Not Thirsty Bear, Le Charm

[evergene]

Walked into, and then very quickly out of, Thirsty Bear this evening.
A few minutes of standing in the entry area, with loud
twenty-somethings who came streaming over from Moscone Center with
their smartphones in their hands and their stingy-brim hats on their
heads, was enough to send us on our way. They were bellowing (the
boys) and shrieking (the girls) in that way that people have when
they're trying to convince themselves that they're really having fun.
I hope they all get herpes. I mean that in a nice way.

Fortunately it was still early enough for us to walk over to Le Charm,
get a table for two without a reservation, have a very nice meal, with
just the right level of music and conversational noise, and make it to
Yerba Buena by 8:00. I had a pigs-feet croquette with shredded beets
to start (menu description is "Crispy pan fried pigs feet - beet and
apple salad"), which was excellent. Two croquettes would have made a
great entree. Also had "La Marmite of seafood baked in puff pastry -
Lobster, salmon, prawns, mussels baked in lobster sauce," which was
pretty good, a bit underseasoned. Gal Pal had tomato salad, then
seared scallops with risotto, liked both, but thought some of the
tomato was perfectly ripe and some, not so much. We didn't have time
or appetite for dessert. Service and atmosphere were tip-top.

I don't know what was going on downtown tonight -- definitely some
huge event at Moscone -- but the steets were full of folks, and the
Metreon, or what used to be the Metreon, was packed, and a big crowd
of people milling about on the sidewalk at 4th and Howard.

[sf]

On Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:33:50 -0700, evergene
<ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:

> Fortunately it was still early enough for us to walk over to Le Charm,
> get a table for two without a reservation, have a very nice meal, with
> just the right level of music and conversational noise

Have things changed in the last few years? Le Charm was charming
enough - the service and food was good, but it was over crowded, loud
and the people at the tables next to us might as well have been part
of our party because they were practically sitting in our laps. My
husband *hated* the experience and has never considered a return
visit.

--
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.

[Aahz Maruch]

In article <rk1l9716sdnld6gp5...@4ax.com>,

evergene <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:
>
>I don't know what was going on downtown tonight -- definitely some
>huge event at Moscone -- but the steets were full of folks, and the
>Metreon, or what used to be the Metreon, was packed, and a big crowd
>of people milling about on the sidewalk at 4th and Howard.

Occupy SF?
--
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
<*> <*> <*>
"The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste." --Steve Jobs

[Steve Pope]

evergene <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:

>Walked into, and then very quickly out of, Thirsty Bear this evening.
>A few minutes of standing in the entry area, with loud
>twenty-somethings who came streaming over from Moscone Center with
>their smartphones in their hands and their stingy-brim hats on their
>heads, was enough to send us on our way.

Surely you meant by the hat reference that they were wering fedoras.


Steve

[evergene]

I think you're trying to catch me in a technical inaccuracy, but I'm
going to soldier on. The hat style I'm talking about - think Frank
Sinatra - used to be called trilby. Some modern up-to-date hat stores
call it "stingy brim," which is a good description. Fedoras to me
always meant full-brim Borsalino-style hats; a stingy brim is like a
fedora with anorexia.

"Lock & Co, a London based hat company founded in 1676 do actually
classify the two items as different. They believe a trilby to have a
shorter brim which is angled down at the front and slightly turned up
at the back... The fedora has a much wider brim which is more level...
As Lock & Co are official hatters to the Royal family they are
probably worth listening to, but unfortunately few people understand
the classification or just choose to ignore it."

http://www.fashish.com/article/fedora_vs_trilby
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilby

[Steve Pope]

evergene <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:

>Steve Pope wrote:

>>evergene <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:

>>>Walked into, and then very quickly out of, Thirsty Bear this evening.
>>>A few minutes of standing in the entry area, with loud
>>>twenty-somethings who came streaming over from Moscone Center with
>>>their smartphones in their hands and their stingy-brim hats on their
>>>heads, was enough to send us on our way.
>>
>>Surely you meant by the hat reference that they were wering fedoras.

