beans

I'm catching upon on a few press releases and cocktail stuff in the news. Some may be interesting, some *yawn*. A recent (October 15, 2003) article in the Wall Street Journal. (This will take a moment or two to load). Dinner and Drinks? In the Same Martini Glass? ahem. I'm sure Ms. McLaughlin really meant cocktail glass.

MASSACHUSETTS SENATE BILL LIFTING SUNDAY SALES BAN WILL INCREASE STATE REVENUE AND CONSUMER CONVENIENCE

Anyone try those new Palmolive dish wipes that are disposable? (Face it there's a wipe for just about every task now). I toss the sponge into the dishwasher each day too. I've been tempted to try the microwave route, as well, but fear the little thing will be so darned steamy hot.

As with much baking, be very careful not to overmix the cheesecake batter.

That happened years ago (my long time sales associate recently retired from Nordies ), but what space did the Cheesecake Factory take over? I thought it was that glassy building that the all juniors department (teeny bopper clothing, shoes, etc.) from The Bon. Regardless, I'm wasn't terribly thrilled not being a CF fan anyway.

The people on the "eGullet" of design and/or furnishings are probably having this same type of thread bashing Crate and Barrel for making middle-brow products that the masses love. Is Crate and Barrel the Cheescake Factory of the furniture world? Or is that Pottery Barn? That said, about a third of my furniture at home comes from Crate and Barrel and another third comes from Pottery Barn. Maybe I should give the Cheescake Factory the benefit of the doubt? Nah. Actually I've never given thought to mail ordering furniture, but kitchen toys and service pieces are a different story -- Crate & Barrel, W-S and Pottery Barn.

Re fryer oil: Yuk. I roger that. Re tablecloth washing: Generally, at the end of each evening. (hopefully) I've been to, even worse, those vinyl types of table covered places with the downhang/draping part absolutely filthy, but the top is sparkling clean with degreaser/sanitizing commercial cleaning agents! Bigger yuk! That's a no return category. (As long as you mention the humping and cloth thing, think about the bedspreads and blankets at hotels -- sure the sheets are washed.... Point being we all open ourselves up to much germ warfare each time we step out the door. Vile to really thing about, eh?!) Re the self-bussing waitstaff: That is potential cross contamination, but cost effective by not hiring additional staff to handle just that sort of thing. Sad.

Meow-Mix: Search! Try any of the links here. Enjoy!

Ice tea and warmed up Sheperd's Pie from I purchased from O'Reilly's stand in West Side Market this morning: 20% ground beef (Grrrrr) 20% Bird's Eye frozen like cubed carrots and peas 50% mashies, buttery and fluffy 10% delcate pastry crust It appeared to be quite lovely in appearance, but was sadly disappointing. Home made/leftovers are the much better route here.

Oh, thank you so much Mrs. B. My Coquito-recipe-hoarding-bar-owner friend is still smiling at me to be patient! If he fesses up, I'll post back, but I'm sure your brother's lovely preparation is better -- I don't think he adds the pulverized almonds. This will be an addition to this year's holiday celebrations!

