ronnie_suburban

No, I do enjoy it but only if the boyo's in the mood for it too...and when he's not, it's just not a pleasant or efficient experience. He does love the farmers' market and Costco, so those are the 2 places we usually take him. But, other than those 2 spots, we'll try to do the food shopping without him. =R=

I'm really disappointed and confused by this news. As Willie mentioned, it's doubtful that the regular BK customer will even know who he is or care if they are so informed. Those who do know Bayless' work (e.g. us) will raise an eyebrow at the very least. Also, there is no true connection between Bayless and the product. That said, who am I to judge him? It's a business decision pure and simple. If he wants to make more money, it's really not my concern. How his peers feel about him after hearing this news is another matter entirely. Still, even if they shun him, it will likely have very little impact on his bottom line. Look at Rocco...the guy's as hot as they get right now and he made a far bigger ass of himself than it's likely Bayless will. If RB ever comes out and says something to the effect of "I tried this product and I liked it", the whole issue will be moot IMO. Will this keep me from patronizing his establishments? Probably not, but because there is a plethora of choices, it's already hard enough to decide where to go...all things being equal, this is probably a check in the "negative" column for Frontera Grill and Topolobampo. But...unless they start serving BK products at his restaurants, I'm still going to hit them with the same regularity I always have. =R=

The holy trinity of Atkins...salami stick, string cheese and macadamia nuts. =R=

Yeah...I live in the northern 'burbs of Chicago and all the stores around here have them. Some are even flagged with litle signs that say "Shopper in Training." I'm just glad my son (6) has outgrown them...and also outgrown the crying that occurred when they were all already in use when we got to the store. Now, he wants to push the big cart and fill it up with crap. That's okay, he's relatively good at the store, and since we just have 1, there isn't a lot of wrangling. That said, we only take him (grocery) shopping when there is no alternative. First choice is to do it when he's not around. Not because he's a pain, but because it's just a boring thing for him to be subjected to if it can be avoided. =R=

I'm back on as of 3 days ago...so far, so good. Last night had brined, roasted chicken for dinner along with some steamed broccoli from our local farmers' market (dotted with some bits of semi-melted plugra ). Today for lunch, some dry-rub ribs (leftover from the weekend) and a small caesar salad. Tonight, I'll probably go with some canned Italian tuna packed in Olive Oil and maybe a few pieces of Nueske Smoked Bacon. The hardest part is the sweets (or lack thereof)...had an Atkins Advantage peanut butter bar last night for dessert. A relatively weak consolation prize for being good, to say the least. =R=

Classic Toliver, absolutely classic! =R=

Oh yeah, it's all Atkins' fault. =R=

My very fave is my chef's knife from Bob Kramer's Bladesmiths. I absolutely love it and I recommend it highly but I think there is a relatively long wait list for them (at least there was when I received mine). My cheese knife from Global is also very nice--does a great job with its specific task and I do have a ceramic knife by Kyocera but it's more of a novelty than anythying else. Yes, there are few solid uses for it but they are few and far between. Beyond that, as others have posted, it is not very durable at all. I've gone through a lot of bread knives and the best of the lot IMO is the stamped Victorinox Forschner. It cuts through serious hearth breads better than any other bread knife I've owned. The rest of my "collection" is Henckels 4-Star...solid and reliable, if not particularly exceptional. =R=

Very nicely put. I think you've touched on the essential difference between propaganda and art =R=

*standing ovation for Marlene* =R=

Another fine place in the northern burbs is Three Tarts Bakery (formerly Vanilla Bean Bakery) in Northfield. They have excellent breads and delicious sweets...and also great sandwiches at lunch time. Their sesame semolina bread is outstanding as are their baguette and rye bread. Their cookies and cakes are also top-notch and beautifully rendered. I'm not sure it's worth a special trip, but certainly worth a stop if you are in the area. =R=

Sinai 48 and Best Kosher used to taste slightly different from each other but now that both brands are under the same ownership, I don't know if that's still the case. Alex, who used to run the Sinai 48 Outlet store on Pershing Avenue was my dad's first boss way back in the day. He used to hook me up all the time. Since the Sinai 48 stuff was what I grew up with, its flavor always stood out for me as being a bit less sweet than Best Kosher and maybe a touch less garlicky too. Still, Vienna are my favorite. =R=

Yeah...and those R. Crumb characters on the roof are legendary 'round these parts. =R=

Wiener's Circle is probably my fave and yes, quite a show...luckily (or unluckily for my ever-growing midsection) I live near Dear Franks (in Deerfield) and it's top-notch too. Very best fries north of the city IMO. =R=

I think I can do this...but not until tonight. It's at my house and I am at work. =R=

Nothing more than good old-fashioned differences of opinion. Over the years I found that I rarely agreed with her. She used to also review movies and I almost never agreed with her on that front either. =R=

Love Superdawg...don't know the origin of their dogs though. Years ago I used to date a woman who lived right near there...now, that was love =R=

np Willie, I can even mail you a copy if you like. It really was shameless and very depressing to see it. =R=

Okay folks, time for my weekly update on this story. Today's issue of The Deerfield Review does not contain the 2nd review of Flatlanders, which to my knowledge, never actually ran. Ms. Gerst does appear to have 'left the building.' The restaurant piece that does appear in this week's issue is a total 'blur job' between journalism and advertising. I wish I could upload a pic of it, but alas... The entire piece, without even a byline, appears in a bordered box that connotes (and usually denotes) advertisment. The article is a completely positive (albeit semi-informative) stroke piece which gushes over the restaurant. At the bottom of the page appears the restaurant's addy and phone information in the exact same type face which the restaurant uses in on its own signs, menus and promotional materials. Do I even need to tell you that it is also in bold type and of a significantly larger point size than the rest of the article? It looks and sounds exactly like an ad. I'm so impressed by Ms. Gerst...after 2 decades of dismissing her because of what she wrote, I've gained a completely new respect for her via her actions. =R=

Thanks for the report VeryApe...I've never even heard of this place. I'm so out of the loop. Next time I'm in that neck of the woods I'll give it a try. =R=

I buy the red because I find that with the other pack, the paper liner of the foil wrapper tends to stick to the product. =R=

Absolutely love it now, but there was a time when I didn't -- and yes, I thought it tasted like soap. One day I decided that I was in the mood for it, and I've never looked back. I believe that's a textbook example of an 'acquired taste' As for its origin, I'll turn my radio down and wait for an answer from someone who knows. =R=

As mentioned it has been awhile since I last had a Mr. Beef Italian beef sandwich. Much better than I remember. But I feel confident in stating Johnnie's is the best because after Mr. Beef I drove west on North Ave until I stopped to get a Johnnie's. Johnnie's is a better beef, has a deeper spice taste. However, maybe as it was towards the end of the lunch rush, but my sandwich had way too many bits/pcs of beef rather than slices. Therefore it was not a firm beef texture like I like. I've been to Johnnie's enough to know my sandwich was not the norm, but if it had been my first time, I would have been disappointed. Willie please promise us that when you get back to working full time, you'll still go out for multiple lunches and dinners each day and report back to us on all of it. Frankly, I like your style. =R=

It was delicious...thanks for the effort Dean and for the concept Dave. The combination of flavors was absolutely terrific. =R=

Seasonings manufactured by McCormick...shameful, I know. What can I say? I'm lazy from time to time. =R=