groove food

dot & c get hitched, part III of III

dot - this is the story of the day you married c. except it's not. it's the best i can do. tricky business, retelling the ineffable. so here are some words strung together disjointedly to interpret loosely. some pictures to take your breath away. like this one. whatever you were feeling inside at that very moment--that's the story. i hope you tell it to yourself often.

what are friends are for? making you eat breakfast.

each story is locked up safe inside.

"it looks really nice. now f*ck it up some."

some things blue.

while you were preening.

said to symbolize departure, which is to say, arriving somewhere else.

it haloed e v e r y t h i n g.

 all hands on deck.

could it be the passage from one point to another is the point?

 they waited patiently. for the most part.

 stella moonstone.

some pop champagne, others.

invest in knee pads, helmets & peanut butter cups.

they got to bear witness. and kick sand.

 your wedding day = not too shabby

greeks had it: love sprang from an oyster shell.

quel fromage, mama

pause.

like a sip of sparkling burgundy brew

honored guests.

as good as it looks.

night came on, so did radiohead.

tears, toasts, and toast.

oysters and pearls and pranks at the fast food drive thru. reasons why i love you.

bffs.

"they slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered." - f. scott fitzgerald

 

notes

* the breakfast sandwich is from carmel belle on the corner of ocean & san carlos in carmel-by-the-sea

* dot & c's wedding cake (meyer lemon chiffon if you must know) was from their dear friend michelle at big sur bakery

* as for dinner, 12 of us feasted on multiple courses well into the night. from delectable, bone-sucking-good grilled quail, to french laundry's dreamy "oysters and pearls," to homemade peach-champagne sorbet and butter-poached lobster in bright red beet sauce. the dinner was prepared by one of dot's friends and clients. the best part? sitting next to dot.

dot & c, part II of III: sushi & pizza

it seems only appropriate to begin the story of dot and c's wedding rehearsal with gnocchi 'casanova.' part of the romance of eating these plump spinach dumplings with the texture of marshmallows is being tucked in a corner at restaurant casanova, so your expression of dreaminess is a secret between you and your plate.

casanova himself knew that appreciation of food and wine played a key part in the art of seduction. when two people revel in flavor together a kindredness transpires, a sort of language-less vow in devotion to sharing the enjoyment of life. it is a bond so potent and big it overflows, reaching into all surrounding lives.

for instance, pickle's. she loves basking in love which is why she is the perfect pup for dot & c. her permanent tuxedo attire was finally appropriate for the occasion.

the world gets a little quieter before something big is about to happen. we sense the shape of what is waiting in the distance. therein sits the gift. our alertness allows us to witness a hundred little moments defined by their stillness. that is exactly how it was on the eve of dot & c's wedding day.

of course, the sun cooperated in helping us take notice.

as it set, the groom carved out a circle in the sand for his bride.

it was almost time for us to close our eyes and wait, and sense, and wait.

the flowers had taken their positions. the thing about dot is that she knows simplicity is the ultimate extravagance. her wedding flowers were cupful after cupful of roses in every shade of white, floating gardenias, aromatic stock, and french tulips that curved their slim stems toward wherever there was candlight.

when the day was almost done, we gathered back at dot's big dining room table with their officiant, erin, and sucked down sushi rolls from the mall.

and meat lover's pizza. because before there can ever be champagne, their should be pizza from a cardboard box.

here it comes!

notes

* restaurant casanova is located in carmel-by-the-sea at 5th avenue, between mission and san carlos. visit them online here.

* burst & bloom is dot's amazing shop and florist services in carmel. her website is here.