StudioKitchen (2002-2007)

[Andrew Fenton]

One question...

"Was this an eGullet outing and if so, why did I not know about it?"     

←

It's not that hard to set up a dinner at Studiokitchen. Seriously, just email Shola (studiokitchen@gmail.com) to find a date, and then get seven or nine friends to join you.

[afn33282]

He claims that he's getting bored with the current setup; that he's accomplished what he set out to accomplish.  If that's true, then changing things by starting a restaurant would be the logical next step.  It'd also be a way for him to get significantly wider exposure: SK is sort of a cult thing right now, but a restaurant has the potential to be huge, huge, huge.

i think shola's willlingness to spend most of the evening talking about techniques to amateur cooking nerds like me is one of the best parts of studiokitchen.

No doubt. That's something which would be lost in a restaurant setting. A shame, at least from an amateur cooking nerd perspective.

←

I think I might speak for many when I say that I will probably not get the chance to get to StudioKitchen before it closes, and I regret that bitterly. It sounds and looks like paradise.

[philadining]

Some friends and fellow eGulleteers are going on thursday, I had posted an offer for some open seats, but as you might guess, they went pretty fast! We'll write reports, we promise...

Edited June 3, 2005 by philadining (log)

[shacke]

Some friends and fellow eGulleteers are going on thursday, I had posted an offer for some open seats, but as you might guess, they went pretty fast! We'll write reports, we promise...

←

Bring a camera or have Shola take the pics! What a treat....

Evan

[MysticMilt]

Man, I am just now getting around to reading this thread and I'm dying to try out SK for myself. I would totally go in with anyone looking to put together a group, and I know my husband Derek would definitely be in for it as well.

[Peter Johnson]

Oy, what's the trick to getting a response back from him?

[philadining]

Oy, what's the trick to getting a response back from him?

←

patience, grasshopper... it will rain when it rains.

Have faith, it probably just means he's busy.

[Andrew Fenton]

Oy, what's the trick to getting a response back from him?

It helps to have a subject line like "MAKE MONEY FAST!!!!!!!!" or "CH3AP V1AGRA!!!!!!!"

Everybody always responds to those, right quick. No?

[philadining]

Well, even my obsessive self is too tired and satisfied and awash in culinary afterglow to go into detail about our Studio Kitchen dinner right now, but in short, Shola continues to amaze. Once again, every bit of dinner was both delicious and intriguing, challenging but not weird.

Once again we had lovely wine pairings overseen by our own queen of the quaffable, Katie.

And an important contributing element to the experience was the company: meeting new friends and reuniting with old ones, putting a face to an eGullet login, and of course Shola's engaging presence. Thanks to everybody who attended, and helped make it a memorable night. I hope we'll do it again soon!

This dinner was pretty well documented, with photos from every angle, so we'll tease you with detailed, illustrated descriptions soon.

(And yes, we did give Shola grief about being slow to answer his email, but he made a convincing argument that he's just swamped with work, so be patient, he really will try to get back to everybody as soon as he can!)

[philadining]

Well, the newest member of our crew has outdone us all and managed to document our evening already! We'll work on luring him over to eGullet proper, but for now he has some nice pics posted on his own webspace here.

Nice work Scott!

Watch this topic for some more pics, more reactions and details about the food and wine soon, as we recover.....

[philadining]

OK, here's my play-by-play, please forgive the rhapsodic waxing, it's easy to get carried away.....

The Studio Kitchen experience, and Shola, our favorite Ronin chef, might just be reason enough to be proud of Philadelphia’s food scene. If every other place in town gave up and started serving Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine, I might still think Philly was a good food town if I were able to get to Studio Kitchen now and then.

Once again, everything on all the plates was interesting, artful, and most importantly, delicious. And Katie’s wine pairings made everything even more enjoyable. I’m sure she’ll give some more details about the specific wines than I’m able to recall.

We started with an amuse of Tomatoes and Mozzarella. These were tiny, chilled balls of sweet tomato-ness, soaking in an equally intense cool tomato broth, a just barely solid ooze of fresh mozz draping itself over the top. This had all the flavors of that summer classic, the Caprese Salad, but cross-pollinated with a sorbet, the coolness only amplifying the vivid flavors.

