Herded through the Grapevines

Nila, Peter and Franky, Berkeley's best chefs

Back in the day, the student body of the University of California, Berkeley, and the community itself were all riled up. They wanted the war in Vietnam to end, they wanted free love, they wanted to smoke dope freely.   Sather Gate was often the backdrop for the evening news for hundreds of protests, marches, lie-ins in the late 60s’.

But now, from a visitor’s perspective, I don’t see much to protest in Berkeley. Even weed is legal. The city is calm, the campus is lovely, the weather is perfect. When we visited, it was only the first week of classes, so maybe the Bears hadn't developed a cause yet. The job fair was the biggest attraction. 

Berkeley Bear

When we say that our sons live in Berkeley, people invariably say: “Oh Berkeley! Great school. What are they studying?” No, they are not at Berkeley, but they are in Berkeley. No, they are not in Berkeley, they live in Berkeley. Berkeley has come to mean UC Berkeley. Berkeley the city has lost its branding. 

Franky hit the Berkeley housing jackpot. He lives on Panoramic Way in the Berkeley Hills, enjoying a million dollar view, in an arts and crafts bungalow that was built in 1918.  And hasn't seen much updating since.  

But the kitchen is spacious, well equipped, and the light turns golden during sunset. Franky, Peter and Nila spent most of their summer cooking. Indian recipes, vegetarian dishes, and even gluten-free delights. They served us an amazing dinner of Saag Paneer (Peter made the paneer), Dal Tadka, spiced basmati rice, beet raita (yogurt with grated beets, a Barbie pink) followed by a stonefruit, blackberry, and strawberry crumble with vanilla ice cream for dessert. 

At the "Panoramic Way Cafe"

Golden Gate Bridge view

Darr and Franky and I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge the next day. Round trip is only 2.8 miles, so don’t do it for the steps. It is not a quick walk, you have to accommodate bicyclists, runners, strollers, tourists, and Marines in training, and you have to stop frequently to breathe in the view. Franky spotted a sea lion and a dolphin. 

We went from there to lunch at Taqueria Los Mayas. If you order "Small Bites," ask for two. Guacamole came in a mortar and pestle. Why?

Crazy salad at Cha-Ya

We had an Italian dinner with our niece at Lucia’s Berkeley which thinks more of itself than we thought of it. We had a decent Mexican lunch at Cancun Sabor Mexicano; and a crazy vegan sushi dinner at Cha-Ya. We had brunch at the Berkeley Social Club, and before I was able to stop him, Darr ordered Barbie Pancakes with a mysterious pink syrup. 

Zach and Ruchi

When your son’s grade school friend sends a save-the-date exactly one year before his wedding you take heed. You surely can’t say you’re busy that day. And who would want to miss this one, a summer wedding in Sonoma County, California, home to rolling hills and beautiful vineyards. I love a wedding, especially one with friends we've known for years. Plus, if the bride is supposed to “wear something new (something borrowed, something blue)” why shouldn’t I? My COVID-collapsed closet was so happy to have a new garment. We stayed at the charming Geyserville Inn. 

The bride is from a large Hindu family who hosted a Mehendi reception Friday night, with instructions to dress colorfully. Music to my ears. We got henna on our hands, flashy bracelets, and danced the night away to Indian music. I felt as if I was in a scene from RRR. We who were not in the know were taught the basic Indian dance moves—move your shoulders, screw in a lightbulb, and flush the toilet. 

Redwoods make you taller

The day of the wedding we took a side trip to Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, a shady cool forest with excellent trails, and trees too big to get your arms around much less your head. 

The bride and groom are perfectionists and after a year and a half of planning, they delivered the perfect wedding. The ceremony was held at the Trentadue Winery at 4 p.m. The timing and setting seemed made to order for a movie. Here’s the scene, with the guests in white chairs on the bright green lawn, the bride, in her mother’s red wedding dress and groom under the canopy, and the light on the hills bathing the background. We were in movieland, after all, a few minutes away from the Coppola estate and DreamWorks was nearby. 

Peter wearing a kurta, Nila dressed in a lengha

There was a sit-down dinner with grapes hanging overhead each table on latticework canopies of grapevines for 150 people. The table was so long it seemed to reach into infinity like a hall of mirrors. 

Zach's and his expanded gang 

The reception was raucous. The fabulous dee-jay broke into ferocious drum solos, accompanied by a versatile musician who could play everything from guitar to tabla to saxophone. 

The wedding cake seems to have gone the way of the typewriter. The old tradition of smearing each other’s faces with icing has mercifully been put to and end. The reception featured an ice cream cart. The previous two “youthful” weddings I’ve attended offered donuts.

Wait, where are my shoes?

Besides it's much more important that you start dancing. Remember the basic moves. Screw in the lightbulb, move your shoulders down, flush the toilet.

Oh, here they are