Holly Moore

There sure is better location for a server's guest checks than down the back of one's pants held in place by one's belt.

Then there is the customer point of view. Sometimes there are no clean tables and no one bussing. Keep an eye on us, we will let you know when we are ready to hear the specials or to order. Right now we're enjoying each other's company. Guilty. I apologize to past and future servers. And a dedicated, ongoing apology to the wait staff at Carman's. You'd think that on the entire menu there would be one dish that appeals to me. Also, What was the seventh special that the server recited? How do you think I amass the funds to pay these prices? (I do believe in putting the phone on vibrate and at a certain level of dining or when with guests, stepping into the entryway or the bar.)

Again, I am a fan of Tony Luke's on Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia. That said, here is their track record on other operations I know of that they tried to open: - Tony Luke's Junior on 18th Street in Center City - So bad that they took their name off of it. - Tony Luke's All American Hot Dogs or something like that on Passyunk - Closed within a year. Dogs were no where near as good as the Oregon Avenue Tony Luke's. - Tony Luke's NY. OK, from what I hear, but not as good as Oregon Avenue. Tony Luke's on Oregon Avenue is as good as it gets. - It could be, like many similar restaurants, it just does not translate well elsewhere.

Here is CBS 3's coverage of today's press conference. There is also a clickable video link to their on-air broadcast.

At the press conference they read off the docket number. I had to fumble for a scrap of paper, but I think it is 003822. Maybe one of eGullet's crack legal scholars could translate that to a link to the actual court filing.

My read is that Steinke has not been at all successful in developing the Sunday RTM operation as a city dweller alternative to Whole Foods or the new Headhouse Square farmers market. I continue to support the market merchants - so the statement that follows has nothing to do with my vocal and total lack of esteem for the market's management - I was at Reading Terminal Market twice on Saturday, more to get the feel for attitudes than to shop. My only purchases other than a hot pretzel were a couple of tomatoes to tide me over to the Sunday Farmer's Market. I realize that over the last three weeks I have been holding off on my major produce shopping until Sunday. I'm hooked on Headhouse for the certain local sourcing, for the quality, for the conversations with the growers and producers, for the total immersion in what a city farmer's market should be. For me, Saturday shopping at Rittenhouse Square, the Italian Market and RTM mostly has been replaced with Sunday shopping at Headhouse. Alas, only until the season ends. One more reason to hate Philadelphia's winters.

Pretty much the way I saw it. He campaigned against the terms of the lease he now wants to be offered. I wonder what he expects to happen if he does get his day in court? Market management did shoot themselves in the foot, though. If they'd just presented him with the lease he'd already rejected, they'd be dealing with a win-win situation: either Rick's left voluntarily, or the leading opposition to the new terms would have to knuckle under, very publicly. Memo to self: mail them a care package of Sun Tzu and Machiavelli. ← Negotiating is not the process of giving the other side what they want. The Merchant's Association was negotiating a lease they deemed fair. Management did not agree. Rather than continue to negotiate market management opted to kill off the merchant association's head negotiator. Effective, with the side benefit of intimidating all the other merchants. This is what I'm not getting, negotiations-wise: 1. Rick would sign the same lease offered similar merchants. 2. This is a public relations nightmare for market management and ergo Reading Terminal Market, itself. 3. Market management is irreparably damaging its long term relations with most market merchants. 4. Legal action is going to cost both parties a lot of money if the case continues in court. Would it not make sense for market management to simply give Rick a lease? Rick has a history of running a good operation. Rick has a history of reinvesting in Rick's Steaks. There is no evidence that Rick would not live up to the terms of a new lease. So how is it sound business sense and fiducially responsible for the market board and management to force a law suit, lose the faith and cooperation of their merchants, and fan the fire of a public relations disaster? One wonders if there could be outside influences impacting the market management's irrational, unreasonable stance. Otherwise why hang so inflexibly tough on an issue that could go away in 5 minutes? .

In this week's City Paper column, founder Bruce Schimmel provides interesting insight into how the market ended up at Head House Square rather than as an extension of Reading Terminal Market.

