Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Vacation day 1 of 3. Medium bowl of oatmeal with milk, flax meal, cacao nibs, and raisins; water with lime juice. Packed for a trip. Redeemed an Uber reward: 15% off rides for 7 days up to $7 per ride. Lunch: roasted corn off the cob from frozen with taco seasoning, a few peas, and a dollop of sour cream. Water to drink. Small vacation begins. Rode UberX to Berkeley. Checked in to room 504 at Berkeley City Club which faces west and has a pretty nice view of the bay, the Bay Bridge, San Francisco, and part of the Golden Gate Bridge. Berkeley City Club is a historic hotel built in 1929 for Berkeley Women's City Club, and the building is the work of Julia Morgan. We encountered a problem with a lock on a closet door and had to ask the front desk to resolve it. They called a locksmith (Ian from Rex) who resolved it quickly and easily. We spent a little time exploring the different areas of the property including interior common rooms and hallways and exterior garden courtyards. We had drinks at Morgan's Bar and Lounge: glass of Chardonnay for Patrick, glass of Bourdeaux for me, mixed nuts. Rode UberX to Chez Panisse. Dinner. An amuse bouche: a crisp, light toast point with olive and mozzarella. An apéritif: mulberry with (we think it was) Champagne. Grilled asparagus and leeks with mustard vinaigrette, herb salad, and prosciutto; smoked Mendocino black cod with saffron noodles and preserved Meyer lemon; Sonoma County duck breast roasts stuffed with green garlic and thyme with celery root purée, little turnips, and fava beans; Niloufer's cardamom cake with strawberry ice cream. Rode UberX back to Berkeley City Club. To bed.