Holly Moore

A few follow up questions. I understand if some or all of this is confidential. 1. Undercapitalization is probably the most common reason for restaurant failure. What percentage fudge factor are you adding to pre-opening costs to allow for the unexpected? 2. I've heard of setting aside anywhere from 3 to 24 months anticipated operating costs cash reserve. Given the buzz that will come with Alina's opening it might not be as important for you as for the typical operation, but are you setting up a cash reserve to cover start up months and, if so, how many months do you feel is necessary. 3. And really pushing your willingness to share information, are you anticipating that Alina will open at break-even or a profit? If not, how long do you anticipate it will take before you achieve break even?

My gullet screams, "Eureka!!!" Can't wait to bite into one. Sort of everyman's beef wellington.

In South Philly gravy is tomato sauce.

For too short a time there was a vendor, Siegfried's German Foods, in Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market that made his own liverwurst and braunschweiger. It was the best I've had. My fallback - Usinger's in Milwaukee. I often add some to my hot dog and fresh brat order.

A little bit of Los Angeles pie history. Back in the Late 60's McDonald's tested a pie concept in the LA area. The place was named Jane Dobin's after Ray Kroc's then wife. Then the divorce. Place was renamed Pie Tree. A lesson to be learned here. It's also why the Palm no longer puts characatures of couples on their walls.

That sounds very smart. But remind us -- what exactly was on the 1970 menu? Burger, cheeseburger, Big Mac, quarter pounder, fries done in suet, milk shakes, soft drinks? Am I missing anything? * Bring back Ray Kroc and Rod Polley too. Burn-through-your-tongue Hot Apple Pie Burn-through-your-pants hot coffee Double burger and cheeseburger Don't think the Quarter Pounder was on the menu then, but I'd serve them at MiniMac, keeps with the contact. Fries were done in a blended shortening. 75/25

OK. Let's take a hot dog place that makes its own sausages from the finest of ingredients - sausages that exceed Germany's best - creative blendings that redefine the possiblities of sausage. A place that bakes its own buns - different buns paired with each sausage. A place that prepares its own relishes and sauces in a manner Escofier would envy. A place that has been designed by the finest NY designer and whose staff has been trained to Ritz Carlton standards. Let's say it is by far the best hot dog place in the world - a hot dog place that could only thrive in New York. Four stars?

Where will it end? Each broadening of the menu dilutes the image and complicates production. As production becomes more complicated quality suffers especially the freshness of product. Everything is precooked and held - only way to handle such a varied menu at such high volume. I wonder when someone will open up a fast food restaurant chain that sells just hamburgers, fries, a token fish sandwich, shakes and soda. The wheel of retailing. As McDonald's matures and has to pull all sorts of complications out of the hat, the door is wide open for some young upstart to come in and kick their ass with McD's original concept. My strategy for McDonald's. Open up Mini-Macs that just sell the 1970 menu and that return the focus to quality, service and cleanliness.

I was working new products for McDonald's when they evolved from fresh to frozen fries. It was brought about by franchisee pressure. Fresh fry production, especially at McDonald's scale, is truly a pain. It was a long, painful process. The criteria, set by founder Ray Kroc, was that McDonald's would only switch when panels of McDonald's customers from around the country could not tell a commercially frozen fry from a fresh fry. McDonald's got there with Simplot. They built a special production line that blanched the fries in the same shortening that McDonald's used in the restaurants. It was a very good fry and while typical McDonald's customers could not tell the difference, skilled palates could. That the fries are shoestring rather than 1/4" or 3/8" cut made the process easier. To answer the question about two step frying of frozen fries - the initial blanching is to remove moisture and mostly cook the potato. The finish fry adds color and crispness - kinda puffs the french fry up. Frozen fries, as I understand it, are already partially cooked, either in water or shortening. There is no point in a second blanching. Fresh cut, twice fried fries will always be better than frozen fries. Most restaurants don't do it because it is very labor intensive and because it requires more space for potato storage and frying equipment. Because of this, there is the opportunity for a restaurant that is willing to make the effort to shine. Given two relatively equal burger or dog stands, I, and I think most people, will pick the one with fresh cut fries. Some people, including me, might head there just for the fries.

I appreciate that the 4th star is an opportunity to recognize restaurants which advance culinary art. And I realize that the 4th star lies solely in the eye of the reviewer. But I have trouble accepting that the hypothetical, exceptional restaurant I describe should not qualify simply because it is not doing anything new. Forget the American part of my example. I was shooting at extremes. Under the standards set in this thread, a restaurant that impeccably serves classic French, Chinese, Italian or Tsarist Russian cuisine would not qualify for the fourth star because it is merely reproducing and not creating. Maybe it's the target of the star system. For NY Times it may be the state of the art. For me, it's the diner. I want the NY Times, through its stars, to point me to the finest dining experience. Adventure could be part of it. But it doesn't have to be. If a restaurant serves the absolute best of it's chosen cuisine and does so consistently and flawlessly, I would like to see that restaurant receive four stars whether or not it is pushing the edge. With my approach - impeccable, consistent excellence in one's chosen cuisine - a Nathan's or a Katz Deli could strive for four stars. I'd like that.

