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September 30, 2007

Cell phone use in restaurants

Actual20light20bling20cell20frontWe all have them. They're kind of like unruly pets we all sheepishly keep indulging. But does that mean we put them on the table next to the salt and pepper, answering the extra-loud Super Mario Brothers theme ringtone every 2 minutes? By the way, that ringtone is #4 on this week's Billboard top ringtone chart. The rest:

1 John Carpenter, Halloween   (very seasonal, don't you think?) 
2  Henry Mancini, Pink Panther    
3 Grupo Montez De Durango, Adios Amor Te Vas      
5 50 Cent, Candy Shop
6 Nickelback, Rockstar   
7 Beyonce, Irreplaceable      
8 Afroman, Because I Got High   
9 50 Cent, Best Friend
10 Rascal Flatts, What Hurts The Most

But I digress. What's the prevailing wisdom on cell phone use in restaurants? Step outside? Put it on vibrate? We all know we talk louder on the phone than we do to our tablemates (because the earpiece isn't connected to the microphone so the user can't really hear himself speaking). Is volume the central problem? Or is it that we leave our tablemates gazing, embarrassed, off into the middle distance while we take a call?

Is there a way to make it less rude?  And for a while there were restaurants with little "please turn off your cell phone signs"--that seems to have gone out the window. Does this mean restaurants, and patrons, are just resigned to shouting and Super Mario Brothers accompanying their meals?

September 27, 2007

$$$tupid

In my quest to mock stupid-expensive foodstuffs, the following have come to my attention:

Stupid-Expensive Dessert:

A Sri Lankan resort is charging $14,500 for what it calls the world's most expensive dessert, a fruit infused confection complete with a chocolate sculpture and a gigantic gemstone. "The Fortress Stilt Fisherman Indulgence" was created to give visitors at The Fortress resort in the coastal city of Galle a one-of-a-kind experience, said the hotel's public relations manager, Shalini Perera. The dessert is a gold leaf Italian cassata flavored with Irish cream, served with a mango and pomegranate compote and a champagne sabayon enlighten. The dessert is decorated with a chocolate carving of a fisherman clinging to a stilt, an age old local fishing practice, and an 80 carat aquamarine stone. The dessert has to be specially ordered, Perera said. Though the hotel has gotten calls about it from as far away as Japan, she said, no one has yet forked over the money to try it.

Stupid-Expensive Pizza:

A Scottish chef has made what might be the world's most expensive pizza: The pizza is sprinkled with gold and topped with champagne-soaked caviar and lobster marinated in the finest cognac. Creator Domenico Crolla said it was worth more than $3,700. Mr. Crolla tied the pie in to the most recent James Bond movie by calling it the "Pizza Royale 007" (" 'If any pizza was made to suit 007, this is it,' said Mr Crolla.") and it was auctioned off on eBay to raise money for a charity, the Fred Hollows Foundation, "which works to prevent curable blindness in developing countries."

September 26, 2007

Splitting the bill

I'm going to New York next weekend for the New Yorker Festival and to party like a rock star with my four best friends from college. Some eating, drinking, shopping, dancing, and seeing lectures on casualties in Iraq and other fun stuff.

Friends_episode8_aThe five of us are really different, with different life situations and priorities. Financially, it's going to be a little like that Friends episode where the three of them were flush and happy to just split the bill evenly at the end of a restaurant meal, whereas the other three ordered on the cheap side specifically so their bill was going to be manageable (meaning, they wanted to pay specifically for what they had eaten).

What's the etiquette of that? How do you handle splitting the bill? Let's say I want to order a snazzy bottle of wine--I want to share it with my friends, but I don't want them to feel weird about not paying for it. Is it OK to sneak away and slide a credit card in your waiter's apron, or does that read as slimy and underhanded somehow?

I hate being all legaleese about who ordered what, adding their percentage of the tip, etc. Takes some of the fun out of dining out. But is it more annoying to those people who ordered inexpensively to pay for more than their share?

Eating Tampa survey

Just a little pre-breakfast post. I want to hear more about this whole clothing-optional restaurant stuff (thanks, John), but first I want to aid my friend Dave in putting together a usable dining guide. He sent me this:

Hey guys, I’ve decided to do a “Best of Eating in Tampa” series of posts, so I’m asking for some feedback. [All the categories are listed on his site]. If you have a moment, please give your suggestion in any categories you want. If you think of any new categories add them at the end. Don’t feel that you have to put something in every category. Next weekend I’ll tally up the scores and post Eating Tampa’s Best Of. Forward this along to anyone you think might be interested. The more votes the better!

I weighed in on a bunch, but I got category-fatigue, so I need to go back and do another round.

September 25, 2007

Naked chef?

Caliente Clothing Optional Luxury Resort has a new executive chef, I heard today. Chef Seddiq Elamrani was recently appointed, adding a little Moroccan spice to the proceedings.  Some questions come to mind. Do naked people have different culinary needs? Do you try to minimize sauces? Do you worry about steak knives or dangerous cutlery? Do you offer lots of napkins?

