Ben Platt/San Laurel

Okeydokey, back to last Sunday and before Christmas.  Before Christmas, wow.  It's always weird to be after Christmas and realize it's going to be another year now until the next one.

Sigh.

Happy thoughts.  Ben Platt! 

Dinner out!  Let's blog about that instead.

I've now seen Ben Platt live three times, which, up until a few years ago, I would not have imagined.  I remember seeing the Dear Evan Hansen movie and not caring for it one bit.  I really didn't care for how he played the character, one he had won the Tony for on Broadway.  But I knew he had a good voice, and Van was a fan, and then the Honeymind album came out in 2024 and completely won me over.  We saw him twice last year, and it was fantastic each time.  When he announced a ten-show residency at the Ahmanson, we jumped at the chance to get tickets.  Happily, we got great seats,

and - even better, I think - the one matinee show.  Yes, sorry, I'm old.  I like not getting out of a concert at 11 or later and then having to get home and being too wired for sleep.  A matinee that allows us to get to dinner afterward and get home at a decent time?  Heck, yes, please!

Ben did not disappoint. 

The show had a narrative running through it that allowed him to include some of his original works (and hooray for him singing "Andrew", my favourite song of 2024) as well as some covers (I loved his rendition of ABBA's "The Winner Takes It All"), and even, in a nod to the season, a Christmas song.  That song - "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow" - is not one of the Christmas greats in my opinion.  On the other hand, it was fun that he brought out Jeff Goldblum

to duet with him. 

Yes, throughout the residency, Ben has had a different guest each concert, random and unrevealed until the moment happens.  Jeff Goldblum is not a terrific singer,

but he's charming and goofy and there was a nice rapport between the two.

We enjoyed the show immensely.  A terrific time.  As a bonus, it wasn't too loud.  My gosh, we've had our eardrums blasted at some concerts.  But no.  Ben sang clearly, he bantered well, his band and back-up singers were excellent, and we could hear it all at a comfortable level.  Nice!

After the show, we had a little time to saunter over to The Conrad Hotel nearby. 

It was late afternoon on what I think was the winter solstice, and we took many photos of the Disney Hall in the soft light. 

Sorry, only one to post here!  And then the three of us

took ourselves up into the hotel, checked in early for our dinner reservation, then headed to the bar to have a drink before dinner.

How bananas is this?  The Foggy Hill, essentially a negroni but with a citrus fog (using dry ice to get the effect) to replace a twist in the glass. 

The whole production was quite a show at the bar,

and at least one person watching it ordered their own.  And it was a tasty cocktail, too.  If only this blog took video clips properly.  Ah well.  Just imagine it in action.

Dinner was at San Laurel, a place we've been to a few times now.  It's not cheap, alas, and so it's not a place we go to often, but we have liked it when we've gone in the past.  We were seated in a corner of the banquette seating behind the bar, at the back of the restaurant versus where the bar and windows and patio were.  Close to the kitchen.  And you know, it was a great spot for us because it was a little quieter and Conrad could hear more effectively.  We continued with our drinks and ordered dinner, opting for two vegetable dishes - I LOVE that roasted eggplant dish,

and the heirloom tomato dish

which was fine but was a concession to the others.  For a change, though, we opted for the pricey steak and potato dish.  We reasoned that it would be sufficient for three of us to share and wouldn't be much more per person than the other entrees.  It was a great choice.  They presented the cooked rib-eye to us,

then took it back to the kitchen to carve for us before serving it. 

We all enjoyed that steak.  And I realize, I eat a lot more steak now than I used to!

Our friends Jennifer and Sanders had been at the same restaurant for lunch before going to a show at the Disney Hall, and Jennifer texted us, raving about the Basque cheesecake.  I didn't want to be ungracious and tell her we'd had it before, and yes, it is good.  But we did order it again, and Van swears that it's the best cheesecake he's ever had. 

The kitchen sent out a flan to us as well,

which was a nice gift.  Conrad and I shared a bottle of wine, and I had some Fernet Branca as a digestif.  The meal done, we headed back to the Music Center where we'd left our car.

It was a lovely night out.  Not too late, some people still out and around the Disney Hall,

the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Mark Taper Forum.  We took photos

of the plaza,

the holiday decorations,

nearby LA City Hall,

of ourselves. 

It was just such an easy, happy end to a fantastic afternoon and evening of concert and meal.

happy birthday, Van!

A weekend that started well with a dinner in Santa Monica, a Jane Siberry performance, and picking up Conrad (late as it was) at the airport got even better with a Saturday celebration of Van's birthday.  Another trip around the sun completed.  Hooray!

Conrad and I sent Van downtown to the Conrad hotel for a relaxing massage and spa session in the afternoon, then met him at the hotel for dinner at San Laurel.  We were last there for a birthday dinner for me, so this felt appropriate.  Conrad and I

arrived a little before Van, so we ordered a martini for him and a Polka Dotted Coleman for me,

and settled in to wait and have a nice dinner when he joined us.

And it was a nice dinner.  Van enjoyed the same cocktail as me,

and although we ordered our own entrees, we shared a bunch of things:  jamon profiteroles,

fennel soup with crab,

stracciatella salad,

eggplant,

and a Basque cheesecake among them. 

I liked my scallops,

but I loved the vermicelli mac and cheese that we shared as a side dish.  Service was good, though there was a bit of mix up in the kitchen.  Our waiter kept us updated and checked in and even brought out some jamon to enjoy because of a delay.  Thank you, Sebastian, for that.

I woke up before the others today, unsurprisingly.  Olive and I got out the door for a walk. 

It's autumn now, clearly,

and we even had a light bit of rain.  After the walk, I relaxed until the other two were up and around, then I picked up Starbucks

for us to enjoy along with a pannetone. 

I think I'll be shoveling back a lot of that delicious bread/cake in the weeks ahead!

So, then, happy birthday to Van!  Months to go until mine, the next one we'll celebrate.

pre-birthday at San Laurel

Ah, birthday week.  Love it!

No, I'm not really one for making a fuss over my birthday, and this is not at all a milestone birthday year.  Still, a little fuss is nice.  So then, thank you to Van for dinner out at San Laurel

at the Conrad Hotel (ha!)

with our friends Mitch and Ted. 

It was a lovely evening.

If there is a small complaint (and not my complaint) it's that we had requested a patio table, but we were relegated to inside but right at the open doors to the outside.  I was fine with that, truly.  We arrived several minutes early, time enough for me and Conrad to talk gins with a bartender and get his recommendation for a martini-like cocktail made with a Spanish gin and wine. 

Toasts all around and then into the food.  Shared appetizers including jamon,

roasted eggplant,

stracciatella and peaches,

and grilled gem lettuce.  My main was the duck breast. 

Our desserts included an excellent Basque cheesecake, a pistachio cake that was fine,

and a flan that had a candle.  Ugh, no fuss, please!

Ah, but it was all lovely.  A fine evening, and from where I sat there were great views of the Disney Hall. 

So good to chat travel and more with Mitch and Ted.  And, of course, there were my two lovely guys.  A few days until I am 54 (!!!!), but what a way to usher it in.