>I think you're trying to catch me in a technical inaccuracy, but I'm
>going to soldier on. The hat style I'm talking about - think Frank
>Sinatra - used to be called trilby. Some modern up-to-date hat stores
>call it "stingy brim," which is a good description. Fedoras to me
>always meant full-brim Borsalino-style hats; a stingy brim is like a
>fedora with anorexia.

Okay, I thought they were fedoras (fedorae?) but from your description
these ubiquitous hats are not true fedoras. Thanks.


Steve

[evergene]

On 16 Oct 2011 08:17:18 -0700, aa...@pobox.com (Aahz Maruch) wrote:

>In article <rk1l9716sdnld6gp5...@4ax.com>,
>evergene <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:
>>
>>I don't know what was going on downtown tonight -- definitely some
>>huge event at Moscone -- but the steets were full of folks, and the
>>Metreon, or what used to be the Metreon, was packed, and a big crowd
>>of people milling about on the sidewalk at 4th and Howard.
>
>Occupy SF?

That could account for some of the traffic -- lots of Bay Bridge-bound
cars stopped in the middle of intersections. I don't know where the SF
Occupiers were doing their occupying, but the crowd I encountered
seemed to be oozing out of the Moscone Center. As we walked across the
pedestrian bridge over Howard Street, near the merry-go-round, we
heard a male voice on a PA system apparently talking to the crowd: "If
you can hear my voice, come on in, this is a free event." No idea what
he was referring to. At the same time, up on the terrace that
overlooks Yerba Buena park, a small performance was just starting.
Accompanied by the original Zombies recording of "Time of the Season,"
a shirtless MC was asking the crowd the classic MC question, "Are you
ready for...?" We didn't hear the end of the question, but it didn't
matter, we weren't ready for whatever it might have turned out to be,
so we walked on.

[evergene]

sf wrote:

>On Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:33:50 -0700, evergene
><ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:
>
>> Fortunately it was still early enough for us to walk over to Le Charm,
>> get a table for two without a reservation, have a very nice meal, with
>> just the right level of music and conversational noise
>
>Have things changed in the last few years? Le Charm was charming
>enough - the service and food was good, but it was over crowded, loud
>and the people at the tables next to us might as well have been part
>of our party because they were practically sitting in our laps. My
>husband *hated* the experience and has never considered a return
>visit.

In 10 or 12 years of dining at Le Charm, I've never had the experience
that your husband hated, so to me it hasn't changed, and didn't need
to. It's true that the woman in the couple seated next to us could
have used a lighter touch with her perfume. But she probably thought I
should bathe more often, so it was a wash.
I'm happy to say, neither as a troll nor to revive an ancient
argument, but just as a matter of personal satisfaction, they're still
serving foie gras.

[Peter Lawrence]

On 10/16/11 11:44 AM, evergene wrote:
> Steve Pope wrote:
>> evergene<ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Walked into, and then very quickly out of, Thirsty Bear this evening.
>>> A few minutes of standing in the entry area, with loud
>>> twenty-somethings who came streaming over from Moscone Center with
>>> their smartphones in their hands and their stingy-brim hats on their
>>> heads, was enough to send us on our way.
>>
>> Surely you meant by the hat reference that they were wering fedoras.
>>
>> Steve
>
> I think you're trying to catch me in a technical inaccuracy, but I'm
> going to soldier on. The hat style I'm talking about - think Frank
> Sinatra - used to be called trilby. Some modern up-to-date hat stores
> call it "stingy brim," which is a good description. Fedoras to me
> always meant full-brim Borsalino-style hats; a stingy brim is like a
> fedora with anorexia.
>

> "Lock& Co, a London based hat company founded in 1676 do actually

> classify the two items as different. They believe a trilby to have a
> shorter brim which is angled down at the front and slightly turned up
> at the back... The fedora has a much wider brim which is more level...