And if you wait tables at a clothing-optional restaurant, where do you keep your tips?

Immature, I know. But I'm interested in these things. Now I gotta get my editor onboard with me reviewing the place so I can get some answers...

September 24, 2007

Napkins...the good, the bad and the ugly

Napkinfoldcone Like it: When the restaurant offers you a white napkin or a black napkin depending on your outfit so you don't get little lint boogers.

Hate it: When the guy keeps putting your napkin on your lap for you even if you've just gotten up to go to the can. Also, when they reform the napkin into a swan or whatever during your bathroom break.

Like it: If there are gunky paper napkin balls on your table, it's nice when a server takes those away and brings you a new one for dessert.

Hate it: Those nylon-like colored hotel napkins that aren't absorbent.

Like it: Finger bowls and those warm towels at the beginning of some Asian restaurant meals (but what's the etiquette with those--can you wipe your whole face, or even the pate of your head if you're bald?)

Anyone else?

September 23, 2007

Gold Dust Memories

Janet's gold-panning story in the paper today got me thinking about gold rush food history.

Really, the West Coast's restaurant boom started when Sam Brannan paraded his vial of gold dust down Montgomery Street in San Francisco, yelling “Gold! Gold! Gold on the American River!” With that he ignited the 1849 gold rush, and San Francisco restaurants have never been the same.

The vicissitudes of supply and demand made rustling up some vittles 150 years ago anything but a cakewalk. Vegetables in early San Francisco were luxuries that only the very rich could afford—apples up to $5 each. Most of those miners went without, risking scurvy and other ailments. Want bread with your meal? That’s $1 a slice, $2 if it was buttered.

Bad planning yielded a glut of some staples—you couldn’t give slab bacon away—and a dire lack of others. Some 49ers were known to have paid up to $100 for a glass of water. And because the miners were largely rough-and-tumble men who didn’t know a bain marie from a melon baller, the womanly art of cooking took on unforeseen luster, creating a little cult of highly-paid celebrity chefs. Hey, that doesn’t sound too different from today.

In 1881, the San Francisco city directory lists 233,959 residents, 428 restaurants, 342 oyster saloons, 90 coffee saloons, and some 1400 bars. That means roughly one eating or drinking establishment per every 100 people. Not bad.

423496 Just what were all those early settlers tucking into at great expense? That would be “Hangtown fry," a sinful amalgam of scrambled eggs, bacon and oysters. One probably apocryphal account attributes its origin to a prospector who had just struck pay dirt and wanted to celebrate with the most costly meal that could be whipped up in camp. Another story gives the honors to a man on death row who dreamed up this final-meal request (oysters were so prized that the oyster beds of San Francisco were depleted by 1851) as a means of postponing his execution a bit.

Pretty luxurious stuff, huh? What are some other great more-is-more, pull-out-all-the-stops dishes?

September 22, 2007

Number one at number two?

Poosoldhere_125x125Maybe I'm out of line, but getting press releases like this makes me snort and guffaw, then roll my eyes and post it on a blog. Obviously, it ain't easy being green, but this just seems over-the-top-enviro-goofy:

Celebrate a GREEN Christmas with Elephant Poo Poo Paper
TORONTO, Ontario—Paper made of poo? It’s true! And “green,” too. This year, eco-savvy shoppers will be able to purchase handmade journals, gift wrap and card sets and ornaments—all with a festive holiday twist—and made of 100 percent recycled and odorless products.

Created by The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company Limited, these unique gifts are sure to stand out under the tree. As are any of the brand’s existing products, including stationery and journal sets, noteboxes, and greeting cards, all made of (you guessed it!) elephant poo!

These are gifts made of dried elephant dung, ranging in price from  $10.99 to $24.99.

For poo.

It's not a food post, per se, but it fits into some things I've been thinking about. We increasingly do all this stuff to assuage our environmental guilt. Things like carbon-neutral travel in which you plant trees once you've touched down in Southeast Asia, or pay extra to have indigenous peoples learn about renewable fuel sources. Are we barking up the wrong trees, focusing on the wrong things? Is sending notecards made of poo going to make any kind of discernable difference in the health of our planet?

I think Slow Food is a reasonable place to turn for direction.

