Los Gatos, California Since1881
Taste
 Marty Dorcichruns the fruit stand on Quito Road inSaratoga that has been attracting localssince his father, Louie, started it back in1961. This could be the last year of thestand following the sale of the land where itis located. By Suzanne Cristallo 'They're guaranteed to get your husbandback," or so says Marty Dorcich when he laudshis strawberries to a customer. Dorcich runsthe fruit stand on Quito Road in Saratogathat has been attracting locals since hisfather, Louie, started it back in 1961. Louiedied last fall at the age of 84. Marty, 52,carries on as he has since he was a teenager,helping out at the stand while his fatherspent his days as a butcher at Gene's FineFoods. He uses some of the one-liners hisfather was famous for, carrying on a streamof banter with customers who arrive every fewminutes, and punctuating his sentences with athoughtful chew on a cherry or two. "I'm amarketing man myself," he explains as heencourages the uninitiated to take a tastefrom among the cherries he has dubbed "BadaBings," in the vernacular of HBO's TheSopranos. "My father would have slapped thehand of any taster," he recalls. "He was afarmer." The two acres of land behind thesigns boasting "Fresh Picked Strawberries andCherries" are now enclosed by a chain-linkfence. The house and property, with toweringcherry, fig and pomegranate trees, have beenhome to various members of the Dorcich familysince 1960. Two fig trees, "probably theoldest in Saratoga," Marty believes, risefrom 40 to 50 feet high and spread as wide.The noblest of the two supported an imposingtree fort during his teen years. Now theplace is for sale, with an offer pending. "We're no different than anyone else caughtup in inflation and the ridiculousness ofgreed," Marty says of the sale necessitatedby the death of his father. While he lovesthe house he has lived in since fourth grade,he can't afford to move it. "People buyingthis land won't be local," he predicts,figuring the property, priced at $3.6million, will probably end up with up to sixhouses on it. "So the houses will have to beexpensive - it's a hard thing," he adds,reflecting on the choices forced on hisfamily. Meanwhile, the stand still stands,and will as long as the Dorciches own thehouse. "I could be here next year," he says."Lots of people want our cherries and berriesback." The stand usually opens around 9 a.m.,allowing enough time for Marty to run out tohis Gilroy ranch and some neighboring farmsat 6 a.m. to load up his 1974 Dodge van withfresh-picked strawberries. Then it's on tothe cherry farms to wait while the pickersfinish gathering the day's crop. The fruit isguaranteed fresh, and because the tender,soft-skinned Camarosa strawberries have noshelf life, they must be eaten within abouttwo days of picking. "You won't find theseberries at Safeway," he says of the sweet,plump, crimson fruit. Five dollars buys threebaskets of them, with up to three pounds ofberries per basket. Twelve baskets go for$18 - a sweet deal that lasts only until theseason ends around mid-July. Likewise for thecherries. A pound of the garnet Bings,glossy-skinned and slightly tart, is $5. Thesweeter yellow-reds, which farmers call"whites" but are properly named Royal Anns orReiniers, come along "every blue moon,"according to Marty. He sells them for $5 apound, "even though they cost me more." Whenthe strawberries and cherries end, therestill will be figs from the old trees,persimmons, pomegranates and maybe freshcorn. "I'll be here as long as it's ours,"Marty says. "Look for the open gate." DorcichFruit Stand, at 13089 Quito Road, Saratoga,is open from 9 a.m. "until the fruit's gone." |
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