Would You Like Envy on the Side?

June 30, 2009

Envy

Chef Grant Achatz of Chicago’s Alinea has a great piece in this week’s The Atlantic, focusing on diners’ envy of special dishes sent out by the kitchen.  In this case, the special dish wasn’t even any different than what the jilted diner received, it was just plated at the table rather than in the kitchen.  And she stormed off in tears as a result.

Now we’ll all agree that diners like to look at the dishes being served at other tables, and there will be times when it appears someone is getting special treatment.  And we feel bad, because we all want special treatment.  We want the chef to come out and talk to us.  We want to try something the chef “has been working on.”  We all want to feel special, and when we’re not the recipient of that treatment, it’s normal to be somewhat envious.

Do you expect special treatment?  Do you feel left out if someone at an adjacent table is obviously getting something that everyday customers don’t receive?  How about if the chef comes out and talks to them, but not you?

I know many restaurants try to make all of their diners feel extra special, but as evidenced in Achatz’s story, even a restaurant that excels at the omnibus VIP treatment can make some sensitive customers feel left out.

It’s funny, I love receiving special treatment, but more when I’m not the reason for that treatment.  If I’m with some friends dining at a restaurant where they “know me,” the friends expect I’ll get a special dish sent out or otherwise get the VIP experience.  I never expect anything out of the ordinary, and if I do receive it, I’m almost a bit embarrassed.  And frankly — and no, I’m not fishing for any type of sympathy here — that silly extra pressure actually makes me anxious.

But when I’m dining with someone else who is the reason for the special treatment — such as a chef — I love it!  No pressure, just fun.  And there’s something about that fraternity of chefs, where they take care of each other, that just makes more sense.  And if the don’t get that VIP care, then they just might have to dash away in tears.

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Posted by Varmint

Ice Poppin’

June 24, 2009

I’m a huge fan of Locopops, and when I read Andrea Weigl’s recent story on ice pops, I decided it was time to make some myself.  It’s not that the $2 price tag of a Locopops is breaking the home bank, but I recognized that these frozen treats are fun to eat, easy to make, and can be very inexpensive.

And it all started with some forgotten peaches.

I had purchased some peaches for my 13 year old daughter, a peach fanatic if there ever was one.  But she went off to camp, and we had a handful of slightly overripe peaches sitting in a brown paper bag.  I simply peeled them, dropped the chunks into a blender with some sugar and fresh lemon juice, and whizzed away.  I poured the puree into an ice cube tray, wrapped with plastic wrap, and inserted toothpicks.  I figured, “OK, it’s mostly fruit, so this should be pretty decent.”

It was much, much better than decent.  It was perfect.  The flavors of the fruit were enhanced by the sugar and lemon and, I do believe, the freezing process.  This was a funny looking pop, for sure, but it inspired me for something better.  Something more like a real pop.

So off to Crossroads Plaza I headed searching for pop molds.  I found a funny looking rocket mold at Bed Bath & Beyond, but it was about 10 bucks for a mold of 4 pops.  No dice at the crafts stores.  Target was my final hope, and they had some respectable looking star shaped molds for $3.95 (here they are at Amazon for 2 bucks more).  Not what I really wanted, but I had to have something that day.  I had to feed my need.  I was NOT going to wait to get the perfect molds through mail order.  So I bought 3 molds, each of which makes 4 pops.  These molds had plastic sticks/caps, which are a complete waste.  More on that later.

So my next adventure was with some blackberries I picked up at the Durham Farmers Market.  To a pint of berries I added some vanilla yougurt, a bit of cream, about 3 tablespoons of sugar, lemon juice and fresh mint.  After pureeing in the blender, I strained out the seeds and filled my molds, using the plastic stick/cap thing-a-ma-bobs.

That only made 8 pops, so I took some leftover dark chocolate pudding that Phoebe Lawless had brought a couple days earlier, combined it with some whipped cream, and filled four more molds.