September 21, 2007

Burger follow-up and then abrupt non sequitur

I got some decent feedback on my Five Guys story yesterday. Here's a sampling:

Laura, you really missed it with 5 Guys Hamburgers. First of all, this is not fast food. One waits quite a period of time for the food. I went there in the middle of the afternoon and the wait was excessively long, and they weren't that busy. Second, the burgers are hockey pucks. Overdone, dry, and overpriced. Third, the fries are very greasy. So much so that the bag is dripping with grease. The place is very much overrated and certainly overpriced. I wouldn't go back there if I were starving on a dessert island. -–William

When I found out Five Guys was coming to Pinellas Park, I read what others around the country thought of them. Seeing nothing but rave reviews I went to one already open in Tampa. I thought it was OK and felt the same about the one in Pinellas Park. While the fries may be better, since the name is Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries; I must judge them by their burgers. I feel for approximately the same price the Thickburgers at Hardees are more flavorful. I think the best burgers are at local places such as El Cap or Ted Peter's to name a couple; but if I am going to a chain restaurant for a hamburger; it's Hardees for me. --Thomas Dudgeon   

Loved your review on Five Guys. They are the best. We visited them often when we lived in the DC area. Can’t wait for the Trinity store to open. --Dave Milliman, Brooksville

Why does anyone eat this crap ...look at the photo people. Wait n see .... you'll all be walking toward the light soon!! Don't say I didn't warn you, this is how it all starts, moderation at first and then 2,3,4,times a week. Moderation,yeah right!!--by Health Nut
   
Best burger I have every had! The fries are excellent too! Everything in moderation. I would not eat here every day, but it is a nice treat once in a while! Love the peanuts too!--by Keysha

Alice So, opinions vary. At the opposite side of the culinary universe from fast-food burgers, I'd like to take a moment to gush about Kim Severson's story in the New York Times Wednesday about Alice Waters, the founder of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif. and one of the biggest advocates of eating foods that are organic, local and sustainable. It was a stunning piece, with an unbelievable seven-minute video of Alice buying food at a farmer's market and her very first blog post on Kim Severson's blog.  Alice Waters is a true revolutionary and a tireless force in the effort to make us more thoughtful about our food. I actually got a little weepy watching the video.

One of the next projects on the horizon for me is a story on how celebrated/notable/bigshot restaurants in the Tampa Bay area handle the needs of vegetarians. Who's doing a good job, who is not. Love to hear your thoughts...

September 19, 2007

Brush with culinary fame, watch the crumbs

My friend in Baltimore just sent this:

"So.....I stumble into this hole-in-the-wall Italian bakery near my new office downtown today, and met the mom-n-pop proprietors of this shop.

It is a tiny bakery called Piedigrotta that has cookies, cakes, bread and--yes--tiramisu everywhere. But, it was lunchtime so I asked for a sandwich (no menus or anything like that). So the lady (Brunna Iannaconne) went into the back and made me an Italian cold cut panini on a fresh, homemade (of course) Italian roll.

Ab11463tiramisupostersI talked to them for a while, and it turns out that they claim to have INVENTED tiramisu!

So when I got back to the office I checked wikipedia, and it mentioned this guy! It had a link to a Washington Post article that you have to read.

BTW, the sandwich was UNBELIEVABLE!"

I love Baltimore (in a shallow and superficial way, but also in a deep and profound way; totally different reasons). What has the Tampa Bay area invented so I can stop being so jealous?

Wherein through a cruel twist of fate I find kolaches

Sean Daly gets lots of hits on his blog. I get fewer. He sometimes talks about his daughter (today is a case in point, all Kid Lulu, all the time). I have yet to do so.

In the hopes of boosting my hits, becoming an overnight blog sensation at the paper, I submit to you the following story of my daughter, which ends with a World Class Food Discovery:

First, I do not have my ears pierced. No extra holes punched in my body, please. My daughter? She got hers pierced four weeks ago. Her decision. I'm fine with that, really. This morning, she comes downstairs hysterical because her ear is infected and the earring is missing. Hmm, oh my, it's not missing. IT'S INSIDE HER EAR.

We remain calm. Mostly. We go to the pediatrician. It's ugly in there, serious blood, sweat and tears. Afterward, limp and stricken, we get back in the car and drive toward school. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a sign for KDBox Kolache & Donut (14941 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, 813/977-6654).

KolachiesA donut would make everything better, I said to myself (well, everything except her puffy, red ear). But it turns out kolaches might be capable of fixing even that. It's a Czech bun of yeast dough with a depression or pocket for filling, generally with a fruit jam, meat or cheese. At KDBox, some are plump golden balls, some are Polish sausage-filled long tubes. Some contain barbecued beef, some broccoli and cheese, others simply cream cheese. Delicious, portable, super cheap (99 cents to $1.69)--a meal that is utterly utensil-free, I think kolaches might be poised to change the American culinary landscape.

Now, anyone have advice on how to convince a kid she's fine with just one ear pierced?

September 18, 2007

Slightly crabby rant from my friend...

She's a good egg (shift gears, I'm not talking cage-free stuff now), so even you ferocious parents of young pups, see if there's a kernel of truth here before you bristle.

