Monday we got together with my brother Jim, his partner Louise, and his goddaughter, Alexis. We had dinner at 5 Tacos and 5 Beers on College Avenue in Berkeley.Their claim to fame seems to be large planks of multiple tacos and beers, but we kept to simpler fare. The adobado tacos and elote (corn on the cob grilled and served with mayo, spices, and salt) were particularly good and the "verduritas" (vegetarian enchiladas) were also very tasty
Though the food was very good, the noise was pretty intense so we didn’t dawdle over the meal, opting instead to go back to Jim's place where conversation was more possible. We did manage to get a picture of all of us, thanks to Jim's photo setup (that responds to voice command!).
Then Tuesday night, we had dinner with our college friend Denise and her husband Caleb on their lovely deck. Also joining us was another Pomona College alumnus, Frank and his partner Bill. We realized that we had last been together the very same day 2 years ago.
As usual, Caleb and Denise put out a wonderful spread, starting with homemade hummus and baba ghanoush and home cured olives from their own olive trees. Frank had also made a fabulous gaspacho with a surprising secret ingredient - cantaloupe! Sadly, I forgot to photograph the first course which is a shame because it was very much a feast for the eyes. The Main course was a Santa Fe Stew with beans, butternut squash, and green chiles, garnished with avocado, pepitas, and a chipotle crema.
Two sides were offered as well - a super slaw of cabbage, jicama, apples, and carrots as well as an avocado corn salad.
For dessert there was homemade sugar-free banana-chocolate "ice cream" (no dairy or sugar) and cookies, but the light was too low for photos.
So we've been well fed two nights in a row, but of course the most important part was the company and conversation.