I have really amazing friends. No – REALLY amazing friends. Several weeks ago I decided to head to my old stomping ground of Southern California for my birthday weekend. As I usually plan these events, I e-mailed all the principals to determine who was free when and a pell-mell few days are planned with me driving from Orange County to Los Angeles and back several times; seeing this friend for lunch and that friend for dinner. But my first day was wholly and entirely spent with my darling friends, Lita and Vere.
Now it is true that normally when I travel, I maniacally plan all the restaurants and eating establishments I want to frequent, but I knew that Lita liked to cook and that something quiet, small and intimate would probably take place in their home instead of the informality of a stuffy Orange County restaurant. What I was not prepared for was the stunning extent to which she would go to give me the most special birthday dinner I have ever had. You see, being a cook myself, most friends don’t usually cook for me. We go out. And as cooks know, having someone else cook for you is that much more special. Click through and read the tasting menu which left me speechless and literally brought tears to my eyes. I love you guys so much.
My visit to Charleston, South Carolina was a very quick one – barely two days. But there were two very specific things I wanted to experience whilst in Charleston; true southern barbecue, and McCrady’s. I’m not sure where I first heard about McCrady’s, but when I suggested to my friend that this is where we were going on my last night in town, she quickly assented and confirmed it was well-regarded in town.
I waited until the very end of my weeklong report to really get into the food on the cruise. I was very fortunate to meet with head chef, David Reihana from New Zealand, who gave me a private tour of two of the twelve kitchens aboard the Liberty of the Seas. Engaging and gregarious, it is easy to see how much Chef David loves his job. While admittedly not four-star dining, I am actually more in awe at the overall quality of the food served considering what is accomplished on board in these kitchens. It is all very, very impressive.
Despite my various travels, for some reason I had never made it to New York before. And how I ended here is a matter of some serendipity. Having just returned from 2 1/2 weeks in Europe, I read in the New York Times about the first production of Philip Glass’ opera, Satyagraha in 25 years. Being a long-time Glass fan, I had to figure out a way to see it. Checking the calendar, it so happened that the last performance was a mere day-and-a-half before I was going to be in Florida, departing on a Caribbean cruise. My thought? Well, gee, if I’m going to be on the East Coast anyway… A flurry of e-mails with one of my oldest friends, Jerry, only shows how serendipity works; it turns out that my time line also coincides with his 50th birthday, he likes Glass music, and *poof* there just happen to be a few tickets left!
I arrived a little late on May Day, but still enough time to get in a little face time and meet-and-greet an online buddy (Hi, L!) before Jerry and I headed out for our adventure and #2 on my New York must-do list, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Jerry arranged for lunch in the Trustee’s Room, a fabulous window seat where we had a view of the Egyptian obelisk in central park. The Museum itself was considerably bigger than I had anticipated and reminded me a great deal of The British Museum in its scope of cultures. I was very happy to peruse a Courbet exhibit and much of the permanent collection are paintings I had only read about, most notable for me a pre-Raphaelite Frederic, Lord Leighton, a handful of the Orientalist period likes the works of Jean-Léon Gérôme, and yet another of Parliament series paintings by Manet which affected me so much in London. There were some giant Koons sculptures but overall, it was the magnitude of the classical offerings which was so impressive and I was surprised to see how well attended the museum. A testament to the collection and hope that art is still loved and revered (I’m often surprised by how empty California museums are!). More pictures on the next page!
Following Lucy Vanel’s fabulous site, I took the opportunity to wander the Avenue Victor Hugo for a bit of boutique and antique shopping for a little solo Lyon adventure. Realizing I had not bothered with breakfast and getting quite peckish, the Brasserie l’Espace was inviting for one very specific reason: Jambon Persillé. Now if I had paid attention, I might very well have passed a dozen such bistros and brasseries all serving this illusive dish, but it was not since my time in Los Angeles, and my access to a French ex-patriots Florence & Bruno Herve Commereuc that I had authentic jellied ham with parsley.
