Author Archive
Bruce Calls Out the Lawyers…
Welcome back!“Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings, And a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything” - Bruce Springsteen
With all that’s going on in this crazy world (including the brutal economic conditions) I would like to think that Bruce Springsteen has more on his mind than a band in a [...]
Lona, Wine, & Sinatra: Vines Grille & Wine Bar - Orlando
“I feel sorry for the people who don’t drink - when they wake up in the morning, that’s as good as they are going to feel all day.” — Frank Sinatra
The above quote appeared on the menu of our restaurant of choice in Orlando, so at least the owner has a sense of humor. [...]
Kids & Healthy Eating: A Chef at War
It was almost ten years ago that we (Restaurant Report) were ranting and raving about the subject of childhood obesity. We knew then that we were systematically raising an entire generation hooked on fast foods. We knew then that both the parents and the schools were failing miserably as they sat back and [...]
Chef Bernard on Restaurant Survival
I have always enjoyed any conversation with Chef Bernard Ros of New York’s Meli Melo Restaurant. It was a hot August day, and while we talked about one of my least favorite subjects (the economy) Bernard can’t be anything but interesting. He brings a very simple viewpoint [...]
A Dog Day Afternoon for Restaurants
“The more people I meet, the more I like my dog.” - Unknown
I just watched a news presentation featuring a new business in my area - a swimming pool for dogs. Not a terrible idea. It was the ad in my local paper that bothered me - A Philadelphia Tavern is now promoting [...]
How many times must a man look up and pretend that he just doesn’t see?
I’m not sure who or what is more powerful, Alice Waters or 60 Minutes. I do know that Ms. Waters appeared on the Sunday night show and suggested that there should be a children’s garden at the White House. Within a few days, the White house announced plans to place an organic garden on the [...]
Restaurant Doom — More Alcohol Taxes?
“Here’s to Alcohol: the cause of, and the solution to, all of life’s problems” –Homer Smith
The economy is what it is and if restaurants don’t already have enough problems, look for state governments to raise alcohol taxes. The studies continue to come to the same conclusion - Alcohol taxes and prices affect drinking. When prices [...]
Restaurant Service: Warm vs. Cool
I just finished reading a piece by our town’s major restaurant critic. There was one paragraph that I found disturbing…
“I’ve been to this oldie a number of times over the years to mixed results, but I’m happy to say this was our best visit yet. The service was a bit unnecessarily gruff and cool, but [...]
Marketing Your Chef
It’s one of the great mysteries of restaurant life. An owner seeks a highly qualified chef to take the restaurant to the next level. The owner pays the chef a boatload of money, and not unexpectedly, the restaurant is better than ever. The place even has the potential to go way beyond the next level. [...]
Restaurant Superchefs: Do You Know Where Your Chef Has Gone?
I am a big fan of chef driven restaurants. If the chef is in the kitchen, it’s going to be a great experience. If, by chance, the chef is somewhere else that evening, it may or may not be a great experience. I understand that almost all chefs will assure you that [...]