The pops froze in a few hours, and after running them under hot water for a few seconds, they came out of their molds nicely.  The blackberry mint cream was divine.  So much fruit.  So much flavor, with just a tinge of mint.  This was an absolutely perfect ice pop, as good as — no, better — than Locopops.  Except for the damn stick.  The design of this stick/cap prevented you from eating the bottom third of the pop, as the cap got in the way.  I had to get a spoon and put the remnants in a bowl.  So the plastic stick/cap was to be eliminated from the process in favor of good old-fashioned popsicle sticks.  I got 1,000 sticks for 4 bucks at Michael’s, so these things are cheap.

My next batch was blueberry lime mint.  Pretty much the same format: Into a blender goes the fruit, some lime juice, sugar, fresh mint, and some water.  Blend.  Strain.  Put in molds.  I then wrapped the molds with plastic wrap, made a slight hole in the top over each mold, and inserted my wood popsicle stick.

Oh, this was so much better.  Easier to eat and handle.  Less chance for a mess.  And the flavor?  Better than Locopops, of course.

Last night was pineapple mint (yes, I have a TON of mint, but when it’s fresh and free, why not?).  I need to try one at lunch, as it looks mighty tasty.

And those chocolate pudding pops?  Shhh.  No one else in the house had a chance even to try them.

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Posted by Varmint

The Best Burger?

June 20, 2009

burger

I might have had the best burger in the Triangle tonight.  It was served very rare, with melted Swiss cheese and some amazingly meaty bacon.  The meat in the burger was coursely ground, perfectly seasoned, and extraordinarily beefy-flavored.  The burger had a nice crust on it, and I really don’t know how anyone could surpass it.

And I made it.

I took some skirt steak from Whole Foods, cut it up into chunks, sprinkled it with sea salt, and put it through the meat grinder — using the course plate.  I lightly patted it out into two patties, added some pepper, and put into a red-hot iron skillet.  After a couple of minutes I flipped the burgers, added the cheese, and put on a toasted bun.  Topped with some house-cured bacon from Poole’s Diner (check out the updated website), it was nirvana.  The only thing that could possible improve the experience was the beer, and the Hogwash (hickory-smoked brown porter) from Fullsteam came through in the clutch.

I’m not sure that skirt steak is the best cut of beef for burgers, but it had the right amount of fat content and its flavor was incredible.  I ate a fair amount of it raw, and I could have eaten several ounces more.  It was that good.  Let me know if there’s a better cut of beef for burger and tell me why.

A burger is a dietary splurge, and these days, I might as well just eat the best possible version available.  And I did.

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The Customer Wins at Wine Authorities

June 16, 2009

WineAuthoritiesEver since they opened their Durham shop, owners Seth Gross  and Craig Heffley have persistently emailed me, trying to get me into Wine Authorities.  They’d tell me that had a spot available for one of their wine classes at no charge.  They’d let me know about how they could help me to remember which wines I drank (which I’ve NEVER been able to do).  Heck, they recently emailed me to let me know that they sell a bunch of artisinal bacons.  But I never visited their store, despite their efforts to the contrary.

Finally, this past Saturday, I had a need for wine and some spare time and made the 24 minute drive.  The store was packed with about 20 folks sitting around the tasting bar in the rear, listening to Heffley talking about the 4 wines being sampled.  I introduced myself to Gross, who was manning a cash register, and he quickly showed me what the store is all about.  Shortly thereafter,  I quickly kicked myself for not getting over to Wine Authorities sooner.  Yes, I knew that the public loves them and their commitment to smaller estate wineries.  I know that they’d been written up in the big food magazines.  I knew that they focused on value, selling no wines over $50.  And I had heard about how consumer-focused they were, but I had no idea how much so.

I now know better.  A lot better.

Wine Authorities is the wine shop that should be in every town.  They make it incredibly easy on the customer to find a great wine within his or her particular budgetary constraints.  They don’t push any wine.  They listen to the customer and make appropriate recommendations.  They don’t act superior or condescending, even when you butcher the pronunciation of “Languedoc.”  And to me, most importantly, they help me remember what it is that I bought and drank.  At checkout, you get a print-out describing each wine in your purchase.  From your home you can access a listing of those same purchases — strike that, a listing of any wine you’ve ever bought at the place, sortable by price, date of purchase, personal rating, and more.  You can add your own tasting notes.  Mine are very simple, like, “Great, refreshing party wine!”  Or, “Loved the fruit in this one.”  As I’ve written before, I’m no wine guy.  But that Barbera d’Asti I bought was a Cantina Sant’ Evasio, and the rosé is a Chateau Bellevue la Forêt, Fronton Rosé.  I still might not remember the wines, but at least I can recall them electronically.  Man, I love these guys.

