Saydee

Dangit, Boudain - you made me start to tear up last night. The Vancouver episode let me down, but then New Orleans... it was just perfection. Pitch-perfect, so focused, so much information, so human and real. I don't know, but... it affected me much more than a typical episode. I felt AB did such a good job capturing the story of these people, their past, and their concerns for the future. Bravo, Tony, Bravo. This might have been the best episode ever.

I agree. The Chinese population in Vancouver is such a huge part of the city's identity that overlooking its contributions to the city's culinary scene is nearly criminal.

John Howie's latest, Sport, is set to open next Tuesday (January 18th) at Fisher Plaza across from the Space Needle.

Salmon on a cedar plank. It don't get no more PNW than that.

Yeah, I'm not really sure what the point of "Supersize Me" was. Of course if you eat burgers and fries three meals a day for a month you're going to pack on the pounds! I know the filmaker said he was doing this because he said McDonald's said something to the effect of "our food isn't bad for you" (paraphrasing here) after the New York class-action lawsuit. That poor guy ruined his health for nothing! McDonald's didn't claim its food was healthful - it just said that it had health information available for consumers to make choices. And ultimately, it's the consumer that's forking over the cash and chowing down the food. Ol' Ronald isn't holding a gun to anyone's head!

So much for honest reactions... probably the same reason why they don't have a studio audience, so the result won't leak out. But truthfully, I'd rather have some spoilers and see an honest to goodness look of surprise or disappointment on the winner or loser's face, instead of a canned reaction. These are chefs, not actors! One of the things I liked most about the original IC was that the reactions seemed so honest - heck, I could've sworn more than once that Chen had tears welling up in his eyes (btw, I love him because he's so expressive... you don't have to know Japanese at all to understand what's going through his head)! In an effort to keep "reality tv" a surprise, it has ceased being "real." Kind of a head-scratcher, ain't it? ETA: Thanks for the opportunity to express our opinions, Chris! I promise I won't rant too much.:)

I have to admit the show was interesting, but of course not as good as the Japanese version (hey, they've still got to work out all the kinks). I thought Alton did a good job once he got going, but the guy from Thirsty Traveler could have not been there at all and it wouldn't have made a difference. Poor guy either was overwhelmed or wasn't paying attention... nearly every time Alton asked him what was going on down on the floor, he said, "I'm not sure" or "I don't know!" I also think it suffered from being a bit too sterile. During the Japanese show, the tasting panel is constantly making comments about what's being prepared, guessing what's going to happen next, or saying things like, "wow, that's interesting, can't wait to taste that." The tasting panelists here were pretty much a non-entity until the end of the show. And I think they have too many "experts" on the panel, anyway (chefs, food magazine editors). They should have some random people like maybe... Bruce Willis, Rachel Ray, and John McCain. Yep, that's it. I also think Sakai was robbed for originality and presentation. The trout ice cream alone should have gotten him the nod for originality, even if the idea *did* wig out the panelists. On a side note, I do think the actor playing the Kaga role is pretty hot.

Just out of curiousity, does anyone know exactly where the concept of naked sushi originated? I know it's not a Seattle thing, I'm just wondering how this all started... Oddly enough, as a female I'm less offended by this than strip clubs and 15 year old pop stars prancing around half-naked.

That's great news! Congrats!

Ah, thank you Damian! La Bombonera, how the heck could I forget?;)

There's this pastry shop in Old San Juan (whose name escapes me right now) that I remember as being very good. When she was in better health, my grandmother used to go there all the time to pick up breads and desserts. It's got a fairly established reputation, so if you ask any of the locals they should be able to point you in the right direction. Also, if you head to Old San Juan or Luquillo Beach (the beach I remember most from my childhood visits), make sure you pick up the coco helados, or coconut ices, that the vendors sell out of carts. A little piece of heaven, for sure!

One of the key things, from my very limited experience, is attitude. A genuine willingness to do anything, learn anything, and a great love for food. You sound a lot like my husband (also a former IT guy - used to do systems analysis and support), who broke into the food business about a year ago. His only prior food experience was a 4-year summers-only stint at McDonald's in high school. But he has a true passion for food, and an ability to think on his feet to come up with new flavor combinations. He's darn-near obsessed, and that's a good thing. He went into a major chain restaurant in October of last year, and spoke to the appropriate managers. They admitted he didn't have much experience, but they loved his attitude and he got the job. He worked there for a while, learning how to prep food quickly for large amounts of people. This summer, he started looking for other opportunities, and applied for a job at a "restaurant restaurant" (as opposed to a chain). He talked to the sous-chef - who again admitted my husband didn't have the amount of experience they were looking for - but he said again, that he liked his attitude, so he arranged another meeting with the head chef. She talked to him, and he got the job. He's now the restaurant's dayside pantry cook (soups, desserts, sauces, sandwiches, etc.). He loves what he's doing, I'm happy to report - and, he's working with people who are teaching him a great deal. So you might have to first cut your teeth for a while at a place like the Olive Garden, in an entry-level position, but there is hope. Also, taking a few culinary classes might help out (full-blown culinary school is darned expensive, we haven't been able to come up with the cash yet). My husband is also a member of this board (his handle is Skie, I believe) - so I'll get him to come on here and see if I left anything out of his story.;) Good luck!

It's probably cheap to produce. (BTW Melkor, like the screenname!)

I think the saddest part of that quote is that they didn't kick out the camera operator before the top or the pants came off. How desperate for attention can you be when you're on the doorstep of doing porn for a reality show about a restaurant? (I also saw where he admits they did a re-shoot of the fall to get a good facial reaction. The fall itself was apparently real and he did hurt himself, but even the concept of re-shooting the thing is sleazy)

About the Hamptons budget, I'm not sure... wouldn't be surprised if NBC ponied up the cash just to provide a better environment for "staff smooching" and "I'm the prettier blonde, darnit!" drama. They actually did feature more back of the house staff than I've seen in the past, but most of it was concentrated on the front of the house, per usual. The BOH stuff was basically the cook that got chewed out last week had a night of redemption, his co-workers complimented his work, and Rocco complimented his food. Then they tossed one of the guys into a vat of ice water and all started drinking Coors Light. Just a couple of points that crossed my (tired) mind: was that 10 year old a child actor or what? He seemed like an obvious plant, but maybe that's just the cynic in me. Also, if that table full of women were men, there would be *tons* of complaints about sexual harassment. Flirting with the waitstaff is one thing, but molesting them in public is quite another. And the comment they made about Rocco's manhood! Even *he* walked away after that one. He was trying to hang with them, but that apparently was too much. Also - I know they're beholden to Coors - but is it really wise to endorse drinking and playing in the surf at the same time? I know, I know - people do it all the time, but I thought it was kinda irresponsible. I still feel kinda sorry for Rocco. Somewhere deep down I still have hope for him.:D