Chilled Cucumber Buttermilk Soup

Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Pickled Fruits

Young Sorrel Leaves, Tarragon Infusion

Another light, fresh, summery dish, a perfect antidote for the oppressively hot day. Smooth, rich, refreshing soup was poured around a timbale of tender, lightly smoked salmon. Hidden within the fish were little nuggets of avocado and pickled mango. The fattiness of the salmon and avocado gave this a mouthfeel similar to the now ubiquitous tuna tartare, but the smoke and light salt of the fish gave it an increased depth, and made it an appropriate foil for the cucumber. The tarragon oil drizzled around the edges of the soup evoked even more spring garden freshness. A glass of dry, sparkling Riesling made a nice companion, blending well with both the sweetness and salt.

Roasted Dayboat Scallop with Porcini Crust

PX – Truffle Glaze

Foie Gras Ravioli

Pickled White Asparagus

Porcini Emulsion

A simply-roasted scrupulously-fresh scallop with a light dusting of mushroom, that alone would have been pretty satisfying, but the intense glaze of Pedro Ximenez vinegar infused with truffle kicked it up into a higher orbit. Foie Gras was lightened a bit with a mousse of chicken, then encased in a tender ravioli, for a rich, but not over-rich, indulgence. A single stalk of white asparagus, pickled in a light rice vinegar, fenced-off the upper regions of the plate from attack by an aggressive stripe of watercress-tarragon puree.

Halibut Roasted with Sansho

Olive Oil Poached Tomatoes

Lop Chong and Dungeness Crab Broth

Shaved Thai Long pepper

This just smelled so good, I could have forgone eating it and gone home happy! The allspice-like perfume of the dried Thai Long pepper gave the broth the aroma and taste of an ideal Pho. But instead of a nest of noodles and thin-sliced meats, we found a tender halibut filet, with nicely crunchy roasted corners, a little kick from the sancho pepper. Beside it was a squash blossom stuffed with the Lop Chong sausage and Crab that had given their flavors to the broth as well. I could eat this every day and never tire of it. A sweeter Riesling had been selected to combat what we had thought might be hot peppers, but it ended up being a nice partner for the different spice we encountered.

Wagyu Beef Cooked 4 Ways

Roasted Hanger Steak with Cocoa Nib-Star Anise Salt, Banyuls Vinaigrette

Chuck Bolognese and Pine Nut Ravioli

Braised Cheek on Almond Cauliflower Fondant, Rainwater Madiera Jus

Oxtail and Potato Croquette

It’s hard to pick a favorite among these very different preparations. The hanger steak had a pure, meaty intensity with a pleasantly chewy texture, given an extra edge from the dark flavors of the cocoa nib and star anise, and sweet vinaigrette. Chuck Bolognese (doesn’t he run a little pasta joint down near the Italian Market?) made for a lovely ravioli filling, and that oxtail and potato croquette could become a dangerous addiction, I mean, deep-fried beef, what could be better than that? But I think the braised cheek got me, that deep flavor and falling-apart tenderness, paired with the comforting cauliflower puree, was homey yet elegant at the same time.

No, wait, the pure beefy hedonism of the hanger steak wins. But then, the croquette had that nice crunch and hearty filling. And the ravioli rocked.... What a dilemma! I wonder if we can talk him into cooking it again to really decide? I doubt it…

A glass of Gigondas tied in with all the flavors nicely, although in retrospect, these preparations probably could have handled an even bigger, more aggressive red, but I’m not complaining. Plus, I got to say “Gigondas” out loud at least 4 or 5 times, and even threw in a “Guigal Gigondas” once or twice, which always makes my day.

Next was a lovely cheese course, each cheese inherently good, but then improved by artful accompaniments. We had an Etorki, interleaved with fruity Membrillo; a creamy Rochetta drizzled with an assertive lemon oil, a pickled grape providing yet another twist; a Bleu de Gex, layered with “Pear Mustard” a preserved fruit I had not encountered before, which was perfect with the strong bleu; and a Caprino bathed in a truffle oil.

This is what a cheese course ought to be, several distinctive cheeses, made even more enjoyable by careful accompaniments. I have nothing against letting good cheese speak for itself, but these condiments were more than complimentary.

Caramelized Banana and Cocoa Nib St Nizier

Chocolate Coffee Sorbet

Butterscotch Foam

Candied Puffed Rice.

