Who benefits? It’s the classic detective’s starting point, right? But it’s been on my mind lately thanks not to a body in the billiards room but to my friend N., whom I hooked up with in New York after a gap of, oh, eight years. N.’s worked for years in the music industry, but has … Continued
Heading back to Chicago tomorrow in time to (traffic willing) catch the final night of the big American Cheese Society conference at the Hilton downtown; check out the Cheese Underground for a preview. On Sunday (digestion willing) I’m planning to hit the big end-of-show sale, where alleged hundreds of artisan and specialty cheeses will be … Continued
My friend B. came to visit so activities the last few days have been mostly limited to lying on the beach and playing embarrassing tennis. Tuesday, though, we did some sightseeing, and all was going swimmingly–blue skies, gentle breezes, nature walks–until I came around the northeast corner of the Stavkirke, one of the island’s main … Continued
I don’t have a lot to add to the hoo-haa kicked up by this NYT piece on affluent, urban people who (gasp) hire help to maintain an organic vegetable garden. Yes, rich people can and will outsource the dirty work whenever they can. But moral one-upmanship is a losing game and I don’t think anyone … Continued
“What we do is tell stories, and get people excited about them. Every one of those bottles on the back bar has a great story behind it.” That’s Blaine Mason, the area sales manager for General Beverage’s LaCrosse division—and, more to the point, Death’s Door’s western Wisconsin rep—but it’s a philosophy I’ve heard over … Continued
Coincidentally, a timely article in today’s NYT on the perils of branding your business too locally. Brooklyn Brewery, which set up shop 12 years ago in North Williamsburg, can’t afford to live in Brooklyn any more.
“Our grapes are trucked in from California–so you know you’re getting California-quality wines.” ” If I were you I’d change up the narrative a bit. Tell people the wheat’s tended by scantily-clad teenaged virgins. Yeah…. Naked virgins.” “Who benefits?” Three lines that stuck to my brain pan the last few days. Where they all lead is … Continued
I’m headed back to the island tomorrow, and a concurrent return to regularly scheduled programming. But here’s a brief recap of what’s been an exhilarating, exhausting, and pretty much thoroughly awesome detour. In the last ten days I have visited the world’s most disorganized McDonald’s, sung Marine Girls songs through a Poconos traffic jam, and … Continued
I was interviewed for this article about the (apparent) boom in home pickling and canning last month; it just came out today. I would like to state for the record that I by no means consider myself a master of the pickling arts, wild, tame, or otherwise (that would be Vera). But I do love … Continued