Per Se

New Year's Eve lunch at Per Se: a 2-hour fete w/ mom, dad, and Alfred. The men ordered the 5 course prix-fixe w/ like 4 choices for each course. Actually, the 5-course turned out to be a 9-courser what with the amuse bouches, sorbet, chocolates, happy ending and all. As burgeoning oenophiles, we also got the wine pairings which let me tell you is a great way to get shitfaced at 1 in the afternoon. Mom got the 9 course vegetarian (I think it was 9) which wasn't really vegetarian considering everything had cream, butter, cheese, and egg in it. Best thing: Kobe-Angus hybrid ribeye cut w/ spinach, hen of the woods mushrooms (dude, go to your nearest Whole Foods or Fairway and buy a couple of pounds of those mushrooms, saute them w/ a little butter and rock salt and enjoy). 2nd best thing: mom's jerusalem artichoke hearts dusted with almonds in a rich creamy reduction (of what, I can't remember). I'd write more about what we ate, but the wine got to me early and so most of the dishes tasted like wine. Which isn't necessarily a waste of money. Oh wait, the 4th course was a cheese course and fork and knifing a sliver of reblochon w/ lil' veggies atop it is something I'd never though I'd do but I did do there. If you're hedging on going, don't. The service is impeccable (these are captains who make 6-figs per annum), the ambience/decor is tops (a real wood fireplace, natch!), and the food'll render foodies ga-ga. My brother and I thought Jean-Georges (our favorite 4-starrer) had a more interesting menu, but Per Se's got it beat in every other category. Having said that, I could never afford a meal there were it not for my parents. Funniest moment especially for those who've met my father: I told him about Masa right as we sat down and he said "let's go."
New Year's Eve was spent with two close friends from college. Nice. New Year's resolution: stay in better touch with people on the east coast and if things go well, get married to a real young girl.
The night before I left, I had a lil' get together with a few of my publishing/HM friends at 66. Great chinese but overpriced. Then a few of us soldiered onto Pravda for horseradish vodka, walnut martinis, and jokes. We eyed this woman slouched over a stool across the floor from us. Her jeans were slung real low revealing not a thong, but like real mom's underwear.
The 2 weeks or so I was in NY I ate and drank like a fucking champ. In Montreal as well. Now that I'm back in wet LA, time to start eating greens again and temper my boozing. Though I loved being back to see my family, friends, and the city that tore me a new one (meaning "asshole"), I did miss LA and though I knew I'd think this eventually, I have to say that LA really does feel like home to me now. But there's sand everywhere in the bathroom and it needs to be sucked up.
Love
Alex