Holly Moore

Like there's a rule that one can't eat both a couple of hot dog, a side of fries and pizza or that one must eat just one lunch.

Interesting educational background. I wonder which came first, the French Culinary Institute or Wharton, and if there was a master plan that envisioned both institutions of learning? Boy, I had totally forgotten about Marigold. I rank Marigold right up there with the long gone Strolli's. I think Marigold, I think meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy. And I think walking away stuffed, mellow and happy, my pocket a-jingling with change back from my ten dollar bill. A "modern-American cuisine" approach to comfort food could be really interesting if that's where he's heading, though probably not based on his training and work experience.

Like his mother isn't.

chefg, My first reaction was surprise at the lack of gas as a cooking fuel. I was brought up in a "it has to be gas" world. The times they are a changing. I'm curious about exhaust hoods. It appears the only one you need is for the range set up. Are hoods required for the salamanders? You mentioned carpet in the French Laundry's kitchen. Will you be using carpet? How does the French Laundry / will you get that past the health inspectors? Finally, any chance of a scanned sketch of the layout to help with the overall visualization? Thanks,

There is a reason the line is so long at Red's. Two reasons actually. First the hype. But hype isn't bad. It is usually earned and Red's has earned theirs, and then some. Unlike some other places though, Red's quality has not diminished at all over the years I've been eating there. Second, Red's builds the best lobster roll in Maine, or at least the best I've eaten, and I have downed far more than my fair share. It's expensive, but it is good value. No skimping on portions or quality. No fillers. I usually go to Maine in Late May/Early June or Mid September to Mid October. Even then, even mid week, there can be a bit of a line at Red's. Locals. They too know greatness when they eat it. Driving Route 1 through Wiscasset and not stopping at Red's is as wrong as going to Coney Island and avoiding Nathan's.

I am of the dust with flour school of scrapple frying. Back when Lacroix was at the Four Seasons, they made their own scrapple. I don't know if that is still the case there or now the case at the Rittenhouse. But it was Scrapple worthy of the Four Seasons.

A message from Carman The P.S. has to be aimed at me.

I'm pretty sure Metropolitan's first retail shop is the one on 19th, off Rittenhouse Square. I'm a whole wheat bread regular, and with one exception (big air pockets within) the quality has been consistantly excellent. Also a big fan of their salmon and dill spread.

If the guy has some savvy, he'll merchandise the hell out of this. Become the "Osso Buco Nazi", get buttons made up "No Osso Buco for you." Print up posters with a dictionary like version of the definition for Osso Buco. At the same time he might want to follow up a tad on the quality of the product.

Every restaurant reviewer's wet dream. Not only getting thrown out of a restaurant, but being right, too. Wish Philadelphia had an Alex Salmassi or two back in my reviewing days.

I encountered livermush at John's Country Kitchen Charlotte NC.

In Southern terms, think livermush, then throw in some of that stuff that ends up on the slaugherhouse floor.

If there is any restaurant in Atlanta that doesn't survive on tourists it has to be the Varsity. I'm sure they get their share of tourists but will bet that the vast majority of its patrons are locals who know a good thing when they eat it.

It truly is not my intent to compare Philadelphia with the South in terms of cuisine. I got carried away in my final sentence. I should have said "home" instead of Philadelphia. I don't travel to find the same food I can find at home. What I wanted to communicate is that the South is one of the few US regions where, in a week's visit, I can be happy putting down three meals a day of the regional cuisine. Southern cuisine has a depth and a variety one doesn't find in other regions of the U.S.. What I will also say is that the South is a relative late-comer in the world cuisines. My experience, and that is all I can speak from, is that my odds of finding above-average international cooking is better in the cities with longer established international culinary presence. There are shining stars with very good international cuisine in the South, but the South has nowhere near the depth of the Mid Atlantic area. (And within the Mid Atlantic area Philadelphia has nowhere near the depth of New York City.) I wish the Mid Atlantic had an identifiable cuisine. We don't. It gets to me when those who do have such a wonderful heritage take it for granted or put it down as poor folk food or an embarassment. Dropping to my favorite level of cuisine - cheesesteaks and barbecue - I'm more confident walking into an unknown barbecue shack than an unknown cheesesteak joint. Again, speaking only from my experience, my odds of finding such a place that takes pride in it's cooking are far greater in the South. And as for the Varsity serving "crap," they serve anything but. They are as good as anyone at what they do and have been excelling for a lot longer than most anyone else. I'm hoping that Atlantans are as proud of the Varsity as they are of the finest restaurant in Buckhead.

I stopped by the new Vespa dealership on South, across from Whole Foods. Smack dab in front of you as you enter a coffee and gelato bar, the gelato being a dozen or so of Caporgiro's finest.

