Mac Attack, Southern Invasion aka "How Not to Host the Tartelette"

Boy and Girls, Ladies and Gentlemen: Let this be a step by step tutorial for you on how NOT to host the Tartelette.

It all started when I went to pick her up from the airport - clutching my camera in one hand and my [work] crackberry in the other.  As I waited for Helen to arrive into the baggage claim area, I was neurotically checking my crackberry.  Somehow, that wiley cat managed to slip right by me.  Funny how that happens when one isn't paying attention.  After playing phone tag for a few minutes I finally found her and my opportunity to take a photo of her as she walked in tanked.

Sierra, world's cutest puppy

We were blessed to be invited to Todd and Diane's from White on Rice Couple's home for dinner but it was still 1:00pm and we were starving. So we get into the car and head down to Hermosa Beach to check out the beautiful Pacific Ocean.  I hoped to find some great, clever dining option but the first place I found was Hennessey's.  If you know ANYTHING about Hennessey's you'll know it's an Irish Pub...you know...the kind where they serve really greasy Quesadillas?  That's where I took the Tartelette.  I mean...the Macaron Celeb. One of FORBE'S magazine's Eight of the Very Best Food Bloggers.  Uh huh.  I took THE Tartelette there.

Oh but WAIT.  My First Class treatment doesn't end there!!  The next day we headed off to Matt and Adam's studio.  Did I stop for coffee or breakfast? No, of course not.  Why ruin the beginning of a really bad track record with some hospitality?  After we were wowed by Matt and Adam's awesome prop room [Geez, I'm still hoping that nothing accidentally fell into my very large purse] we decided to check out Hollywood.

I had been promising Helen some Korean Hot Pot and all kinds of ethnic foods for weeks.  So naturally, that really had to take precedence into our meal plans.  So on our way to Hollywood, I took her to Umami Burger.  You know...the place where they serve BURGERS??  I find out that Helen hadn't had a burger in 15 years [probably with GOOD reason] but she's so freaking gracious that she said that she really enjoyed it. I would've smacked me into next week, if I were her.

That evening was our tweet up at The Yard.  Chef CJ [the tallest man in the world] came by with a delicious bite of burrata cheese, snap peas, and puree.  Great happy hour and great happy hour nibblies!  Thanks to Erika, Kate, Giselle, Patti, Sonja, Kathy, and Remil for attending!

We were so busy chit chatting with everyone that we realized that we hadn't really eaten dinner.  Inspiration struck - I decided that Helen, Gaby, Sonja, Remil, and I were heading to the taco truck, El Paladar Oaxaqueño, our first ethnic meal of the trip.  Lengua [tongue], Cabeza [head/cheek meet] were our choice for tacos.

Classes went well the following day [with the exception of MY macs but that's a whole other story] but after class, we were starving.  Unfortunately, it was 11:30pm and nothing  in the area was open.  NOTHING except for The Kettle, a 24 hour join in Manhattan Beach...the place where I spent many college late night meals.  I hated it when I was in college and I re-discovered that I still hated it. 

So, in case you missed it, let's have a replay:

1. Helen had to run around the airport looking for me.

2. I promised ethnic foods.  I take her to greasy bar food, a burger joint, or just plain nothing at all.
3. I took her to a taco truck for ethnic food.
4. I didn't give Helen a chance to eat any breakfast on any day.
5. I took her to a dive - a place that i didn't care for, even back in college, for a late night dinner.

But wait, it doesn't end there...to top off the entire week, I dropped her off at the wrong terminal [it was a code share flight] causing her to MISS HER FLIGHT.

Please take a look at the above steps and understand what you should never do when inviting Helen to your city.  Did I mention how gracious Helen was throughout the entire week?  Her schedule is booking up quickly so I suggest you get her in to your city as quickly as possible. But please...don't be a boneheaded hostess like I was. Oh...and if I invite YOU to Los Angeles, you may want to think twice about it.

Stay tuned for Part II of the Tartelette's Class...