> As Lock& Co are official hatters to the Royal family they are

> probably worth listening to, but unfortunately few people understand
> the classification or just choose to ignore it."
>
> http://www.fashish.com/article/fedora_vs_trilby
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilby

Yes, it's annoying. As one of their free giveaways that they have
throughout the season, the San Francisco Giants stated they were giving away
free Fedoras to the first 20,000 fans. Turned out it wasn't a Fedora, but a
Trilby. I was disappointed.

Former SF mayor Willie Brown often wears an actual Fedora, not a Trilby.


- Peter

[sf]

On Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:36:59 -0700, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
wrote:

Trilby (didn't know the name before this) is a hat I associate with
golfers and Bing Crosby.
http://www.remainstobeseen.com/index-i-2901-category-20th-Century-Photograph.htm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waderockett/2521288827/lightbox/

[evergene]

Peter Lawrence wrote:

>Yes, it's annoying. As one of their free giveaways that they have
>throughout the season, the San Francisco Giants stated they were giving away
>free Fedoras to the first 20,000 fans. Turned out it wasn't a Fedora, but a
>Trilby. I was disappointed.

Well, sure. But Peter, once you've got the Giants' logo on your head,
you've already lost the style war. Does the specific type of weapon
that took you down really matter?

[Peter Lawrence]

Sorry, but the Giants are *always* in style. :)


- Peter

[sf]

<laughing>

[tutall]

Well done by you both. thanks for the laugh on a Monday.

And teaching us "Trilby".

[Al Eisner]

Thanks for the review. I've had some good lunches at Le Charm, which
I was sad to learn is no longer open for lunch. (It's a less likely
area for me to be in at dinner time.)
--

Al Eisner
San Mateo Co., CA

[Al Eisner]

On Sun, 16 Oct 2011, evergene wrote:

> Walked into, and then very quickly out of, Thirsty Bear this evening.
> A few minutes of standing in the entry area, with loud
> twenty-somethings who came streaming over from Moscone Center with
> their smartphones in their hands and their stingy-brim hats on their
> heads, was enough to send us on our way.

The event listed on the Moscone schedule was a meeting of the American
College of Emergency Physicians. Hardly seems likely.

> They were bellowing (the
> boys) and shrieking (the girls) in that way that people have when
> they're trying to convince themselves that they're really having fun.
> I hope they all get herpes. I mean that in a nice way.

Ah, a role for those physicians after all!

[sf]

On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:56:32 -0700, Al Eisner
<eis...@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:

> The event listed on the Moscone schedule was a meeting of the American
> College of Emergency Physicians. Hardly seems likely.

Doctors in training are usually young and the youngsters get emergency
room duty.

[Al Eisner]

On Mon, 17 Oct 2011, sf wrote:

> On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:56:32 -0700, Al Eisner
> <eis...@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
>
>> The event listed on the Moscone schedule was a meeting of the American
>> College of Emergency Physicians. Hardly seems likely.
>
> Doctors in training are usually young and the youngsters get emergency
> room duty.

You mistake the use of the word "College". It's a professional
association.

[sf]

On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:16:51 -0700, Al Eisner

<eis...@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:

> On Mon, 17 Oct 2011, sf wrote:
>
> > On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:56:32 -0700, Al Eisner
> > <eis...@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:
> >
> >> The event listed on the Moscone schedule was a meeting of the American
> >> College of Emergency Physicians. Hardly seems likely.
> >
> > Doctors in training are usually young and the youngsters get emergency
> > room duty.
>
> You mistake the use of the word "College". It's a professional
> association.

I understood that before I posted. I should have called them: Low man
on the totem pole.

[evergene]

If the people I encountered in the entryway at Thirsty Bear were
physicians, I'll eat Peter's trilby.

[Steve Pope]

sf <sf.u...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:56:32 -0700, Al Eisner

>> The event listed on the Moscone schedule was a meeting of the American
>> College of Emergency Physicians. Hardly seems likely.

>Doctors in training are usually young and the youngsters get emergency
>room duty.

Yes, and when you're leaning over a patient on a strecher, you need
a skinny-brimmed hat because a full-brimmed fedora might obscure
your peripheral vision of the EEG machine above your head.
"Dude, he flatlined hella five minutes ago!"


