Holly Moore

OK, Shola is talking about a 600 square foot kitchen. Using 1968 ratios which by now may be terribly outdated, that translates to a 1200 to 2800 square foot dining room that seats somewhere between 60 and 90 people. Maybe more if he replicates the Studio Kitchen Concept and runs large communal tables, which would be neat. Imagine staggered two hour seatings and communal tables for 12 to 20 people. Assuming Shola continues the wonders of Studio Kitchen, the presentation of each course by Shola and the ensuing group discussion and questions would make for a rewarding dining experience. But as Ms. Sarah says, I am just going on and on all about the past and I betcha Shola will certainly be about the future. Edited because I tried to do math in my head.

I am a fan of Brennan's and especially of their Eggs Hussard - Canadian bacon and Hollandaise and Marchand de Vin sauces on Holland rusk. It is a great dish. Breakfast at Brennan's, though indeed expensive, is a New Orleans institution. It is as much a part of New Orleans culinary history as chicory coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde. Where budget permits, Breakfast at Brennan's should be experienced at least once.

One observation / suggestion. Move Cafe du Monde up one time slot. Yes it is fine for breakfast, but my fondest memories are ending the night at Cafe du Monde.

Priory will be given to those prone to tears and those with an exploitable neurosis.

Figured you'd pick the weekend I was in Providence. I've always kidded Carman about suggesting an additional breakfast meat for the meat special. But she goes ahead. Now I know why. Well done FG.

A tasting menu like Grant's is similar to reading a good book. A lot of research goes into it. There is a story line and twists along the way. Once finished one has possibly gained some knowledge and sometimes wants to go out and learn more. It is hard to respect a chef who minimizes such an effort by a fellow chef.

Finally got a chance to try the Windsor Burger. It is a great burger - cooked a perfect medium rare. Just as good - the batter fried onion rings. The typical onion ring experience is biting into an onion ring, pulling out the entire onion in that bite, and being left with a handful of crust - and the ensuing guilt. Does one eat the crunchy, greasy, cholesterol laden crust even though its reason for being, the onion, is no more? Yes, of course. What's a little more guilt? Pub and Kitchen's onions seeming dissolve into the batter - flavor is there so the onion must be there too. But I only saw them when a couple of rings clumped together slowing down the onion cooking/softening. Batter, itself, had great flavor. If I was doing the menu, I'd offer the onion rings as a $3.50 supplement to the burger in lieu of the fries. Would probably boost the check average - though batter frying in volume is a challenge.

Bangers and salad? How healthily unhealthy.

My pics often get grabbed. Most times people ask, sometimes they don't. When I track the latter group down, most don't realize they did anything wrong. Though they are wrong, their sense is that it such pic are public domain. There was no intent to plagiarize - and just about everyone I have contacted has gladly attributed the pics to HollyEats.

How, again, do I report an evil and libelous pic of me without my Harpo-like toupe to the moderators so that said is pic is promptly and forever removed both from this thread and from Matt's home computer? I was feeling proud - having ordered the last remaining soft shell crab po-boy until I realized there was a list taped to the fridge of all those who had reserved soft shell crab po-boys. The po-boy was outstanding and I'll third or fourth what others have said of the bread they use. Picked up an interesting fact from Mel - the original New Orlean's po-boy were brisket based and not fried seafood. We later headed to Wynnorr Farms - I in hope that the weeks rains had encouraged a new batch of yellow "Incredible" corn. Alas, it takes both heat and rain to mature corn - only choice today was white corn. OK, but not incredible. Got some nice nectarines and peaches though along with a promise that next weekend promises a some great corn.

A PDF file can nicely communicate the entire menu. Or it can have to be sectioned so one must open on menu for aps, one for entrees and one for desserts. Or they can try to put up the entire menu in a single pdf, which my work great on a 19" screen but not on a laptop. PDFs are not necessary for a restaurant to effectively and stylishly communicate its menu. Alinea for example, or Le Bec-Fin here in Philadelphia. A goal of web design is to get the info to the viewer quickly. Otherwise the viewer may move on as I often try to do when a pdf file starts loading. Trouble is, you're trapped. Once the file starts loading you can't go back a step until it is finished. Sometimes you can't even x out of the browser.

