Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Thanks to everyone for commenting and congrats to our winners:

drbehavior
tudogostoso
izzy's mama
anado
JP001
Littlebluesiren
Bosmer
spanklin
MeganThomas
lemons

Overheard in a fancy restaurant:

"This Wilted Salad just isn't as fresh as I had expected."

My date on his first experience with sashimi: Mine was undercooked and a little cold. Do you think we should say something?

Diner at Nobu when asked how his Wagyu beef was: It's alright but could use a little ketchup or something.

Overheard at a chinese place in Houston: Just what exactly is a tofu?

When I was a teenager I worked at a fast food place. We were short people one night so the drive-through speaker volume was turned up high so everyone in the kitchen area could hear it since we were all working on both drive-through and dining room orders at once. This unfortunately also meant the people in the dining room could hear it.

Guy drove through and was obviously drunk, ordering very slowly and said he wanted a "bunch" of cheeseburgers. After clarifying that "a bunch" was three, he was asked what he wanted on them. He was mumbling but it was really loud, so everyone in the dining room was listening too, "I dunno, ketchup, mustard..." (pause) "Oh, and PICKLES. A *SHITLOAD* OF PICKLES!" Everyone in the kitchen guffawed and the people in the dining room all either laughed or looked horrified.

I'll have the filet mignon well-done.

Overheard at a tapas bar in San Sebastian:

"Daddy! You were right! It's only mommy's blood sausage that tastes like wet dog hair!" (The look on the parent's faces was priceless! I wonder if the entertaintment value is the reason children are allowed into tapas bars there?)

im deaf so its hard to communicate with waiters.. there have been some funny miscommunications but they have been resolved easily.. cant think of anything specific right now thugh.. i want this book!!!

I overheard an exasperated waitress having this conversation...

Waitress: Would you like the soup or salad?
Patron: Well, if you're calling it super, I will certainly try it!
Waitress: No, sir, I mean would you rather have the soup or salad?
Patron: I'm sold on the super salad, it's settled.
Waitress: Sir, you have a choice, soup... or... salad...
Patron: I told you, I want the su...per... salad. Am I not being clear?
Waitress: Okay sir, the super salad will be right out.

Later on...

Patron (to his wife): The salad was good, but I wouldn't say it was super!

It is amazing how many people are commenting about this when A) they have not seen the complaint and B) they have no idea what the issues are. Inane gossip, speculation, and erroneous conclusions just muddy the waters. The complaint is online and Rebecca Charles is suing for trade dress, identity theft and breach of fiduciary responsibility.

She doesn't claim to have invented anything but HER OWN restaurant, which she is trying to protect.

She doesn't want to stop you from getting your cheaper, closer lobster roll, nor does she lay claim to inventing them, just HER OWN. (Pearl's roll is a completely different animal than the traditional New England shack roll, which is why it's the one everyone copies.)

She couldn't get more customers in the joint and if she were trying to make money, she would have opened several, which brings me to the next point.

It seems McFarland is partnered with businessmen (one a millionaire/political wannabee, according to google) who intend to open of these.

In NYC on biz this week I went to both places for lunch and dinner and ELB looks exactly like Pearl. This is not Ed Levine's bias, it's reality. The paint colors down to the green in the bathroom, gray wainscoting and the white painted brick wall are identical; as are the marble bar and side bar; the beer tap; bathroom furniture; pendant lights; window seat; chairs; floor stain; odd long cabinets behind the bar; glassware, plates, coffee mugs, and doilies; waiter's station; large mirror like Pearl's placed in the same way behind the bar; and the actual layout of the dining room. The placement of the pictures, "sconces," chalkboards, what is written on them and how, menu and wine list are all identical.

Almost every item on Ed's menu is something I have eaten at Pearl in the past or can get today and this includes the lunch menu which no one is mentioning. The presentation of the dishes is identical; the sides are the same, the tartar sauce, the mignonette, etc. The mussel dish and the bouillabaisse (not clam shack dishes) were exactly the same as was Pearl's pot pie. He even makes her blueberry crumble pie. The quality paled but the intent was clear.

I lived in SF for more than a decade, went to Swan all of the time and the restaurants are nothing alike. And anyone familiar with clam shacks knows that Pearl Oyster Bar is much more than that. Tie up all these ends at Ed's and you have AN ILLEGAL FRANCHISE. Right, which I understand is a bit of an esoteric, obsolete concept these days, and the law are on Rebcca's side.

Nobu Nextdoor

Tom415: Facts wrong, again. Bobby Flay was Executive Chef, Neil was Chef de Cuisine, Mary was Sous Chef. The lawsuit never went to trial before a judge. It went into mediation. Enough said.

Tom415: let's clear up some "facts." Before opening Pearl WITH Rebecca, Mary was the Sous Chef at Bolo for Bobby Flay (you've heard of him, right?). As for the menu coming from Rebecca's love for Maine - it was actually the restaurant concept - not the entire menu. Some of the recipes on the menu were and are Mary's and Mary's alone, some were collaborations and some were Rebecca's - they were Co-Chef/Owners. As for the "chatty waitresses" at MFC, they have their facts wrong too. There was no law suit, and Rebecca won nothing. There were shareholder disagreements - as many corporations have. Rebecca bought out Mary's shares. Mary moved on - taking her recipes with her. MFC has a Florida fish camp vibe - nothing like Maine or New England - and has it's own, original menu.

Tom415 - correction: "It is about TWO chefs who 10 years ago created and entire business entity that was unique to this city and, in fact, the country."