So this was much more fun and interesting than I thought it would be! I was invited to an event held by Gurmé Sevilla – a chat with Michelin starred chef Ricard Camarena from Valencia (now with 2 stars!) and food critic Carlos Maribone, to be followed by a “cocktail party” afterwards, catered by La Azotea. I thought of it more of an opportunity to meet up with friends at the party. Also, I didn’t really know much about this chef, other than he had just received his second star a couple of weeks ago. And so we sat down and I took out my phone, expecting to Instagram while listening with one ear, but then Ricard starting talking…

He comes across as quite a serious and humble guy, answering the questions put to him in a thoughtful and unhurried manner. But although low-key, he was far from boring, talking about how he got started, his family, his wife (and business partner) and his thoughts about running a successful restaurant, or really a successful anything, since a lot of his opinions would apply to all kinds of endevours. Which I guess is what made it so interesting because everything he said was so relatable on different levels. He was actually quite inspiring.

Then it was time to party! I had already seen and greeted several friends on the way in, and had been especially happy to see Enrique Becerra, who was still recovering from recent surgery but now getting out and about. I also met a few new and interesting people, and talked to others I hadn’t seen in awhile. Good times.