She'll be coming 'round the mountain when she comes...

My first impression has been how quiet the rain is.  The ride is so smooth.  The scenery entering the Sierra's is just breathtaking. Pictures will never do it justice, although I am taking them now and again.  My great-uncle Tommy was a Train Master for the Southern Pacific Railroad a million and one years ago, and he and my great-aunt lived at Emmigrant Gap where we just passed.  My parents also honeymooned there back in 1948.

We headed back into the Dining Car at first call - we're no fools - and sat with the same lovely young woman originally from Japan that we had sat with at breakfast.  Unfortunatey, our fourth table-mate was a total jerk whose first question was "What do the Japanese think about December 7, 1941?"  What a total jackass.  She was so gracious in her responses. I wanted to smack the jerk.  We did steer the conversation away, for which she was most grateful.

The Luncheon Menu had quite a bit of variety, and we both ended up with Turkey Salads with Cranberries and Walnuts.  The packaged dressings weren't the greatest, but the salad itself was great. The lettuce was crisp, the turkey salad flavorful, and the Haagen Daas Ice Cream for dessert the perfect final touch.

We decided after lunch to take a stroll up to the Observation car and check out the snack car and lounge.

We found the noise.  What a differnce between our end of the train and the back end.  It's not that I'm a snob or anything - really - but I think I'll be spending the majority of my time up front.

by Tim Dineen

All Aboard

It was a dark and stormy night…  Oh.  Wait.  Wrong story…

Actually, it was a balmy but slightly foggy morning when we boarded the Amtrak bus at the Ferry Building for Emeryville and the California Zephyr. From the moment we boarded the bus, it was evident that this was not an airport.  People were friendly.  People were smiling.  It was almost surreal.

At Emeryville, we were escorted to our compartment by our car steward, and shown all of the luxury features – bath, shower, closets, etc.  It’s quite roomy, has a couch and a comfy chair, desk, air conditioning or heat… All of the comforts of home.  He has coffee, juice, bottled water, etc., all available for us 24 hours a day in the middle of the car.  Need anything?!?  Pull the yellow lever.  I’m going to get used to this right away.

Formalities over, it was off to the dining car.  Our waiter, Elliot, has the car under complete control. You can tell he’s done this before.  You sit where he says and you actually enjoy it.  No singles.  You sit together.  You actually speak to strangers.  It’s a rule.  I like it.

The first meal right out of the station was breakfast.  No menu.  Everyone was served the same scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, croissant, coffee and orange juice.  Worked for me.

And now it’s back to the compartment to sit and relax.

I can’t get the movie The Harvey Girls with Judy Garland out of my head…..

by Tim Dineen

The Ferry Building and the Last Supper

We dropped off the rental car, checked into the Hyatt Regency, and then headed across the street to the Ferry Building to pick up our Amtrak tickets for tomorrow morning.

Naturally, since we had eaten our final huge breakfast at Joe's a mere few hours earlier, it was time to eat again.  Sandwiches.  Huge sandwiches.

I quickly wrote about the Ferry Market Plaza a couple of years ago.  It's still one of the great places in the city to shop.  And the food - while pricey - is top quality good stuff.

So lunch morphed into Phoebe, Nancy, Emily and Eileen meeting us at the hotel and then heading down to Pier 39.  It's fun to play tourist in your home town once in a while.

That led to cocktails in the lobby bar en route to Harrington's for the Last Supper.

Harrington's - just two blocks form the Hyatt - is where Phoebe and Eileen, and I would meet for Friday lunches lo these many years ago.  Huge half-pound Burgers on French Rolls...  The Best.  Mike and Debbie, Bill and Katie, Michael, Megan, and Sean met us there.

The final meal.  All I can think of is going to bed.  Not even 7pm and I am ready to pull the blankets over my head and wake up on Friday in Pennsylvania.  I am beat.

This has been so much fun, but this old man is ready to sit down and relax for a few days.

I can't wait.

by Tim Dineen

Happy Anniversary

What was supposed to be our wedding on our 14th Anniversary turned into a huge party at my sister's house.  Surrounded by family and friends, we had fun.

