We went for the entertainment, but had dinner during the show at an upscale establishment in Huntington Beach called “La Cave.”
The name was no accident — it was, basically, a cave.
Oh yes, it was decidedly upscale, since they don’t give you a physical menu (it is printed on their web page — tres modern) but once you are seated, they have to show the cuts of everything on a glass-covered cart.
Nothing wrong with the food. There aren’t many choices, but my husband raved that his basic steak was extremely well prepared.
But the show was the reason for going, and it was very good — although the poor singers and musicians were cramped in a small area.
The singers and their little band (drums and bass and keyboard) were decidedly retro, which may be part of the reason they were decidedly upscale. I guess you have to be old to find the music truly familiar, but pieces they played later in the evening were more newer stuff I think they were trying to make sound old.
My wonderful husband thinks it is good for me to go to upscale places, because I work hard a lot.
Our swing-dancing friends were elated by my revelation of untranslated extra verses in the old Yiddish (Judaeo-German) song, Bei mir bist do schön, which had been a major force in my young childhood.
Of course it was popularized in the Big Bad Era by The Andrews Sisters — and it was the version our evening’s entertainment provided.
The swing dancers — the supremely talented Alec Marken and Sarah Aisha — stole the show with a spotlight dance and afterward introduced me to a young oriental man who was trying to figure out what to do in life.
What is amazing is that I seem to have fallen into the “elder stateswoman” sort of role.
From a hospital file clerk to studying teaching English to foreigners. I did that as a substitute teacher.
I hope I have not done too much already, for I know I want to do, must do, new things. And new things are on the horizon — much more interesting than cave exploration.
Of course, you will read about them here — so stay tuned!