Miami Danny

Sounds pretty 'fishy' to me....Are you saying you got 8 stone crab claws for $11 retail and then paid $48 at Joe's for the same size claws? And that some random fish market (apologies to Anne) in Hollywood gets the same quality claw as the most venerable restaurant in Miami Beach? Claw quality can vary widely, not just the store/restaurant source (wholesaler/crabber), but the geographical source as well. The best claws go to the people who pay the most, and it ain't some chicken market.

"Cat food splashed with yoo-hoo." Ouch.You know, as they say, no jury would convict....

There are also a number of prominent chef changes that he didn't re-review, such as Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay. His blogging is about 80% "non-food" related. ← Perhaps but even as this attachment shows he is making a point on his blog to revisit places he's been or check out places that have been overlooked. This is from April of this year and written by Bruni: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...757C0A9619C8B63 This week the Dining section introduces Dining Briefs, short reviews that include first looks at new restaurants, updates on places that have been reviewed or overlooked and critiques of bars and lounges that offer noteworthy drinks and food. The feature will provide an informed opinion on places around New York City that are worth consideration even if they don't receive a full review in Frank Bruni's Restaurants column or in $25 and Under. Dining Briefs will alternate every other week with $25 and Under. I guess my only point is that the chef's decision to not to do anything different when the Times critic is spotted there is a cavalier one these days. ← I agree-cavalier, perhaps even dangerous.

When I was cooking at the Bar Room at The Modern in and Bruni came in (definitely a surprise as we had already been reviewed) the Bar Room Chef insisted NOTHING be changed from what typical service would have been like. Just asked everyone to make it with care but at no time were portion sizes changed, better proteins selected...even the server who ended up with the table wasn't even told it was Brunil till after the meal. He trusted his kitchen crew and felt the food spoke for itself without any alterations. ← Keywords-ALREADY BEEN REVIEWED. Your place had so much less to lose. 'Trusting' evryone is a noble concept, but to have done that BEFORE a review would have been a little more of a commitment to the egalitarian nature of the manager's comments. But, in any event, what is the big deal? I'm sure we're all adults here and understand that some customers get treated better than others, and that the New York Times Restaurant Critic perhaps is treated the best of all. I can live with that.

"The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a star." (My emphasis) Brillat-Savarin I'm curious...I was thinking how this this topic ties into 'how many cookbooks one owns', another great topic, but one which got me thinking...how many recipes does anyone actually follow from your average cookbook? For example, Bittman's. How many dishes have you actually made from that book? I have tons of cookbooks, but only a few that have given me more than a handful of recipes, and just one or two, like Jose Andres's, which have lots of great recipes that I actually cook repeatedly. And some, like Diana Kennedy's first book, that read well whether you're preparing the recipes or not. So my question is, how many recipes from cookbooks you've bought are 'keepers'?

Wow that hot dog post got me Drooling For Jersey. Freakin encyclopaedic. And I did the distance and it's only 1000 miles for me. Add that Indian place that FG loves, and it's a home run. Check's in the mail for gas and tolls-and the first Frank Sinatra, fully dressed, is on me.

Not bonus; onus. ← What free goodies? WHAT FREE GOODIES? WHERE ARE MY FREE GOODIES? ← Dude, you need to get your name to the local PR types. Hell, even I get invited, on occasion, to free dinners, tastings and the like. These things are full of the local blogger types (and fine people they are, too). Sadly, invites have dropped off of late. Whether I was insufficiently industrious in writing up the gatherings afterwards or PR strategies have changed, I know not. But it was swell while it lasted. Possible that you're not invited because even in Miami there's only a limited number of restaurants eager to advertise: "as recommended by Daily Cocaine!" ← You may be right, BB, although I believe they did a survey and it is now the #2 Most Popular Dessert Item after flan! (Was #1 for a long time.) ← hehe, people get tired of Flan pretty quick. Seriously, did you think that "Daily Cocaine" as the title of your blog would garner interest and traffic, or did you want to stir up controversy? And therefore interest. I think that a writer really needs a certain number of readers to really validate themselves. I have written many things that others will never read. There are, of course, writers who compulsively insist that others read and approve. Is there a connection between the offering and the readership? Does it make an individual a better writer that more read, or is the writer good anyway? ← The idea is that food is the new cocaine; especially the way people talk about it in such excited and sometimes even furtive whispers, like it's a guilty (or illegal) pleasure. And, if you're like me, if you got the good stuff, you can never get enough (good food, that is [cough/sniff]). The 'daily' part was just me pushing myself to post every day, which takes discipline and planning, neither of which are my strong suits, especially with no editor and only self-imposed deadlines.

