text:
Revelation: restaurant fanciness displeases me
- e
- ellibobelli Oct 11, 2007 09:20 PM
This revelation was brought on by a dining experience at Cyrus in Healdsburg, CA a few months ago. Cyrus, by many published ranking I've come across, is reported to be one of the best restaurants (most say it's #2 to the French Laundry) in the Napa/Sonoma wine country area.
But first, a little history:
I suppose I'm like many of you - I will spend too much on food. Actually, my guess is that my salary is probably way more out of line with my restaurant choices than most of yours. Once a trip is agreed upon, I spend many, many, many hours researching restaurants, and once chosen, I have many more good hours daydreaming about how pleasurable the meal will be. Then we dine, and the experience often lives up to or even surpasses my expectations! Oh food! How I love thee!
Back to my revelation which I will now expand on. A good dining experience for me takes place when I'm in a good mood, hanging with my homies and eating tasty/interesting food in a relaxing environment. I've found that to eat the really, really interesting and really, really good food means sometimes I gotta go to an expensive restaurant. Like I said earlier, expense is no problem. The problem - I'm finally realizing - is that many expensive restaurants do things that are not relaxing to me! This point was driven home at Cyrus.
Opinion: Cyrus is disgustingly shi-shi. Shi-shi is not relaxing.
Soon as we sit, a clumsy attempt to up-sell the caviar and champagne option is made by a chap in a monkey suit. "Champagne and caviar" is such a shi-shi cliche, oui? The staff all wore a variation of strange tuxedo-like monkey suits that I believe indicated their rank and function. They looked so uncomfortable! Why the formality?
We tried to connect to the staff as human beings, but failed on all accounts. They smiled and engaged and were pleasant, but not in a natural way. They seemed to have been programmed to respond in a way that reflected the belief that elegance and lavishness are high virtues. Go to the restroom and a specialist rushes to grab your napkin and neatly fold it on your chair. As these useless acts of elegance pile up my comfort level goes down. I suppose the idea is to make people feel important and pampered, but my guess is that more and more people are like me and find this a distraction from the overall experience. What say you? By the way, the food was pretty good - a bit trendy, overly-precious, and not great, but still pretty darn good. I say this as an aside because food is only part of my equation. The meal was $500 for two and not much fun. My equation now includes fun.
You can see some Cyrus pix mixed in with a set of mine on Flickr:
This experience made me re-evaluate other experiences at "great" restaurants. Lutece in the 1980's. The menu is in French with no prices, and the waiter corrects my father when he tries to order two dishes with puff pastry: "No-no monsieur, you do not want two pastries." I told all my buddies how awesome it was! I see it differently now - the food was really, really good, but the experience was the opposite of "awesome". It was not fun, but somehow I was conditioned to value it. How was I conditioned this way? I can't fully explain it.
Nevertheless, a good meal should be fun. Seems so simple. . . now I know. . . future plans will take this into consideration.
Agree? Disagree?
I love great food and at times spend the $$$ to experience something usually as a pioneering aspect. As if I want to learn how to cook it. Other times as in sushi I would not attempt at home. Still $500?
I think we're seeing more emphasis on what I call nuts and bolts dining. I love good food and don't need to see any pretense involved. No matter how involved the recipe or ingredients can be. When I enter any service oriented arena I want to be educated accordingly. And certainly not the hipster condescending attitude that's found all too often. While I enjoy tipping higher than most. Thanks for bringing light to this subject.
The thing is, fine dining and good service should never be hat uncomfortable. I adore whe I can afford a place that treats me well and gives me good service.
Some places, however, go too far. They do not understand the true art of service. They attempt to copy a "french fancy" standard that is not real. French waitstaff and servers study intensely for years to to it right. In fact, in cooking schools in French, students eventually have to choose between waiting and cooking.
an owner or restauranteur who believes that fancy, upscale service means that the customer must be taken by the hand firmly and "shown the way" is a twit. Good waiters may gently guide a diner towards another option if it is one that he know the customer ultimatley will not enjoy (say, an awful wine pairing or mix of app and main) but in the end, he should never say what the diner wants. the diner wants what they ask for.
Primping and picking and constantly tidying after the dining is terrible when obviously done, but a gentle weep of the crumb catcher is not out of place, as long as it is discreet.
