darkstar965
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Everything posted by darkstar965
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A few thoughts. First, full disclosure on my own bias. Pete Rose was my favorite player growing up for three simple reasons. He was really, really good. He hustled his butt off. And, he was a key part of the Big Red Machine that won one of the best Series of the modern era in '75 and then rolled the Yankees the next year. I've had opportunity to meet him a couple of times. As awful a role model he has been since banishment, he was and is that good of a role model of how to play the game. Bias aside, I'm in the reinstatement camp for three reasons. 1. Clearly his playing performance was untainted and he is the All-Time MLB hits leader. Looking at that myopically, it's just silly he isn't in Cooperstown. 2. The gambling rule, which he clearly violated, seems surely less worse than the many allowances made in baseball and football for steroid abusers (on-field cheaters) and even violent criminals. The Nats' current 2014 NL Manager of the Year skipper is the first manager in baseball who was named in the Mitchell Report. 3. After so much time, he falls into the forgive bucket for me while fully acknowledging he did play things very foolishly in the years following his banishment. Absolutely. If someone is convicted of armed robbery without hurting anyone, they go to prison for maybe 3-12 years. Then they get out and can start a new life on a better track having served their time. Rose didn't murder, maim or even seriously threaten the game as happened in 1919. He was wrong. He deserved to be punished severely. He has now served more than his time. Redemption should be possible. -
Very interesting; all three examples. On the hypothetical, could have been the case but I had the same read of the waitress that the benevolent woman did. Everything from facial expression, tone, enthusiasm and effusiveness made me think the waitress did really like the purse.
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Me too! Proof's version and my naive confusion about the differences between it and the one at Rasika was the reason I met Mark Kuller several years ago. It was the first post I ever made here and Mark PMed me about the comparative comment I made. Suffice to say, I learned a lot and have enjoyed that dish at Proof a bunch of times since. RIP, Mark Kuller.http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/4086-proof-verizon-center-chef-haidar-karoum-and-gm-michael-james-on-8th-g-street/?p=116749
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This probably belongs in a different topic on sustainable seafood but the Canadian Costco news is part of the global focus on the growing problem. This was just in the Post here a day or two ago. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/sea-hunt-officials-plan-to-track-seafood-bait-to-plate-to-end-fraud/2015/03/14/0ab191d8-c7fe-11e4-aa1a-86135599fb0f_story.html
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I find myself at SeoulFood in Wheaton maybe 3 or 4 times per year, always because my +1 loves it. I do like it but, having spent significant time in Korea and with a real love for the cuisine, I always find myself wishing I was in Annandale or even down the Pike at Tofu House instead. The owner is very nice and they do have quite the following. To me, it's sort of the same for Korean as Cava and Shophouse are to middle eastern/Mediterranean and Asian. Or Chipotle in its best years was to Mexican. Similar formula. A good formula to be sure.
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Agree. Even worse are corporate, web or mobile enabled loyalty programs from chains that don't offer WiFi. Love Cava Grill but this is my #1 annoyance with them. It's 2015.
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Great advice, Josh. Thanks. Nothing has to be the "platonic ideal" of anything if it's really freakin' good. Guessing that's the case here.
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Any advice on best way to approach this coming from DC? Is it all reservation? Week nights best? Get there before whatever opening time by how much? Is he even likely to be there for the next few weeks every night? Have had his food a few times and am a very big fan but won't go to crazy lengths. Usually that's not necessary with a little knowledge and advance planning.
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I'd love to see this become pervasive but think it pretty unlikely simply because restaurant survival will always trump any social cause, hie ever good. And, the kind of systemic/industry/governmental change needed is at odds with too many powerful vested interests, including those of the best and most sought-after servers. As always, can never say never and hope I'm proven wrong.
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Apple has the brand power and financial leverage to make that happen but will take years under the best scenarios. There are too many other powerful players competing to own as many points-of-sale as possible to make it very easy for any one, The banks and large payment processors and e-payment providers among them. And, of course, Google too. Here's hoping!
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Have had consistently positive experiences here too though never posted about them. Partly because we tended to only think of it during baseball season. Maybe once off season but not sure. And, I think the estimable JoeH is a fan too but see he hasn't posted on it here either. Will do a report this season as the Nats march toward a certain (er, possible) World Series (er, postseason) berth.
