Jack Waldbewohner
Elena E. Torello, MD
87 Eastlake Avenue
Pacifica, California 94044
408-396-5718
June 15, 2010
Mary Sue Miliken
Susan Feniger
Ciudad Restaurant
445 South Figueroa
Los Angeles, California 90071
Dear Mary Sue and Susan:
After your restaurant opened in 1999, you had a customer for lunch-me. Just before I was released from the Federal Detention Center (I was doing a six-month sentence for contempt of court and not a crime. I had refused to turn over research material on a book to a judge and that was my punishment.), I read about a new restaurant with a South American flavor in the L.A. Times.
The day of my actual release had some moments of incredible suspense. At 5:00 AM that morning, I read my Bible study for Wednesday March 10, 1999. There was a scripture from Mark 5:19 as follows:
“Go home to your friends and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you.”
I knew that I was going home that day. But there was one huge problem. Someone in the law enforcement bureaucracy had another contempt of court warrant “in his or her back pocket.” I had great fear of being rearrested as I was being released. The release process took almost two hours. I was afraid at any moment that “the other shoe would drop.”
Thankfully I was let go and I made my way to your restaurant for lunch. It was nice to be back in a wonderful and
Mary Sue and Susan Page Two June 15, 2010
civilized place after the awful ordeal that had just concluded for me. Your food and service were incredible! I knew how tough the restaurant business is and how many new restaurants fail in the early years. I hoped that your wonderful venue would survive and prosper. Now over eleven years later you have survived and prospered!
With kindest regards,
-Jack Waldbewohner
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