In Atlanta for the ASH Annual Meeting. I arrive Sunday night, too late to go bowling with the Meetings Department. I call Ayuko on her cell phone after I’m all settled into my hotel room. Turns out that they didn’t go bowling anyway, they went to ESPN Zone. I like bowling as much as the next man, having been in various bowling leagues starting when I was seven. But I’m not much of an ESPN Zone kinda guy. I meet the gang when they return.<\/p>\n
Monday night Ayuko takes us to Emeril’s restaurant, up Buckhead way, across from some mall, maybe Lenox Mall. I’m surprised at how nice it is. Not the celebrity food factory that I thought it would be, like Hard Rock Cafe or something. I don’t know that I’ve ever in fact seen Emeril on any cooking show or the Food Network or whatever. All I know is that he says bam<\/em>.<\/p>\n Tuesday night is the chic little bistro One Midtown Kitchen. Our waitress is adorable, reminds me of the young Elizabeth Hurley.<\/p>\n Wednesday we (as part of the meetings dept) are on our own. I’m pleased when Joe invites me to go out with his department. Then I’m less pleased when he says that they’re going to Ted’s Montana Grill, where they serve bison. I check the menu on the web and there’s really no vegetarian option. So I beg off, but Joe says that Ted’s is not written in stone, that we can go somewhere else. I’m embarrassed to make the whole Education Department change restaurants for me, but he insists. So I find City Grill and Joe agrees.<\/p>\n Even better, turns out that it’s not the whole department, just Joe and Helena. Two of my absolute favorite people at ASH.<\/p>\n Joe and I meet early, at 6:30 at the Sundial atop the Westin. This turns out to be a crucial mistake, starting drinking early. After a few beers here and then two bottles of wine at the restaurant, I’m very much worse for drink. Apparently I keep telling our waiter how cute he is. Joe and Helena wisely pour me into a cab back to the Omni, rather than let me wander back on foot, most likely to be mugged on the way.<\/p>\n The hangover will last a solid two days and then some.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In Atlanta for the ASH Annual Meeting. I arrive Sunday night, too late to go bowling with the Meetings Department. I call Ayuko on her cell phone after I’m all settled into my hotel room. Turns out that they didn’t go bowling anyway, they went to ESPN Zone. I like bowling as much as the … Continue reading Night Off<\/span>