overheard

In North Berkeley, along Shattuck, stretches the collection of fancy shops, nice restaurants and upscale knickknackeries known as Gourmet Ghetto. On a normal, sunny day, the patrons of the Cheeseboard Collective will populate the grassy median of this busy road, to gobble down their high quality vegetarian organic superpizza. Even the signs they have conquered, to spell their minds.

Just across the street is Chez Panisse, the legendary and legendarily expensive upper crust cafe. Someday I will go there, to their downstairs section, where things are more moderately priced and a tad less glam.

In the meantime, I'll get my lunch at Jimmy Beans in Haas business school, a greasy Cajun chicken sandwich with a bit of Cesar salad. And while I'm in the throng of overdressed nasties waiting for my grub, I'll hear one of them answering the rhetorical howareyou with "Pretty well. Our clients just took us out for lunch to Chez Panisse and served some Champagne. They're pretty cool."

Not that I really think I'm in the wrong business, but am I?