But they’re in Durham.  Where the cool kids hang out.  I’m pushing them to open a shop in Raleigh, but until they do, I might have to get used to the drive to the Bull City.

************

Wine Authorities
2501 University Drive
Durham, NC 27707
919-489-2884
http://www.wineauthorities.com

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Posted by Varmint

Ashley Christensen — Ingredient Maker

June 9, 2009
Photo: Elizabeth Galecke

Photo: Elizabeth Galecke

I love Ashley Christensen of Poole’s Downtown Diner.

No, not in the biblical or romantic sense, but anyone who has ever read this blog knows I’m one of her biggest fans.  Yes, she’s a good friend, and I probably wouldn’t say a bad thing about her even if there was a bad thing to say (and fortunately, there’s not).  But I rave about her cooking for two reasons: First, she can flat out cook.  Second, she makes her own ingredients.

Say what? Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted by Varmint

I Still Can’t Eat Just One

June 1, 2009

chips

There have to be 8 gazillion types of potato chips out there, and I like them all. Even the faux chips of Pringles or Munchos. I mean, it’s hard to go wrong with potatoes, fat and salt. Sure, adding some extraneous flavoring is OK (although I might not really want to try seaweed flavored chips). I also really like the kettle-cooked chips, with their extra heft and crunch (and often a darker color).

But I really like the simple, thinly sliced, plain chips.  With lots of salt, of course. Read the rest of this entry »

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Band Together — One More Time

May 28, 2009

band-together-logoPlease buy a ticket to the Band Together concert on June 6 (how’s that for getting to the point?).  It will be a ton of fun, and if you do, I won’t do another post about the event (well, at least not until it’s over).

Tickets are only 20 bucks — and that gets you one hell of a concert featuring Rusted Root, The Rosebuds, Chatham County Line, and maybe even an after party with Hobex.  And if you want plenty of great food and beverages, think about getting a VIP ticket for $125.  Urban Food Group is the exclusive caterer to this year’s Band Together event, and I’m quite confident you’ll like what they’ll be serving.

The silent auction items have pretty much been finalized, and I’ll list the food-related items again followed by some choice non-food items.  If you’re not there, you can’t bid on them.

  • Cooking class for 10 people led by Chef Bill Smith at Crook’s Corner.
  • Fullsteam Brewery personalized beer experience. You’ll meet with the ultra-cool folks at Fullsteam who will design a beer based on your individual tastes. They’ll make that beer and then then deliver 5 gallons of it, with personalized labels and 10 t-shirts, to your home to have a great party.  More info found here.
  • Ashley Christensen and Poole’s Diner Experience. Spend a Thursday trailing chef Ashley Christensen in the kitchen at Poole’s Downtown Diner. Learn some insider tips. That evening, you and 3 guests will sample the food that you prepared.
  • Jujube Working Experience. Want to learn the secrets behind kick-ass Asian-influenced food? Ever wanted to find out how hot woks can really get? Well spend a night working the line with chef Josh DeCarolis at Chapel Hill’s Jujube, and you’ll be a better cook.
  • Herons Farm to Table Experience. Spend a day with chef Scott Crawford touring Cherry Lane Farm, a beautiful local family-owned farm where 2 acres have been planted for Herons in The Umstead Hotel and Spa. Return to Herons that evening for a specially prepared dinner for 2 created around the items you harvested.
  • Knife Skills with Chad Ward. The author of the acclaimed book, An Edge in the Kitchen, will conduct a knife skills class for you and your guests in your kitchen. Trust me, you’ll learn a lot from this class. And you’ll get a signed copy of Chad’s book.
  • Zely & Ritz in Your Home. Chef Sarig Agasi of Raleigh’s fantastic Zely & Ritz will cook a private dinner for 4 people  in your home on a Sunday evening.