This dessert literally had people smiling and laughing out loud. And indeed there was something buoyantly joyous about it, the sweet crunch of the puffed rice playing against the paradoxically airy butterscotch, new layers of flavors revealing themselves as one dug deeper, eliciting another laugh, or moan of delight as one hit the sorbet, or a chunk of banana, or the dense cakiness of the St Nizer, another flavor and texture washing over the palate.

An incredibly thick, rich Sherry matched nicely with both the cheese and the dessert. And we managed to empty a bottle of Muscat just for the sake of overindulgence.

And so once again, Shola managed to amaze and delight us, with each aspect of each dish distinct yet harmonious, novel without being bizarre, delightful without being silly. This was an experience that’s going to rank as one of the best meals I’ve had anywhere, and even more as one of the nicest evenings, thanks to the excellent food, and wine, and company.

It was especially nice to meet some eGullet folks for the first time, as well as to spend some more time with folks I’d met previously, and to catch up with old friends as well, all in the context of sharing such a spectacular meal. When are we going back?!?!

Edited June 10, 2005 by philadining (log)

[percyn]

The only contribution I can make to this great commentary are the pictures...

OK, here's my play-by-play, please forgive the rhapsodic waxing, it's easy to get carried away.....

The Studio Kitchen experience, and Shola, our favorite Ronin chef, might just be reason enough to be proud of Philadelphia’s food scene. If every other place in town gave up and started serving Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine, I might still think Philly was a good food town if I were able to get to Studio Kitchen now and then. 

Once again, everything on all the plates was interesting, artful, and most importantly, delicious. And Katie’s wine pairings made everything even more enjoyable. I’m sure she’ll give some more details about the specific wines than I’m able to recall.

We started with an amuse of Tomatoes and Mozzarella. These were tiny, chilled balls of sweet tomato-ness, soaking in an equally intense cool tomato broth, a just barely solid ooze of fresh mozz draping itself over the top. This had all the flavors of that summer classic, the Caprese Salad, but cross-pollinated with a sorbet, the coolness only amplifying the vivid flavors.

Chilled Cucumber Buttermilk Soup

Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Pickled Fruits

Young Sorrel Leaves, Tarragon Infusion

Another light, fresh, summery dish, a perfect antidote for the oppressively hot day. Smooth, rich, refreshing soup was poured around a timbale of tender, lightly smoked salmon. Hidden within the fish were little nuggets of avocado and pickled mango. The fattiness of the salmon and avocado gave this a mouthfeel similar to the now ubiquitous tuna tartare, but the smoke and light salt of the fish gave it an increased depth, and made it an appropriate foil for the cucumber. The tarragon oil drizzled around the edges of the soup evoked even more spring garden freshness. A glass of dry, sparkling Riesling made a nice companion, blending well with both the sweetness and salt.

http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1118429594/gallery_21049_398_72274.jpg

Roasted Dayboat Scallop with Porcini Crust

PX – Truffle Glaze

Foie Gras Ravioli

Pickled White Asparagus

Porcini Emulsion

A simply-roasted scrupulously-fresh scallop with a light dusting of mushroom, that alone would have been pretty satisfying, but the intense glaze of Pedro Ximenez vinegar infused with truffle kicked it up into a higher orbit. Foie Gras was lightened a bit with a mousse of chicken, then encased in a tender ravioli, for a rich, but not over-rich, indulgence. A single stalk of white asparagus, pickled in a light rice vinegar, fenced-off the upper regions of the plate from attack by an aggressive stripe of watercress-tarragon puree.

Halibut Roasted with Sansho

Olive Oil Poached Tomatoes

Lop Chong and Dungeness Crab Broth

Shaved Thai Long pepper

This just smelled so good, I could have forgone eating it and gone home happy! The allspice-like perfume of the dried Thai Long pepper gave the broth the aroma and taste of an ideal Pho.  But instead of a nest of noodles and thin-sliced meats, we found a tender halibut filet, with nicely crunchy roasted corners, a little kick from the sancho pepper. Beside it was a squash blossom stuffed with the Lop Chong sausage and Crab that had given their flavors to the broth as well. I could eat this every day and never tire of it.  A sweeter Riesling had been selected to combat what we had thought might be hot peppers, but it ended up being a nice partner for the different spice we encountered.

