mj memorial aftermath, part 3: the meal
posted by nick
the final chapter to my experience at the michael jackson memorial was the meal. after navigating the three-ring circus around staples center that day, mom suggested we have lunch at the L.A. Live area. specifically, she wanted to dine at wolfgang puck’s. i’m not usually one to choose the high-brow establishments, but this day was for mom, and since she’d be grabbing the check, i went along.
fancy food: thy name is wolfgang
first up, a salad. i forget what it was called, but we referred to it as a tomato and onion salad. it included at least three types of tomato (included green tomatoes), onion, artichoke, some sort of butter-cheese, and various other garnish. it was tasty. i think it was my mom’s favorite.
dots of pesto flank this epicurean delight.
we also shared a fried calamari appetizer. it came with a sweet green dipping sauce (“gremolata aioli”, according to the menu). it was a bit sweet for our taste. we’re a little jaded though because dad served his with marinara sauce at our family restaurant.
as the italian say "calamari fritti"
after we knocked off the starters, mom told me about a work get-together she attended at a lucky strike bowling alley. i think it’s great that she makes the effort to be friendly and social with new people (a skill that does not come naturally to our family). apparently after anyone bowled a strike at this thing, they would take a photo of the bowler crossing their forearms. mom’s a bit of a worrier, so she worried that her photos would turn out bad. i asked her to show me her best pose, and i snapped this gem. it’s turned out to be one of my favorites i’ve taken of her!
steeeeeee-rike!
so out next came our entrees. we decided to share a couple of pasta dishes. first up, was a plate of spaghetti meatballs. however, it wasn’t called “spaghetti meatballs”, it was called “bucatini & meat balls”. it was a bit spicy, but not bad.
apparently "bucatini" is italian for "big ass noodles"
finally, we chowed on a plate of four-cheese ravioli. i’m not usually a ravioli man, but some of the stuff on this menu was so exotic, i gravitated toward more familiar fare. it was rich and filling, more so than i expected.
"quattro" cheese ravioli
all in all, it was a good meal, but not mind-blowing. in the end, i think i just like that which is familiar and modest. dishes that look like they belong in the guggenheim and have ingredients that a translator from the U.N. and a botanist would have a hard time identifying just aren’t my thing. what did my mom think?…
as they say in carl's jr commercials: "don't bother me. i'm eating."
and that concludes my mj memorial coverage. this thing was a zoo and a three-ring circus, ripe with mass exploitation and celebs up the yin-yang. but, it had its genuine somber moments peppered in here and there. for me, michael jackson’s greatest legacy won’t be his music or his personal life. it will be his desire to be different. i’ve been a music video junkie for almost my entire life, and i’ve always liked unique videos. and i think mj made some of the most unique and artistic videos. of course there are staples like thriller, smooth criminal, and remember the time. my favorite: leave me alone (you can’t deny dogs in suits!). if i may, i’d like leave you with this awesome tribute video by detroit singer dwele. extremely impressive stuff. shamone!