Putting the napkin on your chair is actually something you should do, as a sign to the busboy that you are not done and do not wish your plate cleared. Sort of like how closing your menu and putting it down signifies you are ready to order. there are tons of these signs that we have forgotten about as dining out etiquette has faded away.
when I pay $$$$$$ to dine and drop my fork, I have to say I do not lean down to pick it up. 70 years ago, NO ONE anywhere picked up their own fork when eating out. You were paying for someone to cook, and serve you,a nd the service was part of the bill. A dropped utensil or napkin would quickly and discreetly be picked up by the manager or waiter. and replaced with a clean one.
guess the bottom line is that a fancy expensive place should ensure their staff is warm and yet discreet in their duties. Making the customer feel stupid or picked at is never a good thing. Neither is ignoring them. Proper discreet waiting by good waitstaff is an art, and hard to come by these days, since anyone can be a waiter without much training.
Then again, look at how our standards are dropped. If I pay over $100 for a meal for two, I still expect everyone to be dressed well, meaning no jeans, t shirts, sweaters tennis shoes or baseball caps, let alone low-rider sweats with words written over the ass. People tell me I'm silly to still think that. For that kind of environment, I have to pay over $500 for two, and even then, in LA, I can expect bluejeans and a trucker cap or two. And probably at least four screaming babies or insane toddlers.
re: Diana
I agree, Diana, that restaurants in the US sometimes try to copy the service in France but don't really understand it. At one bistro in Paris my girlfriend dropped a glass of water, which broke on the floor. One of the waiters - I don't know what level of the waitstaff hierarchy he was - instantly swept the shards of glass under the banquette, to deal with later, and replaced her glass smoothly and in a way that greatly lessened her embarrassment at having made a faux pas in the first place. That epitomized good service to me.
It seems this ethic has been replaced in this country by the upselling ellibobelli mentions. I never saw any of this in Europe, and it certainly does detract from the meal by making everybody uncomfortable, servers and customers alike. It's got nothing to do with the food; it's about the business.
My theory on the disconnect is that high-end restaurants, which originated largely in Europe, originally catered to the upper classes. The problem was that the best dishes they served were originally peasant dishes, or derived from peasant dishes. The service was one way to set the experience apart from the lower class restaurants, serving similar food to poor people at much lower prices at the tavern a few doors down the street. How it transformed into the stuffed-shirt parody of elegance that you see at some places nowadays is something else, probably driven largely by business concerns as above.
re: Bat Guano
The whole point of service, as well as all rules associated "good manners" is to make other people feel comfortable, no matter what they do or say. That's all we expect from others and it's the best we can do for people we work, socialize, live or eat with.
The French waiter who quickly swept the glass shards under the banquette was successful at that.
The pomposity that Diana described was not.
You lost me at shi shi.
Before Chowhound, the only experience I had with shi shi was with young children. Shi shi means "to urinate" in Hawaiian and or Japanese.
I used to wonder if the Chowhound posters meant chic, but based on the way it is used on this site, I don't think they mean to use chic.
Please explain what you think shi shi means, or provide a link that defines the word.
re: Alan408
Probably "chi-chi", instead of "shi-shi" Phonetic spellling, I guess. The same way someone might use "tony".
What the OP meant was "ultra high end, trendy and super fancy"
re: ellibobelli
When I read "shi shi" "frou frou" or "fancy schmancy" I immediately know where a review is headed.
re: Alan408
"chichi" (or chi-chi) means "affectedly trendy"
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordo... There is a good foodie example among the others. It does not mean chic - chic can be very simple.
First off - totally disagree.
It appears to jfood that this attitude reflects the me-first, me-only entitlement that so many young people have adopted. They want to choose the rules, the whereabouts and the attitude that they want to evoke on those around them even if it disturbs others.
It is interesting how the OP does all this research and the has an epiphany when he arrives at the elegance of Cyrus (and no jfood has never eaten there). And what disturbs him? The waiters are wearing tuxedos, the waiters fold his napkin when he leaves the table for a few minutes, and then he besmirches those who expect good service at good restos to "make people feel important and pampered."
Personally jfood likes everything you described. No, he does not want to see your dirty napkin rolled in a ball on your table when you go to the men's room and the waiter folding or removing is a positive, not a negative. Hopefully your dning companions feel the same. Likewise not every resto is a playing field for obnoxious and boorish behavior, while others are.
