moosnsqrl

It's about time! I've been waiting for that since this thread first went up

I was somewhat surprised by this article in our local food section this week. A "family and consumer science expert" from Kansas State University was the expert cited. They are the go-to resource for all food-related info here, so I'm not questioning the expertise; just surprised to hear anyone in our typically over-anxious, food-borne-illness-phobic society taking this stance. I think we (in the U.S.) tend to over-refrigerate and go overboard in many cases related to food temperatures with our warnings on menus about uncooked or under-cooked ingredients and the like. There are many foods that are all but ruined by refrigeration (tomatoes being at the top of my list). That said, this article specifically names several condiments that do not require chilling because of their chemical makeup (salty, acidic). These include bbq sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and worcestershire. All of the products I have in those categories specifically indicate to "refrigerate after opening." I'm sure part of the labeling has to do with liability issues but it surprises me, given the usual alarmist "better safe than sorry" posture of food safety experts, that they would go out of their way to say that it's OK to leave them out. Particularly in light of the fact that most of these could vary widely in their contents (not soy, so much, but the others). I know we have a lot of scientists and experts of various stripes on the forums, so I'm curious to know what others think.

KC Media Digest for week of September 7-13, 2006 The Kansas City Star In the Food Section In what I hope will prove to be a controversial article (in the sense of generating comments and questions, I mean) Monica Watrous poses the eternal question to chill or not to chill. Janet Majure visits Richard Robinson, business traveler and international diner, in Come Into My Kitchen. Jill Silva recommends a healthful late-summer meal to take advantage of the last few heirloom tomatoes in Eating For Life. If you've enjoyed the proliferation of flavor-infused vodkas over the last decade, Anne Brockhoff encourages you to try this at home. In the Star's Preview Section Lauren Chapin revisits Crossroads District pioneer Zin, now sporting a new chef (Karl Martens, whose work I enjoyed at now-defunct Cafe Trocadero) and some new business partners for owner Alex Pryor. I was happy to see her give credit to Susan Harvey as well. She (and her husband, Lazer) have added a certain something to many area restaurants over the years and, while the restaurant's bar can set the tone for an entire meal, rarely do we read much about those who tend them. The Pitch Charles Ferruzza returns home, home on The Range to see how the Harrah's semi-upscale steakhouse has evolved. And in My Big Fat Mouth he visits The Embassy International Bistro and Bar. The Lawrence Journal-World Jennifer Oldridge encourages succession planting to extend your harvest into the fall. <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some area media outlets, which do not 'go to press' before we do, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

In the most strict sense of rhetoric, you are probably correct. But I *do* hope that your argument is rhetorical. Or that you haven't been there to witness the absurdity. It really is a shame, and IMHO cheapens the good name of most of those involved. I appreciated Bourdain/Ruhlman on the topic: "are we just being too cynical" (or hypercritical or whatever they said) but it really is a shame to think that there is a strip mall of all the great restaurants of the world in the middle of a (I know I'm going to get flamed here but so be it) soul-less place such as Las Vegas has become. So, rather than visit the greatest restaurants, you can fly to one location, buy a "day pass" and check them all out without leaving a two-mile radius? Dear me. That is sad. I daresay we will not see a Las Vegas iteration of El Bulli. That is when I will abandon all hope.

Please, oh please, tell me that you're kidding or being sarcastic or fecetious or . . . in any case, not serious!

The story of my life, I'm afraid. S[he] who laughs last, didn't get the joke.

As a rule, wild horses couldn't drag me to Las Vegas. I went once out of morbid curiosity (when the MGM Grand and Luxor were new - before the "fake other city" trend) and that was more than enough. As I was driving from LA area to Kansas City, I did stop there a couple of months ago. I ate at Bradley Ogden and had an above-average dinner, but not as good as I've enjoyed at some of his other restaurants. I think the restaurant 'scene' created there is consistent with all the rest of the faux-ness of it. If I want to see the Eifel Tower, I'd prefer to go to Paris; likewise New York, NY; Lake Como/Italy. But I know people who just love going there and, as long as they kidnap me and take me there, let 'em have it. All of the elegance and class that money can buy (sarcasm emoticon here).

Okay, I'm drawing a blank trying to come up with some good John Edwards-related one liners here. Anyone else? ← And now I am drawing a blank. John Edwards? The politician? I have to admit to a certain level of selective amnesia with regards to the election but I'm afraid the reference is lost on me (as are an increasing number of things, but that's for another forum )

And here is my incredibly lateER response . . . UE I hadn't even noticed your posting about restaurant week a week before mine. Duh.

OMFG - I've been to some, want to go to others, but cannot frickin' imagine doing more than one a day. You're a braver man than I ...

Not me so much but an old college housemate is so succeptible to the power of suggestion (well, kind of a combo of that and buyer's remorse) that regardless of what he has ordered he will invariably change it to mirror what someone else at the table orders. We've figured out it's just easier to make him order last, so the poor server doesn't have to suffer through it. Seems the other man's mesclun is always greener for Joe.

My favorite with fruit (an old habit that dates back to The Lift, on Rock Rd) is walnut gourmandise. I've been chided for it (it's really more of a spread) but there is nothing better with apples and pears, IMHO. I was able to buy it in Wichita 25 years ago, so I imagine you can find it somewhere (Piccadilly, if nowhere else).