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- New York Chain
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Interesting though not surprising that we have fans of all four or five options here. Normally, I'll try anything anywhere but, after a couple of shoyu versions soon after Daikay opened, I switched to the shio and haven't looked back over dozens of visits. For me, that's the winner be she's the broth is lighter, yet nuanced, perfumed and complex, allowing all the other great components to come through. Have tried the miso; just ok for me. Have never ordered the veggie since I'm not and proteins and nitimago are central to my own concept of what a great bowl of ramen includes.
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Exactly! This isn't something to argue about. Rather, like you say, it's very cool and interesting how different cultures discovered, named, developed, used, ritualized, commercialized and enjoyed different foods present in different parts of the world. Maybe I paraphrased you a little doing that? A shallot by any other name....is still a shallot...or maybe an enschallot....depending on where you are? :-)
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Hmmm, Florida for Spring Training and Amoo''s South in Gulfport, FL (not the other coastal Gulfport, right? :-)) this time next year. That sounds good.
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Grew up a sports fan, playing several and following a few. Hockey wasn't as big in our house as baseball, football and basketball but we'd watch the Stanley Cup playoffs and finals most years, Olympic hockey always, and I grew up at least superficially aware of the NHL stars. I learned to skate as a kid and even played a little organized hockey much later in school. All that just for context. Your mention of hockey's role of "enforcer" caught my eye. No doubt even casual fans know the tragic story of Derek Boogaard. I don't think hockey any more dangerous than football and every pro sport, without exception, has had corruption and plenty of instances of profits before player safety. I don't personally have a well-informed view on enforcers. But did find the Boogaard story eye opening on a number of levels. I remember watching him play a few times; of course without a clue as to what was really going on with him physiologically, which I guess is central to the point much debated now. "Derek Boorgaard - A Boy Learns To Brawl" by John Branch on nytimes.com
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I'm okay not knowing since I tend to suck at this game anyway. :-) But I'd fully support you or anyone else PMing Abigail99. Maybe ChoirGirl since she was the one proposing harsh new penalties for radio silence? Just for clarity, I am kidding with this stuff.
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That is true! I think in those cases it may be more about a reaction to coveting more than generosity of spirit as this seemed. The couple tonight seemed likely multi-generational American in every way from appearance, accents and even the husband's bewilderment. Still, absolutely possible since I can't be sure. The wife/girlfriend did tell me, unprompted, that the bag wasn't that expensive since she had "gotten it on eBay", whatever that may indicate.
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Has anyone ever seen or personally done something like this? We grabbed an early dinner tonight at Daikaya Ramen shop. Sitting at one of the main benches on the right as you enter, another couple we didn't know sat across from us. They were seated a bit earlier so, given how the place operates like clockwork, each step in the process happened first for them before us until the end. When the waitress approached them to take the order, she (the waitress) complimented the customer's purse, remarking about the design she liked. They smiled and maybe discussed the purse for 30 seconds. The customer thanked her and they proceeded to order. Soon after, we ordered. They got their ramens. We got ours. Checks dropped at around the same time. As I got a credit card out, I overheard the woman across from us talking with her husband or boyfriend (they were maybe late 50s): She: How about if we give her this (holding up the purse the waitress had admired) as part of her tip? He: (A bit incredulously) What?! She: She really liked it. (Begins removing a wallet and personal effects from the purse) He: That's weird. She: No it's not! She'll appreciate it! When the waitress arrived to take their credit card, the woman handed up the small wood box containing the bill and card atop the purse, saying "This is part of your tip. We'll leave cash also on the card after you run it." Suffice to say, the waitress appreciated it. At first she laughed, thinking the woman had to be joking but, when the woman didn't laugh back, the waitress, shocked, asked "Are you serious?" to which the woman replied "Yes, I'm serious. You really liked it. I want you to have it." After a bit more back and forth and effusive appreciation expressed, the waitress walked off with the bill and the purse. At the same time, the husband got up, ostensibly to use the bathroom before departing. We'd already settled our bill so I took the opportunity to lean over and told the woman, "That was a bit unusual but not weird. It was great. The world needs more hearts like yours. Have a great weekend." And we left. I'm not very knowledgeable about womens fashion accessories but the purse was cool. Looked to be made of a higher-quality patent black leather with a hand-painted design on the face. Maybe half sized. Ever see, overhear or do something like that? Leaving a very generous (bigger than typical) tip is one thing and wouldn't have caught my attention even if I'd realized it. I've done that for different reasons in different situations as I imagine many here have, Just not sure I'd ever seen something like this before and I've had a few meals out over the years. Thought it pretty cool. The end may not be near after all. :-) http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/46588-cat-cafe/?p=289285
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This, of course, got me interested in what the Aussies would then call the root vegetable we call shallots. The answer seems to be either "eschallots," "shallots" or "French shallots," depending on the state. http://www.wiffens.com/produce/vegetables/onions-shallots After all this Aussie onion madness, I need to go get a stiff Flat White. :-)
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Such a great post and really important points. Full agree here. I think of another now-villified food service company in much the same way: Starbucks. Though I prefer nearly any independent's coffee, and recognize the threat SBUX poses to the independents I favor, they have the consistency and professionalism that many shops lack. in addition, they quite literally paved the way for what the US coffeehouse industry is today.
