Tuesday, 01 February 2011
These are the five cities that I lived in and that shaped and molded me into The Culinary Comedian! Think about the places you have lived and what they have meant to you. What do you miss about a city and what do you not?
Omaha, Nebraska/
Born. Burped. Diapered. Moved to Minneapolis.
Minneapolis, MN/
Where I experienced my first kiss. With a girl. And then a boy.
From kindergarten to college. From in the closet to out of the closet.
Land O Lakes. The Minneapple. MinneSNOWta.
The IDS building. Dayton’s. Nicollet Mall.
First Avenue. The Gay 90’s. Graffitti’s.
Lutherans. Scandinavians. And a whole lotta white people.
Snowmobiling. Ice Fishing. Hunting. Yeah, I’m pretty sure I was inside playing office when others were being outdoorsy!.
Bernard’s Furniture. Minneapolis StarTribune. Café Brenda.
I went from an infant to becoming a man. I have most of my loving memories of my wonderful family from this fine state. Though I longed to get out, I never forget where I am from. Snow. Humidity. Mosquitoes. Not my thing. But good people. A fabulous city. Progressive. Smart. Friendly.
Let’s just say, I left my heart in Minneapolis. Hey. That would make a great song!
Los Angeles, CA/
Ahhh…From Melrose Avenue to the Sunset Strip. I tore The City of Angels UP! From the 101 to the PCH, I devoured every corner of this amazing metropolis.
Auditions. Agents. Acting classes. Stand up comedy. Living the dream. Living the dream.
Chopstix. Marix Tex Mex. Book Soup Bistro. Hugo’s. Most of them all still feel like family to me. And a shout out to facebook for bringing us all together.
Palm trees. Swimming pools. Celebrities. I was mesmerized.
My home for 15 fantastic years. I remember when Carol Burnett ended her show. She did so because it was time. And she said it’s better to leave than to be asked to leave. That’s how I feel about LA. Forever in my heart. The people. The energy. The experience.
Hmm…wait. Did I leave my heart in LA?
JERSEY CITY, NJ/
While I wanted to type New York City, I cannot. I didn’t live in NYC in the year 2002. I moved to the east coast to help my brother Sawyer open his first restaurant. I’ve always said however, I LIVED in NYC but slept in JCNJ.
This was a life changing experience. Following 9/11 I felt I needed a change. I was traumatized like so many Americans. Having lost two friends and their baby boy to this tragedy I knew I had to shake things up.
At this time Jersey City was really gentrifying and much like Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was the west side annex to Manhattan. A natural spillover for those seeking cheaper rents, yet still a 20 minute train ride into the big city.
Opening Basic Food and Beverage with my brother and his partner Alex was amazing. They really changed Hamilton Park for the better. To this day, they are credited with being pioneers. I studied stand up comedy at the American Comedy Institute and made my debut at Caroline’s in Times Square. The MECCA of comedy clubs! What a fabulous experience this was and it shaped my performances for the years to follow.
The aftermath of 9/11 was fresh. The smell of terror remained. But the spirit of the people of NYC, well, it was just an honor to be a part of this recovery. Yep. I heart NY!
PHOENIX, AZ
After living my dream on the West Coast and the East Coast I had no idea that the Sonoran Desert would be the cherry on my career. I had no idea that I would LOVE this city and its people as much as I do.
Big plus was mom and dad had been living here for years. Knowing I could hang with the two best parents EVER, well, it was a no brainer.
I moved here July 4, 2004. It was 107 degrees and my U Haul A/C was lukewarm at best, smelled of Doritos and bird poop. Mmmm…I know. I spent a few months getting used to board shorts, flip flops, pools and afternoon margaritas. Yeah. It was a difficult transition.
Then I met Tom Jetland. It was a mutual, cosmic connection. Changed my life. Fast forward to FEZ and me being the GM. A dream job.
Phoenix. Rise from the ashes. Couldn’t be truer for me.
So I guess, really, I may have left my heart elsewhere. But we know where my heart is now.