Other Food-related Items

  • Cases of Wine
  • Restaurant gift certificates from Magnolia Grill, Fins, Fosters, and more
  • Tour complements of Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours

Other Nice Items

  • Two bedroom beachfront condo in Curacao during Thanksgiving weekend
  • Ride the Zamboni at a Hurricanes’ game next season
  • Get a personal, behind the scenes tour of WRAL with anchor Bill Leslie
  • Sports memorabilia and tickets, including items signed by Shaquille O’Neal, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Eric Staal, Roy Williams and tickets to UNC football and basketball, Carolina Panthers, NASCAR, and NC State football and basketball (and more)
  • Lunch with the N&O’s cartoonist Dwayne Powell and columnist Barry Saunders (and maybe a charicature by Powell, too)
  • Golfing packages, including a round for 4 on the soon to open NC State golf course
  • U2 tickets — good ones
  • Custom-built skateboards
  • All kinds of spa, massage and other personal “treatments”
  • Incredible artwork
  • Amazing music memorabilia, including signed guitars and photography.  Or a lesson on harmonica and washboard from local bluesman (and Cajun chef) Mel Melton.
  • Ever wanted to DJ a party?  You will at a local club after getting some lessons from a professional DJ.
  • Want to get away for awhile?  How about a condo at N. Myrtle Beach, a beach house, or a luxury suite at a B&B at Cape Carteret (with massages included)?  And if you want to stay closer to home, try a night at the new Renaissance hotel.

There are a lot more items than this, but you gotta be there to bid.  During this tough economy, non-profits like the Lucy Daniels Center (the charity who receives the net proceeds from this event), need your help more than ever.  Please buy a ticket and make a difference.  And have a great time.

——-

Band Together for the Lucy Daniels Center

bandtogethernc.org

June 6, 2009

Featuring Rusted Root, the Rosebuds, Chatham County Line and after-party by Hobex

Downtown Raleigh at the Lincoln Theatre

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Posted by Varmint

I Knew Biscuits Are Bad For You, But . . .

May 26, 2009

From failblog.org

Biscuit

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Posted by Varmint

Smoking Ban Now a Law

May 19, 2009

Nosmoking

With Governor Beverly Perdue’s signature today, Session Law 2009-27 prohibits smoking in restaurants and bars beginning on January 1, 2010.  To the North Carolina General Assembly and Governor Perdue, I thank you, my wife thanks you, and most importantly, my children thank you.  The fiction of a non-smoking sections, when they’re adjacent to the cloud of cigarette smoke, will soon be over.  I can eat my meal without worrying about the smell of my clothes or the watering of my eyes or what the smoke is doing to my kids’ lungs.  Some say this will be the beginning of the end for bars, but this now makes me want to hit them more often!  I never thought I’d see the day when this happened in North Carolina — aka Tobacco Road.  Simply amazing.

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Posted by Varmint

Are You a Foodivist?

May 19, 2009

Are you a foodivist?  I know a lot of foodivists, don’t you?  These are the people who care about where our food comes from.  They’re the ones who care about the use of pesticides and growth hormones.  They’re the ones like Michael Pollan or even Mark Bittman in his efforts to promote eating less meat (but not no meat!).  Or my friend Phoebe Lawless, who is passionate about the Triangle’s Slow Food movement.

The word “foodivist” came to me this morning, as I was looking at the current National Geographic and the story about the world’s food problems.  As I skimmed this article, I thought to myself that this is a story that most of America really hadn’t thought about, but it’s a tale that foodie activists around the world have been telling for years.  And because I didn’t like the term “foodie,” I made up my own word for these activists: foodivist.  Yeah, it’s stupid, and perhaps it’s a shameless attempt to coin a word, but I checked Google: zero hits.  There is no record for that word.  It makes sense and gets the point across.  And frankly, I’d be proud to be called a foodivist.  I am, however,  probably not a hard-core foodivist . . . yet.

