#BL

Five Things Management Can Do for Fans at Yankee Stadium in 2013

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:32:00 -0500

In May, I posted “House of Steinbrenner,” the gist of which being that win or lose in 2012 (they lost), a decade ago and two decades ago it was exponentially more fun being a Yankees fan than it is today. Mostly because the stadium experience has declined dramatically — and, not coincidentally, in direct relationship to George Steinbrenner’s declining health. That was a somewhat downbeat rant, so now something more constructive. With the heart of the off-season upon us, 5 things the Yankees can do for fans at Yankee Stadium in 2013:

1. Other than via static posted advertisements, don’t monetize the in-game experience. Modell’s “Gotta Go to Mo’s” theme song plays when the Yankees steal a base. It shouldn’t. Fans will appreciate keeping the gameplay sacred.

2. Make a concerted effort to fill every seat in the lower deck for every game. This is a big one, because it zeros in on the biggest difference between the new and old stadiums: energy. In the old stadium, you had that famous Yankees fan energy, which could reach a fever pitch even in April, because 1) the three main decks were stacked tightly, amplifying sound; and 2) many of the best seats in the stadium were controlled by long-time fans.

In the new stadium, you have a vastly different configuration in all regards, but it can be fixed if you put more fans closer to the field. Create a program by which premium seat owners can put their seats up for auction, no reserve, 2 hours before the start of the game, say. Opting in to the program could come with a moderately discounted annual season ticket price, or season ticket holders could simply have the resale price debited back to their accounts, or both. (This creates headaches around the all-you-can-eat club level experience, obviously, but there are ways of handling the logistics and the benefit to the stadium and fans vastly outweighs these problems.)

3. Fix the food. The Yankees are the greatest sports franchise in the world in the greatest restaurant city in the world, so why is the food at Yankee Stadium such absolute garbage? If you’re not a Legends ticket holder, the best thing to eat in Yankee Stadium is the meatball parm sandwich found at the Parm kiosk in the Great Hall. Said kiosk is maybe 8’ wide and it’s massively inconvenient to get to if you don’t pick something up on the way in (and if anyone really knew about it, the lines would be three innings long). Meanwhile, on offer quite widely: mediocre-at-best sliders, fries, hot dogs, chicken fingers, sausages, pizza and ice cream. Re-trade a couple of vendor contracts, take a modest loss and do something here for fans. For instance, take one of the Premio sausage stands on each level (there are six throughout the ball park) and make it a curated station that features independently operated New York restaurants.

4. Hire a visual design company to completely rethink the graphics experience at the stadium. See Diamond Vision image above for an example of the current approach. It’s time for an upgrade to a Yankees-grade graphics package.

5. Start integrating technology in a meaningful way. Follow the Yankees large pool of beat writers on Twitter during a game and you’ll have a massively more informed, entertaining game watching experience. Their commentary is excellent, and the Yankees should package it up for average fans. Plus, the media has access to all sorts of stats fans would love to have, too. In the past this would have been a tough ask. In 1996, we manually updated a large packet of statistical info every day, then copied, stapled and distributed it to the media. Today, the process is entirely digital, available via a credentialed online area of MLB.com. There’s no reason why fans shouldn’t get access in their seats, too, via an in-stadium app.

Had to go over this with the lady last night. Perhaps is of...

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:37:00 -0400

Had to go over this with the lady last night. Perhaps is of general use for bachelor party explaining. Insert your own You Are Here.

Skirt Steak, my friend Charlotte Druckman’s survey of the state of women in food, is out at...

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:35:00 -0400

Skirt Steak, my friend Charlotte Druckman’s survey of the state of women in food, is out at the end of the month. Though its express purpose is to see how women chefs, via 73 lady intervivewees, are “standing the heat and staying in the kitchen,” it is not nearly that gendered a message. Those seeking to understand food in 2012 must read it. Chapter one is just a spectacular look at how today’s chefs are defining themselves, and how much those definitions vary chef to chef, region to region, experience to experience.

There are times when Charlotte lets her panel assign too much blame on men and doesn’t force them to take responsibility or consider environmental circumstances beyond sex. I think, for example, women tend to have more trouble with the media not because of a media bias (Chapter 8, “Media Rare”), but because for whatever reason the guys tend to be more proactive, especially in pounding us over the head with their messaging. Or, Amanda Cohen wants to think she lost Iron Chef because of a bias on the panel. That is an absurd delegation of responsibility for several reasons, including the fact that two of the three people on her judging panel were women.