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I'd like this too. Porcupine's post does sound wonderful...and was entertaining too. Indecisive crepes and "rare whiskey." :-)
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I find johnb's comment above interesting. Credit cards are like art or food. Different preferences and needs drive different decisions. The issuers have long known this which is why we have hundreds of different cards on the market and why the real complexity associated with all of that has opened the door widely for very successful new entrants like Square (little plastic square white readers attached to iPhones and iPads) and even PayPal, GooglePay and, perhaps with time, the new ApplePay johnb likes. For me, Discover has never been an option because historically the retail acceptance rate was much lower than the three majors, AmEx, MasterCard and Visa. That had gotten better in the past couple of years but, those of us who travel (or have traveled) extensively for business have built up large points balances over time so the incentive is there to stick with whatever cards, especially AmEx. JoeH's post upthread explains this well. Using points to fund vacations (or TV sets) hasn't been at all difficult. ApplePay is going to be fascinating to watch develop. I'm not so sure about their new watches or pay but would never bet against them. ApplePay offers real advantages in security, convenience and, I guess, coolness. But, the challenge there will surely be acceptance and getting it to critical scale. Merchants have to have the hardware (a reader) and, for small, independent businesses, that'll be a slog different from large national retailers like Barnes & Noble, Target or Starbucks who are the first retail adopters.
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This is an interesting thread. Agree with whomever above posted about the two-card strategy (AMEX and a Visa or MC) as a good approach for many. For Amex, never saw the value of gold or platinum (despite many solicitations) personally relative to the fees and similar perks provided from the airlines, hotels and via the web. Agree with Joe that the MembershipRewards program trumps all others of similar ilk. Points are fungible across many hospitality providers and never expire. Finally, the customer service is a huge thing for me. From the no-foreign-transaction-fees overseas policy and the professionalism of their call center staff to special situations, they're great. As an example of a special situation, I was traveling in Venezuela years ago just as Chavez was coming to power. We'd taken several days to see Angel Falls and drive up the coast, including Margarita Island. When back in the States, received my statement a week or two later and noted a few thousand dollars in fraudulent charges made in different parts of the country to my card. It took only one short call to resolve with Amex taking on the full burden, without question, for any losses and to investigate and overnight me a new card. It was ridiculously smooth and easy. All the above notwithstanding, Amex is more expensive for small business (though Square and other mobile payment platforms may be changing this which is why nearly all food trucks, coffee shops and farmers market producers using Square accept Amex) so will sometimes try to use another card or cash depending on where I am and what I know.
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As a serious matter, I apologize. Was wrong of me to call the idea "stupid" (a tag) or "absurd." The funny thing is, I don't even dislike cats. And, posted somewhere earlier thus week an umbrella philosophy: I hate no one as applied to any human or creature. More a dog guy myself but know many cool cats, speaking literally. And, didn't have a clue there was precedent for this. I herby revise my thinking on whether this succeeds to "unsure." And, Cereal Bowl was clearly a more foolish idea by a big margin. Pat, I'm near certain my dog would love you if you met him. One day maybe.
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OK. So does that mean "green onions" are synonymous with....scallions for $500?