And the food...  We started off with mom's olive puffs... We have to have them at any family gathering. Ham, turkey, tri-tip roasts, shredded potato casserole, fresh green beans and a homemade variation on the infamous green bean casserole... Apple pies, pumpkin pies... We ate.  And ate.

It was a non-stop food-fest.

And all those little kids!  I looked around and wondered when all those little babies became adults with babies of their own.  How can my eldest nephew be turning 31 in a couple of weeks?  I wasn't that old when he was born.

Laughing, joking, telling stories about my parents - watching the video of their 50th Wedding Anniversary 10 years ago with everyone in tears... And then eating some more. Food - the great comforter.

We took hundreds of pictures.

It was just what life is supposed to be all about -

Family, Food, and Fun.

We have all three in immeasurable quantities.

by Tim Dineen

Celia's Mexican Restaurant

Tonight was the traditional family dinner at Celia's.  We started arriving right before our 6pm reservation, only to be told we didn't have a reservation - even though Eileen had been called by the restaurant earlier in the day to confirm.  30 people on a Saturday night and no reservation.  Not good.

It only took a few minutes and a phone call to the person who had called us.  They realized their error, jumped into gear, and had us seated in minutes.

We had big people at one end, crying babies and little children at the other.  The side room at Celia's is one of those places where the decible level is always just below that of a jet airplane.  Adding another 30 people in there just isn't an issue.

The pitchers of Margarita's started flowing, and bowls of homemade chips and fiery hot salsa were consumed while 2 servers expertly took orders.  Conversation never stopped, and a roar went up every time a new member arrived. More hugs and kisses, another pitcher or two of margaritas, another place-setting added to the table.  Just like home.

I actually changed my order this time.  For more years than I care to remember, I've pretty much ordered the same Combinacióne Grande - Enchilada, taco, and tamal.  Really good, always more food than I need, but... what the heck.  Tradition is tradition.

Tonight, I was a rebel.

I espied the Chicken Enchilada Mole and decided tacos and tamals were a thing of the past.  The description stated: Two chicken enchiladas topped with melted jack cheese, mole sauce and onions, served with rice and refried beans, cole slaw and tortillas. It was the onions that sealed the deal.  I like onions.

The enchilada was solid chicken.  Tender, shredded chunks of chicken that had been simmered in a rich sauce were encased in corn tortillas, topped with an adequate mole sauce, melted cheese and raw onion moons.  I only say "adequate" because I have had better, although not on the east coast.  The most authentic Mexican food you find around our area is a Taco Bell.

We ate, we talked, we drank and we laughed.  Plates were cleared and all of a sudden singing erupts in the room and plates with lit candles are placed in front of me and in front of Victor.

The whole room is singing "Happy Anniversary" to us in honor of our 14th Anniversary and almost-wedding.  Good thing I'm not the emotional type. I was pretty much ready to cry.  It's those small acts that mean so much.

The plate was crunchy fried flour tortillas with cinnamon and sugar, topped with vanilla ice cream.  Really simple, but really flavorful.

I had a steady succession of little girls coming down to help me blow out the candle - again and again - and get a spoonful of ice cream spoon-fed from (great) Uncle Tim.  We then passed the desserts down to the kiddie end of the table for them to have at it.  It's great fun to spoil them and then give them back.  I like it.

Two and a half hours after walking in - and a mere $586.57 later - we were on our way back to Eileen's.

Thanks for the last dinner, Pop.

by Tim Dineen

Max's Diner

We were across the bay today visiting Chris and Debbie.  They're in the middle of a master bathroom remodel - that Chris designed - so we went out to a late breakfast.  At Max's Diner.

Max's Diner - and all of the various Max's restaurants - are near and dear to my heart.  They were founded by Dennis Berkowitz, who was the corporate F&B Director when I worked for Hyatt, but more importantly, I worked directly with Walter Fey and Peter Konig who started the company with him during my years at the Hyatt Lake Tahoe.  I learned a lot from those guys and Peter hired me not once, but twice.  A great teacher and a great chef.

I thought at one point I wanted to work for them, again, but decided that eating in restaurants is a lot more fun than working in them - no matter how great your boss is!

