Friday, April 30, 2010

THE NEW THURSDAY

Lunched yesterday with a group of friends at the newly relocated Hatfield's.  The restaurant is located in the old Citrus site on Melrose.  The room is stunning!  Soft beiges and browns.  Comfortable contemporary.  Needless to say, the food is terrific.  Mr. and Mrs. Hatfield do good cooking.  There is a prix-fixe 3 course menu for $19.00.  Portions are quite tiny, so beware.  The dessert was a raspberry sorbet ball about the size of a golf ball.  I tried a clear, crisp Portugese white wine that had a hint of the taste of lemon.  Unusual and very good with food.  Wish I could remember the name.

Our Documentary club meeting last night was at P's Malibu house.  There were about 30 of us for dinner and a movie.  The movie was about the Funk Brothers.  A Motown group that recorded backup for many of the Motown singing stars.  The music brought back wonderful 60's and 70's memories.  Dancing with our shirts off at Studio One in West Hollywood, for example.  A couple of the  members got up and danced to the music.  Shirts on.


Thursday, April 29, 2010

MAID'S NIGHT OUT?

Back in the Olden Golden days when there were live-in maids (politically incorrect term that is now called "housekeeper"), Thursday night was unofficially known as MNO.  The restaurants were packed with diners who wouldn't be caught dead being out on the weekend.  The weekends were for "getting away" or dining at home.  This past Tuesday we went to the Sunset Strip restaurant Le Petit Four for a quiet dinner with F and R.  The restaurant is a convivial and casual place originally owned by a former boyfriend of Princess Stephanie of Monaco.  This particular Tuesday it was not full but the crowd was interesting.  We ran into friends and acquaintances such as: J, a famous dress designer, S, the recent widow of a producer whom I knew from Paris and LA, and B, a well known coiffeur.  Seated next to us was a charming young couple from Melbourne Australia.  She was lovely and quite animated and he good looking and jet lagged.  Conversation was lively and the wine was flowing.  Unbelievably, it was only 10PM when we left the restaurant but it has been a stimulating evening.  Could Tuesday be the new Thursday?

Monday, April 26, 2010

MAS MARGARITAS

Thursday past M and I took a long weekend and flew Mexicana Airlines to Puerto Vallarta.  Our friends, JB and CK invited us to their magnificent house on the beach an hour north of the town.  Upon arrival at the house we were offered Welcome Margaritas.  That was the beginning of a relaxing, sun kissed weekend.  The name of the house is Casa Canta Rana.  (The House of the Singing Frog.)  Lunch nearby at a restaurant on the beach and eating freshly caught grilled fish was a perfect beginning to the Mexican experience. Doing absolutely nothing, lazing by the pool and imbibing a bit was relaxing and rejuvenating.
Ah, the simple life!

I'm reading ALMOST FRENCH by Sarah Turnbull.  The writer is Australian and tells a story of her new life in Paris.  Her observations of the difference in cultures is remarkably the same as my interactions there. Some are hysterically funny.  I would love to read a book written by a foreigner  experiencing our customs. As a tourist one doesn't really encounter or recognize so many differences between us.  There are many wonderful things and many frustrating.   Viva la difference!  Oh yeah?

Sunday, April 18, 2010

VARIETY

Lots of small stuff went on this week.  Small, but important to maintain interest.  Had a fun catch-up lunch with R, a very old friend visiting from Tacoma.  Couple of French lessons and a good piano lesson.  Mozart with one hand and Chopin with the other.  (Just joking).  Lunch at Cecconi's with 4 friends...me talking the most, as usual.  Visited the newly purchased beautiful Bel Air house of T & E:  the garden is enchanting....then went to a favorite restaurant of their's:  Brentwood Bar & Grill for a comfortable dinner with good chatter, too much wine and mmmm food.   Checked out the Bonhams/Butterfield auction preview of 20th Century artifacts.  Auction is the this coming Tuesday.  Sauntered down to Enoteca Drago to meet NN for dinner.  Food is always a Drago dependable delight. DDD.  We were going to go to an organ concert this afternoon, but after lunch we opted to stay home.  After all, home is where the heart is.  (Where did I hear THAT)?

Monday, April 12, 2010

DESERT LIFE

When Madame La Fortune, the owner of the Hotel de L'Abbaye in Paris, was told we bought a weekend house in the desert she was aghast:  thinking the desert of Palm Springs was similar to the Sahara.  Well, it sure ain't!  The weekend before this past one was the Dinah Shore weekend in Palm Springs with thousands of lesbians from all over the world drinking, dancing and god only knows what else.  This past weekend was the White Party with thousands of Gay men descending upon this oasis in the desert: drinking, dancing and god only knows what else.  Avoiding the  debauchery we had a proper  lunch with CG at Spencer's and then checkout the progress on our house in RM.  Quelle bordelle!  In other words, What a mess!  Walls torn apart, wiring exposed, bare bones anticipating its face-lift.   A few of our new neighbors came over to see the demolition and progress.  M has his tour-de-maison down pat; explaining what will occur with the redo.  It will be wonderful.  On the way back to BH we stopped at the condo of French friends who own a desert pied a terre..say bonjour..have a glass of wine and share a lovely hour.  Madame La Fortune the desert is happening!  Venez!

Thursday, April 8, 2010

DIE GEZEICHNETEN

Yes, you read that correctly.  Last evening was the dress rehearsal of a German opera by a Hitler-banned composer, Franz Schreker, who mercifully died in 1934.  I say "mercifully" because he did not have to endure the Nazi regime.  James Conlon, the renowned Los Angeles Opera conductor, has the past few years presented Recovered Voices.  Operas that were not allowed by the Nazis.  THE STIGMATIZED (English name) is one of those operas.  Seeing it was an intellectual (whatever that means) experience.  Voices and production were superb.  I invited F, an Italian friend who usually believes the only real operas are Italian operas.  Perhaps he is right.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

A LITTLE MAHLER

Disney Hall tonite!  Bychkov is conducting Mahler's 5th.  So who knew he was married to Marielle, one of the Lebeque sisters?  I play the piano and M sings a little.  Not quite the same.  Tomorrow, Easter, we go to B and R's for their annual luncheon.  B is a fantastic cook and R pours the wine.  I always eat and drink too much but...it is so good....and so good for you.

We belong to a Documentary club where once each month a current movie/DVD is shown at a member's house.  The other night was  a bio of Mike Tyson.  The group (of about 40 or more members) and the film is always interesting and often a few of the principals of the production attend the evening to conduct a question and answer session.  Tyson was not there.   P, one of the organizers of the group, hosted at her Malibu house.  The sunset and view of the ocean were extraordinary.  Sorta makes one appreciate living here in Southern California.  Cancel my Air France tickets!

Friday, April 2, 2010

I DO CARE

Commies accused me of leading a frivolous life - can you imagine?  Saying this,  I'm joking about their party linkage however, some do think I am oblivious to the "real" world.  The real world being the homeless, out of work, abused, immigrants and Republicans, etc.   Those concerns of mine are not in this blog but private in my approach to dealing with them.  It's not my intention to rant and rave.  I intend to amuse (thank you Noel Coward).  Those who know me: get me and my humor.  In the 50's there was a musical revue in New York called Upstairs at the Downstairs.  A few of the performers went on to become big musical stars.  Dorothy Lowden for one.  The point is: they sang a song called Man's Inhumanity To Man.  A satire on exactly the same social problems we experience today.  Lighten up people.  Do what you can to help but stop broadcasting how socially aware you are.  In former days people quietly donated to charities with either time or money.  Just give already.

Happy Passover - Happy Easter.  Happy is the key word.