NancyH

Thank you Chris! Did you see the PM I sent to you?

AMP 150 just put up their new website. Are any of those photos yours, Edsel and Tom? Menu looks so good! Have we decided whether 10:30am is the best time for Sunday brunch, or should we make it 10am?

Plan update - the Crop Restaurant tour on Friday will be whenever we finish with Chris Hodgson and Hodge Podge Truck; we'll head over to Ohio City to visit with Chef Schimoler. That should give everyone plenty of time to get ready for the evening's festivities.

In the past, people shopped for their courses, and either picked up some cash from the organizer before shopping, or got reimbursed after. Our food budget is approx $20 per person, so please communicate with me about how much $$ you think you'll need for your course to make sure we stay in budget. Though Scott has a pantry, I don't think it would be right for us to raid it, so please be prepared to bring or acquire all food related items. Are locals willing to bring some pantry-like items so we don't have to buy full packages? Can we have volunteers to bring kosher salt and black pepper? Are there other "pantry" items that people know they need in small quantity such as sugar, flour, vinegar etc? Connie - will you bring all the accouterments for the tea? Do we need to get coffee and if so how much? I anticipate that once we're assembled at Chubby Cook, I'll take a poll and do a grocery store run for anything else that we need that hasn't already been acquired at the markets. Eggs are better at the Farmers' Market than the WSM.

1. Platters - Scott doesn't have many, so if locals can bring a few, that would be appreciated. 2. Liquor is state controlled, unfortunately. GE will get you anything that they are permitted to get if they don't carry it (they are very nice there!), if you give them a little time; I'd call them today.

Will the salad course be plated? Will it need a 6" or 10" plate?

The Chubby Cook would like to know what time people need access to his facility on Saturday. Usually, most folk begin to assemble after lunch, but I told him we might have some earlier-birds (like the bread-making folks). Please let me know if you want in earlier and we'll make that happen for you!

There are several Asian markets in the area. They almost always have lemongrass. Kaffir Lime leaves are usually available frozen, and sometimes fresh. I have a small Kaffir tree and a few stalks of lemongrass in the garden, so if you don't need a lot I can just harvest some for the dinner. It's a small tree so I don't want to defoliate it. A few kaffir lime leaves would be great - wish I had a tree - given how hot it is here right now it would probably be one of the only things thriving. Lemon grass is usually easy to find frozen (and so nice and easy to use that way) in an asian market. With an asian market available then we will be good for a little bottle of fish sauce and palm sugar so I won't bother to bring them along. After my last little incident at the border I'm not going to bring any plant material with me. I'm leaving the citric acid in it's container - just hope a scale and a white bottle of chemical type powder doesn't draw undo attention! You could check with NARRIN'S SPICE AND SAUCE STAND: E-11 at the West Side Market - call them Weds between 9-3 to see if they have the fresh stuff. 216.861.0626. They should have fish sauce and palm sugar for sure, so you wouldn't need to go to Asiatown.

Jeff is revising his menu to make it more "early appropriate" - do we want to push it back to 10:30am? Is that a deal breaker for anyone (or does it not help those who've already bowed out)? Garden tour at 10, food at 10:30?

No - you only pay the Eventbrite fee if you use Eventbrite to pay for your ticket (which is why you should NOT buy a ticket there if you plan to pay at the door).

Eventbrite is now live for the Thursday Tremont events! Please go here if you wish to pre-register and pay by credit card. The event is broken into three segments, in case you cannot attend all three. Please note that the prices include tax and gratuity on the food, as well as the Eventbrite fee if you choose to pay by credit card. If you aren't paying in advance by credit card, please do not buy a ticket on Eventbrite, but update the posts on this list and bring cash to pay for the food/tax/gratuity in the amounts indicated on Eventbrite; I'll be collecting at the door(s) . You can settle your drink tabs at each Thursday restaurant with cash or credit card at each restaurant. I'll be adding the Saturday Feast to Eventbrite as soon as the pricing is finalized, and I'll post here and let you know (should be around $30 each)! We're trying to decide how many plates to rent. All other events are pay-as-you-go with cash or credit card. As I'm sure you'll all appreciate, it is very important that we give the restaurants accurate headcounts, so please advise me immediately if your plans change.