Not bonus; onus. ← What free goodies? WHAT FREE GOODIES? WHERE ARE MY FREE GOODIES? ← Dude, you need to get your name to the local PR types. Hell, even I get invited, on occasion, to free dinners, tastings and the like. These things are full of the local blogger types (and fine people they are, too). Sadly, invites have dropped off of late. Whether I was insufficiently industrious in writing up the gatherings afterwards or PR strategies have changed, I know not. But it was swell while it lasted. Possible that you're not invited because even in Miami there's only a limited number of restaurants eager to advertise: "as recommended by Daily Cocaine!" ← You may be right, BB, although I believe they did a survey and it is now the #2 Most Popular Dessert Item after flan! (Was #1 for a long time.)

i know a good number of bloggers, food and otherwise. like anyone doing anything, they all have different motivations, and they have mutliple motivations for blogging. some do it for validation, some to increase their sense of self-worth, some for special treatment they receive, some for the free food, and some for all those reasons, and then some. there is not doubt in my mind that free stuff is a motivating factor some, and not just a bonus. not for me, however. ← And free stuff's not a motivation for print or broadcast types? I worked in TV for 17 years, and I can tell you that free food and booze (and tickets, and books, and DVD's, etc.) are the backbone of the industry. I will also say, without question, that there is a ton more free stuff going to 'journalists' every day than to bloggers. I know people who are print and broadcast journalists who pay for nothing.

"And, the blogs are a great proving ground for up-and-coming talent. But, on the whole, they're lightweights (often enjoyable and useful), cheerleaders (less so) or self-entitled cranks (fortunately, fewer than in the political blogosphere)." You've just pretty much described most periodical/newspaper food sections.

Maybe it's because because of the loathsome wasteland that "the common man" has fashioned of our popular culture, but I have a deep and abiding distrust of the people whose dollars and "taste" have given us Thomas Kincaid, Brittney Spears, TGI Friday's and most prime time television. Whether or not they speak one's language, what they're saying tends to to be -- at best -- suspect. On the larger issue, I stand more with Daniel than his critics. I know Miami Danny has a deep dislike of one of our more prominent food critics, but I'd argue that any of the Three T's who run the regions most influential food pages stands head and shoulders above any of the local bloggers, whose scope is (necessarily -- they have other jobs and limited funds) limited and who tend to be dramatically uncritical in their reviews. The fact is that the decision by a larger institution to cut a check for you based on your writing is a significant "credential" and useful benchmark for separating the cream from the skim. If you meet to people in the bar and know nothing about them other than that one is blogging their novel and the other one has a contract with Knopf, who would suspect the is the better writer: the one who has appointed their self, or the one whose persuaded at least one other person with interest and experience in the field of their abilities? Sure, there are talented bloggers out there, men and women who bring as much to the table -- or almost as much -- as those earning their living in the crit biz. And it would be as absurd to dismiss a "self-appointed" authority merely because they don't punch a clock at a Major Daily as it would be to ascribe God-like powers of perception merely because someone has a byline. The democratization of the internet is a great thing, and we all benefit from having a diversity of opinions to choose from. As The Great Helmsman said, "let a thousand flowers bloom." But, in the long run, the people with a) the commitment to making criticism their life, b) the experience that comes with full-time dedication to a task and c) the talent to attract employers and a large-scale readership, are the way to bet. ← I think you misunderstood my response to Rogov (although it is probably my fault-I did not mean to sound contentious). I am not trying to assert that one is better than the other (print/blogger, self/other), only that a legitimate intellectual debate exists.Additionally, to clarify the record, I do not have a 'deep dislike' for any DC critics. My thoughts on this issue are well-documented, and there are many people who agree with me, some in the industry, some food board regulars, some ordinary people who don't really care much about food, and there are also those who disagree, from those same groups. There is a definite need for serious debate on that issue in DC, one which, I am afraid, will never happen.

