Café society

Eastside Road, September 20, 2011—

LUNCH IN THE RESTAURANT today, upstairs, and delicious it was, as always:

Garden lettuce salad
House-made rigatoni with BN Ranch beef ragù
Bronx grape sherbet with raspberries and a gingersnap

Fino: Elcano, Gutiérrez Colosia; Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniannes, Syrah, Verzier (a rough country wine, growing more pleasant with the ragù)

• Café Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley; 510.548.5525

That was the principal meal of the day, of course; nothing needed at home this evening but a green salad, a couple of tomatoes, that wonderful new Acme “Edible Schoolyard” bread, and a few slices of delicious nagelkaas.

Viura, Marques de Montañana, NV (still soft, but surprisingly more flavorful, supple, forward than when we drank the first half of this bottle, three days ago!)