Michael Ruhlman has a preview of the Alinea Book, which is getting even more prerelease hype than the restaurant did, if such a thing is possible. The six-and-a-half-pound doorstop–which includes an introduction by Ruhlman and essays by Jeffery Steingarten, Mike Nagrant, and Wired editor Mark McCluskey, who wrote about Achatz in 2006–is lowballed at a … Continued
“I swear, man, it’s gotten so bad that if I see someone walking up to the restaurant I just irrationally hate them. It’s all I can do to smile and make nice.” “Welcome to the island in August. Now you get it.” Labor Day weekend is the last big push of the season, and it … Continued
Buy your block party tickets now–and if you want the scoop on how to get in for free on Sunday, hit me. (You’ll only have to embarrass yourself for a few minutes, I promise.)
Last fall, after I was laid off, I was saved from total penury by a sweet gig writing copy for a Chicago guidebook published by Insight Guides and the Discovery Channel. I had already committed to doing all their food and restaurant copy–220-odd restaurant blurbs, 40 or so bars, and an essay on the Chicago … Continued
The internet may well be ruthlessly fragmenting society, pushing our interests into narrow RSS-feed-delimited boxes. But here on Washington Island it did serve to bring two people together. Faithful commenter S. turned up the other day from Chicago, after cyberstalking me all summer, and invited me over for dinner at her fab chalet-moderne house overlooking … Continued
Chop watermelon radish red onion Toast pine nuts Shred basil Crumble feta Dress. Toss. Serve. Yum.
Other people’s words are just much more interesting than my own. Here’s some more from the archives: [me] “So, what do you think about the changes on the island in the last few years–the wheat farming and everything?” [other person] “I think it’s pretty much the best of both worlds right now. We went from … Continued
My friend G. pointed me toward this post at Merlin Mann‘s 43 Folders, on the makings of a good blog. I don’t know if I qualify as “trying” so much lately, but earlier this summer I did work hard on meeting the “good blogs are in paragraphs” criteria. And I’m definitely obsessed (and probably weird), … Continued
“Chef, you know what situation I’d hate to see you in? When you’re going toward a stop light that’s changing and have to decide whether to go or stop.”–T., line cook, 7/21/07 “No, that’s an easy decision for me. I don’t even see yellow.”–L.C.