October 31, 2017: L.A. Day #2!

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Last night I had dinner with the lovely Torri Higginson, Dark Matter’s Commander Delaney Truffaut, aka Stargate: Atlantis’s Commander Elizabeth Weir.  Since I was on her turf, she got to choose the restaurant, selecting Redbird, Chef Neal Fraser’s flagship restaurant.  Apparently, it’s a big deal in foodie circles – and with good reason.  It was delicious.  Although…there were a few hiccups.

We enjoyed our appetizers, one of those middle plates (not quite appetizer and not quite main) and then chatted while we waited for our main course.  And chatted.  And waited some more.  Eventually, someone came over to apologize.  Our main course had been delivered to the wrong table.  I was amazed – not so much by the fact that it had gone to the wrong table (after all, accidents happen), but because some other diners had happily accepted, and presumably eaten, a rack of Red Wattle pork they never ordered.  The restaurant ended up comping us some prime rib, which was very nice, and while the incident didn’t mar the evening in any way, it did leave me wondering.  Seriously?  Did they those people simply assume that entire rack of pork was an amuse bouche from the kitchen, a little palate cleanser between the New Zealand John Dory and the Liberty Farms duck?

Anyway, dinner was great, and First and the company was fantastic.  The more I get to know Torri, the more I really, really like her.

After dinner, we had drinks with Chris Regina, longtime Dark Matter champion and former executive at that network that rhymes with sci-fi.  We had a terrific chat, then met up with former Dark Matter (and future Masked) EP Vanessa Piazza for more drinks and discussion.  By the time we wrapped things up, it was almost 1 am!

Then today, it was hotel breakfast with Vanessa and Dark Matter co-creator Paul Mullie.  I had the most expensive, but by no means anywhere near the best, avocado toast I’ve ever had in my life, then retired to my room for episode 2 of Stranger Things 2 and a little fantasy football prep.

Several great meetings today but the one that capped off my afternoon was, perhaps, the greatest meeting I’ve had in L.A.  I sat down with Nic Louie of Tomorrow Studios (whose upcoming development and production slate includes Snowpiercer, One Piece and, Cowboy Bebop), and spent the better part of an hour touching on everything from comic books to games, anime to science fiction.  Nic is quick, incredibly knowledgeable and – bonus! – actually watched Dark Matter.  Nic and Tomorrow Studios are, without a doubt, the two coolest things in Hollywood.  I mean, that’s it.  It can’t get any better.  I may as well cancel the rest of my trip and head back home because they’re going to be impossible to top.

Tomorrow…more meetings!

Meanwhile, on the home front, someone got a new sweater!

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