Holly Moore

What are you, the IRS or something. All manner of pay, none of which, even with my 15 cents, will get me a subway token. Rather just the sheer joy of occasionally bringing eGullet down to my grimy level of cuisine. Plus the occasional Candygram from FG.

I made the distinction between posting the photo on eGullet and in a newspaper because the post on eGullet results in no compensation while the publishing of the picture in the newspaper would result in payment. Beyond that, I have trouble understanding how the producer owns rights within a food service situation. What rights are these. It is my understanding recipes are not protected. Simple example - a teenager at a greasy spoon throws a burger on the grill, toasts the bun and present me with a hamburger. How is that protected? There is a recipe and a process, but it is repeated in thousands of restaurants. On the other extreme, Georges Perrier at Le Bec-Fin in Philadelphia prepares aspargus with a version of hollandaise that he has created - lets say with asparagus butter as a base. Even though he thought it up, in all likelihood someone, somewhere has done something very similar. There is no patenting or registration process commonly used for restaurant dishes. Is this protected? I'm curious on an intellectual level, but also for pragmatic reasons. I have a website with pics of about 400 restaurants. It is not a business in that we don't sell advertising or anything else. More an avocation or hobby. If some restaurant does not want their restaurant covered on my site can they sue to have it removed? I wrote a newspaper column for 14 years. Gives me some credentials as a journalist. Can the site be considered an extension of that and there for be protected on constitutional grounds.

I understand and respect the reason that a pastry or any chef may not want his work photographed. And at that level of cuisine I would do as I did at Trio and ask first. But when I buy a dessert am I doing so with a limited license? If I own that one dessert why can I not take a photograph of it? Is the end use a consideration - whether that photo is purely for fond memories or whether I intended to publish the photograph in a newspaper? What if I merely intend to post it on a web site such as eGullet?

Last night Trio came up with the ideal solution when I asked how they felt about pictures. "We'd prefer not to have you take pictures in the dining room, but if you'll give me the camera I'll take it back to the kitchen and they will take pictures of the dishes there." Alas, the kitchen hasn't totally comprehended photo composition and depth of field, but they took some great shots, including some of the dishes coming together. Also this pic:

Petrillo's and Superdawg here in Chicago. Berduci's (?sp) in NYC.

Some Chicago hot dog places seem a tad surley about having their premises photographed. Twice I've been curtly told, "No Photos." One, Superdawg, even slammed close the covering to their pickup window as I was in the process of taking a picture. My question is this - Does a restaurant or any business have a legal right to prohibit the taking of photographs within their establishment? If I continue to shoot pictures, but am otherwise my lovable self, do they have the right to eject me? And though it has never happened can a business sieze my camera. Finally, does freedom of the press work in my favor, as I use these pictures for a website that reviews restaurants?

It depends on the level of cuisine. $1.99 is fine for a hot dog. $23.99 doesn't seem appropriate for seared tuna.

It is a way to maximize prices. I can never understand when an entree is priced at $15.25. The restaurant is giving away $.70 every time it sells the one. If someone is willing to pay $15.25 for that dish they will not balk at paying $15.75 or $15.95. They may balk at $16. Yes it does work. The key is to be crafty with the pricing. Don't price everything at the $.95 price. Some at $.75 and others, the low sellers, at $.50. But never price at $.25; or at $.00 unless the entree prices are so high already that a few nickles here or there are meaningless.

I'm of the opinion that a first visit to Wegmans should be the treated the same as a first visit to a city. It takes a few days (or return trips) to understand the place. It's best just to walk around a bit, getting a feel for what it has to offer. And if you get lost, don't be afraid to ask a local for help.

A long time ago in a place far, far away, I used to pick a five string banjo. As long as everyone plays at half speed, if flexible with tempo and limits the music to "Cripple Creek" and maybe "Cumberland Gap" I might bring mine along, asuming I still remember how to tune it.

Interesting. It sure makes one's life rosier and more simple - not caring if one's opinions have value.

I've always found it is much easier to intelligently comment on a dish once one has actually experienced it. Edit: Cross posted with Schielke's post - same time.

What, me cook? Oh no, that's not what I was saying. I was just indicating a preference for hushpuppies over those gawdawful cornsticks. However, as Katie suggested, I'd be glad to whip up a batch of Butterscotch Krimpets. Plenty of room, Katie, though I may be up to my usual tricks and go on an eat-about for a few days afterwards. Glad to get you there at least.

Worked for me. My restaurant was a BYOB for about a year and a half before I saw the light and invested in a liquor license. Once I started serving booze I regretably informed the BYOB'ers that Liquor Control Board regs prohibit customers from bring their own liquor into establishments that have a liquor license. I may even have been right. It sounded good and everyone accepted it.

It's all a matter of spin. Stains need not be dreaded. Do what I did. Start a web site where grease stains are awarded as badges of honor and show a picture of your stained shirt on the home page. Make a stained shirt your trademark. People will expect you to wear one. which is good because I have a hard time making it through a typical day sans stains.

Promise it will be hush puppies and I'll do my best to be there. I suppose a side of fried chicken would be pushing things.

You're probably right. I used to be the account supervisor on the Gino's Hamburger advertising account and we adapted "Gotta Fly Now" with the lyrics, "Feeling good now, feeling good at Gino's." I am easily confused.

When in Philadelphia, do as the Philadelphian's do. The real born and bred Philadelphian's - those who grew up in South Philly a block and a half from Pat's. Ordering a cheesesteak without wiz is like ordering a Chicago dog with no neon green relish. You need to try a "wiz with" at least once no matter what preconceived notions might be clouding your judgement. Two museums you must visit. The Mutter Museum and the Mummer's Museum. Later, during the test, you will be asked to compare and contrast the two. And of course you will want to run up the steps of the Art Museum humming "Feeling Good."

What, and deprive the dish machine operator of a decent dinner?

Interesting opportunity for message drift. I wonder if the number of written complaints has soared with the advent and ease of email?

Not sure of the term 'Floor Manager" - a person only responsible for the empowerment of his staff. Not really sure what you mean by "empowerment" either unless you are talking about an expidter or something similar. I'm referring to the host, the maitre d', the restaurant manager or whomever is working the floor and who is responsible for guest relations. In most fine dining restaurants it usually isn't necessary to ask for that person. He/she just appears, having been cued by the server that something has gone wrong and that a diner is less than absolutely delighted with the experience. The knee-jerk solution of recooking the entree all to often just doesn't cut it. Take an overcooked steak. From the time the server is summoned (1-5 minutes) to the time the server gets back to the kitchen and communicates the problem to the line (3-5 minutes) to the time it takes to recook the steak (5-10 minutes) or grab one from another order in progress (2-5 minutes and throws off another table's timing) to the time it takes for the server to pick it up and get it back to the diner (3-7 minutes), the chances are that everyone else at the table is probably half way through to all the way through their entree. The entreless diner is just sitting there watching them eat or filling up on rolls. Then he gets to eat his entree while everyone watches him. Not all that great a solution.

Salemander (?sp) A broiler, usually at eye level, and capable of high temperatures. Edit: Tommy's faster with the keyboard and a much better speller. But my kitchen has one

I opened my restaurant as a BYOB. I called the Liquor Control Board, asking if it was legal. Their answer, "It may or may not be." No further explanation. I don't know of any license requirement for BYOB, though it's almost mandatory that what carry liquor liability insurance. Nor do I think the police can issue such a regularion, though I may be wrong. My suspicion is that the police, after one too many calls for drunk and disorderly, issued some very strong advice that the place stop permitting BYOB.

Yes

Cheese isn't melted at all. Just slathered on like cream cheese.