Days 1-2, April 3-4:

[Beachfan]

I've been wanting to go to Charleston for years and after reading this, I have to go.

Is Charleston on the way to anything (if you're not driving)?  Probably not, otherwise I'd have been there already.

[Peter B Wolf]

Steven, after reading your excellent report, and I thank you, I do have to ask, whether you might be infringing on someone's copy rights. I pulled "Sticky Finger's" web site, and on their menu:  http://stickyfingers.net/stickyfinger_menu.pdf

they list under "Super Sampler" your? slogan: "Too much Pork for just one Fork". Who needs changing?

[NewYorkTexan]

What an engaging post.  

The Four Seasons chain is extremely pet friendly.  They have a section on the room service menu dedicated for their guests with four legs. Perfect if Momo gets a craving for a organic wheat and parsley biscuit at three in the morning.  If you think breakfast in the hotel is expensive (always a pet peeve of mine, but that is a whole new thread), wait to you see their room service prices for the pet menu.

[Fat Guy]

Giannone: We are in the panhandle area now, and I'll give my next report from there tomorrow or the next day.

Ron: Similarly, my 55-pound (and growing) bulldog weighs just under 35 (the Motel 6 limit).

Wilfrid: Yes, Ellen took a look at a few mansions while I was writing. She said they were fabulous and called me a philistine for sitting in the hotel room surfing the Web while we were in the city with the world's second-largest historic district (Rome, I believe, has the largest).

Col Klink: If you like that, you should check out this prison-uniform supply place, owned by our very own H. Moore:

http://www.pxdirect.com/

Rail Paul: In order for deductions to be useful, you need to have income first. That's where I'm having a slight problem.

ChocoKitty, Shiva, JayBee: Thanks!

Varmint: I started to count, but lost track. What you should have done was told me you already knew the number from Raleigh to SOB. Then I could have just counted up to that point. We could have borrowed some time on a Cray 2 supercomputer to add the two numbers.

Holly: I never doubted you for an instant. And to the extent I ever figure out a day's itinerary far enough in advance to post about it in any meaningful way, I'll try to give a preview -- I believe I did so in the above report.

Bastard: Great to see you here in the eGullet universe. For those of you who don't know, Bastard used to be, for lack of a better description, my boss back at a little law firm that is now part of a bigger law firm. He shouldn't be surprised by my prolixity -- writing lots and lots of boring stuff is what we used to do for a living.

Beachfan: Charleston is hardly a detour from I-95, especially if you plan to go on to Savannah.

Peter: Sticky Fingers was not the originator of the phrase. It's actually the title of one of Varmint's favorite record albums. I was, however, reminded of it by the Sticky Fingers site, which is why I changed my signature line a month or so ago.

NewYorkTexan: Those Four Seasons people think of everything. You can always be sure that, wherever you find a Four Seasons, you'll find an excellent hotel. And even in the most remote areas, where restaurant and hotel service is not on a world-class level, the employees at the local Four Seasons all perform at international hospitality-industry standards. I prefer more individuality and uniqueness in hotels -- Four Seasons is more along Ducasse lines in terms of trying to create an overarching structure of uniformity and conformity -- but I especially valued Four Seasons when I was a frequent business traveler and wanted a guaranteed hassle free stay with great breakfast and every imaginable amenity.

[tommy]

was i the only one waiting for the

"tommy:  scr*w you"

????

[Jason Perlow]

Col Klink: If you like that, you should check out this prison-uniform supply place, owned by our very own H. Moore:

http://www.pxdirect.com/

I really dig the padded cells and the stainless steel toilets. I gotta outfit my basement with those.

[Rachel Perlow]

I don't think so.

(you guys think he's joking...)

[Fat Guy]

That's between you and your analyst, Tommy.  :p

[John Whiting]

Steven, there are not many food/travel writers I read with both admiration and envy. After that, you're one of them.  :)

[macrosan]

was i the only one waiting for the

"tommy:  scr*w you"

Nope, he got me too, Tommy. He must have been paying for his internet access by the minute, and he concluded that gratuitous insults weren't worth the extra nickel.

Or maybe he's just enjoying himself so much, he is starting to get warm feelings about you.  

[Fat Guy]

Thanks, John. And you're okay; I don't care what everyone else says about you.

[John Whiting]

Steven Shaw writes:

I don't care what everyone else says about you.