I have no idea what the heck you're talking about. Hard hitting critique on what? The "two foot long dissertations" are made because I like to keep track of what I'm replying to & it's much more efficient than quoting the whole 10 foot long post. Not to mention, it retains clarity. Perhaps there was something in my posts that I missed, but there was no pissing match intended at *all,* not to mention any "attack." I was amused, if becoming exhasperated, up until the point you sent that PM. I was, IMO, defending my opinion & being a bit of a silly smartass. In fact, I had joked that things were much more civilised than they could have been & apologized over the joke about the rats, to which you had obviously taken offense. The only thing that I see as perhaps instigating, which certianly was not intended to be that way, was the first paragraph of the post where I said I felt your opinion was odd. If there was some other comment that I made that was overly bitchy, please, share it with me and I'll make my apologies. I see, so it's better to PM the "offensive crap" instead? Submit my posts to moderator review as you've threatened. If I'm booted from egullet, then so be it. Your PM comments will also be fowarded to them if that can be put into consideration. I have nothing to hide, and if this is a board where it is "ok" to patronize and put newbies "in their place," I'll be happy to unwelcome myself. You feel free to quote and rip apart my posts and "expose my angst," beans, knock yourself out. I don't take kindly to a faux nice face on the board & threats off of it from someone who can't handle the same discussion she said I should expect. You said to me: And the old public restrooms "test" are hardly indicative of the cleanliness of the kitchen and prep areas. but earlier said (emphasis mine): As for general filth observations (tables, chairs, floors, restrooms, menus, etc.), I'll leave and not order food after a quickie cocktail. Why bother? After all it is my hard earned money that is paying for the experience? So it is ok for you to hold the opinion that restaurant bathrooms may indeed be an indicator of why one would not want to dine there, but not ok for me. I took a look at your profile before your implosion here and I see you're in Cleveland. I grew up there, so I do indeed know the Flats and downtown atmosphere quite well and have been to most of the places where you've worked. I waitressed in Cleveland, catered there, worked food service there, partied there, ate there. I thought for sure, the way you were talking, you were someplace like NY. If there are no roaches it is because they spray for them like crazy. I've done my share of "bugs nights." Just updated the thread and I'm sorry we had to have this conversation, because indeed, I would have been interested to chit chat with you and catch up on what's been going on in that area since I left. Despite Cleveland's reputation, I get quite homesick for it. I apologize if I've put anyone out by sidetracking the thread. Thank you, bilrus, for trying to clarify where I was coming from. I should have just left it at that and walked away without making a comment or feeling the urge to defend my statements. I honestly did not think, when making them, they'd spark such a gyser of crap. megaira -- Enthusiasm is great, discussion better. But, again, keep the personal and judgmental/emotionally charged labelling as [your words] "bitchy," "gyser of crap," "to patronize and put newbies in their place," "faux nice face," and "someone who can't handle" out of it. When I post pleasantry, it is with the utmost sincerity and it would be best to cease attributing falsehoods when in fact they do not exist. (In otherwords, don't worry about some "other" meaning than what is posted. ) I didn't PM or post anything offensive, nor any threats. And in any event, it is bad form to break decorum with any such assertion. In fact, I posted enthusiasm for finding another (former) Clevelander on the boards! Can you please leave it at "perception is everything" with regard to the issues within this thread I've already posted about? I have stated it three times now!

On a momentary reread.... Did you really?!! Well, despite your sweeping generalisation, we don't have roaches! (our scheduled "bug nights" and contientious upkeep bills certainly pay for that ) Where?! Eastside or westside? [feel free to PM] Then you know all about the Flats and current mega development of retail/housing/restaurants Quay 55? (very exciting venture! ) Umm, errr, then you *certainly* know where I work.... eGCI certainly didn't hide anything! Cool! I'm so happy to meet another on these boards that has been in this neck of the woods! You should venture over to torakris' forum as she's also a former Clevelander and now in Japan! (This is almost more exciting than when I met up with two from Southeast Alaska, where I'm from -- see it's not at all like living in Jersey, NYC or Chicago where there are oodles of other posters! ) Yes, aren't peeves all about perception?

Oh brother! megaira! This discussion of any hard hitting critique is soooo typical eG. Pullllleeeaaasze stop with these two foot long dissertations with many personalised comments. For heaven sakes gal, I inserted smilies, which if it were serious shark waters, I wouldn't consider in banging out an appropriate response. (read: ignore due to possibly offensive crap being parlayed -- not worth my membership) My personal and professional experience takes root to your "odd" attributed comments I've made. Enough! I refuse to get any further into this as it is all personal pissing matches and attacks! You want to rip on the biz, well, I am the biz! Like it or not, I've made my points. And there are plenty of eG members in the biz too -- something to respect whenst posting among this group!

I'm in on that.

We have those mandated by the health department, besides good business practice, provided by Ecolab.