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Crook’s Corner Cooking Class Added to Silent Auction Items

May 18, 2009

crooksBill Smith, the Beard-nominated chef at the place where Southern cooking was re-born, Chapel Hill’s Crook’s Corner, has graciously donated a cooking class for 10 people for the Band Together silent auction on June 6.  The winner of this item and 9 of his or her friends will  cook in the restaurant’s kitchen on a Monday night this summer, where Smith will teach them how to make some of Crook’s classic dishes.  Alternatively, Smith could offer instruction on a single theme, such as the different ways to cook a duck (confit, pate’, roastd breast, etc.).  The winning bidder will work out the details with Smith.  And then everyone can taste their hard work in the bar area of Crook’s.

This is another example of the amazing generosity of the Triangle’s chefs in helping out the Lucy Daniels Center, the designated charity of Band Together.  Get your tickets now and bid on some great culinary experiences.

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Posted by Varmint

I Bet My Knives Are Sharper Than Yours

May 18, 2009

Knife

I’m about to make a couple of guesses that I suspect are not far from reality.

First, I’m willing to bet that 99% of the homes in this country have kitchen knives that are not nearly as sharp as they could (or should) be.

Second, the person who invents a low-c0st, idiot-proof and simple mechanism to sharpen knives will be a gazillionaire.

I’m a pretty good home cook, and because so few people really cook much anymore, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that I’m in the top 5% of home cooks.  I’m not saying this to be arrogant, please understand, but I’m trying to make a point.  And even though I’m a pretty good home cook, Imust confess that my knives were, um, not very sharp.  Oh, I thought that I maintained them fairly well.  I’d try to sharpen them from time to time, and I’d use my steel to align the edge, but I never really knew how dull they were.  Until I had knife-guru Chad Ward over for dinner, that is.  He offered to help with some prep work, started using my “good” knife — a fairly expensive damascus steel Shun — and asked, “Do you have anything else?”

I then pulled out an old cheapo Forschner blade, which he ran over my crappy steel for a minute or so.  He then proceeded to shave the hairs off his arm.  Seriously.   And that Shun?  Chad had to take that home to sharpen, as it was in very bad shape.

If I, a pretty good home cook, had grown accustomed to dull knives, I’m betting that a very tiny percentage of American homes have knives that are even close to being as sharp as they could be.

Why is that?  First of all, because it is not easy to teach yourself how to sharpen a knife properly.  It’s something that you have to learn by doing it, and if you learn improperly, then your knives won’t be very sharp.  Heck, read this awesome tutorial Chad Ward wrote and tell me that knife sharpening is simple.  Second, it’s because there is no simple, inexpensive and effective knife sharpener on the market.  Oh, there are a ton of sharpening devices and machines available.  Some are quite inexpensive and others are pricey.  But most of them are crap.  And the ones that do a great job usually cost a fair amount (i.e., over 50 bucks) or are not easily operated — at the very least, their operations are not that intuitive.  If someone could come up with a knife sharpener that worked, cost only 20 bucks and was so easy to operate that even my mother could use it, well, that person would make a buttload of money.  People have tried plenty over the years, without success.

Now that I have two sharp knives, I’m not willing to ever go back to “Dullsville.”  I’m going to see if Chad will teach me how to sharpen these suckers.  I may have to bribe him with lunches or beers or sacrifices of virgins, but damn it, I am going to learn.  And if it works, I’ll teach you, too, and it won’t cost you a virgin.

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J. Betski’s Open for Lunch!

May 15, 2009

betskis

I usually don’t report on items like this, but when I saw my friend Jedidiah’s report on New Raleigh, I had to go, “Hurrah” and post it here!

J. Betski’s, Raleigh’s gem of a Central/Eastern European restaurant, is now serving lunch Tuesday through Saturday.  This is huge news for me, as my wife doesn’t really care for their cuisine, but I love it.  And seeing I eat out for lunch a lot more frequently than I do for dinner, I’ll be going here quite a lot.

Click here for the lunch menu.

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Foodie Experiences for Sale

May 14, 2009

The response has been terrific to my plea for interesting food-related silent auction items. Interested in cooking with Ashley Christensen? You can do it. Want Zely & Ritz chef Sarig Agasi to cook you dinner in your home? Done.   And how about harvesting vegetables with Herons’ chef Scott Crawford, and then having him cook for you? It’s all yours — for a price.

