a question for the ages... why does it seem like at events i inevitably sit by the drunk person who screams random pointless things?

i was at an event where you had dinner and wine at solera, anthony bourdain (cook, writer, travel channel host, and occasionally a 'top chef' judge) here, but it was not apparent until the q and a. during dinner they seemed ok.

but they decided to whoop it up for things like ketsup, for instance.

i wonder why these people don't realize how annoying it is for others, and i would guess you don't rate too highly with the person trying to answer the questions or give the speech (or sing the song). it's not about you, it's about me.

so yeah, solera. hot ticket, the thing sold out quickly, and lots of people were looking for tickets on craigslist and/or were envious that we obtained them. i think there were about 200 people there. dinner was quite good, probably the best and most solid effort i've had at solera (and not just because we were at the table with the mom of one of the owners... there was much tact involved on our parts when she brought up la belle vie).

bourdain was at the table next to us during the cocktail/dinner hour. i took a picture for mom with bourdain during the cocktail hour (to e-mail to her), plus some later on with her son and bourdain on stage. we waited on our pictures until the book signing. for a change they weren't fuzzy. alas, the flash was not so much working, so the pictures are all very dark. i had to grab a camera from work, as i forgot mine (again), so hey, better than nothing.

someone shouted out for him not to do the usual book spiel, so it was all q and a after dinner. and very good and amusing questions they were... like who would he have eat his beating heart from his still-warm dead body (answer- drunk vegetarians), who he admires in cooking today, what bits in the show were left out (not much, and some surprisingly racy things got in during past episodes, like fisting refs), what he's embarassed by (the massage from the fat dude in a speedo in an episode, for one, dancing, etc.), why twin cities food is not hopeless (a lot of ethnic eateries because of the diverse population), what directors he'd like to rip off next for his show, etc.

various food network personalities were slagged on, food network chefs (mario, especially, but also emeril) were praised. a discussion ensued on how one is supposed to cook for a half-dozen people nightly without resorting to 30 minute meals or semi-homemade cooking (see- slagging on food network personalities).

i didn't ask my cheese plate question (or relate the anecdote) from bouchon vegas, as i couldn't think of an amusing way to phrase it, and it seemed kind of a lame thing to bring up in context (context- i had gone to vegas and stayed in the same hotel he did in his vegas episode of 'no reservations' and eaten at a lot of the same places he did, but his bouchon experience wasn't crushingly disappointing. as he's famous and had tv cameras with him in part, i'd guess.)

mom would've liked some acknowledgement of the venue that was hosting the event (and the people), and i concur with her. that would've been a nice gesture.

one of the people i attended with did ask a question about their brother at vassar (is there any hope for him?)... he was quippy with his reply, but didn't quite get around to answering it, i think.

so after he spoke for a while, the lot of us queued up for the book signing, where, yes, books were duly signed, and then the picture was taken, darkly.

don't you wish you had been there?

probably.

you missed a good show.

© the bent sun as risen