Mixology is serious business.

Entertaining, but so many better Marvel movies.

#49: Be a tourist in LA

Tried the much touted Hiho cheeseburger in Santa Monica.  Drank Guinness at the Ye Olde  King’s Head and ended the day by beating the Escape Room with five minutes to spare.

Except for the guy on guy thing, this movie was right up my alley.

#47: See 10 New Movies in the Theater

Entertaining for a rainy day.

You never know what toy he’s going to bond with.

#19. Read 8 Fiction Novels

A good story and an authentic look at Alaskan life.

In the Hollywood Hills.

#47: See 10 New Movies in the Theater

Decent spy thriller.

#88: Full Physical

Completed a two day physical that included a CT scan of some vital organs. First doctor visit in nearly three years. The good news is that if there was a draft I would be rejected.

#69:Control Blood Pressure

154/90. So, not too good. Working on it though.

Enjoyed a going away weekend for Alex at Dad’s.

Styx from henry james on Vimeo.

#29: Go to five live music venues in LA

Styx at the Rose in Pasadena.

#19. Read 8 Fiction Novels

Slow to start, but it grew on me.

IMG_1367 from henry james on Vimeo.

An overdue graduation present.

#13: Try 10 Jonathon Gold Restaurants

Valentine’s Day dinner at Jar.

We all wish we were Hemingway.

IMG_1277 from henry james on Vimeo.

#13: Try 10 of Gold’s top 101 LA Restaurants

Spring. Lobster risotto. Very good.

#14: Watch a Rocket Launch

Granted I wasn’t there, but watched this one live and it was more exciting than the Super Bowl. With a fair chance of failure, the biggest rocket blasted into space, but equally as cool was the sight of the boosters re-landing to be used again.

#46: Sit around a campfire

Visited mom and Jim’s campground for some family time.

New year, same result. We lost.

Keep dancing like no one’s watching!

Jonathon Gold is L.A.’s, and probably the country’s best food critic.  Whether it’s fine dining, culinary performance art or a value meal at a taco truck, he always puts together a solid top 101 list.  We need to try ten new ones, so I’ll start by crossing off the ones we have already eaten at and will not count towards the ten.

1. 1. Vespertine
   2. Providence (Top notch Seafood and truffle)
   3. Spago (Wolfgang’s original. Remodeled and as good as ever)
   4. Lukshon (Culver City Asian Fusion)
   5. Taco Maria
   6. Spring (Downtown French)
   7. Trois Mec (Tasting meal. Second time wasn’t as good as the first)
   8. Cassia
   9. Mozzaplex (All three restaurants are excellent)
   10. Rossoblu (Favorite new DTLA Italian spot)
   11. Rustic Canyon (Farm to table)
   12. Shibumi
   13. Q Sushi
   14. n/naka
   15. Lucques (Loved it, but it’s been about eight years)
   16. Cut (There are better steak places. Great asparagus dish)
   17. Bestia (Great small plate Italian)
   18. Lasa
   19. République (Another great small plate French place)
   20. Animal (Animal centric, but the snapper collar was the best)
   21. Kismet
   22. Manuela (Farm to table in the Arts District)
   23. Night + Market Song (Best Thai)
   24. Shunji
   25. Alimento
   26. Here’s Looking At You (Serving whatever the Chef found that day)
   27. P.Y.T.
   28. Guerrilla Tacos
   29. Chengdu Taste
   30. Orsa & Winston (Italian/Japanese from the Mexican chef building a DTLA empire)
   31. Michael’s
   32. Otium (Swedish minimalism)
   33. Vincenti
   34. Broken Spanish (Gourmet country Mexican. I ate cock’s comb)
   35. Soban
   36. Pizzana
   37. Sun Nong Dan
   38. Mélisse
   39. Holbox/Chichén Itzá
   40. Baroo (closed)
   41. Officine Brera (Elevated Italian)
   42. The Bazaar (Jose Andrea’s LA spot)
   43. Gjelina
   44. Salt’s Cure (unimpressed)
   45. Alma (A young chef succeeding)
   46. Salazar (Señora style Mexican. All outdoor)
   47. Sqirl
   48. The Tasting Kitchen (Venice Beach hot spot)
   49. Odys + Penelope (One of my favorite sharing plate restaurants)
   50. Petit Trois
   51. Sea Harbour
   52. Redbird (Another sharing plate staged in a convent)
   53. Jitlada
   54. Girasol (closed)
   55. Sotto (Excellent Italian)
   56. Le Comptoir
   57. Park’s BBQ
   58. Gwen (Australian chef, Curtis Stone’s meat restaurant)
   59. Jar
   60. Meals by Genet
   61. Church & State (DTLA French bistro)
   62. La Casita Mexicana
   63. Maude (Curtis Stone’s ingredient a month restaurant)
   64. Brobard Chateau
   65. A.O.C. (Simply great)
   66. Asanebo (Best sushi anywhere)
   67. Kobee Factory
   68. Craft (Consistent Century City lunch spot)
   69. Connie and Ted’s (#2’s casual seafood spot)
   70. Rosaliné (excellent Peruvian)
   71. Erven
   72. Angelini Osteria
   73. Adana
   74. Little Sister (Best Vietnamese spot in town)
   75. Mian
   76. Drago Centro
   77. Aburiya Raku
   78. Locol (closed)
   79. 71Above (Best views in DTLA)
   80. Grand Central Market (Great variety)
   81. Coni’Seafood
   82. Kogi BBQ (The Godfather of the food truck. Korean/Mexican)
   83. Guelaguetza (Most authentic Mexican. Biggest mezcal collection in the US)
   84. Manhattan Beach Post
   85. Rice Bar
   86. Bellwether (Had a great Nashville hot chicken sandwich)
   87. Playground
   88. Colonia Publica
   89. Attari Sandwich Shop
   90. Irenia
   91. Tsujita
   92. Gjusta
   93. Garlic & Chives
   94. Valentino
   95. Mariscos Jalisco
   96. Union (Pasadena’s gem)
   97. Sapp Coffee Shoo
   98. Mayura
   99. Howlin’ Ray’s (Two hour minimum wait for some decent Nashville hot chicken)
   100. Marouch
   101. Langer’s (The king of the Pastrami sandwich)

