robyn

People here in Jacksonville paid $1000/head for front row tickets for the Alabama farewell tour concert here last month. I don't think most were rich. Some maxed out their Mastercards to pay for the tickets. So I guess it's to each his own. On my part - I figure between $500 and $1000 for 2 people for a dinner at a very important restaurant in a very important city these days. Perhaps $200-400 in a very important restaurant in a lesser city. There are probably a lot of people who can't afford to spend this amount - or don't care to. That doesn't make it obscene. When someone has earned money - he or she has the right to spend it however he or she wants to spend it. And what justifies the price is expensive ingredients prepared with exquisite attention to detail presented in world class surroundings. Robyn

They aren't - for the simple reason that - to me - a "destination restaurant" is a restaurant that I go to when there's no other reason to go to the place where it's located. Therefore - Trois Gros in Roanne is a destination restaurant - Alain Ducasse in New York is not. I'd never go to Roanne - and then think about making a reservation or stopping in at Trois Gros - whereas I'd go to New York and perhaps consider the possibility of trying to eat at Alain Ducasse (wouldn't expect to get in - but it wouldn't ruin my trip if I didn't get in). They are both excellent restaurants (at least Trois Gros used to be - I can't speak for what it's like it today) - but one is a "destination" restaurant - and the other is a great restaurant in a great city that has lots of other things to offer. I used to go to "destination" restaurants when I was younger. It was frequently a lot of fun. But - as I've gotten older - I find that I prefer traveling to world class cities - and doing things in addition to eating (be it museums, theater, shopping, whatever). I have even gotten to the age where an afternoon being pampered in a spa is an attractive proposition . Part of it has to do with the fact that I simply can't do a week of nothing but eating in a place like France - eating in a 1 star one night - a 2 star the next night - and a 3 star the next night. It's just too much food! And too much driving (when you live in a slurby city - like most cities in Florida - the last thing you want to do on vacation is spend half of your vacation driving - I need to walk at least 2-3 miles a day to get in shape for fine dining these days ). So I say - enjoy these places when you're relatively young. As for Trio and Moto in Chicago - I can recall thinking of trying Trio when my husband and I were in Chicago a couple of years ago - and I frankly can't remember why we didn't. We wound up at MK instead for our so-called "big deal meal". In retrospect - I wish we had tried Trio - but those are the breaks. In any event - that trip was during "architecture week" in the spring - and the events/tours that week would have made the trip worthwhile even if all we had eaten was frozen pizza. As for Blais - I'm sorry I missed it (we get to Atlanta about once every year or so and would have liked to try it). From what I've read of this chef - perhaps he could try perfecting the stuff he's working on - and then find a decent home in a corporate environment - like a high end hotel. Don't laugh. A lot of the better high end restaurants we're finding these days are in corporate/hotel environments (just look at the restaurants in the AOL/Time Warner building in New York - including Per Se - it sure doesn't hurt that patrons from the Mandarin Oriental can take an elevator to the restaurant). And Dave - as for Atlanta in the early 80's - I remember those days! I used to travel there perhaps 10 times a year to argue in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals downtown - stayed at the Peachtree Plaza. And I cursed the court administrators who had come up with the idea of the 11th Circuit (before then - I used to go to the 5th Circuit in New Orleans). All I can say is that between then and now - Atlanta has come a long way. Robyn

I've never eaten in Moto, Trio or wd50 - so perhaps someone who has can tell us whether they serve "Adria" type food. Robyn

Should I bring a football helmet when I eat there next week ? Robyn

Hawaii is famous for spam consumption too. Robyn

I don't think there's anything wrong with us (I used to live in Miami - don't now - but I get there about once/twice a year and think it's a fine/fun eating town). Ask yourself which restaurants of this type have really achieved success? Can you name one in a major city that relies essentially on local clientele (as opposed to being a "destination restaurant")? Can you name one in New York? London? (And Fat Duck doesn't count because it isn't in London proper - it's a destination restaurant outside of London - it would be the equivalent of going to Massapequa for dinner if you were staying in midtown Manhattan). I think what customers in lots of places are basically saying is they might want an experience like this once - but it's not worth a return visit. So the restaurants that serve this kind of food - and haven't achieved "destination" status - don't have "legs". On my part - I think there's some fine dining in Atlanta (I don't live there but last trip we dined twice at the Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead and thought it was world class). Robyn

