Rail Paul

It's a very nice review. But, no pickle comments... Fink said he would like to increase his party and catering business in 2003. My guess is this review will help him achieve the goal. The spring time (graduations, fire department wetdowns, etc) will likely help FFBBQ. He's also in an area where firms may spring for employee recognition with impromptu outdoor lunches / picnics, which are always nice. edited for focus

that is probably true. the traditional french attitude to politics is cynical, regardless of political standpoint. that is, politics doesn't as much involve judging persons as judging interests. in usa, lewinsky was close to being the downfall of clinton, whereas in france the president may have several maitresses or be involved in corruption without this having any major impact on his power. likewise, the average frenchman will not let his political point of view influence his conduct towards americans. he will, on the other hand, gladly discuss politics with anybody. Socially acceptable is a tricky slope, since public attitudes will often define what's acceptable as social protests. President Chirac has issued an apology for the desecration of hundreds of British and Australian World War One graves in France. The vandalism involved writing obscenities, and contained negative messages toward the coalition war in Iraq, and urged the British to dig out their dead garbage and haul them away. Other vandalism against the September 11 memorials has also gone un-noticed Although I'm sure this offends many French people, a little more horror would have been appropriate, I'd think. But, there wasn't much horror when synagogues were attacked last year, either... Grave Desecration

GSP exit 172, left turn onto Grand Avenue, go under the GSP Right at first light onto Chestnut Ridge Road. About a half mile. If you are welcomed into NY, you've gone too far. The beloved and revered former president nixon lived nearby. he would have appreciated having a good sushi place in his 'hood

this is *not* a game. this is serious. if you're not on board with this, then i suggest you find another doll house in which to play. Maybe we could turn this effort into a weekly game show, and get it on FoodNetwork. Premise - sexy bachelor Tommy (I know, I know, but this is TV) needs to find a place for dinner. Set-up - Tommy makes a short video, describing how he's feeling right now, and what he might enjoy for dinner Hook - bachelorettes vie for Tommy's attention with suggestions of where they could take him for dinner. Prize - media attention for wannabe models, and dinner with Tommy

Sona was reviewed very positively in the Times. A cerebral, and delightful place whose complexity occasionally trips it up. Registration is required for the LA Times, click on restaurants in the link. SONA

I watched it, also. It was tacky, but cute. Won't win any Emmys, and the acting wouldn't scare Jeremy Irons or Daniel Day-Lewis. Hallie, the date, seemed like an interesting person. Graphic artist by day, sculptor of butts / painter of murals in the evening. Set out a lot of clues in her video. The guys had to do a meal for under $50. Each guy was paired with a chef who advised, helped. The winning Romeo created a dessert of poached pear halves in a red wine reduction. The pears were sculpted to resemble butt cheeks. That probably sums it up pretty well. Everybody was a good sport.

Shop-Rite in NJ has unsalted butter on sale for 99 cents a pound. Government subsidies, aren't they wonderful? Welfare for Cargill and ConAgra, paid for with my taxes. I'll buy 2-3 pounds, freeze them in freezer bags (marked with the date) and use them over the next 2-4 months.

The New York Times has another article on the tourists in Europe issue. This one differs significantly from the more positive view posted earlier. According to today's article, many American tourists have postponed or delayed their trips. Business persons have continued to come, but in fewer numbers, stay for a shorter period of time, and spend less. American business people spend, on the average 358 Euro daily in France. Far more than UK or German visitors, so a decline in US numbers has a disproportionate economic impact. One official says business people are 10% of the visitors, but spend 35% of the revenue. The article, written from Cannes, describes a deserted Hotel Crillon (barricaded US Embassy is nearby) and slumping occupancies for many luxury hotels in Paris. Various officials are quoted as bemoaning the situation. No mention of personal affronts, but rather more general fears of terrorism Tourists

