My 2025 Holiday Letter

December 2025

5 Alban Mews

New Albany, OH 43054

email: roderickgwchu@gmail.com

A holiday note to my family, friends, and colleagues —

The past year has been an even more quiet one for me than last year. I took a few trips, then some medical issues – including the onset of osteoarthritis in my left hip – kept me home-bound for half the year. Not being able to lift bulky or heavy items left my house in even more of a mess than is usual. Finally resolved with a 1-hour outpatient hip replacement surgery on Dec. 4th at the Ohio State University Medical Center. Laura & David drove 15 ½ hours through the snow from their home in Massachusetts to be with me and cleaned my house; dear friend Dr. Michael Richardson drove from Chicago to help them baby sit my recovery.

I am thankful that my physical therapist and acupuncturist kept me somewhat mobile during those challenging months so I could continue enjoying some world class performing arts and indulging in the increasingly varied and delicious food scene around Columbus. I’m becoming known as a Columbus foodie, living up to my nickname: Choosy Gourmand. (Get it? Chu, zee gourmand.)

I managed to keep my two guest rooms clean, so was happy to have my great-nephew and his Colorado Collage schoolmate stop for a break on their convoying drive back to their homes. I was also delighted that Joe & Marney Thomas visited for a few days. I hope their examples will inspire you to visit or dine with me this coming year and check out the wonders of central Ohio!

All my best wishes to you and yours for a Joyous 2026!

Rod

My blogs:  

http://rchu.wordpress.com                                                              http://www.choosygourmand.wordpress.com 

Friend me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rodchu

Family Gatherings

JAN: Laura & David booked a golfing vacation at Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, FL and invited their daughter Karen and me to share their 3-bedroom lodging. We took a day at DisneyWorld’s EPCOT for the new but rather tame 3D movie Ratatouille ride, walked around the World Showcase, then to the new nausea-inducing Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster ride. Strolled over to The Seas and found Nemo. Then the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom for David's favorite: The Carousel of Progress from the 1964-65 NY World's Fair.  After a day’s rest at Reunion while Laura & David golfed, back to Disney’World’s Animal Kingdom and the Kilimanjaro Safari before taking the Ferry back to the Magic Kingdom for the Haunted Mansion and It’s a Small World. Thanks to Laura & David for the fun time together, though we found Disney has gotten almost insultingly pricey!

APR: We joined Karen & Gian to lay his father Remo to rest at Cambridge’s historic Mount Auburn Cemetery in a beautiful natural burial plot overlooking Harvard Hill, the cemetery’s favored resting site for that university’s professors. Steven & Shari joined us by phone in Harvard Square for a post-funeral lunch of contemporary New England cuisine at Harvest Restaurant before we adjourned to the Fabbri condo in Beacon Hill.

Auntie Lisa Lu’s Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

 

MAY: I flew out to Los Angeles to celebrate with my Mom’s dear friend, actress Lisa Lu’s being honored with a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame recognizing her 60+ years of acting including The Joy Luck Club and Crazy Rich Asians. Joined many celebrities there including Cheech Marin and Awkwafina. Her family took over Beverly Hills’ award-winning Crustacean for a lavish reception for the many attendees.

