brendanc

Circle Bistro will obviously be open. We're offering an a la carte as well as a special tasting menu based on lobster for 65 dollars. It's five courses it will be good.

"I'm with Tom" regular prices all the way around

For Italian goodies try the Italian Store, lunch is a bonus, nice wines good basic Italian things. For the gourmet side try DiBruno Bros. out of Philly they have an online store and if you can see the original store in Little Italy, you are in for a treat. Great Cheeses, great selection of products.

I haven't been there since I quit, but Market Salamander in Middleburg went out of its way to bring in unique foodie gifts and built a pretty strong cellar.

they have radar measuring the speed of your bowling ball, along with a cornucopia of hallucinogenic visual effects.

Do we need the establishment of the Slow Bowling Movement???

Or an anti-pterodactyl porn blocker on our computers?

I don't buy the "let the market figure it out" argument either.  If someone has a business meeting and the boss says "we're going to it at such and such restaurant" that allows smoking, do you think the underling is in any position to choose to breathe the smoke or not?  So they should find a new employer?  That's more extreme than the ban.  Bring it on.

The situationyou describe while not, perhaps, uncommon, pales in comparison to the number of diners who venture out not in those circumstances. Yes this is a difficult situation to be in, but not an all pervading instance.

The market reference was one based on the loitering/lingering comment from earlier and the business lunch you describe would have a small effect, again I think it is a bit of a small subset of dining in general. NOT business lunches in general but your specific example.

Besides as in all business, the market has borne out what will succeed, its a free market baby.

Another question, how does something like this compare with the ban on foie gras in California? A special interest group found a way to legislate a food, a fatty, rich, delightful food off of the table and I've never heard of second hand foie gras killing anyone.(my facts could be cloudy, as this development occurred some time ago, not the second hand stuff, but the foie gras ban itself)

Oh eating a lot of fast food, basicallly the majority of Americans, will both dull your palates and KILL you much faster than second hand smoke...so will the DC council out law McDonald's?

Although still operating in another location, I miss the Bethesda O'Donnels. Its appeal is imprinted on me from numerous Mother's Day and Easter brunches with my extended family. Norfolk style Chesapeake cuisine is not found many places here anymore. I think my devotion to capers in general stems from this restaurant

As a former smoker(sometimes backsliding) and father of two I can say that having a bunch of cigarette smoke around my meal sucks. However, I am perfectly capable of not going to an establishment that alows smoking in the dining room as opposed to just the bar(CB is set that way). If you do not want to be inconvenienced by smokers, you can go to an establishment that doesn't allow smoking.

Why not let the market bear out what restaurants allow smoking, if indeed "turnover" of tables who don't loiter is really significant in increasing sales as postulated earlier, those restaurants will flourish while the others will wilt and die.

PS-I've loitered for far too long, with or without nicotine....

MoDo.  sigh.

the most sincere doughnut tragedy since the 1967 Krispy Kreme riots. I could always count on 2am MoDo runs when I was back home from college and needed the raspberry jelly doughnut and a coffee. I have yet to find a jelly filled doughnut that can come close to those from MoDo's

Hunan Gourmet on Rockville Pike, their crispy eggplant remains to this day the only eggplant dish I have ever enjoyed.

I thought CIA does cover this in The Professional Chef...isn't an overview of basic restaurant economics and wastage right up there in the first chapter or two?

In any case, it's worth reminding us laymen that the net profit represents the surplus to the business as a whole, and while "[they] might as well not have opened" might be true for the owner's books, it certainly isn't true for the staff who earned another day's wages.

Dave, who lacks skills but loves browsing books

That surplus is used for among other things, business improvements, expansion of health and medical coverage for the staff, raises, bonuses, extended vacations, improvement in working conditions and possibly expansion, thus opening another venue for the staff to grow both in responsibility and financially. It is not just for the ownership, at least not in my model for a business. That small margin should mean as much to every person in the restaurant as it does to the management.

A breakdown of the responsibilities of the chef is located in chapter 2, however as in most texts it deals with the abstract of not throwing shit out and calculating food cost. I was referencing the infinitely more difficult job of opening and running a restaurant and the narrow profit margins involved.

Ah ha, at last something I know at least a little something about.  How, pray tell, is an investment in a restaurant a tax shelter.  Tax shelters typically play on either conversion of ordinary income to long term capital gains (taxed at a lower rate), deferral of income from one year to another, or acceleration of deduction from a later year to the current year, or some combination of the above.  If a restaurant operates at a loss how does that acheive any of the above goals.  A $1 loss, assuming it is ordinary and not capital, will result in a $1 deduction saving the tax at the marginal rate (assume 35%).  You still are out of pocket 65 cents.