FoodTV's latest effort, Date Plate, debuts tonight. Hallie is wooed by two men she's never met. They cook for her, and seek her heart (etc). Sample items tonight are Hunka Hunka Burnin Love Lamb Chops, crepes with orange Zest, Monkfish in crazy water. Chefs Cat Cora and Daisuke Utagawa will advise the Lotharios on the finer points of cooking. Who will she choose? Debuts at 930pm ET. Date Plate

welcome aboard... One place mentioned occasionally is VerJus, upscale fish and meat. Springfield Ave in Maplewood, just east of Prospect St. (Prospect Street starts at South Orange Avenue and runs south to Springfield Avenue.) Mentioned more frequently are Joycelene's and American Fare, both in Maplewood center. A quick search will pull the threads. For more casual fare, Gaslight on west south orange avenue (just past the train trestle) has freshly brewed beer and good food. Niecey's on Vose Avenue has been well described, but I've not yet visited. Toro Loco and Cryan's are OK, and are open late.

Not entirely the case -- Ruth Fertel is gone, but her empire lives on. But then, I doubt many people even knew that there WAS a real live Ruth. Had Ruth been active in the business in the years prior to her death? I had thought she retired from active management several years earlier. Like Dave Thomas at Wendy's. He had sold out to a management team, and received a royalty stream and a payout. He did personal appearances and ads, but had no formal controls. I thought Ruth was in the same boat Martha still approves every shoot, every layout, appears in the ads, and briefs the analysts. Lately, however, she's been pushing everybody else into view, which is a big change for her. Brennans (the New Orleans people) emphasize the firm and the name, with their first rate chefs moving through and out, while the restaurants are in the charge of generations of family.

I think you could make a very good argument for "Emeril" as a brand, which is one definition of a chain. Nobody expects to find Emeril in the kitchen, but they know he's "keeping watch" on the chefs who follow his recipes faithfully. Smith & Wollensky or Ruth's Chris are examples of higher end chains, with dependable cooking, relatively little regional variation, and a generally good result. Recipes are established and tested, chefs are expected to cook them exactly as written. Employees are trained according to a standard set of rules and expectations, pay and benefits are tuned to the local market. one big danger with branding to a person is when that person dies, goes off the wall, or is involved in unpleasantness (think Martha Stewart omnimedia), the whole line is at risk of collapse.

agree, a whole grain bread is often a treat in a basket. Or, cheese breadsticks might also want to offer a compound butter choice as well as the flavored oils

There's an article in today's Wall Street Journal today's touching on some of Steve Klc's points. The article discusses some of the most appreciated corporate benefits. Adoption assistance, tuition reimbursement, assisted daycare, medical insurance help, pension plan, 401k, group auto insurance, all play a role in retaining and motivating employees. These benefits are unusual in smaller firms, and probably rare for most restaurant employees in smaller businesses. In addition, the security provided by sexual harassment policies / ombudspeople, promotional opportunities outside your current worksite, and formal review and development policies tend to be rare outside larger, more structured firms. The real key, of course, is to find a mix which allows your people to grow, to innovate, and to produce the solid profits which give others the incentive to step up and do more. Lettuce seems to have done that

I'd say that eating where the health inspector regularly eats is a pretty good recommendation.

3/30 Yikes - they nailed Saigon Republic on a conditional. They're not biased, they also took down a talmudic studies center and several hispanic joints. Few fish or chinese this week.

Aurora - This point has surfaced on several occasions during various eGullet threads. Food as a business doesn't have much sexiness for many readers, and it doesn't get much wind on eGullet. Part of that may result from the focus on the purity of the food experience, all else is separate. Many diners don't really want to look behind the kitchen door, the only relevant interest is on your plate. I'd bet most diners have no more interest in butchering their own dinner as understanding the finances of the restaurant in which they are dining. Paul

Wasn't Rich Melman also a founder of Fuddrucker's in the early 1980s? Whatever you want to say about his food, he can make money by the bushel crate!