If that is nit-picking, and it is, it shouldn’t distract from the many crucial observations made about the food biz and the sharp insight the women of this book have about what they do. There’s a discussion of media engagement and an acute understanding of both the good and evil of indie, largely digital, media; how the small guy (or gal) has actually, quietly won; why the most thrilling food is not coming out of French style kitchens, but from more democratic organizations; how there’s more empire-building happening than we know; and, just, the West Coast is eating the East Coast for breakfast.

Read the book.

MONTAUK SUPERBURER OFFICIAL BETTING LINE

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:57:00 -0400

For five years, we’ve had high concept and low concept burgers. Joey Campanaro once presented a luau burger, complete with pineapple. Lockhart Steele, winner in year one thanks to Dave Chang throwing the whole thing for him, won with meatloaf. Michael White’s huge, fatty white label burger got close last year. Wylie Dufrense’s seaweed burger with homemade American cheese is my all-time favorite, because it mixed a crazy intellectual idea with a burger that actually just had these incredibly vivid and simple flavors layered exactly right. And, of course, the Momoburger, which is now on the menu at Jeffrey’s, won three times and is the most straight forward burger that’s ever been in the contest.

And this year’s field is in my mind by far the most competitive. The simplest burger this year is Jesse Gerstein’s Beach Bacon Burger, which was runner up last year and might have won on better execution (it was over-cooked for the judges). If they were pros it’d be the favorite. I’m calling it Top Three for that burger right now. It’s the burger that the judges have in their heads as a great beach burger.

Mullen, Stupak, Mehdi BB and Moore all have a real shot, too. Moore’s “Bread & Butter Burger” is the most down-the-middle, and he’ll get an edge from the many house made ingredients he’s putting in play. If the smoke on Mullen’s doesn’t prove too novel, it’ll place well. That it has the one-slot is absolutely gargantuan. And White’s Butterfly Burger is very promising. Mustard, garlic pickles, onion, American cheese is the right idea and a great, simple burger in the 10-slot for judging could be a killer combination. I’m concerned about the BBQ mayo on Mehdi BB’s burger, because that flavor profile could be too strong for the six-hole judging slot. Being up at the top helps Stupak in a big way, as refried beans in the middle of the pack might overwhelm the judges.

Solien, repping the Montauk Yacht Club, and Pelaccio with a lamb burger are the long shots. Solien is going high-concept with avocado, provolone and lardo. That’s just crazy, but I can’t wait to try it. And I don’t know that a lamb burger can play, although Pelaccio is a guy who could make it work.

The wild cards this year are Simmons, with her “Montak Super Slider,” and Ramsey-Willson, who are amateurs but who have a great concept of short rib, american cheese, a special sauce, and onions, pickled and shaved all on a Martin’s. If they get the temps right, they’re going to be in the mix. Back to the slider, we’ve never had a slider the competition and, frankly, I always advise against it. Just doesn’t show as well as a half-burger. But she has the 11 hole for judging, so maybe the judges find it a welcome relief having just had 10 other bigger burgers.

With that said, here’s the line, in judging order.

MULLEN — 2-1
PJ CLARKE’S — 6-1
STUPAK — 5-1
GERSTEIN — 4-1
PELACCIO — 15-1
MEHDI BB — 4-1
SOLIEN — 19-1
MOORE — EVEN
RAMSEY-WILLSON — 7-1
BUTTERFLY — 3-1
SIMMONS — 8-1

While I’ve got your attention, we’ve got a few tix left at eater.com/superburger. Tickets will be available at the door while capacity allows for $150 cash money.

Coffee Shop Rules of Engagement

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 11:15:00 -0400

We spend a lot of time judging coffee shops by their roasts and pulls and machinery. I’d like to suggest another, equally as important criteria: morning service.

Other than live-in family and, in some cases, overnight guests, those who do not brew coffee at home on the regular also communicate with a coffee shop staffer of some kind post-wake, pre-caffination. It is a delicate window of time for us. I am fragile. So, service is hugely important. Here are a modest few rules of engagement for coffee shop personnel to adopt for the AM rush. The best places do all of this and more, and that’s why they’re great. Here we go.

