MONDAY AND TUESDAY:
After meeting my good friend Joey Arias on Sunday and visiting some of our old haunting grounds inLos Angeles, we hung out for a few days in Hollywood and prepped forour drive to San Fran. I first met Joey years ago when I was a Cal Arts student and he was working in a Beverly Hills frame shop. We madea movie together called Love Hospital. (Joey played Justine, the XXX nurse of course!) After an 8 a.m. breakfast with the Cobrasnake (I've always wanted Joey and Mark Hunter to meet) we hit the road and headed north, stopping forlunch in Ojai at an old friend's home. There, we picked bags full ofripe peaches, plums, and apricots for the trip. As a new Yorker, I alwaysscream when I see actual fruit growing on trees for FREE. It kills me. Soshocking. We hit the SICK Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo for the night, where wesettled into the sparkly "barrel of fun room" complete with a caveman Flintstones-esquebathroom and gas fireplace (which we turned up to high all night). Glitter walls and furniture made entirely of barrels? OMG.
WEDNESDAY MORNING:
After breakfast in the INSANE Madonna inn restaurant (check out thepink cake there) Joey and I continued north toward San Francisco(where we'll stay for five days), stopping on the way in Gilroy, thegarlic capital of the world. We did some garlicshopping (see photo), had some garlic soup and garlic ice cream for dessert. A few hours later we were checked into ourrooms at the Clift Hotel on Geary street where we added two new Yorkersto our posse -- Mr. Mickey and Laura Wills (owner of the legendary vintage boutique, Screaming Mimis!).
WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
Hello San Francisco! My new friend Jessica Boncutter, who is a total sweetheart/ PAPER fan, organized a 'Welcome to Frisco' dinner for me at heramazing restaurant in the Hayes Valley, Bar Jules. And what a fun night itturned out to be! Pink Martini's genius bandleader Thomas Lauderdale camestraight from the airport as did NPR's White House correspondent Ari Shapiro who are both in townto perform Thursday and Friday with Pink Martini at Davies Symphony Hall! (Of course I'm gonna join them on stage dinging and clankingthe triangle and cymbals!) Joining us were my other wonderful San Fran friends, including Modern Appealing Clothing's Ben and Chris Ospital, Creative Growth director Tom di Maria,my great artist friend Elizabeth Paige Smith and my designer friend YvesBehar. We ate amazing food, which included head-spinning fresh watermelon juice and prosecco andfresh anchovy bruschettas that were to die for. Enjoying the meal with a gaggle of interesting, smartand top-quality people made it the perfect evening!! I love thistown.
PREVIOUSLY: Sipping Limeade and Real Coke at L.A.'s Gjelina
