CrescentFresh

I don't know the chef, nor do I make it a habit to summon a chef when I'm in a restaurant. I would ask for a manager without hesitation. But my impression was that this guy was the manager. I had no interest in speaking with him last night. Perhaps if he's there on my next visit I'll give him a piece of my mind.

I was one of the dozen or so checking out Bebo last night. We all sat at the sizeable bar, spreading out from one corner along two sides. Yes, the place looks almost exactly like Oyamel did. A few of the colorful Oyamel flourishes were removed, including the Day of the Dead decoration in the rest room. And they moved the host stand. Outside of that, it all looked the same. About a dozen glasses each of red and white wine available by the glass. I kept to the reds, which ranged from $5 up to about $15. Perfectly quaffable Montepulciano, Chianti and some Barberas. Nothing stood out as particularly special. Another thank you to the other DR members for sending their plates down my way and letting me share in some tastes. I didn't take a menu with me and didn't write down the particulars of a dish, so I can't recite too many ingredients or preparations for you. But here's what I remember. I very much enjoyed the carbonara, but how couldn't you? Egg, pig and pasta? Yeah, it's good. I also really dug the cool eggplant small plate, a kind of cool, molded caponata salad dripping with olive oil. And there was a homemade salami with fried bread strips that came out looking similar to churros, with a green sauce. The fried calamari was incredibly tender, both rings and tentacles cooked perfectly, but the flavorless batter on it did no justice to the fish and it needed a healthy dose of salt. I'd much prefer to see a grilled squid dish, particularly if they could get it as tender. Less pleasing to my palate was a lasagna pasta that was far too soupy. A big bowl of wrong. I did not try the desserts going around. I live very close to Bebo and can see myself going there with a level of frequency. Perhaps even more than I went to Oyamel, where I was turned off more by the service rather than the food, which I thought got better as time went by. (I really can't wait to see what the new Oyamel will be like). But now, 24 hours later, what sticks in my mind about Bebo is really unsettling. It was on my mind when I left last night and it's still my main memory. They were busy, as you might expect. In fact, I got one of the last barstools available when I showed up around 730 or so. An hour later there were many standees and the dining room floor looked pretty full, too. It's no surprise that while all of the restaurant equipment was handed over from Oyamel, and that the folks coming in were from Galileo (although there are some new hires), it's going to take some time to get the system down right. New computers, new floor plan, new speedracks, new you-name-it. When your register runs out of tape, it's going to take a little longer to replace it, let alone have an immediate understanding of where that new roll is located. Oh, and you want to pay by American Express? No. They weren't hooked up for it yet. All of these things can potentially cause delays, frustration, errors, etc. Completely understandable. Our server at the bar last night was not only slammed with patrons, but also all of these other things that can make it difficult working on opening week for a new restaurant. You most definitely could tell she was frustrated with the situation. But for as much as she was busy and frustrated about things not working smoothly, she was calm, pleasant, respectful, and truly appreciative of our understanding that people are learning the ropes in a new place. She was most definitely grace under fire. And when she did need to let out steam and try to point out to other employees what some of the immediate problems and issues were, she took off to the side of the bar that has no customers, keeping everything as far away from guests as possible. Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the man who I am presuming is the GM. (If anyone knows....thinning hair slicked back and glasses with thick, round, black rims. I didn't ask who he was or what his position was, but he gave that "GM" feel as he cruised the dining room). The disgusting display this guy made directly in front of some of us was sickening and it leaves me with a completely foul feeling. He chose to reprimand our server right there with us. Not overly loud, mind you, but clearly and plainly for us to see. He kept berating her telling her she's going to need to calm down when, all the while, she was nothing less than pleasant, cheerful and efficient with everybody we saw. It was embarrassing, not only for her, but for me. This is happening right in front of me and I'm sitting at the bar having to look right at it. The best I can do is look to my right and stare at the girl next to me eating her entree. Or I look at the ceiling and count tiles. I try closing my eyes. Or staring real deep into my wine glass. About 60 seconds after it was done and he left, he actually returned to give her a little more. Telling her that if she can't calm down she should probably leave. What this guy managed to do was not only further frustrate an employee who was trying her best, but he embarrassed and angered his own customers. Any restaurant professional worth a fucking lick would NEVER put a customer in such a position as this SOB did to me and (I don't want to speak for them) the folks sitting around me. At least when our server needed to express her frustration, she had the good sense to get as far from customers as possible. This guy had no such courtesy. It was just a revolting performance that he put on that served no purpose other than to make a bad situation worse. And it is a shame that this is the memory that sticks with me from Bebo.