S.

[Kent]

"evergene" <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote in message
news:6q9m97de5op4m9cbh...@4ax.com...

We've always been very fond of everything at Le Charm. It's the last, I
think of a breed of SF restaurants. We always go during the week and early.
However, we sure miss the Sweetbreads at Le Cyrano, and the Boeuf
Bourguignon[sp?] at Le Trianon. Things have changed from the old days.

Kent

[evergene]

I've gotta say, despite the grief you were given for your comments
about the merits of French cuisine, you struck a chord with me.
Classic French cooking, whether it's simple "peasant" dishes or
elaborate restaurant fare, is pretty great stuff when it's done right.
And not so easy to find these days. But give me a fish with beurre
blanc, or some celery root with a real rémoulade sauce, or take me
uptown for some tournedos Rossini, and I'm a very happy boy.

That's not to say that a bowl of pho makes me _un_happy.

[Al Eisner]

Excellent! Now we're starting to fill out the full story line of
evergene's experience! Amd I had thought he was simply hallucinating.

[Al Eisner]

Another sad loss, and a favorite of mine (in part because of its
location) was Bistro Clovis. For nostalgia, I found a menu still on the web:
http://www.usmenuguide.com/bistroclovisdinner.html. That Papillote
de Saumon was wonderful.

The Internet -- where old restaurants go to die.

[Steve Pope]

Al Eisner <eis...@slac.stanford.edu> wrote:

>Another sad loss, and a favorite of mine (in part because of its
>location) was Bistro Clovis. For nostalgia, I found a menu still on the web:
>http://www.usmenuguide.com/bistroclovisdinner.html. That Papillote
>de Saumon was wonderful.

We were also fond of Bistro Clovis. In fact, we'd always go there,
and never to Zuni when in that part of town; now that Clovis is
gone, we have been to Zuni and discovered it to be a pretty wonderful
restaurant also.


Steve

[evergene]

Al Eisner wrote:
>Another sad loss, and a favorite of mine (in part because of its
>location) was Bistro Clovis. For nostalgia, I found a menu still on the web:
>http://www.usmenuguide.com/bistroclovisdinner.html. That Papillote
>de Saumon was wonderful.
>
>The Internet -- where old restaurants go to die.

We got to be pals with the last waitress at Bistro Clovis (who is a
lovely person and is now selling vintage clothing on Etsy, in case you
need any vintage clothing), who told us that toward the end business
was terrible, even on concert nights. I suppose so many places opening
up closer to Davies and Herbst, plus the sometimes unsavory street
life on Market Street at that intersection, made it impossible. And
truth be told, the food at Bistro Clovis didn't always hit the mark,
but mostly it did. Their cassoulet was always good.

My first post about Bistro Clovis was on June 21, 1999! I had the
cassoulet...
http://groups.google.com/group/ba.food/msg/4a86f7eac2332e1f?hl=en

There's also a thread that you started on October 11, 2001. You ate
the onion soup (you wrote "good, although not the best I've had") and
the Papillotte au saumon.
This might work:
http://bit.ly/qJJvHy
or search Google Groups for "Clovis" in the subject

[Julian Macassey]

On Tue, 18 Oct 2011 12:20:31 -0700, evergene
<ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:
>>Kent
>
> I've gotta say, despite the grief you were given for your comments
> about the merits of French cuisine, you struck a chord with me.
> Classic French cooking, whether it's simple "peasant" dishes or
> elaborate restaurant fare, is pretty great stuff when it's done right.
> And not so easy to find these days. But give me a fish with beurre
> blanc, or some celery root with a real rémoulade sauce, or take me
> uptown for some tournedos Rossini, and I'm a very happy boy.

Ah the joys of real French mayonaise, rémoulade,
tartare, hollanaise and bernaise.

Anything with those names out of a jar is muck, only
good for caulking drafty windows.

I was discussing this with the wifely part just a couple
of days ago. Her experience of the above has been pretty much
from jars and buckets in restaurants. Real mayonaise etc. she
admits is a joy.

