He had Oxtail Tamales. I had the Goat Birria Quesadillas.
Comal,downtown Berkeleys white hot Mexican restaurant, played host to the first meeting of the freshly FCF banned SketchArtiste, who trekked over from his SF North Beach digs, and current (by default) FCF Public Enemy #1, O.Fecteau.
Comal is the ****. The tone is set by the meticulously designed 3,000-square-foot interior, which incorporates reclaimed tables, concrete walls accented with lathe siding, scarred Douglas fir floor from the original 1924 building that originally housed two retail shops, and an open-beam ceiling hung with drumlike copper mesh chandeliers. There's also a large covered patio and bar in back, and behind that an open-air beer garden set with nine picnic tables.
Meyer Sound did acoustical insulation that makes the space feel as if you've put on sound-canceling headsets. You can hear the music, enjoy the buzz of activity in the always-packed dining room, yet still talk to your companions. To achieve this balance required more than 120 speakers and the experience of designing a similar technology for concert halls and recording studios.
The food retains a sense of place, bridging tradition with Northern California vibe even in ubiquitous dishes such as guacamole with chips and three salsas . The chips, with flaky layers that shatter like potato chips, are fried to order and served warm. The sauces - chipotle, tomatillo and serrano, and fire-roasted tomato - have an equally fresh undercurrent; and the chunky guacamole is exceptional.
Femfight fans should have to pay for the privilege of spending 3 hours listening to the stories, thoughts and opinions of SketchArtiste. With a strong foundation anchored in the past and supplemented by personal relationships with everyone from Marty and Trish from Cal Wildcats to G.R. to AcademyBruce to Judell DuLong to Helen Von Mott to Jeff The ****ing Ref, roots in tech, and an unshakable optimism for the future, he is a living treasure to our community. His outlook with respect to our shared interest is so positive that it makes me question my own deep seated pessimism. He is already looking at how best to capture the emerging market of the next generation of fans.
I eagerly look forward to his first video review on this site. I think I might have him primed to make it Foxy Combat.
Next on my femfight bucket list: high tea and a slice of Battenberg with Dio.
It was an absolute delight to finally meet and chat with O.Fecteau. To this day he is the only person to cause me not to post a reply simply because upon reading his reply I realized (after recovering from laughter) that I could not improve or add anything upon what he had written. On several occasions I found myself simply replying with a brief "...Yep, what he just said." Dinner was most excellent ("Thanks O. Next time it's in SF and on me) and the company and filling in of the blanks (mainly O,Fecteau filling in my blank spots) was priceless. The last time I was in Berkeley was nearly a year ago on a date with a woman I'd met in Seattle several years ago. The city has changed for the better and I plan to make an effort to escape North Beach and head out to Berkeley more often.
Being a FvsF fan since the age of 15 has helped me gain perspective on the value of being able to communicate about our particular fancy in a forum environment. It's not always easy finding the right words when you're seated in a public space (which reminds me of Tricia Brown's proclivity to very loudly reference any thing from anal beads to male bondage in a single sentence while seated in public dining areas. Having the opportunity (as well as the honor) of chatting face-to-face with O.Fecteau helped bring a bit of clarity to my own thinking of where I wanted to go with FvsF in the next 5 years. I look forward to posting reviews and contributing on this board and one day getting to reacquaint myself with many of you.