How do you bid on these items? First, you need to attend the Band Together concert on June 6, 2009. Tickets are 20 bucks in advance, $25 at the door, and $125 for great VIP tickets.  Second, you need to bid.

Here’s a list of some of the food-related experiences:

  • Fullsteam Brewery personalized beer experience.  You’ll meet with the ultra-cool folks at Fullsteam who will design a beer based on your individual tastes.  They’ll make that beer and then then deliver 5 gallons of it, with personalized labels and 10 t-shirts, to your home to have a great party.
  • Ashley Christensen and Poole’s Diner Experience.  Spend a Thursday trailing chef Ashley Christensen in the kitchen at Poole’s Downtown Diner.  Learn some insider tips.  That evening, you and 3 guests will sample the food that you prepared.
  • Jujube Working Experience.  Want to learn the secrets behind kick-ass Asian-influenced food?  Ever wanted to find out how hot woks can really get?  Well spend a night working the line with chef Josh DeCarolis at Chapel Hill’s Jujube, and you’ll be a better cook.
  • Herons Farm to Table Experience.  Spend a day with chef Scott Crawford touring Cherry Lane Farm, a beautiful local family-owned farm where 2 acres have been planted for Herons in The Umstead Hotel and Spa.  Return to Herons that evening for a specially prepared dinner created around the items you harvested.
  • Knife Skills with Chad Ward.  The author of the acclaimed book, An Edge in the Kitchen, will conduct a knife skills class for you and your guests in your kitchen.  Trust me, you’ll learn a lot from this class.  And you’ll get a signed copy of Chad’s book.
  • Zely & Ritz in Your Home.  Chef Sarig Agasi of Raleigh’s fantastic Zely & Ritz will cook a private dinner in your home on a Sunday evening.

I’m anticipating that we’ll have even more experiences than these, and I’ll add them to the list when confirmed.  We also have lots of other items that may be of interest to you, such as gift certificates at great restaurants such as Magnolia Grill, Fins, and others.  Plenty of wine.  Culinary tours from Taste Carolina.

And if you’re interested in non-culinary items?  How about a two-bedroom beachfront condo in Curacao during Thanksgiving week?  Or a weekend in a gorgeous suite at the Harborlight Guest House on the Bogue Sound (including massages and dinner for two)?  Ever wanted to ride the Zamboni at a Hurricanes’ game?  Now you can.  There’s a behind the scenes tour of WRAL led by Bill Leslie.  Custom made longboard skateboards.  Lots of spa treatment.  And if you’re into sports, lots of tickets and memorabilia.

So get your tickets to the June 6 concert, featuring Rusted Root, The Rosebuds, and Chatham County Line, with an after-party featuring Hobex.  It all goes to my favorite cause, the Lucy Daniels Center.  I’ll see you there.

——-

Band Together for the Lucy Daniels Center

bandtogethernc.org

June 6, 2009

Featuring Rusted Root, the Rosebuds, Chatham County Line and after-party by Hobex

Downtown Raleigh at the Lincoln Theatre

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Posted by Varmint

Herons: New Chef, New Food, New Heart

May 7, 2009

lambHerons Restaurant in Cary’s Umstead Hotel has been a bit of an enigma since it opened a couple of years ago.  It’s one of my favorite dining rooms, with warm wood decor and the most comfortable seats around.  The service has always been top-notch and efficient, although sometimes a bit overzealous.  At one point I wrote that Herons was the most underrated restaurant in the Triangle, but over time, I began to see why folks had a problem with it.  First, dining at Herons was a ridiculously expensive proposition with entrees in the high 30s and 40s.  Second, the food was wildly inconsistent, which could be directly tied to their chefs.  Phil Evans opened Herons, and although he was capable of putting out some good food, I thought he lacked direction and soul.  What I mean was that the food would taste good, but it just didn’t excite me.  I don’t need to be excited with everything I eat, but at 4o bucks, that plate should be somewhat memorable.  The second chef, Paul Kellum, went downhill from there.  I had two meals at Herons under Kellum, and both of them were lackluster, with one dish — Kellum’s version of chicken and waffles — being practically inedible.

