Tracy in Sea Isle City

There can't be anything more tragic than losing a son or daughter - it's every parents nightmare. Sadly enough, 35-year-old Tracy Hottenstein was found dead in Sea Isle City during the annual (2009) Polar Bear Plunge that attracts thousands of visitors to the area to watch a percentage of them plunge into the freezing water of the Atlantic Ocean. It's one of those events that takes place in beaches all over the world, and yes, it is an excuse for a major celebration. I'm all for plunging into the ocean as long as the water temperature is at least seventy degrees.

Tracy Hottenstein died from ingesting too much alcohol (acute alcohol intoxication). Her parents are in the process of suing basically everyone in Sea Isle City including the City itself (along with the Chief of Police, three bar owners, the doctors at the hospital where she was taken, as well as some of her friends).

As difficult as it might be, the time has come to stop blaming the world for what happened to your daughter. It's a terrible tragedy, but when it's all said and done,
there is only one person who is really to blame, and may she rest in peace.

It's the End of the World As We Know It!

Our enemy is winning and they don't need nuclear or dirty bombs, and illegal aliens have nothing to do with it. We are quietly in need of raising the white flag because it's only a matter of time.

The crowds coming in daily from Mexico have nothing to do with this, and that crazy man from Iran is incapable of matching the plot that is slowly and most assuredly capturing the hearts and minds of our children. Forget about the bombs, and forget about a hopeless war in Afghanistan. All you have to do is turn on your television, or better yet, hit the link provided below. Watch the presentation for at least two minutes, and you will agree that life in America can never be the same.

The popular kid's show is called i-Carly, and this is what the lawyers call a "res ipsa loquitor" (the thing speaks for itself). Just watch the video on their site, and you will agree that it's officially over. This program is not to be confused with Sesame Street, Captain Kangaroo, or even Elmo. This baby is absolutely (in my opinion) the real end of the world as we know it!

www.icarly.com

Let's begin with the good news … Chef Georges Perrier is not about to close one of Philadelphia's classic restaurants, and that's good news for the City. Le Bec-Fin will remain open and I simply don't understand the negativity surrounding his New Year's Eve announcement. There are some that would prefer a KFC at 1523 Walnut Street (and don't laugh because they did build a McDonald's in the same neighborhood) - a decision that might be the worst in the history of Downtown Philadelphia. KFC actually replaced the once charming San Marco in Bala-Cynwyd,and I would also add Applebee's replacing Bookbinder's on 15th Street, and certainly Chipolte's replacing Susanna Foo at 15th & Walnut.

Here is a list that is something to think about (Top Ten Restaurant Cities from Esquire Magazine)...

1. New York
2. Chicago
3. San Francisco
4. New Orleans
5. Los Angeles
6. Las Vegas
7. Houston
8. Washington,DC
9. Boston
10. Seattle

Philadelphia is noticeably absent, and that has become a continuing problem. We are not getting the national publicity, and in my opinion, the Philadelphia restaurant
community is incredibly under-rated. The New York Times just did a fantastic travel
piece on the Philadelphia restaurant scene and some in the local media are actually complaining that the article will make it more difficult for the locals to obtain a
reservation in some of our more popular restaurants.

With this in mind, why would some criticize the decision of Le Bec-Fin to remain open? We are talking about one of the most famous restaurants in the world. The truth is that we need all the celebrity chefs we can find, and Philadelphia has to
be more aggressive in terms of positioning itself as a truly significant culinary destination. We need Georges Perrier, Stephen Starr, Jose Garces, Marc Vetri(and a host of others).

I just attended the Travel Show at the Convention Center and it was amazing to hear
out-of-town travel professionals raving about the Philadelphia Restaurants. So many of them identified themselves as "foodies" and they were blown away with our restaurant scene.

The one negative comment (so to speak) came from a travel professional from Newport, Rhode Island. She fell in love with the Reading Terminal and could not believe the Market would close so early... "the place was closing down at 5:30, and they are walking away from so much potential evening business".

Now that might be something to think about.

I Haven't Been to Heaven, but I Did Taste Sequoia Grove Wines at Bern's Steakhouse...

When I grow-up, I want to be like Mike (pictured above). Michael Trujillo is obviously enjoying himself and should he ever decide to do something other than be the President (and Director of Winemaking)at Sequoia Grove in the Napa Valley, I will gladly make myself available to fill the vacancy.

I'm certain that it's not as easy as it looks, but I will take my chances. What is extremely easy is enjoying a dinner at one of the best steakhouses in the world, and tasting the superb wines of the highly acclaimed Sequoia Grove. Our host was indeed Mike Trujillo and the experience was as good as it gets.