Multi-course Tasting Dinners Around Columbus

Having grown up with 12- to 14-course Chinese banquet meals, I’ve always been particularly fond of Tasting Menu dinners and enjoyed about 30 of them this year. Here are some of the highlights. DEC’24: Shaun Yoder was my guest at the last Roys Ave Supper Club in the home of Chef Andrew Smith & Devoney Mills before they opened their new restaurant Isla. MAR: I discovered Chef Jeremy Nelson’s meticulously prepared dishes at his Umbral Supper Club, demonstrating his experience from Charlie Trotter’s. MAY: Experienced a bit of the famed Judgment of Paris wine tasting of 1976 at New Albany Country Club’s Chateau Montelena Wine Dinner. BalletMet dancers Sumi Ichikawa & Andrew Rossi were my guests for Veritas’ Taste of London dinner. JUL: With Sherran Blair back in Ohio, I treated us to Chef Yudi Makassau’ s sublime Premium Sushi Dinner at Haru Omakase. AUG: Delighted to get to know BalletMet dancers Austin & Grace-Anne Powers over Alqueria’s Spanish Wine Dinner. SEP: I happily booked out the entire Chef’s Counter to introduce Jeremy Smith & MJ Findlater, Sean & Cally Meers, and Vivian Davis to Chef Andrew Smith & Devoney Mills’ Isla Restaurant. OCT: Thanks to Sciotto Country Club’s Exec. Chef Vincent Gilliard and Boich Family Cellar Founder John Boich for a distinguished line up of wines and food for our Chaîne des Rôtisseurs dinner. Eric, Midge & Tally Krumm were my guests for this year’s Slow Food Columbus’ Shake the Hand that Feeds You dinner at the Mid-Ohio Farm on the Hilltop. OCT & NOV: I nabbed Chef’s Counter seats for two Columbus Food Adventures Supper Club dinners at Parker House showcasing the delicious creations of Chefs BJ Lieberman (Chapman's Eat Market) and Seigo Nishimura (Satori Ramen Bar).

Special Gatherings Around Columbus

FEB: Ambrose Ng hosted a table at the Chinese American Association of Central Ohio’s Year of the Snake New Year Celebration at Ming Flower Restaurant. .JUN: I invited Christine & Ping Chen and Ambrose & Irene Ng for New Albany Country Club’s Father’s Day Buffet. The Ngs and I attended the lovely wedding of David & Grace Chan’s daughter Celene to Huanan Yu at The Club at Corazón in Dublin, OH. SEP: The Cornell Alumni Association of Central Ohio reconvened for the first time in several years for a wine & food tasting at Third & Hollywood led by Cornell senior lecturer in food and beverage management Cheryl Stanley '00. (I took the Cornell wines course as an MBA student!)

Other Dinners with Friends Around Columbus

 

Highlights of the 50+ dinners I had with friends this year. DEC’24: Closed out 2024 with holiday dinners. Vivian Davis’ at Rocky Fork Hunt & Country Club with Tony Logan & Mary Duffey.  Jon Tafel & Sandy Miller’s Xmas dinner at home. Shaun Yoder’s Betwixt Bash catered by Littleton’s Market at his home. Herb, Janice, & Hope Wolman’s Holiday Luncheon for their friends & clients at New Albany Country Club.  JAN: Sandy & Jon Tafel invited me to Alqueria’s Sixth Anniversary wine dinner, where Blaine (originally from the Sycamore) took good care of us. FEB: I took Ping Chen & Ambrose Ng for a Hot Pot lunch at kPot. MAR: I pre-ordered special dishes for my dinner at Asian Taste for Weilin Chan & Peter Connolly. MAY: I took Jim Miller, David Glisson, and their exchange student Maks Dworczyk to their first Korean BBQ at kPot.

JUL: Jim Miller, David Glisson, & I checked out the new Bar Italia (formerly Smith & Wollensky) in Easton. Back to kPot to introduce Tom Jenkins & Jane Fullerton to Hot Pot. Caught up with Phil Borkow over lunch at NACC.  AUG: Enjoyed a Korean lunch with Rich Petrick at Don Pocha. Delighted to host a lunch at NACC for Inigo & Susan Woolf on their visit across the pond to visit Andy Dehus, Bethia, & Zoe. Another nice al fresco dinner on the NACC Terrace with Don & Lisal Gorman. SEP: After dinners at NACC and Weilin & Peter’s home, I introduced her folks Howei & Alice Chan, visiting from NY,  to Schmidt’s Autobahn Buffet lunch. Wonderful to get to know more about BalletMet Artistic Director Remi Wörtmeyer at fellow Trustees Beth Fisher & Trustee Jennifer Salopek’s Rocky Fork CC dinner.  Celebrated Rosh Hashanah with Bob & Linda Gorman and Vivian Davis at NACC’s Buffet and champagne from my locker. OCT: Joined Bethia Woolf,  Ted Lin , and Katie Chio for an introduction to Fiery Sky’s new menu by owner Lu Sha. NOV: Ambrose & Irene Ng invited me to join their family for a home-cooked Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner. Celebrated with neighbors Jim & David at NACC’s lavish Thanksgiving Buffet.

