Birthday eve

Berkeley, August 19, 2013—

DINNER DOWNSTAIRS under the handsome new ceiling at Chez Panisse, with a couple of friends we see too rarely, and here's what we ate:

Roasted Monterey Bay squid with borlotti beans, tomatoes, and salsa verde
Quaglia alla diavola: quail seasoned with rushed pepper and grilled over fig wood, with eggplant caponata and fried squash blossoms
Toasted almond ice cream profiteroles with peaches

All, needless to say, quite delicious, with two of my favorite wines:

Rosé, Domaine Tempier (Bandol), 2012; Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Azienda Agricola COS (Sicilia), 2009 (a unique wine, rich and mysterious)

• Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley; 510.548.5525