megaira: Take the personal out of it. You'll do quite well on eG, but personal is *never* an accepted route. "Odd" point of view is one who is culinary school bound, working heart of the house shifts while also bartending and part time managing. I've been around in this biz. To believe that the public restrooms are any valid indication of the level of cleanliness of our kitchen, well, we'd be in some big trouble null and voiding our pop health inspections. I only threw it in because of the number of washing hand stations, required by health code regulation, we have in our kitchen: 2 on the hot line, 1 in prep, 1 near the walk ins/office area and 1 near the food runners station/expo/service bar and cashier stand for the servers -- that's a shit load for the medium sized kitchen we run! Rats, hate them/ignore them or fear them, are all a large part of on the waterfront dining. Fine dining inclusive and to more than at least three dozen establishments. To make light and poke fun at this being a cleanliness issue is ridiculous and again showing your prejudice. You have no idea, as you don't work or dine where I work or live. And a successful establishment certainly does not locate their dumpsters near enough to the diningroom areas so as to interrupt "atmosphere." Now that's simple common sense. I think you mis-skewed that inspection and average drunk patron I was alluding to in reference to the cleanliness of kitchen compared to the restroom; as well as the "all culinary professionals" having, or not having, scruples. I find that most wearing the hat behind a sushi bar/restaurant are in fact of the most discerning, as they are serving up raw fish! (my reference to the presence of the hand washing stations) Again, perception is everything. Let's not revisit that path, okay? edit: spelling

Please post back on how you find this rum! I enjoy Porfidio tequila very much.

megaira: That collective "you" was in reference to me? Don't be sorry, but, again welcome to eG -- discussion happens here, whether or not you appreciate another's advocating a differing point of view. In no particular order or in any set fashion, this is my response to your lively post: No, I was speaking about our entire restaurant is open air. Not just the patio, upper deck or pool patio areas. And we don't have roaches, but I've seen water loving four legged rats near the dumpsters and dockage.... I make a point that there are in fact culinary professionals with scruples. Anyone that has an ounce of professionalism and/or integrity does in fact make use of those mandatory commercial kitchen washing stations. I see it being used each and every day where I work and use it too. And the old public restrooms "test" are hardly indicative of the cleanliness of the kitchen and prep areas. Our kitchen has had at least three consecutively perfect health inspections while the broad that is mildly intoxicated ashed all over the place with her cigarette, extinguished it against the lavatory wall and proceeded to drop it to the floor, left the water running in the sink, dumped all of the dispenser soap on the counter and littered any and all paper products upon the flooring. Meh. Untidy and some filthy personal habits, but that's what our cleaning crew comes in at 3:30 a.m. to deal with. As far as sushi goes, that's very old school. In fact the Itamae-san should challenge my discretion in speaking rudimentary Japanese, sushi etiquette and in the choice/selection of sushi I'm ordering! I trust in their mastered art, skill and judgment whole heartedly -- soap in restroom or not.

Perception is everything. Yes it may even be certainly at the expense of some professional culinarian's integrity. And, a small thought about hand washing while in the loo, what do you think happens when you reach for that door handle after countless others did not wash? Aren't you glad that most local health departments have that requirement of hand washing stations within the food preparation area? Even in bartending there needs to be a designated sink, soap and mounted paper toweling for handwashing.

I think Meg was referring to the fact that there should be soap in a sushi restaurant (or any restaurant) so that the STAFF can wash up. So never mind to that requisite hand washing station with mounted paper toweling (and possible sanitizing gel wall mounted dispenser) in each and every commercial kitchen?

Tough crowd indeed! Guess alfresco is out for you. Our entire restaurant is open air in the temperate times of the year. Gulls, sparrows, bats, bees, ladybugs, mesquitos, generic flies, mayflies, dragonflies, butterflies, midges, and the occasional fruit fly (am I forgetting any?) all zoom through at any given moment. Meh. And not having soap in the bathroom any worse only when eating sushi? So long as I'm only touching my chopsticks, I guess I'd manage, although not as happily, and perhaps discreetly make mention to one in charge.

First, welcome to eG khoiberg! Here are a whole list of discussions: Webtender Forum of Discussion A bit more specifically: George's thread And finally, a description/definition from the Drink Recipe Database and a list of a few drinks containing cachaça. Happy reading and I hope it helps.

I remember reading somewhere that Viniagrette was one of the five. Tomato came much later, so is kind of a "new comer" to the mother sauces.

Chinese was yesterday's lunch too. Steamed veggies with this awesome garlic brown sauce and brown rice. I giggle because this is the take out with the happy, grandmotherly lady with the eternal smile at the counter. I've never seen her frown in the four years of popping in for take out. My friends and I often refer to it as 'up for some happy Chinese today?'

Webtender Grand Marnier is orange liqueur made from cognac, so that would work too, with subtle differences.