Now if the investors use a pass-through entity to own the business (think partnership or sub-S corporation)  then the items of income, deduction gain or loss associated with the business will flow through to the owners.  Depreciation deductions associated with the building and equipment will flow  through to the owners but will be offset by the income.  However, unless the inverstors are considered actively engaged in the conduct of a trade or business, their participation will be considered passive and their losses could be limited to the income.

not having your proclivity for the nuances of tax code I will be brief. I believe that a combination of showing loss on a monthly filing schedule coupled with a deferrment of interest payments in exchange for a future piece of a sale(capital gains?) would make the investment sound in terms of savings. Also, could an investor put in just enough to reduce their tax burden come April by showing a net loss in their income statements?

However the most common use is to defer income to another year. When an individual receives a bonus, buyout or financial windfall in one year that is not an expected income base for future years, they could put part of said income into a restaurant to defer the tax penalties for that one year, buying time to be creative when the money comes out.

The other thing to remember is that this is not for huge corporate entities , this is more of a friends and family practice.

But I thought all you chefs were just a bunch of cuddly, fuzzy things that got up at dawn to hunt mushrooms and gather herbs. 

Might be funnier if i wasn't finishing inventory this afternoon.

Unfortunately the cost of the mycological foraging license of 13,00.00 has to be passed on to the consumer.

Dawn is for fishing and kids with colds, if the dog can wait till after breakfast, so can the herbs.

I assume for some of them its something of a vanity investment, like, ahem, certain magazines. 

Two Words: Tax Shelter

"Poor labor management and rent are generally the big industry killers, not food or liquor costs."

While not "killers", food and liqour costs are the most immediately manageable costs in running an operation. Being careful with product and utilizing every piece of a raw product i.e. duck(breast, leg confit, liver mousse, confit gizzard, sauce/consomme/stock from bones) can dramaticallly alter a restaurant's bottom line and help keep it in business during the lean months. Wastrel chefs(and Cathal is most definitely not one, actually having a reputation as being incredibly adroit at utilizing everything, as well as being a wicked talent) can ruin a restaurant as fast or faster than a poor real estate negotiation.

Anyone want to get in the business now? I think if CIA were to share this knowlege with its prospective students, they'd be out of business as well.

DO NOT OVERCOOK THEM. Onglet is traditionally served "bleu", rare or medium rare. When overcooked the essential "beefiness" is lost and the meat will dry out significantly. Another tip, at CB we re-sear the steak after it rests to rebuild the crust and get that crispy chewy combo, and poele it with butter and rosemary for a foamy butter accent on the plate

Homer likes Refosco

Marge like Furmint

Krusty likes My Wild Irish Rose

Chief Wiggum....Lancers

Opening Soon- Gordon Gecko's Greed is Good Smorgasborg.

I only wish to add that the judgement on chain food versus the independant restaurant conjoins with intent, disjoins by mehtodology.

Chains try to make their food seem appetizing and relevant, by advertising and keeping a continuos presence in the marketplace, not by caring about the food or the harm their "cuisine" can inflict on people. Their intent is to profit, it's capitalism baby and they'll do it the best and most cost efficient way they know how.

Funny thing, but Circle is the first restaurant I've ever worked at that was managed by an entity, rather than the individual, but the end goal is the same here or at Equinox, the means to stay in business. When the rent is due, the payroll is called in the purveyors need their cut, most chefs and restauranteurs are not thinking to themselves that,"hey at least my food was good", they're coming up with ways to stay in business. The food world is a business world, sometimes the truth hurts.

The method I believe in as well as so many of my colleagues in the city, is by caring about food, service, and wine. The means to keep in business is maintained by relationships with farmers and cheesemakers, cooks and FOH staff that make what you offer special. When you care and are passionnate about the food you can make a difference, and it shows on the plate. Unfortunately there are only so many people in DC who don't freak out that a steak costs 25 dollars and doesn't come with a salad or boomerang.

I think Waitman's fundamental argument is valid. The prevalence of chain advertising and business practices in the American market helps to shape the culture, not the other way around, creating the "American Consumer".

Funny thing about consumption, we're the only country in the world who can afford to be collectively fat.

Line cook needed. PM shift flexible hours, good pay. Excellent taste in music and fine dining experience required. Chronically late, lazy or disengaged need not apply.

