Here I am, just past the third anniversary of my move from the San Francisco Bay Area to lovely Richmond, Virginia. I still believe with all my heart the move is the best decision I ever made, but, there are a few things I miss from the place I once called home. Obviously, I miss my son, but he comes to visit so he’s not completely out of touch or reach. These other things I miss are things I can’t touch or reach, most of them involve food – so you see where my priorities lie.
Here’s a list in no particular order:
- California Fresh Foods: Sourdough bread, Salmon & Dungeness crab, gorgeous produce at the grocery store that lasts a long time when you take it home.
- Rockridge Market Hall and the wonderful shops along College Avenue
- Lacis Costume Resource
- No humidity – for instance today is a gorgeous day, but if I went outside it’d be like sitting in a sauna (gross!!)
- San Francisco Museum of Modern Art SFMOMA, Sarah and I spent many happy birthday’s there wandering through the galleries then walking across the street to ride the carousel and the Yerba Buena Center.
- Monterey Bay, with Robert Kincaid’s amazing cooking and the happy memories made there.
- The proximity to Las Vegas – who doesn’t love Vegas?
- The Oakland Zoo where I kept a family membership while the kids were small, peanut butter and jelly with the elephants and cookies with the chimpanzees, and always a walk past the sun bear to say hello.
Favorite Restaurants:
- Sam’s Quarter Pound Burgers the little drive thru on Hesperian that served up burgers the old fashioned way.
- The Elephant Bar restaurant specifically the Tempura Salmon Roll.
- Val’s Burgers on Kelly Street in Hayward with their milkshakes to die for.
- Banchero’s Italian Restaurant where you could order “family style” and the YUMM just keeps on coming, lovely soup, bread, antipasto platter, salad, your entree with amazing collard greens, and a scoop of spumoni for dessert. There was always enough for lunch the next day.
- Siam Palace my favorite lunch spot, where the sound of the fountain would de-stress even the most stressful day.
- Our family favorite Indian restaurant Raja Indian Cuisine on West Winton in Hayward where the service was strange and the food was amazing.
- World’s Fare Donuts on Hesperian in Hayward, perhaps the place closest to my heart because of the many memories tied to the delicious handmade treats.