I waited till Sunday to call him at his house high atop the Berkeley, Calif., hills. I figured if he was in the middle of one of his famous waffle brunches, my job would be made easier. I could ask him to put on San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, perhaps, or Randy Hayes, who started the Rainforest Action Network, or Alice Waters, the chef who helped create nouvelle California cuisine. Brower's "conviviality factor" has had a lot to do with his success. He knows everybody, and the waffles have played a big part in that.

"So, Dave, how's it going?"

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