Ask and ye shall receive . . . the week of September 11 KC Originals have a variety of activities, special offers and fundraisers scheduled. Get out and support the first KC Originals Week - enjoy some great food and help out some worthy organizations.

Hey jgm et al., This article in the Travel section of today's Star caught my eye. It refers to this website, which caters to those traveling with four-footed friends. They have restaurant listings broken-down by state and ratings (1, 2 or 3 bones) submitted by folks who have actually gone there, with pets.

So the 15-hour days, the travel, the food and the cameras in your face didn't manage to do the trick but seeing a promo got you excited? What a goof! I know what you mean, though. It does seem more real now somehow (plus I'm getting really tired of watching the lobster claw break off on the ice skating "compete with food" spot, so it's nice to have something new in the rotation).

Chris, I've seen it a couple of times today (having decided to spend the holiday weekend in bed, with a flu/cold combo ). It's a crime-scene motif - chalk outlines of various recognizable foods on the pavement ending with a pair of shoes (gum shoes, presumably, if I have my detective novel vernacular right). "The Hungry Detective" (red letters) and 'coming in October' (or something like that) is the cutaway. Sorry I can't be more descriptive - I'm drifting in and out a lot. I'll try to at least remember what the outlined foods are and figure out what the background noise is - it was distinctive enough to shake me out of my semi-sleep the second time, in time to see the graphic at the end, but I couldn't tell you what it was. I'm guessing typical crime scene-type noise but it's just a guess.

I don't mind the shouting in some situations. My favorite felafel joint in the City Market just sends the food out on a tray with someone barking the last two digits of the number on the receipt tab. As a rule people are visiting with co-workers and not paying any attention and they have to do a couple of laps through the restaurant until the intended recipient wakes up and acknowledges their number but it's all part of the deal - just like at Zing's. I still haven't been to Spin to witness the mayhem first-hand but it's one of the first thing's people mention about the place, so it sounds like there is need for improvement. Although Pete's right - since the food just has to get there once and there's no need for a brigade of servers to return to the table again and again, it doesn't present the magnitude of problem it might elsewhere.

I hope this doesn't mean that our dinner date at T-Rex is off for tonight? I gather there is no identifying clue as to which food order goes to which table? None whatsoever? La Parilla (in Lawrence) similarly has you order at a counter, gives you your drinks and chips & salsa at that time, but they also give you a small plastic table-tent with a number that corresponds with a number on the food ticket that goes to the line. Even at that it can be tricky when they're slammed and there are multiple tables awaiting food. I can't imagine why anyone with a strong customer service focus (Gold/Smith are partners in Spin, right?) would leave their servers twisting in the wind like that. It just doesn't make sense.

In each context, your waistline is going to suffer, it's just a matter of degree

KC Media Digest for week of August 31-September 6, 2006 The Kansas City Star In the Food Section Gail Borelli takes a fresh look at stale bread. Janet Majure's Come Into My Kitchen offers Jim Caccamo's enticing Cosmic Cannoli Ice Cream. In Eating For Life Jill Silva suggests spicing up your cookie jar with healthful oatmeal cookies. Chicken and tomatillos may go well together on a plate, but Lauren Chapin finds them less simpatico in the garden. In the Business Section Closing the Lone Star Steakhouse and Saloon deal is going to be tough. Gordon Biersch has plans brewing to join the Power and Light District. Applebee's new CEO puts change on the menu in an attempt to reverse downward trend. In the Star's Preview Section Restaurant critic Lauren Chapin checks up on a KC classic: Benton's at Crown Center. And closer to the other end of the scale enjoys a couple of lunches at 39th Street's Fric & Frac. The Pitch Charles Ferruzza and friends visit the non-Mexican Coco Bolo's. Hard to believe in this cowtown, but a local spot with decidedly vegetarian roots celebrates its centennial this year: The Unity Inn at Unity Village. KCUR-FM 89.3 The Food Critics join Walt Bodine tomorrow morning. Listen live via streaming audio for the latest. <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some area media outlets, which do not 'go to press' before we do, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

I'm not sure there is any "greater good" to be served by subjecting one of our own to this. I suppose if you have a kid who is into dinosaurs there could be worse things. I have been to Cheeseburger in Paradise on two occasions (to listen to bands), so I've paid my Village West dues. And to address something upthread, Bryant's is not quite the only local eatery up there. There is a small bakery called MeMa's that I've heard good things about. Not being a bakery afficionado, I haven't fallen on that grenade yet, either.

Are they free range?

I guess it depends on what your expectations are. If I want to be entertained, I'll go somewhere to seek that (music, theatre, amusement park). If I want to eat, I go to a good restaurant. If, serendipitously, I am entertained in the process I consider that a bonus. I guess that's why people are willing to wait 2 hours for a table. If you compare it to standing online for the latest, greatest roller coaster, it's probably not all that bad. Plus, as long as you can busy yourself building a dinosaur, I'm sure the hours just fly by. I always like Pterry Dactyl on Pee Wee's Playhouse. Maybe I'll run over there and make one this afternoon.

Good strategy - gotta keep a few cards close to the [kevlar] vest

That is truly disturbing. It gives a whole new meaning to the concept of ambience. A little more digging revealed that Landry's bought 80 percent of the T-Rex deal before they even opened this first one, with an option to buy the other 20 depending on profitabilty. Landry's owns several other familiar resto-tainment places, including chilihead's favorite crabby place. At least the dinosaurs [presumably] don't burst into 'spontaneous' song every 20 minutes. Yet.