Last Saturday I bought two boxes of "Amor and the Samurai" from Shoebox at the Courthouse market. My first visit to Shoebox. These are cakes made with Mexican chocolate and Japanese chilis. Outrageously good. I served them with a side of Dolcezza gelato, coconut and dulce de leche flavor. Outrageously good cubed. Sadly, there was no sign of Shoebox at Courthouse this morning. The no-show is worse because I was talking up her baked goods to people all week and I don't know if there are others who are going to go today.

The rest rooms aren't still "Day of the Dead" though, are they?

An email I received

11Y sounds nice, but it doesn't give the full view of how special a bus route it is. I prefer to call it the Rustico/Eamonn's Express -- Moving downtown office schlubs from pencil and paperwork to pizza and a pint (or fish n chips) takes but 15 minutes and $3.

Similarly, if anyone came across a selection of white, plastic, serving trays of assorted sizes. Thanks.

Charcoal is lit. Pigs are on the heat. Or, rather, under it.

Not if we keep 'em coming fast and furious though, right?

BTW, someone may want to change the subhead. Peter North was never chef at Camelot. He is the saucier.

Our pig has a nicer smile! And happy pigs make tastier pork.

I know they have unpasteurized cider at the USDA farmers market each Friday. (I just LOVE the fact they do that right under the USDA help-only-agribusiness noses!!!). And while I haven't been out there myself, Smith Meadow, which sells at a number of markets in the area is out on Route 7 past Leesburg. I bought some of the most delicious lamb chops I've ever had in my life from them yesterday.

Let's keep this to food and drink and we'll take care of the lodging and travel issues first via PM.

As if we believe it..... As if we care..... Rock on, Tom and the gang....

A week is nice to get a good feel for the city. There are plenty of worthwhile side trips to other parts of the country and day trips to estancias outside BA or across the river into Uruguay. For starters, what do you consider moderately priced for a hotel? And do you have the freedom to stay longer? That's one of the great benefits about Argentina right now for those spending dollars -- it's generally expensive to get there, but once you're there you get world class everything at a fraction of the cost.

Wait'll you see what he does with a PIG ROAST, JG. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

I second that recommendation. If you think 100 is what you're going to need, look for one that will do 150-200. Seriously.

Not to make the amps go to 11 but, for me, I don't comment on his reviews because they are so out of the realm of what I experience that I rely on them simply to show me a picture of the food and/or dining room. Or, sometimes perhaps to give me the phone number of the place or let me know what Metro stop it's near. Surely not because I trust how many stars, sheep or smilies he counts. I understand that there are others who do appreciate and agree with reviews. I'm not one of them. I have found, however, that his "foodie writing," like the piece he did for Mothers' Day, is much more to my taste.

Am hoping to catch most of the Mets game at Rustico, but probably won't get there until sometime after 5. 4th inning, perhaps?

There will be facepainting, right? You just can't have a party without facepainting these days.

I will bring the paper plates and towels

Я сделал! Я сделал!

Y'know, every time I think that things get a little heated in the dr.com galaxy, I always remind myself that I can look at the comments after any one of Nadya's columns and realize that it's all good......

Nor will they ever, if the boss is not fibbing. I'm just trying to get some truth to the rumor that he's teaming up with a celebrity for his next venture.....Rachael Ray's 90-Minute Meals, or some such thing.

Me neither, but if we built a stable warp field around that thing, and modulated the frequency just enough so it matches the changes in the yeasts......it just might work. We're talking free beer for everyone forever!