In my well mispent yout in Copenhagen I waited tables in
one of the better restaurants. We received armfuls of tarragon
every week and every day one of the apprentice chefs made about
20 gallons of bernaise. Damn it was good, ladled on steaks
mostly. I would dip bits of baguette into a bowl of bernaise.
What a treat.

> That's not to say that a bowl of pho makes me _un_happy.

Pretty much the only things I don't like are tripe and
sea cucumbers.

--
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do
nothing. - Attributed to Edmund Burke

[Al Eisner]

On Tue, 18 Oct 2011, evergene wrote:

> Al Eisner wrote:
>> Another sad loss, and a favorite of mine (in part because of its
>> location) was Bistro Clovis. For nostalgia, I found a menu still on the web:
>> http://www.usmenuguide.com/bistroclovisdinner.html. That Papillote
>> de Saumon was wonderful.
>>
>> The Internet -- where old restaurants go to die.
>
> We got to be pals with the last waitress at Bistro Clovis (who is a
> lovely person and is now selling vintage clothing on Etsy, in case you
> need any vintage clothing), who told us that toward the end business
> was terrible, even on concert nights. I suppose so many places opening
> up closer to Davies and Herbst, plus the sometimes unsavory street
> life on Market Street at that intersection, made it impossible. And
> truth be told, the food at Bistro Clovis didn't always hit the mark,
> but mostly it did. Their cassoulet was always good.

Yes, agreed. My worst "miss" experience was, midway through a concert,
having to repress the oncomings of a certain irresistable urge. The food
had tasted fine, but .... It was many months before I risked going back
to Bistro Clovis; fortunately that experience never repeated.
Business did seem slow on my last few visits there (mostly on weekdays,
as I recall), and I hoped their business would have picked up at a
later hour, but I guess not.

> My first post about Bistro Clovis was on June 21, 1999! I had the
> cassoulet...
> http://groups.google.com/group/ba.food/msg/4a86f7eac2332e1f?hl=en
>
> There's also a thread that you started on October 11, 2001. You ate
> the onion soup (you wrote "good, although not the best I've had") and
> the Papillotte au saumon.
> This might work:
> http://bit.ly/qJJvHy
> or search Google Groups for "Clovis" in the subject

Yes, I do recall such a post. Perhaps my favorite onion soup, by the way,
was at Absinthe, closer to the concert scene. But I don't appreciate the
atmosphere at Absinthe as much as at Bistro Clovis, and it's a hard place
to get into on a spur-of-the-moment decision.

[Al Eisner]

On Tue, 18 Oct 2011, evergene wrote:

> My first post about Bistro Clovis was on June 21, 1999! I had the
> cassoulet...
> http://groups.google.com/group/ba.food/msg/4a86f7eac2332e1f?hl=en

That post reminded me of what you called a "tasting palette" of wines.
That was one of my favorite things there as well, and will be missed.
Do any other local places do that?

[sf]

You've heard of beer flights? Restaurants do wine flights now.

[Peter Lawrence]

On 10/18/11 4:39 PM, Julian Macassey wrote:
>
> Pretty much the only things I don't like are tripe and
> sea cucumbers.

For me, the two foods I've never liked (prepared in any manner): tripe and
liver.


- Peter

[sf]

On Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:54:11 -0700, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
wrote:

> For me, the two foods I've never liked (prepared in any manner): tripe and
> liver.

There are lots of foods I've never eaten because I knew I wouldn't
like it - so I didn't waste my time. But I did try menudo and the
only part I didn't love was the tripe - so I agree. Liver... if it's
calf liver (cooked in bacon fat just to pink, smothered in grilled
onions and served with a big mound of buttery mashed potatoes) is
thoroughly edible. But I wouldn't want to eat it any more than once a
year.

[Todd Michel McComb]

In article <j7le4k$51u$1...@dont-email.me>,

Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com> wrote:
>For me, the two foods I've never liked (prepared in any manner):
>tripe and liver.

