In my parent’s generation, Catholics ate fish on Fridays to observe the day that Jesus died. Back home in South Louisiana, where seafood is fresh and abundant, eating fish hardly seemed like a sacrifice. My dad’s town even had a fish man who came to town every Friday, ringing a bell for the housewives to come out and buy.

But it wasn’t always sac-a-lait and crawfish for me. I ate my fair share of tuna casserole and fish sticks during Lent and was happy to do it. So it just seemed right that Dick and I are more modestly on Good Friday than on our usual Bike Date Fridays. Our choice: counter-service fish and chips at Cook’s Seafood in Menlo Park.

It was nothing like the frozen fish sticks I ate as a kid. Nice firm, flaky halibut with a crispy, non-greasy batter. But don’t take my word for it, fish & chips is a favorite of Dick’s and he declared them top-tier.

If we were back home for Easter, we’d be having a big meal with my big family, perhaps even a crawfish boil. I usually plan a special dinner for just us two, but this year we rode up to the Gamble Garden for a impromptu bike picnic. Who cares that the weather report said rain by 3 o’clock?

Unlike our last bike picnic at the Gamble Garden, we kept it simple, packing a few things from home and grabbing sushi from Whole Foods on the way. There were a few sprinkles, but the rain didn’t come. The garden was busy with visitors, but we got a quiet picnic table under a big oak tree. It was a refreshing change from the usual holiday meal. And we got to see the glorious tulips and daffodils blooming in the garden.

Do you celebrate Easter or another Spring holiday with a special meal? Where do you go? What do you eat? Do you like to mix it up from year to year or are you a traditionalist?

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About Bike Date Friday: Since September 2010, my husband and I have had a standing date every Friday night. We eat at a different place every week and arrive by bike. There’s no better way to end the work week.