I had no reason to go back to Herons, except for a business lunch, perhaps.  And then, with the economy gone bad, Herons wasn’t even a good proposition for business.  Ostentation is out.  Frugality is in. Read the rest of this entry »

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Food Blog Code of Ethics

May 1, 2009

A “Food Blog Code of Ethics” has been proposed, and before I begin my discussion of this concept, I want to say, “I’m all in.”

This Code has been developed by Brooke Burton and Leah Greenstein, the creators of the food blogs SpicySaltySweet.com and FoodWoolf.com.  The power of food bloggers is now unquestionable, which I can attest to based on the number of emails I get from restaurants, chefs and their publicists.  Before I started this blog, I didn’t know a single publicist, and now, well, it’s a different story.  I like getting to know publicists.  I like getting to know chefs and restaurateurs and growers.  I like having the access to the behind the scenes actions of local eating establishments.  But I also know that I have an obligation to my readers.  Therefore, when I get comped something by a restaurant, I let you know.  If I’m a personal friend of the chef, I disclose that, too.

I don’t write this blog to get free stuff or because I’m a journalist in search of that untold story.  This blog exists first and foremost because it gives me an opportunity to record and share my thoughts.  Only a small handful of my 260 posts to date could be considered “reviews,” as that’s not what this is about.  It’s about food and fun and family.  I sometimes get serious here, but not very often.  I sometimes work extra hard to ensure my writing is top-notch, but usually what I quickly type ends up on the blog.

But what I do work hard to do is to be fair and ethical.  I try to check out my sources and find independent verification.  I prefer to report facts more than speculate.  I sometimes make mistakes, and I try to come clean when that happens.  And I stand behind my work.  If you want to know who this “Varmint” dude is, just click on the “About” tab.  No secrets.  No anonymity.  Just me, Dean McCord.

This is why I applaud the introduction of this Code of Ethics.  I first learned about ethical guidelines when I was active with eGullet, as the people behind that organization and forum work diligently to hold themselves to the highest standards.  It may make them come off as somewhat dictatorial pricks at times, but that’s not their concern.  They want to be sure that folks follow rules of civility and ethics.

I am here today to announce that VarmintBites agrees to comply with the Food Blog Code of Ethics.  I owe it to you, my readers.  I owe it to the chefs and restaurateurs, and I owe it to myself.  If you think that I’ve failed to comply, let me know, and I’ll take care of any mistakes and let you know if I disagree.

So, local food bloggers, who else is in???

2 Comments | Food writing, General | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Julie and Julia — The Movie

April 30, 2009

OK, this is a first.  I’m talking about a major Hollywood movie that won’t be released until August.  But when I saw this trailer a few minutes ago, I said, “I’ve got to take Ryan to see this.”  Ryan is my 13 year old daughter, and after seeing Meryl Streep doing Julia Child, I want to go.  Geesh, I might as well just forfeit my manhood card now.

9 Comments | General, Video | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Triangle Restaurant Week Coming

April 29, 2009

trw

The second annual Triangle Restaurant Week will be held across the Triangle on May 11-17.  Restaurant Week has been a fixture in other cities for years, where restaurants offer a three-course menu for a low, fixed price.  For the Triangle event, lunch will cost $15 and dinner will be $25.  Many restaurants typically provide a special “Restaurant Week” menu, but other places allow diners to order off the menu, recognizing that they want their customers to experience the full menu.  As I learn more details, I’ll report back here.

Last year, Restaurant Week only included restaurants in Raleigh, but the event has truly expanded by including a number of Durham and Cary-based establishments.

Some of the restaurants that I would consider checking out include Four Square, 18 Seaboard, Jibarra, Il Palio, Frazier’s, and Sitti.  There are currently 48 places that are participating this year, which is fantastic growth.  Go to the Triangle Restaurant Week website for more information.

