Like Home
I love L.A. It has truly grown, redefined, and refined itself in many ways. It has improved upon the old world by staying close to its roots, yet branching out. Melrose Place is by far one of the most unique and beautiful streets in the city. If not, it is most petite. Stroll this tree-lined street, and you will not find a Maxwell Parish painting in any of the end antique and decorative shops. L.A. is unique in that there is freedom in expression and it always works out perfectly in its very own “L.A.” way. Generalizations are foolish. A Magazine stand tempts me to lull the hours away. You can engage yourself in light reading while enjoying an Arnold Palmer's or a cappuccino. Today, it’s bright and sunny with crisp San Francisco air. It is surely a day of floating and eating. Who needs stress? Lucky for me, I landed in Prana.
Prana means vital energy. With this said, having a sense of being is of great importance. In fact, the home environment plays a large role in the development and nurturing of a person’s sense of being. Here at Prana, the vital energy that is released is one that literally feeds the ideal of one’scapability to ‘just be’. What makes Prana really inviting is that the statement, ‘just be’ goes across the board. It offers global diversity in the form of a cool outdoor space. In fact, most of Prana is outdoors, which is appropriate. It is really laid back and comfortable…like home.
Joseph Ramagliani, the manager, has a philosophy on greeting people that adds to the vital energy that Prana spreads so contagiously. He attempts to greet his customers immediately. He explains that he greets customers,“like you would greet a friend you have not seen for a while”. I felt the warmth of a distant friend when Joseph so naturally embraced me with a greeting.
General manager, Brian Lenzo, is a man with character. He has honest hospitality—he means it and he loves it. Hospitality is about the appropriateness of the moment. Sometimes people need a lot of attention. Brian is aware of this and it is proven through his release of hospitality. This is similar to what your parent or guardian gave you…at home. Janeen, my waitress is the stuffing in the middle that makes the chemistry between my taste buds and Luis Perdon’s culinary creations mesh so well.
Chef, Luis Perdon, is from Spain. He is very personable. His Spanish accentinvites my taste buds into a world of culinary surprises. Yeah… I just drove twenty hours to get here. It is vital that I hear his accent. I am taken toa place of comfort and serenity… like home.
The hummus made by chef Luis is monumental. It is a light, friendly dish that is beneficial to digestion. You know what? Prana does just that... keeps it light. The use of flavors sends you heat. The asparagus with fondue is a potent treat. I salute the general Luis Perdon from Basque country. The presentation is extraordinary for such a petite-size cafe. I just imagine Luis doing an “Edward Scissorhands” on existing ways of creating fine cuisine. Everyday is a new day at Prana, which shops for the best quality. Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz were here, dining on Luis's Heirloom Tomato Lobster Corndog Crab Course.
It becomes apparent to me that Prana’s staff has been injected with hospitality juice. I was even invited to it’s sister restaurant, The Republic. It always feels good to meet a distant friend’s sister…hopefully she’s hot.