paul mitchell

Well my inspiration to this post funnily enough comes from a "pink champagne" incident - I was serving a rather famous hotelier and a music exec at lunch - the two gents had decided to bring their daughters (ages 8-10) for a week at our resort - I have always taken the iniative to serve white grape juice and 7-up "champagne" to any young 'princess' that graces my dining room - nearing the end of this lunch one of the little 'princesses' promptly stood up on her chair, raised her 'champagne' flute in the air and announced to the room, "I'm Drunk!" Again, I really appreciate the responses even though this isn't 'a usual' liquor question.

Thanks for the replies, some interesting ideas.

I'd have to say Kennedy cause Jacky brought the first french chef into the Big House. But then again Kennedy was probably calling a lot round 7pm saying he had to stay late and do some "extra work" in the Oval Office.

Nice View.

After an exhaustive search of the internet I haven't found much in the way of interesting non-alcoholic concoctions - does anyone have any ideas of virgin recipes on "classic cocktails" - I am trying to create a kid's drink menu that not only makes the kids feel important but show's their parents that we've thought and planned for their child's experience over as well - anyone can put a banana and strawberries in a blender to make a smoothie - I'm trying for a little bit more panache - you know something I can shake in front of the kid - impress them a bit - maybe you all have some suggestions - if you can make a frappe for a geezer why can't you make one for a kid.

Get a big tub of calamari down on Fisheman's Wharf.

What no hommage to the Mecca of Meat at Athens Central Market? Where not only do the vendors smoke but there are all these decapitated pig heads (of course wearing sunglasses) and the big joke is to stick a smoke in their mouths too.

Why the are you going to Las Vegas then? I can't imagine why anyone with any substance would go there to have an experience other than winning and feeling like the world owes you something or losing and wanting to blow the place up. Go to Paris, new mexico, that place high up on the hill in big sur. Las Vegas is about being reckless. Go get drunk with someone else's husband. eat some shrimp cocktails. put the stringy prime rib in your purse.

Jeffy Boy, with such comments your going to be on the corner of Carrol and Hastings selling morrels for your fix.

I'm no chef but I always let meat rest in a warm environment (ie stove or barbecue) - 20 minutes seems a little long - for steaks I usually put them on a plate tented in tin foil for five minutes tops - a roast I might let sit for 5-8 minutes tented - the juices in your meat will always run a little bit - its simply crying.

Worst Deal 1) Alfalfa's market in Boulder, CO - Asparagus $15 a pound. It was february but come on. 2) Nester's Market, Whistler, B.C. - Chantrelles $45 a pound. You can find them for free in the woods 100 yards from the store. Best Deal 1) London, UK - Standing beef rib roast, filets, porterhouses. Something like $1 a pound. The day after the first Mad Cow announcement in Britain back in 94. Me and the lads barbecued like we were in some Kansas barbecue world championship. I have memories of eating whole filets and drinking 24 beer in a sitting. From sad student poverty to kings of the world!

..........and then you get the folks that pay $30 for a single Hennesey XO and coke.

Just got back from Tofino. Had a great fish taco at SOBO in a torrential rain / hail storm. Had the fattest double cut pork chop with apple / parsnip compote at Shelter. The perfect way to end a long day out in the elements. Not to be beat was 'Steak Night' at the local branch of the Canadian Legion. $15 bucks for a big one and all the trimmings. Cheap Lucky beer and Crown Royal at the bar. Made me a little teary eyed as I always get memories of going to the Legion with my Grandpa. When I turned 19 and he took me in for my 'first' beer and got to shoot the shit with the cronies. Neat to see a place like the Legion in Tofino where practically the whole town shows up for 'Steak Night'. That doesn't happen just anywhere.

Here's your thesis Tydel. 1) It's a scam. Some guy thought up this 'concept' so he could make a couple of extra bucks to live out some other worthless dream. Like playing a bunch of golf. 2) The guy died. 256 pounds hitting the edge of the sidewalk. Don't listen to dead people my man. Your thesis should be about how you are going to eat alot of bread, buy your food from the farmers and foragers of your 'hood. How your finding the local haunts that you never new existed. Places with soul food, good food, healthy food, real food. Joints that make your heart sing and your gullet gurgle. Tell us where you are from and we'll put out a collection plate for you so you can get a good dinner somewhere and you can write about it and submit the paper as a 300 page review in disguise and the world and your stomach will be a much better place.

