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From Talk

Omitting Soda Pop

Folks! What about mixed drinks (eg, Dark & Stormy, Cuba Libre, Gin & Tonic) that use soft drinks as mixers?

Surely, you're not suggesting people give up those!* :-)

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* Tongue (mostly) in cheek

From Serious Eats

Why The Hate For Alice Waters?

Well, I do wear glasses, so the myopic remark is pretty on-target.

If you consider her restaurant as a prototype expression of her ideas, then I suppose it's fine.

But, at some point, there has to be movement beyond the prototype stage, into the real world of practical workability. I just wonder whether she's ever tackled the issue of cost with her restaurant. If she's never seriously considered it -- of if it never even occurred to her -- then (gasp!) the elitist word might be appropriate.

From Serious Eats

Why The Hate For Alice Waters?

It's great that she's started a foundation, authored books, etc. Those efforts seem more likely to convey her message than the restaurant, it seems to me.

Her restaurant reminds me of an eco-friendly, green home that sells for $2 million. It's great that the design accomplishes what it does...but how many people can afford to purchase a $2 million home?

Cost is a real issue for most people. It really should be taken seriously. If not, then the effort -- whether in respect to food or homes -- is going to be a boutique industry, irrelevant to most people for the simple reason that they can't afford it.

From Serious Eats

Why The Hate For Alice Waters?

If her restaurant is an expression of her ideals, then those ideals (as expressed through the restaurant) will be seen by few people, for the simple fact that few people can afford to eat there.

To me that seems odd (but maybe that's just me)...

I mean, there are many restaurants that charge more than the majority of people can afford to pay for a meal (even on a special occasion); you might think it would be different for a restaurant espousing her ideals, but clearly it's not.

I don't know if anyone else finds that to be surprising, but I do.

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From Talk

Omitting Soda Pop

Folks! What about mixed drinks (eg, Dark & Stormy, Cuba Libre, Gin & Tonic) that use soft drinks as mixers?

Surely, you're not suggesting people give up those!* :-)

----------
* Tongue (mostly) in cheek

From Serious Eats

Why The Hate For Alice Waters?

Well, I do wear glasses, so the myopic remark is pretty on-target.

If you consider her restaurant as a prototype expression of her ideas, then I suppose it's fine.

But, at some point, there has to be movement beyond the prototype stage, into the real world of practical workability. I just wonder whether she's ever tackled the issue of cost with her restaurant. If she's never seriously considered it -- of if it never even occurred to her -- then (gasp!) the elitist word might be appropriate.

From Serious Eats

Why The Hate For Alice Waters?

It's great that she's started a foundation, authored books, etc. Those efforts seem more likely to convey her message than the restaurant, it seems to me.

Her restaurant reminds me of an eco-friendly, green home that sells for $2 million. It's great that the design accomplishes what it does...but how many people can afford to purchase a $2 million home?

Cost is a real issue for most people. It really should be taken seriously. If not, then the effort -- whether in respect to food or homes -- is going to be a boutique industry, irrelevant to most people for the simple reason that they can't afford it.

From Serious Eats

Why The Hate For Alice Waters?

If her restaurant is an expression of her ideals, then those ideals (as expressed through the restaurant) will be seen by few people, for the simple fact that few people can afford to eat there.

To me that seems odd (but maybe that's just me)...

I mean, there are many restaurants that charge more than the majority of people can afford to pay for a meal (even on a special occasion); you might think it would be different for a restaurant espousing her ideals, but clearly it's not.

I don't know if anyone else finds that to be surprising, but I do.

From Serious Eats

Why The Hate For Alice Waters?

"You can make them at home for pennies on the dollar."

You wouldn't know that, perusing the menu at Chez Panisse. To the extent that she teaches people how to cook for pennies on the dollar, that is empowering people.

But the restaurant itself seems like an insider venue. If you're an insider that's probably great. Most people aren't.


From Serious Eats

Why The Hate For Alice Waters?

I've always been dismayed by the high cost of meals at Chez Panisse. I know I could never afford to eat there as an undergraduate and recent graduate, living in Berkeley (and it wouldn't be so easy for me to afford today, either!).

I checked the cost online just now: prix fixe meals in the $60 - $95 range; cafe meals are somewhat cheaper: entrees in the $18 - $24 range.

Those high costs really dilute her message. Few people can afford the price of admission. I admire her ideals, but if those prices aren't elitist, I'm not sure what is.

From Serious Eats: New York

Restaurants Adding Sneaky Service Charges

I live in NYC and I've experienced this once, at Waterstone Grill (79 Water Street) this past summer.

There were only two of us, but the wait staff added a 22% tip to the bill. There was also a space on the bill to add an additional tip of my own (as if anyone would, after paying a mandatory 22%!).

I didn't see it at the time, but did see it later that night. So I contacted the Better Business Bureau and stopped payment on the charge with the card I'd used, American Express.

The manager was apologetic, refunded my money and gave me a gift certificate, so I give them some credit for that. But they should have never done it in the first place.

After that, I just had no interest in going back there again.

From Serious Eats

Seriously Delicious Holiday Food Giveaway: Russ & Daughters

A sesame bagel with horseradish cream cheese and a slice of sable, a michelada and a copy of "Bookforum."

From Serious Eats

Seriously Delicious Holiday Food Giveaway: Russ & Daughters

A breakfast taco (scrambled eggs/chorizo/green onions) and a really good dark cup of coffee (with half and half) !!

From A Hamburger Today

A Classic Los Angeles Burger with a Perfect Bun at Cassell's

Nick --

Thanks for that write-up of Cassell's.

I grew up in LA and went to Cassell's for the first time way back in, I think, 1972. My family lived out in the Valley, so we didn't go there very often, but when we did it was a real treat to eat their phenomenal (at the time) hamburgers, while parked outside sitting in our car. Back then Cassell's was located a couple doors down from its present location, btw.

I was so loyal to Cassell's that I walked around my jr. high school wearing one of their T-shirts with an illustration of their big, juicy hamburger emblazoned on the front of it.

I stopped in about 3-4 years ago on a visit to LA (I've been on the East Cost fro about 20 years) -- I'm glad that it's still around and it's really a pretty darn good hamburger. But, does it live up to my memory of it, as a kid? Nah, how could it!?


From Serious Eats

Seriously Delicious Holiday Food Giveaway: Russ & Daughters

This has been a good opportunity to come up with alternative answers, so this time I'm gonna say: chorizo/scrambled egg tacos with a bottle of Tecate (if it's after 12:00 noon).

From Serious Eats

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Southside Market Sausage

Way back when I was a college student in Berkeley, it was Flint's.

The best place I've been to in the past several years, though, is Cooper's in Llano, Texas!!

From Serious Eats

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Garrison Confections Ultimate Chocolate Cooler

Thanks valarie for that suggestion...I'm going to do some research on this topic! :-)

From Serious Eats

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Garrison Confections Ultimate Chocolate Cooler

I like dark, which makes me wonder as I write this: is there such a thing as a dark chocolate hot chocolate? I think that would be great.

From Serious Eats

Seriously Delicious Holiday Giveaway: Two Peter Luger Steaks

I'm feeling in the mood for some grilled skirt steak, chopped and then rolled up in a really fresh tortilla, with some avocado slices and some pico de gallo.

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About mdashkin

Website:

Location: New York, NY

About: To-do list: Work on brussel sprout technique; Sharpen-up Bloody Mary skils; Start curing salmon at home; Read a lot more about the foods of India; Go on more food road trips [to be continued...]

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