Great Food Bloopers

[MarketStEl]

Over on Phillyblog, a discussion about whether the condo boom is about to go bust (consensus: yes) has morphed into yet another discussion of this city's virtues or lack thereof and whether we could ever hope to be a <world-class cliché>world-class city</world-class cliché>.

The latest insult in this department was a list of "best cities for singles" compiled by Forbes.com. For the second year running, Philadelphia ranked 12th on the list of the 40 largest US metro areas--right behind Columbus, Ohio, and just ahead of Sacramento, Calif. (We scored high in singles and culture, in the middle of the pack for coolness, online dating and cost of living, at the top of the bottom half in nightlife and just above the bottom in job growth.)

In addition to the rankings, the editors asked a young professional single in each city to provide some recommendations. Zoey Sless-Kittain, the 29-year-old social editor of Philadelphia magazine, recommended this as her "perfect date":

Going out to a good BYOB restaurant, which we have plenty of. And then taking a walk through the city and getting some gelatin at Capogiro.

[emphasis added]

Quoting myself from Phillyblog:

That's gelato. Big difference. I can't imagine anyone getting away with charging $5 for a small cube of Jell-O. What Capogiro sells, OTOH, is worth every penny they charge for it.

Good thing they haven't made Ms. Sless-Kittain food editor yet.

Edited August 21, 2006 by MarketStEl (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

Going out to a good BYOB restaurant, which we have plenty of. And then taking a walk through the city and getting some gelatin at Capogiro.

My first thought was to wonder if that was an artifact of Word's spell-check. But no, Word 2004, at least, recognizes "gelato" just fine. Anyway, it's pretty bad; makes both Sless-Kittain and the editors of Forbes look awfully dumb.

[guzzirider]

Anyway, it's pretty bad; makes both Sless-Kittain and the editors of Forbes look awfully dumb.

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To us in Philly, it makes them look dumb. To everyone else on the planet, it looks like we get our rocks off on Jell-O.

__Jason

[Andrew Fenton]

To us in Philly, it makes them look dumb. To everyone else on the planet, it looks like we get our rocks off on Jell-O.

Exactly the problem. We're supposed to be defensive towards NYC, not SLC...

Edited August 21, 2006 by Andrew Fenton (log)

[Buckethead]

Good thing they haven't made Ms. Sless-Kittain food editor yet.

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I think it's more likely that Forbes interviewed her over the phone and just misheard her. I can't imagine anyone who's actually been to Capogiro referring to it as gelatin, but I can definitely imagine someone who's never heard of gelato thinking that they heard 'gelatin'. Before a few years ago I always thought gelato was the half-ice, half-custard concoction you get at Rita's.

[philadining]

Or it could just be an over-zealous copy editor who sadly hasn't yet experienced the wonders of gelato, and assumed it was a typo. I'm just surprised it made it past any level of editing, I mean, who uses the term that way, as in, "I'm really in the mood for some gelatin?" And are there places people go for Jell-O?

I'll bet this was a copy editing mistake at Forbes, or as Buckethead suggested, a case of a misunderstood phone conversation, not a gaffe by Ms. Sless-Kittain.

[I_call_the_duck]

These, boys and girls, are our future leaders. Or as Sandy says, possible food editors. And who the hell says gelatin when referring to Jell-O?

...I mean, who uses the term that way, as in, "I'm really in the mood for some gelatin?"  And are there places people go for Jell-O? 

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Then again, if Philly can have an eatery devoted to cereal, why not Jell-O? On second thought, why?

[Mummer]

Then again, if Philly can have an eatery devoted to cereal, why not Jell-O?  On second thought, why?

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Jell-OMyGod?

[I_call_the_duck]

Then again, if Philly can have an eatery devoted to cereal, why not Jell-O?  On second thought, why?

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Jell-OMyGod?

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Capo-Jell-O!! (My apologies to the nice folks at Capogiro.)

[philadining]

You know, if the Capogiro folks opened a Capo-Jell-O, I'd go!

Great name, Karen...

[KatieLoeb]

Capo-Jell-o needs to be a bar serving sophisticated Jello cocktail shots.

I could totally do that. I've already made some good ones in the past including Margarita, Madras, and Bay Breeze. With industrial sized sacks of unflavored gelatin powder virtually anything is possible.

Aviation shots, anyone?

[Rich Pawlak]

There is a business opportunity screaming someone's name here.

[herbacidal]

500 square foot shop, minimal rent.

No need for gas lines and exhaust fans,

so more landlords are open to the idea.

Big takeout/party/delivery business.

Open in the best location you can find.

[VictorFiorillo]

Yeah people, I'm all for critiquing Philly Mag, but sheesh... Whether or not Zoey said "gelatin", which she didn't, someone at Forbes (copy, fact-checker, editor) should have caught this.

[MarketStEl]

Yeah people, I'm all for critiquing Philly Mag, but sheesh... Whether or not Zoey said "gelatin", which she didn't, someone at Forbes (copy, fact-checker, editor) should have caught this.

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I doubt she said it as well, but are you telling me you heard her?

[KatieLoeb]

Yeah people, I'm all for critiquing Philly Mag, but sheesh... Whether or not Zoey said "gelatin", which she didn't, someone at Forbes (copy, fact-checker, editor) should have caught this.

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I doubt she said it as well, but are you telling me you heard her?

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Victor:

How close is your desk to Zoey's?

I agree that a fact checker or some other copy drone should have caught this. It's just a silly mistake.

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

Gelatin Jihad!

[chromedome]

Capo-Jell-o needs to be a bar serving sophisticated Jello cocktail shots.

I could totally do that.  I've already made some good ones in the past including Margarita, Madras, and Bay Breeze.  With industrial sized sacks of unflavored gelatin powder virtually anything is possible.

Aviation shots, anyone? 

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Trivia footnote:

Satirical singer Tom Lehrer (Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, Vatican Rag, National Brotherhood Week, etc) claims to have invented the Jell-o shooter while doing his national service during the 1950's. Alcoholic beverages were prohibited on the base, it seems, but Jell-o is not in fact a beverage...

[mod*betty]

Capo-Jell-o needs to be a bar serving sophisticated Jello cocktail shots.

I could totally do that.  I've already made some good ones in the past including Margarita, Madras, and Bay Breeze.  With industrial sized sacks of unflavored gelatin powder virtually anything is possible.

Aviation shots, anyone? 

←

Trivia footnote:

Satirical singer Tom Lehrer (Poisoning Pigeons in the Park, Vatican Rag, National Brotherhood Week, etc) claims to have invented the Jell-o shooter while doing his national service during the 1950's. Alcoholic beverages were prohibited on the base, it seems, but Jell-o is not in fact a beverage...

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and an even more trivial footnote from wikipedia:

Jell-O is the official state snack food of Utah, which is reported to have the highest per capita sales of green gelatin dessert of any U.S. state. Over-fondness of Jell-O is often considered a cliché trait of Mormons even in other areas. See Jello Belt.