Boy, it's been a long time.
We closed our venerable restaurant for business on March 29, 2011. It was a bittersweet evening, and we were surrounded by good friends and lots of memories. On March 31st, the contents of the building were auctioned off. I don't suggest that any of you attempt this any time soon. The auctioneer and his peeps were just great, but it's kinda like having root canal surgery without anaesthetic, having all of one's business of 12 years sold-off to the highest bidder. And the bids, in many cases, weren't that high.
After a delightful month of April off (but still dealing with a little of the last/closing stuff from the restaurant) I went to Taipei, Taiwan for three weeks and to Beijing for a week. In Taipei I was pretty much on my own but in Beijing we had a guide. The photos are just beautiful.
Right now, I'm marking time until I finalize the purchase of the new restaurant in Hartford. It's an Italian restaurant, and I'm gonna stir things up a bit by offering a short menu of the Chinese specialties that we've become well-known for. No, I'm not gonna call it the Marco Polo. It's a great venue with a 50-year history called the Arena Patio Restaurant. More details as I get 'em.
Of course it was really sad to leave a place I've been nurturing for twelve years. However, I've realized the value of time off and how much I missed it. The new restaurant will be less taxing on me as I'll have a larger staff than at the old place. That means more time for myself. I think it's about time.
I look forward to seeing y'all around here.
Love,
Shaogo