"Saw that you did a recent piece on noisy restaurants.  On a somewhat related note, I have an ax to grind about Starbucks.  Last week there were rumblings that they were looking at developing more products to market to kids.  Yeah, we don't have kids, but we live in a really family-oriented neighborhood. As a result, our local Starbucks has the ambiance of a Chuck E. Cheese's.  It's sad to see people with their laptops trying to have a meeting with a client, like they used to be able to do, while the little ones do laps.  I'm not knocking the kids.  Some are great.  Others, their parents don't expect much self control from them, so the worst of the lot sets the tone.  Here in our area, people can even bring their children into bars, so you can't go there for a bit of adult conversation their.  What's a grown up to do???  Am I really supposed to spend $4.00 for a coffee and not be able to enjoy it in peace?  End of rant."

I know what she means. Here's a question for you:

My editor is interested in me doing a story about people who bring electronic pacifiers (gameboys, DVD players, iPods) to restaurants for their kids. Is this a reasonable way to assure kids' good behavior? Are we missing the boat by keeping them constantly entertained to assure good behavior, or is this a kindness that proactively insures our fellow diners' happiness?

Egg on their face?

I buy cage-free eggs. Will I eat an egg when I know nothing of its mother's well-being? Yes, I will. But I've seen the film clips about how large-scale egg farms work and it makes me queasy. I don't even particularly relate to chickens (I'm more of a mammal gal), but it seems like an easy call. Give the chickens a better life, they produce their eggs in a relatively happy state, it's a win-win. I'd like one soft-boiled with a lot of salt and butter, please.

The American Egg Board has revived its “Incredible Edible Egg” campaign—at the same time that The Humane Society of the United States is spearheading a nationwide movement away from some of the egg industry’s animal abuse.

Numerous companies, schools, and even local governments are opposing the cruel confinement of egg-laying hens in small, wire “battery cages” on factory farms. These operations confine birds in cages so tiny that they cannot even walk or spread their wings.

“Most ‘Incredible Edible Eggs’ still come from birds in incredibly cruel cages,” commented Paul Shapiro, senior director of The HSUS’ factory farming campaign. “But fortunately there’s now a snowballing movement away from some of the industry’s most incredible cruelty, and we call on the American Egg Board to help move the industry away from battery cage confinement.”

Wolfgang Puck is ending the use of eggs from caged hens. Burger King is starting to move away from cage eggs. Grocery chains such as Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace have stopped selling cage eggs. Major food service companies such as Bon Appétit are ending their use of cage eggs. More than 150 colleges and universities have implemented cage-free egg policies.

Egg_2  Facts

--U.S. factory farms confine about 280 million hens in barren battery cages that are so small, the birds can’t even spread their wings. Each bird has less space than a single sheet of paper on which to live. The European Union has banned barren battery cages, effective 2012.
--Cage-free hens generally have 250-300 percent more space per bird and are able to engage in more of their natural behaviors than are caged hens. While cage free hens may not be able to go outside, they are able to walk, spread their wings, and lay their eggs in nests—all behaviors permanently denied to hens confined in battery cages.

Timeline

--August 2007—The HSUS begins to publicly call on Wendy’s to stop lagging behind Burger King and move away from the use of eggs from caged hens.
--March 2007—Burger King announces that it has started phasing in the use of cage-free eggs.
--March 2007—Wolfgang Puck announces the implementation of a wide-ranging program to improve animal welfare in his supply chain, including not using battery cage eggs.
--March 2007—Congressmembers Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) introduce the Farm Animal Stewardship Purchasing Act, which requires animal producers supplying federal programs with meat, dairy, and eggs to comply with a moderate set of animal welfare standards.
--September 2006— Ben & Jerry’s announces that it will phase out the use of eggs from caged hens in all its ice creams.
--May 2006—Google implements an exclusively cage-free egg policy for its employee dining facilities.
--May 2005—Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Natural Marketplace announce that they have ended sales of eggs from caged hens.
--November 2003—The Better Business Bureau rules that it is misleading to label eggs from battery-caged hens as “Animal Care Certified.”

September 17, 2007

A tribute to Mamma Marcella

Newsweek06044 Quick, who said: “If the definition of poetry allowed that it could be composed with the products of the field as well as with words, pesto would be in every anthology”?

Longboat Key’s one and only Marcella Hazan. She’s the mother of Italian cooking in this country, the author of The Classic Italian Cookbook, Marcella Says, Marcella Cucina, Marcella’s Italian Kitchen, and a few other Marcella books in the same vein. She introduced balsamic vinegar to this country (by way of Chuck Williams, of Williams-Sonoma), and just as Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking was a book that many Francophile cooks slept with under their pillows, so too was Hazan’s first book in 1973 the kind of cookbook that serious students of Italian cuisine eventually had to replace with a fresh copy (too much sauce gumming up the pages).

Hazan’s in her 80s now and this native of Cesenatico, Italy has called Florida home for the past eight years. Having moved countless times, (“four times across the ocean,” in her words), she’s feeling settled.

