Biba

Sacramento, California: We were both halfway to 90 years old and had yet to taste the sensation of a warm Krispy Kreme donut. Yes, yes, I know most people have loftier goals - to visit the Taj Mahal, win the lottery, buy that Porsche... ever more practical, we search for the perfect donut. Long a tradition in the south, since the 1930s actually, Krispy Kreme is expanding rapidly throughout the U.S. (Jimmy Buffett is opening two Krispy Kreme franchises in Florida!) A Portland store is due to open next year. I had heard a Krispy Kreme donut shop had opened 10 days earlier about 2 miles from the Cal-Expo RV Park, which is how I found myself, at 7:30 a.m., in a 30 minute line. The line, not unlike a Disneyland line, where you wind your way through roped-off segments, proceeded past a glassed-off viewing area where you could watch the process which would soon be expanding your hips: the puffy dough circles moving up and down on steel racks through a warm chamber, until they have risen enough to be dunked into a hot oil bath, where they are fried to a perfect golden brown. Then, the donuts go down a line where they are passed under dripping glaze, flipped and glazed on the other side. At this point, actual humans put the donuts in boxes, where they are sold to the never-ending line for just over $5 per dozen. Krispy Kreme suggests their donuts are best eaten warm, where they melt into your mouth in a warm, oily and doughy delight. We tried them warm and day-old. Both were very light and wonderful, but we can't say it was the best donut we have ever tasted. Obviously, more research is needed. (NOTE: This location has already CLOSED!)

I was golfed-out, but DT met Brother Steve at Ancil Hoffman Golf Club, where they often play, and I visited a few shops I love in Sacramento: a gourmet grocer and wine shop, a needlepoint shop and an Aerosole store. Hours later, I met the boys at the 19th hole. Of course, DT knew the brother of someone in the bar and we had a lively chat - they somehow assumed I was a golf pro from Portland (!) and had a good laugh before heading back to get dressed for our big night on the town: four weeks ago, I had made reservations at Biba. (Past readers of this page may remember a wonderful lunch we enjoyed at Biba during the Olympic Trials.)

Steve picked us up and we drove to downtown Sacramento for a stroll through the Old Town area before dinner. Three weeks before Thanksgiving, the mall was already decorated for Christmas! We also had a look at the California State Capitol building. We arrived at Biba for our 8:00 p.m. reservation and were escorted to a nice table by a window. We wanted to try many dishes and here is what we were served: gnocchi with marinara sauce, seafood ravioli in a butter and garlic sauce, mixed salad, spinach salad, fresh buffalo mozzarella with roasted red peppers, eggplant parmesan and pasta with puttanesca sauce - accompanied, of course, by the finest in Italian wines. No matter who had what, we shared nearly everything - but to be sure, we all enjoyed the wine! Biba herself was everywhere in the restaurant - in and out of the kitchen, greeting customers, signing cookbooks. Everything was delicious, the gnocchi were even lighter than I remembered, and the staff is attentive, knowledgeable and very willing to accommodate. We were then delivered back to our camper, where we said our good-byes - we will see Steve and Gina again at Thanksgiving in Merced. Steve and Gina gave me Biba’s latest cookbook for my birthday!!