Why does flank steak cost $14.95 a pound in the butcher's case at the South Street Whole Foods? Point of comparison - $5.95/lb at a relatively high priced Center City Supermarket.

A high class problem. I need to get there for the whole belly fried clams. A rarity hereabouts. I checked out the menu on their website. All looks good, but... They serve their lobster roll on a brioche bun!!!

Other than kissing the collective arses of the RTM Board and Management how could he have protected his franchise?

Don't need my words twisted Charlie. Not sure Rick qualifies as a martyr, though common sense suggests that he is being screwed primarily for his aggressive leadership and representation of the Merchant's Association. But as long as you're going biblical on me, what is the stance on those who persecute a martyr?

I have a new mantra. "It is not about cheesesteaks. It is about RTM management, with no justification, taking away a man's 25 year livelihood, the sort of business a father builds to leave to the generations that follow. It is about RTM management ignoring the contribution of a key merchant for 25 years. It is about "who is next?"" I had my first cheesesteak at Rick's yesterday. Let me be the first on eGullet to say, "If you are in Center City and you want a good, representative, South Philly cheesesteak, go to Rick's Steaks." Now can Rick's stay?

If that is the case, the Board wins. But the market loses. Each remaining merchant in the market loses. The community loses. The board and current market management refused to offer Rick's Steaks a new lease, at the same time arrogantly stating to merchants who objected that while there will be some public outcry it will blow over quickly - just like the last time, when the board and management booted out other merchants at the end of their lease, taking away those merchants' livelihoods too. "Who is next?" is a great question - one that speaks directly to the board and management's intended intimidation of remaining market merchants. Here are two more questions. Why is a Philadelphia institution, boasting the tradition and sense of community that is the Reading Terminal Market, being shepherded by a board that choses to manage through intimidation rather than participation? Should a Philadelphia institution that is primarily a sum of its merchants have but a single merchant voice on a board of directors that is composed primarily of lawyers and the politically connected - a board that has total discretionary power over each merchant's continued existence no matter how much contribution a merchant makes to the market? The Reading Terminal Market has been around a lot longer than the current board and management structure born out of political finagling tied into the construction of the Philadelphia Convention Center. At the time many Philadelphians feared that the city's and the convention center's long range goal was to reduce the Reading Terminal Market to a mere extension of the convention center - just one more selling point as to why organizations should choose to hold their conventions in Philadelphia. Bringing Tony Luke's into the market is a step in that direction. ... thereby keeping things calm until the next time that the board and the management arbitrarily decides to not renew other merchant leases. The meek may eventually inherit the earth, but their days at the Reading Terminal Market are surely numbered.

I've started collecting pics of latte foam designs. These are all from Philadelphia. The first three are from various baristas at La Colombe, the last is from La Va Cafe. Photo doesn't really do this one justice. To the eye - a tulip.

A few times here I've raised the issue of Reading Terminal Market directors applying regional shopping mall strategies to management of the Reading Terminal Market. Maybe I should have said regional shopping mall and international airport retail strategies. According to the City Paper, the Chairman of the Board, Ricardo Dunston is Maybe if Rick's can hang in there until the new administration takes over city hall ...

With our court system finality takes time. Quite often, lots of time. Or not. Depends on the framing of the issue. The issue is not cheesesteaks. The issue is that Rick Olivieri is being deprived of his livelihood of twenty five years. The issue is that Rick Olivieri is one of the few merchants who came into the market when it was a dark, dank grungy embarrassment and who played a key role in making it into the grand showcase it is today. Rather than being respected by the board for his impact on the market's success, he gets screwed by the Reading Terminal Market board just because they can. One of us needs to talk with more merchants, perhaps. The large majority of merchants who signed the petition to save Rick's Steaks is impressive. That the Amish merchants unanimously backed Rick's Steaks by canceling the Dutch Festival is stunning. I would also be surprised if the majority of merchants had elected a fellow merchant who was "hardly a model of virtue" to be president of the RTM Merchant's Association for so many years. I have tremendous respect for Tony Luke for what he has achieved in South Philadelphia and for the quality of his product from his restaurant. I also believe that he is the kind of straight-forward person who does business walking through the front door rather than sneaking in the back door. Yes, Rick's Steaks occupies some of the most valuable real estate in the market. Yes, whoever goes there is going to make a lot of money. But sometimes people choose the honorable over the profitable. Sort of like the warden telling a death row inmate ready to walk the Long Green Mile, "If you are a good boy and don't fight the guards taking you to the chair, I'll make sure they wet the sponge they put on your head."

