Our group was loud and boisterous...three generations of criminal defense lawyers, all but one of us female, all of us loudly retelling our best stories, laughing and shouting over each other as we moved back and forth between tales of courtroom dramas and injustices to travel, romance, elderly parents and children... we probably weren't their ideal guests. But they treated us like we were the most important people in the room.

The Four Seasons is a plush place, but it's not fancy. It actually has a very homey sort of atmosphere. (I'm not the only one who's noticed this.) Even a rough group like us, not dressed fancy (I was in jeans and cowboy boots) was made to feel at home. The tables were spaced far enough apart so you didn't get drawn into others' conversations. The chairs were oversized, club type chairs, like one you'd curl up in at home to read a good book.

The drinks were really good, from the pear martinis to the shots of tequila, served in big glasses with lime. The food was even better. They kept bringing over plates of it. Tapas-sized portions of terrific skinny french fries (the kind