Not bonus; onus. ← What free goodies? WHAT FREE GOODIES? WHERE ARE MY FREE GOODIES?

You guys are hilarious! Is it really that hard to drive over to Jersey to explore some exciting new places? FG's not exactly asking you to move there and raise a family for goodness sake. I wouldn't even mind renting a car and heading over there for the day, just so I could whine about how bad it was. But what if it were a great trip? Next time I come up north I'm forcing Weinoo to get his car out of the lot and drive us over there. I'll pay for gas you cheap bastard. F*ck New Jersey indeed.

Great topic...I've whittled down my food magazine subscriptions to Food Arts and Sante. These seem to have the most information, with recipes and demos you are less likely to see anywhere else (like Wily Dufresne's 'Egg Roll' or Kurt Gutenbrunner's 'Riesling Sauerkraut'). They also have a lot of business-oriented columns and articles by people who are actually in the business. I seem to stack these up, and actually refer to them every now and then. I stopped everything else (still getting Saveur, though that's due to run out) because it all started to seem so familiar, and the writing so bland. I get design magazines like Surface and Wallpaper, and these behemoths are a fresh respite from food magazines, many of which seem to be written for people who have just picked up their first food mag. I try to make sure that last month's issue is out of the house before this month's arrives. Otherwise, I toss it when I get the new one. That being said, I do have a big stack of 'special' issues (Italy, Spain, Chicago, Paris, etc.) on the porch, which I glance at and try to toss but can't bring myself to.

Mr. Rogov-Perhaps you do not feel the need to apologize or accuse, but obviously there is enough controversy here that many do, suggesting that this is a real issue. Perhaps these are not ad hominem attacks or accusations, but real, honest disagreements among those who get paid and those who don't, those who submit their work for publication, and those who publish their own work from their laptop while in their underwear. And please tell me that the 'host of professional critics whose reputations are beyond tarnish...etc.' includes you and me.

Rocks, you brought up an interesting point. Also, what happens when a self-appointed becomes an other-appointed? Or an amateur becomes a professional? Do they automatically become better? Or, something else? And exactly how does one 'rest comfortably'?

In fact, Jonah's were $7/lb over the weekend at Publix. The problem is usually only about half of them are any good. Still, if you get lucky and they were stored properly, that's not bad, considering. Nowhere near as good as Stone Crab Claws!

Thanks for that informative post, Miami Danny. I'm assuming these prices are per pound? How many pounds of claws do you suppose comes on an average plate of "Selects" at a place like Joe's? That's seven claws, in case you don't know the average Joe's plating amount. ← Yes-The prices I listed are by the pound. Stone crab claws are graded by the pound, not by the piece. Honestly, I have no idea what Joe's puts on the plate-every stone crab restaurant I know serves by the pound-maybe they do it differently there? I haven't been in a while.

