Aioli
Yesterday my Iranian helper Parisa and I had lunch sitting in the garden at Aioli Restaurant in Sacramento. Reda, the owner was there, wearing a white smock and waiting on tables due to a shortage of waiters. All of the tables were occupied. He greeted us cordially. He remembers me from long ago.
When our children were still living at home my husband André and I discovered the restaurant and occasionally had lunch there.
In 1993 I had a big party at our home in Davis, to celebrate the completion of a 5-foot ceramic BUG, which I made with the help of Tony Natsoulas, who was at that time a young Sacramento sculptor. The BUG was inspired by a nightmare: my Mother and I were living in a cottage which was inundated by huge, deadly BUGS. Tony and I had lots of fun making this sculpture together.
I invited 75 friends to that garden party, including children. I thought the children might be frightened by the BUG, but they were fascinated. I asked Reda to cater the party. I still remember the elongated dinner table, laden with all kinds of tapas and glasses of Sangria. Tapas are appetizers, served hot or cold. Sangria contains red or white wine plus fruit juice. It comes originally from the West Indies.
Many years later, after Reda had established Aioli Restaurant in Davis, I had the opportunity to work with him once more. André and I were frequent diners at the new Aioli, which was in my opinion the best restaurant in Davis at that time. One day he asked me if I would like to have an art show there. He was an art collector as well as a restauranteur. That turned out to be the most fun of my many one-women shows, and the most lucrative.
We decided which Tapas to serve with the Sangria. My half of the cost was $300. Instead of giving him the money, I gave him 3 of my small “Fertility Goddesses,” made of clay, which he told me he still treasures.
I sold more paintings than usual at that show, partly because of an unexpected happening. The Davis Art Center on F Street had arranged for a tour of artists’ studios in and around Davis, on the same day as my opening. The tour officially ended at 6 p.m., the time when my show at Aioli’s began. So hordes of art-lovers poured into the restaurant unexpectedly. They ate lots of tapas and drank lots of Sangria. They also bought some of my paintings. At the height of the festivities, I remember that Reda asked me, “Are you happy?” Bursting with joy I answered, “Yes!”
The last time that Reda catered a big party for me was on the occasion of my 90th birthday. It was at International House just a few blocks from our home on College Park. That was several years before it closed for the pandemic. I invited close to 100 people, forgetting to ask how much it would cost! I was very happy to see so many old friends. I hired the Crawdads to provide live music, and Eva arranged for a huge birthday cake. There is a picture of me, dancing in my stocking feet slightly intoxicated, but very happy. The guests were beginning to leave. It was an unforgettable experience. But, I almost fainted when I got the bill.
I am glad that Aioli has survived the pandemic and is still thriving. I hope to enjoy many more charming little lunches, sitting in that garden, eating tapas and drinking Sangria.
The word “aioli” refers to a combination of olive oil and garlic, used in the cuisine of Spain, Italy, France and other southwestern Mediterranean countries.