The Report from the Bay, August 8, 2005
- By Chris Mittelstaedt
- Reading Time: 2 mins.
Thanks again for all your votes for The FruitGuys in The Best of the Bay readers poll for best produce delivery. I really am flattered. The awards were handed out last Thursday night at the Bay Guardians party at the Phoenix hotel on Eddy street. I was running late and forgot my banana suit, the spare that I usually keep in my car was being cleaned. I felt slightly awkward in business casual around the curved, blue-tiled pool and tiki torch Bambuddha Lounge that was filled with Best of winners.
The Best Veterinarians were wearing plastic cone collars that rose up from their necks past their ears; they took turns awkwardly tipping drinks into each other’s mouths. The Best Magazine Selection guy was keeping it real with the whip-holding, lanky clown in big shoes from the Best X-Rated Circus Runaways. As the fog rolled in, the Devil-Ettes (a 1960’s-kitsch dance team) lined up by the pool in a sea of silver micro-dresses and began swaying in time with a vibe that was Stepford Wives meets space chic. About this time, the X-Rated Circus Runaways began taking volunteers for whippings. The National Park Service Rangers from Crissy Field in their Mountie uniforms, winners of The Best Local Swimming Hole with a View of the Golden Gate Bridge, looked on as a suit-and-tie 20’s-something whispered a post whip thank-you to the evil clown in leather pants. It’s nice to know that San Francisco is still San Francisco, the gal next to me said. And I thought the banana suit was unique.
Grab me a Gravenstein
Lee Walker is our grower of Gravenstein apples. His delicious, high-quality apples have been winning Sonoma County apple awards since the 1960s. His 35-acre farm in Graton (outside of Sebastapol) is filled with activity this time of year. His apple pickers balance on 3-legged, wooden ladders while filling their shoulder-slung canvas satchels with fruit; and during August and September, it is more likely that you will see them off the ground than on it. His green and red striped Gravensteins are the first fresh apple crop of the year, and they are tasty. Enjoy this first fresh bite of the local apple harvest.
Feel free to contact me at chiefbanana@fruitguys.com or 1-877-FRUIT-ME – Chris Mittelstaedt