Wagyu Beef Cooked 4 Ways

Roasted Hanger Steak with Cocoa Nib-Star Anise Salt, Banyuls Vinaigrette

Chuck Bolognese and Pine Nut Ravioli

Braised Cheek on Almond Cauliflower Fondant, Rainwater Madiera Jus

Oxtail and Potato Croquette

It’s hard to pick a favorite among these very different preparations. The hanger steak had a pure, meaty intensity with a pleasantly chewy texture, given an extra edge from the dark flavors of the cocoa nib and star anise, and sweet vinaigrette.  Chuck Bolognese (doesn’t he run a little pasta joint down near the Italian Market?) made for a lovely ravioli filling, and that oxtail and potato croquette could become a dangerous addiction, I mean, deep-fried beef, what could be better than that? But I think the braised cheek got me, that deep flavor and falling-apart tenderness, paired with the comforting cauliflower puree, was homey yet elegant at the same time.

No, wait, the pure beefy hedonism of the hanger steak wins. But then, the  croquette had that nice crunch and hearty filling. And the ravioli rocked....  What a dilemma!  I wonder if we can talk him into cooking it again to really decide?  I doubt it…

A glass of Gigondas tied in with all the flavors nicely, although in retrospect, these preparations probably could have handled an even bigger, more aggressive red, but I’m not complaining.  Plus, I got to say “Gigondas” out loud at least 4 or 5 times, and even threw in a “Guigal Gigondas” once or twice, which always makes my day.

Next was a lovely cheese course, each cheese inherently good, but then improved by artful accompaniments. We had an Etorki, interleaved with fruity Membrillo; a creamy Rochetta drizzled with an assertive lemon oil, a pickled grape providing yet another twist; a Bleu de Gex, layered with “Pear Mustard” a preserved fruit I had not encountered before, which was perfect with the strong bleu; and a Caprino bathed in a truffle oil.

This is what a cheese course ought to be, several distinctive cheeses, made even more enjoyable by careful accompaniments. I have nothing against letting good cheese speak for itself, but these condiments were more than complimentary.

Caramelized Banana and Cocoa Nib St Nizier

Chocolate Coffee Sorbet

Butterscotch Foam

Candied Puffed Rice.

This dessert literally had people smiling and laughing out loud. And indeed there was something buoyantly joyous about it, the sweet crunch of the puffed rice playing against the paradoxically airy butterscotch, new layers of flavors revealing themselves as one dug deeper, eliciting another laugh, or moan of delight as one hit the sorbet, or a chunk of banana, or the dense cakiness of the St Nizer, another flavor and texture washing over the palate.

An incredibly thick, rich Sherry matched nicely with both the cheese and the dessert. And we managed to empty a bottle of Muscat just for the sake of overindulgence.

And so once again, Shola managed to amaze and delight us, with each aspect of each dish distinct yet harmonious, novel without being bizarre, delightful without being silly. This was an experience that’s going to rank as one of the best meals I’ve had anywhere, and even more as one of the nicest evenings, thanks to the excellent food, and wine, and company. 

It was especially nice to meet some eGullet folks for the first time, as well as to spend some more time with folks I’d met previously, and to catch up with old friends as well, all in the context of sharing such a spectacular meal. When are we going back?!?!

←

I must echo philadining's sentiments on the food and company...I say we start a Studio Kitchen club where we have a standing reservation for every month

Cheers

Percy

[shacke]

What a faboo night it looks like. While you wined and dined, I sat home - on call I was just there recently and still green with envy. The dessert sounds like the one I had - made us all giggle too that night. Flavors matched only by portion size.

I see some familiar faces too in them there pics! Look forward to seeing them again in the near future.

Evan

[philadining]

Great pics Percy! Thanks for integrating the words and images together, that works much better.

[philadining]

I just realized that I skipped a wine in my descriptions of our recent dinner...DON'T TELL KATIE.... jeeze, I'm going to be in trouble if she finds out I was drinking the Riesling with the Halibut.

She'd actually picked the Riesling to go with the scallops and the foie gras ravioli, which it complimented quite nicely. We had a very dry rosé to go with the Halibut, and I liked that too, but just between you and me, I ended up going back to the Riesling with the Halibut. Each wine actually matched well in very different ways, nicely underlining the idea that there's no one answer.

Nonetheless, she's going to be pissed if she realizes I snubbed her rosé. So don't tell Katie....

