The Faculty Club Newsletter

February 06

           I hope that the New Year is being good to you all. Here at the Club we have been busy during January, with a good turnout for the member events. We have many more events planned for coming months, along with special meal promotions in the Kerr Room. The staff enjoys serving you at member events, and works hard to make them memorable. With the Events Committee we’re now putting together a party to commemorate the 1906 earthquake. Watch for more information. We are also planning many upgrades and renovations during the coming year, both in public spaces and behind the scenes. We’ll keep you informed as plans take shape. I enjoy working with you all, and look forward serving you this year. As always, I like to get your comments and suggestions so feel free to contact me. Thank you.

       For this February’s winemaker’s dinner we have something unusual and really special. The wines of Bokisch Winery in Lodi are among the few California wines made from Spanish varietals and in the Spanish tradition. Grape names like tempranillo, garnacha, graciano, and albariño are not heard every day in the Bay Area. But Markus Bokisch, with deep roots in the Spanish wine industry, is working to make the Spanish grapes and techniques an important part of the California viticultural landscape. Join us on February 17th for a meal planned around selected Bokisch wines and the opportunity for Club members to place orders at an advantageous price. This great evening will cost $60 per person, all inclusive. Make your reservations now at extension 224.

       Complimentary champagne, flowers for the ladies! Come to the Club on February 14th for an elegant evening with a four-course dinner, with wine, and music from the Tim Ross trio for an evening of dancing. The reception will begin at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7. The all-inclusive cost is $60 per person.

       The Golden Girlfriends- the informal lunch group of widows of members – is planning a special program for February 14th. Grace Fretter will be presenting a short program in one of her many dramatic personae – that of Julia Morgan, the great Berkeley woman architect. The group is extending an invitation to anyone who is feeling alone on Valentine’s Day – men as well as women. Lunch costs $17, with an extra $5 charge for wine. Call Hope at extension 224 to reserve for this event. This group is decidedly unstodgy and welcoming. For more information, call Phyllis Schafer at 704-9951.

       As the concert and theater season starts to heat up, it is time to start enjoying the bargain dinners in the Kerr Room, especially before events at Zellerbach Hall. This is the biggest dining bargain in Berkeley. And now you can enjoy our new evening look – black tablecloths in the Kerr Room. Come any weekday evening before 6:30 and enjoy a three-course dinner for the remarkable price of $13.99, including a choice of soup or salad, and dessert. Reservations at 540-5678 ext. 0.

       Whenever Cal plays at home, fans can enjoy dinner at the Club before going to the game. On Saturdays the offerings will be limited to hamburgers and the like, but during the week you can take advantage of our regular bargain dinners.

       Princeton economics professor Orley Ashenfelter has stirred up controversy in the wine world by applying a straightforward formula (based on weather statistics) for predicting the potential future prices (and therefore the quality) of wines of any vintage. He publishes a wine newsletter called Liquid Assets and takes delight in producing ratings of wines that turn out, at least in the auction rooms, to be more accurate than those of most wine experts who rely on tasting young wines. On March 17th come to the Club for a lecture from this wine iconoclast, the man who is regarded as “Neanderthal” by some wine writers and a genius by others. Lecture and dinner: $40 per person. Reserve now.

       Sally Mack will be presenting some of her beautiful wetlands photos during the month. The photos were taken in a wetlands restoration and mitigation site that will become part of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge in a few years. The area is not yet open to the public, but Ms. Mack was given special access to photograph there. Check her website at www.sallymack.us

       We are now offering the opportunity for informal, light meals in the Bar on weekday evenings. If you need a quick snack before returning to your department for an early evening meeting, you can now do it in the peace of the Club Bar. The new Bar menu is already in place – check it out.

       Our annual jazz night has become one of our most popular member events. On March 24th come to the Club for an evening of brilliant classic jazz with our favorite jazz group, the San Francisco Feetwarmers. Seasoned professionals, the group is known for great arrangements, and their driving four-beat rhythm gets the dancers on the floor. Enjoy this great group, along with a special dinner, all for $30. Reserve at 540-5678, extension 224.

       For April we’re planning a “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” party to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Big One. Do you have ideas for the celebration? Send them to the editor and she will pass them on.

       The Club continues to serve a generous breakfast in the dining room every weekday. For $2.99 you can enjoy juice, coffee or tea, eggs, and toast. After the grim commute, unwind with your newspaper and get ready to fact the day. We don’t discriminate. You can eat the same breakfast even if you walk to campus!