Dignan

Thanks very much, Ingrid, for the synopsis!

So, what happened? As I noted above, the show was preempted here in Houston. Chod issued an ultimatem, and Rocco squated in the restaurant? Did he chain himself to a $1500 bar stool?

Here in Houston we've had a news blackout in honor of Ronnie Reagan (for the most part; they've worked in local news as well, and we've got some thunderstorms brewing). I'm waiting, it's 7:29... Nope, now it's a "sponsored segment" by Grand Casino Coushatta (sp?) in Louisiana.

I got Sundrop soda (never had one), Big Bob Gibsons BBQ, Mt. Olive bread and Butter pickles and pickled okra, Golden Flake Hot thin & crispy chips (a great chip) and Mac's brand pork cracklings. I truly love eating in the south and I have a lot of these products shipped up north to me (still have some Cheerwine soda left). I am trying to make my way through all the Southern states, I was in South Carolina in Feb., Alabama this past weekend, and I am heading to Charlotte in two weeks. Now that's a tasting menu. Well done! I'd try a moonpie if you get the chance, but the pecan logs are not for the faint of sugarheart.

I've always had plural pickle action, though I can't give a norm number. CFA is where it's at for chicken sandwiches. I haven't had one in a while because I've gravitated away from the fast food and especially the fried fast food, but I surely remember digging into the corner of those foil paper bags with a wet finger in order to extract the last little crunchy fried bits of breading. You had a pretty good trip down south, Artie. Did you get any moonpies? Pecan logs?

Absolutely must agree, Tana. Going to new places with new chefs is all about trying new things, even if we think they are old things. "Had beets when I was kid, and I know therefore that they suck...." A tasting menu is the perfect vehicle for ... well, testing tastes. A person with a presumable amount of skill has spent a presumable amount of time determing a taste combination in order to accentuate flavors. This is the perfect time to try something you "know" you "don't like."

Alas, no. I love grits, but my girlfriend's mother is not a grits type of woman (I was not aware that such types exist south of the Mason-Dixon line. Well I'll be danged. You still got a pretty good feed out of her anyway.

Artie, I don't actually see grits on your list of delectables. Were none provided?

My thanks as well for your fine report. I lived in Atlanta for a while when I was younger, and that was when I first started to take pleasure in food and good restaurants. But I haven't been there in a while, so your experience sharing is very welcome.

I wonder whether you might expand on what you felt was suspicious about the editing in the episode? No mention was made by anyone (on the show at least) about the getting a raise and getting fired on the same day (or at least the next day), which it what it looked like. My suspicion is that it happed at least a few days apart, and was edited to look like he was being rewarded by one side and disowned by another. Mark Burnett has been known to do stuff like this in the past, most notable with Survivor. Also regarding the firing, did anyone Tivo or tape this episode? Can you tell what date was on Rocco's computer when he was talking to Laurent in his office when he was clearing his schedule for the next few days? Remember he said that they had been looking at Tony since September with the idea of letting him go. At least we can figure out the interval between the suspicion and the dismissal. About the fire, the more I think about it, the less suspicious that seems. It's just that Rocco's happened to coincide with the fire. He leaves, the fire starts, it gets dealt with, and he returns to see the damage. It could be a coincidence, but it would be a very strange one. And I somehow doubt that NBC's news department is producing this. I don't think that any news department would enter into agreements with advertisers. If they are, then I'm sorely dissapointed. The "cast" probably had the TV rules written into an employment agreement. Anyone know if they had to get union cards to be on TV? I agree that its hard to tell what was going on with the firing of Tony. Either Rocco knew about the raise and was taking a position to counter Chod by firing Tony, or Rocco is so out of the loop/Chod is operating behind is back (take your pick), and he honestly didn't know about the raise yet still managed to take polarly opposite position from Chod on the issue. Rocco did say, I think, that he got rid of Tony because Chod told him that he needed to be more active in the kitchen, but I think he lacks good faith in the move because he immediately demonstrated how NOT to be active in the kitchen during that night's service. And then he had to be shaken by Laurent before he decided he should be there through the weekend, or "whatever it takes." With regard to the fire, the impression I got was that, as is usually the impression, Rocco simply wasn't around until somebody once again told him he should be there, and he showed up after the fact in order to prance around in the front of the house some more. But I may not have the sequence right.

