I don’t read Barstool Sports and, if I’m honest, I don’t really get it. Dave Portnoy, on the other hand, is the man. Possibly, the first time I heard of him was during the dust up with Roger Goodell. That was all I needed to become an instant fan. He has my lifetime vote for El Presedente.
Portnoy started
his Barstool Fund in mid-December to help save small businesses that are being
wiped out by stupid governors and their lockdown insanity. A short trip through
my area in the San Francisco East Bay is all one needs for proof of the
Overlords’ Dastardly Deeds. Shop, after restaurant, after shop, closed for
good.
A few weeks ago,
I happened upon Portnoy’s Twitter feed and began to watch all the wonderful
videos of dying businesses Getting the Call from Dave. This meant that they
would not lose their livelihoods. Heartwarming, tear-rendering, tiny glimpses
into the true goodness that exists in this world.
One doesn’t need
to be wealthy to donate $20 to such a fabulous cause, and I was just about to
do so when I scrolled down to the Love Your Melon/Barstool Fund offer. I have
wanted a Love Your Melon cap for years, (another very worthy organization), and
now I could contribute to both campaigns.
Periodically,
when I need a dose of positivity and smiles, I look at the Getting the Call
videos. I almost fell off my barstool when I saw Tadich Grill in the feed.
This is a restaurant to which I have a personal connection.
My parents loved Tadich Grill. The name itself brought a bit of reverence to my father’s
voice when spoken. It is very possible that my dad’s first meal there was
during WWII when, as a young Naval officer, he had shore leave in San Francisco.
After the war,
my parents moved to the East Bay. My dad’s love and connection to San Francisco
remained throughout his life. He knew the city up and down, left to right, as
well as any non-native could. When out-of-town friends would visit, he’d give
them the SF tour, often ending at the Tadich Grill.
On special
occasions, he and my mother would go there for a meal. And then, on possibly my thirteenth birthday
in the mid-60’s, my parents took me there for dinner.
It is not
something I have ever forgotten, but it had been buried in the back corners of
the brain for quite a while. As soon as I saw Dave’s call with Jen, those
memories flooded my frontal cortex. I can tell you the exact dress I was
wearing, the table we sat at, the place settings, and the smiles of my parents.
I don’t remember what I ate, but know it was good.
Thank you El Presedente
for all that you do. Thank you Tadich Grill for the wonderful memories. Perhaps
I will one day get over to SF and have another fantastic meal. Meanwhile, I’ll
walk around with my Love Your Melon/Barstool Fund cap knowing that I might now
be the coolest kid in town.
