misstenacity

Woohoo - I'm going back to Silver City for the first time in years! Rob, relleno burritos, and a.i.r. coffee, here I come! Andrea

Check out the page in Firefox, as well - the graphics do not line up correctly for me. Some SEO work is desparately needed - you have a pagerank of 0! Good luck.... Andrea

Thank you for the great tour! I'm currently here on business (which is usually bad for prospecting the foodie haunts), but so far its been ok. I had the awesome marrow at Blue Ribbon in Soho, and then in my wanderings back to Midtown I had a slice of Ray's Original and ultimately some custard at Shake Shack. And then my feet were tired. Definitely a good evening, and I haven't yet decided if I'm going to go for a blowout meal while here or just nibble on the many unique little places. Oh, how about the best freakin' pull of espresso in Midtown? I'm sick of seeing Schtahbuks everywhere. So far the verdict based on quick research is Zibetto. Andrea

Thanks for the reply, Sabrosita. I'm with you - tell me what it will cost and then I'll decide if the fees justify the result. So far, we've done well with that approach, and if you get a business owner who is really on top of their cash flow and they get what the practice of "breakage" will do to the bottom line, they're usually very eager to engage... I'm leaving for NY on Sunday, and looking forward to one of the meetings we have scheduled already. That, and going to Joe's Shangahi for Xiaolong Bao! Andrea

Right, gotcha. My mistake on the Google ads - I was thinking about AdWords, where you pay to show your own ads. But you're exactly on target with your second statement - that is how it works. First, the restaurant makes/collects money, and then only later we ask for our side of it. This format definitely makes me an eager participant in how best to increase sales - the only way we make money is when our clients do first! Andrea

Thank you for the feedback! I really appreciate hearing what everyone thinks about this... Ok, #1 - check. Have a good selection of local (to me) restaurants that are selling well with virtually no work on their end. #2 - Google ads are not free. Far from it, actually. I ran a small campaign myself for an organization I volunteer for and it took all of a week to rack up $100 in fees... #3 - Absolutely. I know aethetics are VERY important, so there's no way we'd do it any other way. The flow from one page to another is nearly imperceptible to the user. #4 - I'm not sure how to answer this one... There are no maintenance fees or contracts, but it is a technology company that I work for, not a non-profit. Andrea

Wow, this is a new one for me. How to be a salesperson. In my several years of occasional eGullet posting (even one foodblog!) and copious reading, I now am seeking your counsel. From my limited experience, restaurants exist on the margins of profitability much more so than other businesses, and any boost in income is something that appeals to them . . . but only if it doesn't eat into their already horribly overcrowded schedule and put a burden on their people. So, I have the wonderful opportunity of an audience of high end restaurateurs to whom I want to pitch more sales through their websites. What's the key hook that is going to bring them on board? Simply more money, or is it the more money PLUS no legwork. Or is it ego - adopting a newish feature ahead of their competition? Love to hear your thoughts on this, for I can talk the foodie talk, but not walk the restaurant owner walk. Yet. Andrea

I see that this topic needs some intervention - what is new and: 1. horrible 2. gorgeous 3. inefficient 4. useful ...in restaurant websites? What DO restaurant owners want in a website - do they truly care that the user experience is practical and drives more sales, or is it more to showcase the brand regardless the effect on bandwidth/useability? I kind of get the sense that most sites go one way or the other, but can't help but wonder if there are sites that can bridge the gap between artistry and function. Nobu is not bad in this regard, especially since they include a section for selling their merchandise. Andrea, in ABQ (but soon to visit NY and finally set foot in lots of the heavy-hitters!)

Sorry for the bump, but does anyone give credence to user ratings on Zagat? My first trip to Boston is in 2 months, and I've been hearing that Neptune is the place for oysters, but then saw this post yesterday on Zagat, mentioning a chef changeover (!): ""Crash and burn" was all we could think of at last night's dinner. Has been one of our "go to" neighborhood stops for years. Now a new chef has fully taken over the menu ......" Zagat page and review here Any news?

Has anyone made a creme brulee where the ONLY sugar was in the brulee - the custard below is just cream and eggs.... not even vanilla to mess with the flavor. Is this the "true" creme brulee? Or is vanilla bean the accepted formula (should this be on the purist thread?)? :-)

I just recently had the Savory Thyme truffle, and the "hot chocolate" with blue corn and spices (Mayan?). Fantastic stuff, but definitely not cheap... I haven't yet torn into the 4 bars I bought - all Madagasgar to attempt a theme.

...add coffee to those 3 "food groups" and you've hit the nail on the head! Even my oatmeal in the morning gets a good shaking of salt before it is edible. Andrea

I've tried the Roasted Pear.... decent but not outstanding. Fig - would love to try. I adore figs. For over the top sweet I definitely like the Cinnamon Dulce de Leche - like eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch for grownups! That pint didn't last long. I've found their Dutch Chocolate (light) flavor to be quite good, though I did notice their more recent re-labeling puts the calorie count up to 200 from 180 per serving. "Love" when manufacturers do that... Both rum raisin and the vanilla bean (I think, rather than plain 'vanilla') get points for their boozy taste... Can ya tell frozen treats are my weakness?

