gordonzola: (Default)
gordonzola ([personal profile] gordonzola) wrote2006-04-15 05:09 pm

Another small step on the road to fame

It makes me feel special when events I am invited to make the paper. Yup, I was invited to Farallon because I'm a long-time cheese buyer of Organic Valley and work at a store that has always supported organic agriculture and farm co-ops.

It wasn't a star-studded event, though famous LJers [livejournal.com profile] anarqueso and [livejournal.com profile] secretradio were there. I saw that Diamond Dave Whitaker was invited but he never picked up his name tag. Secrtetradio and I were seated next to each other and did the awkward "do you have an LJ?" thing. I didn't , however, realize that the Chronicle celebrity gossip columnist was there too. I totally would have introduced myself and angled for free publicity if I had.

Thankfully we were the "fun" table (drunk, loud, and with a child who grabbed the microphone at a break and started yelling "I'm Shy!" over and over again) with the fun sales rep. We took one look at the discussion cards and ignored them, though we did discuss the future of organic ag and small dairy farmers. Here's Leah Garchick's take on the event:

Meanwhile, Earth Day was celebrated early at Farallon last Friday, when Organic Valley, a farmers' cooperative, threw a "local, seasonal and organic dinner.'' Turning April 22 into a national holiday was proposed, and there was convincing talk about the benefits of eating organic food and understanding the origin of food. Thumbs up so far.

But each table of eight or so people was presided over by a previously designated facilitator, who asked questions from a pack of cards supposed to stimulate discussion. What was the spiciest food each of us had ever eaten? our facilitator asked, suggesting we include in our response an acted-out reminiscence of that experience. "If your favorite food could win an Oscar, what would be its acceptance speech? ... You may want to hold a pepper mill or water glass as your award.''

Just after moving to San Francisco, we were inadvertently lured to a Hare Krishna recruitment dinner -- Mr. G. says it was the Moonies, but in any case, you get the picture -- and the atmosphere was similar. It's bad manners to bite the hand that feeds you, but crunch. Organic food is desirable, organic conversation is a must.


We were heavily encouraged to grab a deck of cards on the way out and I did. When I got home I presented them to [livejournal.com profile] goodbadgirl. She opened them up, and then looked up at me like I had taken a crap in her cat's litterbox.

"You are such a hippie," she said.



(edited to add: Score! Here's a link to the cards. I should also say that I do love Organic Valley as a company. They have more integrity than almost any other large-ish (they are not just one farm or cheese plant but they are tiny compared to say, Horizon) company I deal with. They actively save small farms from extinction.)

[identity profile] chitinous.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Getting you to eat at Cafe Gratitude is only a matter of time, my friend...only a matter of time.

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
only if it gets mentioned by Leah Garchick!

[identity profile] chitinous.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 05:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Hey, I'm a journalist, remember? I'll do whatever it takes to watch you order a dish of I Am Magical.

[identity profile] cindymonkey.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
i like i am excited personally :)
cafe gratitude is awesome!

[identity profile] susannochka.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
okay, will you come to Berkeley sometime and eat at the Berkeley one with me? afterwards we can go gorge ourselves on ice cream or something. an old friend and former chef/coworker of mine is the manager (and hott), and I just finally went there two weeks ago for lunch. I was soooooo sceptical, but whatever I had was actually really very tasty. we will have so much fun snickering at various things... for example, the servers have to say the name of the dish as they place it- which is normal, but instead of saying, "your ravioli," they have to say, "I am bliss..."

[identity profile] susannochka.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
ha ha ha! wuss.
okay, willya go out for a burger with me soon?

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2006-04-16 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
yes. after I'm back from Vermont.

[identity profile] susannochka.livejournal.com 2006-04-16 03:37 pm (UTC)(link)
have an excellent time!

[identity profile] uke.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 09:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Wait, Gordon still hasn't eaten there?

Gordon, at the very least, you can only make fun effectively once you've been there. In addition to that, much of the food is extremely tasty.

And they have a "game" there that puts the cards above to shame for hippie-ness, though it's really more full of EST-ness.

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I am content with the effective level of fun I can make without going there.

[identity profile] metagrrrl.livejournal.com 2006-04-16 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
I may need to print this phrase on a card and carry it in my wallet.

[identity profile] cindymonkey.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
ok- i love the cards
they are SO COOL! how can you not love the get to know you better dinner cards? at least the one i saw was cool. me likey!

[identity profile] substitute.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
Excuse me, but if [livejournal.com profile] anarqueso is there, it's a star-studden event. Capish?

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
oh hey, just in case anyone else got confused, "Mr G" is the author's husband, not me. I was kidding about the "one step towards fame" thing.

[identity profile] loolica.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
i don't know anything about organic valley as a company, but i have always been a great admirer or their asthetic. the wallpaper on that card page? LOVE it.

perhaps without the caché of the invading hoard of cannibalistic cheese loaves, but nice nonetheless.

[identity profile] thisisthenow.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 09:54 pm (UTC)(link)
The Farallon wine list has more names on it than my graduating class in high school. Pray tell, what did you and your cohorts eat? It sounds lovely.

[identity profile] princessrugger.livejournal.com 2006-04-15 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
gordon, those cards make me want to die.

[identity profile] tuliphead.livejournal.com 2006-04-16 01:03 am (UTC)(link)
maybe he went to go ride his skateboard
maybe he went to see the Circle Jerks

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2006-04-16 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
I think he probably went to get some gnarly thrash boots.

[identity profile] goodbadgirl.livejournal.com 2006-04-16 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
Neither Zelda or I find it funny when you joke about using her litterbox.


Fucking hippies, man.

Dear Gordonzola,

[identity profile] kneidlach.livejournal.com 2006-04-16 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Will you please add my new journal? It is [livejournal.com profile] twostepsfwd - I am deleting this journal and would hate to miss your fabulous posts.

Re: Dear Gordonzola,

[identity profile] gordonzola.livejournal.com 2006-04-16 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
oops, sorry. I meant to earlier in the week. Done now