I have faith in my source(s) of information. I also have faith in good attorneys. I suspect that, with or without the RTM board's so-called "benevolence," come August 1 and come September 30 there will still be a Rick's Steaks at Reading Terminal Market. Edited to add: I also have faith that the power of public opinion occasionally trumps arrogant, unjust management stances. And I am still hoping that Tony Luke will do the right thing and back out of the deal rather than risking damage to his image and rather than willingly walking into the mare's nest of management v. merchant relations that Reading Terminal Market will become if the RTM board and management is successful in ousting Rick's Steaks. Talk about being the unpopular new kid in school ...

Reading Terminal Market management and its board has turned down Rick's Steaks' request that the RTM renew his lease. And just when I thought things couldn't get any sleezier - word has it that Rick Olivieri was told he could stay another month if he didn't tell the press. One wonders if the board has any grasp of reality. What genius sitting at the table came up with the idea, "Even though we're taking away the livelihood of a long term merchant who was instrumental in salvaging the market at its low point, maybe he won't tell the press if we offer him a one month extension on his lease." As I said in my first post to this thread - The RTM management and board's treatment of Rick Olivieri and Rick's Steaks is total bullsh*t. They have demonstrated that they have no loyalty to the market merchants and to the market's tradition. It is the board and the management that should be kicked out and not Ricks Steaks.

Anyone know if Ken Silveri is still in the business somewhere?

Make that a really big If

I'm not sure, but I think Silveri's may have been my first. And my best.

Who is to be believed? Is RTM management and board trying to oust Rick's Steaks because, according to market spokesman Kevin Feely: and: and: or is Board Chairman Ricardo Dunston a tad more candid / factual / truthier: Where is the Daily Show when we need them? The implication is that Rick Olivieri will not "live with" whatever deal the RTM board and Rick's Steaks might negotiate and agree to. Perhaps Dunston could spell out the past experiences with previous Rick's Steaks leases that have led him to such a pessimistic statement. One thinks that lease violations, if there were any, might have been leaked / spun during earlier RTM management and board statements.

I've been there and am still there, but with genetically targeted drugs (avastin and tarceva) as opposed to all out chemo. I am also going through it with a very close friend who has recently finished a heavy course of traditional chemo. From both experiences, my advice is to listen to your body and eat whatever tastes good whenever it tastes good. For a long time fresh fruits, desserts and rare beef were the only items that had any taste for me. That is what I ate. At least for me, after a couple of years, my taste and appetite have almost completely returned. This is a time to care little about watching calories as in dieting. In fact calories work in your favor in keeping your weight up - if milk shakes taste good drink milk shakes. Eat ice cream. For nutrition my friend doing chemo steamed veggies into a soup broth. Relatedly - don't let anyone, especially yourself, make you feel guilty about what you are eating. Yes, try to cover all the nutritional groups, but if you need a day or two of vanilla milk shakes do it. Similarly don't build self guilt because you are tired and can't seem to do much if anything. Go with it - that is what your body needs. With luck and knowledgeable specialists, energy and appetite often gradually return. Good success and fortune to everyone here dealing with chemo and the like.

I'd credit David O'Neil more than anyone else involved in RTM management for where the RTM is today. And I still maintain that a regional shopping mall approach and mentality is as likely to kill a place like the Reading Terminal Market as it is to help it. Sandy, I'm not sure what you mean by personal connections. I have only talked with Rick Olivieri twice in my life. Once when we were filming in the market for Chris Cognac's TV show and once when I called him this past Saturday to confirm that the rally has been canceled or at least postponed.