blakegwinn

Will be going to KC for work next week for 3 nights. I am planning one night BBQ (Arthur Bryant), one night Stroud's, and one night steak. Can anyone recommend a good steakhouse (or alterations to my plan)? Thanks.

Hereford's, Bentons and Plaza III are all classic KC mainstays but I might recommend Piropos or even Bluestem for a little more modern experience. (I heard Blue Stem was serving Kobe but I am not sure if they still are. If they are expect it to be $$$$$) Bluestem would satisfy those who might not want steak also. When I was in town I would always go to Capital Grill. But that is probably just because we could use my mom's dine-out credit. Jacques, you have to have some input on this

Oh and stick with Bryants but make sure and go to the original location not one of the outposts. If you are driving there don't get scared just stay the course. It looks a little ragged and is a bit out of the way of, well just about anything, but once you sit down with a plate of burnt ends it will all be worth it.

Is your coffeemaker a Krups drip pot or an espresso maker? A number of years ago, we "graduated" from filtered drip coffee -- anybody here old enough to remember Chemex pots, from the pre-Mr. Coffee days?--to Bodum press-pot to serious espresso machines (and I don't think the low-end Krups espresso machines are adequate). If you are a coffee drinker seeking gravitas, it is inevitable. Over the years, we have had two different Swiss Rotel machines, a Saeco Italian machine, and graduated to a La Pavoni last Christmas. And we get freshly roasted Peet's beans shipped to us monthly. If coffee is as important to you as it is to us, starting the day is unthinkable without a kick-ass homemade cup of cappucino, made with a triple shot of espresso from fresh-ground beans. Compared to what we make at home, Starbucks sucks.

I really like Mayorga's beans in Silver Spring. French Press is the way to go. Cheapest setup and the best cup of coffee.

I really expected this thread to be about this wineglass.

(It just looks so... SkyMall.)

Jokes on you guys, I have this. Just don't use it as a chiller...

OMG, did they look good! Has anyone had them and if so, how are they?

I have to agree, its nice to read the rating but honestly who cares? I mean I basically look at it like a look at this board. Its another person who loves to eat out with who you can "talk" with about the restaurants you have been to. The reason we are all on this board is to discuss restaurants what dishes we liked, how the service was etc. etc. I read Tom for the same reason. See how his notes compare to my own. Something seems off though. Danny, we getting the whole story here? Someone seems to be a little more than angry with Tom and his rating system....

That's a huge expense out of pocket for anyone. I don't love my job that much

What was all the cryptic talk about the Silver Spring branch of CO Kitchen? I never understand when he starts talking about "hints". Was that a hint to the owner to call him or some disguised hint to the reader?

But I do think I did the right thing even though I really wish I had more photos to show of what was one of the most incredible experiences of any restaurant I have ever been to.

Has anyone heard if they are actually going to be open for lunch at some point? That would be bad.... very very bad now that I am in walking distance and usually bored and hungry on Saturday afternoons.

I am looking to find a private dining room for my firm's annual holiday dinner party. There will be a total of ten guests.

We had a company holiday dinner for about 13-14 at Charlie Palmers about 3-4 years back that was great. They have a nice little glassed off private room that could hold up to 20-30. I am not sure if they do it for ten but I am thinking we had 13-15 so it must be close. Looking back it was a really good time. Great wine and the service was just right for that kind of get together, you hardly even noticed them.

Call me unsophisticated but give me a Wonder bread/texas toast and Kraft singles grilled cheese anyday. Probably love it for the same reason I love my old beat up, painted on Tshirts over my brand new nice ones, sentimental value.

I love this combo when I am sick and at that point I usually don't feel like cooking anything but if you want a ready made soup in a can, there is an Amy's Kitchen tomato soup and tomato bisque that I ate a couple of times after I had my wisdom teeth pulled. I thought it was pretty tasty. Although I was pretty loopy on painkillers and ridiculously hungry for real food, so who knows, maybe it is actually horrible.

Any word on Avec, Blackbird's sister restaurant or Follia? I was thinking of going to one of those this weekend. I will be in town Saturday night for a wedding.

I agree. I also find it funny that folks rip Rachel Ray because she it not a 'real' chef. Why would this community, where several threads exist about eating better, get upset about someone that is showing folks how to make decent meals easily. Once more people find out that they can make decent meals without having to spend hours in the kitchen, the more they will shop and inquire about better foods and (hopefully) better products will be available. Granted her personality can make it a little difficult to watch for some, but overall the message is something that we should be happy about.

