StephenB

The hunt for Peter Chang continues. It's just a question of whether we find him before la migra (immigration) does. If we do, we'll adopt him, marry him, convert him, whatever it takes.

First of all, it's not a democratic thing. Michael can do whatever he likes as long as it's his joint. But the problem will continue until he bites the bullet and hires somebody to design a computer program for him. It will be exacerbated in fact when Silver Spring opens. Has it occurred to anyone that he actually likes the hassle? Enjoys it when people are scrambling to get into his emporium? My theory is that the ugly talk permits him to serve beautiful food. Keep complaining, Mike!

Hey, just ignore what Michael says and enjoy what he serves. Last night I went with a friend who happens to be a priest and the first words out of Michael's mouth were to assure us of second-class service. He also said he was surprised to see me there after the recent vituperation on dr.com and the publicity on his love life. But as soon as we were seated, there came a special hors d'oeuvre plate consisting of small amounts of chowder, a scallop and scampi -- on the house to get us started. We ordered the chateaubriand for two medium rare, and both the Father and I could not remember a piece of meat so tasty, delicate and even beautiful to look at. We thought we wouldn't be able to polish off the plate, but that proved not to be a problem. Michael stopped by several times and said things like "There's not a drop of butter in the potatoes." He also "confessed" to the priest that he came from Boston, his original idea was to open a seafood place but it takes too long to build up trust with seafood, somehow steak establishes a customer relationship faster. The place was as usual packed and though we were there at 7 o'clock, parking was a problem. The priest and I both ordered the key lime pie which lived up to its reputation for delicacy and rich flavor. Then another present from the house -- a demitasse of bitter hot chocolate, superb. Michael said Silver Spring is 6 weeks away. He didn't look convinced when he said it. Because he is computerphobic, the reservation system is not going to settle down. The best way to book a table may simply be to go there a couple of weeks before a desired dinner and make them write it down while you're standing there. Michael's sardonic manner is part of the entertainment package. I find it charming and unpredictable. Please let me know if it makes its way into the food, but so far the two are completely separate. Maybe those with rabbit ears should stay away. As for me, I enjoy both the show and the meal. Take what he says with a grain of salt -- you sure won't need it on the steak.

Hey, my middle name is Excessiveoverindulgence. It used to be Unrestrainedexcessiveoverindulgence but I shortened it.

Gahm-sah-hahm-ni-da! I add my thanks to G&E, the organizers, to the restaurant, and to the participants -- what a crowd! I can imagine that the staff was indeed surprised to see so many westerners boisterously digging into the sharpest dishes. But that is who we are: intrepid gastronomical explorers. And that's why our special events, like this one, are learning experiences and great fun.

This sounds interesting. What is the parking situation like on Sunday? Is the place to the right or the left of the Key Bridge (after one crosses it)? Do you have room for a dim sum patzer?

I took the bull by the horns, called TemptAsian and spoke with "the manager". Where is Peter Chang working now? He's on vacation. When will he be back? That's up to him. If he's just on vacation, why are his pictures and plaques gone from the wall? That's customary. Well, where can we reach him -- we have someone who can talk to him in Chinese. Tell the Chinese person to call me, I'll be glad to talk to him. Conclusion: there's something fishy in that restaurant, and it's not trout.

John, I share your puzzlement. Does this woman make her culinary decisions based on Beijing foreign policy? Come on! I look forward to hearing your report (snow permitting). Anyway, when our Tuesday night group was there a couple of weeks ago, Chef Chang was in top form and came out at the end to take a bow.

Sunday at 12:30 is copacetic. See you there.

I'm interested. Is anyone taking charge of assigning a time and day?

A suggestion: How about one of the dr.com dinners? Of course it would have to be in DC, where corkage is allowed. If you're going to be at Corduroy One, I'd be happy to share the 50 year old Burgundy I'm planning to bring (pending mdt's approval). I believe I offered you a draught at Ray's.

I had lunch this afternoon at Equinox on lower Conn Ave. They are serving an Ontario ice wine for $18 a glass.

