Artist Mary Rose Cortese contacted me about having a get together dinner and see our dear friend Artist Joe Santarromana, who's been experiencing an undiagnosable bone disease. It's amazing to see him navigate life under these cruel circumstances. Joe is a pioneer in digital arts and we went to Otis together during the 80's. Joe let us know that the dinner was the first time he'd left the house in months.
What a great group, also included artist and activist Tala Mateo, Joe's family Vi, Lo & Mary Rose's husband. Well, Mary Rose picked Pork and Spoon, 3131 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026; Modern Filipino Comfort. Parking is a challenge. I ended up parking on the other side of the hill south of the restaurant. It was nice brisk walk to and fro, semi-countering the heavy comfort food.
We all walked in with a pre-experience-based-filipin-food consciousness, I less so. There was so much critical banter about what we ate, I wished I had recorded it. Humor, testimony and memory filled the room with laughter and story telling. I loved it so much. Myself, I loved the food. Yes, it wasn't anything like the Filipin food I had in the past but that aside, it was delicious.
At some point, I think someone at the table said that we should probably leave. The server kept coming to the table to take something, hinting we should leave because others were waiting to be seated. That was funny as we overstayed our stay; too much fun.
I really enjoyed hearing everyone's story about the Phillipine's and such-n-such food, growing up, mom's cooking or aunties cooking, such great descriptives and nostalgia. All this to counter their experience with their orders, i.e. the adobo pork had no sauce. One comment that repeated was the lack of vinegar in much of the food. However, it did activate storytelling, which is priceless. I think when food memory is filled with love, it's the best kind of sentimentalism.
Artist Mary Rose Cortese contacted me about having a get together dinner and see our dear friend Artist Joe Santarromana, who's been experiencing an undiagnosable bone disease. It's amazing to see him navigate life under these cruel circumstances. Joe is a pioneer in digital arts and we went to Otis together during the 80's. Joe let us know that the dinner was the first time he'd left the house in months.
What a great group, also included artist and activist Tala Mateo, Joe's family Vi, Lo & Mary Rose's husband. Well, Mary Rose picked Pork and Spoon, 3131 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026; Modern Filipino Comfort. Parking is a challenge. I ended up parking on the other side of the hill south of the restaurant. It was nice brisk walk to and fro, semi-countering the heavy comfort food.
We all walked in with a pre-experience-based-filipin-food consciousness, I less so. There was so much critical banter about what we ate, I wished I had recorded it. Humor, testimony and memory filled the room with laughter and story telling. I loved it so much. Myself, I loved the food. Yes, it wasn't anything like the Filipin food I had in the past but that aside, it was delicious.
At some point, I think someone at the table said that we should probably leave. The server kept coming to the table to take something, hinting we should leave because others were waiting to be seated. That was funny as we overstayed our stay; too much fun.
I really enjoyed hearing everyone's story about the Phillipine's and such-n-such food, growing up, mom's cooking or aunties cooking, such great descriptives and nostalgia. All this to counter their experience with their orders, i.e. the adobo pork had no sauce. One comment that repeated was the lack of vinegar in much of the food. However, it did activate storytelling, which is priceless. I think when food memory is filled with love, it's the best kind of sentimentalism.
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