Mom & Me.

She's my best friend. My closest ally and my wisest advisor. She shops like me, drinks coffee like me, enjoys fine dining and happily ever after movies like me.

No, it's not my cat.

It's my mom.

After three months of busyness with school and work, I've been awarded a break from it all. And what better way to spend it than with Mom? So she flew down, where we reunited in the airport with the longest of hugs.

I always stress the importance of having alone time, time to discover yourself and what you like, but that means absolutely nothing if you don't balance it out with company. The company you keep says a lot about who you are, and it also influences you in ways you don't even know about.

That being said, the company I will be keeping in these next days will be the best: with Mom, whom I love so much.

We began the day with brunch at my old haunt- Absinthe, located in Hayes Valley. There's just something about starting the meal off with a bowlful of latte that really gets me going..

In disclosed honesty, I believe that this was some of the finest French toast I had ever had the pleasure of having. It was ricotta stuffed, with rum-caramel bananas, pecans, orange mascarpone and maple syrup.

Mom and I then had the surprise of the century. So my brother was flying from New York to Mammoth for a week with my dad, and coincidentally, he had quite the layover in SF. He took a taxi over and my mom and I got to enjoy a meal with him. It was simply splendid.

To treat, we ended the meal with a most divine warm spiced pear cake with pepitas and brown butter ice cream. Anton unfortunately had the bulk of that dessert...

What an unexpected and delightful surprise!

Just around the corner, Mom and I attended the San Francisco Ballet's Dances at a Gathering Swimmer. I won these two tickets at a FIDM fundraiser (well, I was the highest bidder), and because I used Mom's money, I thought it only best that she and I both attended together..

The first half was your traditional ballet. Duets and soloists in pastel colors dancing classical ballet, reminding me of my days as a dancer.. At the intermission, Mom and I sprung for a glass of the bubbly because... well, how could you not?

The second half of the performance? Amazing! 1960's modern, with techy touches and neat effects, not to mention about twenty incredibly muscular male dancers...

After the performance, Mom and I shopped downtown, hitting up Ted Baker and Off Neiman's, scoring in both stores. Before we knew it, the hour had come for dinner, so we ducked into our homey John's Grill for a bite to eat, starting with the French Gimlet cocktail. A stiff drink, I later learned..

Mom and I started with Jack Lalanne's favorite salad: seasonal greens, crab, shrimp, avocado, mushrooms, and tomato tossed in their famous creamy bleu cheese vinaigrette dressing.

But who is Jack Lalanne? A fitness guru in the 1960's, someone my mom actually met at a grocery show..

And for the main dish: Prawns Provencale with garlic roma tomatoes, lemon butter, and herbs.

You would think that we would be done there, but we went ahead and sprung for the dessert because life is too short not too. So we settled for a mousse and cappuccinos.

Cheers to you Mom!