“Eating, and hospitality in general, is a communion, and any meal worth attending…is improved by the multitudes of those with whom it is shared.”
—Jesse Browner
Our dear friends, neighbors, and traveling companions, Nelson and Susan Bye invited Cecile and I, and another wonderful couple, Dianna Martin-Orloff and husband Norm to be their guests at their home at Rinconada Hills for a special treat. At the Byes request, we had pre-ordered our preferred dinner selections and dessert from French restaurant, Le Papillon which in French means butterfly. They offered a New Year’s Eve special curbside pick up menu. While we waited for the food to be delivered we had appetizers and cocktails. Nelson’s son Jonathan was gracious enough to pick up and deliver the food for us to enjoy.
We collectively ordered Butternut Squash Soup with Pumpkin See Granola; Baby Lettuce Salad with Pears, Toasted Pecans, Grated Feta, and Chambord Vinaigrette; Chilled Beet and Puff Pastry Tart with Goat Cheese Sabyon and Pistachio Oil; Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with Chive Beurre Blanc, Pickled Shimeji Mushrooms, and Potato Mille-Feuille; Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Cognac Jus, Maitake Mushrooms, and Potato Gratin; Roasted Breast and Leg of Duck with Vincotto Jus, Pickled Cherries and Black Forbidden Rice. For dessert we ordered Poached Pear Tart with Puff Pastry, Vanilla Mascarpone, and Sauternes Syrup and Chocolate Marjolaine with Pistachio, Caramel Ganache and Praline Butterscotch. However, we were so filled from dinner and a bottle of chocolate that the Byes ordered from Li-Lac chocolates in Grenich Village, NY, shaped like a bottle of champagne, we decided to bring our desserts home at the end of the evening.
Since we live in California it was decided to have a New York style New Year's Eve dinner party from 6PM to 9PM PST and call it a night. But, since we were enjoying each others company so much, we decided to stay until midnight PST. We ended the year relaxing on the Byes large sofa, drinking champagne and after surfing TV specials "Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest,” on ABC, “New Year’s Eve Nashville’s Big Bash,” on CBS, we settled on CNN's "New Year's Eve Live" with co-host Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper. We watched Eric Adams being sworn in as New York City mayor replacing Mayor Bill de Blasio just after midnight. It is amazing how quickly six hours flew by. It is interesting how if show interest in the other person, share your passions and backgrounds, family history and willingness to go out on the ledge sharing something personal how you find out how much you have in common.
Our thanks to the Byes for their generous hospitality. The food and wine was awesome, the company was great, the conservation flowed well and Cecile and I left feeling how fortunate we were to have such good friends.