1. Remember my order before you remember my name. If you can only remember one of the two, please make it my order. See #2, as I am deeply invested in you knowing my order. The best job anyone has ever done with this is at the Starbucks at the entrance to 30 Rock from the subway (there are a few Starbuckses in the Rockefeller Center concourse, and all but this one are total garbage, so I want to be clear). The AM manager knows names and orders and calls them into the baristas as his customers walk in. It took him six days to get my name and order down. The in-store experience is so painless that I was willing to drink Starbucks coffee just to get it.

2. The goal is for you to create a situation for me wherein ~~I can say as few words as possible~~ if I don’t want to chit-chat I shouldn’t be made to feel like a dick for that. When all I have to say is, “Yes, thanks,” you, sweet person behind the counter, are crushing it.

3. If you really, really know what you’re doing, maybe I don’t even have to say that? I used to live a block from Joe on Waverly. When lines got long, Jonathan would scan the line for regulars, cup their drinks and bring them out on the house. Though certainly above and beyond the call, this is how to breed loyalty.

4. As a barista, you, too, can know my drink and help a brother out. They’re very good at this at Blue Bottle in Chelsea, where it’s a Yes, Thanks situation because the baristas tell the cashiers what to ring up as they’re getting it ready for me.

5. Please, God, don’t be annoying. This is a big one. At Le Pain Quotidien, there’s a server, Michaelangelo, who asks me what my name is every time he rings me up. This morning, he also had to pour my coffee twice because he spilled the first one. While bagging another customer’s croissant he warned, “be careful where you throw out that plastic bag, because the animals are in danger.” Worst case scenario all around.

6. Keep in mind that the less time I spend handling coffee shop ops the better. It’s not because I don’t love the shop — I do love the shop — it’s because I’m not equipped to deal with people before I’ve had my coffee (many would argue I’m generally ill-equipped to deal with people) and I may be running late, too. Don’t let the line slow down, don’t wait for a credit card to run before taking the next person’s order, don’t run out of lids for the coffee cups, don’t have a sidebar with someone else behind the counter about what you did last night and how you’re hungover.

Yes, thanks.

UPDATE: Cole McBride makes the To Each His Own point: ”@benleventhal I know many customers that want this same experience as you in the morning but I also know that that’s not for everyone.” I agree, but would add that staffers should read customers and let them dictate, not the other way around. I tip well and am cordial and in exchange if I want to talk less that should be ok. Also I would emphasize these are suggestions for the morning rush, which we could define as opening until 9:45 AM, if that makes anyone more comfortable.

UPDATE 2: A particular morning provoked me into putting pen to paper on this topic, but let me add that I mostly have great experiences with specialty coffee shops and that my issue is mainly with places like most Starbucks and Le Pain Quotidiens, such as the one on Lexington and 64th that currently has me by the balls. Joe, Blue Bottle, Jack’s, and Mud Truck have all been regular stops for me over the years and staffers at those places are invariably a pleasure. xo, BL

(MONTAUK) SUPBERBURGER FRIENDS & FAMILY TIX

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 12:43:00 -0400

A very limited number of friends & family tix are quietly on sale now at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3837325544?nomo=1. Password is “superburger.” Public on-sale next week, exclusively at eater.com. Get at it.

###

(MONTAUK) SUPERBURGER
8/25/12, 1 PM

Featuring
THE BURGER JOINT & MOMOFUKU MILK BAR

Sponsors
Amstel Light and LaFrieda Meats

Competitors
SEAMUS MULLEN, Tertulia
JESSE GERSTEIN & DAN ALDWORTH, 2011 Superburger Runner-up (a)
ALEX STUPAK, Empellon
ZAK PELACCIO, Fatty Crab
EDDIE “HARLEM” HUANG & CHARLIE DOUGIELO, BaoHaus
RYAN SOLIEN, Montauk Yacht Club
HAROLD MOORE, Commerce
MEHDI BRUNET-BENKRITLY, Fedora
MIKE DEFONZO, PJ Clarke’s
SARAH SIMMONS, City Grit (a)
JAMES RAMSAY & STU “THE GRIFTER” WILSON (a)

Judges
PAT LAFRIEDA, LaFrieda Meat Purveyors
SPIKE MENDELSOHN, 2009 South Beach Burger Bash Winner
JOSH CAPON, 2010 NYC Burger Bash Winner
HEAD JUDGE KATE KRADER, Food & Wine Magazine
LEE “THE RING” SCHRAGER, NYC/South Beach Wine & Food Festivals

Plus
“EL PRESIDENTE” MARK PASTORE

#mtksuperburger

ARod has the best slugging percentage AGAINST the Yankees of any player in the last 50 years.

