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Anyone have any tricks for paying less than $2,000 a ticket?

people can gift you miles or book with miles a trip for you. You may be able to talk someone into doing it for you or offering them cash for miles.

I haven't found anywhere that's better than Yechon.

Fine. Allegations of connections to organized crime are completely over the top.

I think at this point, it's what happens when people look at this situation and try and rationalize how this could happen repeatedly. The mafia makes way more sense than just bad luck and bad management 4 times.

I think that my example is, in fact, a widely known fact. And my own observation, FWIW, is that few if any "boycott" those places for those reasons. As such, this may illustrate that there are some inconsistencies buried in this discussion.

your examples were non specific what if's, not concrete examples. So unless the folks running it are known to be good upstanding citizens, we should just assume that everywhere is shady and avoid them all and anything short of that would be hypocritical?

The morality and ethics of how G3 operates have nothing to do with the ethics and morality of restauranteurs in general.

Didn't say it did, but if something similar happened involving someone else should we not talk about it because some don't believe this is the right forum for that conversation?

It seems to me that, for folks like us who are interested in food and dining and who dine out a lot, to plunge into questions of morality and ethics related to the restaurant business is treacherous at best. How many don't eat at Chinese restaurants, for example, because the help in the kitchen, imported from rural China, is likely working 15 hour days and being paid slave wages, as is often the case? Or for that matter have "boycotted" that little French place on the corner because the kitchen help is mostly illegals who would be overjoyed to get minimum wage? Piling into Roberto may be justified, but if it is it would seem there are many other opportunities out there for similar outrage that get a pass.

If it's a known fact and/or folks are convicted then why wouldn't they be treated the same? It's not like RD is being singled out because people have a grudge against him. What better place would there be to talk about the morality and ethics of the restaurant business than a food board full of people who eat out a a lot and restaurateurs? Who better to talk about it than people who care enough to post on message boards about their meals?

Not eating at a restaurant + making a critical comment on DR.com a year ago = boycott? Puh-leeze. Let's restore and preserve the word for those who have actually engaged in real sacrifice and risk on behalf of promoting social justice; co-opting it to announce one's righteousness sullies real heroes. Nobody "boycotted" G3; they abstained from going there, that's all.

Sorry you don't agree with the use of the word, but it does fit what a lot of people did. I don't think anyone is trying to turn it into anything more than it was. It was your assertion that people should start a charity as an attempt at a dig.

Just curious, what is your take on the employees that chose to work at G3, despite the red flags about the operator? Do you blame the victims with an equal scorn that you unleash on the diners, or do you defend them as people who were somehow forced to work there?

You're assuming they all knew. And at 10% unemployment, can't really blame anyone for trying to get a paycheck. Not really sure what the point of your question is? Do you honestly believe that there's no ethical component to deciding who to spend your dining dollars with? If people didn't keep feeding the problem, they wouldn't keep opening up restaurants and adding to the numbers of folks left in the wake.

Agree with Tujague. Average life expectancy of an American is 78 years old. Let's say the average diner begins paying for their own restaurant adventures around age 23 . . . that's 55 years of an autonomous dining life. 365 days/year * 55 years/autonomous dining life * 3 meals/day = 60, 225 meals/autonomous dining life. To single out any one meal as being the best or particular memorable is really hyperbolic praise to begin with (guilty as charged). However, to actually judge others based on where they choose to eat for a single meal, and to actually assign meaning to that meal, is far-fetched.

except when that person is a felon with a known history that folks chose to ignore for whatever reason. Getting hyper defensive now after another case of it doesn't really change anything, and pointing to those that chose not to eat there for ethical reasons is just an attempt to absolve themselves of any blame. There is a fundamental difference between a boycott and the creation of charity. The assertion that the only way to show you care is to actively create something for everything you choose to boycott is hollow. If you don't care, you don't care. That's fine, but don't try and give people grief who saw it coming and chose not to take part.