If wine is part of the process,Bern's is certainly an appropriate venue. This classic Tampa restaurant has some 6,800 selections, and some half a million bottles. What's amazing is that they offer
many old and rare bottles at extremely reasonable prices. At a time when most American restaurants think nothing of a 300% markup, the prices on Bern's
famous list could almost convince you that it is the 1950s all over again. The steaks, dry-aged for up to eight weeks, are trimmed and cut once you order, and
broiled over lump hardwood charcoal and they are indeed something special. My advice to anyone interested in tasting a truly superb wine from Napa Valley,
Sequoia Grove and Berns go very well together.

Natalie

Monday In Aruba, 2005...

I have always been bothered by the story of Aruba and the disappearance Natalie Holloway. So much has been said and so much has been written on this subject, but allow me to offer a different spin – not on what happened, but what should have happened.

There were 125 members of the Mountain Brook High School senior class that traveled to the beautiful Caribbean island of Aruba. Only 124 returned and we have heard so much about the story surrounding the tragedy, and it still remains a mystery. In all likelihood, it will be an unsolved mystery forever.

I happen to believe that one can travel anywhere on the planet, and there are people out to get you. So many blamed it on Aruba, but in my mind, the blame belongs someplace else. These were high-school kids having fun and not surprisingly, there was alcohol involved. More to the point, there was a single bar involved, and in this bar, Natalie had the unfortunate experience of meeting one of these guys that “are out to get you.”

My following statement has nothing to do with hindsight because I know precisely what would have happened had I been there. There would be no way on this earth that she would have walked out that door with three guys and jumped in a car that was heading for the beach. Chaperones have a responsibility in terms of just being chaperones, and if you are in your hotel room sleeping, it's possible that somebody is going to get into trouble.

I have been in Aruba, but I wasn't there that night, and maybe it's totally unfair to blame the adults that were on this trip. I only know what I would have done. It's possible that there would have been a confrontation, but one thing is for sure -there is absolutely no way that these kids get into that car.

It's not all that complicated, but for whatever reason, the adults were not there when she needed them. In my mind, this is the real tragedy.

Jimmy and Michael

If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.” — Michael Corleone, from the Godfather


Michael eliminated Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey at Louis’ Italian/American Restaurant in the Bronx (home of best veal in the New York). It was a nasty scene and a good place not to be dining on that particular evening.

My thoughts turned to a recent conversation with Chef/Owner Jimmy Bradley (The Red Cat and the Harrison in New York) and his discussion on the “Anticipation and Recovery” service concept. This is his ongoing staff training exercise that addresses all kinds of things that can go wrong in a restaurant, and how one reacts to each situation. I’m guessing that the owner of Louis’ in the Bronx had to do more for his guests that night than just complimentary desserts.

Maybe the Corleone example is a bit over the top, but this column was inspired by a real letter from a restaurant customer who orchestrated a birthday party in a local restaurant for his mother-in-law. It was a party of twelve in a familiar Italian spot where his guest of honor was a regular customer. While the servers were bringing their entrees to the birthday table, an older gentleman seated directly behind them passed out and some understandable panic took place. Some members of the waitstaff attempted to revive the man and eventually the rescue squad arrived and took him to the hospital.

At this point, it is fair to say that the birthday party had taken a turn for the worse, and they finished their meal and left the restaurant with no apparent reaction from the management. The man who wrote us the letter (email) was simply wondering about the protocol of a restaurant when something like this happens.

It’s a party of twelve, and a difficult decision to pick-up his check, but maybe a gift certificate would have been in order. At the very least, an owner or manager should have visited his table and made some type of statement. Who knows what happened – we weren’t there. The real question goes back to the anticipation and recovery issue. How many restaurants actually have a plan to react to a possible crisis in their establishment?

Of course, the really interesting question is what would Jimmy Bradley do during those horrific moments after Michael returned from the men’s room?


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Mr. Brown

I happen to believe that a chef/owner is the absolute key to this business. Show me a restaurant owned and operated by the chef and invariably, it's a very good restaurant. Having said that, show me a restaurant with an owner present (chef or otherwise) and chances are that it's going to be a positive experience.

The Food Network people get tons of press, which is just one of the perks of being involved at this level. I caught something that Alton Brown had to say in a recent
interview, and in my mind, it's worth repeating. Herein is what Mr. Brown had to say...

"The rules of hospitality have not changed. In the end, you go into a restaurant or any place where the owner is there, and that is going to be a different kind of experience. You are going to be fed differently—better—by people who own the place, who have invested of themselves in a place. I have found that to be true absolutely across the board."

"I can walk into just about any restaurant now in America and know 'the owner is here' or 'the owner is not here.' There is no way to replace that in a corporate restaurant in any way, fashion or form. And I don't care if it's a hot dog stand or a three-Michelin-star restaurant. If the owner is there, it's going to be a very different experience, and I would say it's going to be a better experience, and that's what hospitality really is."