closed another one

We always know when acquaintances are destined to become friends - just have dinner with them and see how long it lasts - how easy the conversation flows and never ends and before you know it you are closing down the place...

We used to laugh about this back when Laure and Arno lived in Chicago- we WERE all relative night owls with work at home schedules that gave us the flexibility to talk into the night as the bus boys were mopping up or putting chairs on the table... but we found it takes a combination of elements to create this level of comfort with another couple - along the way we are lucky to have found it more than once... Tonight was one of those nights.

It was only about a year ago now that we met Gene and Mary Ann at an afternoon snack at a bar next to the cinemas where the Sarasota Film Festival is held... we hit it off immediately on so many levels (all lawyers/all winos/all travel addicts) Our subsequent meetings have been dictated by travel schedules in the intervening months and we even found out after nearly a year that we have both traveled with the same company a number of times....

We joined a wine group that they put together for collectors they knew and we have had a couple of blind tastings which were interesting but really we like seeing them- the time goes by so quickly and we find ourselves laughing at how can finish sentences the other starts....that kind of stuff.

They live in Venice (roughly an hour away) and so we frequently have met in neutral territory of Sarasota... so tonight they came 35 minutes north and we went 40 minutes south and we had dinner at Mattison's 41... now I don't have a ton of photos because it was too distracting catching up on the latest travel (they just returned from Antarctica- where they sailed on the very same ship we took last August around the Baltic Sea - even had the very same handsome captain- not a scintillating conversationalist but certainly worth looking at LOL- not that I am objectifying him LOL)

We brought Champagne a favorite and ChateauY'quem for dessert and they brought two 2007 Cabs from vineyards in California (where they lived for many years until relocating to Florida) L'aventure and Navarro- all wines showed well and we spent a good deal of time discussing various tastes in wine and how collections of the wine group varied greatly...

We had a terrific waiter named Bill and a fab meal - the winners were the Beef Tartare starter and the wedge salad (split) and the rack of lamb (Phil's entree) but everything we each ordered was well prepared and we had fun tasting and talking to Bill (who was able to join in the tasting a bit)

so as we left the place (no one else but the two last waiters and the bar tender- hanging out at the bar) we said our farewells and planned for the next time - during the Film Fest - to get together - since I am traveling from this coming Wednesday through the end of the month basically...

so how about a few pictures -

I had the Skate with some yummy asparagus and a squash based "latke"

so we have the Jewish Film Festival coming up and I have to finish packing - meanwhile we are juggling the appliance repair guy for the ice maker and getting our SFF tickets lined up so all is ready upon my return which will be the night before a wine dinner at Michael's Wine Cellar and then later in the week The Wine Walk to Ca d'Zan with CBGB and John and Barb!

And OMG then it's April and time for this year's DART (Disappearing America Road Trip) #timeflies #lifeisgood... stay tuned!