Continuing our strange waterless winter we had another stellar warm and sunny day, perfect for a comfortable Contra Costa ramble and a killer brunch. Temps in the mid-seventies in February? Not unheard of but truly unusual especially when it’s not just a single day but a week of it! Six of us rolled out of Orinda BART heading to Moraga to take the Lafayette-Moraga Regional Trail to Walnut Creek. We met Derek at the edge of Rossmoor and rolled through the back neighborhoods of Alamo and Walnut Creek. The only untoward incident of the day was the explosive flat Peter had just before the second rest stop. I was impressed with how his eensy-weensy Lezyne pump managed to get his tire pumped up hard without a jillion strokes.
Well, the point of the day was to get to Hideout Kitchen for a delicious Sunday brunch. It’s always hard to estimate when the group will get to the lunch stop so I didn’t make a reservation. Unfortunately Hideout Kitchen is now a popular spot and we ended up having to wait over a half-hour for a free table. Comfortably ensconced in their outside patio we passed the time in idle chitchat. After a multi-year absence Ryan returned to Different Spokes and hopes to start riding more regularly again; Peter had ventured all the way up from San Jose for our little ride. Soon we were seated and service at Hideout was quick and thorough. Roger and I had omelots; Derek, Ryan, and Stephen various kinds of panini; Peter, a very healthy looking Cobb salad. Only Greg went for the speciality of the house, a waffle sandwich (!)
With brunch dispatched it was a short hop back to Orinda BART. Next month: Ryer Island for some very flat levee roads and hopefully spring blossoms!
The Chain Letter 