Yesterday afternoon was our reader Djenane C. Santos's celebration lunch. As she is Brasilian, I suggested a Brasilian churrascaria named Espetus. Djenane requested Nick's Restaurant here in Pacifica. She chose this restaurant because it was the place that Elena and I took her and Joao to after they returned to the US in January of 2015.
I
was born on the island of Galveston off the coast of Texas. My most beloved
restaurant there is Guido’s. It was opened in 1911. It is a great seafood
restaurant. When I arrive at Nick's Restaurant, I feel like I am back in
Galveston at Guido’s Restaurant.
In 2027 Nick's Restaurant will mark 100
years in business. It began life in 1927 as The Rockaway Beach Cafe. All those
years ago Pacifica was an unincorporated area with a few homes. It was an area
with underworld elements selling illegal whisky and, shall we say, "wiling
women." Every now and then a dead body would wash up on the beach.
Nick's Restaurant survived "The
Roaring 20s," The Great Depression, World War II, Korea, The Cold War, The
Social Upheaval of the 1960s and Vietnam, Watergate, The Fall of the Soviet
Union, The 9-11 Attacks with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and many US
Presidents. It has been hit by earthquakes and menaced by the dreaded
California Coastal Commission. It has survived ruthless competitors trying to
put it out of business. Elena complains that the menu never changes. To me,
this is a virtue. Nick's offers great food and drinks served by a friendly and
helpful staff.
Elena and I hosted Djenane, her husband
Joao, and her daughter Bianca. I was so proud of her for the big risk that she
took returning to this country in 2015. I saw her "err and fall
short" a few times before this moment of triumph. We all had a wonderful
time!
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