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Sorry mutineers. Not enough RSVPs for me to justify driving 250 miles in inclement weather. Lesson for next time? PLEASE RSVP. To the four of you who did, my sincerest thanks and appreciation. I have emailed each of you.

The bad news is, the meetup is cancelled. The good news is, you can always bug Uncle Vinod to host another one…he still lives on this coast. ;)

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UPDATE, FEBRUARY 5, 2009:

I’m bumping this post back up to the top because I need to confirm who is coming/to where/at what time. Doing this is easier than writing a new post…and THEN a reminder post, tomorrow.

There’s a lot of info in the comments below, and I don’t have the time, will, or reliable wifi to paste it all in a new post. Just scroll towards the bottom, where I’ve (hopefully) answered everyone’s questions.

Once you’ve read all that, if you could leave a comment (or send an email*) to indicate whether or not you are coming, that would be super helpful. One Three of you just emailed me for details about tomorrow, so I know he’s they’re in— that makes two four of us, who have RSVP’d. :)

If you can make it to Udipi in the Mission at 6:30, let us know! Since our group is smaller this time, I’m excited about actually being able to hear some of you…now who’s in?

*my name at this website dotty com.

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I have three hours until I need to take a cab to a train, to a shuttle to a plane, so what better time to put up a meetup post? Assuming I don’t get detained by TSA on my way, I’ll be in gorgeous, crunchy Northern California in time to light Shabbat candles. Wheee!

Last time I was home, twenty-one of us experienced a delightful, not-at-all-stressful meetup at Udipi Palace in the Mission, where we took over the entire right side of the restaurant and nommed vegetarian food. Well, all of you enjoyed it— I was too busy making sure everyone was eating, getting seated, not selling hard drugs, etc. I think I had a samosa. Or a vada. Not sure. I will give a “lurking” ASATA activist and original reader LS much credit for fruitlessly attempting to get me to sit down and finally eat something— this baroo (which is similar to the look I gave both of you) is for you.

I just realized that I tend to eat actual entrees at the DC Meetups. Oh, yes! That’s because in DC, my Mom isn’t pointedly waiting for me at home, with dinner languishing on the kitchen table, refusing to go to bed until an empty plate appears in front of me. Never mind that she is fully aware that I am hosting an event which revolves around food; it does not matter. I am expected to eat “real” food when I “finally decide to come home after fooling around all over California”. If my kundi isn’t in that seat, ready to chow down on thoran, theeyal, chor, mor and smuggled-from-Ernakulam-irumban puli pickle…well gosh, I don’t know. I haven’t had the testicular fortitude to even try and get out of a Mom-cooked meal. Luckily for me, they’re superb. But back to you.

We can do Udipi again, especially if they weren’t lying about revoking their asinine “No Reservations” policy. That isht only works if you’re Anthony Bourdain, son. Last time, I fretted over stragglers and those who are allergic to RSVPing, as I worried that we wouldn’t get everyone seated. I finally went in, put us down for 16 (thinking some of those who DID say they were in would flake) and then hoped for the best. I wanted to throttle one of the employees when he later said,

“Madam, please to make reservation next time! Then no worry!”

“Uh…I thought you didn’t take reservations?”

“Oho! True. We did not. Now we do.”

At which point, I smacked my head and mangled my long bangs. So yeah, Udipi is an option (though it means no photographic evidence of us meeting, since the lighting in there is impossible). Wait, that might make some of you more inclined to choose it. :) Do you know how often I get emailed later with a, “Please don’t put any pictures with me in them up on SM”? Let’s just say one meetup’s album will remain for my eyes only, since every other attendee was either a spy, ashamed of being seen with us, or both. ;)

IF one of you has a better suggestion for a large group, feel free to leave it in the comments. It must, however, meet a few key requirements:

  • Veg-friendly
  • IN San Francisco. Not Sunnyvale. Not Fremont. Not wherever.
  • good for groups (duh)
  • public transit-accessible
  • IN SF. I mean it.

If we can linger over our food the way we do here, all the better. If there’s somewhere nearby where we can hear each other AND linger over chai, kappi or more interesting beverages, that works, too. Last time, our Vinod and Ultrabrown’s Manish played Pied Piper and we ended up at Bollyhood Cafe. There’s a party there on February 6, so that may not be the best idea, this time. Oh hell with it, I’ll just admit that by 10pm or so, I have to leave, because I have quite a drive to get back to reheated Malayalee food (that’s why we can’t meet in the South Bay).

At the December meetup, things went a bit too late and I spent over two hours trying not to nod off on 80 while negotiating the worst fog I’ve ever moved a car through at 20 mph. That was dangerous and miserable. Besides, people! I’m on EST. Have pity on your hostess with the mostest mascara.

Please play nicely in the comments section below; I know Southwest has WiFi, but just in case I can’t get on the interweb, I don’t want to leave a mess for the interns. Hope to see some of you soon!

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Yes, yes D.C…you who now dwell near and work for Obama will get a meetup soon. Late Feb maybe? :)