A date night and fresh blueberries

At the restaurant, it was clear it had been modified for to-go orders as many other establishments have been. But it was also open for indoor seating, which is something we haven’t done here since before March 2020.

Since it was now a date night, and indoor seating was allowed, we made the big jump, along with the mental adjustment, and sat down. While doing so, we realized the chef was operating the restaurant, cooking the food and also serving as host and server. He also said he needed a few minutes before he could take our order. He then proceeded to octopus arm himself through the weeds and handle another couple at a different table, along with several pickups, all while taking our order, engaging in some light banter, and getting our food to us in a timely and friendly manner. All very impressive. A little bit later, a server came in and got to work, leaving the chef to his hot stove.

All in all, it was a pleasant experience and it felt almost … normal. Almost.

But as we get back to normal, there will be a transition for sure. And lots of what we did before we will do differently now. Some restaurants will scale back to-go orders, while others will still have them. Some will have limited indoor seating, while others will not. Service might be different while staffing levels return and training is needed. There might be challenges with the transition but patience and flexibility will be key.

We got so used to cooking our own dinners and getting take-out on occasion that it will be odd to go out and sit down, but we got our first taste and it worked out OK.

Have any interesting stories about your own transition? Or businesses you want to support? Send them my way.

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There has been lots of discussion about things from the pandemic we will keep. Usually it centers around working from home and Zoom calls, but one thing I am definitely keeping is my CSA box.

For those who may not know, CSA stands for community supported agriculture, and it essentially means you get a box of whatever is in season from a farmer. It’s like someone went to a farmers’ market for you and dropped it off at your house.

I get mine from Greenhearts Family Farm in Half Moon Bay and it’s always fun to see what we get, however, there was a stretch when I wasn’t sure I could possibly eat any more cabbage. I’m pretty creative in the kitchen as it is, but the variety of new things pushes you in new directions. I don’t think I would have ever tried sunchokes without it, and now I can’t get enough of them. And I always get my daughter to at least try something new, which is fun. She still doesn’t like beets, however.

And it’s a way to ensure you get lots of local and seasonal vegetables. I like unpacking and immediately strategizing what to do with everything throughout the week. Though at times even more creativity was needed. We planted carrots, parsnips and kale at our house this winter and there was a week they were coming in and also appearing in our box. What that meant was lots of kale, carrots and parsnips in our house that week and also gifts for friends. It’s a good problem to have.

The past couple of weeks we started getting strawberries and blueberries, which are literally the best I’ve ever had. And I think two weeks ago I got the perfect box, but it’s tough to know for sure. It was just the right amount of leafy greens, amazing peas and all the other vegetables and a few sweet treats in red and blue.

The cost is comparable to the farmers’ market and you have the knowledge you are helping out a farming family and the workers they employ. And did I mention the blueberries? Or those peas?

Jon Mays is the editor in chief of the Daily Journal. He can be reached at jon@smdailyjournal.com. Follow Jon on Twitter @jonmays.