These Threads Do Not Break
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SUNDAY, SE PTE MBE R 27, 2020 Editor: Stefani Dias • Phone: 661-395-7488 • Email: [email protected] E1 E yeStreet DINING OUT These threads do not break ast weekend, I was pushing our La Jolla grandkids on the swings when we noticed a Lspider and spiderweb a few feet above the top of the swingset. The web was attached to the row of Podocar- pus bushes closest to the swings on one side and then appeared suspended 10 feet above the ground in sort of a spider magic trick. When the sun shifted, you could see a single thread attached to the web spanning 15 feet in the opposite direction, secured to the wrought- iron fence on the other side. The thread was slen- der but strong and who knows how long it had withstood sun, wind and weather. ••• It had been six months since we’d seen 3-year- old Lillian and Andrew, ALEX HORVATH / THE CALIFORNIAN now 5, due to COVID and HERB BENHAM a set of careful parents. Try all the flavors at Sancho’s Tacos including the Surf & Turf (made with tri-tip and sautéed shrimp), OG THE CALIFORNIAN We’d visited twice in (with tri-tip) and Federale (with carnitas). the driveway in August, everybody wearing masks, but it’s not the same thing. Grandchildren are for holding, reading sto- ries to, sitting next to at the dinner table toasting your champagne to their milk, wrestling, swim- ming and catching sand crabs at the beach. Seeing them means seeing their faces and them seeing yours and anything short of that Sancho’s Tacos doesn’t quite measure. In order to accomplish this visit, we took a rapid COVID test that Friday morning. Six hours later, already on the road and in our room at the Residence Inn in Carmel Valley, ARCpoint Labs emailed us the results that we had both tested wraps us in comfort negative. Negative is good. Negative was positive. “Would you like to come over right now for Deliciousness is in the details, even down to the chips and ice some champagne,” Katie texted, after we relayed the results. Yes. We can drive, fly with our newly PETE TITTL sprouted wings or sprint along the freeway like FOR THE CALIFORNIAN greyhounds. “We’ve told the kids,” she said. “They’re very excited.” ’ve read that one As with everything else these days, there was positive benefit of a video. Katie asked them who, if they could see the pandemic has anybody in the world, would they want to see been a big boost right now. to the Bakersfield “Papa,” Andrew said. I knew he meant Mimi, Ireal estate market as we too, or I told her that to make her feel better. Then are probably the most Katie said, “They’re going to come over now.” affordable big city in We did. It was like returning from war. There the state. Since many weren’t many medals but there were a fair are working from home, amount of scars and some COVID PTSD, which why not live in a place where an ordinary per- Please see BENHAM | E2 son can afford a home? Supply of said homes is another issue, but let’s hope that the market will take care of that. And so now we have established family busi- The interior features designs by a Fresno artist who goes by Kool Hand Luke at nesses taking advantage Sancho’s Tacos. of our more busi- ness-friendly climate by know how insanely tri-tip), the amazing their other locations that opening up here, such as competitive those Federale ($3.20, carni- they stay open an hour the impressive Sancho’s restaurant markets are tas), Skrimps ($3.95, a later on Tuesdays. Tacos, which debuted in and also acknowledg- grilled shrimp taco that One complaint we had a small space adjacent ing that we have some can compete with the was that you couldn’t get to the Silver Fox Starlite amazing, heavily praised amazing Manuel’s just to a cerveza with the tacos; Lounge downtown. taco places established the south of this place) those two are natural The owners have lo- here. and the Surf & Turf companions. In our cations in Huntington Prepare to be wowed, ($5.45, made with tri-tip eavesdropping we heard Beach, San Clemente, as we were when we and sautéed shrimp). the manager comment- Newport Beach, Laguna took four people on a Everything was good ing that the Silver Fox Niguel and Oceanside, Wednesday and ordered in ways that will inspire next door didn’t want all opened since 2010 a passel of food that future visits, though them competing with by founder Donnie included a bean burrito we’ll probably go back them and as the landlord Lancaster. ($5.99), a