[Diann]

So I just heard back from Shola. He's booked for the entire summer, and he may close in September. There is no appropriate sobbing smiley (sobbing frowny?) for me to click on to express my emotions regarding this piece of news. :(

Now I am fishing for an invite to one of these dinners for which he is booked...next time something pops up on the ISO thread, it's MINE. Squash blossom stuffed with Chinese sausage and Wagyu beef four ways...good lord. Oxtail croquette! This thread is such a tease.

Edited June 14, 2005 by Diann (log)

[philadining]

So I just heard back from Shola. He's booked for the entire summer

←

Shola's booked up all weekends for the entire summer, he still has some days open during the week. So do not despair, there's still a chance, you should be able to book a weekday. Or just keep an eye on that ISO thread, like every 3 minutes or so! Edited June 14, 2005 by philadining (log)

[Kim WB]

Does anyone have an updated email, or is it better to call? Thanks.

[philadining]

studiokitchen (and then the little ampersand thingy) gmail.com

(I'm trying to save him from spam!) (Not that he couldn't find a way to make it taste good)

email is best

[KatieLoeb]

DON'T TELL KATIE.... jeeze, I'm going to be in trouble if she finds out I was drinking the Riesling with the Halibut.

Silly wabbit. You know I always say pairing wine with food is an art not a science. There's at least three dozen other choices immediately available on any given evening that would work as well or better. Percy is actually quite correct. The rose was chosen not realizing how "Asian" the flavors of the broth with the Halibut were going to be. The description of the dish was somewhat deceptive. I'd already finished my riesling with the previous course but I'll bet it was pretty tasty with the halibut as well.

I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to really sit down and describe the wine pairings. I've had a couple of home emergencies the last few days requiring locksmiths and Air Conditioning repairmen to come out and have been a bit tied up with that nonsense. Now that my doors lock securely, the alarm is working and I finally have air conditioning again (I was sweltering in an 85 degree house sweating like a whore in church for close to five days!!) I can get back to the subject at hand. Here are the exact wines we enjoyed with our lovely dinner:

We started with an amuse of Tomatoes and Mozzarella...

This we enjoyed with the last of our glasses of Domaine Carneros "La Reve" 1998 which I had brought along to serve as an aperitif. This is a particularly elegant sparkling Blanc de Blanc from CA that is really a bargain for it's QPR. It's $27.99 at the PLCB specialty stores.

Chilled Cucumber Buttermilk Soup

Smoked Salmon, Avocado and Pickled Fruits

Young Sorrel Leaves, Tarragon Infusion

Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Kloster Furstental Riesling Brut Sekt 2000

This is one of my very favorite go to wines. It compliments virtually anything but red meat. Also my favorite sushi wine on earth. Delicate with a definite taste of riesling, but subtle and refined. $19.00 at Moore Brothers Wine Co.

Roasted Dayboat Scallop with Porcini Crust

PX – Truffle Glaze

Foie Gras Ravioli

Pickled White Asparagus

Porcini Emulsion

Weingut Ratzenberger Bacharacher Wolfshohle Riesling Spatlese 1998

Seeking a riesling with some "funkiness" to go with all those luscious mushroom-y and truffle flavors, but with a good backbone of acidity to stand up to the foie gras. This is the same winemaker that produced the sparkling sekt from the previous course so it was interesting to compare and contrast two very different takes on grapes from a common source with a common winemaker. $22.00 from Moore Brothers Wine Co

Halibut Roasted with Sansho

Olive Oil Poached Tomatoes

Lop Chong and Dungeness Crab Broth

Shaved Thai Long pepper

Corte Gardoni Rose Bardolino Chiaretto 2004

This is the lovely Italian Rose Jeff was busting on me about earlier. Although the riesling might have been better with the Halibut, I still thought this stood up to the tomatoes and the Lop Chong sausage pretty well. Not the perfect choice, but certainly a pleasant quaff with this course. $12.00 at Moore Brothers Wine Co.

Wagyu Beef Cooked 4 Ways

Roasted Hanger Steak with Cocoa Nib-Star Anise Salt, Banyuls Vinaigrette

Chuck Bolognese and Pine Nut Ravioli

Braised Cheek on Almond Cauliflower Fondant, Rainwater Madiera Jus

Oxtail and Potato Croquette

E. Guigal Gigondas 2001

Jeff gets all the credit for locating this winner. An excellent choice with the four luscious preparations of beef. The hangar steak was the beef-iest bite of anything I've ever tasted! This wine was perfect with all of thebeef - robust yet soft and fruity as well. Pricing is unknown to me as Jeff was kind enough to donate these to the "cause".