I usually order tripe in my pho (along with other things), and like
it in there. I like the usual dim sum dishes of stewed tripe too,
although I don't tend to eat a ton. These use the "venetian blind"
or "book tripe" which I generally like. I don't like the "honeycomb"
much, or the other that is even more liver-y. Or at least haven't
had it so I like it.

I'm not a fan of beef liver, but I've had some really outstanding
foie gras, so would never say I don't like liver. It's also good
in various kind of sausages.

[Al Eisner]

And chopped chicken liver is a great deli ingredient. Either by itself,
or combined on a sandwich with corned beef, for example.

[sf]

I have trouble thinking of fowl livers as a main dish. As an
appetizer okay but not a main dish - especially foie gras.

[Peter Lawrence]

I guess I need to clarify my initial statement. I don't like the taste of
beef liver prepared as the main entrée. (Though I don't mind liver as an
ingredient in sausages, especially liverwurst -- but then liverwurst is
usually made with pigs' liver not calves' liver.)

But calf liver as the main course? No thanks.


- Peter

[Dan Abel]

In article <vshr971b8l3kn8788...@4ax.com>,
evergene <ge...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:

> Kent wrote:
>
> >We've always been very fond of everything at Le Charm.

> I've gotta say, despite the grief you were given for your comments
> about the merits of French cuisine, you struck a chord with me.
> Classic French cooking

> That's not to say that a bowl of pho makes me _un_happy.

Interestingly enough, it might be said that pho is a fusion food, coming
from Chinese roots (Vietnam was occupied by China for almost a thousand
years) and French (who occupied Vietnam for about 50 years).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph%E1%BB%9F

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California

[Julian Macassey]

On Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:55:27 -0700, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:54:11 -0700, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
> wrote:
>
>> For me, the two foods I've never liked (prepared in any manner): tripe and
>> liver.
>

> Liver... if it's calf liver (cooked in bacon fat just to pink,
> smothered in grilled onions and served with a big mound of
> buttery mashed potatoes) is thoroughly edible. But I wouldn't
> want to eat it any more than once a year.

Chicken liver,cookied in a mustard cream sauce.
Excellent!

Liver pate, whether, goose, duck, chicken or pig, all
ecellent.

http://tele.com/articles/liver-pate.html

[sf]

On Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:18:35 -0500, Julian Macassey <jul...@tele.com>

wrote:

> On Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:55:27 -0700, sf <s...@geemail.com> wrote:
> > On Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:54:11 -0700, Peter Lawrence <humm...@aol.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> >> For me, the two foods I've never liked (prepared in any manner): tripe and
> >> liver.
> >
>
> > Liver... if it's calf liver (cooked in bacon fat just to pink,
> > smothered in grilled onions and served with a big mound of
> > buttery mashed potatoes) is thoroughly edible. But I wouldn't
> > want to eat it any more than once a year.
>
> Chicken liver,cookied in a mustard cream sauce.
> Excellent!

Like calf, I only eat chicken liver if it's still pink... but never as
a main dish.

>
> Liver pate, whether, goose, duck, chicken or pig, all
> ecellent.
>

Yes, absolutely wonderful but only as an appetizer.
> http://tele.com/articles/liver-pate.html

[evergene]

Incanto assembles three or four wine flights every night, organized
around a theme. Cost, as I recall, ranges from $16 to $20 or so. For
me, a flight works better along side a single dish like an appetizer,
than to accompany the entire meal. But it's also fun to sample all the
wines in a flight, select a primary, and settle down with it for the
rest of the meal.
I did once come up with a pun about "white flight" that I thought was
hilarious and shared not only with my dining companions but with the
waiter too, but I was alone in that thought.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight

[tutall]

On Oct 22, 8:41 am, evergene <g...@geeaitcheekaygee.com> wrote:
> I did once come up with a pun about "white flight" that I thought was
> hilarious and shared not only with my dining companions but with the
> waiter too, but I was alone in that thought.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight

Thank you for the chuckle. Well done. Isn't is awful when others are
unable to appreciate our wit? Poor sods.

[Al Eisner]

The critical information is probably whether you came up with the pun
before or after your flight. "After" might explain your last remark.

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight