Arcturus
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Arcturus replied to DonRocks's topic in Events and Gatherings
Same here. -
Is it? One one hand, the act itself can easily be seen as off-putting to many, and KMango makes some excellent points above. On the other, it's a physical competition like any other; one that requires hours of training and dedication for a person to excel. Competitive eaters are athletes in every sense of the word. What really differentiates competitive eating from, say, mixed martial arts? Or golf? Or chess? They're all individual sports that require a huge time commitment and physical and/or mental conditioning in order to excel.
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Fino in Georgetown has been good the last couple of times I've eaten there. On M, right across from the Latham.
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They absolutely do. I take responsibility for that. Again, apologies.
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Carryout as well.
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Laws are established codes of conduct generally agreed upon by members of a society, not infallible moral commandments. If I'm driving with no other cars on the road and the person in the passenger seat is having a heart attack, I'm going to run a few red lights and go over the speed limit on the way to the hospital. Also, if the crux of your argument is based solely on the letter of the law, I'm not sure if going into the kitchen (which it's not clear that the author did, as he even states in the article) even constitutes trespassing if he was already in the restaurant. And it's a far stretch to say that I'm espousing entering a household uninvited and giving unsolicited parenting advice. I'm espousing intervention in instances of physical or verbal abuse, something that I have done before and have every intent of doing again should the situation present itself. As for the "imminent threat of physical harm," would you be perfectly content to stand by as an elderly lady is verbally berated by a much larger man? There are people that prey on the weak in the world, and do so because they're enabled by the rest of society. I refuse to stand for it.
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Bollocks. It's that sort of attitude that enables people to victimize others, and I'd argue that it's every bit as damaging to society as a whole. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30105703/ ..is it a good thing that the subway workers were "minding their own damn business?" If I see someone being attacked, I'm going to jump in. If I see someone being verbally assaulted, I'm going to say something. "Minding your business" is a method of self preservation and self-justification for those that choose to put themselves above the greater good of society.
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Looks like it's death metal time, Shaggy.
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Le Pommier is like a 10 minute bus ride from downtown, as is a nice Spanish place called Mallorca (both on Carson St.). I've heard okay things about Six Penn, but never been. Here is a link to the trip planner. There's a nice Indian place on 5'th, between Liberty and Penn, as well. It's not upscale, but the lunch buffet is very good. Went there a lot while in school. India Palace, I believe, is the name. Montecello's also has pretty good pizza, and is close. Stay far away from Sree's.
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Because a starch, a vegetable, and a protein plopped on the plate with a drizzle of sauce has been boring for the last 35 years, and has no intention of stopping now?* While I think that more does not necessarily equal better, there is something to be said for variety as one eats a dish. Nobody wants to take the exact same bite ad nauseum until they're stuffed to the gills, so arranging a plate with the idea of making each bite (or series of them) unique in terms of taste and/or texture is an attractive one to me as a cook and as a diner, especially when it's done well. *Don't get me wrong- a dish served in this manner can taste good, it's just not something that inspires me. Unless it's a concept-specific thing (steak at a steakhouse, cassoulet at a bistro, etc.), I think that we can all do better as cooks.
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Hah! Thank you. Last one down.
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Chef named one of the best new chefs for 2010. Damn skimpy.
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That is pretty funny. Drat! Foiled again!
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(penchant for mischief)
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B...but high fructose corn syrup is good for you! Your tax dollars say so! The sad thing is that we shouldn't need to have this discussion in the first place. With even a modicum of safety training and common sense, spices should be essentially bacteria-free indefinitely.
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First, go stage and see if you like it. Call a place and offer to hang around for a bit unpaid and see if you're into the environment and such, and see if it's something that you're interested in doing. Second, it all depends. Going to culinary school can open doors, but it does so at a high price. If you find a good chef that's willing to take you on and take you under their wing, it can be as good. Ferran Adria, Thomas Keller and Heston Blumenthal never went to culinary school.
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Well-played, sir. Well-played. Can't go wrong with the classics. I see your death, and raise you American Black. Wolves in the Throne Room. Though I will say that I can't really think of anything better to my ears for dining than well-played jazz. Away from the easy listening/elevator music tripe, there's some really cool stuff. The Bad Plus, Esbjorn Svensson Trio, etc.
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I respect him as a chef and admire his success, but his food doesn't wow me in the same way that the others on my list do. Mexican food in a fine dining setting, while it may taste good, isn't my style.
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Very interesting. Thanks a ton for the elaboration- it looks like we'll make Blackbird and Tru the first choices for the fourth dinner. It's just a matter of getting reservations... What were some of the differences between the Spanish restaurants? I'd love to see/read a comparison of the three...
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Interesting. The former is quite a Trio (pun intended!). That must've been amazing. Why the recommendation to skip Moto? I'm constantly amazed at the depth of food in Chicago- it seems one would need a month to hit the top places there, and still might not be done.
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Spain would definitely be number one for me- El Bulli, Arzak, El Celler de Can Roca, Martin Berasategui, and Mugaritz in a week would be amazing. However, the wife and I are in the process of planning a close second in Chicago this summer- Alinea, L20, Schwa, and one (or two, if possible) of Moto, Tru, or Blackbird this August. And Hot Doug's as well.
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I agree- it is a bit silly. I think one would be surprised at how many people don't fit into the "healthy" category on BMI because of both body build and muscle mass. My level of amateur athletics is probably higher than most due to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but the 10 pounds of muscle I've put on since October makes me "obese" when calculating BMI. I think things like being able to run/exercise for a certain period of time, bodyfat %, or being involved with some sort of strenuous activity outside of work would be better approximators of physical fitness, and the discount. I do like the no-nicotine and low blood pressure and cholesterol criteria, though.
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Glad you enjoyed your meal! The appetizers that you had (both prepared by me, incidentally) were as follows: Goat Cheese ravioli with house cured and smoked salmon and lemon oil, beet/bonito froth, beet powder, and paddlefish caviar. Warm pork terrine with panca paste, escabeche onion and frisee salad, and poached egg in buerre monte.
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Citronelle uses fresh escargots. Dunno if they're on the menu or not now but when they are, they're delicious.
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Ah, understood. I certainly can't vouch for the consistency there, having only been there once.. The way that it was done and presented was definitely more of a nod towards classical cooking and presentation, as Palena has a tendency to do so well.