I wonder whether you might expand on what you felt was suspicious about the editing in the episode? Perhaps Chowd's looking at the P&L without regard to any endorsement money or particpation fees that may have been advanced. He would have to in order to accurately judge the operations. So while he may not be out personally what he says is the loss in operations, wouldn't it be a legit point to make about the management? I agree with the Putz conclusion. The cookbook signing in front of his exec appears nothing other than a calculated my-chair-is-higher-than-yours slap in the face. When he walked out of the restaurant during rush to go to his office for a cocktail, I asked out loud: "Where in the hell are you going?" I've only seen a large handful of these shows altogether, a few from last season during a holiday marathon on Bravo and one or two this season before tonight, but it seems to me from what I've seen and read that this entire project has been a complete clusterfuck.

Boy oh boy. Rocco has his exec sit on the choping block for a few moments and wait so that Rocco can sign a few more of his cookbooks before he fires the man?

No, I think it's what someone indicated earlier... It was previously preempted, and now they are showing what they have left there at NBC... so the finale should be coming.

It's on here in Houston, starting 7pm cst....

Anyway, seems maybe redfish is confusing the drinking-a-shot-waitress with the intern-who-was-bartending-while-underage. Let's all reread the thread and figure it out. Starting ... Now!

Well, thank Haysoos Christos, we've got you on the scene now. Edit: to add that, though I detest them, that probably requires the smiley emoticon of a wry southerner welcoming the opinionated Yankee carpetbagger to Texas.

All I can tell you is that today's dining guide included a mention that it would be closing in the digest portion. It was worded in a way that made it sound like it was off the grapevine, and there was nothing from the owners or the circumstances included in the mention.

Dignan my old friend, where ya been? We miss you at the other forums. Methinks you seek a different Dignan... While I'll admit I'm likeable, I've not been on eGullet long enough to be missed, and I don't really participate on other boards. Thanks for the thought, though.

I'm not versed on the California legislative process, but if I may presume as a stopgap that it mirrors the federal process, perhaps this is silly enough that Governor Schwarzenegger might exercise his veto powers.

Jiminy Xmas! This is like one of those "Dear Abby" hoax letters. Nobody could really be this ... this ... this way. If I were Tom I would have banned her. Edit to add: Ah, good, it apparently was a gag.

Now where does one purchase a brush this broad? It's so big, when we're done painting a whole class of folks, we can use it for sweeping generalizations, too! I was born and raised on the west coast of Florida, and my father in central Florida. These bars may not be bastions of Havard liberalism, but there are plenty of good, hard working and honest southerners of all races who can enjoy them.

Well, I sauted the my beettops in olive oil with plenty of garlic, and they were quite nice. I was really surprised at the taste, because I had assumed for whatever reason that they would be bitter. But they had a wonderfully clean flavor. The roots I quartered and roasted in foil with garlic cloves and oil, as suggested by magnolia. They also were quite good, but with a much stronger and earthy flavor. Much better than I remeber from my previous experience with the canned versions. I'm not sure I'm a total beet convert, but I'll definately try them again.

You'll need some faded football paraphenalia from the favoured regional clubs, and bumper stickers plastered on things behind the bar. Not addressed to me, but I'll take a stab on the claim of some authority. The yankee swarms have made Florida quite a bit more multicultural. So you'll likely find your southern bars most prominent in the northern and panhandle regions, and in a corridor running down the center of the state in the farming and ranching areas, right through to the 'glades. There are still parts of the west coast that have not been developed yet and are still pretty rural as well, so it's not all forsaken.

Am I the only one who hears EXpresso from folks? I think I even heard Mario saying it in a recent show. It might be my ears... I get tinnitus....

Thanks for all the replies... I think tomorrow is a beet roasting evening, with some beet top saute as a side bar. I'm gonna roast all the roots, then figure out what they actually taste like before taking them to the next level.