Having "fun" is not only playing touch football with the "homies" or sticking your head in a wine vat for a neat photo, it is also enjoying a relaxing meal with freinds and loved ones and having good service and good food. And it is not the custo that dictates the ambience of any resto, it's the resto's business and if you like it you go, and if you don;t , well choose another resto.
But please do not ruin it for others by acting inappropriately. The resto is there for everyone.
But jfood agrees, eating at a resto should be fun with your friends and if it is not then you need to change either the restos you go to or your friends.
re: jfood
There's a different type of restaurant with a different level of food, service, and experience for each and everyone of us to choose from. I like, no - love, no - obsessively seek to wear short pants as a matter of comfort. I plan to be buried or cremated in a pair of shorts. I wish the fashionistas would declare it to be acceptable to wear a suit that included short pants to anywhere calling for a suit - not just in Bermuda or a couple of other countries that really have their act together (of course, that's only IMHO). The only places I'll even consider wearing long pants are at (most) weddings, (most) funerals (but not mine), and the (very occasional) restaurant with some sort of implied or formal dress code.
Cyrus sounds like one of those restos where I would feel practically naked in a pair of shorts. I wouldn't be caught dead in a place like that on an average day (unless one of those funerals I spoke of earlier happened to be mine and the herse carrying my cold Quicksilver shorts-laden body swerved into Cyrus's storefront while trying to avoid one of my many enemies throwing stones as a last act of revenge) unless I was invited there for a special occasion. If this were the case, I think I could quickly and easily learn to enjoy a true "shi-shi" experience (not shi-shi like Alan408 describes - there are adult internet pay-sites galore that provide this service at competitive rates - oh, someone told me about these kinds of sites) as I recall having a few dining experiences similar to Cyrus in my otherwise casual-intensive lifestyle.
Like rearends, everyone has an opinion, or two. The OP definitely is entitled to her version of what fun is. But maybe - just maybe Ellibobelli is just a little too banananana-fofeli-fed-up with fru-fru places because she has finally seen the light as well. Tuxedos need to be offered with short pants, and I'd bet a dime to donuts that Ellibobelli is covertly pushing for this so she can show off her calves like me...
Jfood - I'm glad you're back - your master (or are you the boss of the house?) did a fine job filling in while you were out (sniffing out Jfood leads from your place to... Alaska and back?) but we missed you dearly. Please do not stray away ever again...
re: bulavinaka
to be fair, jfood spends most of his leisure time in shorts and tee shirt and barefoot as well. he even wanders to the curb barefooted in the middle of the winter for the paper. and going to tux-waitered restos is not a weekly event after getting beat up all week in the office.
BUT, like the basic good manners of being a member of the human race and one that maturely needs to act appropriately in the environ one is in, attire is part of the gig. and if you want the food, you pay the price, not just monetarily but ambiencely (just made that word up).
jfood was pretty ticked off when he took college jfood to a resto two weeks ago where she wore a nice pair of shorts, a nice blouse and open toed shoes. She was told by the MOD to go back to the dorm to change. The jfood complied. They returned to the resto and were seated and not 10 minutes later a mom and son show up and the son (19'ish) is wearing ripped jeans and a tee-shirt. The two ladies arrived, one wearing a red leather cowboy hat and the other wearing an alligator sun visor. And they kept them on for the entire meal.
But the resto had "one rule, no shorts" as the MOD told jfood again on the way out. Go figure.
re: jfood
What jfood say about the napkin makes sense - I never thought about that as an issue for other diners. I definitely didn't mean to insult people who expect good service when I said I guess the restaurant wants to make people feel important and pampered. Perhaps my post was a little too aggressive. . . I agree with everything jfood says, I just think we define "good service" a little differently. And that's o.k.!
I would never insist that a restaurant change there standards for me, but like bulavinaka, I have a preference for casual attire. I do have pretty good calves (actually, they're incredible), though I'm a guy. The "elli" part is short for elliott.
Btw, I can understand being confused by the timing of my epiphany. I don't know why it took me so long to figure out what I like.
re: ellibobelli
Hey Elli(ott), sorry to assume you were Ellie. I first posted everything as he/she, but decided, awh whattheheck - Elli must be the nice lady in the middle of the two blokes in the photos - so you're one of the blokes - still, you look like you'd hold up well in a pair of shorts and a tuxedo... I guess that's why I suck at gambling as well - even when the odds seem pretty good, if I'm betting on red, it's going to come up black.
