Au Cochonnet Marin

Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch. Orson Welles

I have never been a fan of Le Chalet Basque, a little restaurant tucked in the greenery of the upper N San Pedro Road in Marin County. Its “family style” offerings were always too dull, too old-fashioned for my taste.

Fortunately, the place has a nice patio and it is open for lunch.  In my eyes, this redeeming quality absolves most of its shortcomings. And since some of my friends dine there regularly, I decided to join them and give it another whirl.

Dining al fresco especially at lunch, rates very close to the top of my favorite things to do. I cannot explain it, but food eaten outdoors always tastes twice as good as food eaten indoors… it is uncanny, but few people will deny this.

Eating outdoors is relaxing. Its dress code is casual and the experience reduces your stress, releases your inhibitions and increases your libido.  Have you ever noticed? And when food and drinks are shared with friends, you will get you (if you are observant) a glimpse of heaven.

Le Chalet Basque offers simple, tasty, affordable dishes for lunch, and service is competent.

On my last visit, I had Moules Marinière and thin French fries, and upon my honor, it was one of the most delectable meals I had for a long time. The mussels were plump and tender and they were bathing in a perfectly seasoned sauce (a rather rare occurrence).

My dining accomplices (Jacques G. and Charlie D.) had respectively sweetbread and an omelet. But it is not simply the food that makes the experience so satisfying. It is the camaraderie, the esprit de corps, the sharing of jokes and information that contribute to the good feeling that stays with you for the rest of the day.

A good lunch is cheaper and much more helpful than a session with any shrink.

So, now that summer has finally arrived, if you need a light meal and something to lift your spirits, I recommend a “déjeuner” at Le Chalet Basque. It won’t break the bank and it will make your day.

I should not say that because upon hearing this, the riffraff will mob this oasis, but like George, I cannot tell a lie.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, but by Jove, there is still something called a worry-free lunch.

Alain

I haven’t trusted polls since I read that 62% of women had affairs during their lunch hour. I’ve never met a woman in my life who would give up lunch for sex. Erma Bombeck

“Every tooth in a man’s head is more valuable than a diamond.” Miguel De Cervantes (1547-1616)
Miguel amigo, you were a true visionary. Four hundred years ago you already knew the true value of a tooth.
Diamonds might be a girl’s best friends, but they might not be a guy’s best pals.

A week ago, I was fitted with a dental implant (yes, another one) and it indeed cost me more than a good size diamond. But the fault is mine… entirely mine. I am too naïve (innocent, unsophisticated, artless, ingenuous, inexperienced, guileless, trusting, gullible…) take your pick.

The whole thing started rather innocuously. A few months ago, while munching on some delicacies, I cracked a tooth and I had to pay a visit to my dentist.
After examining the damaged premolar, he informed me that the tooth had to come out, but that he didn’t perform that kind of procedure. He then directed me to a colleague (a periodontist) who could do the job.

The afore mentioned specialist performed the task flawlessly. My cracked tooth came out painlessly (the pain surged later) within a few minutes…
My tongue then felt an unfamiliar void in my upper jaw. The man asked me what I intended to do and I told him rather thoughtlessly that I wanted an implant.
Fine he said. I took his answer to mean that he was going to do the entire procedure himself.

But I was mistaken. He told me that yes, he would insert the implant himself, but that later, my regular dentist would attach the crown. They would share the job… and obviously the proceeds.
I should have realized that two plumbers are costlier than one, but I did not think of it at the time.

A dental implant is a rather delicate operation. First a pure titanium screw has to be accurately inserted into your jaw bone. Then, a few months later a uniquely designed crown is attached to the titanium screw.
This intricate procedure requires unique skills and experience and it is of course costly.

But my original mistake was to let two different people visit my mouth. My previous implant was done by a single person and was considerably cheaper.

I have no complaint about the entire procedure, but next time (if ever there is one) I will demand (and advise anybody) to have a single person perform the entire operation. One is company, two is a crowd (especially in a mouth).

 Alain

I told my dentist I want a tooth to match the others. He gave my one with four cavities. Rodney Dangerfield

False friends are worse than bitter enemies. Scottish proverb.

Few things are more shocking than being betrayed by somebody you thought were your friend. And sometimes it takes a while to figure out who is not really your chum, but your foe.

After years of gestation, plastic bags became very popular in the 1960s. Many might remember the 1967 movie “The Graduate” where young Dustin Hoffman was told:

Mr. Maguire: There is a great future in plastics. Think about it. Will you think about it?
Benjamin Braddock: Yes, I will.

Well, the great future has run its course, and it is time to phase it out and find a viable alternative. We don’t have to ship our garbage to some impoverished lands. We can find some innovative ways to dispose of it and recycle it into something useful.

For instance, “The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has created a compostable multi-layer material from agricultural and forestry by-products, which could be used for stand-up food pouches for products such as muesli, nuts, dried fruit, and rice”

When it first appeared, plastic was very popular and everybody wanted it. It was cheap, could be molded in just about any shape and was practically indestructible. It could last till the End of Time… and it looks like it is trying.
Plastic penetrated every level of social strata, especially low-income dwellers. But It turned out that plastic was really a fake friend. Like an ill-mannered guest, it abused its welcome and became a big nuisance.

It invaded (and clogged) sewers, rivers and oceans. Its slow decomposition rate became an issue and the whole thing became a giant problem. Plastic refuses are now littering oceans and shores everywhere. They are eyesores and are perilous for marine life.

So far, few heads of state have shown the will to fight that scourge. Resistance started as usual with a few young entrepreneurs tired of government’s inaction.

There are now many individual groups actively pursuing oceans’ cleanup. But it is not enough. It is everybody’s moral duty to fight pollution by implementing a personal policy of restraint. Shun plastic products and urge your legislators to implement laws banning its usage.

Personally, I want my next president to be an environmentalist, not a profit-minded “businessman”.

If you care about your children’s future, think about this the next time you vote.

Alain