To make it easy, here is an excerpt from www.ontariograpes.com: "To make Icewine, the grapes are left on the vine until after the first frost hits. These grapes are harvested after being frozen in the vineyard and then, while still frozen, they are pressed. They must be picked early - before 10 a.m. During both of these processes the temperature cannot exceed -8 degrees C. At this temperature (-8 degrees C) the berries will freeze as hard as marbles. While the grape is still in its frozen state, it is pressed and the water is driven out as shards of ice. This leaves a highly concentrated juice, very high in acids, sugars and aromatics. In Ontario and in Germany, icewine is defined as naturally frozen. This means that here (Ont.) as in Germany, no other method of making icewine is allowed other than the natural method. No artificial freezing method constitutes icewine by definition or label."

Here is an all-Canadian, mostly PQ, banquet my group had last year in Montreal. The standouts were the venison and the ice wine. If you're unfamiliar with the latter, check it out on Google. It's extraordinary. ------------------------ Napoléon of Anna potatoes, cream of Vodka and green lemon, marinated salmon shaped as a rose. Cold soup: Cappucino of carrot, ginger and lime Foie gras poélé, salsa of exotic fruits, glazed with maple WINE: Pinot Blanc, 2002, family estate, Okanagan Valley, BC Rack of Boileau Deer, Geniper berries, jelly of green fir sap WINE: Mission Hill 2001, Merlot, BC Assortment of Quebec cheeses, (goat, blue, crème de la crème), sprouts of baby “cressonette fontaine” Déclinaison of L’Ile d’Orléans strawberries WINE: “Ice Wine”: Konzelmann Estate Winery, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, VQA

Í'm really looking foward to this event. I am shamefully ignorant of Korean food. It would be helpful, Grover, if you could give short descriptions of the listed courses.

Indubitably!

What's the parking like?

#1 or #4, I think. Tuesday and Thursday are my favorite Tuesdays.

I have eaten at TemptAsian quite a few times, including the JohnB series last Summer. This was as good, or better, than any meal I've had there. The standouts (to my tastebuds) were the various pork dishes and the roasted fish. Wait! I didn't mention the three kinds of wontons in spicy or chili sauce. Chef Peter Chang, who fortuitiously was on duty last night, knows how to make the outside of almost any dish (except the pork bellies) crispy and the inside moist and flavorful. It was a gemütlich crowd and we ended up paying about a dollar per dish per person. Imagine what the Maestro crowd would have to ingest if that rule held!

Guidance from you and +1. Absolutely.

Is somebody going to inform the restaurant that we have up to a dozen people?

Are we still on for next Thursday?

No question about it: Ray's has become a cult phenomenon. I don't have the secret phone number, and it took me 45 mins to get through yesterday. Thank god for my Demon Dialer, which permitted me to leaf through the NYer, while it dialed repeatedly. (This is not a speed dialer, which you have to activate every time you call.) Finally, Himself appeared on the telephone in a jolly mood. He said the only solution would be to serve terrible food for a month to get some bad reviews and get rid of what James Michener called "the ribbon clerks." The problem would be, he believes, making sure that the true believers come back afterwards. I suggested that a computer system would be useful, a notion he rejected. Anyway, when I requested a reservation, he said yes he could do it because it was a Tuesday I was asking for. Is that weird, or what? I guess it was divine planning that my birthday falls on a Tuesday this year. The Lord wants me to celebrate at Ray's! Meantime, the argument rages on whether Ray's plain setting and high decibel level put it at a disadvantage against Morton's, Ruth's Chris, etc. My own feeling is that Ray's is an outstanding example of Latin American personalismo; it would be nothing without Michael. He was, in effect, the engine of our donrocks banquet, waiting on all 52 people, keeping things moving, and getting everything right. Which suggests, I'm afraid, that when the Silver Spring restaurant opens, it will be difficult for one person to be in two places at once. Though if anyone could do it, it would be he. Then we'd really have a cult.

Hillvalley is one of those rare creatures who combine charm, tenacity and efficiency. She's a major reason this board is loads more fun than the competition. And she conducted the dinner at Ray's like Toscanini.

H-20 at Joe's Noodle House. It's a delicious fish stew in the upper registers of taste. One of my sons suggested a T-shirt: "I Survived H-20 at Joe's!"