If you want a really top-knotch dining experience where you don't have to dress up, try the South Pacific. Most of the tourist destinations have world class hotels and resorts where the staff is very well versed in etiquette, the food can be amazing, and you'd be laughed out of the dining area for showing up in anything more than a nice aloha shirt and a clean pair of shorts. Also, the views are of heaven.
Champagne and caviar isn't cliche, it's classic. I actually enjoy all the fussing and pampering. It doesn't make me uncomfortable at all, and I'm in my 20s. I frequent plenty of wonderful places with casual service, but when I enjoy a triple-figure meal that is the level of service I expect.
re: hrhboo
My calling "Champagne and caviar" a cliche is an example of my post being too aggressive. Just because I had a negative, personal reaction to it, doesn't mean I should criticize it, nor implicitly criticize people who like it. My apologies.
re: ellibobelli
No worries, you're as entitled to your opinion as the rest of us. I did not feel that you were being critical of anyone's personal preferences. At least now you have a firmer idea of the restaurant experiences you enjoy the most, which can only help maximize your pleasure while dining out!
I definitely run into "high-end fatigue". It's the brother of "low-end boredom". I address both by going to a mix of high-end restaurants and low-end holes-in-the-wall.
I can't ask ONE restaurant to address my whole way of thinking and eating, any more than I can ask to eat only ONE dish.
I recommend that the OP have dinner at l'Espadon at the Ritz in Paris. Formal service should never make you uncomfortable, and the tuxedoed staff there performs a beautifully choreographed ballet as they cater to your every need. From the champagne cart, through the 6 course tasting menu, to the cheese cart, there is someone who anticipates every need, almost before you think it. When you go to a restaurant that provides service at that level, you have responsibilities too. Among them is the awareness that you are a participant in an exceptional experience, and that your appreciation will be enhanced by embracing the restaurant's culture, whether it is formal French or Japanese kaiseki. Put the baseball cap and sneakers away for a night.
I think there's a fine line between being well-taken care of in a proper way at an upscale restaurant and too fussy, like everyone working in there is holding a dime between their butt cheeks. The latter makes me uncomfortable and I have a hard time dining as I'm paying attention to my posture and how I'm sitting or paranoid I may for a moment set my elbows on the table or slurp my soup. These types of places also seem to be very, very quiet or with some faint and overplayed classical music (Vivaldi's Four Seasons comes to mind, as does Eine Kleine Nachtmusic). It just feels stiff and uncomfortable.
I *do* like being taken care of and a certain level of fancyness when I go to that type of restaurant, but it's a delicate balance to achieve. If you get a waiter who pinches his lips together into a thin line of disapproval because you order an inexpensive glass of wine or something, it's not going to be fun.
I'm a stickler for etiquette and one of the things I like about the upscale places, however rarely I visit them, is that they know what to do with the napkin and such. But given my choices over and over, I pick less formal restaurants as I like more relaxed dining.
"The menu is in French with no prices, and the waiter corrects my father when he tries to order two dishes with puff pastry: "No-no monsieur, you do not want two pastries."
But.. actually.. many people would complain if the server DIDN'T point that out.
Now, some will argue that the server could've worded it differently.. but it is safe to assume that English may not have been the server's first language.
I think formality and elegance is something that should be preserved.
No one forces people to go to fancy restaurants. But I for one want the option of going to a place where I know I will not be seated next to a group in cut off jeans and tank tops with their screaming dirty children.
Its funny, people who like formal dining rarely complain about the existence of non formal restaurants. But it seems people who don't like fine dining feel so insecure about it they question its validity as an option.
Generally, one knows when the place one is going to is formal. There is always the option to not go.
Actually, I think the problem might be Cyrus, not fancy restaurants. I like to eat at very nice restaurants quite often, but when I ate at Cyrus, I was also struck by their somewhat awkward and overly formal service. It was almost like their service staff had seen real waiters on tv and were just imitating them without really understanding their meaning or purpose. Nothing was outright *wrong*, but even they seemed a little uncomfortable with their actions.
IMHO good service at a high end restaurant is unobtrusive, helpful and graceful. I've found that at plenty of fancy restaurants, and I definitely wouldn't write off the whole category because of one uncomfortable experience.
