My Thanksgiving Thanks
"Look food trucks!" (Julie Wolfson / LAist)
Looking back on 2010, the year has been full of an abundance of things that I am thankful for. My family and friends. Food adventures in LA. Travel adventures around California and the world. So today I list a few of the things that made me feel truly grateful.
Giving back/ giving thanks: mentoring at The Virginia Avenue Project, working with the Solar Cooker Project, working with Share Our Strength on Taste of the Nation, meeting Chef Cavaliere with students at Melrose Elementary at the Chefs Move to Schools project, covering Osteria La Buca's donation to Susan G Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer month, and writing about Charity Water clean water projects in Africa.
Food adventures with friends: tacos arabes at Pal Cabron, Jazz's BBQ pork with noodles at Jitlada, chicken pot pie at Wood Spoon, kimchi rice cakes & tofu balls at Starry Kitchen, farro salad at Culina, Tokyo premium tonkotsu ramen at Jinya, pork belly adobo & ube cupakes at The Manila Machine, patatas bravas at Tres, marinated mackerel at LudoBites, liege waffles with speculoos at Shaky Alibi, peking duck at WP24, chiliquiles at Local, lasagna at Osteria La Buca, every soup at Cube, Javier Plascencia's Test Kitchen tasting menu, Hi Tops at Frosted, the Bloody Mary at Library Bar, trying poutine for the first time at the Yard, and everything at The Dining Room. (I can't wait for Ink.)
Favorite art moments: Lola, Natalia Fabia & Buff Monster at Corey Helford Gallery, Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters at Gallery 1988, Ed Emberley at Scion Space, John Baldessari at LACMA Playmountain at Heath, the Warholian at Royal/T, Sanrio 50th anniversary at Barker Hanger and sitting in on a rehearsal in Disney Hall before interviewing Robert Vijay Gupta of the LA Phil.
Favorite travel adventures: volunteering for The Ritz-Carlton Community Footprints Project in Tucson, geocaching in Ojai, building sand castles in Santa Barbara, visiting a water village in Shanghai, catching fireflies in Central Park, sharing drinks with friends at a Cocktail Collective event at The Royalton in NYC, seeing Gogol Bordello and checking out the Wine Lands tent at Outsidelands in San Francisco, horseback riding on Manchester Beach & seeing blue whales on the Mendocino Coast, kayaking on the Gualala river, tasting the Highland Park 50 in London, and learning about making whisky at The Macallan in Speyside.
And every day I am thankful for the opportunity to learn more about 'the real Los Angeles'.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!