Lee was one of my freshman-year roommates at Cal. He and I used to go to King D multiple times a month all through college. Sometimes just the two of us. Sometimes with four, six, eight or eighteen people. Sometimes with the Cal Rugby team. We went before finals and after finals. Before, during and after Cal games. Winter, spring, summer and fall. I took family there. I took international visitors there. I took dates there. We were convinced that KING Dong was, hands-down, the best Chinese food in Berkeley.

No single restaurant in Berkeley has so many memories for me. My all-time favorite dishes were Hunan Chicken, Mongolian Lamb, Sechuan Beef, and Dry-Fried String Beans. The waiters knew what we would order before we sat down. Going to dinner and eating their butt-kicking spicy dishes was a great treasure of life in those days. I loved sitting around the table seeing grown men weeping at the amazing tastes. And laughing at each other’s faces as we ate.

It was also a great place to get take out back then. They served huge portions of those same dishes we enjoyed dining in. I survived my first year in grad school relying on king-dong-to-go.

And then things changed. Real fast and real bad. King Dong was sold. Twice. The menu stayed the same, but the food was totally different. The magic was gone. I remember being served rotten green beens. It was over in an instant. I have driven by the restaurant countless times over the years. So sad and tragic. I heard someone on the street talking about King Dong take out about a year ago. The Yelp reviews were OK. Not sure what it would take to get me back inside.

Alas, great restaurants don’t last forever. But great memories do. My current vote for best Chinese in Berkeley is The Great China on Kittredge.

For the most part, I have stayed completely clear of the numerous protests on both sides of this situation. I honestly had no clue as to the status of the Marine Recruitment Center in Berkeley. Apparently it is still open. I was at the Thursday Farmer’s Market this afternoon and ran into this lady who was inviting everyone to come and “arrest the Marines” later today. It was so amusing to watch the responses of the people she would approach. For the most part everyone had looks of confusion and “you must be kidding me”. Ironically, the very rights that this woman enjoys (such that she is not arrested for her anti-government activity), are in place thanks to the US Marines.

My 18-year-old cousin Preston is a new Marine. He joined a year ago fresh out of high school and has completed his training. In a few weeks we are gathering as an extended family to send him off to Afghanistan. It will be a sad and joyous time. He is a driven, principled young man who is taking action on the things he believes. He is worthy of my thanks and respect as a citizen. And of that woman’s.

In one of my early talks I shared about some of my “bests” and “worsts” in terms of life experiences.  I will save the worsts for another time.  But I am constantly thinking on “bests”, especially in terms of food.  In that speech I joked that my Mom experiences a “best meal of her life” at least once a week.  For me, I try to be a bit more careful with my rave reviews.  I am lucky to live in a city of great food, and in a broader region of good eats.

So here are some of my favorite food items.  Just a few since it is late at night.  These are the individual yard sticks against which I measure all my experiences with these same things.

• Best Chicago Pizza: Zachary’s Pizza in Oakland
• Best New York Pizza (not in New York): Gioia Pizzeria in Berkeley
• Best Pizza Other: Cheeseboard in Berkeley
• Best Chicken Enchiladas: Mario’s La Fiesta in Berkeley
• Best Burrito: Papalote in San Francisco
• Best Chile Relleno: Cactus Taqueria  in Oakland
• Best Deli Sandwich: Genova Delicatessen in Oakland
• Best Hot Chocolate: Bittersweet Cafe in Oakland
• Best Morning Bun: La Farine in Oakland
• Best Chocolate Croissant (Chocolatine): La Farine in Oakland
• Best Ice Cream: Rick’s Rather Rich in Palo Alto
• Best Gelato: Naia in Berkeley
• Best Donut: Stan’s Donuts in Santa Clara

So that should get the ball rolling.  I will update this post in the future.