May 29, 2026 Breakfast - Lax on bagels. Lunch - East Ocean with Ned ans Greg . Dinner - Oysters, Watermelon and Feta Arugula Salad, Garlic Toast, and Fresh Strawberries on pound cake with ice cream and whipped cream

May 29, 2026 Breakfast - Lax on bagels. Lunch - East Ocean with Ned ans Greg . Dinner - Oysters, Watermelon and Feta Arugula Salad, Garlic Toast, and Fresh Strawberries on pound cake with ice cream and whipped cream

I slept until 8:15 and toasted two bagel halves and spread them with cream cheese and garnished them with slices of red onion and Gravad Lax.

Then i edited a pleading until 11:00 when I drove to East Ocean to have lunch with Ned and Greg. They are both well traveled and have spent many years teaching and managing programs, as well as being serious foodies.

They let me suggest my favorite dishes and we all agreed on 1/2 roast duck and Chinese Broccoli with fried tofu and snow peas with rice and a bowl of hot and sour soup.

I loved everything. I had not tried the hot and sour soup at East Ocean before and I liked it, especially with a little extra rice vinegar that Ned brought in a bottle. I suspect carrying your own rice vinegar to make sure the hot and sour soup has the vinegary bite you prefer marks you as a gourmet.

After we split a bowl of soup, thick with tofu, wood ear, and bamboo shoots we were served two platters, one piled high with half of a duck with crisp skin and succulent tender meat and the other piled high with stir fried Chinese Broccoli sliced obliquely so the thick stalks were thin slices and squares of fried tofu and snow peas. There was a nice contrast between the crisp skin and succulent duck meat in a light black tea sauce and the firm stalks of broccoli with its collapsed tender green leaves.

We ate and talked and drank oolong tea for over two hours.

When I attired home at 2:20 I checked the market and it was down. My portfolio decreased by .6%.

I spent an hour at my desk making calls, including one to Whole Foods to order three dozen Misty Point oysters on the half shell on beds of ice and then at 3:30 rested for an hour.

At 4:45 we drove to Whole Foods and picked up the oysters and drove to Debbie’s for dinner and the sunset. Her house is situated with a perfect view of the Sandias from her back porch where Suzette and I sipped Chateau St. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc and Debbie sipped Usher’s on ice as we caught up on our activities of the last few months.

After the sun set we went inside for dinner.

Debbie served artichoke dip on bread for an appetizer, while she assembled a lovely watermelon,feral cheese, and arugula salad with a sweet dressing and toasted slices of garlic bread in the oven. We then ate oysters with Pace Salsa that was very delicious and Debbie heated three oysters Rockefeller in the oven and served each of us one.

 The simple, light dinner of oysters, arugula salad, and garlic toast was accentuated by an elaborate dessert of a slice of pound cake garnished with fresh strawberry chunks drizzled with honey,ma ginger ice cream, and whipped cream.

We left around 9:00 after a very pleasant, relaxing evening.

This was an exceptionally full multicultural gourmet food day. The kind I love.

Bon Appetit