82 degrees and sunny.

#47: See Ten Movies in the Theater

Loved it. Guillermo del Toro has never failed me.

These two will save the world.

#19: Read 8 Fiction Novels

Not the easiest of reads, but it has plenty of rewards.

As an empty nester, these are the nightly moments that get me.

#23: Five Hikes

Beautiful day for a hike.

Top Gun parody at the Regent. Pretty funny.

#13: Try 10 of Gold’s top 100 LA Restaurants

Brunch at The Bellweather in Sherman Oaks.  Very good.

#19: Read 8 Fiction Novels

Nothing special.

Hemingway

Rewarding myself with a pool day for completing one week without eating out (#56) or alcohol (#84).

#47: See 10 New Movies in the Theater

Not sure how I feel about the movie yet, but it does prove the rule that Daniel Day Lewis can make anything, not only watchable, but enjoyable.

Cheers to 2017. It was another year to remember. Here are some of the highlights.

Watched the drag queen drop in Key West on New Year’s Eve.

Tacked this dollar to the wall for good luck at Capt. Tony’s Saloon. It worked.

Caught lunch.

Supported Hemingway’s surgery and a grueling three weeks of radiation. He fought hard.

Had some amazing dinners.

Only visited the lake house once.

Celebrated Brittany’s retirement from soccer.

Saw the US win the Baseball World Championships.

Bid farewell to an old friend.

Took a few naps in Miami Beach.

Thoroughly enjoyed Cuba. Hope the next president allows us to return.

Had a perfect beach weekend with family.

Tried to reach a weight goal, but even starving myself for a week didn’t work.

Watched some horses without betting on them.

Played around with the kids.

Mother’s Day at Sherwood.

Was the highest bidder on a trip to Mongolia.

Explored Morrow Bay.

Watched Alex pitch his best and last game of his college career.

A star was born.

Sun.baked with the family in Palm Springs.

Watched Brittany graduate college.

Enjoyed Tom Petty and Mumford and Sons with Devin and Brittany in Pasadena.

Helped Rio survive the 4th of July.

Took a UK trip with my wife, dad and Georgeanne that I’ll forever cherish.

RIP Tom Petty.

Had plenty of pool time.

A great ride with Maserati.

Tried a dinner at a chef’s home.

Said goodbye to our first pet, Bella.

Enjoyed our visit with our niece, Anna.

Lost one of my most loyal readers, but was able to celebrate her well lived life with friends and family in Maryland.

Needed a reminder.

Read more books this year than any other.

Plenty of family meals at Dad and Georgeanne’s.

Took in a Dodgers/Cubs playoff game in LA.

Celebrated our anniversary at the Chateau Marmont.

Face time with clients in Nashville.

Visited a new American city. Chattanooga.

Explored a new N’awlins neighborhood.

Lots to be thankful for on Thanksgiving.

Bowled a lot.

Celebrated the end of my dad’s incredible career.

Saw a few good movies.

Finally got Sonia’s parents out of Puerto Rico.

Stayed in a new Chicago neighborhood.

Marquette strong.

Celebrated Dad and Georgeanne’s thirtieth.

Another great Christmas with the regulars.

Hemingway and Rio met their cousin, Seager.

Enjoyed the outdoors.

Made it to Mom’s new home in Prescott and was blessed with LA like weather.

And oysters….

#37: Eye Exam

With the exception of needing a pair of reading glasses, I continue to have 20/20 vision and do not suffer from narrow angles, the hereditary condition my mom and older sister have had treated. I will now focus my sense of dread on my blood pressure.

#47. See 10 New Movies in the Theater

Very good. Happy to know that couldn’t happen in this day and era.

#23: Five hikes

High above Burbank in the burnt hills.

186.4lbs. Those weight loss goals are going to be rough.

The only living thing drooling to be near me.

#20. Read 4 Non Fiction

Could have been one paragraph long. We give too many f*cks. We need to give less f*cks and only give a f*ck about the things that truly matter. No sh*t. Waste of time. I’ll save my other non fiction readings for history.

off road from henry james on Vimeo.

Took Jim’s jeep off roading in the Prescott National Forest on a perfect New Year’s day.