You hit the nail right on the head here. You know what I always tell my friend who HATES Rachel Ray for a list of reasons. (elementary cooking, bubbly fake personality yada yada)? Would you rip on a Kindergarten teacher for not teaching John Updike and Russian history or for being too cheery? And even more important is it really important for a kindergarten teacher to know about advanced physics? Not really. They just need to teach the kids the basics alphabet, numbers, following directions etc. Then with that foundation they can go on to 1st grade, high school etc. Most of us on this board are at a HS level of food knowledge or a college level for all you trained chefs and I suppose PHd for Slater. and here we are sitting around tearing apart kindergarten students and teachers for not knowing as much as we do.

I don't really care for her show but I will say this I have found myself with somewhere to be and not wanting to eat out, staring into my fridge and thinking about what to make and some pieces of rachel ray that I picked up through osmosis after falling asleep in front of the TV have crept into my mind. She is accessible. The problem I have always had with some of the "real" chef's shows is that it is like "Ok shave some truffle onto the pork belly and place it on top of this vegetable that only grows on the peaks of this one mountain in the Himalayans." Everything Rachel ray does I can pretty much do with stuff that is already sitting in my fridge and can do with almost NO effort or focus.

True that! We all (or nearly all) have lofty ideals when we are younger. But wave hundreds of thousands in someone's face for working a few hours? Life gets in the way. In France I think Joel Robuchon (I think) has sold his name and face to some frozen foods, bean soup etc... Does that make him less of a chef?

This "selling out" crap is ridiculous. Evvvvveryone has their price. And it might not even be about shoving money in someone's throat. I honestly think some people might just get bored. Short attention spans are the norm now days. Its like Warren Brown's energy bar venture. You just get bored with cakes and say, you know what I'll bet I could make a better energy bar than that guy. Puck probably one day just said screw it, this tombstone pizza stuff is embarassing. I am sure I could do better than that.

I think a lot of the hate of "selling out" comes from food snobbery. There are still a LOOOTTT of people who aren't going to be able to afford or have the time to cook gourmet groundbreaking food or go out to a fancy restaurant. A lot of people who's lives don't revolve around cuisine and restaurant life like ours. They need the applebees and the frozen pizzas because they are quick and cheap. When I was a little kid like once a year on a special occassion we would get dressed up and go out to Applebees. It was all we could afford. But man that was the best meal of the year and I always looked forward to it. So rip on TGIF's and the Ruby Tues. all you want but I think they serve just as important a calling as the mandate from god some of you seem to think chefs have.

In all honesty Tyler Florance's life probably hasn't changed a single iota. He probably hits a few film shoots a month and then just goes about the exact same things he was doing before he "sold out". Except now he has a shit load more money. It doesn't affect me or my view of his cooking skills one way or the other. Sorry to interrupt, judge away...

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DIE...-09-26-18-13-07

Curious to hear how everyone feels on this one.

Best Breakfast: Suburban House

Best Brunch: Red Star

Best Cup of Coffee: Zeke's Coffee at the Downtown Baltimore Farmers' Market

I have to say one of the things I miss most about my girlfriend living up there is Saturday and Sunday mornings at Spoons. Fantastic place. Good pancakes and omelettes, GREAT coffee and great sunday morning vibe. You can plop down on a couch and get your breakfast while you play battleship. And they have free internet also. Plus it has a real neighborhood vibe. I think most of the people who work there live within a block away and all the staff from the other F.Hill restaurants seem to stop in get coffee and chat.

Definitely agree with Salt (Best Fries maybe??). Cool menu and pretty good drinks when I went in. You have to give some marks for service also as one of the servers had broken something in her leg a few days before we were there and was in there with a thigh high walking cast waiting tables. Gotta say I would have called in.... She said she had a house full of kids at home though and she just wanted out for a bit. But still service staff gets a purple heart if nothing else.

What kind of ratio do I need to look for as far as carcass/water. Will one chicken carcass for 4-5quarts do? Also i love the storage ideas. Looks like Sunday is going to be a perfect day to stay inside, watch football, and make stock.

I would say that one of my worst BarBeCue experiances was at Famous Dave's. I will not be going back.

I think BBQ is one of those things like your mom's _______ (fill in the blanks). You grow up with it a certain and way and you will always think of that as the right kind. I always had friends in college who were like "Oh man my mom just sent some brownies, she makes the best brownies in the world!" Sure enough tasted like dark brown cardboard with the same texture. I do have to say I enjoyed Famous Dave's the few times they catered at my office. MUCH better than the same oold deli trays that usually are used. Also they usually make an appearance at the BBQ festival on the mall. I have to say, one of my friends from KC and I went around doing the three bone tasters at all the booths, and famous Dave's was actually one of the better ones out there.

