New Year's Eve private celebration: Drinks and tapas at Fonda

I simply could not have been more annoyed by Big S. when he came home from work yesterday and plunked himself down on the couch while I busied myself with food preparations for the party we were attending. Did I mention our house was so cold he put on his bathrobe over his clothes? Really attractive. And sat there in the dark watching the rest of the movie he rented the night before. For some reason he thought I would also be preparing dinner before we left for the party, which was to start at 7:00. No, I said, the kitchen is now CLOSED. We're going out for appetizers and a drink on our way to the party. Just the two of us. It might just be sort of romantic. Before we hunker down with some of our most beloved friends to ring in the New Year.

I have to admit, he was agreeable and put on a nicer shirt, even after being offended at the expression on my face when he replied to my request for more suitable clothing with "Well, I'm not going to wear the robe!!" God—really??

We went to Fonda, which is owned by the people who own Lalime's, one of our favorite restaurants.



Fonda Solana, it's full name, is loosely interpreted in Spanish as "café on a sunny corner," and they specialize in tapas and drinks. Big S. ordered a margarita, and I ordered a cosmopolitan (my favorite festive drink). We ordered duck and pomegranate tacos with guacamole and arbol salsa. The cilantro and pomegranate seed garnish gave them a very seasonal look, and they were absolutely delicious. I'm going to work on my own recreation of them the next time I have reason to produce a fancy appetizer. We also had seared sea scallops with frisee, orange segments, and saffron-aji marillo aioli, which was also excellent and a perfect compliment to the duck. Although both were mouthwatering, the portions were typically teensy, so it's a perfect place to go for just appetizers and drinks.

Our evening with friends was just perfect—a small, relaxed group. However, staying up until midnight gets more difficult every year. By the time we drove home across the bay, it was nearly 1:30 before we were in bed! But with Sophie being gone, we had the luxury of sleeping in. Probably the last time we do that for a while! It was good to get our girl back, and I think we're all looking forward to getting back on some sort of schedule.