The fruit of this mornings grueling “what not to wear” affair, emerged as a  lovely wool Chanel suit. A classic Audrey Hepburn fitted style with silk lining. Maybe a little too fitted after all the holiday celebrating but still doable. This afternoons lunch will have to be a light salad chaperoned by a sparkling Pellegrino.
Confident with the caliber of her appearance Ms M and I set out to find San Soo Raw. Most likely another excellent North Shore eatery with an eastern influence. The BFF had impeccable taste in both cuisine and couture.

Not knowing what to expect from the new “significant other” in her friends life, (the consequence of being out cold 15 minutes after the first introduction), Ms M was putting her best Blahnik adorned foot forward. She must admit she had deeply missed the BFF and is more then eager to see her. Furthermore she began contemplating following suit of a higher dietary path herself. This sparked by the prospect of being granted a vegan prince for her very own.

San Soo Raw had a bewildering entrance. Once inside the handsomely carved wooden doors you are greeted by what appears to be the shoe display from Goodwill. A puzzlingly copious variety of footwear. Did they really expect her to deposit a pair of $1200 Manolo pumps and walk away? Peaking out the side pocket of her carryall I viewed a tense slightly bowed elfin man making a beeline right for us. This was due to the fact that Ms M. attempted a casual entrance into the main dinning area while still being fully shod. Not able to understand each other, an unpleasant exchange climaxed to a serious attempt at liberating Ms M from her heels.

Righted, brushed off, marginally unhinged and with shoes in hand, Ms M is ultimately obliged. Entering the room she could scarcely comprehend the image before her. One vast dimly lit open space with yards upon yards of fabric. A continuous draping from the ceiling, along the walls to the floor. No windows. Several black lacquered table tops in parallel rows. Each person somehow seated flush with the eating surface but no chairs. From the torso down they just evaporate. Swallowed into the floor by some black hole.
Ugh. How on earth, in that outfit, would she manage to lower herself gracefully enough to slide under and in? First things first, she had to concentrate on locating her noontime dates.

While speculating whether she had arrived at an incorrect location,  her companions nowhere to be found, she was struck by a women who had a whisper of familiarity.  Similar mannerisms of an acquainted nature. This caught her eye but she surely did not know the individual. More of the flea market variety that one finds mulling around Whole Foods or the community garden. Granted pleasing in color, the hair was out of control while at the same time pairing well with a vintage Joplin head scarf, exposed lingerie and crushed red velvet coverup. After giving the space another once over she was mysteriously drawn to that corner of the room. Seriously studying the populous along the way, she became frozen at hearing the unmistakable BFF laugh.

Shocked into recognition Ms M is dumfounded. What was her dear friend thinking getting dressed in that costume? What happened to her beautifully styled Victoria Beckham bob? Why, out of all the places for fine dinning in this fabulous city did she pick THIS RESTAURANT! These among several other questions were a continuously running stock exchange ticker passing through her consciousness.

In the wake of this paralyzing discovery Ms M made great effort to maintain some self composure. Her seemingly stiff advance towards the table did nothing to jar the two love birds mutual fixation. A timid server slight in nature offered Ms M a hand. In manipulating the breakdancing moves required for admittance to this table top party, it was necessary she drop to her knees. An unrelenting skirt made it impossible to lean down or back. She was then forced to make a not so subtle belly flop to the floor, turn on her side and swing her legs into the cavern below.

Resembling people awakened by an ambush the pair offered up simultaneously startled greetings……