It was an evening rich in layers.  NO, not the food, us.  The women with history, betrayal, loyalty, honesty, beauty, humor, love–you get the idea.  Some of us met in grammar school, a few not until high school.  We connect the dots at the Fries family.  At least Debi, Madeline and Janet do.  Cristi and I, well, more through the Cahill family.

We ate most of the “signature” dishes like the tuna tartare on crispy rice.  But I was too busy reading subtext to remember scarfing down the tasty morsels.  We revealed things, yes, but the bubbles above our heads were saying so much more.  We need a month in a rented house in the south of France to unfold all  the stories of our lives for the past, can I say it? Thirty-something years.  When I started to write a shorthand version, it was reading like Peyton Place or perhaps Greek mythology.

Sorry it took me so long to post this piece.  Thank you Madeline for including me in your birthday celebration, it was an honor.

Katsu-Ya has a few locations.  We went to the Brentwood restaurant.  Order all the signature dishes.  My favorite is the baked hand crab roll.