Goodbye LA!

The time has come. We are off for NY at the end of the week, and thankfully I’m too overwhelmed with the logistics of closing up our lives here and moving across the country to be as sad as I know I’ll be when I can’t just mosey on over to the other room and bug Appu for some laughs and snacks, or when we can’t head out our front door to go climb mountains or bike the coast, or meet up with our friends over late night tacos.

Back when this move seemed likely Kevin and I settled on a loose rule: if we were going to eat out for a meal, we’d try somewhere new. We’ve been trying plenty of new restaurants as a result, and also somehow returning over and over to our old standbys (Myong Dong Kyoja makes me want to name my first-born Dumpling. And the shaved fennel and chipotle salsa at Punta Cabras in SM always hits the spot after an afternoon on the west side.) I’ve got plenty of food photos from all the eating, and even some notes from recent cooking I’ve been doing to share once we’re settled. I love nothing more than a nice backlog of yummy blog posts.

As for New York, I’m looking forward to pizza and easier access to everything bagels. I’m sure I’ll find more to love, but for now that’s as much food excitement as I’ve got for NYC. Anything else I should get excited about?

It was last weekend, with a to-do list coming out of my ears, that I finally thought to myself, “This is about as well as I’ll know LA for now.” I’ve met all the people I’m going to meet, explored all the layers of this fine city, and tried just about all the amazing food on offer that I’ll be able to–for now. I could have easily burst into tears, but I got back to lifting boxes out of the car.

When I come back next I’ll be here as a visitor! What an exciting, and almost unbearable thought. To the next chapter…

There’s also a place where the chef was doing a California-style broth with lots of vegetables, though I wasn’t that persuaded by it. As Americans eating ramen, I think we’re looking for something specific—and that something specific is not helped along by tomatoes.

J. Gold, of course, in LP.