One of the best things about birthdays is that they are an excuse to visit one of your favorite restaurants. This being the Bay Area, off we went to CreoLa. So yes, you can get good Creole cooking in California, and that doesn’t mean hot and spicy, it means good seafood, and fabulous things like hush puppies and beignets. We’ve been there many times, we have eaten our way through most of the menu, and it is all good. It will cost you a little (about $50 each for us, more if you are heavy wine drinkers), but it will be well worth it, and you won’t feel over-stuffed or hungry at the end. What’s more it is a small and friendly place. Kevin and I only go about once a year, but the chef always remembers us and comes to say hello. In return we send as many people there as we can. Which is just what I’m doing now. I see that Kevin has done the same.