So fast-forward to San Ramon, California... We were seated in a comfy booth at Max's Diner when we were greeted by the waitron saying "Hi!  My name is whatever and I'll be your server today."  I responded with "Hi!  My name is Tim and I'll be the person you'll be serving."  We hit it off right away.  I don't mean to sound surly, but my days of picking up waiters is far, far behind me.  I'm not interested in getting into a relationship with my server.  I just want the order to be right and the food to be delivered hot.  Fill the coffee cup without me having to ask.  Cover the basics and it's a guaranteed 20%.  The kid got his 20%.

I ordered Huevos Rancheros and was not disappointed.  And the picture really isn't doing justice to the plate.  It was really good.  Really colorful.  I cleaned my plate.  Again.

I was pleased that Max's has been able to pull off good food and good service in every Max I've been in.  And I still prefer being on this side of the cash register.....

Tonight is Celia's.....

by Tim Dineen

Dinner with Rich

I can't believe I didn't take any pictures.

When we first announced the wedding and sent out the invitations, one of the first respondents was an old friend, Rich Matli.  My brother first met Rich in high school when they both worked for Lucky Market.  Mike ended up going into the Navy right after high school - 1969-ish - and me, Rich, and another childhood friend, Bill Wickliffe -became a rather intoxicated three Musketeers.  To say we drank a bit in those underage days would be an understatement.  But we had fun.  Lots of fun.

Fast-forward to 2008 and Rich and Bill both are retired firefighters.  They stayed put while I travelled all over the USofA.  They're retired.  With real pensions.  I hate them both.  But I digress...

As soon as Rich found out when we were arriving in San Francisco, he invited us to dinner at his house out in Concord.  To my brother's dismay, we decided to take BART out there.  Trying to get anywhere via freeway on a Friday in the Bay Area is a lesson in futility.  Mike and Debbie met us at the Daly City BART Station and a $5.35 ticket later, we were on our way.

Rich's brother Robert and his wife, Mary were there and immediately we were talking, laughing, and joking with the ease of 40+ years of friendship.  Reminiscing about some of the antics we all pulled as kids from my brother literally almost killing Rich in a car accident to our skiing at Squaw Valley with gallons of wine packed in the snow - one at the top of the hill and one at the bottom.

Did I say we had a lot of fun?!?

We finally made our way to the dining room, where Rich had set a table that would have made Martha Stewart jealous.  And dinner...  A Caesar salad and garlic bread - really heavy on the garlic - started the meal of perfectly cooked Prime Rib, thick slices of potatoes baked in a casserole with mushrooms, onions, celery... Broccoli in a cheddar cheese sauce.  And enough food to feed a firehouse.  He did not skimp on the portions.  We ate.  Pineapple upside down cake for dessert finished me off.

A damned fine dinner.

At one point we were talking about the wedding-that-wasn't-to-be and Rich asked about where we had registered.  We explained we hadn't registered because we had been together for 14 years and didn't need a new toaster, but friends had told us we weren't playing by the rules, so we decided that if folks wanted to buy us gifts, Christmas ornaments would be perfect.  One can never have too many.

Rich left for a second and came back with this.

It shall have a place of honor on the tree.

The night ended late but we'll see Rich again tomorrow at Eileen's house.  There's going to be quite the party...

And now we're off to see Deb and Chris.....

by Tim Dineen

Basque Cultural Center

Christi and Pat took us out to dinner tonight.  This has been a tradition for the four of us for years.  We have gone out to dinner literally coast-to-coast.  It's a great tradition, indeed.

Tonight, it was the Basque Cultural Center in South City.  I lived mere blocks from it back 1986/87 or so, but had never eaten there.  I love being introduced to places that have been around forever.

The adults started off with their Kettle One martinis.  Pat and I declined, choosing to talk a mile a minute, instead.  Conversations always flow in 80 different directions.  It's so much fun carrying on multi-faceted conversations... The topics always range from politics to travel - to food.  Who's seen who, done what since our last meeting.  Non stop.

Martinis consumed, we started off with a great cauliflower soup.  Served family-style, bowls were filled, and a crock of soup left on the table for refills. The soup was rich and creamy with a really well-pronounced cauliflower flavor. We knew lots more food was coming, so none of us opted for more.  I was tempted, though...