Greetings Lance, and welcome to eGullet. Ah, the good old days when one could open a restaurant and have some time to iron out the kinks before it is disected over a world wide restaurant and food forum. Just what you needed. It is cool you jumped into the discussion during such an all-consuming, hectic period as opening a restaurant. Again, welcome. It is too bad that health departments are over-reacting on the e-coli issue. But it seems that yours is being more reasonable than many in that when a customer requests rare or medium rare, you are allowed to serve it. That being the case, I'd make that option clear to your customers. Yes, in volume, cooking to specific levels of doneness is a challenge. The downside is that a lot of people consider anything over medium rare to be overcooked/ruined. If they don't realize that rare or medium rare is available, they won't be back. This is especially true with a large, 1/3 pound burger. Are you sure about the USDA standard of identity for ground beef or hamburger allowing lips and such? In past lives I've worked corporately for both McDonald's and Burger King. I am 100% certain that neither do/would use anything but muscle cuts. As to your point about fresh cut fries becoming limp as a noodle after a minute. Are you talking the single fry or double fry method? For the first ten years or so, McDonald's sold fresh cut fries - probably built their reputation on their fries as much as their fifteen cent burgers. And those fries had to travel. Same for many of the famous Chicago hot dog places. Fresh cut, twice fried. It does make a world of difference. And it is worth the effort. Gives you a major point of difference over your competitors. The thing is, fresh cut fries are an operational challenge. More labor intensive. Far shorter holding time. That is why they are so rare to find and so special when done well. There are a lot of good, even very good, hamburger places out there. But only a few great ones. The great ones get there on quality more than anything else. My ideal hamburger place grinds there own beef, forms the patty on the grill - a patty thick enough to cook medium rare, butters and caramelizes the bun, uses a bun that compliments rather than overpowers the burger, and, as their ace in the hole, serves their burger with a side of freshly fried, twice fried, fresh cut french fries. All that said, here's wishing you great success with Icon Burger.

It might be too late - 10 years of suburban chain fare may be impossible to overcome. But my goal would be to open her eyes, show her there is Italian beyond Olive Garden, seafood beyond Red Lobster and Mexican beyond ChiChi's/Taco Bell. If "weekend" means you get her for three dinners: Dinner 1: Good, boisterous South Philly Italian like Ralph's or Villa de Roma. Not epicurean, but not Olive Garden. Dinner 2: Sansom Street Oyster House, but don't say "oyster" or you'll have to drag her through the front door. Dinner 3: Plaza Garabaldi or La Lupe. Or Tequilla. And don't forget Carman's for breakfast. Carman just loves the pitter-patter of little feet racing too and fro. Or maybe I have Carman's confused with Chuckie Cheese. Come to think of it, Carman's might not be all that good of an idea.

Why not?

I got to wondering. Maybe it has even happened and word never made it to Philadelphia. But would/could/has a NYC restaurant that served good ol' american fare - raw bar, steaks, fried chicken, local seafood, leg of lamb and the like - prepared perfectly from the finest of ingredients, with impecible service, awesome decor and commanding top dollar ever earn four New York Times stars?

Far be it from me to keep Mongo from his, um, beauty rest... :) They didn't ask how we wanted our burgers. The patties are thin, i.e. fastfood style, so they are basically at least medium well by the time the outsides are sufficiently browned. That said the burger wasn't noticably dry or anything....just not pink and juicy like I'd want in an ideal burger. A 1/3 pound burger pattied out "fast food thin?" Must be a whopper of a bun. But it cooks fast and at someplaces cooking fast takes priorty over cooking tasty.

Sorry to hear that the food is mediocre. I'm a fan of the Fatburger's on the Vegas Strip.

For a born again Downeaster like me, the term "Lobster Salad Roll" is akin to chalk scraping across a blackboard. The classic lobster roll is just lobster and mayonnaise or lobster and melted butter on a toasted New England style hot dog bun. A New England style hot dog roll is one that is slit is down the top of the bun instead of along the side and the sides of the bun are bread-like - no crust. This means one can butter and toast both the inside and the outside of the bun. Trader Joe's, in Philadelphia at least, sells a whole wheat version. So that may be one source. Other than that, they are hard to find though some of the mail order lobster companies will ship the rolls to you. I've had "Lobster Salad Rolls" where there is some lettuce and mayonaise at the bottom and a lobster salad with celery on top, in the roll. And I grudgingly admit I enjoy that too. But it is not a genuine Lobster Roll. It depends on motive. If the vendor is adding the lettuce and celery for taste and aestetics, it is ok. If the vendor is adding the lettuce and celery because lettuce and celery cost a whole lot less than lobster, shame on him. Bonafide Downeasters are known for their miserliness and for their happiness with the way things have always been. I suspect they lack my tolerance for a lobster salad roll.

I think Katie's right on the dog source. That was the first thing that struck me when I read the article, why they weren't going with a premium, brand name dog? I'm probably seeking them out this weekend and will report back.

Unless you have a secret home remedy for degrease-staining a shirt, tis better to have found your inner than your outer Holly

For those within a reasonable drive of Philadelphia, finished Commisary Carrot Cakes can be purchased from Frog-Commisary Caterers.

From the Camera article: I'm fine with a White Castle Burger cooked medium well - but a 1/3 lb all-natural beef hamburger butchered like that. Shame, and anything but ideal or an icon.

The Greenbriar is supposed to be pretty decent, though reportedly overun with politicians, lobbyists and would-be Monicas. Less than a half hour off I-64 is Hillbilly Hot Dogs, nice folks, bluegrass jams and concerts out back some evenings and 5 Grease Stain hot dogs. Huntington WV, which is the exit for Hillbilly Hot Dogs, is somewhat of a hot dog mecca, itself. There are a bunch of places including the original Stewart's Original. And I urge you on your way to take a break from the bluegrass and head to the Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg KY (an hour south of Frankfort) for what is probably the South's and therefore the nation's best country ham - aged a minimum of two years. Their fried chicken is awfully good too.

"Cain's Rib" - but no good if I have to explain it.

Not so, if you make a reservation. The rules, only two. 1. Call the morning of the reservation. The earlier the better. 2. Be on time. 2 1/2. Leave the kiddies at home.