Continue reading "A tribute to Mamma Marcella" »

September 15, 2007

London calling

Royal_queen You knew London was pricey, but now it’s official: London is the most expensive dining capital in the world. According to the Zagat survey, the average meal cost in LondonBig20ben  increased to $79.85, up 2.9% from last year. That’s more expensive than a meal in Paris ($72.25), Tokyo ($71.69), New York City ($39.43) or Los Angeles ($31.93). 50004britishflagposters

Last year, the cost of a meal in London was second only to Tokyo, but this year, London has eclipsed both Tokyo and Paris. Doubledeckerbus1 Among the 20 most expensive restaurants in London, the average meal cost is $179.54, a dramatic 6.1% increase over last year’s figure of $152.63.

September 14, 2007

Noises off

I got some good feedback on my noise story yesterday.

Here's a great article on noise sent by Judy Ellis, who sent the note below:

"Many thanks to Laura Reiley for saying what needs to be said again and again: There is no reason for the "ambience" in a restaurant to drown out normal human conversation.  Despite complaints, and despite the Zagat survey, dining establishments continue to  put loud ahead of food.  Last summer, our foursome was being literally pounded senseless at an upscale eatery but when we asked the waiter why management encouraged a war between its diners and the music, he said "Lots of people come here because they like this energy."  I doubt it.  All of us were hoarse for days.  Isn't stimulating conversation one of the reasons people go out to eat? 

Restaurant noise is unforgivable and for those of us in the anti-noise business, inexplicable.  When I heard Malio's was opening at 400 North Ashley, where I used to work, I was dumbfounded, because at the time there wasn't a single sound-absorbing object anywhere in that lobby.  It was a giant echo chamber.
 
One of the things your articles could have made more of is music, which should never, ever interfere with communication and should always be background (unlike at the Chipotle Grill, where they brag about their music being foreground, turn it down only when someone begs and then turn it right back up again, all this despite numerous online complaints and bum reviews about good food and bad music - the owners are very stubborn!).  Lots of things contribute to noise in a restaurant and if you already have a joint that's jumping, crowded with people talking and all the associated sounds of dining, why in the world do you add to it with music that no one can hear but which adds to the din?"
 
Judy Ellis
Noise Free Florida, www.NoiseOFF.org

And from reader Dan Calabria:

"Hi Laura, Bullseye!! I was there about a month ago. The gorgonzola salad was superb as usual and the rack of lamb was nothing less than outstanding. BUT...the noise made it almost unbearable - and we were on the upper level on a Thursday night. Hopefully, they'll figure out how to handle the problem (foam on tables won't do it)."Noise_thermometer_big_2  

September 13, 2007

More on tipping

Very interesting discussion at Zagat Buzz today. It starts like this:

My husband thinks it's rude for a waiter to pick up a paid bill before we leave the table. He prefers the waiter to wait until we leave before the tip is revealed. Thoughts on this?

Well, my thoughts are that hubby is right (it happens once in a while). It seems rude for the waiter to pick up the check because (A) then the server then knows the customer's chosen gratuity, and (B) because it somehow signals that the meal is "over" along with the attendant service.

Tipjar3gif Still, professional waiters wrote in that somewhere between 30 and 40 percent of checks are unsigned, or the math is done wrong, or the credit card is left behind. Thus, the waiter giving things a little look-see cuts down on goofs and lost cards. Also, late in the evening, the management needs to run reports that hinge on having all checks accounted for.

With a cash payment, waiters should pick it up while saying, "I'll be back with your change," instead of "is this all set?" or something else that essentially asks if the tip has been finalized.

Salmon-chanted evening

070903_cartoon_9_a12053_p465_2Wild salmon versus farm-raised salmon.

Discuss.

Really, there’s lots to consider. Problems with farmed salmon, in a nutshell: It takes 2 to 10 pounds of small fish caught wild in the ocean to raise 1 1/2 pounds of farmed salmon meat. That’s bad math. Also, farmed salmon are mostly raised in open pen nets near the coast, so their waste has a huge impact on the coastal ecology. And not in a good way. And the farmed fish are usually from a very shallow gene pool—when these fish escape and breed with local species it can affect the wild species’ ability to reproduce.

Problems with wild fish: Much less petroleum is burned to produce farmed fish than to catch and bring wild fish to market. Thus, wild caught fish are worse for the environment overall?

I’m not so sure.

Health-wise, farmed fish is about on a par with wild fish, but because wild fish gets more exercise, the resulting flesh is noticeably firmer. Farm-raised salmon are generally bigger and contain more fat than wild salmon. On the other hand, in January 2004, the journal Science warned that farm-raised salmon contain 10 times more toxins (PCBs, dioxin, etc.) than wild salmon.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program (an excellent site, by the way) says this:

Wild-caught salmon from Alaska is certified as sustainable to the standard of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and is considered a best choice.

Wild-caught salmon from California, Washington and Oregon are considered good alternatives, especially to farmed salmon. These fisheries are well-managed, but there are concerns about the long-term health of their populations. Wild Pacific salmon are among the most intensively managed species  in the world, however many populations have declined dramatically due to historical overfishing  as well as habitat  damage caused by dam construction, deforestation and urban development.

