That being said, after having lunch with New York's four-star seafood-selling phenomenon at Sea Garden, Monsieur Chapeau's got some competition. What were we doing at Sea Garden? What do you think we were doing?

When I arrived, my two favorite Frenchmen were gossiping, in French, bien sur (I understood nothing, no thanks to three years of high school French). I begged them to continue, which they did. Then we had lunch and chatted some more -- in English -- over hot and sour soup (Ripert's favorite), crab with black bean sauce (we goodnaturedly fought over the luscious tomalley hiding under the crab's carapace), salt-and-pepper squid, honey-walnut prawns and garlicky sauteed pea vines:

We talked about the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at George Bush ("I must say, I was impressed," noted Ripert); about Thierry's first visit to a Chinese restaurant ("I said, `Do you have any baguette?'"); and the fact that business is still good at Le Bernardin, though both gents agreed: "You know business is bad when the customers start cutting back on taking out their mistresses." We talked about the quality of fine foodstuffs -- from seafood to produce -- available to us here in Seattle (astonishing, we agreed), and Ripert said he was pleased with the turnout the night before at his Cooks & Books event at Union, where he did double-duty on schmooze-patrol (the event sold-out two seatings).

As for the book he was flogging, it's only been available since Thanksgiving and it's selling so well his publisher just ordered a second printing. Nice. By the way: "On the Line" is the perfect gift for that maniacal restaurant fiend on your list -- or for anybody who might be looking for some insight into what makes a four-star restaurant a four-star restaurant. I'm halfway through it and couldn't be more impressed with what Ripert, his staff and his co-author, Christine Mulhke, had to say.

With an appointment for another schmoozefest and book-signing at Microsoft on his busy agenda (he flew home to his wife, son and restaurant this morning), we shared some laughs over our fortune cookies. Ripert's fortune: "Believe in your abilities; confidence will lead you on" -- ("in bed!"). Then the Frenchmen pooh-poohed my offer to buy, and fought over the check:

The local guy won. Hat's off to him!