One more amusing not on BBQ that is fresh in my mind. Last night we ran a rib special. I had one of my ask if the ribs were dry or wet. I replied by joking, "I am from Kansas City I don't know what this "dry rib" means, I need lots of sauce smothered all over." She doesn't catch the joke and corrects me, "Oh no, dry ribs have sauce on them. Dry and wet just refers to the doneness of ribs. Like rare and well done for steaks". I learn something new everyday!!

I am kind of embarassed to say I have never made stock. I think I am going to try it this weekend. Any recipes or tips on how to store or a good place to get bones?

Anthropomorphically, Rachel Ray is a muppet.

She embodies the zippy joie de vivre of Big Bird and the frugal zest of Beauregard the janitor.

Similarly, Bobby Flay would be the barbiturate Capt. Link Hogthrob.

Whoa whoa. I am not sticking up for Rachel Ray. I just know, as a lot of us here do, that restaurant life is not great for spending time with loved ones. Most of us in the business are prepping for the evening at about the time kids get off school, non-restaurant friends and family are getting off work etc. and we won't be home until the late PM or early AM. So if I had a family and someone offered me the kind of money he probably got to, travel the country tasting local cuisines and meeting all different kinds of chefs as you go, have occasional cook-offs with other chefs, and be able to spread your love and vision of food and cooking with millions of people who have never had, and never would have the opportunity to step foot in your restaurant all while still demanding a much more normal schedule, yeah I might hang up my apron also. Call me a sellout.

Plus I always admire people who succeed at one thing then at the peak of success jump into something completely unfamiliar determined to succeed at that just for the challenge. He had no restaurant training but jumped into the fire in a kitchen in NYC reached the top of the game there, went to culinary school came back and started his own restaurant proved himself there, jumped into mass media with no education in business broadcasting or anything else and is a success there. I just get upset when people come down on "sellouts". Not just in foodie world but anywhere. Most of the time those "sellouts" are the hardest workers and the only ones among us willing to jump headfirst out of their comfort zone. This is getting deep for a favorite TV shows discussion. I am assuming the Don will be heading this off sometime soon. I think it is more a debate of artistic integrity/vs business end of restauranting using Flay as a case study.

You have been watching too much Good Eats.

So, you'll be bringing that to the picnic, right?

Pumpkin or squash anything. And I have a serious weakspot for the pear/gorgonzola/nut combination. Pasta, dessert, roasted. Whatever. I used to LOVE getting pear/gorg. ravioli with walnut cream sauce at this little neighborhood spot in B-more in the fall. Anyone know of someone serving up something similar around the district. I am jonesing but don't feel like going to Baltimore all the time. Also I can't wait to just start buying quality homegrown apples at the farmer's markets again. I will eat 2-3 a day sometimes during the fall.

Bobby flay is the zenith (some say scourge) of has-been cooks who are so soulless and technically aloof as to practice their scripted craft in front of television cameras and laugh tracks. Cynics decry that inferior nutmeg (and shit) floats right up to the tippy top. Touché.

I, for one, enthusiastically applaud the Food TV editors for not deleting his burning of hamburger buns, nor his benign reaction to said burnt buns, genuine ignorance and general carelessness. His scorching of jambalaya rice was, without hyperbole, extraordinary.

The food-court rate brunch themed Tex-Mex troubadour atop his one trick pony, with blue corn tortilla chips, 56 spice chipotle glaze and lobster chimichangas in his quiver missing the mark when cooking rice in a wild west cauldron should have had the acoustic accoutrements of slide whistle-spring-bop blooper effects generally reserved for sporting goods hitting crotches and the elderly falling off of retaining walls. A mere producer’s lapse. In the late-night brine of mouthbreathing televised entertainment, strands of drool tremble with every exhaling chuckle as señor Flay cannot find his ass or man-boobs, even with all the helpful pairs of Chi-Chi’s employees' hands nation wide at his disposal

I am also partial to the sonic blade infomercial and its candid demonstrations of how conventional cutlery and overzeal will squish, squash or smush cartoon-decked sandwiches, and won’t slice through avocado pits.

I think Iron Chef is a bit truer to reality and he cleans up on that show. And its not like all the judges were pulled off of a table at Ruby Tuesdays to come judge. Most of them are respected food people and he has taken out some very well regarded chefs. He has a pretty ridiculous record on that show. I have been to two of his restaurants and the meals were great. He came up the hard way starting off at the bottom at 17 in NYC and impressed the head chef he was working for so much the dude sent him to culinary school. So why do so many people rag on him? Someone makes it big and they are automatically a sell out poser I guess.

Ok go ahead and stone me but I really like Bobby Flay's Boy meets Grill. There is some serious hate going around for that guy but I like him. BBQ U with Raichlen is the only other cooking show I have set to record on my DVR, BUT I will always stop flipping channels for Iron Chef and Giadi (when my girlfriend isn't paying attention). I think the thing I like about the first two is just finding ways to break out of the typical backyard BBQ mold. Since I do a lot of cooking on the grill the usual smoked meats/hamb./chicken/lamb kabobs get old by about mid june.