One of the challenges of managing salmon is that they migrate from the rivers where they are born and mix in the ocean, where they are caught. This poses a problem in California and the Pacific Northwest, where nearly 30 runs of salmon and steelhead are on the Endangered Species List. These endangered fish continue to be unintentionally caught by fishermen who are targeting other salmon species. However, fisheries managers and fishermen continue to work hard to ensure the sustainability of Pacific salmon.

And here's the handy chart they have:

SEAFOOD RATING MARKET NAMES WHERE CAUGHT HOW CAUGHT
Salmon Best Choice: These fish are abundant, well managed and fished or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. Coho, Sockeye, King, Pink and Red Alaska Wild-Caught
Salmon Good Alternative: These are good alternatives to the best choices column. There are some concerns with how they are fished or farmed – or with the health of their habitats due to other human impacts. Coho, Sockeye, King, Pink and Red California, Oregon, Washington Wild-Caught
Salmon Avoid: Avoid these products for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished or fished or farmed in ways that harm the environment. Farmed Salmon, Atlantic Salmon Worldwide Farmed

September 12, 2007

What does a goblin eat at the beach?

I'm feeling spicy today. Thus, a double post. After Smedley's delightful harangue of the morning, I'd like to pause for a moment to consider...The Sandwich.

World_most_expensive_sandwich This week’s tips have included the following.

Via blackberry: Check out Press 2315 Sandwich and Wine Bar at 2315 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, (727)327-5544. www.press2315.com

Will do.

And this, from a Mr. Travis:

Dear Editors,
Located at 11402 North 30th St., Tampa, near the USF campus, McAlister's Deli is quickly becoming a certified hot spot for great sandwiches, huge baked potatoes, and sweet tea that will make you slap your mother.  It is a Mississippi-based restaurant franchise that allows customers a huge menu, quick casual service, and most of all great Southern-style charm. It challenges and surpasses the likes of Panera Bread because of the personal attention received by each patron. The manager at McAlister's Deli strives to meet and greet every single customer that enters and exits the building.  He is what keeps the customers coming back!!! You definitely need to check this one out.

Again, Mr. Travis, I'm on it. And I am especially eager to experience the mother-slapping part.

Then there’s this, from Dale Hall, owner:

I own All-Star Celebrity Deli at 13501 Icot Blvd., Suite 100, (727) 523-1332. It’s across from Tuscon’s in the Icot Center. My wife and I have owned it since January 2007 and we have a full but small kitchen. We carry all Boar's Head meats and cheeses. We also have great Philly cheese steaks, chicken, burgers, etc. We are trying hard, we seem to be doing the right thing, and we are extremely busy at lunch. We are open for breakfast and lunch, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.

You go, Smedley!

I got this yesterday from A. Smedley. To Smedley, I say, "Get your own stinkin' blog, but I've got to agree with you on this one":

Hey, Mouth –

What’s your feeling about decorative squiggles of assorted squeeze-bottle “goo” liquids as a garnishment on food … soup to nuts? This seems like a very dated culinary embellishment … whose day may have come and gone by 2007, at least by the standards of most dining establishments in the more cosmopolitan, “hip” cities across the nation. However, word hasn’t been telegraphed yet to the Plate_squiggleskitchens of Tampa Bay!

Editorial note: Smedley means these:

One can imagine giant tanker trucks making daily deliveries to sunken storage “sauce-vats” in restaurant parking lots across the Tampa Bay, filled with something identified, as example, as “balsamico,” but in reality is some mock mahogany colored syrupy GOO concoction over which some shameless manufacturer paused to whisper "balsamic vinegar." Assuredly, when extruded artfully out of a plastic squeeze bottle and squiggled into lovely herringbone patterns with the end of a toothpick as the budding chef learned in Garde Manger 101, one can camouflage a multitude of sins or jazz up an otherwise ho-hum presentation … but does the decorative element add ANYTHING of value to the flavor of the dish it’s been oozed onto so heavy-handedly? And I challenge the food purveyor to verify that the contents of said squeeze bottle is solely unadulterated balsamic vinegar, or whatever colored flavor it’s purported to be!

I cite an experience this evening of dining in a well-reputed Tampa Italian trattoria. The tiramisu I ordered for dessert could have stood with its head held high as a perfectly acceptable paragon of coffee-infused, sponge-cake/lady finger based mascarpone delicacy. But when delivered to my table, it almost needed transport on a flat-bed truck, arriving with an excessive, yeah almost overwhelming OVERKILL encirclement of whipped cream  (probably real and not Redi-Whip from an aerosol can … but definitely uncalled for by any classic standards of tiramisu!), squeeze-bottle squiggles of BROWN AND RED - chocolate sauce and that ubiquitous red sweet stuff that one is hard-pressed to confirm as raspberry, cherry or strawberry. Whichever, it imparts virtually zero flavor, but has sufficient body to it to be extruded into those predictable, lasting decorative waves that someone in the kitchen has decreed makes the whole dish eye-catching. Frankly, it was a visual abomination that I wanted to ask be removed to the kitchen and a good scrape job performed to remove all the excessive goop! Better would have been a dainty helping of perfectly delectable tiramisu … hold the whip, hold Whipped20cream20resize2the brown and red squiggles, and simply dust ever so lightly with a delicate grating of fine chocolate.