New Albany Happenings

 

FEB: A mild winter - our biggest snowfall was just 2½“. High School students produced an inspiring TEDx Conference at the McCoy Center. JUL&OCT: Great Blue Heron and Swans returned to the NACC 2N Pond. JUN-SEP: Night Blooming Cereus plants produced 5 rounds of magnificent blossoms. JUN-SEP: Our Alban Mews neighbors got together for our monthly Gathering on the Green pot luck cocktail parties.

Visitors

MAY: Having graduated from Colorado College, my grand-nephew AJ stopped by New Albany with his schoolmate Jonathan Cox on their drives back home to MA and PA. We ate well, with coffee at The Fox in the Snow and an AYCE lunch at the Brazilian Churrasco Fogo de Chao. After Jonathan left for his home, I took AJ for a tasting dinner at Agni then good night’s sleep for his 12-hour drive back to Boston.

AUG: Joe & Marney Thomas stopped by New Albany to be my house guests on their drive to visit family and colleagues in Toledo and Ann Arbor, letting me reciprocate in a small way for my annual visits to Cornell where I’ve stayed Chez Thomas. I cannot match their home cooking and raids on Joe’s famed wine cellar, so instead, I let them experience some of the culinary wonders of the Columbus area: An international tasting menu at my friend and Columbus Celebrity Chef Avishar Barua’s Agni; Brunch al fresco at New Albany Country Club; Chef Jeremy Nelson’s Umbral Supper Club; Souffléd Egg Sandwiches at The Fox in the Snow; Authentic Cantonese cuisine at Asian Taste.

 

Performing Arts Around Columbus

DEC’24: Sandy & Jon Tafel invited me to dinner at Hank’s before they  joined me at the Ohio Theatre for BalletMet’s classic The Nutcracker. Then the Nutcracker Ball at Ballet Met, here with fellow Trustee Michele Holcolmb. FEB: BalletMet’s spectacular collaborative production with CAPA, the Columbus Symphony, and Opera Columbus of West Side Story at the majestic Ohio Theatre. MAR: Rich Stoff’s guest at the Columbus Symphony’s Bolero. APR: My introduction to Heavy Metal music by Lo Pan guitarist Chris Thompson at Ace of Cups. MAY: Dinner at Chef Jay Klevens’ Speck with Cally & Sean Meers before BalletMet’s Sleeping Beauty at the Ohio. JUN: Vegetarian dinner at Comune with Lori & Craig Mohre before BalletMet’s Black Voices at the Davidson Theatre. SEP&OCT: At New Albany’s Hinson Amphitheater for the New Albany Symphony’s Bernstein in Story & Song and Carmina Burana at the McCoy. OCT. Speck again with Shawnie Kelley & Dan Ralley for innovative pastas and short rib, then BalletMet’s Remi3 – a triple-bill of Artistic Director’ Remi Wörtmeyer’s works at the Davidson Theatre.

 

Printed 2025 Letter

I fit all the above into one double-sided legal sheet to include with my Christmas cards. Since Adobe stopped supporting its InDesign app except on a monthly subscription basis, I bought Affinity Publisher at a reasonable one-time purchase cost and made the easy switch to it to lay out this year's letter. If you'd like a hard copy, I'd be happy to mail you one - just send an email with your mailing address to me at roderickgwchu@gmail.com.