July 18, 2016
Today's Specials
When life gives you lemons... [Hack #060]
Food stains and grime can stick itself easily to microwaves, making it a pain to clean. Here's an easy tip for loosening things up.
JOHNNIES BE GOOD [Song]
Johnny Gomes wasn't invited to meet the President this time. No repeat of this jacket, alas.
You remember Johnny Gomes of the crazy “Stars and Stripes” jacket when he visited the White House with the, then, World Champion Boston Red Sox? Well, it appears his short stint with last year’s World Series winners didn’t merit him an invitation to shake the President’s hand. The champions Kansas City Royals limited their roster for the visit at the direction of the White House and Gomes didn’t make the cut. "I've been sent down. I've been non-tendered, whatever," Gomes said. "But this is probably the worst news of my professional baseball career." Maybe, Johnny, but we are sure that the other Johnny is having a more difficult time.
When you embrace a nick name like “Johnny Football” and enter the NFL, you can expect high expectations. Unfortunately, four years on, Johnny Manziel has only achieved expectations of the low variety. You just keep wondering when he will bottom out. In a statement made to the Washington Post, Manziel confirms what you already suspected: “I’m not saying I’m never drinking again.” While we aren’t PR experts, it might be better if he just kept those sentiments to himself…unless playing football simply isn’t what he wants to do anymore.
DID MIKE PENCE EARN TWITTER’S IRE?
Why it’s important to you: Anyone of us would be happy to have the VP candidate dine at our place.
The Twittersphere has strong opinions on lots of topics and many times they are ahead of popular sentiment. However, when it comes to their condemnation of vice presidential candidate Mike Pence’s dinner choice, they really miss the mark. Yes, New York City is home to some of the best restaurants in the country and the current governor of Indiana did choose the known quantity when he dined at the Chili’s close to the airport. So what? Although you will have to admit some of these burns are pretty funny. Our favorite was from @Tehrific, “There's a great underground Italian eatery for next time you're in NY--the Olive Garden.”
Here are a few more:
EXTRAORDINARY CLAIMS REQUIRE EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE – CARL SAGAN
Why it’s important to you: Accusations of food fraud call our integrity into question.
This past week Eater.com posted a damning long form story on common fake foods on restaurant menus. Their findings are disheartening to those of us that work hard to deliver exactly what we promise to our guests. At the heart of the article are the unsupportable claims made by restaurants regarding the provenance of their center of the plate — protein items. For example, the article claims that 38% of fish on menus is mislabeled as one species when actually another; that number rises to a whopping 74% when it comes to sushi joints.
The truth about beef, pork and chicken is no better. Given that only 2% of beef graded is judged USDA Prime, it’s hard to believe all the “prime” claims being made in steakhouses across the country. Or take the average Kobe beef menu attribution. Do you really thing Kobe (it’s $20/ounce, btw) is gonna be on the menu as sliders for $15? Now we aren’t claiming all restaurants are lying about what’s on their menus, but we are saying that extraordinary claims require, extraordinary evidence. Consequently, we are beseeching our colleagues in the restaurant industry not to fall prey to the easy way out and name items without actually delivering them.
LIBERTY OR SECURITY?
Why it’s important to you: Gun control debates around who can carry in public impact who may want to enter your restaurant while armed.
The Cleveland Police Union has asked Governor John Kasich to suspend the states open carry gun laws during the Republican National Convention this week. In the wake of police shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, it’s no surprise the police are concerned about their own security and that of the 50k people that will attend this week’s convention. However, does that give the governor the power to suspend a constitutionally protected right?
No question gun control is a hot button issue in these troubled times; the issue really is security over civil liberties. Ben Franklin famously said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” That being said, no one wants anyone exercising their rights to infringe on general security. That is why so many of our peers in the restaurant industry don’t allow guns into their establishments. We understand that balance, but that doesn’t make the question settled — just complicated. Where do you stand on open carry in your restaurant? Let us know and we will publish your responses in a future post.