StephenB

I wonder if the owners of Szechuan Boy comprehend that Peter Tsang is worth his weight in gold.

I stopped by Mark's today for lunch. We definitely have a winner this time. It was all I could do to resist the daily dim sum -- it looked wonderful -- but I had the roasted duck and wonton noodle soup. I told the waiter to hold back the best things until 12:30 on Saturday.

Hey, you can't drop out. You started it!

Scott, Penelope wants to come, too. So 18. We had 19 last time, and two large lazy susan tables. Talk to Jerry, the manager.

I can't make it until 12:30. Is that a problem?

Yes, 6 is a bit better. Does that give the school people time to get their slumber?

Do you have room for those of us who still have garlic spinach on their teeth and crave more, more Peter Tsang cooking?

Some snibbets from a dinner at Ray's last night: There were half a dozen other people from the Szechuan Boy dinner the night before also there. Michael said if he told me what the mystery would be on Sunday there wouldn't be any mystery. He said nobody knows, including him, how long the place will be closed. He is not closing in order to concentrate on Silver Spring. He is just overextended. On Tuesday, traditionally a slow night in restaurants, he served 135 meals at his 40 places. Too much. When Escoffier asked him what would happen to his staff during the hiatus, he kind of winked and said, "Don't worry about them." He said when the Arlington place reopens -- whevever -- much of the same menu will be available, and the prices may be, get this, lower. He appeared cheerful, and he forgot to insult us. We received complimentary demitasse cups of crab bisque at the beginning and hot chocolate at the end. And by the way, the food was as great as ever. I had the cajun ribeye. A blackened medium rare steak, tasty and tender. Grover, Claudia and my date (not a Rockwellian) went home with styrofoam boxes of leftover meat flushed out with extra potatoes and spinach. When I pointed out all the great dinners we've been having lately, Escoffier said, "Well, we're foodies."

I don't really remember who started last night's stampede. Admittedly it wouldn't have been as stupendous wthout Mr. Shen's generous expertise, but he was one of the latter enlistees.

I have enjoyed the soupe a l'oignon recently at: Ray's the Steaks, and "600" (600 NH Ave., next to Kennedy Center)

A brisket of beef sandwich on rye with cole slaw, mustard and a garlic pickle. And a Sam Adams ale.

The more the merrier, Ken, but you'd better check with Jerry (703) 293-9898. We currently have 16.

Nothing odd about either. They are both responding to the highest human instincts.

I vote for Mark's on April Fool's Day. ¡Que diga el sombrero naranjo! Let the Orange Hat decide.

I just called Jerry at Szechuan Boy (703) 293-9898 and told him 17 people had declared their intention to attend. He seemed pleased.

Please include me in the Mar 21 dinner. And note my post in the Szechuan Boy thread.

I was at lunch today in a group of 5. The manager, Jerry, said we should let him know how many we're going to be on Tuesday night -- that if we're 8 or more he'll set aside the private room with a lazy susan table. I told him I'd pass the word and hope that someone contacts him with a number. Chef Peter Zhang was on duty and seemed quite pleased with his new affiliation. We had ribs, a fish broth, the famous peanuts and a bunch of other stuff, all excellent. Zhang has hit his stride at Szechuan Boy. Let's hope he stays there for a while. JohnB asked Chef Zhang to turn up the spiciness a bit the next time. He still doesn't quite believe that we occidentals can take it.

Did we ever decide what time we're convening at Fortune this Saturday?

I have read the announcement. What are they announcing? The Chowhound "team" has a rod up their ass, and they've sanitized their board to the extent that only the illiterates run free. Over there, the best way to get censored is to be interesting. What is more, the team members refuse to identify themselves or to stand up for their arbitrary decisions.

John, you've done excellent work. Congratulations and thank you. I don't think we'll have any trouble rounding up some rockheads for a banquet. Pick a date and count me in. Did you get any sense of the nameless one's role at SzechuanBoy? Might he be a part owner, or is he just somebody on the lam (in which case they are ready with a backup)? We are entering a new era in naming Chinese restaurants. The next one may be Cookgood. OK, if marrying him is out, let's just hire him to run our ports.

I am.

Today's NY Times article on Trader Joe's is very interesting reading. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/08/dining/08joes.html Here is a sample quote: <<Trader Joe's has become tremendously popular among Americans who like to be entertained and educated by what they eat, as well as nourished by it.>>

Thanks for kind words. If the avatar really disturbs you or anyone else, I will remove it forthwith.

There is a logical compromise between 12 and 1. That would be 12:30.

I realize that the website uses the Spanish word "gauchos" to describe the waiters. But wouldn't it be preferable to call them "vaqueiros," the Portuguese for "cowboys"?