Letter from Stephen Banker,
President
April 2003
Dear Members,
The Oyster Foundation
Banquet this year will take place on Sunday, June 29th, at The Inn
at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland (www.perrycabin.com). George Watson and I visited the site on April
8th and found it to be irresistibly inviting. The place is lovely. The environment is breathtaking. The furnishings are wonderful. The food is top-notch. But what impressed us
most was the enthusiasm of the people
who run the joint, and their willingness to shape the experience, in terms of
food and setting, to make sure we have a splendid time. They have been to our
website, they know who we are, and they are eager to welcome us and make sure
the surroundings are as congenial as the company.
In short, George and I think
that Perry Cabin is one of the best hotels anywhere. Although it is marginally more expensive than
some other places in the region, we feel it presents a worthy opportunity. And the price they established gives us more
flexibility within the menu than competitors were willing to offer. So the value is greater in several senses.
The price we negotiated for
a single guest is $410. (Incidentally, that is the cost of a room alone for
those who are not part of our group.)
For those who will be sharing a room, our price is $600 for two
people.
The fee includes:
Reception
•A splendid, private meeting room with a Miles River view (photo below).
•Champagne, mineral water, soft drinks, juice.
•Amuse-bouche (things to amuse
the mouth).
Dinner
•A gorgeous private dining room with a water view,
with a large rosewood rectangular table with rounded corners (picture below).
•A 6-course expertly-prepared dinner with an emphasis
on local products (menu to follow).
•Red and white wine, mineral water.
Hotel Room
•Single or double overnight accommodation, well-appointed rooms all with
water view
Extras
•All taxes and tips.
Support Your
Local Priest — the Virtuous One
•A contribution to Father Martin X. Moleski, SJ, who has set up and
maintained our website on his personal domain and at his own expense, and who
will be at Perry Cabin to join us. If
you prefer not to make this contribution, subtract $20 from the fee.
Now on to the pictures.
Here is a shot of the room
in which we will have our reception and present our talks. The space is larger
than it appears.
Part of the lounge.
This is our private dinning
room. The dark, foreboding figure is
George Watson.
I could not resist taking a
picture of this dessert. After a meal of
shrimp and soft-shell crab, this chocolate and mocha bombe really hit the
spot. Note the clementine segments.
I don’t know exactly why I
took this picture. I don’t think anyone
in our group needs to have 50 varieties of single-malt scotch. And drinks, as you know, are not covered by
the Oyster fee. I guess I just liked the
composition and the colors.
The Inn at Perry Cabin is
over the Chesapeake Bridge, about an hour and 15 minutes from BWI Airport and
an hour and a half from DC. If you want
to leave from DC, several of us have room in our cars for you. Driving
instructions are available at the Inn’s website.
Since we are going on
Sunday, we will not have to fight beach traffic. Those who want to extend their stay at Perry
Cabin after the Oyster event can do
so for $190 a night. But if you want to
arrive a day early — on the weekend —
unfortunately our special rate does not apply and the rates are much higher.
We would like everyone to
arrive between