(I covered this event and wrote this article in 1987 for a B’Nai B’rith publication.)
Chopsticks
and cue sticks were the featured implements at the May 21 Missouri Lodge
Singles Division Ethnic Dining Event.
Mike
Temkin wasted no time while waiting for dinner to arrive at Yoshi’s Japanese
Sushi Restaurant. He gave a detailed demonstration of proper chopstick usage to
member Rosanne Abrams. But just how effective was it?
“She’ll
try it, get the piece of sushi up, put it toward her mouth, and it will
probably go flying!” Temkin said. “I’ve known people who bring pencil
sharpeners, and sharpen the edges to use them better!”
Elsewhere,
experienced chopstick user Liam Newberg was showing member Rick Pass how to
choke up more on the chopsticks like a baseball bat.
Even
though the event took place a full month after Passover, B’nai B’rith Director
Michelle Gralnick insisted that her seaweed salad and other items be passed
around for all to sample.
“Everyone
has to try something outside their comfort zone,” Gralnick said.
Two young
guests, Sara Zessar and Arianna Haut, were understandably unshaken by any
unusual food item, being teachers at two of the most notoriously rough
neighborhood high schools—Zessar at Vashon and Haut at Roosevelt.
Zessar
was hesitant, but willing to expand her culinary horizons.
“I know
it was fish eggs,” she said after a bite of sushi. “I wasn’t thrilled about it,
but I wasn’t going to scrape it off.”
Actually,
everyone thoroughly enjoyed nearly everything that was served. The Caterpillar
Roll was a unique visual delight, cut up into six or seven one-inch segments,
and resembling a caterpillar, with a pair of eyes and antennae to boot.
Someone
asked what type of glaze covered the Caterpillar Roll.
“Centipede
sauce, of course!” joked Todd Binenstock, a dining club first-timer and also a
non-native St. Louisan. He sat next to member Mark Bernstein, relieving
Bernstein of being the only one who attended high school outside the state.
Meanwhile,
member Fred Rosenblum didn’t remember whether he had eaten his antennae. But he
was certainly on task during the night’s second event—some friendly, yet
competitive games of pool. Rosenblum went undefeated in six games of pool at the
Chesterfield Billiards Bar and Grill. The group stayed nearly two hours.
A
memorable bad shot was executed by Temkin, who fired a ball off the table,
which then crashed into Abrams’ leg and onto her foot.
At the
same instant, Temkin and I started to say, “And you thought this wasn’t a
contact sport!”
“Great
minds think alike,” Temkin said.
“Yeah,
and ours do, too!” I said.
For more
information, email Michelle Gralnick at bbd2wro@aol.com.
Jeffry
Greenberg is a charter member of the Singles Division. A freelance writer for
19 years, he has nearly 3,000 published pieces and has won awards for his
sports writing.
