Holly Moore

I think that is a personal decision, Sam. It would be a violation of my ethics to accept a comp to review a restaurant. I do believe that restaurant critics can write reviews of comped meals without having the free meal influence what they write. But that does not mean the act is ethical. Or unethical. There is no generally accepted standards of professional ethics for restaurant critics. In such a situation, I suggest that ethics for a restaurant reviewer are a combination of one's personal ethics and the perceptions and expectations of one's peers. So far this discussion has been about the ethics of a restaurant critic accepting a comped meal. What about the ethics of a restaurateur who comps reviewers?

So, if I get this right: Your objection to food writers accepting comped meals is not that you think the fact of the comp would necessarily influence the writers' opinions (any more than other things might), but because you don't think it looks good? ← Maybe iddy, biddy right Sam. My personal objection, were I still writing reviews, would be to have restaurants and publicists thinking they can buy me for the cost of a meal. It doesn't matter whether I were to write positively or negatively or a combination of both about a place. If I would not be there to write about them if they had not comped me, then they are buying my presence. That is a problem for me both in my desired self perception and the way I want others to see me. As to "looking good" I am relating that to a critic's career. Many paths are open, but if one's goal is to write reviews for the NY Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer or many other of the major city daily's, a reputation for accepting comps in return for reviewing restaurants will likely remove one from consideration. "Looking good" also refers to the respect of one's peers. Both restaurant writers and restaurant owners and staff. In portions of those groups, regularly accepting comps for reviews, brands a scarlet dollar sign across one's forehead. "Looking good" to the public is a mixed bag. I think much of the public, including many of the "food aware" have no idea of a restaurant reviewer's ethical considerations. I could dine monthly at Daniel if I had a dollar for every person who has said to me, "I wish I had your job, getting all those free meals at restaurants." Many, if not most people, believe comps to be a fringe benefit of restaurant reviewing. In today's media, that could change with a headline. Some slow news day, an investigative reporter decides to do an expose on all the free meals given by restaurants to restaurant writers. That could easily ruin careers.

Only once, when just getting started, did I let a restaurant comp me in return for a review. That was more than 20 years ago. A PR type set it up. I like to remember that I mentioned it in the review, but I am not sure. It happened to be one of the better restaurants in Pennsylvania. It was a great meal, and easy to write favorably about the place, but still I felt dirty. I think (hope) that was the only time. It still bothers me when I think about it. I ate other free meals when writing for Philadelphia's City Paper. The Book and the Cook meals were free. The only writers I ever noticed paying for The Book and the Cook meals were Philadelphia Inquirer writers. I did see a major NY Times food columist and mate comped during The Book and the Cook. Looking back, since I always wrote a column or two on The Book and the Cook, it would have been better if I had paid for the meals. During that same period I became personal friends with a chef-owner. Many an evening I would hang out in his kitchen and he would give me bites of this and that - maybe even a full entree that I'd eat, out of the way, on the serving line talking with him as he turned out. That struck me as OK and, along with dinner I got a lot of good inside info on the local restaurant scene. I am not sure if a critic should permit such a friendship with a chef, but I did and would again. Mea culpas over, I object to comped meals, especially meals to be reviewed. It is not that they necessarily influence the writer. Steven would never sell his integrity for the cost of a meal. Nor would I. There are critics that would. Philadelphia had a couple of legendary freeloaders. Neither was respected by their colleagues or the restaurants that comped them. That is my objection to comps. Restaurants and publicists think they can influence one's opinion by giving a reviewer free food - that waving a free meal will get the critic to dine at a place that would otherwise remain unvisited. I don't think any restaurant ever respects a critic it has comped in return for a review. I think critics who don't accept comps and the publications that have no-comp policies - and these are usually a city's major critics and publications - have disdain for critics who expect and accept comps. I also believe accepting comps is dangerous for the critic - impacting the critic's growth in the industry. Admitting to comps in a review doesn't change that. I don't believe the Philadelphia Inquirer would ever hire a critic who had regularly accepted comps, whether or not they were acknowledged in print.

Trying to grasp the implications. Does Prix Fixe mean that on Sunday the Down Home Diner is only offering a limited version of their breakfast menus. Or is the full menu available but one has to order a full breakfast? Also, is the place packed on Sunday as it is on Saturday? I figure a place that calls its meatloaf "pate" can probably get away with Prix Fixe, but Bob's suggestion of Blue Plate Breakfast seems more fitting.

Sweet Lucy's offers an all you can eat buffet on Monday evenings from 5 PM - 8:30 PM. This coming Monday, March 17th, AKA St. Patrick's Day, they are adding smoked corned beef and cabbage to the menu. Found out when I stopped by this afternoon for a brisket sandwich. Still quite good. Though the dining room was fairly empty there were six people ahead of me waiting for takeout. Most walked out with one or two shopping bag fulls of barbecue.