This is a very good argument for "ordering local" except perhaps in the finest of restaurants (e.g., we have a shrimp fleet here - and the local shrimp are terrific). Robyn

I think you gave me a lot of insight here. Guess I lucked out. Actually right for the wrong reason. I smoke - and (at least when I was there) - you could only smoke at the bar at Seastar. So that's where I ate. And - apart from really liking raw seafood - the raw bar chefs were so personable - willing to recommend things - say what was great - what wasn't so great - so interested in making nice presentations - that my husband and I never did get around to ordering from anything other than the raw bar menu. At some point during both of the meals we had there - the chef appeared - and insisted we try a couple of things we hadn't already tried. The modest wines we ordered were appropriate for the food. And we had interesting discussions with the people on both sides of us (they were from Seattle - high tech kind of work - and my husband and I don't get to talk with people who do that kind of work too often - so we just - to use a phrase - "ate it up" ). We had two meals where everything just kind of "came together". The "Jupiter aligning with Mars" kind of experience. Good eats. Lots of fun. By the way - even when it comes to cooked seafood - I agree with you that "less" is generally "more". Whether it's a nice deep fried flounder - or a poached fillet of sole - or just peel and eat shrimp (served with small portions of appropriate sauces). I cook a lot of seafood at home - and high quality seafood usually speaks for itself. You know - I have to ask you Seattle people a question. Our Costco here in Florida sells whole Dungeness crab - previously frozen. Is this a product that can be decent if previously frozen (obviously it would be better fresh - but we're not likely to get it fresh here)? Robyn

No - I haven't read the "Seattle specific" posts extensively. Mostly because I haven't been to Seattle since I first started to read this message board. I will definitely "tune in" before my next trip. My theory was basically that 2 younger women had gone to a relatively fancy crowded restaurant - and occupied a table while ordering a couple of drinks and a few appetizers. And I thought the server might have been PO'd with having a relatively small check (and tip) at a table during "prime time". I mean no offense to the diner here with this theory. I personally play tennis and golf - and have seen groups of 10 women go to a nice restaurant - occupy a lot of space - split 5 ceasar salads with glasses of water - and then ask for separate checks. Makes me shudder (so I don't dine with them anymore). Obviously my theory wasn't correct because this diner - quite properly in my opinion - ate at the bar when she and her friend were having a few drinks and a couple of appetizers (which is exactly what I would have done). So I have to think that 1) the food in this restaurant is inconsistent (the raw food being better than the cooked offerings); and/or 2) the server had a problem with (young) women. When I get back to Bellevue - I'll test the first premise. As for the second - I've had enough problems dining as a single woman - or as a twosome of women - to know that the latter happens more often than it should. My favorite was once when I went to a fancy hotel restaurant in Atlanta on a business trip - dined alone - the whole restaurant was empty - and they seated me at the table next to the kitchen door . I never returned to the restaurant - or the hotel for that matter. Robyn

He's been mine for 33 years now. Think I'll keep him despite his foibles . Robyn

Raw - salad. I'm not sure my rules are all sound scientifically - but they've kept us out of the hospital for quite a few years . My husband has the proverbial "cast-iron" stomach - so I'm not sure any of this matters to him. My tummy gets upset just reading this thread . So I try to be careful. Robyn

The "secret" to good omelets is cheap non-stick omelet pans. What have you been using? Robyn

Well - we were talking about one of the handful of "big deal" restaurant days during the year. Most people who want to go out on those dates don't simply show up at the last minute. I think Blooangel expressed the restaurant's point of view (which I was trying to express) much better than I can. As for airlines - most are pretty much going broke despite making customers like you angry. So I don't think it's a great business model. Robyn

I really like Vancouver too - but I don't think it's on the central east coast. On the other hand - it's not hard to get to - and I'd pick it over any central east coast destination I can think of. Robyn