The last time I did Atkins induction I could not get into ketosis. Those darned little strips turned no color at all. I was doing everything right insofar as the carbs - 1 cup of salad greens daily and that's it. However, I suspect that I'm efficient at turning protein into energy and was eating too much of that relative to fat. My ratios were probably 50/45/5 instead of fat being 80% such that would really kick-start the ketosis. Atkins actually talks about this and recommends that you eat 1000+ calories of macadamias for a multi-day stretch (because they are 90% fat) to see if you get into ketosis. Hmph. I will also pile on the rueful nodding in the "carbs beget carbs" theory.... Andrea

I really like those, too. My hometown (over xmas) grocery had the 4 and 6-packs for $1.99, so I loaded up. Should have cleaned them out! I normally don't like carbonation, though, so I partially de-fizz them before drinking - kind of wish they were "lighter" on that like Red Bull. These are also good, but pricey: http://www.functiondrinks.com/lightweight.php ...they only have 2 flavors that are calorie-free, the rest are more like Vitamin Water with their 50 cal per 8oz "problem". Andrea

My wisdom is not on the block here, merely my preference for a rich lather of a red with bite like a rotweiler and not a speck of cumin or 'creaminess' in sight... Duran's red is certainly flavorful, but its not my favorite "style" of preparation. Yeah, Cecilia's is finally getting a resurgence and some recognition - well deserved and kudos to them for sticking it out all this time.

I think that might be Garduono's. I haven't eaten at that location, but when I fly in there my sister meets me and we usually stop to have a margarita. ← While Garduno's is actually good and not dumbed down for the location, the place with the green chile chicken soup is called: Comida Buena Gourmet Deli and Bakery ...they are located in the center of the airport between the two 'concourses'. I love our tiny airport with its 12 gates.

I'm one of the Albuquerqueans that have never warmed up to Duran's.... so when I need red chile I have to go to Mary & Tito's on 4th. Mary & Tito's Cafe They unfortunately have limited hours, mostly afternoon and some evenings. For morning and lunch, Cecilia's is awesome and right in downtown. Cecilia's review Supplies? Costco will work, but its too bad the farmer's markets are over. Oh, and also in that part of town is some kick-butt tamales: El Modelo Good luck!

My brother is still annoyed with me for 'ruining' his In N Out experience by pointing out that his mere beverage of choice had a bit more calories than the "real" food of the meal: double-double: 670 cal chocolate shake: 690 cal (ouch!) http://www.in-n-out.com/nutritional_info.asp I still take my Double Double protein style, but I will definitely concede that it is not the same experience as the soft pillowy bun.... *sigh*

For whatever semi-dubious reason, I've decided that my sugar cravings are too much for my liking, so I am in day 4 of Atkins Induction. This is my 2nd time doing it, and both times were just to see how things went with the no-carb feeling. I am not looking to lose (much), but rather re-set things a little with my fat-burning ability. The first time I allowed myself nuts, and this time I am going by the book - 20g or less carbs per day, and tons of eggs, meat, and cheese. I've found strangely that I am hungry a lot of the time - it could be that the fat level has not come up enough. My total calories are probably a little more than "normal", but my food volume is much lower because I used to eat very large portions of low-calorie high quality foods - big oatbran porridges, enormous salads, stir-fry with shirataki, etc. Perhaps my stomach is shrinking.... Anyhoo. Just stepping in and saying hello! My long run this weekend should be interesting.... although fat-burning ought to get me through it.

Absolutely. I've got one or two Native American cookbooks that call for that exact flour in some 'bread' like recipes and a porridge or two. Now, if I can find that stuff, that would be interesting... I've already tracked down mesquite flour (but haven't tried using it yet). I love the idea of using traditional and REALLY old-school ingredients and techniques. Andrea

What is the most stable of the various kinds of chocolate mousse preparations? The ideal application is make the mousse in the evening, and then pastry-bag pipe it into dessert cups the next day (up to 24 hours later). Do any hold up that long, and if not, what is the better solution to my desired outcome (fluffy chocolate inside an edible container)? Thank you! Andrea in Albuquerque

Thank you for the review! There has been a topic recently on Chowhound that gives Fruition a passing mention (within a larger focus of the writer Jason Sheehan), but it includes links to the trio of reviews from each major Denver publication: Chowhound thread I ate there in March and it was very, very good but not excellent - still working out the kinks but I'm happy to see that they have just been getting better as they go. Andrea http://andrealin.vox.com

Salty dutch licorice squares, from my favorite sweet shop: http://www.thecandylady.com/ Andrea in Albuquerque

This is that lotus root dish of which you speak so highly: I LOVED it when I had it at a restaurant called something like "Old Shanghai" or "Old Shanghai Bar & Grill"... I remember it was on a ground/sub-ground floor, but wish I had taken photos of all of the restaurant exteriors I visited in China - it would make recall so much easier! Anyway, it was one of my most favorite dishes of the whole trip. That and the eel. Andrea in Albuquerque ...here's my slideshow (with kind of little pictures), if you haven't seen it yet: http://tenacity.net/photographs/china/china-ss.htm