Are bike dates becoming a phenomenon? For the second week in a row, we were not the only couple out for dinner on our bikes.
With a big ride to the coast planned for Saturday, we decided to keep it local at Mayfield Bakery & Cafe in Town & Country Plaza. As we rolled across town, we realized that we were really early, so we took a quick tour through Professorville. The neighborhood, built around the turn of the century by Stanford professors, features some of the oldest and most interesting homes in our area.
We were so engrossed we had to hurry to make our 7:00 reservation. Town & Country Plaza re-landscaped the parking lot a while back, adding some great bike racks. Still, we noticed two old school road bikes leaned up against the patio seating planters. Another bike date, perhaps? One bore the Peter Johnson name, a local bike builder that Dick knows. We each glanced into the patio for the owners, but couldn’t guess who they were.
The restaurant was busy, we took a table inside rather than wait for a patio table. Like Flea Street Cafe, Mayfield Bakery features on locally grown or raised ingredients, with a focused, regularly changing menu. I chose the lamb shank with figs and fried okra, while Dick went for a pork chop with polenta. Both tasty. I particularly liked the okra and figs and wished they had given me more of then and a smaller shank.
While we were eating, I saw two people get up from the patio. The man’s classic wool jersey gave them away as the owners of the bikes. It was Peter Johnson himself and his wife Jan. As they pedaled off, I wondered where they were headed and whether they are bike date regulars too.
We finished our meal with dessert, received a complimentary loaf of challah bread, and headed home. Our route took us past Palo Alto High School where they were hosting their first football game of the season. We stopped for a bit and watched the players running, the cheerleaders jumping and the students and parents enjoying the warm night out. Then we pedaled off into the darkness.
Are you noticing more couples out for the evening on bike dates? If not, do you ever notice any?
About Bike Date Friday: Since September 2010, my husband and I have had a standing date every Friday night. We eat at a different place every week and arrive by bike. There’s no better way to end the work week.