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 11:19:16 -0400

ARod has the best slugging percentage AGAINST the Yankees of any player in the last 50 years.

The Greatest Pop Culture Trivia Question in History

Thu, 31 May 2012 11:52:00 -0400

Between 1970 and 2000, the same subject appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Time and Newsweek in the same week. An animal, a team, a woman and two men. Who are they?

cc: RVV.

Yankees could be up for sale soon, as rumors swirl in baseball and banking circles: sources

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:04:03 -0400

Yankees could be up for sale soon, as rumors swirl in baseball and banking circles: sources

"Everyone knows by now that, even with [ARod’s] legendary October of 2009 included, this is an..."

Mon, 21 May 2012 10:21:00 -0400

“Everyone knows by now that, even with [ARod’s] legendary October of 2009 included, this is an awful contract. The question that still must be answered is, how bad will it be?”

- ESPN

"Through their first 16 home games, the Yankees’ announced attendance has averaged 40,668, 1.6..."

Sun, 13 May 2012 09:38:42 -0400

“Through their first 16 home games, the Yankees’ announced attendance has averaged 40,668, 1.6 percent below last year’s after the same number of games. The decline is not enormous, but it is jarring to see so many empty seats on the field level, even for games against the first-place Rays.”

- NYT

Comparing Shake Shack and Artichoke Basille's Pizza*

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:38:00 -0400

As I write these words I am calm, enjoying a slice of pizza from Stella’s, a slice joint on West 17th Street and Ninth Avenue. Where a slice costs $2.75. Where a four minute in-the-door-out-the-door turnaround is the norm. Where one can get an absolutely competent New York Slice, with somewhat sweet crust, soft but not doughy; tangy red sauce; and fresh muzz. The ubiquity of this type of place is one of the great luxuries of being a New Yorker.

Stella’s is one block east of Artichoke Basille’s, where today I was, briefly, not calm. I first tried to get a slice there, at Artichoke, as it is a block closer to my office. But there was no pizza to be had at Artichoke, because at 12:05 PM, they were still ten minutes away from their first pie of the day coming out of the oven. Given the overlapping occasions of #pizzaweek, my post-Beard shakes, and this being my sixteenth consecutive disappointing experience with aforementioned marquee pizzeria, some long-harbored thoughts on Artichoke Basille’s Pizza to share.

Let’s together agree on what Artichoke is. It’s like Shake Shack, really, if instead of perfect burgers, Shake Shack’s headline offering was huge piles of melted butter and cream on tasteless crackers. If instead of it being a pitch-perfect, living vision of the future of fast food, it was a bunch of cash cows satisfied with minting money as fast as they can, eager to turn their brand into a theme park, quietly waiting for their ridiculous house of hype to cave in on itself and hoping they make boat-money before it does. It’s no different from Shake Shack, except for the fact that instead of a $4.50 burger, there’s a $5 slice of pizza.

Indeed, Artichoke is Shake Shack insomuch people are willing to wait on massive lines for three to five minutes of gustatory bliss. Although — sorry one more point of comparison — at Shake Shack there is a payoff and at Artichoke the only post-game emotion is the empty feeling that you have gotten a little fatter for no good reason.

Actually, the Staten Island slice, featuring muzz, ricotta, onions and meatball, is good. It’s fantastic, frankly. Once, just one gloriously anomolistic time, in a very many visits was it on offer, though. The rest of the time, it’s the same six-pound butter crackers or a margarita slice, which is good except for the horrendous and burnt crust and long wait and better slice around the corner, or a white slice, which at $5 is about double the price of its counterparts at any other pizza place in the city (see, for example, the aforementioned Stella’s).

