I read a good book. I’ve been trying to write something about it for a couple days now, but can’t shake the straitjacket of book-reviewerese. So, eh. You should read it! It may not be a page turner, but if you care about poverty and hunger, and if you are among the many starting to … Continued
First course, Karly’s Mixed Basket (fried mushrooms, onion rings, fried cauliflower, fried cheese curds) Second course, Fiddler’s Green Tomato-basil soup; pint of Guinness Third course, Nelsen’s Chicken Marsala and lasagna (one entree each). Also, salad bar. Dessert, Sailor’s Pub Fried ice cream This actually happened. But not to me.
So long, Wisconsin — I’m headed to the Costa Brava. Pascal Henry, 46, a Swiss motorbike courier, set out in May to eat in every Michelin three-starred restaurant in the world – 68 restaurants in nine countries in 68 days. He had reached restaurant number 40: El Bulli on the Costa Brava, acclaimed as the … Continued
Anyone who’s ever been in the news knows the peculiar wash of resigned exasperation when a writer gets something wrong. Because, really, there’s nothing better than opening up the paper to the piece about your business, for which you were interviewed over an hour, and finding your name misspelled. A conscientious publication may run a … Continued
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.