Tristan came. A Sunday night but ages ago I booked a table at St John’s Restaurant, for two, for tonight. It’s an anniversary and they are doing nineties prices.
Tristan used to work at St John when it was a hotel in Soho. He was assistant manager and shifted through a number of service roles. There’s a review where he is given a very funny and totally recognisable review as a sommelier. He read it to me dead pan when he was staying on my sofa.
Fergus Henderson his boss has become legendary in my mind as much as his. “How many capers should I put in this dish?” “I want you to imagine you have a dear old friend, someone you haven’t seen for a long long time, and one day you are just going about your business and you feel a gentle hand in your shoulder, and you turn round and it is that friend and you say ‘oh, it’s you!’. That many capers.
When I watched the Wes Anderson film Grand Budapest Hotel, I rang Tristan up and said “Fiennes is doing YOU!” Tristan told me that Wes and Ralph had been dining at St John’s during R&D and he kept on serving them. I like the idea that Fiennes got his character energy and manner from my dear Tris.
We had a lovely meal. We caught up and chewed the fat. But he’s no fixed abode so now it’s the bit where I normally pull out and go to bed. Tom is staying, so I’ve put him in my bedroom. I’m rehearsing tomorrow and I’m taking this job seriously, but it looks like I’ll be up later than I might want to be. I took him for €30 euros at backgammon last time and he has likely been online reading up game theory. One day he’ll beat me, meantime I’ll keep fleecing him. But this evening is going to involve some play. I’m not going to get off the hook without it.
A very varied meal. Lots of meat but perhaps my favourite bit was the white beans, chard and sheep’s curd. I’m chilled and happy, ready to go into the last bit of rehearsal, but wanting to be absolutely tight now on my part and my beats etc so we can work as deeply as we need to. A night on my sofa with Trist won’t be the best lasting l launch into things but it’s what I’ve got. insha’Allah.
AlBarclay 