P.S. I was trying to think of times I might have encountered something like this. And the special Food Among the Flowers luncheon during the Epcot Flower Festival came to mind (you pay in full in advance - I can't remember if there was a cancellation policy). Robyn

The initial message said that the policy was mentioned when the reservation time was changed - and that there was no time to discuss "this new twist". I would obviously feel aggrieved if the charge was done without my knowledge. So I guess the facts will have to be clarified. Was the policy made clear before the card was charged? I'll note that when I give my credit card number to a restaurant - I always ask exactly what they plan to do with it. And - when things are charged on my AMEX card without authorization - and I complain to AMEX - the charges are removed. So - if the charge wasn't authorized - a simple call to AMEX would have sufficed. As for prepaying for drinks - I've never been at this kind of "festive occasion" buffet - except at places where I'm known (and therefore have never been asked for a credit card). I have however been to many bars in many places where payment (or a credit card imprint) is expected at the time the drinks are served. You know - after thinking about this for a while - what it reflects terribly on isn't Hyatt - but the average person Hyatt has to deal with. If everyone who made reservations showed up - and everyone who ordered drinks paid for them - do you think Hyatt would have policies like this? And - for what it's worth - in reading another thread on this forum tonight - someone mentioned making "contingency reservations" at a few places while on a trip. Which is probably exactly what Hyatt was dealing with on Mother's Day here. People make 3 reservations and cancel 2. And meanwhile - people who've been told they can't make a reservation reserve somewhere else. I think restaurant seatings during very busy times should be like theater tickets. You buy them - you don't show up - tough. Sell what you bought on Ebay. Why is it I've never heard anyone complain about a nonrefundable theater ticket? Robyn

My all time favorite for something quick and "homemade" that will fill your kitchen with great smells is Ghirardelli double chocolate brownie mix. You can add ice cream/whipped cream/berries etc. to give them a "personal touch". But it is absolutely not necessary. Robyn

Yes - I'd go to a restaurant that had the policy if I had to do a forced march to a Mother's Day brunch. I suspect if I dropped dead the day before - my personal representative could get the charges reversed . I guess I side with retaurants in most of these matters. Although I've never heard anyone here admit to being a no-show - or phoning in a cancellation on short notice - I've heard plenty of people in the restaurant business complain about such practices. It's hard enough running a restaurant on a normal day. On a day like Mother's Day - I don't blame a restaurant for having a "put up" or "shut up" policy. As for the tipping - you're right that there isn't a difference - theoretically - between adding the tip to the cost of the meal - and charging it separately. I suspect the separate charge has something to do with IRS reporting requirements (if the "tip" is included as part of the meal - it might be part of the restaurant's gross proceeds for purposes of tax reporting). Robyn

I don't have a problem with any of this. Someone who runs a restaurant wrote a message here about Valentine's Day. Some amazing percentage of people who had made reservations failed to show. I suspect if someone had dropped dead on Saturday - the restaurant here would have honored a cancellation. But its payment policy for this "Hallmark holiday" meal is designed to let everyone know that it means business. As for the tips - this is similar to my golf club. The servers usually work individual tables - and 18% service is usually added on. Those same people work the few buffets that are served during the year (like Easter - and Mother's Day) - and you can't expect them to work their shifts and go home empty handed. Robyn

Agreed. The only reasons to return a bottle of wine are because it "has turned" - is "corky" etc. You don't return a bottle simply because you don't like it. For what it's worth - I'm not a big wine drinker - but even I can tell a "good bottle" from a "bad bottle". I think that some people just like to return wine to "show off" (which I agree is a vulgar and disgusting practice). I don't return food very often. I think a lot of restaurant food is oversalted - but I always ask the server for no additional salt in the dish (other than what's in the ingredients that can't be changed). This practice usually eliminates that problem. When the restaurant is "little deal" and the food is lousy - my usual practice is simply not to return. If it's a big deal restaurant - well - fortunately - I can't remember having lousy food in a big deal restaurant for quite a while. Robyn

