Great Meal with a Great Friend

Have you ever been to the restaurant in New York, Paris, and Los Angeles called Petrossian?

It is always calling my name. They are famous for their imported Russian caviar. They have all types but mostly the pricey Sevruga and Beluga. To get into more detail, there is royal Ossetra and Shassetra are all black fish eggs from the sturgeon. Is that more than you want to know? Petrossian also specializes in other delicacies such as the best smoked salmon ever served with dill and sour cream and earth-shattering foie gras (goose liver created by stuffing the creature with food). In case you haven’t heard, it was banned in the U.S. and is now acceptable to offer on restaurant menus. They are renowned for their proprietary chocolates, baked goods and blinis (little crepes to eat with caviar). You can order their products on line. You are in for a treat. Let me know how you like it.

While there are new sources for cheaper pink caviar (called roe) that isn’t bad, there is something about this mecca for gourmets like me. I love fancy food and spout on and on about the great cuisine of the world. A good meal form a gourmet cook is worth its weight in gold. It may cost an ounce of this precious metal to eat nowadays at a three or four star eatery. I love to go with friends.

Let me tell you that my neighbor is not a fellow traveler. He invited me over for drinks and snacks (from a bag—yikes) and clearly was not interested in fine food. I attempted to explain the draw of the best ingredients combined in unique ways, but it didn’t work. He changed the subject to basketball. In fact, he had an in-ground hoop from Baller’s Guide right in his back yard. He took out all the grass to make a mini court. There was barely enough room to shoot from ten feet. He suggested we attempt baskets and the winner would select a restaurant for dinner. I said I would prefer racing him in his indoor pool. He declined.

After a while, he got on the topic of a new indoor basketball court to be built behind in house in an open field. He would buy the land and erect a fabulous state-of-the-art facility. I just wondered if it would be an eye sore and block my view. “You are welcome to play any time,” he crooned, beaming with pride. I wasn’t ecstatic. Now we had to decide what to do about dinner. He made a suggestion after a while and we went. Oddly enough, during the meal, he got interested in food and asked about the world’s top chefs. He listened attentively as I droned on and he seemed thoroughly absorbed in the subject. It all ended well after two hours and now I can honestly say that I had a great dinner with a good friend.

Written by Alex