ronnie_suburban

Well! After a year of lurking, someone finally addresses me directly! Bwah! Thanks for the great post and welcome =R=

Touche' and thanks for the Milwaukee rec. =R=

Thanks YPW for the recommendations. Saying Comiskey is on an island was a bit of an overstatement on my part (was thinking primarily about the park being bordered to the east by the Ryan Expressway, etc.). Let me revise that and just say that the density of good food around Wrigley Field is higher than it is around Comiskey. Inside the parks however, it appears there's a strong consensus that the food at Comiskey is better. =R=

I can hardly wait... =R=

Good point about the areas surrounding the stadiums. Comiskey really is on an island. But now that you mention it, I do remember the churros at Comiskey....yum *drool* 20+ years ago, when I was a freshman at Tulane, I stepped into the Superdome for the first time and was blown away by the concession options...frozen strawberry daiquiris dispensed from a 'slurpee' machine and nachos with cheese sauce and jalapenos. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Whaddaya want, I was only 18 at the time (and all I'd seen up to then was the lousy Chicago stadium fare) =R=

This topic is now spread over multiple threads and I'm not going to go back and dig up the specific posts, but there have been several mentions about the "lack of sophistication" of the palates of the American judges. I'm not saying it's a "trend" but clearly there is some validity in Barb48's observation. In the end I agree about wanting suspense but as another user posted somewhere, the Iron Chefs won most all the battles in ICJ. I'll be happy to accept the same level of suspense in ICA. =R=

Thanks Pugman, for taking the time. It sounds like we have a true original on our hands. =R=

Ever since I read Ruhlman's Soul of a Chef, I've been dying to try Lola Bistro. If I ever get to Cleveland, I will do my absolute best to dine there. =R=

According to Tony himself (posted here somewhere), this matter is resolved. =R=

I don't think it is the same but I'm not 100% sure. I thought the offerings at Miller Park (was there 3 summers ago) were non-descript and generic. From what I remember, they weren't as good (in quality or available selection) as the offerings County Stadium. But, I was at Miller Park for a concert, not a ball game so maybe my experience there wasn't representative. I will share with you the the one enduring food memory from my experience at Miller Park....dippin' dots-Ice cream of the future =R=

Hey, Matthew, good to see you here! I know you're kind of limited in what you can and can't say about FN, but can you offer any insights into whether Brooke Johnson might be better for the network? Is there anybody inside who recognizes the difference between delivering a large demographic and a smaller but higher-spending one? Chad Edited to add: For those just tuning in, Matthew Stillman is a former producer and Program Development Manager for Food Network. He did a great Q&A with us a while back. I'd also love to hear what Matthew thought about the recently aired Iron Chef America episodes. Not on here on this thread, but maybe here. Thanks, =R=

Personally, I will be very surprised if anyone (forgive me for this) steps up to the plate (that was actually a double pun ) and argues that Wrigley's food is better. I've never heard anyone say so, and even the Tribune Company, who owns the Cubs, gives the nod to Comiskey Park in the linked article. But I'd love to hear from any Wrigley food fans about what they like to eat there. I need to know. =R=

Hey Brooks, The story really just compared the food between Sox vs. Cubs but you bring up a good point. It seems like the food offerings at ballparks are better just about everywhere than they are here in Chicago. Is this just a case of ballpark food envy on my part? Even Dodger Dogs are more distinctive than the dogs served at Wrigley and this is a hot dog town. Jambalaya at the ballpark seems like natural. Damn! I wants me some jambalaya. What could better ease the pain and burden of my Cubs fandom than that? =R=

Cookies are delicious =R=

From the Good Eats section of today's Chicago Tribune... Ballpark eats - Forget the best team, who's got the best food? It's been many years since I've been to Comiskey...erm, U.S. Cellular Field, so I can't really comment on which ballpark serves better food. But, arguing that the food is good at Wrigley Field seems like a tough chore. It's expensive, it's bland and even what should be the signature Chicago ballpark "dish", the hotdog, is an embarrassment on the North side. In fact, other than at the airport, it's hard to find a poorer hotdog in Chicago than the ones served at Wrigley. What's your take on the better ballpark for food? Any favorite items? =R=

Ok, yellow truffle...I expect a full report about your experience there... Okay even a partial report would fine... C'mon woman! You have to at least throw us a bone. Seriously, I hope you have a wonderful time there tomorrow. =R=

Wasn't he griping about not receiving a salary at some point? If so, I missed it. Anyone else? =R=

Yeah, overall I agree. Just thinking that a reasonable argument (or rationalization ) could be made in that direction. =R=

I agree. He seems, at times anyway, comfortable with the absentee role he's taken on for himself. And yes, promoting himself (and also the restaurant) seem like legitimate tasks for him. But still, it looked to me like he entered sneakily (for whatever reason) and I was wondering if it looked the same to anyone else. If so, why would he? =R=

Back to the apparent spitting. I checked my Tivo and it absolutely happened. If it wasn't spitting, and was instead some obscure culinary technique, I'd really like someone in the know to explain it to me. I was truly shocked when I went back to view the segment again. Yuck! =R=

Thanks Tim...very nice of you. =R=

Was Rocco attempting to sneak in an act as if he'd been around the restaurant all night? That's kind of how it played. He seems overly shifty at times. I get the feeling he knows full-well what's going on but just doesn't care in the least. He'll take the salary, do the bare minimum and ride it out. After all, it's not his money on the line. And yeah, I agree with a few others who wished for more of a "scene" with Drew after JC canned him. it would have been satisfying to see his response and hear all the subsequent rationalizations. In the grand scheme, being canned from a "job" as an unpaid intern is a tough accomplishment. On a resume, at least it would distinguish him from just about any other prospective candidate. =R=

Well-said FoodZealot =R=

Again?!?! =R=

Thanks for the kind words guys and for the pizza reheating tip! I tend to be a bit obsessive about food and cooking, so I'm on a major pizza kick right now. On that note, I highly recommend American Pie which basically launched me into my current pizza craze. Not only is it filled with great accounts and well-laid out recipes but it really touches on what is at the core of our food loves and memories. I'm not saying it definitively answers any questions, but it certainly poses (and leads to) some central ones. =R=