So, look, here’s the thing. If you disagree with what’s being said here, you need to take a good long hard look at yourself. You do not know pizza like you think you do. That’s sad, but fixable. Go to Ben’s, have a $3 slice, call me and tell me I’m wrong. I DARE YOU. What, exactly, is virtuous about a slice of pizza that is the size of a legal size file folder? If you got caught on the buzz train four years ago and waited on the line on 14th back in the day and had to convince yourself that it was worth it and have been telling yourself ever since that you weren’t wrong in the first place, I forgive you. What was was was was. But, people, you are killing me. I am killing myself. There is a better slice joint one block in every direction. Pleasegod, let this stop.

*Your being in agreement with this posting is recommended.

Talking Points: Edvard Munch's "The Scream" Sells at Sotheby's for $119.9M

Thu, 03 May 2012 21:09:00 -0400

So, what is widely considered to be the best of four versions of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” sold at auction last night in New York at Sotheby’s for $119,922,500, making it the most expensive piece of art work ever sold at auction. When it comes up in conversation tonight, this weekend, talk smart:

1. Love it or hate it or don’t particularly care, “The Scream” is among the most recognizable images ever put to canvas (cardboard, actually). Still, that doesn’t fully explain why the hammer price was so high. It is partly based on the fact that of the four versions of the work that exist, it is the only one privately held. The other three — two oils and a pastel — are held in permanent collections at the National Gallery Oslo (oil) and at the Munch Museum (oil, pastel), also in Oslo.

2. Plus, this version, dated to 1895, is considered the best of the four. It is the only one that is in a hand-painted frame with an inscription from Munch, describing his inspiration for the piece. The inscription reads, “I felt the great Scream in nature.”

3. Via Time: Mark Winter, director of Munch Experts, told the Guardian, “It is the crown jewel of the four but you really need a national budget to buy it. And not the budget of a small country, either.” Tobias Meyer, the Sotheby’s auctioneer, told Reuters the bidder got a good deal. “It’s worth every penny that the collector paid.”

4. In absolute dollars, “The Scream” unseats former record holder, Picasso’s “Nude, Green Leaves and Bust” (1932), which sold at Christie’s in 2010 for $106.5M. Here is a handy guide to the top ten most expensive works of art sold at auction, updated with “The Scream.”

5. But, actually, in dollars adjusted for CPI inflation, “The Scream” doesn’t come close to van Gogh’s “Portrait of Dr. Gachet.” In adjusted today-dollars it sold for $146.5M in 1990 (it actually sold for $82.5M).

6. There were seven bidders on “The Scream” and the auction lasted 12 minutes. The winning bidder bid anonymously via telephone.

7. Technically, the hammer price was $107M (watch the video). $120M includes a buyer’s premium. Typically, the auction house takes 25% of the first $50,000; 20% of the first $1M; and 12% of the rest. For a sale of this size, the seller likely negotiated with the auction house to get some of this premium. But, do the math: the buyer’s premium for this sale was 12%, and you can safely assume Sotheby’s pocketed at least $10M.

8. The seller was Petter Olsen, whose father was a friend of Munch’s.

9. Somewhere between fascinating and inconceivable (except for jaded art world insiders in the crowd) is the fact that the anonymous buyer of “The Scream” does not get reproduction rights alongside the painting. Like many artists, Munch’s core intellectual property — the images, not the paintings depicting the images — is policed by the Artists Rights Society (VAGA is a competitor). It’s simple copyright law, though at a particular price point one looks for the rules to bend. Nope. A museum wishing to reproduce images for use in, say, a book celebrating an exhibit celebrating the life of Picasso has to negotiate the rights to reproduce the images with ARS.

10. The most expensive piece of art ever traded, that we know of, was Paul Cezanne’s “The Card Players,” which went in a private sale to the Royal Family of Qatar for an estimated $250M.

A Note about the Gentleman's Responsibilities With Regard to His Physique as the Summer Approaches*

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:18:30 -0400

OVERVIEW
Though the gentleman’s responsibilities with regard to his physique are not seasonally specific, the summer months do tend to betray the state of his physical affairs as other seasons don’t. As such, it is productive at this time to review some useful guidelines.