I 've seen an article in the NY Times on this subject within the past two days. I did a quick scan, and it appears to convey most of the hostilility by French folks has been directed against the US government and Mr Bush. Very little has been directed toward individual Americans, unlike 1968, when the activities you describe did occur. I wouldn't hesitate to go to France now, if that fear was the only reason Americans in Europe

Yes, I enjoyed it very much. It explores some of the same emotional ground covered in the same writer's "Art". It three-peats the same scene while changing an element of the information delivered in the prior telling, or altering a perspective of the teller. Since it's a very short play (advertised 90 minutes, more like 84), there's expanded time for dessert or a drink following the show. That will be especially useful to week night theater-goers.

Had dinner there tonight, before seeing life x 3. Very pleasant place. Thanks for the heads up, Nina. Several specials, including braised rabbit, a huge glazed pork chop, and a risotto. Dee had the arugala / ricotta / and walnut salad, just the right amount of sweetness to offset the tang of the greens. She had the giant pork chop with layered mushrooms on top. I had a beef carpaccio with shredded spinach, and finely shaved gouda slices. And, a fettucine adriatica (scallops, shrimp, small pepper and tomato pieces in a vodka like sauce). Very tasty and filling on a cold and rainy night. Service was very attentive, place was full, but every thing moved well. With tip, and four glasses of wine, it cost $120.

Whe Dee and I were out in central Colorado last year, folks in Gunnison assured us their beef was regularly selected for premium NY restaurants. Mountain snow melt water, 7000 foot altitude, fresh grass, minimal heat stress, etc. It would make sense that some bloodlines and some ranchers will regularly produce consistently top notch, but I'm sure every grower in the US and Alberta probably says the same thing.

Circus may have gotten a nod because he considers it to be an excellent example of the Jersey drive in. In the context of soft-shells and burgers in Monmouth and Ocean, are there other places you would add to the "best of" list?

Pete Genovese, writing in the Star Ledger, identifies his twenty best places in NJ. Pete's Other Gig A*S Pork Store on Browertown Road in West Paterson Beach Haven Fishery Broadway Bar & Grill in Point Pleasant Church's Kitchen 2117 Springfield Avenue in Union. This place has great chicken Clam Bar in Somers Point Charlie's Pool Room in Alpha with just one item of the menu, hot dogs! Circus Drive In on Route 35 in Wall. A "BozoBurger" sounds wonderful, and they have fried crab. Dale's Market on Route 206 in Culver's Lake. David's County Roasters on 202/206 in Pluckemin El Sol de Cuba in Passaic, for empanadas of chicken Emery's Berry Patch in New Egypt for peach, blue berry and cherry pies. Freshwater's in Plainfield barbecued pork baby back ribs La Fonda in Highland Park for its chicken and garlic Mara's Country Desserts in Morristown Cheesecakes are fabulous. We've had these at work Passage to India on old route 1 Lawrenceville. southern Indian. Pizza Cake, Parsippany-Troy Hills. Focaccia pizza Red's Lobster Pot, Point Pleasant Beach linguine in white clam sauce. Shell Pile Restaurant, Port Norris. crab cake sandwich, described in almost erotic detail Solar do Minho, Belleville for octopus. White House Subs, Atlantic City He says the customers have included The Beatles, Joe DiMaggio, Tiny Tim, and The Osmonds. Sounds like an interesting group. Wonder what they discussed?

From a "corporate" point of view, this makes some sense. If a person has experience, they bring good habits as well as bad habits, and you have to tune your training program to identify and update the skill sets to your standards. The Marines and the Jesuits learned that centuries ago. You mold the candidate so totally to your organizational expectations that unquestioning fidelity to the rules is the norm. Those who don't become the ideal, leave. You don't want to have a discussion every time an order is given, you want exactly the result achieved the last hundred times the order was given. (I'd suspect Ducasse, for example, is very picky about the places where his chefs trained for the same reason)