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The first annual MFI UK holiday party was a huge success. We secured a spot at l'Autre, a Polish-Mexican (sic) bistrot in Shepherd's Market, a small enclave in southwest Mayfair. With 100% company attendance (both John and I made it), we got the two-top in the window and were treated like kings. For starters, we got the story that must've been told 1000 times: How in the hell did you come up with a Polish-Mexican restaurant in London? The owner of 20 years, Ian (a Candadian, no less) explained that the spot opened up a century ago as a classic French bistrot transformed at some point (post-war, I believe) into a Mexican restaurant at the behest of the Mexican embassy down the street. On one fateful day in the 1980s the tenured Mexican chef received his European work permit and decided to move to Paris to be a street-performing marionetttier. (I'm not making this up.) Ian hired a Polish woman who claimed expertise in Mexican cuisine. Shockingly, she lacked such expertise (to be nice, we skipped the obvious question for Ian) and the Mexican eatery with the French bistrot name was primarily serving borscht, bellinis, perogis, etc., at least until she was nudged in a different direction. Fast forward to today, I'm not sure who's dowstairs cooking, but it is indeed a strange-looking menu.

History, schmistory - what a meal! Following our starters of salmon-stuffed bellinis and prawn & crabmeat-filled enchiladas, John and I both settled on the braised lamb shank with chorizo, chilis, and beans. Combined with a a Spanish rioja called Cune, it was just delicious. Desserts, ports, and thick Polish coffee you could paint a barn with wrapped us up in style. During the entire meal, Ian was bopping around the otherwise empty dining room listening to American golden oldies from the 1950s. This was a postmodernist's wet dream.

Everyone at the company got along (thankfully no fights) and we wrapped up on the bittersweet note of now not seeing each other until next year. To paraphrase, We'll always have l'Autre. Given the raging success of PolMexPalooza I, we already booked a table for next year's party (seriously): party of 3 (we figure we will have hired someone else by then) for 2:00pm on Thursday December 11, 2008. Any and all MAS employees are welcome to join. Just let us know and we'll change the reservation.