I. THE RULE OF PARITY
The gentleman should maintain himself at the level he has established for the ladies he receives. If he expects to be living in a world of high-8s and 9s, he had better be at the gym himself. It is decidedly inappropriate to expect otherwise. In fact, the gentleman who acts without an understanding of this rule is somewhat of a tragedy.

II. THE RULE OF SPOUSAL PARITY
In the event the gentleman is in an advanced state of domestication, he should be aware that the rule of parity holds. In fact, it is during these summer months that he should be most aware of the rule and must make real and true judgements about his financial and emotional cumulative achievements before concluding that his dismissal of the Rule of Parity is a sensible tack.

III. ON THE GENTLEMAN’S KEEPING ON OF HIS SHIRT
A month such as August does make way somewhat for the gentleman to be shirtless, or otherwise in a public state of semi-dress. He should be aware, however, that the following are the only acceptable opportunities for him to be without a shirt:

1. A significant body of water is clearly visible (the “SBOW” rule) and it is not being used primarily as a prop, such as at a cocktail party. An example of an insignificant body of water is a kiddie pool.

2. He has been in sight of a significant body of water in the last 90 seconds and expects to return to same or equal body of water with matching haste.

3. He is in his bedroom or another bedroom to which he has gained admittance.

4. He is in a men’s locker room.

5. He is in a working out situation and removal of his shirt will improve his overall appearance, such as if the gentleman has sweated fully through his shirt and he is comfortable with what is underneath.

Gentleman with prodigious chest or back hair will want to take great pains to err on the side of conservatism in this regard. Further, there is the matter of shorts, which, insomuch as they setup a state of semi-dress, is relevant here. Day light hours only for them — and assuming no other guidelines, such as IV below, are disregarded in the process of wearing them.

IV. BATHING SUITS THAT ARE EXPLAINED AS “EUROPEAN STYLE” OR AGE-INAPPROPRIATE BATHING SUITS
Non.

V. IN LIGHT OF ALL THIS, QUICK FIXES
Especially as compared to the lady, and on a percentage basis only, the gentleman can, actually, make significant changes to his physical entry with some amount of speed. Juice cleanses, trainers, and carb bans are all fair game, especially in combination, though the gentleman should give himself 45 days at a minimum to execute. However, here are some behaviors that are not to be employed:

1. Any dinner table declaration of any kind that he is cleansing. The cleanse is to be done in private and should the gentleman be cleansing for three days, for example, he will clear his schedule for three days.

2. Any gym-type activity in street clothes, in a matter of showing off his progress. Ie. office push-up contests.

3. Whining about in-progress quick-fixing.

*Part I, perhaps

ARod, His 0-fer Useless in Yankees 5-4 Win in 12

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 13:03:00 -0400

ARod, His 0-fer Useless in Yankees 5-4 Win in 12

In lieu of one of those New Contact Info emails, let’s try this. You can now find me at IAC,...

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:18:52 -0500

In lieu of one of those New Contact Info emails, let’s try this. You can now find me at IAC, 555 West 18th Street, NY 10011, (212) 524-8729, ben dot leventhal at connectedventures dot com. If you’re using the 212 cell or my gmail or the 205 East mailing address, those coordinates haven’t changed. NBC has asked me to let them handle any inquiries regarding The Feast, which is reasonable. Can’t tell you too much about this new project so far because, among other things, it doesn’t as yet have a name. Talk soon.

On the matter of Il Buco Alimentari and Its Three Stars

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:02:00 -0500

Have spent an unexpectedly substantial amount of time in the last twenty-four hours reflecting on whether or not Il Buco Alimentari is a three star restaurant. Pete Wells thinks it is and his verdict initially had me calling for the nuclear launch codes. (Sorry about that, Pete.) I am a fan of his and I go to this new Il Buco over and over again. It is very, very good. But, here’s the thing:

1. Giving restaurants like this so many stars disincentivizes risk. It is true that Donna Lennard spent a relative fortune building the restaurant and that, certainly in this market, is definitionally risky. However, this restaurant doesn’t push us forward in the way that a Marea or a wd-50 or a Momofuku Ko does. It’s just a “simple and convivial spot that tastes just like Italy,” in the critic’s words. The reviewer seat comes with the responsibility of being an advocate for the advancement of city’s dining scene and this says to Grant Achatz, if you want to win in New York, don’t do something foolish like try to open an Alinea. Maybe the review speaks to the confusing clearing house that’s become of the Two Stars category, but don’t feel that the tenor and spirit of this restaurant is what They were thinking of as Three Stars when they came up with the Times system. (Of course, diners need to encourage risk, too, by eating at risky restaurants. But we look to Pete Wells to set the tone.)

