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Pika Melon?

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Ever heard of a ‘pika’ melon? I haven’t, but that didn’t stop us from ordering it during Pia’s birthday dinner at À Côté in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland.

The only ‘pika’ I could think of was the short-limbed, short-tailed, rounded-ear cousin of rabbits that quite aptly could be called a fur-ball. But maybe it just means melon in another language…


The mixture of fresh melon, gin, lime, and cayenne was wild and potent. Next time I go there, I will have to order their ‘Grappa Strega’. Any cocktail that combines grappa and Strega has to be a winner. Liquore Strega or what I, with infinite affection, call ‘witch’s brew,’ is an herbal liqueur whose ingredients include saffron and fennel. It’s the color of daffodils, semi-viscous, and oddly coniferous. A good friend said it reminded her of mouthwash, but I love it. Cin Cin.

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