Some people can take care of themselves. This woman obviously can't (otherwise she wouldn't be getting 25 hours a week of home health care paid for by medicare). Whether this is enough - or whether she needs more - I can't say - and neither can anyone else from reading this article or any other articles appearing in the press. Moreover - all we know from the public press accounts is that she allegedly has "mild cognitive impairment". This isn't a doctor's determination - it's what some reporter says. Who's to say whether or not this is an accurate statement of her mental capacity? Certainly no one here. We have no idea whether she is - as they say - "of sound mind" - or whether she was of sound mind when she executed the documents mentioned in the article. I find it noteworthy that the only lawyer quoted in the article didn't purport to be *her* lawyer - he said he was "Peakcock's" lawyer. It is certainly within the purview of the legal system to deal with these issues. Does the legal system get it right all the time? No. But there's too much potential for elder abuse - whether you're dealing with family - or not - to eliminate the safeguards in the legal system. Not only will the legal system deal with the physical situation of an elder person - it will also inquire into financial matters. I'm not sure why people would seemingly dismiss out of hand the potential for financial abuse of the elderly in this situation - since it happens all the time. A court would probably want to see financial records of the money coming in from things like book royalties - and records of how the money was spent - just to make sure that everything was "kosher". Also - this guy isn't "taking care of her". He works for a living - presumably full time. And no one who works full time away from home can take care of someone who needs 24/7 care at home. That's just a harsh fact of life. As for medicaid - I didn't read the article the way you read it. And - if your reading is correct - the article is wrong unless this man is something other than a room-mate (and I don't think he is). Finally - what kind of quality of life is it when you're basically old - and feeble - and somewhat incapacitated - and you spend your whole life in your house - sometimes with one paid caregiver - sometimes with a room-mate - and sometimes alone? I was at the nursing home today for a while when we picked up my FIL and dropped him off. There was a mother's day celebration. Dozens of residents - children - grandchildren - and greatgrandchildren. Good food. Entertainment. And about as much social interaction as the residents were capable of enjoying (they are all obviously functioning at different levels). Any chef worth his salt was working today. So Edna Lewis probably spent today alone (or perhaps she had a paid babysitter). Perhaps that's how you'd like to spend your mother's days when you're old: alone - or with strangers. That certainly wouldn't be my choice. Robyn

Why do you think this is happening? I'm not Indian - but I like Indian food. And - although I've been able to put together a collection of acceptable but "dumbed down" and relatively easy recipes for a lot of cuisines (in other words - the kind of recipes I'm likely to make more than once every 5 years!) - I simply haven't been able to do this for Indian food. I had always thought I hadn't tried hard enough.... Robyn

Not necessarily. She currently qualifies for medicaid - which would pay her expenses at a skilled nursing facility. I know it's fashionable to hate skilled nursing facilities - but I've been fortunate enough to have dealt with some good ones. They've kept family members alive - in dignified surroundings - for longer than they would have lived in other circumstances. If she were to accumulate some money - she wouldn't be eligible for medicaid - and would have to worry about paying for care on her own. Which is kind of hard (skilled nursing runs maybe $200 a day). In fact - there are lawyers who spend their entire careers advising people how to deal with their assets in such a way as to qualify for medicaid in skilled nursing facilities. Robyn

Everyone is all hearts and flowers about this in this thread - and the other thread discussing the same subject. But has anyone really considered the practicalities of taking care of an 88 year old who has cognitive impairment and - quite probably - a fair number of health issues? Obviously her roommate isn't capable of doing it himself - which is why he's soliciting money on her behalf. Her family finds this objectionable - because they think it's undignified. Moreover - she qualifies for government benefits - which would eliminate the need for these solicitations. The media has - predictably - concentrated on all the fluff - and none of the hard stuff. After all - who wants to hear that a food icon may need adult diapers? We don't know what the facts are - and we cannot possibly know what the best interests of this woman are from medical and other points of view. Robyn

I'm not on anyone's side. It sounds like this woman needs 24/7 care - probably in a skilled nursing facility (which is a heck of a lot cheaper than home care at $18/hour - not to mention more professional). Since she's on medicaid (which pays for skilled nursing facilities) - there's no reason for anyone- including her "roommate" - to go seeking handouts on her behalf. I suspect that - in the end - a judge will determine what's in *her* best interests (because that's really the only thing that matters). Robyn