Oh I always watched Top Chef also. What a fantastic show. The unintentional comedy was through the roof. I have never seen worse editing and a more wooden performance from a reality host EVER. Oh man Mrs. Joel was HORRRIBLE. To the point of actually being embarrassed for her while you are watching it.

I think your premise may be faulty, though. We were firmly in the second, happy-giddy group as well and were treated as generously as you can imagine. (Note: this was five or so years ago.) We walked in happy, and ordered the tasting menu with wine. On hearing that my brother/dining companion was a sommelier, the server sent out their sommelier (which of course sent bro over the moon). He proceeded to come out about five minutes before every course to talk extensively about what he was pouring, and he even served us several (very special) wines that weren't the menu's listed pairings but that he thought we'd enjoy more ("something special we opened in back just to taste"). When we popped into the garden for a smoke break, they brought us pillows for our seats and ice water. We got a tour of the kitchen at the end, and one of the valets walked us the block to our car holding an umbrella over our heads, while he was rained on comprehensively.

We definitely discerned no discrimination against giddy diners; rather, I think our excitement allowed them to go over the top in hospitality.

You know I am sure you are right I just get frustrated sometimes. I will give you another story. There is a guy we call Mr. Pancakes that comes in about once every 2-3 months he is an older guy and walks in with a snarl. Bitches ALL through his meal. About EVERYTHING. Service, things being overcooked, undercooked, portions not big enough, portions too big.

He is Mr. Pancakes becuase one day at brunch he raised absolute hell because our pancakes weren't big enough. The thing that kills me the most is that for all his bitching about how we cook green beans, the sauce on our meatloaf etc. he gets the same freaking thing everytime, hates it and demands that we don't charge him for it after cleaning his plate. Well sure enough this guy causes such a stink he inevitably gets at least a free dessert everytime. Meanwhile some of my favorites come in all the time ask me about my life, say please and thank you, spend a lot of money, tip well and they don't get any freebies.

I really wish I could and I know it is different at other restuarants but I have no authorization to give away freebies and I don't think you want a tour of our kitchen. With our computer and ticketing system I couldn't get freebies without a manager authorization or breaking the rules. Depending on the manager and mood I might be able to talk them in to hooking up some of my favorites but they have a very small comp budget as it is and they need it to appease the likes of Mr. Pancakes. I give them great service of course but it is so much more intangible than a free dessert or round of drinks every now and again. I just wish I could do more for the customers who, after three years working at the same restaurant, have become friends than the miserable people who are just bad apples all around.

A friend of mine just showed me a Harvard Business School Case Study that Patrick O'Connell wrote about The Inn At Little Washington's operations.

It looks like from the moment the guests walk through the door, their are given a grade on a scale of 1-10 based on their mood and then this grade is put on a chart in the kitchen. The rest of the evening is spent trying to elevate the mood of the guest. He has a system for training his staff to look for clues that the guest is unhappy or uncomfortable. O'Connell says that the guest is not to leave unless their mood is higher (on the scale) than when they arrived. This is achieved by additional courses, samples of selections that weren't chosen, complementary drinks, switching servers, O'Connell inviting the guests back into the kitchen for a tour, etc.

It was a pretty interesting read

My only problem with this theory (as well as some of my more comp happy managers in the past) is that it seems that the unhappy, persistently grumpy diners who are just miserable and make everyone else miserable get all the rewards and perks that are doled out. Where is the kitchen tour and extra course or free dessert for the person who comes in smiles, acts polite, loves everything, quietly pays their check, thanks everyone and leaves? I guess I understand the business aspect of it, the 2nd group are likely to repeat without the extras while you might be able to woo some non-repeat grumps into coming back with goodies but still... This just sucks. I guess it is just sour grapes from someone planted firmly in the 2nd group.

Obviously the safest and most convenient thing to do is never take your children anywhere until they're old enough to drive.

I hope I didn't come off wrong. I love kids in the restaurant and am happy to see any age. I was just trying to say that it always scares me when parents sit the young one on the aisle or at the only access point for servers instead of doing some attention grabbing rearranging of the seats. I think it is sometimes embarrassing to cause a nuisance so parents just put the car seat down on the outside. I just don't like the idea of passing hot soups/ or other items over a slumbering infant. I am very sure handed but keep thinking worst case scenario.

I am totally down with a right side up wooden chair attachment. I can't believe some manager gave you so much grief. The problem that I have with upside down is that the chair is basically a v shape. When it is upside down it is resting on the point of the V with considerable weight up on top. Not sturdy. When right side up it would be pretty hard to tip.