Next, a light and delicious Veal Stew was served.  Tender chunks of veal with mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery in a velvety-smooth sauce.  It was rich and full of flavor. Thank the stars for French bread.  I was able to sop up every drop.  I could have made a meal of this - but there was so much more still to come...

The salad course came next.  Tender greens and red cabbage with a creamy garlic dressing.  Lots of fresh cracked pepper to top.  I came close to licking the plate.

I was starting to feel just a bit full.

And then the main entree was served...

Christi and I chose the Poulet Cordon Bleue.  Tender chicken breasts wrapped around a sensational ham and cheese filling.  I couldn't quite place the type of cheese, but it was rich and creamy - almost brie-like. There was a really simple sauce served with the chicken.  Simple, but really flavorful.  Roasted potatoes and fresh mixed vegetables rounded out the plate.  Every bite was a taste sensation.

Pat and Victor chose the Rack of Lamb Provencale.  An 8-bone rack of lamb.  Huge  Perfectly cooked, with the same potatoes and vegetables.  Simply delicious.

It's amazing how much one can eat when one is talking and laughing non-stop.  I knew I was getting close to the breaking point, but at the same time, I wasn't paying attention.  We just ate and talked and ate some more.

And then plates were cleared and coffee appeared.  Good, black, dark roast coffee.  And desserts.

Spumoni ice cream and a really rich and flavorful Basque cake of sorts.  I didn't catch the name, but it sure was good.

For more than 2 hours we sat there enjoying great food and even greater company.

We have seven more major meals planned with people in the next 4 days.  And then 4 days of doing nothing but eat on the train.

I think I shall be letting out the wastebands of all my clothes when we get home.

by Tim Dineen

Big Joe's

First stop this morning was Big Joe's Broiler No. 3 in San Bruno.  Big Joe's has been a family favorite for a long time.  Great breakfasts, excellent burgers...  A good nosh every time.

We picked up my sister Arlene and headed down about 8am.  Sadly, Eileen was already at work.  I ordered bacon, eggs over easy, ww toast and country potatoes.  Arlene ordered ham with eggs over medium, country potatoes and a biscuit.  Victor decided on a short stack and side of bacon.  Then it got fun...

The waitress told him there was a special of a short stack, eggs, and bacon.  Victor said no, he just wanted the short stack and bacon.  No eggs.  She ran over to get the table tent that explained it.  he said no, just the short stack and bacon.  She went on, saying it was less expensive - and he didn't have to have the eggs if he didn't want them. Finally, he threw his hands up in the air and said  "I give up.  Bring me anything you want." It was almost ready to become Abbott and Costello meet the scene in Five Easy Pieces where Jack Nicholson tried to order toast...

We laughed.  The waitress laughed.  She placed the order.  When the food arrived, Victor asked "Where's my eggs?"  And then we all laughed a bit more.

The food, of course, was excellent.

If you're ever in San Bruno, it's:

Big Joe's Brolier No 3
487 San Mateo Ave
San Bruno, CA 94066

Oh...  cash only..... No credit cards.

by Tim Dineen

There's No Place Like Home

The old adage is true - there is no place like home - especially when home is San Francisco.  It was great getting off the airplane, right over to the rental car counter, and onto the freeway without having to look at a map or figure out what route to take.

The only strange thing was this was the very first time I ever flew home and didn't first call my father upon landing.  But... he's going to be buying dinner for us one last time at Celia's on Saturday... More on that on Saturday... :)

The Frontier Airlines flight was pretty good.  I had a really good Turkey and Brie sandwich on a walnut raisin bread.  They charge for everything - credit card only - but it was otherwise totally uneventful.  Bags arrived in SFO...  Off to my sister's...

Arlene came down a day early (she's picking up my niece Jessica Wednesday who's flying in from from Florida) and Eileen made us all Reuben's from a great corned beef she had made on Sunday.  We all sat around and ate and laughed and just had fun.  By 9pm we were dead.  Time zone changes always get to me the first day.  The down side is being wide awake at 4:30am PST.  By the time we hit the train on Tuesday our sleep patterns will probably be in total sync.

It's almost time to start our first full day...

by Tim Dineen