Caramelized Banana and Cocoa Nib St Nizier

Chocolate Coffee Sorbet

Butterscotch Foam

Candied Puffed Rice.

NV San Telmo Jerez La Cosecha Pedro Ximenez Sacristia Sherry

This worked really well with the cheese AND the dessert. Sweet, but not too syrupy, it complimented the chocolate, the fruitiness and the caramel flavors of this over the top dessert. We really were just giggling out loud at this. It was awesome! This bottling is $20 for 750 ml at Moore Bros. Wine Co.

Percy was kind enough to bring along a bottle of one of my fave dessert wines, the Bonny Doon Muscat Vin de Glacier that we managed to polish off as well. This was a tough crowd if you were a full bottle!

All in all a truly fabulous evening shared with good company, a gracious host and wonderful food and drink.

[Mummer]

studiokitchen (and then the little ampersand thingy)

@ is a commercial at, & is an ampersand

Of course, we knew what you meant, Phil.A.

Here's more than anyone needs to know about commercial at. (And a preposition is something you don't end a sentence with.)

As for Shola closing Studiokitchen, he said he wanted to move on at my first dinner there 3 years ago. I've been able to get back 5 times.

Let's see, what are the 4 other meals in my top ten list?

[philadining]

@ is a commercial at, & is an ampersand

←

Oh right, thanks Charlie, of course! It seems like there ought to be a better term for it, I'll bet the UNIX programmers have a good name for that symbol.... Anyway, I didn't want to just write "at", I can't believe that the spambots wouldn't have caught on to that yet.

And Katie, I would have sprayed milk out of my nose, had I been drinking milk, reading your vivid description of your air conditioning woes. Not to be unsympathetic, that was just a hilarious turn of phrase. You'd make a mighty fine backwoods philosopher!

Thanks for the wine specifics, I had forgotten many of the details in the swirl of the evening, and had especially wanted to note the name of that sparking Riesling. As you say, it would be a fine sushi wine. I'd imagine it would be good with many Asian foods. And again, there was nothing at all wrong with the Rosé, I actually quite liked it.

But I think the Sherry might have been the winner for me. You're right, "Syrupy" doesn't quite get it right, because it wasn't excessively sweet, but I felt like I might be able to turn my glass upside down and just let it ooze into my mouth...

Oh, and the Guigal Gigondas (2001) was not crazy expensive, I forget, mid-twenties? At your local State Store!

[KatieLoeb]

And Katie, I would have sprayed milk out of my nose, had I been drinking milk, reading your vivid description of your air conditioning woes. Not to be unsympathetic, that was just a hilarious turn of phrase. You'd make a mighty fine backwoods philosopher!

I wish I could take credit for that one, but I heard it from one of my neighbors (who helped me break into my house in the 92 degree weather when the front door lock broke) and commited it to memory because it cracked me up too!

[TarteTatin]

So I emailed Studio Kitchen about two months ago asking for a reservation anytime in the next few months.

About three weeks ago, he sent me a few dates, mid week, that were open.

I immediately emailed him back to book it.

I've emailed him twice now, politely asking if we, indeed, have that evening.

It's coming up in two or three weeks, and I need to finalize things with the others.

Why won't he confirm with me?

Any ideas on what to do next?

Is there an actual phone number?

Thanks, everyone!

[philadining]

I know this is no real consolation, but as you probably know from reading this topic, he's not snubbing you personally! He's just swamped with emails, and often out-of-town and/or cranking out dinners that are really taking all of his attention and energy. He'd probably never get anything cooked if he stopped to answer all his messages promptly! (Tonight at Studio Kitchen, 5 bowls of cereal... sorry, it's all there was time for...)

So, I can completely sympathize with you, it's a little unsettling not knowing for sure if you're even booked, but he WILL catch up on his emails when he can. And it's worth the anxiety!

I don't know the phone number, and I doubt it would do much good, he's not answering the phone if he's swamped. I'd drop him another reminder email (use the the gmail account) and I'm sure he'll contact you soon.