Lodging: We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel. In my view it is pleasant and adequate. The service is good. The rooms are well appointed but a bit small — not cramped but not spacious. The views from floors 17 and 20, where we were, were nice. You could look out over the city and down to the Saint Lawrence port.

We visited the Sofitel for Sunday brunch. This hotel is modern in a sort of art deco fashion and is airy and open. Even on a bleak, cloudy day it had a freshness and brightness. They pride themselves on flower arranging and have classes on the subject. Every level surface carries a flower arrangement which is small, original and often done with unexpected combinations and uses of the materials. Perhaps they are a bit cute and precious, but I found them cheerful and fun.

The rooms are slightly larger than those in the Intercontinental, I think, but not giant-sized by any stretch. The bathrooms are modern and interesting, though you must book the top of the line to get a tub. Otherwise you have a "rain shower" in the stall ceiling. Anita and I will stay at the Sofitel due to weakness for that look. It is not cheap and will probably be heavily booked at that time of year.

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EDIBLES: Our egg-and-vegetable brunch at the Sofitel was excellent. The presentation was delightful and they certainly won our hearts by comping the meal. Their proposed banquet menu looked very good on paper but, alas, we were not offered a chance to sample it.

The peak dining experience of the trip was the feast prepared for us at Saint-Gabriel, a full preview of their Oyster Banquet proposal. Everything was wonderful, including the rich, tasty rack of deer, which to our surprise arrived medium rare. I told Stephen that my eldest daughter exclaims at least monthly, "That was the best I ever tasted." I don't usually do that, but this meal tempted me.

You can see the details in the menu and Stephen’s pictures. The local wines were wonderful fits with the food. The "ice wine," a novelty to both of us, was particularly delightful with the strawberry dessert.  From www.aboutwine.com:  

The Niagara region of Ontario, Canada, is currently the most widely respected producer of ice wines. Grapes are left on the vines until the first deep frost, and the freeze/thaw cycles concentrate both the sugars and flavors of the grapes. Canadian ice wine, properly created, must follow VQA (Vintners Quality Alliance) regulations to ensure a quality product. Key amongst these rules is that the wine must be naturally produced—no artificial freezing allowed. This makes ice wine very difficult to create—grapes must be guarded against too extreme temperatures, and because they are the last grapes on the vines, they must be defended vigorously against birds and other animals.

I should add, in case it isn't sufficiently clear from the photos, that the visual appeal gave a fitting preview of each pleasure to come.

We also had fun eating at some not-so-elegant local spots—Au Pied de Cochon ("at the foot of the pig") and Schwartz's Hebrew Deli, where dishes are reasonably priced and hearty. Those of you like me, with lumberjack appetites may want to check them out, too.

That's my report. See you all in Montreal!

IMPORTANT NOTE: To accommodate the schedule of parents-of-the-bride-to-be, Tim and Petie O'Brien, members voted unanimously to switch the date of our meeting to: THE FOURTH OF JULY! (not a holiday in Canada)

OYSTER III: A MERE FORMALITY

When Peter Riddleberger and I gave ourselves birthday parties in the '90s, we asked our guests to dress formally. This imbues the event with something special—it tones up the occasion, gives it a sense of moment and excitement. I therefore propose that The Oyster Foundation adopt the convention. I have polled the men only, since the issue is not a black-and-white one for women.

Stephen	tux
Eric	tux
George K	no tux
George W	tux
David	tux
Boris	unpolled
Joe	no tux
Joel	tux
John	tux
Marty	"It's all the same to me"
Tim	tux
Peter	tux

The tally is 8 in favor of black tie and 4 other. Further analysis of the data reveals that there are only two in clear opposition. (And one of those, George Klein, will be AWOL for reasons to be explained soon.)

Thus: to each his own. There is no dress code for Oyster III. Those who are uneasy with formal dress should follow their sartorial muse wherever it leads and will certainly be treated as collegially as ever by the fancy-pants. Likewise, we request that the informal faction have a tolerant attitude toward the members in monkey suits. But even within the tuxedo mode, there is variation.

—compiled by Stephen Banker
sbanker@aol.com

—html version by Martin X. Moleski, SJ