Ed. note: example of excessive whipped cream.

Tampa, just say “oh, so passé” to the squeeze bottle squiggles. Little to be gained flavor-wise and as for visual presentation, only makes the diner wonder what the kitchen is trying to distract us from on the plate!!!!

September 11, 2007

Baby's first blog battle

Graduatingbaby Ah, Snack Packers have heeded the call, taken up the baton, whatever. They, too, are mulling over the greatest food movies of all time, theirs, of course, weighted to snacky bits. Now we need to hear from those other intrepid bloggers of the St. Pete Times. Any food films of the '80s Steve Spears would like to toss into the ring? I know Persall is working on his own list...

Can I get something off my chest?

I reviewed the Catherine Zeta-Jones vehicle No Reservations for the paper a while ago. At least one reader called to complain that I had no business reviewing a film. I'm a restaurant critic, not a film critic, for crying out loud. I thought I did OK. I restrained my bad foodie self, really.

Here's why: The whole first scene is narrated by Zeta-Jones, Roastquail_wideweb__430x428_2this meandering why-quail-with-truffles-is-practically-better-than-sex monologue. These are quails:

Quails are little, spindly things. I could eat a pile of them, especially if truffles happened to be involved.

In the next scene we see Zeta-Jones in her NYC kitchen preparing said dish and sending it out into the dining room.

Only, it wasn't a quail. It was a squab, which looks like this.Squab_05_250_3 What we have here is a much bigger bird. It could eat a quail for breakfast, were it inclined.

And I didn't even get bogged down in this foodie minutiae, just held my tongue and reviewed the film like a pro.

Which leads me, naturally, to the question of what are the greatest food movies of all time. Here's my first attempt, and I defy old fancy-pants movie critic here to do better.Stevepersall_2

Top Ten Food Movies of All Time:

Babette’s Feast--19th-century Denmark, based on a story by Isak Dinesen, makes dried fish look like something you'd voluntarily put in your mouth; 1988.

Big Night--1996; Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci compete with something called a Timpano (like a pasta pie) for scene-stealing.

Dinner Rush--More feisty Italians, a father and a son in conflict, and lobster and pasta in a champagne sauce. That's all you need to know.

Woman on Top--2000; Brazilian hottie chef (Penelope Cruz) moves to San Francisco and has a steamy food TV show. (Come to think of it, Cruz's food scenes in Volver were pretty good, too. Wonder if she really cooks?)

Eat Drink Man Woman--1994; Ang Lee, baby. OK, there are some major chick stereotypes to ignore, but the food is drop-dead sexy. Now, Ang, how about doing a film adaptation of the book The Last Chinese Chef? Very cinematic, very tasty.

Chocolat--Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, his hair and her truffles. Now how could Alfred Molina have a problem with any of that?

Like Water for Chocolate--1992; the book was better, but it still got my blood boiling (speaking of boiling blood, the title is a metaphor in Latin American countries, meaning boiling mad or sexually aroused, because hot chocolate is made with boiling water, not milk). My biggest issue with this book and movie is that the recipes are untenable. I double-dog-dare you to make them.

Nine 1/2 Weeks--1986; fine, I'll include it, but really that refrigerator scene makes Mickey Rourke look like he watched the Tom Jones turkey leg goofiness too many times in his youth.

Tampopo--1985; saw it when it came out and thought it was wiggy in its sequencing, but love the idea of an epic about ramen noodles.

Pink Flamingos--1972; that got your attention, didn't it? OK, not a food movie, but the poop scene may be the most memorable EATING sequence of all time.

All right, sports fans--what say you to my list?

September 10, 2007

Look who's coming to dinner

A few weeks ago I told a reader I'd weigh in on the nuts and bolts of eating out with kids. I know it's a long read, but here are my thoughts...

Waiters shrink from you, hostesses seat you in the far corner by the kitchen. Bad manners? No, just dining out with the kids. From newborn to adolescent, children create special challenges for parents and restaurant staff. If you plan right, though, dining out can be a satisfying experience for everyone, even that petrified waiter.

Don't set kids up for failure

Contentrightlongchildeating_2 Choosing the right restaurant is your first challenge. Look for a restaurant that is "kid friendly," which doesn't mean reflexively heading over to Chuck E. Cheese's. A restaurant doesn't have to have a jungle gym to fit the bill: Look for places with a children's menu or one that offers crayons or other enticements upon entering. This at least indicates that children are welcome and that the staff will be trained to accommodate them.

