JohnnyH

"Who dies in youth and bacon dies the best."

Grilled ahi; green beans cooked in san marzano tomatoes and garlic.

Have no fear. I'm sure you'll be offered the opportunity to buy the complete boxed set at some point.

Plan a menu for a dinner to be given at the White House for George W. and Laura Bush, along with 10 of their close friends. Then write menu descriptions using language you think the president would most comprehend, appreciate and enjoy.

Great cure for a hangover.

Hi Holly, Philadelphia Magazine did a spread on him 3 months ago. He has the recipe down to make money, and close places before he loses too much. Also did time in the slammer, and I believe he's not allowed any ownership of airlines. Don't quote me on that! Lisa Actually, you're right. I completely forgot. He was once on the board at Braniff: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/gossip/sto...28p-71418c.html

Actually, I watched the moment slowed down (PVR is pretty cool) and I have to say they looked pretty much exactly right. And given the "they look like frogs" comment, I have a suspicion that those customers had never seen real shrimp (with heads on and not in shrimp cocktails) in their lives. Still... the cook was wrong, the customer was right - and a dishwasher had an excellent snack. Isn't that the rule? They would never have made it past the bus station in any restaurant I've ever worked in.

It is so rarely that the Gourmet critic really criticizes a restaurant that I thought this a pretty scathing review. I was skeptical about WD50 but enjoyed my dinner there a couple of weeks ago. There were four of us and we took several dishes and shared them all. I have to admit that we did not order any of the dishes that the Gourmet reviewer did not like. This was pure serendipity as the review came out a few days later. Still it does seem he was unnecessarily hard on them. Does anyone know anything about this reviewer? Is the review of WD50 available online?

Thanks for the heads up on this. We just got an ice cream maker also, and have kind of crapped out on the three batches we've made so far.

He didn't open a restaurant. He stared on a "reality TV" show. The restaurant was a by product of the show. The dog wagged the tail. Understand what you're saying, but someone, in theory, poured 3 million or so into the place. What's the story on the money guy? What's his track record? The money guy -- Jeffrey Chodorow -- has the Midas touch. A brief list of his successes includes Asia de Cuba (NY, Miami, LA, London), NYC's China Grill and Tuscan Steak (NY and, I believe, Vegas) among others. I was a bartender at Asia de Cuba in NY when it opened; he definitely knows how to make things work from a business perspective. My opinion is that the food is another story.

I thought those prawns looked pretty damn good.

Did I ever imply it was an educational experience? I don't think so, but you're correct. It's easier to focus on the train wreck aspect, but for a while I though the second show was going to offer the rush of being in a kitchen -- and it did at times, but people like myself are clearly distracted. Zilla369 had a good perspective. Apparently not, and I didn't mean to put words in your mouth. I was merely responding to your point about the show reaching its intended audience.

Johnny: Welcome. Here it is: eGullet Literary Competition, AKA the Smackdown. The prize has changed: The winner now receives a cookbook instead of a Tshirt. Please check it out and post an entry. BTW, your sig line is one of my very favorite pronouncements about writing. Ever. And also one of the truest. Thanks for the link.

I agree, Bux. I think watching the show will be an educational experience for members of the audience who have never worked in the food service industry. Most have no idea what really goes on behind the scenes. I have to say that at the very least Restaurant definitely gives them a window they've probably never had before into what serving/cooking is actually like, and what goes on when they're not supposed to be looking. If it's not pitch perfect, most of the audience is never going to notice.

You've got me interested, but I'm not sure what a "smackdown" actually is. Can you point me in the right direction to find out more?

Unfortunately, I am still there until my other job resumes in the fall. Got it. How much of the original front of house staff stuck around after the cameras stopped rolling?

You're not still there, are you?

That was the best. Cut from a shot with a Coors Light tap pull framing one side to the Coors girls arriving. Host: You look alike. Guests: We're twins!

I believe it. I tended bar for a couple of years at Asia de Cuba -- also one of Chodorows. It keeps occurring to me as I watch that it all seems so familiar. They were still hammering nails the morning we were supposed to open the doors, and it's a good thing the guests didn't see what was going on in the kitchen. Just as well, that place has never really been about the food. And is it me, or does Rocco look scared out of his mind?

I've got to believe it's some kind of health code violation to discharge a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and continue to serve food out of it -- isn't it?

Personally, I'm happy to see any new programming on the Food Network, period. It amazes me that, with the level of current interest in food and restaurants, the network seems hell bent on driving away as many of its viewers as it can. Another two-year-old episode of Unwrapped, anyone?

I'm sorry, but I fail to understand how someone of reasonable intelligence could fail to understand that breathing in a shitload of smoke on a daily basis is bad for your health. Point taken, but if you have a chance, watch the show. People like to claim the evidence is all in. As P&T amply demonstrate, it ain't. It should be up to an owner/operator if he wants to allow smoking in his place. Just like it's up to employees if they want to work there, and customers if they want to frequent the joint. I've tended bar in some of NYC's smokiest rooms for years. I'm an adult, and I made my choice with full knowledge of the potential costs/benefits. If the smoke bothered me, I was free to explore other options for employment. At some point, we're responsible for our own choices. Government doesn't have a place here.

I haven't read through this entire thread, so I'm not sure if this has already been mentioned or not. Penn & Teller have a great show called "Bullshit" on Showtime -- it's entire focus is on debunking commonly held ideas and exposing fraud. One recent segment was on "passive" smoke and its supposed hazards -- anyone with digital tv can pull it right out of the archive. Personally, I live and work in NYC. IMO, the ban sucks.