Trip to the Ferry Building
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October often brings what Cherie and I call "earthquake weather" - unusually warm weather in October (see: Indian Summer) that has hazy skies and an ominous feel. And today was an earthquake weather day. But I headed up to the City for meetings. One of those meetings was with Chris Albinson of Panorama Capital, a VC that our mutual friend Christine Herron suggested I should meet. And bless his hockey loving Canadian heart, Chris wanted to meet for coffee at the Ferry Building, a quintessential San Francisco landmark for coffee. Chris and I had a nice chat on the water, watching the ferries come in and I annointed by a dive bombing seagull with bowell control issues. Nonetheless, Chris and I had a great talk about some interesting things he's brewing, so I'm looking forward to further conversation.
I'd been looking forward to hitting the Ferry Building since I haven't been there since they opened up the marketplace shops. Slanted Door, that venerable Vietnamese restaurant so deservedly lauded when it was in the Mission, has fancy new digs there, as do numerous wonderful food oriented businesses selling artisan cheeses, caviar, organic produce, high-end teas, locally raised meats and produce. After meeting Chris, I ambled over to the Hog Island Oyster Company. Hog Island is a local oyster farm on Tomales Bay that is a famously fun spot for a picnic and fresh oysters. They opened up an oyster bar in the Ferry Building serving fresh bivalve mollusks picked out of the mud only a few hours earlier. Guaranteed to wriggle while they please the palette! Pricey, but worth it. Then I ambled over to the Far West Fungi Company and procured some fresh Chantrelle and Maitaki mushrooms for dinner, since that lip smacking goodness will put a big, ol' smile on my beautiful bride's face. Life is good.