6 Comments | Best Of the Triangle, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, General, Raleigh, Restaurants | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Gastronomic Items at a Musical Event

April 27, 2009

band-together

As my readers know, this blog is about food, and it is incredibly rare when I post something that isn’t about food.  I also try to avoid the politics of food, because I want my blog to be about fun.  Today’s entry certainly has some food-related aspects about it, but it’s not the primary purpose behind my post.  But I assure you that today’s topic is all about fun.  And doing the right thing.

I’m looking for items to be donated for a silent auction.  I’m looking for experiences to be donated, too.  Here’s the deal:  As I’ve written before, I’m the Vice Chair of the Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood, and that has nothing to do with food.  It has everything to do with young children getting help for mental health problems, and with the economy the way it is, more kids need the help and fewer families are able to pay for it.

Band Together is a Triangle-based nonprofit organization that has nothing to do with food, either.  Each year, they choose a local charity and hold a huge, kick-ass concert, with the net proceeds going to the charity.  Last year, the designated charity received $109,000.  This year, the designated charity is the Lucy Daniels Center.  The concert is on June 6 in downtown Raleigh, outside the Lincoln Theatre.  This should be a very fun concert, featuring Rusted Root, the Rosebuds, Chatham County Line, and an indoor after-party with Hobex.   General admission tickets are 20 bucks in advance and 25 at the door.  It might cost you a few more bucks to get into the after-party with Hobex.

Still nothing about food, right?  Well, let me fix that right now.  VIP tickets to the show will cost you $125, but that added cost has some tangible benefits.  For example, you’ll get all the beer and wine you want to drink (within reason, of course), and you’ll get to eat the great food provided by the chefs of the Urban Food Group restaurants.  Yup, Coquette, Vivace, Frazier’s and Porter’swill be providing all that food.  Oh, and you’ll get air conditioned bathrooms, some comfy seats, and elevated viewing area.

But wait, there’s more food information.  There will be a silent auction at the event, and we will have a number of food-related auction items.  How about Fullsteam Brewery making a beer just for you, customized to your personal tastes, and then delivering 5 gallons of it to you with a unique label and 10 t-shirts with that label?  Or an in-home knife skills class by Chad Ward, the author of An Edge in the Kitchen?  Or an in-restaurant cooking class with a well-known local chef?  That’s just the beginning.

And I want more items for the silent auction!!! Please let me know if you would be interested in donating something to our auction.  Gift certificates are welcome, but we’d really love experiences.  I mean, there has to be a chef out there who would let someone work in their kitchen on a slow night?  And if you’re not in the food business, we’re happy to accept other items and experiences (ever wanted to ride on the Zamboni at a Hurricanes’ game?  You can if you’re the winning bidder).

So help me out.  Buy tickets to the Band Together show.  Or better yet, buy VIP tickets. And if your business is looking for a way to give back to the community, consider a sponsorship.  Finally, of course, we’d love for you to donate items to the silent auction.

And they don’t have to be food-related, unlike this blog.

——-

Band Together for the Lucy Daniels Center

bandtogethernc.org

June 6, 2009

Featuring Rusted Root, the Rosebuds, Chatham County Line and after-party by Hobex

Downtown Raleigh at the Lincoln Theatre

8 Comments | Best Of the Triangle, Events, Family and Food, Raleigh, Restaurants | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

Sign of the Apocalypse: Domino’s Bread Bowl Pasta

April 24, 2009

breadbowl_pasta

In the world of bad ideas made worse, I offer as Exhibit A Domino’s new “Bread Bowl Pasta.”  Holy crap.  I can just imagine the meeting where this idea came up.  ”Imagine yourself eating a big plate of spaghetti and meatballs.  What do most people want with that?  No, not wine, BREAD!  We all know that most folks like some bread with their pasta.  And so, why not combine the two?  Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you, the Bread Bowl Pasta!”

If I were in that room, I would have either hurled or uttered a stream of profanities, but not because I was elated over the proposition.  Because I would have been stunned by how desperate Domino’s had become to introduce this ridiculous item.  And it might make me want to dream of the good old days when the grossest thing about Domino’s was the Youtube videos their employees posted.

14 Comments | General | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Varmint

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