This post might seem a bit random to the reader.  Do you ever have a strange series of events that link back to another place and time in your life? Basically that's what this post is for me.

It begins with my buddy Chris coming into town from New Orleans last Friday. Chris and I go way back to our Spago Beverly Hills days when I was working as an opening Sous Chef for the then brand new hotspot.
We share a lot of great memories from that time. So, last Friday, we met up at Flora Bar on the Upper East Side.  I know a lot of my readers love advice on where to go for food and beverage in NYC so I'll tell you a bit about Flora. Flora Bar is a great place to swing in for coffee or an after work cocktail. It's located on the lower level of the Met Breuer on Madison Ave. They serve food too if you're around the area during meal time, the in-between meal times they mostly just serve beverages. When you enter for a drink you order and pay at the bar.  There's a pastry case that closes in the evening so if you're hungry choose your timing well!   There's an outdoor garden to enjoy when the weather is good and its a good spot for people watching on a relaxed day.

Back to Chris, we met up and even though we hadn't seen each other in ages, we picked up right where we left off over a couple of bottles of rosé.  Of course, we went down memory lane a bit which included revisiting some of the notable clients who came through Spago during our time there.  Speaking of coincidences, we recounted to my wife the story of a friendly game of football in the Spago parking lot (which
no longer exists and has been replaced by a building) and the game resulted in a bad injury for Chris.  As we walked from Flora to escort Chris to his concert in Central Park, I noticed an unattended football just laying on the ground.  We picked it up and threw a few rounds before saying good bye.  

A couple of mornings later, I was desperately searching for my Social Security card because I need to get my enhanced driver's license before the impending deadline.  As I was pulling down every file folder and bag where it might be stored I came across a stack of photos from my time at Spago and an autograph from David Robinson, one of the San Antonio Spurs Centers, to me on a worn piece of one of the early original Spago cards.

To continue this series of related coincidences this morning as I was having my coffee, a Bleacher Report article showed up in my news feed, "NBA All-Time Player Rankings: Top 10 Centers".  On the list was David Robinson and a couple of other players I met at Spago, Tim Duncan and Shaq.  I commented to my wife that the series of events were interesting to me and from that this somewhat random post was born, to be categorized under chef life stories.

When I take notice of coincidences I think that things happen for a reason and that the universe sends cues. So, take notice! Draw your lessons. Share your thoughts or experiences in the comments below