Ted Task

I will admit that MONTCO beverage alcohol regulations are just a BIT OLD FASHIONED, but irrespective of that ANY intelligent retailer can get ANYTHING, yes, thru the DLC (Dept of Liquor Control). I would LOVE to see free enterprise in MONTCO, but it requires a vote by the State legislature, and none of them give a hoot. The other part of that story is that the County Council LOVES the ('prox) #16 million that DLC throws into the general fund......where would they find such an easy cash cow?? SOOOOOOOOOOOO, TO ANSWER THE question of why Wegmans would bother, I respect them as intelligent marketers who know that they could do biz here. Ted Task

I have emailed the County Exec of my dislike in tarring Wegmans with the same brush as Walmart. I've also messaged my elected Council member Phil Andrews on the same subject. What I keep missing is where in hell is the public on this and of course MUCH more important matters in MONTCO?? I think we need to start teaching good old CIVICS in school again, maybe then the great unwashed will learn to stand up and holler. Sorry about this harangue, but there was the keyboard, and I could't stop.

Actually, Tommy, it was 6 fucking 42 am, according to the eG server. Edit: Sorry, Tommy--this is Curlz, unknowingly logged in as my dad. :-)

As an OLD foodie,I understand the angst of finding a place for a once a year somewhat special meal. May I suggest...go to those places that you usually frequent beforehand , 'splain the circumstance and let them take good care of a REGULAR> Having said the above, I can't believe people NOT knowing Blacks in Behtesda....VERY talented Chef owner . Good food, good ambience. Ritz in Tysons has a SUPER brunch, however it is $61 per (must be less for children) , last time there we sat down at 10:45 and got up at 2:45..simply put, a great selection of well done foods, from a to z. Don't know if Gregg Hill at D&G (21st and M) is doing brunch, but for MANY years he did the best brunch in the whole world (ok, maybe I missed one) while exec chef at The Barcelo Hotel. Worth a phone call.

Must admit, never knew Assam until turned on to it by consierge at the Hyatt in Melbourn...Now, I've got to go exploring. Who knew that there were so many variations? Thanks

I'm guessing that I'll be the lone voice re: dessert...I'm one of those rare women who isn't a chocoholic! For me, anything berry or citrus is a much nicer way to end a meal. Or, as Rosie said, a glass of dessert (yes, that's what I meant to say) also does the trick! Just my $ .02... Edit: It's Curlz--on my dad's PC, and forgetting that I'm not logged in! Heehee

While not directly part of the 50 recollections..I can correlate the issuance of beverage alcohol licenses to the rise of free standing (as opposed to hotel) restaurants. In 1961 I was working in Kentucky for a major distiller I had shown an "ON premise" adaptability, and was really into the wine scene. I was called into corporate and told of a promotion possibilty of moving to Washington DC, as the law had just changed there. The old law permitted a drink to be served ONLY from a service bar ( if I recall correctly there were only three restuarants in DC that had even that, all others were hotels) to the change of allowing restaurants to have bars at which the customer could sit. The explosion was remarkable..there was not a day for the next two/three years when I wasn't out following up on a lead of a new restaurant opening. I recall conversation, about how now women could sit on a barstool and have a drink without being "escorted." 'twas true to a certain extent...ANYONE could now sit at a bar...why , golly even black people could get a drink in public. (I do hope readers appreciate the irony...this was after all D.C., a very southern town). Anyone with any recollection of those days will have to pay homage to one "Blackie" Auger ( a gentleman of Greek heritage) who cosponsored more than several restaurants with (presumed) relatives. The obvious connection to new openings was directly tied to the new ABC regs., which allowed open bars with seats at the bar.

EDIT: This post is actually from Curlz...I'm out of town, using my dad's PC, and just noticed that I'm logged in under his screen name. Too funny! Okay, for my fellow Rutgers alums, this is a bit off the grease truck topic, but still consistent when it comes to bad RU-related food...my junior and senior years, I had the pleasure of living about 5 houses away from the Ale 'n Wich...MUCH faster to stumble home from there than from Old Queens, and rarely as crowded! But I must say that I'm jealous...the bar and restaurant scene in New Brunswick certainly has improved in the years since we were down there!!! I spent many Friday/Saturday nights at Rhyan's (currently Harvest Moon) b/c it was one of the few places that wasn't too expensive and they had decent food and GREAT music (John Pizzarelli was a regular back then and used to hang out with us)! But the grease trucks did (and still do) serve their purpose--all part of the real college experience, I suppose...

More of my 50/60 memories. Almost all of the "Better" (meaning special ocassion) eateries were French. Most cusine what we would today call classic. The hotels were often the better choice, because they had to maintain a decent kitchen AND could afford to. Interestingly enough this is a trend that I see being repeated more and more today. I remember working the No Shore of Boston in the middle 60s offering Grand Cru Classe wines for $24./case (a retailer asked me if I was nuts "You want HOW much for Frog red wine?"...then I went into one of the small French restaurants, where one was ALWAYS offered a meal...and made a deal to sell that Frog red wine for $20/case but he had to buy five cases over the next two months. I'm talking about classic vintages of 53,55,57 and 59. Boston had a large Italian population and we had more than several restaurants in the North End (not far from The Garden) where we could eat well and cheaply before a Celtics game. Dinner was usually large plates of pasta, with garlic bread (a real novelty) little amounts of meat all for under $5...which was about the price of the Celtic ticket.. That became a relatively expensive night out. More as it come to mind

as a new egulleter or is it gulletier, i need to comment on Maestro, having dined there twice in two very different circumstances. The first was a private dinner for 16....wonderful if too much food, but that was my hosts choice...take it from an old foodie 'twas very special. Most recently we celebrated some birthdays at the Sunday brunch...the selection was dramatic (at least five cheese I did not know) enough variety to satisfy any abnormal person, and staff on the floor of the kitchen who were outstanding. That being said, was pissed that they advertise this as a Champagne Brunch (recall that wine is what I'm all about) and they had the chutzpah to offer a Spanish Cava that I can buy at retail for under ten bucks. They WILL keep making you all the bloody or Mexican Marys you can handle. That being said...will return.

oh, boy are you goingto get an eyeful....been in or afiiliated with the biz now for almost 60 years. Started in the kitchens in '44 when there were no full grown men available...I won't tell all the stories...let's just talk about changes since the 50s. The major change from my view is the number of TRAINED cooks that started coming into the biz. I think that the GI Bill was an influence, but we were in an enormously expanding market place......lots of new business travelers, everyone (well my gang at least) were all on "swindle" sheets and there was the need to entertain customers. As the hotel chains expanded, the F&B (food and beverage) managers were mandated to produce profits.....this is when the 20/25% food and beverage cost really came to the fore......that's why we see rape and pillage pricing today on wines especially....but has anyone noticed the price of a DRINK lately..... Used to be a time when if I wanted gumbo or other New Orleans cusine, I'd have to plan a biz trip there just for a couple of days of good eats....then some smart operators discovered that you could transport recipes..and now the world is available in every town and hamlet. Naturally the expansion of airlines and air shipment had an impact which cannot be measured... I remember getting FRESH Maine lobsters in outstate Kentucky...pricy to be sure, but FRESH. The worst problem of the fifties is still the worst problem.....TRAINED WAIT STAFF. tHE OWNERS spend huge sums to draw you in, the chefs are well trained and then some :"Hi, I'm whatshisname and I'll be your server" comes along and ruins it. SURE there are some good, nay great wait folks, but in such a minority, it's sad. Does this give you a start?