Be sure to make a reservation. Carman only takes Sunday reservations on Sunday. If the number of people changes, let them know. Be on time. Reservations aren't held for long if anyone else is waiting. If you're one, at that hour, you'll sit at the counter. Two or more, depends where there is space. Carman will have you in and out within an hour or less. Also, don't pet the dog no matter how friendly she appears. Enjoy.

Be sure to say "Please" and "Thank you" and make a point to be friendly and take some time to get to know the person taking your cheesesteak order.

WRONG, for many reasons. ← Yet still right for all the RIGHT reasons.

There is nothing more uniquely DC than a half-smoke from Ben's Chili Bowl. For sure, a different level of sophistication than some of the other recommendations. Guess it depends on what you can get away with, colleague wise. It could be a lot of fun. And definitely, reasonable in price.

It wasn't until the great beer famine that many Irish emigrated to the United States.

Was it just first show jitters for the production crew or will the editing always make it excruciatingly obvious who is going home? Still, a lot of fun to watch.

Sloppy reporting - writing about Philadelphia, talking about hoagies, and not once speaking the native language. Similar to writing about Brussels and going on and on about their french fries. Huh?

My second favorite restaurant job, next to running a Hobart dish machine, was two summers as a short order cook during my college days. I have long dreamed of going back to working the line either in my own place or for a few days helping out a friend. Thank god Tony did it for me. I loved being back in the middle of things, pumped with the intensity of turnout. Vicariously, stretched out on the couch in my 70 degree living room, beer and pretzels within reach. I TiVo'd the program and set it to permanent save, to replay just in case I ever seriously consider reliving my short order days.

Re Google ads, I'm assuming if I set up my site for Google ads, that it doesn't cost me anything and I get some sort of revenue as a result of people clicking on the ad. I was suggesting that a marketing opportunity that only makes money when the restaurant makes money would be an easy sell.

Egads, I shudder whenever confronted with the prospect of yet another gourmet hamburger. My mind's gullet, scarred by so many disappointments, envisions a humongous, overcooked beef patty, slathered high with incongruous toppings, and presented on a too big bun that crumbles and slithers on the way to one's mouth. A true gourmet burger: a three or four to a pound, non-lean, non-kobe or pseudo-kobe beef patty hand formed loose and plump, grilled in butter on a cast iron skillet or broiled over real charcoal to a proper medium rare, served on a toasted hamburger bun or white bread, and adorned with nothing more daring than sliced vine-ripened tomato, sliced white onion and/or the greenest and least curly of lettuces. A reasonable cheese, properly grilled bacon, red relish and/or sauteed onions are acceptable variations on a theme. Perhaps mayonnaise or a non-yellow mustard for lubrication. Ketchup, too, if puberty is still in your future. Truffles, fois gras, avocados and bean sprouts are but a few unacceptable embellishments. Of course they may do things differently in Kansas City.

A friend of mine who does PR part time is helping a client restaurant organize a culinary tour to the chef's home town, Puebla Mexico. Any suggestions for setting this up? Are there travel agencies that specialize in this sort of thing? Edit: I say Pueblo, Docsconz says Puelba. Figure doctor knows best.

Had my first stuffed ham in a sandwich at the St. Mary's Oyster Fest.

1. Credible proof that it works. 2. Free, like Google ads. Especially for a high end restaurant - 3. Aesthetically compatible to their site. 4. Free. Any small business owner, especially a retail business, is bombarded with advertising and marketing "opportunities." Most have little tolerance for unsolicited solicitations.

Fish Sandwich Rule No. 1: No fishy taste.

If one wanted to attend the definite Bratwurst Festival, would it be Bratwurst Days? If not, where?

Just wondering what Katie will prescribe for a post zoning board pick-me-up.

You probably don't want to open a fried seafood place either.

All fine reasons. But if I'm going to drag my lazy arse out of bed for a weekend restaurant brunch, the last thing I want to do is cook it too. At the same time, it could be fun in a fondue party sort of way. Once, maybe twice. I wonder if one can send their order back if it isn't properly prepared.

And you want to cook your own breakfast, why?

I opened my restaurant without a liquor license and added it about a year later. At that time we had to dissuade people from bringing their own. We told guests that the PA liquor laws prohibited restaurants with liquor licenses from allowing them to bring their own bottles. If they asked for more details we mumbled something about not being able to ferret out bottles purchased in NJ or PA. For all I know, we may have been right. Or not. But we successfully transformed more guests than I thought we would from BYOB to not BYOB. Fortunately, back in the early 80's folks had no internet discussion forums to mull over such proclamations.