Do you pay ahead in a hardware store, supermarket, or drug store? I am on the fence on this one, but just sayin'. Entering into a contract to eat as a restaurant is not the norm. I understand why they want it. I understand why some folks would feel apprehensive. Who does not take pause before signing a contract? In my experience, mostly cell phone providers and cable/satellite/fios TV providers require contracts.

yeah, you do. It's not like you consume things at the supermarket or hardware store and then pay for them.

Given the specific situation for this restaurant, I don't really see the issue. It's not the kind of place that can rely on walk-ins to fill any open slots, so they have to do what they can to protect the business.

cream puffs all this week to coincide with the WI state fair. Had one yesterday and they're excellent.

Bizarre Food does Montreal. Anyone who wants to eat well in Montreal should watch the episode. I have to go back and try DNA & Joe Beef. I would've on the last trip except they don't open until 6 p.m., which is late for my 1.25 year old.

we just got back and tried both. both are exceptional and I liked them more than PDC. DNA was interesting because everything changes weekly and only local. We had an insanely good creme brulee with a local Quebec herb/flower. Grilled pig heart and roasted suckling pig complete with cracklin.

Apparently 1/2"-3/4" steel plate is the next big thing for pizza making. Who knew?

Anyway, an overpriced version hasn't made it to Sur le Table yet, so I was wondering if anyone knew of a local steel distributor who could custom cut a 16"x16"x3/4" hot rolled steel plate for me?

you may want to give them a call. http://www.dixiesheetmetalworks.com/

the meal I had here a few weeks ago doesn't mimic what you folks are saying. We had caramelized fish in a clay pot and a pork rice crepe something we had a lot in the old location and other places, and it just wasn't great. It was ok, but just not what it had been. Maybe it was an off day but didn't taste at all like we had in the past.

The only reason I use emoticons, which I generally dislike, is because it's sometimes tough to determine sentiment and tone in email and on the web. Not sure if you're kidding here but my gut says you're not; of course that's fine.

You make a great point, DanielK. (Disclosure: I don't (yet) know DanielK offline.)

Maybe instead of the "label' thing I've been writing about, I should be characterizing as situation specific. As in, best to deal with specific situations rather than labels/generalities.

Restating, I wasn't and am NOT arguing that dogs should be allowed inside restaurants or cafes. The law is clear on this point and, aside from that, I don't think that should be allowed. And, one could very fairly argue that the Dolcezza management should have politely asked the customer not to bring his dog inside. I'd have no problem with that. I'm guessing the owner I saw wouldn't have argued it either.

But, for someone (not necessarily you, DanielK) with allergies:

- what if the dog is so small and the place so large that the person doesn't even notice the dog until after they left? Nose doesn't run. Eyes don't water. Sneezing fits don't start. So in this very possible hypothetical it doesn't at all impact their visit adversely?

- what if the dog is hypo-allergenic?

- etc, etc.

Again though, your point is totally fair and valid in my most humble of opinions. And, especially here in the US, keeping the dogs outside (at owner/operator discretion even then) strikes me as the right answer. I mean only to again suggest that the broad brush usually isn't the best tool. And that's all I have to say about that

policies are set by the lowest common denominator, not by the majority. People with "bad dogs" are the reason you can't have nice things.

Your reply seems a wee bit harsh. I found the review interesting and thoughtful.

dog people are like people with kids, they have a hard time understanding that not everyone wants to be around their dog, especially in places that aren't traditional dog areas (parks, petsmart, vets, etc). I don't really understand why a no dog policy would be shocking or disappointing.

Well, here we are in the Lafayette area for vacation again! The first two places we went for gumbo (seafood gumbo at Soops in Maurice and Don's downtown Lafayette) both served it with rice on the side. I have the pictures to prove it and will post later. At Soops it came with a scoop of potato salad on the side, and at Don's they had to ask me if I wanted some. It's going to be that way at most of the places we go to. Sister had a shrimp and okra gumbo with no roux in it at Soops, the same kind that Hebert's Specialty Meats store next door in Maurice will sell.