I strongly disagree. The claws you get at Joe's or Billy's or any busy, good spot are the best, most reliable, fresh claws. That can't be said for any market, even Capt. Jim's, which is my go-to market. Claws are a premium delicacy, and the best ones go to the restaurants. No one is out there catching their own stone crabs. I can also guarantee that they will not be much cheaper to-go at Epicure or Capt. Jim's, or anywhere else. The price difference is marginal, unless you want to buy your claws at the supermarket, which I strongly suggest you avoid. As for the mustard sauce, you don't have to eat it-I'm not a big fan either. ← I may have mis-stated some pricing, so for the record, I was at Capt. Jim's yesterday and here's what I found.Stone crab season is in full swing. They are harvested between October 15th and May 15th, and, interestingly, only one claw is removed from the captured crab. The (now one-armed) crab is tossed back in the water, to regrow his delicious claw just in time for next season. The claws must be boiled, and then chilled, which prevents the meat from sticking to the shell (this all happens before the claws are shipped). The claws are normally sold by the pound in markets and restaurants, and the size designations are as follows: Medium/.19 lbs and under Large/ .20-.29 lbs. Jumbo/ .30-.39 lbs. Colossal/ .40 and up Some places do 'Selects', which are between Medium and Large, or 'Junior Jumbos', which are between Large and Jumbo. At my local fish market, which happens to be the incredible Capt. Jim's (which is also a restaurant), the prices as of today were as follows: Size Retail/Restaurant Medium $19/21 Large $25/27 Jumbo $33/35 Colossal $37/39 It seems they are expensive, but pretty reasonable compared to anyone else. And their claws came in that morning.

just a little here and there. Also, if you check out the pix from my article, you'll see tons of hominy (and a foot) in the pozole, and loads of tripe in the menudo, which was pretty hearty the last time I ate there (last week). I barely mentioned the al pastor, due to length (Anne-this article started out at over 2000 words, whittled down to 600-ouch!) but you are right BG-it is immaculate.

I strongly disagree. The claws you get at Joe's or Billy's or any busy, good spot are the best, most reliable, fresh claws. That can't be said for any market, even Capt. Jim's, which is my go-to market. Claws are a premium delicacy, and the best ones go to the restaurants. No one is out there catching their own stone crabs. I can also guarantee that they will not be much cheaper to-go at Epicure or Capt. Jim's, or anywhere else. The price difference is marginal, unless you want to buy your claws at the supermarket, which I strongly suggest you avoid. As for the mustard sauce, you don't have to eat it-I'm not a big fan either.

It's really a shame that you had a bad meal at Billy's. I've eaten there a dozen times and the claws were always fresh. I wouldn't go out of my way to go to Billy's, but if you're up that way, it's a good alternative to driving down to South Beach to Joe's. Pricey? Stone crab claws are like lobster-you're not getting them cheap. Incidentally, they're not called Joe's Stone Crab or Billy's Stone Crab for nothing. If you don't love stone crab claws, don't bother.

Grumpy sometimes ? You're too kind. I find the hardest thing to deal with is editing. On my blog, I try to tone myself down sometimes, although I rarely edit for length. If you're not a seasoned pro (and I'm nowhere near that), it's very difficult to edit yourself. I have taken 1400 word pieces and had to edit them down to 5-600 words for print publication. It's really like trying to figure out which limb to cut off, especially if I really love the people and the subject I'm writing about. Then the print editor has their more or less final say at deadline, as well. I try to get my pieces in a little early, so the editor and I have time to talk about changes, too. Anne-Honestly, I have the luxury of choosing what to write about at the moment. I pick my subjects for my food columns, as well as design , theater, and anything else I may get paid for. It's stuff I know a lot about, research a lot (and I don't just mean going to wikipedia or trolling the internet-real shoe leather stuff), love interviewing the people involved, and enjoy. Maybe that would change if I were getting paid to review restaurants I can't stand, or subjects that bore me. But the bottom line is always integrity. Paid or free, print or blog, I feel I have to establish and maintain what I consider high standards. If you read my last blog post, you'll know that I take this stuff very seriously, even though sometimes it's just a really great taco truck. I visited this truck a dozen times before I wrote about it (both 1400 words on a blog, and 550 words in print)-this guy in print sounded like he may have eaten at the truck once, if at all. My responsibilty then, at all times, is to the standards I set for myself. Additionally, you have to be pretty broke, or pretty desperate, or both, to give up your integrity for a couple of dollars, because that's all it is. Well that, and, of course, all the glory.

In other words, last post wins.

If 'bitch loudly' means what we're doing here, then I think only one of them is constructive.