Swisher got me out the door at 11:35, so we were actually at
the Holy Transfiguration Church just before noon, despite my
warning that nobody else except maybe Bob would be expected
for many minutes. The space allotted for parking was full, with
overflow going across the street. We were lucky and found a
spot in the main lot, just a few moments' walk from the event.

Greek music, a Greek market, and lots of food, dismayingly
expensive, but of course the whole thing was a fundraiser for
the church amd its activities.

It was windy as anything, some of the tents/booths threatening
occasionally to be blown away, and in fact we saw the periodic
chair and similar lightweight items sailing past.

The dessert tent was close by the entrance, so we parked
ourselves there to wait for the others, none of whom showed up,
parobably alerted to the weather issues that had also caused a
sizable power outage in the city, which made things unsafe and
inconvenient, with traffic lights out and general chaos of a
more annoying than life-threatening sort.

We thought about dining, but paying $22 for a moussaka dinner
that I'd wanted to check out (or $25 for lamb) eaten under a
tent that threatened to blow away or fall down seemed to be a
bit much, so we retreated to the dessert tent, where I got a
thing of galaktoboureko (2 for $8) and a thing of ekmek
kadayif ($10). The former were okay if as expensive as what
you'd get in a restaurant, in the rolled (easier) rather than
the layered (requiring skill) style, There was a bit much
semolina compared to egg, but, hey. this was a fundraiser.
The other dessert was disappointingly made with cream cheese
instead of the normal rich custard mixed with whipped cream,
and we figured that we'd have it with dinner later.

Upon sober reflection it was deemed a plot by Big Chris
(Russian Orthodox) to help line the pockets of the rival but
not-too-rival Greeks. He e-mailed at 5 something to say that
the moussaka was good. Five hours late, whatever.

Back home for a beer- and FIDO-laden afternoon that led to
an early supper of beef with onions and peppers and rice and
the remaining 95% of the ekmek kadayif, which was heavy and
a bit too sweet.

--
We got a coupon for La Hacienda from shopping at Fred Meyer,
bogo, an especially good deal as the original prices are not
bad at all, but I reflected on what a bellyful of beans and
cheese would do to me on the airplane (not to mention my
seatmates, and I didn't get upgraded, again). So there's
nothing like a nice rare steak at Club Paris. When we e made
our reservation I asked the person answering the phone to
have them to keep the fattiest cut for me, and when e were
seated I asked the waitress for the same and to have it
cooked without seasoning. I said that if they hadn't saved the
fattiest cut for me, I'd get something else. My alternate
choice was the daily special, the same steak with onion soup
or a salad plus a king crab leg, finished with Bearnaise. a
buck more. I'd have asked for the sauce on the side. The girl
checked with the kitchen and assured me that my wish had been
noted and presumably would be fulfilled.

There are Keebler saltines and breadsticks and eventually
puffy commercial rolls, all less nice than in ancient times
but still within the realm of acceptableness. Now they charge
for soup-or-salad; used to come with. The peculiar spiced apple
slice garnish is still there on your main course plate, though.

Mon Plaisir red Bordeaux was fairly nasty. For my second round
I ordered the Louis Martini Cabernet, which was mediocre and
thus a bit better. Swisher's Stella was probably the best
beverage on the table.

His petite filet was big enough and rare enough. It was probably
2 1/2" tall, whereas the famous full-size one is 4" tall.

They obviously hadn't saved a fatty one for me nor an unseasoned
one. There was a decent tail, though, and someone had rinsed off
the salt before putting it on the grill, so that was more or less
okay. And luckily there was a big bowl of butter pats, I used
several between the steak and the baked potato, and all was well.

No room for dessert.

Swisher got me to the airport well ahead of time, so I had
plenty of time to check out the Boardroom, which is somewhat
renovated and more crowded.

A very chirpy attendant poured me a glass of somewhat nasty
Merlot, so I switched to decaf: the whiteners here include
2%, half-and-half, almond milk, and soy milk.

To my delight I discovered that the famous pancake machine was
still there and operational despite it not being breakfasttime.
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