chicken bur- on Tuesdays when the wouldn’t let them sell You might have a rito ($8.35), chips with manager told a nearby beer or wine. I seriously tendency to prejudge, salsa ($3.95), almost table that all tacos were doubt there will be but I went with an open every taco on the board $2 from 4 to 8 p.m. mind, even though I including the OG ($3.35, Crowds get so thick at Please see DINING OUT | E2 COURTESY OF SUE BENHAM Lillian and Andrew have fun with Papa during a recent visit in La Jolla. THE DISH Opa in October! Orders begin for Greek Food Festival BY STEFANI DIAS [email protected] SOMETHING TO DISH? Tuesday marked the official Do you have a tip, question or first day of fall, but the season is recommendation on Bakersfield really marked in Bakersfield by restaurants, trends or food the arrival of community events. news in general? Email the- Although the social calendar is [email protected], and very different this year, thankfully your input might wind up in a activities like the Bakersfield Greek future column. Food Festival are still in the mix. Being held on the first four Sat- urdays in October, the festival put chicken souvlaki with Greek lemon on by St. George Greek Orthodox rice (Oct. 24). Church will be offered as a takeout Orders can be made now on the event with different dinner entrees event website bakersfieldgreek- highlighted each week. foodfestival.org for pickup on Sat- Greek chicken — a half-chicken urday at the church, 401 Truxtun spiced with lemon and oregano, Ave. served with Greek potatoes — will Items being sold a la carte range be offered this Saturday. For $15, from pastitsio, a sort of Greek lasa- diners receive the chicken along gna, ($5 or $30 for a quarter-sheet) with salad, feta cheese and bread. to savory pastries such as spana- A gyro can be substituted for any kopita (spinach and cheese) and weekly entree in the dinner pack- tiropita (cheese), which will be sold age throughout the festival. It can for $2 or $5 for three. Dolmades, also be ordered separately for $7. stuffed grape leaves, will be offered Other entrees will be boneless for $2, $5 for three or $15 for a ALEX HORVATH / THE CALIFORNIAN leg of lamb with Greek potatoes dozen. Mary Mekhel and Evanthia Frazier help prepare koulourakia, a cookie that the ladies at the St. George (Oct. 10), pork souvlaki (shish ka- Greek Orthodox Church hope to make more than 700 of for the Bakersfield Greek Food Festival, bobs) with rice pilaf (Oct. 17) and Please see THE DISH | E2 which will be held as a takeout event over four weekends in October. E2 The Bakersfield Californian Sunday, September 27, 2020 EYE STREET that he had outgrown but maybe “We’ll be back soon,” Sue BENHAM he wanted to return to our visits six promised. Continued from PAGE E1 months ago, turn the clock back It was a good thing she said it and start from where we had left because I was pretty much mute dissolved in about the first five off. He had company. and certainly incapable of starting minutes of the excitement. Lillian’s laughter seemed a sentence much less finishing it. You don’t know, at least I didn’t. even purer and stronger than it “It will be a long time,” he said Would they remember where we had before and that was saying again. “Please don’t go.” left off, the games we played, the something. How about we stay? For the next vocabulary grandparents develop We bought a heart-shaped 20 years or when you’re safely off with their grandchildren, the fun hazelnut birthday cake from the to college or considering starting we’d had there and during their French Gourmet. We’d missed your own family. visits to Bakersfield? some birthdays together, but even “I will think of you every day and Six months is a long time in the if we hadn’t, we were having a cake, pray for you every night,” Sue said. lives of a 5- and a 3-year-old and blowing out candles, celebrating When he was convinced we about 10 times as long for their and making some wishes. Every were telling him the truth and grandparents. day should be cake day. we wouldn’t break our promise, They remembered. That night, we cuddled in An- he let go of our hands, drifted to Somebody said a prayer at din- drew’s bed with him and Lillian. I sleep and dreamed what little boys ner that night. There was a lot to told the scariest story I could think dream. pray for and, given 2020, we could of, we sang “City of New Orleans” Superheroes, swings and a have prayed all night and not cov- and we laughed.