I was 12 years old and my parents Phil and Hadele were hosting one of their many parties; our big but never big enough formal dining room table was crowded knee-to-knee with adults. I was sitting next to my dad, and sitting next to me was a foreign exchange student who had been brought to the party by one of my parents' friends. She was maybe 21, the only other "kid" at the table besides me, and she barely spoke a word of English. In fact, she was so quiet, looking down at her plate the whole time, it seemed like she was trying to disappear altogether. Midway through the meal, as she was reaching for a bread roll, she accidentally knocked over her glass of red wine onto the white tablecloth. The stain flowed slowly across the fabric. Everyone froze, except my father. Barely pausing between bites, my dad casually backhanded his own wine glass onto the table. Laughter filled the room. Even the exchange student smiled. And then we all went back to the business of eating and talking.

Much more gourmand than gourmet, my dad Phil enjoys simple, juicy, honest food. If the philosophy behind a great burger can be applied to life, my dad lives it, treating people around him with respect and appreciation for their essential goodness.

There are so many things I've learned from my father, and he is always supportive of me and my career.  So I felt it was only right to name my new business after him.  This spring, my team and I are opening a small counter service restaurant in downtown Berkeley serving sliders, potato tots, cole slaw, milkshakes, homemade sodas and yummy baked goods. The restaurant will be called Phil's Sliders.  The bake shop will be called Hadele's Bake Shop to honor my mother, who certainly appreciates a yummy treat!  (Mom, I love you, too!)   

We will continue to offer our full service catering as well as our Greenleaf Platters service.  We certainly hope we'll see you there when you are in the neighborhood!   

Sincerely,

Hugh