Best of 2009: Sundays at the Shook Bar

I have so very many favorite places in this world, places that I hold in my heart along with the stories that go with them, but added a new one to the list in 2009: the patio at Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon in Jack London Square, preferably during the Sunday farmers’ market, preferably with a plate of fish tacos from Cholita Linda and a Heinold’s bloody Mary, preferably with Fatemeh and Colin and Bo (pictured below), occasionally with other friends (for example, Dottie, who is unafraid to do things like jump up from our seats, run over to the Hippie Pasta Guy, and corral him into dancing sans music in the middle of the sidewalk), and always with a bag of produce from the market.

Sometimes those mid-day interludes stretched into the afternoon, and then the evening, and sometimes they involved stops for char siu in Chinatown and further beverages at The Trappist, and sometimes that meant my vegetables didn’t make it to their respective counter or refrigerator resting places until 8 or 9 p.m., but that never mattered.

The weather’s turned too cold here for patio-sitting, and 2010 will, of course, be different than 2009. But this year, for as many Sundays as we made it happen, that Shook Bar patio was my community center.

(Editor’s Note: Inspired by my friends Fatemeh, Jen and Tea, I’m going to spend some of the remaining year participating in Gwen Bell’s Best of 2009 Challenge. These won’t all be about gardening and food, but, well, neither am I. I appreciate your patience as you indulge my participation, and I hope you’ll share your best experiences of the year in the comments, as well.)