So, another but, there’s something that’s much more crucial, viz the customer.

2. Without anonymity, there is a much wider trench between civilian dining experiences and those of the critics. It’s not just that the critics gets soigné’dup the wazoo; average diners do not get as manicured an experience, because there is no more hmm that guy in the corner kind of looks like, uh oh, is that a critic? Restaurants pay their public relations firms for books of photos of critics and important writers. No, he is not a critic. There is no more anonymity. If critics grade with this in mind, we’re okay. But it creates real problems for the average restaurant goer when the critic is grading on a restaurants’ best perforamce, versus an average one. I have been to Il Buco ten times and while there is a very good reason Wells is a critic and I am not, I am positive that it is less consistent at this stage of its existence than the review suggests. So, point is, the chances of the average diner getting a three star experience here are dramatically lower than Pete Wells’ chances. Which to me says it’s probably not (or not yet) a three star restaurant.

One of the ways guys like Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and...

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:35:00 -0500

One of the ways guys like Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten — and Steve Hanson, Jeffrey Chodorow and Keith McNally — are superior to the rest of us is in their inconceivable attention to detail. (You can spot future greats this way, too, I said, looking at Gabe Stulman.) I once walked a construction site with Steve Hanson and at one point he stopped mid-stride and mid-riff on the virtues of having one’s own laundry facility to note to his contractor that the sill in the doorway to the kitchen was 1/8” too low (not enough lip in the event of a spill). McNally is the king of not only understanding the things that could go wrong during service, but mitigating them. At Pastis, the place-mat doubles as your menu, you get your own bottle of tap water so bus boys don’t have to worry about filling glasses, and when there’s something to promote it’s on the postcard that’s dropped with the check: fewer moving parts.

On the other hand, above is what the trash can at Bouchon Bakery Rock Center looked like at 4:30 PM today. What’s my point? This is my point. All of these guys are equally good at the details. Yes, Keller Ops could do a better job of emptying trash cans, but The Tree is up at Rock Center and there are thousands of people on the plaza. It’s that he’s getting away with this and in it there’s another layer to what is universally accepted as the genius of Thomas Keller. Nobody is instinctively better at knowing when the media is looking and when it’s not.

In Which the Gentleman Calls, Post-Coitally

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:29:00 -0500

Chapter VII, Sub. 6
The Next Day

It so happens that from time to time — or perhaps of a frequency higher than that — the gentleman finds on his todo list the task of reassuring a new lady of his exceptional pedigree and genuine intentions, by way of making contact with her the day after he showed her a most enjoyable evening. Here, then, is a ranking of the many forms of communication the gentleman has at the ready in order of appropriateness for said use:

01. Phone Call, Landline to Home Landline
02. Phone Call, General
03. Phone Call, Any to Office Line
04. Email
05. Text Message
06. Text Message with Emoticon(s)
07. Flowers via Local Florist
08. Flowers via 1-800-FLOWERS
09. Someecard Card, Witty
10. Someecard Card, Cute
11. Facebook Message
12. BBM
13. Gifted iTunes Song or Album
14. Paperless Post Message
15. Postal Service Letter
16. Gift via Premium Shipping
17. Gift via Standard Shipping
18. Instant Message, General
19. Instant Message, Facebook
20. Twitter DM
21. Twitter Follow/DM
22. Twitter Follow Absent of Subsequent DM
23. Twitter Follow with Subsequent @ reply
24. Twitter @ reply
25. Fourquare Follow Request
26. Foursquare Follow Request with Subsequent Check-in Comment
27. Tumblr Follow
28. Phone Call, Collect Call
29. ASW Invite
30. LinkedIn Invite

Legend: Nos. 01-05 = acceptable; Nos. 06 and higher = not at all acceptable

My obsession with creating a pets and babies site fully and...

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:04:00 -0400

My obsession with creating a pets and babies site fully and rather elegantly explained herein.