2023 in Salads, Sentimental Struggles, and One Serious Cliffhanger

Lots of newsworthy things happened in 2023. Tucker Carlson (remember him?) got canned by Fox News. Prince Harry whined his way to the bank with a bestselling memoir. The strongest woman in show business, Tina Turner, succumbed at age 83. 

But I prefer to remember the year on a personal level. Long after I stopped giving a damn about May’s congressional debt ceiling brinksmanship, I may want to recall what I had for lunch on February 26 (curried chicken salad; see below). 

One thing I don’t want to ever remember is my brief and existentially nullifying flirtation with TikTok. I am still deprogramming myself.

With that in mind, here is an anecdotal review of some moments in time that made the year special. (And yes -- I recognize how many of the entries involve food.)

12. Raclette
Mary and Mike invited us for a January raclette dinner at their chic, woodsy cabin. We loved it so much that we recreated it at home a week later. I managed to find ways to stress about this supposedly stress-free way to entertain.

11. Lunch with my Old Boss 

Over salmon at the Cleveland Museum of Art restaurant, Valerie shared updates from my former working world. These tidbits helped me realize I needed to re-retire.

Voilà -- Curried Chicken Salad -- a new staple

10. Mastering Curried Chicken Salad 

This pretty darn good Barefoot Contessa recipe transformed my lunch table. (But no, I haven’t changed my opinion of Ina Garten.)

Via Carota Green Salad

9. Lunching on The Best Salad in the World  

In 2019, The New York Times declared New York hotspot Via Carota’s “the best green salad in the world.” We secured a March 31 reservation at the West Village eatery and were prepared for the mile-high, thrice-washed plate of endive, butter lettuce, frisée, and watercress to let us (see what I did there?) into salad heaven.

The verdict? Amazingly fresh and perfectly dressed – but I still like a tomato or two and some red onion to go with the greens.

9. Staying at 3 Legendary Hotels

In early spring, we spent three nights at the former Chelsea Hotel. October brought a long-awaited return to our favorite hotel anywhere, LA’s Chateau Marmont. And my November/December birthday trip to New York brought us uptown to the Chelsea Hotel’s polar opposite, the Carlyle, where we got upgraded to a palatial suite. These experiences deepened our appreciation of two familiar cities -- and probably won’t be repeated.

8. Honing the Art of Self-Deprecation

The stats don’t lie: the most popular blog posts in my first full year at this have all involved exposing my follies, from acting the fool under hypnosis to blowing my chance to cozy up to Liza with a Z to just plain blowing up at an Amazon customer service rep who got the best of me. (Joe barely escaping Scientology garnered your attention, too). 

As I plot my posts for 2024, I have one story that might take “self-exposure” to a whole new level. Should I go there?

Pequod's Deep Dish Pizza

7. Letting Go of Tradition

On a July trip to Chicago, I struggled with foregoing Bookbinder’s Soup upon arrival -- a ritual my dad had instilled in me as a teenager. I ultimately realized traditions can be shackles and relinquishing them makes room for -- new traditions. After seeing it featured on The Bear, we tried the deep dish pizza at Pequod's -- not bad, but not worthy of being a new tradition.

Ominous skies over 
Morgan's farewell party

6. Learning Composure from My Sister

In August, during my niece Morgan’s outdoor, off-to-college party at my sister’s house, the skies opened up. Missy and her husband took it like champs, and I got to witness the grace under pressure that usually eludes me as a host.

5. My End-of-Summer Romance

Both the book and movie versions of Red, White, and Royal Blue swept me off my feet, opening my mind to reading the occasional romance novel. Love is love, but who knew I’d love love stories?

4. Rock Hall Backlash

I expected blowback when, in September, I shared my negative opinion of Cleveland’s Rock Hall in the local paper. I was still a bit surprised to see them publish four critical letters containing wild speculation about what kind of wayward person would attack such a sacred cow. For all the brouhaha, I stand by what I wrote.

Lipstick Blend Tulips -- coming next April

3. The Return of Tulips

In October, we – the royal “we” – planted 200 Lipstick Blend tulip bulbs in the backyard, where (hopefully) the fencing will prevent deer interference come spring. It’s been at least ten years since we last tiptoed through any tulips.

December 2, 2023: My second time
seeing the B'way Sweeney revival

2. Savoring Sondheim 

Beginning in November, two years after the beloved composer’s death and 44 years after seeing my first Sondheim show, I broadened my exposure to his artistic world with new productions, online classes, and even private tutorials with an expert on Sweeney Todd. 

1. December Cliffhanger

I like to keep things nice and light here on this blog. I usually avoid politics and he who shall not be named. But a recent New Yorker headline jolted me out of my avoidant tendencies: “Are we sleepwalking into dictatorship?” 

Next year, I promise you more of what you probably come here for -- green salads and pink tulips. But I might need a moment or two to process the portent of it all.

As we slide into a new year with sky-high stakes, let’s make a vow: I’ll do what I can to entertain you. You do what you can to save our democracy. 

Deal? See you next year.

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