I know the guide is bad and all, but I am glad that it let me know that I work at a southern restuarant (not) and that even though there is no (') in our name, the smart guy/gal who reviewed us thinks/thought there should be.  (imagine a sarcastic tone of voice) 

Hey they've got me putting peanuts in a squash blossom, the only thing I put peanuts in is when I make POng-POng noodles for staff meal.

Please do not arrive late. I have made space for you in my dining room, prepared the food, trained a staff, educated servers, cleaned, dusted, maintained equipment, basically invited you in to my home where we want you to feel at home just as every other guest should. When you arrive late, you are violating an unwritten social contract, don't piss us off we are here to make your evening enjoyable.

Especiallly do not arrive late and then tell me you only have 45 minutes, but insist on having three courses.

If you cannot make it on time, you should have left earlier. At the very least call, so I can give your table to somebody who wants to be here. When you show, I'll see what I can do.

"How would you like it if I came to your house, late, criticized the decor, called your wife fat and then disparaged the meal"

-Marco Pierre White

I'm in this business to take care of people, it is a service industry, but I, and more importantly my staff, are not your servants.

Had some no-show issues yesterday.....

I think the word chain has connnotations of franchise as well. Again though chan can be equated with corporate sturctures and soulless cooking. I wouldn't characterize Bouchon as a chain, more of an "outpost", besides its really good.

Oh and by the way, all though I'm sure it will never be an option for me, any chefs who write books, cookbooks, novellas, a collection of disconnected vignettes musing on the pitfalls of being in the trenches, please don't display them at your front door, it makes me feel as though your cooks are using it as a reference manual. Find a more gracious place in the restaurant for them.

What's that mean?  Is this a "Dining Guide" or is this Post Mood Swings?  I just read that, that pretty funny!!!  Seriously, what that heck is that?  Dining Guide? Tom reminiscing?  So now when I go out to eat, I don't care if the restaurant is any good, I just want it to fit my mood...hmmm, ummm, ya know, maybe this food critic thing is a bunch of BS and we should just ask the chefs when we eat out "what are you trying to do here"...I mean LITERALLY walk into the kitchen of every DC restaurant we eat at, and talk to the chef, engage him/her and find out if they're serious about their food...

Question: what if the chef is in the wrong "mood", then how do we judge his/her food? 

Tom, what a bunch of crap...

Charlie,

It was a suprise to me that Tom would put Circle Bistro in this guide. The category system was also suprising, but if you want a list of restaurants use Zagats or Washingtonian.

I often have extremely different opinions about the restaurants that get reviewed

and as such I definitely do not believe him to be the final word on food or the first

for that matter. I am lucky enough to have a group of colleagues to discuss who is doing what around town. What I have a serious problem with is people like yourself.

Why do you take this dining guide so seriously? Where is your outrage coming from? How did he scorn you? Sure the format may be disgreeable to some, and I am certain that a lot of restaurants are upset at being left off, but the people with confidence in their product and their passion are just fine. It is just a magazine, a magazine.

As for a chef and determining their mood, go f yourself if you cannot see a publication for what it is maybe you should check your "taste" at the door.

Oh and by the way the rest of the chef's in his dining guide are really happy with you for pointing out that the restaurants in the guide aren't "reallly good". But then again who cares what you think.

Brendan Cox

"Always in a fine mood, except when belligerent"

"What makes Sette Bello different is its exotic “Italian sushi” bar consisting of carpacci , tuna, octopus, salmon, and, of course, Italian rice."

I think they are somewhat awkwardly referring to "crudo". I think perhaps they would've been better served to reallly define what it is they are doing rather than trying to dumb down with the sushi reference. I mean anybody ordering crudo is probably, by nature, pretty savvy. Of course once a week a steak tartar gets sent back because the patron didn't know it was raw.

the unhappy face was also green in color, gotta wonder if that poster is an unhappy irish fella. Nah!

that's so inside

Gotta wonder what the smiley face is all about from the previous poster.

Its a sad face, I have a feeling the person in question has a connection to the restaurant and was a bit upset that someone left less than happy.

You can't make everyonew happy all the time and when somebody doesn't like what you've got, it's a little depressing you know.

This weekend is the two day us oyster festival in St. Mary's County

oyster fest

Part County Fair, tractor pull you know, part celebration of traditional Southern Maryland foodways, I have always had a good time in the past. Me and My crew are going to try and makwe an early Saturday run to down some bi-valves on Saturday.

Th shucking championships are sunday and spectators ghet to eat all those swiftly shucked oysters.