Monday, July 23, 2007

R and G LOUNGE: BEST SALT-AND-PEPPER CRAB; PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE

R and G Lounge; 631 Kearny Street (at Clay); 415-982-7877;www.rnglounge.com. This spiffy seafood house on the edge of Chinatown is hugely popular with the Downtown business crowd and is definitely hopping on a Saturday night. Recognized as a Chinatown cheapie, it is famous for its seafood (they've got two tanks ), especially finger lickin' good salt-and-pepper crab. It used to be that you'd have to check all other expectations for fine dining at the door but now there are tablecloths both upstairs and downstairs. The decor is no longer a pity. I came here after a showing of Werner Herzog's film, Rescue Dawn, at the Embarcadero, with my good friend, Zontar. Christian Bale ate ground worms for protein int he jungle. Zontar settled for the kungpao chicken (13). I chose the sauteed prawns with sweet peas (13). We shared a large bowl of white rice (2). Entrees were humongous and delicious. There was plenty left over for Sunday brunch. Zontar was sweet enough to take following quiz. It's a fun thing to do with your best friend!

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: (reprinted from Vanity Fair, August, 2007)

1.What is your idea of perfect happiness?
2.What is your greatest fear?
3.Which historical figure do you most identify with?
4.Which person do you most admire?
5.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
6.What is the trait you most deplore in others?
7.What do you most value in your friends?
8.Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
9.What is your favorite journey.
10.What do you consider the most overrated virtue.
11.On what occasion do you lie?
12.What do you dislike most about your appearance?
13.What is your greatest regret?
14.What or who is the greatest love of your life?
15.When and where were you happiest?
16.If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
17.What do you consider your greatest achievement?
18.What is your most treasured possession?
19.What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
20.Where would you like to live?
21.What is your most marked characteristic?
22.What is your greatest extravagance?
23.What is the quality you most like in a man? woman?
24.Who are your favorite writers.
25.Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
26.Who are your heroes in real life?
27.What is your motto. This was asked of Helen Gurley Brown of Cosmopolitan & her answer: "Get up and do it if it needs to be done, even if you hate it!"

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

1.What is your idea of perfect happiness?

The sea at Balbec

2.What is your greatest fear?

Forgetting my grandmother.

3.Which historical figure do you most identify with?

M. Swann

4.Which person do you most admire?

Elstir

5.What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

HABIT!

6.What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Vaguery

7.What do you most value in your friends?

Not hitting on Albertine

8.Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

"We often find..."

9.What is your favorite journey.

To Balbec with beer and grandma

10.What do you consider the most overrated virtue.

Health

11.On what occasion do you lie?

To take advantage of Francois

12.What do you dislike most about your appearance?

My moustache

13.What is your greatest regret?

Too much time spent in cork lined room

14.What or who is the greatest love of your life?

Gilberte

15.When and where were you happiest?

Remembering

16.If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Health

17.What do you consider your greatest achievement?

À la recherche du temps perdu

18.What is your most treasured possession?

Collection of Bergotte books

19.What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Not hearing my grandmother rapping on the wall in Balbec

20.Where would you like to live?

Italy

21.What is your most marked characteristic?

I talk a good game

22.What is your greatest extravagance?

Going to parties all of the time

23.What is the quality you most like in a man? woman?

With me it's hard to tell who is really a man and who is a woman

24.Who are your favorite writers.

Racine, Bergotte

25.Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

Ask Bloch, he's got plenty

26.Who are your heroes in real life?

Dreyfus

27.What is your motto.

Dance like nobody is looking