I should have posted last year when I tried 12 gumbos in 8 days! But I won't have any problem meeting or surpassing that rate this year, I am sure! Will be happy to report, and I am pretty sure my rankings this year will be close to last year's!

Crawfish season is ending later than usual here, so while boiled crawfish are scarce, the restaurants are serving lots of crawfish dishes and the grocery stores are still selling packs of tails.

if you have time, check out Johnson's Boucaniere in Lafayette for boudin.

The Sensorium received science coverage on NPR this morning.

And Bryon Brown did yesterday.

I heard it this morning and presented this way, it seems way more interesting. I like the fact that it was done for a specific purpose, with actual thought put behind it, and wasn't just a spectacle for it's own sake.

I wish MOS burger would come instead.

La Mexicana Bakery down RT1 in Alexandria makes a really good one.

Gator and Klose... holy crap.

Wish there were a place around here where I could check 'em out.

they both have really good reputations, but since they're mostly custom, they aren't going to have dealers. Before I bought mine, I did a ton of research and I couldn't find anything negative about Klose, Gator or Jambo and went with Gator because they had the right kind of base model that I wanted to customize. I'm also not expecting to have to buy another pit for the rest of my life.

Okay, so forget the cheap part. What are my options?

I just bought a new pit from Gator pits after having a chargiller for 5 years. http://www.gatorpit.net/ even the budget pits are 1/4" inch thick steel. Yes they're expensive, but it's not the kind of thing you're going to buy a lot of and if taken care of, you're only outgrow it.

Damnit.

Now I'm seeing people who say that the Char-Grillers are poorly made: the paint flakes off, the heat is uneven, the grate in the firebox actually MELTS, the thing uses a ton of fuel because nothing fits right and there are tons of leaks...!!!

Back to square one...

any smoker like that is going to use a lot of fuel because the metal is so thin, it doesn't retain very much heat. you're not going to get a good smoker cheap.

That actually brings up an additional requirement. Four pork shoulders is great. But most of my grilling is going to be for two people. Is it impractical to use such a large grill for a couple of NY strips? Maybe, but what about BBQ? Would I end up needing to use the same amount of coal and wood for one slab of ribs as I would for half a hog?

if you're going to want to smoke a decent amount of meat, you're going to need a separate smoker. something that makes a good grill, won't make a good smoker. you wouldn't be able to do more than 2 with the chargriller and even then you'd have to have add the offset firebox and probably modify it to add a baffle otherwise your heat distribution is going to be all over the place in the chamber. I'd stick with the kettle for grilling and either build an ugly drum smoker or buy a decent offset. (I'm partial to offset smokers)

I'm interested in graduating from the Weber Kettle.

Not that there's anything wrong with it: it lets me barbecue (thanks to the http://www.smokenator.com/) and grill (thanks to the http://www.cast-iron-grate.com/). It's also big enough to feed my family of two as well as multiple guests.

However, the Kettle is a bit rusted in places (I can't close the bottom dampers), and isn't as "open" as I'd like (can't elevate the coals easily, can't easily manipulate the fire, etc.). The point is, there are better grills out there. The grill I'm looking for can be described thusly:

-Charcoal

-Can BBQ/smoke (possible external firebox?)

-Can grill (cast iron grate)

-Open design, easy to get at/manipulate/add fuel and clean

-Durable, well-built

-It would be great if the coals could sit on this shelf beneath the grate, and you could raise and lower them using a crank handle. I don't know that I'd use this much, but it's super sexy

-Shelf space for at least three boston butts

-Affordable

What do you think? Should I upgrade, and if so, to what? Or should I stick with the kettle, since it already does pretty much everything I need it to?

what kind of budget are you looking at?