Yeah, some sites don't even end the introduction with an obvious way to continue. You have to keep clicking objects to get through to the site itself. Or you can hit the X and move on.

It's like a got-me moment - every time I am on a restaurant or hotel website, click "Menu" to look at the place's menu, and then Adobe Acrobat starts up, breaking my cruising stride as it churns away, slowly loading the menu.

Rocky mountain oyster, singular. Thanks to y'all for enticing me out there in the middle of last Saturday's downpour. Cajun Kate's at HollyEats

I suspect a pre-midi menu offering a choice of bread and jam. So I tried the new place that opened in the new condo at Broad and Pine - One of those market like places that opens on the first floor of a city condo but also seemingly focused at the pre-theater crowd. Mostly sandwiches and salads and such. I could have probably opened a restaurant for the money they spent on chairs and chandeliers. Of course, they too find it necessary to offer an apres-midi menu.

Shola says to be patient. Bigger and better things are coming.

My sense is that the decision not to renew Rick's Steaks' lease may have been more about questionable, behind-the-scenes dealing for one of the market's best locations than it was about a personality clash between Dunston and Olivieri. No Reading Terminal Market merchant is safe if someone with the right connections wants that merchant's location. Every lease ends sometime and no merchant has any legal right to prevent the RTM Board of Directors, at its whim, from refusing to renew the merchant's lease. If the Reading Terminal Market Board, starting with Dunston, truly gives a damn about Reading Terminal Market tradition, let them 1. Add to the Mission Statement the goal of preserving not only its "character" but also the Reading Terminal Market's history and tradition; and 2. Add to the Operating Guidelines specific language that spells out reasons a merchant's lease would not be renewed - language that protects a merchant, who runs a good operation, from retribution by the Board for mysterious or petty reasons.

It is consistent with what I have heard from more than one knowledgeable person. Considering the RTM Board's demonstrated inclination for retribution it is not surprising that many of the conversations were off the record. What is scurrilous is that Mayor Street, Mayor Nutter and City Council did not get involved in a timely manner and that Dunston is still Chairman of the RTM Board.

This month's Philadelphia Magazine gives some insight into the events leading up to the RTM Board's (AKA Dunston's) decision to oust Rick's Steaks resulting in the Board eventually irresponsibly squandering $700,000 of RTM funds.

Got a bagful of pole beans because the owner of the farmers market recommended them. Now what?

Perhaps the next wing bowl will feature Chef Georges' wing of the chicken a la Buffalo.

I would have thought that an illegal immigrant should not be employed in the first place. Your responsibility to society is to obey the rules of society. How can you help him to achieve legal status? He has broken the law by entering the country illegaly. I admire you for supporting family farms over giant agribusiness and minimizing ecological impact by buying locally but this can only pertain to a certain tranche of operators. Sadly the reality is that for a great majority of food consumers world wide price is the driving factor. Of course efforts are being made to "educate" the consumer but the bottom line for the vast majority is price. ← Isn't "price sensitivity" one of the main reasons illegals are hired in the first place? ← I think, more that price point, in two industries where I have some familiarity - small project construction and restaurant - that availability and often the work ethic of the employee, play a significant role in hiring decisions.

Happily, unlike Parc, there is no Apres-Midi issue. Mistrot La Minette doesn't open until 5:30 PM.

A couple of weeks back Joe Stratton of Wynnorr Farm in Glen Mills PA (AKA my secret corn spot) took me on a tour of his corn fields and sent me home with at least two days worth of corn, even after I shared a dozen with friends. Fortunately he shared his method of slowing down the sugar to starch conversion that kills the flavor of corn on the cob. Husk the corn as soon as possible and then refrigerate it in a zip lock bag, adding a few ice cubes to the bag. I tried it. The second day isn't as good as fresh from the field - but it is much closer than with other storage methods I've attempted.

Getting home and finding the leftovers in one's refrigerator is creepy. I'm assuming the restaurant had valet parking. Strikes me as a creative bit of hospitality though it might have been better if they asked before acting.