to live and date in l.a., part deux

For this week's LA Insight, the topic is dating in Los Angeles. Onward:

2. Best place to take your first date?
I rock at first dates. Sadly, not too many people have rocked me on the first date. I've had some good first dates here:

Drinks:
Tiki Ti (I was maced here once)
Casa del Mar
Gallery Bar - Biltmore Hotel (my "man-map" owes much to this bar)

Eats:
Toi on Sunset & Gardner (snag the bed table and go with a rockstar)
Water Grill (get the cheese plate)
Ivy at the Shore (champagne with raspberries, candlelight & the Pacific - sigh)
Theme Restaurant at LAX (pretend you're on your way to Prague)
Monsieur Marcel at Farmer's Market
Engine Co. No. 28
Diaghilev in the Bel Age Hotel (the tray of infused vodka that came with the meal might have had something to do with it)
Hollywood Canteen (very OG Hollywood)
Checkers (luxurious & sexy, like my date)

Other good times:
The Getty Museum
LACMA
House of Blues

One of my best first dates was truly amazing. Al Jarreau was recording his live album, Tenderness, in a studio in Los Angeles. He was recording it over a period of five consecutive nights, seating was arranged in the studio, and I forget which night we went (I attended three of the five nights - heaven), but it impressed the hell out of my date. His musical director was Marcus Miller and the band was made up of Joe Sample(!!!), Steve Gadd, Paulinho Da Costa, Paul Jackson Jr. and David Sanborn.

I met Mr. Jarreau a few months earlier. When most musicians are introduced to me, almost without fail, they riff on my name. Usually they sing the Simon and Garfunkel song, "Cecilia", changing it to "Celia". Not Mr. Jarreau. He took my hand and sang a madrigal song called, "To Celia" which doesn't mention my name once. I didn't think anybody else in Los Angeles knew the song, everyone else in the room had no idea what was going on. But Mr. Jarreau and I did. He made a fan for life that day. Not for that, but he did an acoustic set in my office a little later. Such a lucky girl.