A day in my life - part two
As stated yesterday, my one-day trip to Philadelphia on Monday was something of a whirlwind. To celebrate the release of my latest book, Dinner at Home, my first stop was a book signing. I greeted hundreds of fans at the Williams - Sonoma store in the King of Prussia mall and signed more 600 copies. After the book signing my traveling companions and I ate lunch at Pod, a sleek and extraordinary Asian-fusion restaurant owned by the trendsetting, Stephen Starr, and designed by the Rockwell Group, a famous architecture and design firm. Our dining experience at Pod was a unique and enjoyable experience.
Following our lunch, we walked the short distance to Wharton, the business school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, Wharton is recognized as one of the world's most prestigious and influential business schools. I was invited to speak at the Zellerbach Theatre at the Annenberg Center to a group of more than 500 business students. It's always a thrill to speak to such bright and inquisitive minds. The topic was building the Martha Stewart Brand, and I must say that after my talk, they asked many impressive and intelligent questions.
- After the book signing, we headed for downtown Philadelphia in search of a lunch spot.
- This bar features a translucent amber resin bar top, lit from beneath with white neon.
- One sushi roll on its way!
- This oval-shaped sushi bar has a conveyor belt that delivers the freshly prepared sushi. Above the sushi bar, a large, screen shows non-stop video clips.
- These bright panels are actually a sliding door.
- The interior is sleek and white and has bold, bright colorful lighting,
- This is the busy sushi prep area.
- The interior of Pod was nothing less than futuristic, created by Stephen Starr, Philadelphia’s leading trendsetting restaurateur. This is one of several small eating pods for more intimate dining.
- This area is the red lounge – a sofa-like foam sculpture.
- After lunch, I visited the ladies’ room.
- The lit up symbol for not occupied
- Pink for taken
- The pods looked like a fun place to eat, so that is where we dined.
- The interior lighting can be changed according to the diners’ mood – we were happy with this pale green – Mary, Susan, Ellen, Dee, Will, and me.
- In Japan, it is customary to use chopstick rests. We decided to create our own. This is my knot design.
- Will’s was shaped like a ramp.
- Eliad, our photographer for the day, came up with this design, which he named the ‘dragon tongue.’
- Food is served family style – we had lettuce wraps with delicious tofu and chicken filling.
- Mary wanted to keep the wrapping logo in tact.
- Yummy chicken potstickers
- Lots of sushi – California roll, eel, spicy tuna, and yellowtail
- Bowls of spicy condiments
- And then, a quick touch up before leaving for the Wharton School.
- The restaurant, Pod, seemed like the perfect choice to enjoy a relaxed lunch. It was in close proximity to the Wharton School so we would not be rushed.
- At Wharton, I was greeted by Erin Armendinger and Keith Niedermeier, Ph.D.
- The podium all set up for my lecture, while students poured in
- This gentleman’s name is Chad and he was so upset that he had lost his camera, so I will try to email him this photo.
- The presentation begins
- I love speaking to a young and ambitious crowd.
- Here I am, once again, in action.
- As I was speaking, many students were taking notes on their laptops. Things are so much easier than when I was a student attending lectures.
- When I finished speaking, there were many excellent questions asked.
- Leaving the downtown area of Philadelphia for the airport, the landscape becomes very industrial.
- Many industrial plants along the way
- The afternoon light on the tarmac was incredibly gorgeous.
- Finally aboard the plane, but no slowing down – we used our remaining time together to review my schedule for upcoming events.
- The setting sun marks the end of daylight, but not the end of my work day.
Photos By Eliad Laskin