That is the exact reason that beverages are "on your own" throughout the weekend, so everyone pays for as much as they drink, or don't drink . And the Thursday prices all include gratuity and tax on the food. As far as VTR goes, even the non-alcoholic drinks are special - Lucas can attest to the amazing root beer, and all of the mixers etc are made from scratch, so you don't have to consume alcohol to enjoy VTR. Jeff is re-tooling the menu and will set the time whenever we want - is 10:30 garden tour/11am for food better, or shall we back it up another half hour?

Yup - those who need to drive a ways would appreciate a more brunchy timing I think. Jeff is amenable to adjusting the time and the menu - so what time do we want to schedule Sunday's meal? What time was brunch last year?

Just keep me posted. I expect that Chris will have enough food to sell to others in addition to our group, but I want to keep him posted on what to expect as we know.

I guess I will go to whichever market is best to get bologna. I really don't know. I don't need produce for my course. But if some locals have a better idea/source for bologna, I'm open.. I'll need some cheese. And some mustard. And maybe some pickles. Jeff - I'm thinking you want to go to the West Side Market.

This will be a progressive meal. Fahrenheit will be upscale Happy Hour noshes for $11 (including tax and tip). Lolita will be family style pizzas and small plates, and Dante will be 2-3 savory items plus dessert (meat, fish, pasta probably, plus dessert). All of the food together should equal out to a regular 6-8 course tasting menu's worth of food and might be a bit more because I expect each restaurant to throw in a little more than they promised. Beverages, as per usual for the Heartland Gathering, will be a la carte on separate checks.

Just made a correction to the price for Thursday - Dante will be $38.50 (including tax and tip) for food; he's doing the second half of our dinner including dessert!

Is lunch on Sunday too late? Would it help folks if we made it earlier and more "brunchy" than "lunchy"?

Steve - I expect that if Ellen doesn't care for the AMP 150 menu, she could also order off of the restaurant menu.

Sorry Kerry, not sure how that happened. Fixed!

Lunch is planned for noon, but could be earlier or later as needed; if people are on tight schedules, we'll probably tour the garden around 11am. Is Dave David Ross?

Sunday lunch at AMP 150. I anticipate we'll have a tour of the hotel garden either before or after our meal - it would help to know who will be hurried to be done there earlier due to plane reservations or whatever - but we're planning lunch for noon (I posted the preliminary menu earlier) - $30 includes tax but not beverages or gratuity, and youngsters may order off of the restaurant menu; vegetarian substitutions will be available for all courses. Sunday: Amp 150 NancyH +1 Ronnie Suburban +2 Edsel Tino27 torakris Kerry Beal+1 Chris Hennes +1 (1 veg) rooftop1000 +1 David Ross RockNRoller Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg) Kasw (Karen) +1 Dave the Cook JAZ Jeff Meeker SamIAm +1 prasantrin +1 Sheb +1 Luckygirl+1 BethG? RockNRoller? 33

Saturday dinner at The Chubby Cook. We are still working out some of the smaller logistics, but anticipate $30 per person. People will begin to assemble and prep (and nosh) after shopping and lunch at or near the market of your choice (there are many fabulous lunch options). NancyH +1 Ronnie Suburban +2 Edsel Tino27 torakris Kerry Beal+1 Chris Hennes +1 (1 veg) rooftop1000 +1 David Ross RockNRoller Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg) Kasw (Karen) +1 Dave the Cook JAZ Jeff Meeker SamIAm +1 prasantrin +1 REB +1 BethG Luckygirl +1 Fat Guy 33 Our hosts - Scott Groth, Alicia Hansen, Michele LaVecchia 36

Saturday shopping - may I have a show of hands as to where people wish to shop? My thoughts were to have one group go to the West Side Market (where we shopped in 2007) and one group go to the North Union Farmers' Market at Shaker Square, which will have much better produce. I'll also need a local volunteer to shepard each group (I'll probably take the West Side Market). If there is anything else we want that can't be had at either place (such as wine), we should discuss how we want to organize that. Please reply to this post.

Friday Dinner at The Greenhouse Tavern 8pm. We are still negotiating menu and price point, believe it or not, but plan for $70-75 for dinner plus parking, tax and gratuity (beverages on your own). NancyH +1 Ronnie Suburban +2 Edsel Tino27 torakris Kerry Beal +1 Chris Hennes +1 (1 veg) David Ross rooftop1000 +1 Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg) Dave the Cook JAZ SamIAm +1 JSMeeker prasantrin +1 REB +1 Sheb +1 Steve Sikorski (Luckygirl’s +1) RockNRoller Markymark +1 Fat Guy 32 Maybe: BethG