My good friend Rachel and her husband Bob are part of the “A game” in my book. Transparently basking in the glow of newlywed love after celebrating their three-year wedding anniversary, these Upper West Side residents are competitive athletes, driven career folks, lovers of the arts and as I like to say – good people.

As always Rachel’s invitation for drinks before dinner wasn’t your usual “grab a Bud from the refrigerator” kind of aperitif. Her scrumptious spread included gourmet cheeses, a sparkly wine called Cabo, homemade breads, and of course a special non-alcoholic drink we called the Specialty of the House: seltzer, fresh squeezed orange juice and the special shprits of lime.

We had dinner at Cafe Frida. Highly recommend it; authentic Mexican without any overwhelming flavors.


We heart Rachel and she hearts hearts without knowing it.

Upper West Side doorknob. Through the glass.

Walking home from the Upper West Side through Central Park. This is the Great Lawn at night. The same Great Lawn that just hosted Bon Jovi and 50,000 of his greatest fans last weekend. This is the same skyline over which we watched the New Year’s Eve fireworks. We live in a spectacularly beautiful city.