michaelklein

As Mason said to Dixon, you gotta draw the line somewhere. Actually, in the foreword that year, I did explain the closeness of their scores.

As the Zagat Philadelphia editor since 1993, I can answer questions unique to this survey. To address the first concerns: I tried my best to ensure that all "prominent" Philadelphia-area restaurants were included on the new questionnaire, which has about 850 restaurants. I added about 200 restaurants that were not on the previous survey and knocked out about 50 closings. (No one's perfect and your definition of "prominent" may vary. Still, any restaurant can be added later if it receives enough write-in votes.) I don't see any "mysterious methods" at work in determining each restaurant's scores. It's purely mathematical. Surveyors rate the food, service and decor on a scale of zero to three. The scores you read in the guide are the average, times 10, to correct rounding. For example, if a restaurant receives a 23 for food, that represents an average food score of 2.3. Sometimes, hairs are split; I remember one year in one category when Le Bec-Fin got something like a 28.47 and the Fountain got a 28.52. LBF came away with the 28 and the Fountain won a 29. Any questions? Fire away.

A diner diner, what the world needs more of. (Though it has some of the design left over from previous incarnations.)

No. It's now simply called Manayunk Diner, partly owned by Tom Konidaris from Zesty.

Derek Davis and partners are selling the contents. KCP closed New Year's to make way for Kildare's, the Irish pub based in West Chester.

The Trustee sought no restrictions. And the hearing was pretty much free of operational matters on the record, other than the fact that the silent partner was keeping the place afloat by pumping in cash.

That was NOT Starr's decision to close SB now. It was the U.S. Trustees'. The Trustees determined that SB did not have enough capital both to keep running AND to fund the closing of the place (final inventories, salaries, cleanup). There's no way Starr would want it closed now. He'd want some sort of continuity.

>>I only wonder if the source of his story was ever even ASKED who knew or didn't know the information, or if the thought that some folks might be hurt by that information ever even hit the radar screen? Particularly given the company's history of restaurant closings and lack of notice to the employees (Ave. B, Fishmarket). << ------ Katie, I'll answer you directly. I don't want to sling mud, either. I only wish to explain why I don't think I was being insensitive to the 110 employees of Striped Bass: To answer your first issue: In the 15 seconds I had after Wednesday's hearing, I did not ask him "who knew" of the POSSIBLE closing. By the way, he was asked directly about the restaurant's future, under oath. The restaurant's lawyer, whom I did quote, cautioned me after the hearing that the closing was "possible" and not definite. That is why I wrote in Thursday's paper: "... the court-authorized manager testified that the restaurant was steadily losing money and could be closed after business Sunday. A decision is expected today." (Today=Thursday, the day you found out.) (I also wrote in my eGullet post Wednesday night: "SB *may* close after dinner service Sunday.") I would have been negligent not to include this possibility in my Inquirer story. The public needs to know this sort of thing. Surely you know how many other restaurants simply shut their doors with no apparent notice to staff or to patrons, leaving them stuck for a final paycheck or useless gift certificate. Avenue B was a textbook case. As it turns out, SB customers with reservations and deposits after Sunday ARE being contacted (see story in Saturday's Inquirer). I'm told the employees are guaranteed their final paychecks next Friday. To address your other issue: Sometimes bad news hurts. Sorry again you were hurt, but I was doing my job. Good luck to you. Michael Klein

Folks, I'm checking back after issuing my original post. I understand Katie's being upset at the news. I feel I have to address her remark: "I still stand by my original assertion that it would undoubtedly have been more compassionate to hold the story for just a few short hours to allow the appropriate people to be told through the appropriate channels." To be 100 percent honest, I had no idea that the trustees had not told upper-level staff of the possibility of an imminent closing. But I stand behind my decision to post what I knew, when I knew, Wednesday night. (What else is a real-time restaurant-NEWS website for?) The senior staff was told at 10 a.m. Thursday -- a full 7 hours after the full story was posted online and surely hours after many people read it in the paper. Michael Klein

Whoops. That was *3* points. Long day in court.

Just a heads-up that Stephen Starr got bankruptcy court permission today to buy Striped Bass for $1.3 milllion. He was the sole bidder. (Remember all those supposed "New York groups"? Only tire-kickers. Money talks, after all.) Full story in Thursday's Inquirer. Two important notes: 1. SB *may* close after dinner service Sunday. Apparently, there is not enough $$ to keep it going, the trustee testified today. Starr says he wants to take it over, but there is the matter of the settlement and the transfer of the liquor license. 2. Starr also told me that he wants the staff to stay, but everyone will have to interview. 3. Gift certificates WILL be honored. But if you have one, use it as soon as you can once SB reopens. It'll come out of a limited pot of money (like $50,000). After that, Starr is not responsible.

I reported that Striped Bass is doing about $100,000 a week now, as "high season" approaches. Over the summer it was doing far less. Based on what I've seen in the bankruptcy filings, at most Striped Bass did about $6m a year, so its current revenues seem typical. I'm curious, Herbacidal, about your point that Robert Slilwowski has been mentioned "most often" as a potential bidder. Did I miss something in the press somewhere?

To further my story from Friday, which AP picked up: Starr, as the first bidder, becomes what bankruptcy court calls the "stalking horse." That means that he, in effect, has the upper hand. A counteroffer to his $1.3 million bid has to be $1,375,000. Bidding then can increase in $10,000 increments. If Starr loses, he will get $50,000 to cover his legal fees incurred in making the initial offer. While other groups have expressed interest in Striped Bass, as of Friday no one else had come forward. (There's a BIG difference between "expressed interest" and "bidding.") The hearing Wednesday will determine the time table; it's likely that the bid deadline will be in early December. Michael Klein Inquirer mkleinatphillynews.com