I head south with a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I don't trust an Italian restaurant in the south. Leery of Chinese or other Asian too. French, no way. This is not fair, and I probably am wrong - at least occasionally wrong. To me Southern cuisine in the South is as dominant as Italian cuisine in Itally. I am confident ordering meat and three, fish camp fried fish, carolina barbecue and anything else "southern" - even that edgy Nouvelle South cookin'. But no way would I squander a Southern meal on a plate of pasta or Peking duck. I'm sure, if I lived in the South, my attitude would be more all-encompassing. But I don't and it isn't. I realize I'm probably missing a lot of great dining, but that's what I have Philadelphia for.

The servers in your town are earning just $2.13 and hour AND 20% of the restaurant sales and sales tax. Very profitable brow sweat. My understanding is that the sharing of tips with other staff is for the same reason servers are tipped in the first place. To insure proper service from those they rely upon such as the bus person. It also is probably a survival thing. Eases the animosity between servers going home with $25 or more an hour and bus people pocketing what's left after taxes on maybe $8 an hour.

One person's epiphany is another person's just quite tasty. I will admit I have been yearning for an elote for over a year, since I drove to Reading to try one only to discover the unnamed taco stand had stopped serving them the week before. From experience I will also say that my first elote, which was later in the evening and had probably been sitting in the theros bag for a while was tastier than the just steamed, piping hot one.

Italian hot dogs definitely do qualify and on occasions go to the head of the line. Dickie Dee's is was. A double Italain Sausage actually - for the unitiated - Italian dogs or sausage are with fried potatoes, onions and peppers and stuffed into half of a flat round of Italian bread, pita style. Thanks. A great recommend. And thanks for my GPS for naviating Newark and getting me to Dicky Dee's and back to the airport in plenty of time for my flight.

Pooling tips worked for us back when I had my restaurant. Only forty - fifty seats depending on how effectively I packed the dining room. Two servers. One bus person. If turn-over is an indication, two servers were with me from the day I opened until the day I sold the place and stayed on with the new owner. Most of the others had tenures of 1 1/2 to two years. Over the entire period there was only one issue with missing tips - and this was a server who was pocketing the entire check. From an owner's point pooling took pressure off for balancing the dining room - not just in number of covers, but quality of covers. No need to profile low tippers. Pooling also was a form of natural selection. Peer pressure. Servers and bus people who didn't pull their weight either changed their slovenly ways or were pushed out. It was also good for morale. At the end of the evening we'd sit together over a glass of wine - I'd add up the credit card tips, one of the servers would empty out the plastic Halloween pumpkin where cash tips ended up, and we'd count everything out. Good casual conversation, talking about that evening's service and all sorts of other things. The servers decided what went to the bus person - their call totally. Servers made servers required percentage of minimum wage. Bus people were paid a buck or two an hour over minimum. Pooling may have worked so well for us because we were a small staff and had good rapport. I suspect there would be a lot of problems with pooling in a restaurant with more servers on the floor.

I'm heading up to Newark to catch a flight tomorrow (Thursday). I typically allow way too much time which means that once I get within a comfortable range of the airport I can stop at a place or two for a hot dog or two. What's near Newark Airport that I haven't written up yet at Jersey Dogs at HollyEats.Com Thanks.

One other idea. I was taught this by a guy named Coffey who was president of an ad agency named Weightman. He was seriously considering changing the name from Weightman to something like Charles Coffey Associates. His thinking: when Charlie Coffey of Weightman Advertising walks into a company to pitch his agency, it is impressive. But when Charles Coffey of Charles Coffey Associates delivers the same presentation it is very impressive. (Charlie gave me this advice over lunch as he was firing me because we had lost our fast food client and, at the same time, offering to put together investors to open my restaurant - perhaps the greatest severance package in history) Anyway despite my waspish lowkeyness, I took his advice - the Upstairs Cafe became Holly Moore's Upstairs Cafe. It was the start of some name recognition in a major city (Philadelphia) that has served me well in a number of ways over the years. And, as I was an active presence in the dining room, it was a plus when Holly Moore of Holly Moore's stopped by a table to chat, as opposed to just the owner of the Upstairs Cafe. All of which leads to the pedestrian but totally communicating: Glenn's Grilled Cheese

How are you positioning your concept? Yupscale foodies or Rutt Hut common folk? (please don't say both) I like the name "Melt" a lot, especially for the former positioning, but if you are going after everyman the name may come across as a bit offputting, intimidating. Now on to more important matters, if you are ready to talk about same. What is going to make your grilled cheese sandwiches the best in Jersey? Good luck, much success, and keep us all up to date as your quest comes to fruition.

Thanks for the great info. I shall eat well in Sheffield, thoug I welcome a few more options. Now, could someone please translate this from a Forum on Sheffield and point me towards the real McCoy in Sheffield.

I'm going to be doing a few days in Sheffield next week. Any interesting places to dine? And good cheap eats places I can consider for my site? Thanks.