It's time you listened -- they're right!  :D

[macrosan]

Steven, I guess you're getting close to thread #2 (well I hope so)  :)  John has made me feel curmudgeonly, because I realize I omitted to say how much I enjoyed your superb post. That's the sort of material we're all used to paying money for, and it's of a quality which would make us happy to have spent it.

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're going to maintain that standard of reporting, then please stay away for as long as you like  :)

[Jinmyo]

please stay away for as long as you like  :)

And the further the better.  :D  

How about Spain, next time? Or Kyoto? After all, with decent Web access, it doesn't matter because we're all here no matter where we are.

[Liza]

When you get back to NYC, check out the Berkshire hog products at ....wait for it....Union Square - Ted Blew's High Hope Hogs/ Oak Grove Plantation sells only organically raised Berkshires.

[Blue Heron]

Those are my lounging-around pants, which come from a chef-supply place:

http://www.chefwork.com/pants.htm

They're similar to the ones worn at Nobu, though in a different color. I got addicted to them when doing various kitchen stages. I think I have three pair.

yeah, great.  it's a good look.  'specially with clogs.

I had never really heard of chef's clogs until eGullet (I learn the most amazing things on this site).  Anyway, today I was reading the May issue of Food & Wine magazine, and was pleased to see on p. 96, famous restaurant architect David Rockwell (architect of Nobu, Monkey Bar, Emeril, & other restaurants) was singing the praises of my latest favorite shoe, the Merrell Jungle Moc.  He gave a pair to chef Gray Kunz as a gift, saying he prefers them (with their rugged, cushioned soles) to chef's clogs.  I can speak as someone who has a hard time finding comfortable shoes, these shoes are completely comfortable, and slip proof...great for walking or working on your feet.  I practically live in my Jungle Mocs (when I'm not in sport shoes).  www.nordstroms.com carry's them, and I see they have a lighter spring/summer mesh style out too (Merrell Equinox) that I'm also thinking of getting.

[rockefeller666]

Hey Steven... More pictures!!!!!!

[Fat Guy]

You should see what David Rockwell has done in Florida. More on that in the next installment, or perhaps the one after.

Pictures, yes, they're fun. There are limitations: First, because I'm working over unstable dialup connections (and, for the past few days, I've had cellular modem access only at slower than 14.4) it's hard to do the uploads so I've tried to limit it to essential photos (indeed, I'm waiting for a better connection to post the already-written next installment -- maybe tonight). Second, there's a question of time -- it takes maybe 15 minutes to select the best photo from the 10 or so Ellen shoots of everything, crop it, adjust it to look decent on the widest variety of monitors, FTP it to my server, and drop the link in a post. I just can't accommodate more than a few photos in each installment, if I actually want to participate in the trip as well. Which I do!

[jaybee]

I just can't accommodate more than a few photos in each installment, if I actually want to participate in the trip as well. Which I do!

Not to worry Steve. Reading your descriptions, one word is worth a thousand pictures.  I wouldn't want to sacrifice your narrative for graphics.  But then I was born before TV.  Calvin T, move over, Fat Guy is comin' through!

[tommy]

I had never really heard of chef's clogs until eGullet (I learn the most amazing things on this site).  

jeesh, i thought mario batali made them famous worldwide!!

kidding aside, he is the first guy that i noticed wearing clogs.  after that, i started looking down more often in kitchens and found that they are extremely popular.  who knew?

[Blue Heron]

I've never looked at Mario's feet before, but I notice he's always in shorts and a pony tail, and I like him.  From now on I'm looking at chef's feet to see what they are wearing!  I did make a point to look at what shoes Tony Bourdain was wearing the night we met him, and he was wearing nice cowboy boots....wonder if he wears them in the kitchen?  probably not.  I was wearing my Merrell Jungle mocs that night (as usual!).

[tommy]

I've never looked at Mario's feet before, but I notice he's always in shorts and a pony tail, and I like him.  

along with his pony tail and shorts, his clogs are his "trademark".  they are generally orange.  :)

[Blue Heron]

Thank you for the pictures of Mario.  In retrospect, I don't know how I could have missed his clogs  

[stellabella]

love participating in your virtual vacation

hope it keeps on being fun and i look forward to the next installment

what are you & ellen reading while on the road?

i am almost finished with holy days--great recommendation

[macrosan]

Tommy, why is Mario carrying maraccas ? Does he make his staff work to a samba beat ? And why does he need more than the regulation two ? And who says he's wearing shorts under there ? Did you look, Tommy ?