone look different than under sunlight. We stayed for a drink, then went to Catch for a bite to eat: a pile of skinny french fries with garlic and cheese (enough to feed at least 6 people), and a crabcake appetizer. We shared a brownie for dessert. We had one last drink at Metro before ending the evening.