Last Exit (1975/76)

When we first moved to Seattle, somebody took us to the late great Last Exit in the U District. I loved it because it a) wascool and groovy and b) offered a ham and cheese sandwich on a hotdog bun wrapped in napkin and served in one of those great thick white coffee mugs. This was most unprecedented and also most excellent stuff for a kid!

Double decker cone (early 1970s)

When we lived in Oakland, there was a Baskin Robbins up the street on the main shopping drag. Probably a 10 or 15-minute walk away. It was a special treat to walk up and get a cone. I was especially partially to orange sherbet, which I would now consider more or less a waste of calories now. Anyway, at some point I was deemed old enough to be able to handle a double cone. I was so proud and happy! Boy, you better believe I lorded that over my little brother in the most obnoxious way. Sorry, And!

Macarrones, yum yum! (late 1990s/2000)

Pedro and I once took a trip to the Basque Country, we were round about Guernica way when we decided to stop for lunch. We were passing through this wittle town, so we parked and found a place. Just a normal, garden-variety, this'll-do-fine type of place. They had a set menu of the day, and macarrones (which is what the Spanish insist upon calling macaroni, along the same lines as espaguetis), which we both ordered. The woman brought out an absolutely enormous PLATTER of macaroni cooked with tomato sauce and spicy chorizo sausage. Large became our eyes at the sight of all that pasta. What did she think we were, construction workers? It was Saturday, for crying out loud!

Seeing our faces, she hastily assured us that should we desire any more, there was plenty to be had! Just as hastily, we assured her that this ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS PLATTER would do the TWO of us just fine, but thanking you very much.

Well ...

They were SO DAMN GOOD, we ate the whole thing and probably would've asked for more if a second course hadn't been coming. She obviously knew the talents of her chef. To this day, I wonder what they did to them to make them so good, but good they were, indeed.

Chocolate covered cherries (mid 1970s)

One of the few times I spent with my mother's parents was during the brief period they lived in California in the mid 70s. My mom grew up in Albany, New York, and her parents later retired to Florida.

I don't remember if it was before or after we moved to Seattle, but it was around that time. My mom may have been living in Fresno, which was only a very short period. In any case, I was left in my grandparents' care for the afternoon. I remember we went to a playground. Oddly enough, I can't remember if my brother was there, but I think not. After the playground we went to a shop. I don't know if there was another reason, but my grandmother wanted to buy my mom some chocolate covered cherries. She told me that my mom really liked them. (It turned out that she actually didn't much, but had done as a child, I think.) I also seem to remember a mug in there. Maybe it was bought for mom as well, or maybe for me. Or maybe it was just a considered and rejected gift. Maybe my grandfather suggested it. He didn't get his way much, according to my mom.

Ice cream on the 4th (late 1970s)

When we first moved to Seattle, my mom was part of an acting group which staged amateur productions. A great group of people they were. Anyway, one 4th of July a group of them, with me and my brother as the tag-along kids (don't remember any other young 'uns in the group) walked from someone's house near Green Lake down to the lake to watch the fireworks. (Yes, this was before they moved to Lake Onion.) Someone had an old-fashioned wooden ice-cream maker, and a couple of the men carried it along on poles. We ate the ice cream at the lake. Strawberry it was, not normally my favorite, but fresh berries made this pure bliss!

I had some sparklers, which I was having a great old time with, that is, until I accidentally burned someone near us, and they got mad. Oops!

Coffee rites (1980s)

I think my first espresso might have been at the Last Exit on Brooklyn. I had a mocha, as the person (whose identity is only a vague blur) initiating me suggested that this would be a more gentle introduction. It was probably about 1982, and was subsequently followed by many au laits from Craig Cappuccino at the Egyptian and various and other sundry sites.

This was, of course, before Starbucks took over the planet, and we were forced to drink lattes and not au laits. There also seemed to be a greater variety of Sundry Sites in Seattle from which to choose, although perhaps my memory is clouded by nostalgia. Favorites, due to taste or convenience, included: the late great Last Exit, various espresso carts downtown, B&O Espresso, Septieme on 1st, the Nordstrom Place Two espresso bar (just down the street from the Varsity, and future employer - shock-horror), ETG, the Still Life in Fremont, Molly's espresso bar in the U Book Store, that place in the alley in the U District whose coffee I never liked much but which is a good place to hang out, the place that used to be where Caffe Vita now is, Caffe Vita, and my favorite long-lost place, which was on Roy, opposite the Harvard Exit. I loved sitting there, it always made me feel like I was living in Europe. And now I am!

Cookie tree (late 1960s/early 1970s)

For one of Andrés's and my joint birthday parties (only four days apart), my father built a "cookie tree", which was installed in the backyard for guests to raid. It was made of boards, and the cookies were dangled from the branches on string or thread. In attendance (this part of the memory provided by logic and pictures) were neighborhood friends Rachel, Daniel, Claudia and Susie, among others.