I decided in 2010 that it was all about creating the social gathering experience.  I realized that it was up to me to make it happen.  I have spent too many years focused on my career and realized that life is about interactions with really great people.  I have always had really good friends and I am definitely not living with a shortage of commitments and opportunities to do “stuff”, but I just realized that I want to spend my social time doing things that are meaningful and interesting.  About a week ago, I asked my BFF to join me in organizing an outing with our respective girlfriends to all get to know one another.  That morphed into a dinner party at her place with boys and girls….which is equally interesting.  She is a Chef!  Yep.  Lucky me.  I didn’t intend for it to be about her working, but truthfully, she loves to cook and especially when it is for an appreciating crowd.  She also suggested that we sign up for a good meal in a comfortable setting and lose the big price tag at the end.  I was cool with that.

I was interested to meet one of her more recent foodie friends and she came with her new husband.  They were such an intriguing pair.  He is a school teacher and she a personal chef for normals and eccentrics alike.  She had interesting tales of her “new money” clients and I stuttered in disbelief as she shared of her navigation amongst vacant and demoralizing peeps.  She also has some really great clients to balance out “those” that tend to have personal chefs.  Her husband had some great things to exchange with a girlfriend of mine that I invited who is working on book on Coney Island.  He recently published a book himself.  He was a smartie…I love those types.  And then there was the sweet, cute, always entertaining and recently engaged dudes.  Seriously adorable and hilarious.  Talk about a match made in heaven.  It is always nice to be around people that are happy and engaged with life.

My BFF out did herself with roasted pork, potatoes and fennel in a balsamic glaze.  The arugula, grapefruit, avocado and jicama salad was a nice finish.  However, we definitely kept room for the gluten free, vegan, chocolate chip cookies.  I swear each one had a stick of butter in them they were so damn good, but, she swore they were vegan.  Those coupled with the vanilla ice cream, I was in heaven.  We also left room for a toast for the newly engaged couple…soon to be married at the Boat House.

It was such a great night thrown together with some interesting and interested people.  That is how I like to spend my Saturday nights.  Time is limited, so if I can manage a purposeful gathering with some admirable folks it will be time well spent in my book.

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