Holly Moore

There are no tourist traps in Philadelphia. What size thundering herd usually shows up for a Gathering? How do handle small places? Do you usually split into groups for such tours or what? Cool that you may end up here.

A couple of possibilities - nothing fancy but solid cooking and grunge-friendly. I'd also agree on the Koo Zee Doo recommend. Puerto Rican cuisine at Freddy and Tony's at 201 W. Allegheny. Cuban and Colombian cuisine at La Tierra Colombiana at 4535 N. 5th

I'm one of those who has to get up and walk close to the chalk board. Partially eyesight, but also because a lot of places don't wash the chalkboard so earlier erasures leave it a dusty white. Also many times the person wielding the chalk has either poor penmanship or gets carried away with flourishes. And hosts seem to like to seat me where the view of the chalkboard is either obstructed or behind my back. It is so easy to turn out daily menus on a computer. Still room to be individualistic with fonts, paper, and display stand. Maybe mock up individual table chalkboards for tables or something industrial to match the ambiance.

This is the fryer - Henny Penny - that I used back when running prepared foods for a WI supermarket chain. The link further links to a few fact sheets about pressure frying. As I recall back then KFC was frying in individual pots that sure looked like pressure cookers. Edited to add: Official KFC History

Incredible produce from Culton Organics at Philadelphia's Sunday Headhouse Square Market. Farmer Tom Culton Tom and Shola Squash Wrangling Best Asparagus Ever

I'm torn between my first shovelful of oysters at Bowen's Island, outside of Charleston SC or giggling my way through my first Grant Atchatz Tour de Force at the then Trio. Both are top of mind because they were so different from any previous restaurant experience, and they were exceptional.

If you don't mind getting a bit down and dirty, Bowen's Island for shovelfuls of Roasted Oysters. Just off the road to Folly Beach.

Soft serve can be good or not so much so. Top of the line is true frozen custard a la Shake Shack, Zwahlen's (Philly far burbs), or the relatively few other real frozen custard stands scattered around the country. Frozen custard, which requires egg content, is a richer soft serve ice cream. Soft serve is one of those products that can be easily cheapened. Lower quality soft serve mixes, more air incorporated into the soft serve, depending on the soft serve machine and the greed of an operator. Dairy Queen is ok, better than many. But nowhere near the character of true frozen custard. Which brings me to a daily frustration, especially in the summer. No one in the Center City area of Philadelphia serves a true frozen custard. That, more than burgers, is the reason I am excited about Shake Shack's rumored opening a few block from my house in the second half of 2012.

I had been looking for Saugy dogs for years. Finally got some at a function I attended in Providence. They were indeed as described above. What I don't get is why none of the Rhode Island hot dog places carry Saugy Dogs. You can order them online, but the go for $100 for 5 lbs - includes next day air shipment.

Jack Frost in Glenside. It may be a little far for that Mini to roll, but Dilly's Corner in New Hope is a fun stop.

I see a sous vide set-up in a home kitchen and there is at least a small concern that the home cook is more aspiring than accomplished and might send me home with a bit of botulism.

There's that one guy, the travel writer from Texas, who redefines "emote." I am losing respect for Gordon Ramsay in that he has yet to slam him against the wall and slap any and all expressions off the guy's face.

Try this link for Studio Kitchen. It takes you to Shola's existing blog. A recent posting provides a link to the old blog.

Major disagreement here - and not only for what the Sterns have brought to road food - like inventing the term and, for over thirty years, showing folks that a meal in a road side shack can be just as fulfilling as dinner in a multi-star restaurant. I've spent some time with both Jane and Michael and they are none of the above. They are good/kind hearted and their love of road food and joy at discovering a new road food destination is totally genuine.

With the caveat that I tasted my first bagel at age 28 when I moved to Long Island, I am on the side of untoasted - the exception, as other have said, being when a so-so bagel is toasted and then drenched with butter. Even so I'd rather a naturally warm bagel, untoasted and buttered. A Montreal style bagel bakery, Spread, opened in Philadelphia a couple of months ago. Got me quickly hooked - three visits the first week. Then the wood around their oven caught fire and they have been closed ever since though they are promising to reopen soon. It would be a sin to toast Spread's bagels, straight from their wood-fired, hearth oven.

Wonder how much credibility the experts will have if the show returns to air next season? The locations were likely at least a one year lease. The concept, as implemented, must have been a real dog if, after a couple of months, it was cheaper to walk away, pay off the lease and eat the leasehold improvement costs than to try to troubleshoot it. Please, someone, do an in-depth article on this fiasco.

You're probably right about the steak doneness marker, now that I think about it. That makes more sense for Howard Johnson's.

Did you get a read from the manager and chef during your first interview as to what is important to them? Skills, eagerness to learn, reliability, loyalty? If so, be prepared to present how you relate to the criteria they are stressing. How tight is the labor market? Are they hurting for employees or the opposite? If it is a seller's market share the onus with them - let them persuade you why their position is the best fit for your career goals. A bit of subtle ego stroking if you can do so with a straight face and not be blatant about it - the reputation of the restaurant, becoming a member of such a skilled kitchen team, the need for a mentor at this point in your career.

Happened across the remnants of my father's collection of swizzle sticks. I'm guessing these are circa 1940's-1950's. Inscriptions from left to right: Wagon Wheel, Rockton IL The Lacienega Red Snapper ?’s King Edward PM Deluxe Coach Beam Cincinatti Club Hotel Statler The Sheraton Lounge Rockaway River Country Club The Pacific Restaurant, 30 Pell Street, NYC The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs Hotel Webster Hall, Pittsburgh PA The Kitty Hawk, Dayton Biltmore Hotel The Canadian, Canadian Pacific (Railroad?) Great Northern’s Western Star The Engineer’s Club Bachelor Club, Dallas TX (No Printing) Howard Johnson’s

Advantages to eating on one's own - - Don't have to wait for slow eaters to finish. - Often seated at the table closest to the kitchen so there is enough noise and activity to keep one from getting bored. - Servers leave one alone to enjoy the meal as the gratuity potential is larger with more densely populated tables. - No obligation to share one's food with disease ridden dining partners. - Easier to eavesdrop on nearby tables and waitstaff. Often more entertaining than Oprah or the soaps. - No fighting over the cinnamon roll or muffin in the bread basket (circa 1970). - Can order dessert without feigning guilt. - No issue about who pays or splitting the check fairly.

Rocking tables. With all the amazing progress this past century you'd think someone would come up with a better way to steady tables than a sugar packet, matchbook or layers of napkins. Booths that lack ample room for a person of girth. Similarly booths where the tables are fixed to the floor. Similarly, again, a dining room where the tables and chairs are squeezed in tighter than seats in the coach section of a commuter airplane.

Figure there were millions of dollars in editorial TV advertising behind the winner. And they still couldn't make it. I would have sent in Gordon Ramsay for an episode of Kitchen Nightmares.

Ten minutes to closing. Just scoured the grill. Customer orders a hamburger. Pattie goes into the fryer.

Actually I used both on eGullet.

Just became official - at least on Twitter - Shake Shack has signed a lease - SW corner of 20th and Sansom, across from Jose Garces' Village Whiskey and diagonally from Capogiro. Shake Shack is targeting to open the second half of 2012 and will have a liquor license. Kind of an odd location for a place that brings as much traffic as Shake Shack.