On the Road with Annalena

Well, it's that time of year that Annalena goes west. Tomorrow, Guy and I head to San Francisco for our annual spring trip.

It has become more than a tradition, or even a ritual for us. I truly cannot imagine not going anymore. We have, over time, developed ties, perhaps stronger than family ties, both in NYC, and in San Francisco. And since we are fortunate enough to be mobile where other people aren't (no kids, generous vacation benefits, disposible income), this is how we keep in touch.

I will not be in the kitchen during the next ten days, except maybe once or twice (sometimes, we cook with our friends Crystal and Frank and their little girls Mileyna and Angelina). But I'll be reporting, as I can, on the food scene there.

It's been said, with much accuracy, that eating out is "blood sport" in San Francisco. Here in NY, when a restaurant changes its menu once a week, it's cause for surprise and glee. In SF, menus change daily. The city is so close to the Central Valley, and the climate is so temperate, that you can do that. You don't have to worry about things like "carbon footprint" for most vegetables, and whatnot, the artisanal cheese industry is booming, and "grass fed" is almost redundant when talking about meat. We take advantage of it all. We'll be avoiding lobster, and things like that. And while we will be having our fill of oysters, they will be West Coast oysters ONLY. And menus, menus, menus, will be coming back with us, as Annalena looks for inspiration, as the NY markets come into full "bloom." We will also be making trips to the SF greenmarkets. We've been doing it for years, and have learned well enough what to bring back, and what not to. Fava beans will be coming home with us, apricots will not be (they just aren't ripe enough). We'll wait for strawberries, because they will be in full swing locally when we come back. And we'll see what else we find.

It's always a wonderful trip. For Annalena, travelling is always bittersweet. She misses her friends that are in NY, and when she leaves, she misses the friends in SF. Fortunately, after all these years, the trips to SF are no longer , in the words of John Cheever "on the verge of being in the past tense." He means that experience that we've all had, of talking about "these WERE the days in Rome," etc, etc, etc. So we get some grief for returning to the same city over and over again. But the advantage, of course, is that we are always in the present, or even better , in the future tense "these are the days we WILL BE in San Francisco." Certainty of place is something that makes us all secure.

Adios, ciao, aufwiedersehen, sayonara, tsai ch'ien. I'll see you all real soon.