Noise level is important to consider. Your kids may disturb the peace in a place where you could hear a pin drop, but they may self-destruct in one of the new breed of airstrip-loud restaurants. Make sure you choose a place where tables are widely spaced; booths can help pen in little ones with a will to roam. By law, restaurants must have a high chair, but toddlers often feel too far from the table in these. Booster seats keep them right there with the rest of the family but have a tendency to tip over. For the family that eats out often, most baby stores carry inexpensive seats that clip safely onto the lip of the table.

Go early, before the rush, and make a reservation as opposed to walking in and hoping for the best. This will cut down on loitering time when kids tend to run amok. As in the rest of life, your family only has one chance to make a first impression on the staff. If their expectations are low, your service may reflect this.

Continue reading "Look who's coming to dinner" »

September 09, 2007

Wow, who knew?

I know. A bunch of days of silence. I was kayaking down in Lee County for a story I'm writing. Culinarily speaking, here's what I learned:

"Alex, I'd like weird fish facts for 400, please."

Trebek"The only fish to have a gizzard."

"What is the mullet?"

"That is correct."

Whoo hoo, 400 clams! It seems that the mullet, mostly vegetarian, is like a chicken in that it has no stomach but a crop and a gizzard. Which I was served, fried and piping hot.

Mullet_gizzardVery, very chewy, it looked like a ring, a little sandy, with that minerally taste you associate with organs like kidneys. The finish, a little bitter. In all, I think the mullet gizzard will not take off as an internationally beloved snack food any time soon.Mullet

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against mullet more generally. Smoked and on crackers, it's a keeper. Just throw the gizzards back.   

September 05, 2007

For when life hands you the pits

Jubilee

I'm jumping the gun a little, but September 24 is National Cherries Jubilee Day.

"Whaa?" you say. "There's a day for that?!"

Celebrated French chef August Escoffier was in charge of coming up with something jazzy for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887. Cherries were her favorite—their season fleeting, they were ephemeral and thus dear in the world of fruits. So, the dish he invented was sweet pitted black cherries, poached in a thick simple syrup, poured into a fireproof dish and then flambéed at the moment of presentation. Since then it’s been codified a bit, routinely flamed with kirschwasser and served alongside vanilla ice cream.

Cherries Jubilee was one of those desserts that saw heavy play in fancy American restaurants from the 1930s to the 1960s, even the gold standard of intrepid dinner-party throwers of the same era.

The Harry Waugh Dessert Room at Bern’s Steak House has 86ed Cherries Jubilee. It’s decommissioned. See my Bern's dessert story here.

But now I'm worried. What will become of Baked Alaska? Peach Melba? Crepes Suzette?

September 04, 2007

Crabby Andy Rooney rant No. 1

“Formal dining is dead,” declares Dean Fearing, the chef who spent two decades at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. “I think people want to be wowed, but I don’t think being wowed is formal dining any more,” he adds.

So began a recent Zagat.com article.

MenuI don't know if it's true, but I do know that the concept of tiered prix-fixe menus is increasingly lost. It used to be you'd go to a highfalutin bastion of gastronomy and there would be several prix-fixe menus offered at different prices. It meant that the meals reflected different levels of complexity. Essentially, that the different price levels convey a different opulence of ingredients—foie gras for the workhorse menu, hummingbird tongues or thymus gland of woodland caribou for the pull-out-the-stops menu.

Recently, though, it often just means "lots of food," "a huge amount of food" and "so much food it's scary." Many of the same dishes appear on all three menus, there are just more of them as the price steepens. What's wid dat?

September 03, 2007

More evidence that food is taking over the world

Elvis_shirt_2Sure it can kill you (see previous post), but food is bigger than Elvis, and here’s why:

1. It used to be that developers wooed Nordstrom, Neiman, Saks Fifth Avenue, etc. in order to anchor malls and draw big crowds. These days, the wooing is reserved for Cheesecake Factory, Capital Grille, Legal Sea Foods and P.F. Chang’s China Bistro. In other words, blockbuster chain restaurants draw the shopping hoards better than Macy’s these days.

2. A recent study published by Packaged Foods (using information gathered from a Simmons Market Research Bureau survey) estimated that the food gift market has grown 47 percent from 2004 to 2006, even though the total consumer gift market decreased 8 percent during this time. That growth is expected to continue with another 45 percent increase forecasted by 2010, becoming a $23 billion market.

3. The number of accredited culinary programs in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the past ten years, from 89 in 1997 to 174 now, according to Candice Childers of the American Culinary Federation. Because of the Food Network and an increasing number of movies, books and television shows about cooking, teenagers are turning to careers in the culinary arts in record numbers.

About This Blog

"He who distinguishes the true savor of his food can never be a glutton; he who does not cannot be otherwise."
- Henry David Thoreau.

"I eat with gusto. Damn, you bet!"
- Jonathan Richman.

Laura Reiley is the food critic for the St. Petersburg Times. She is not a glutton but she eats with gusto.

Have a restaurant suggestion? E-mail Laura Reiley: lreiley@sptimes.com

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