Whatever happened to cold hard cash. Especially American Greenbacks that rule the modern world. $500 would probably do it put in a pretty card that says your friend (boss) has some degenerative disease and one of his last wishes is to eat at the French Laundry.They'd never ask him about it because in this day and age it would be "insensitive". What happened to the good old times of flashing some bills at the door?

Le Cigare Volant came about in jest to an actual law in Bourdeaux that disallows flying saucers. If you get a kick out of the Bonny Doon wines please check out their annual newsletter on their webpage. It is a riot and more akin to an anarchist's prophecy than a newsletter on wine.

Mo'Ho? Kind of like Soho but a little bit more flashy.

Your right Tofino. My problem was that it was the first place with juice and sustenance as I stumbled out of my 'suite' at the Maquinna after the usual evenings of visits to the Weigh West, Shelter, Coffee Pod (never for coffee, always for beer). I just remember seeing sunflowers somewhere near it - it was always a little alarming at that time in the morning in a hungover state. Probably hallucinating with the sunflowers - some delayed acid flashback from my youth. But of course one needs a semi-solid stomach to brave the 9am forty minute boat ride back to work with a guide who knows your hungover and would like to see you puke cause he couldn't go to town the night before.

The room at blue Water is nice and big. I haven't eaten in there but a few weeks ago I got the tour. C's room is called 'the attic' if I remember. Quite a spot. Good reccomendations.

Filet of Kangaroo with Vegemite jus. Sorry, hard to resist.

As a kid (15) my friend Greg (15) had an older cousin (20) who would come to visit in the summertime - this guy was from Squamish (now a vibrant outdoors capital but back then a loggers haven and kick ass sort of a place) - the whole idea was to see which one of us young punks could impress the cousin the most - cause we weren't pussies - the drink involved many recipes but the most popular was this: ethel alcohol : as much as you could chug The winner was never expected to actually keep it down though - the winner was the one who could keep it down the longest - mere seconds for most. When the cousin was still sleeping we tried to mix that stuff with whatever we could to be able to keep it down. Coke, oarnge juice, ice cream, vodka, cranberry juice, beer, throwing limes and lemons into the class or soaking twinkies in the stuff. My record was 2.46 seconds. About middle of the pack. You had to actually get it down before you puked. It was a hell of a lot more fun when you got to work the stopwatch.

What poignant stories. Am kind of dumbstruck in thinking about mine. I remember my grandpa making shrimp cocktail on sunday night as an 'appetizer'. He even had special glasses he put them in. It was incredibly exotic and ritualized like I supposed kings would do on their sunday nights. The only thing any 'man' in our family ever made. One of my favorite things in the world was being 'sent' to grandma and grandpa's house on friday nights with my sister. The absolute highlight was riding the elevator from 7-9 on the saturday morning and then going out for pancakes at mcdonalds. Grandpa didn't eat pancakes, he just smoked. My mom cooked. I am sure my father would live on ritz crackers, cheddar cheese and campbells soup if it weren't for my mom. To this day I am not sure if my dad has ever done a complete grocery shopping trip. He has never even washed his socks. ever. I have just gotten over the need for everything to be surgically clean in the kitchen. I love to cook. it doesn't matter what i'm making. I also make a huge fucking mess. Restaurant meals weren't common. there was always the underlying notion that it was way too extravagant. my family wasn't rich but we were well off. I suppose that is why, as a waiter, I love spoling my guests. there is something so innate about feeding people. giving them a space to relax and be doted upon. in my mind there is nothing that could be more honorable.

Isn't it right across from the COOP and next door to the LA grocery?

With all this talk about SOBO I am beginning to wonder when it will get it's 3rd Michelin Star?

........the most difficult thing I've found is trying to muster up a decent cough to muffle the sound when you open a beer.