When I was in Paris this year, I did not spend so much time on the Metro going to a "destination." I spent more time – umm, wondering around. I walked, bum knees and all. I made four visits to Mariage Frere and went to some restaurants more than once. This is a different kind of experience than saying "I have this many places I HAVE to see." I watched the people and did not speak so much. When I got caught in a down pour, I caught a bus going somewhere just because it was out of the rain. The French people I saw were not "courteous." They were considerate of others. "Courteous" has come to mean a rigid adherence to set laws. "Consideration" in this context means following the spirit of concern for the comfort and well-being of others. As jfood has related, that place had a rigid rule against shorts but was not able to apply a spirit of dressing decently or appropriately. The staff at the over-the top place the OP described was stiff and uncomfortable because they were trying to follow someone's rigid idea of "proper" rather than their spirit of service that would help the diner have a comfortable and enjoyable dinner.


text:
» Recipe: Pumpkin Bialys!
Go make those right now. The man behind the recipe, Philip Gelb, from In the Mood for Food: Vegan Catering, made a bunch of plain Bialy's for the SF Vegan Bakesale and they sold out SOVERYFAST. They were delicious perfection. I can imagine they will only get better with pumpkin in them! Oh and he served them with this amazing homemade vegan cream cheez [sic] that was killer. Suck it, Tofutti!
∞ posted at 13:41 by laurahooperb
Vegan Halloween candy, Oprah (!), weekend events, and FINALLY: findings from Japanese whaling research! All in this week's link-o-rama! »
Meaverly's computer is out of commission right now (ugh computers are such pieces of shit, except this one, i love you, computer, you are very attractive, please don't explode on me) and so I'm taking over this ship. Get ready to crash into the rocks! Gloriously!
Natalie Portman is gonna be on Top Chef. WILL IT BE AN ALL-VEGAN EPISODE, now that she is recently vegan!? I mean, we think she is but we've been confused before! Here's hoping the episode is totally vegan but we're not planning on it because OMG COOKING VEGAN FOOD NIGHTMARE HOW WILL WE FIND FLAVOR WITHOUT USING BABY BLOOD!?!? Didn't they once have a Quickfire challenge where they had to cook fellow contestant's children? I'm pretty sure that was in Season 3.
Even though we're nearing the end of October, Vegan MoFo is still in full swing! If you're interested in winning some awesome handmade cups & dishes, head to Vessels & Wares to enter! You have to put down your favorite blog entry and PLEASE GOD let it be one from Vegansaurus because I'm like srsly close to the edge today.
Vegan chef Tal Ronnen was on Oprah. THAT IS CORRECT. Now, his book is the 3rd best selling thing on ALL OF AMAZON. Such is the power of the mighty, mighty O. IF you missed it, you can check out his recipes from the show and BUY HIS BOOK. Because it's really great. And we want him to beat out Sarah Palin and take the #1 spot on Amazon! YOU CANNOT LET SARAH PALIN WIN. I need you to fight like we did back in 2008, people.
Remember when the UN Report, LIvestock's Long Shadow, came out and everyone was terrified and disgusted? Well, apparently that report grossly underestimates exactly how bad animal agriculture is for the earth. Blarg.
Wayne Pacelle, head honcho of HSUS, posted a great blog entry on 50 things you can do for animals. Definitely worth a read and then TAKE SOME ACTION, LAZY.
Speaking of lists, Rory Freeman has a great one up at Crazy Sexy Life. It's all about how to be a better person and it's not all schmaltzy and lame, it's full of good advice. NOW IF ONLY I COULD TAKE IT.
FINALLY, the results from all the Japanese whaling research (read: killing whales and not doing any research) are in: whales eat krill; and, you can't inject whale sperm into a cow egg and get a hybrid whale-cow. SERIOUSLY. If this makes you really mad—and it must because you have a brain and a heart—donate to Sea Shepherd so that they can get better at doing what they're doing because even if they look crazy sometimes (read: almost 100 percent of the time), they are the only ones out there doing this and they will get better.
VegNews has up an awesome definitive guide to vegan Halloween candy because we're all totally fat around here and gotta have it.
You've probably for sure seen this but if not, it's a HOUND DOG hanging with an ORANGUTAN. Watch it and you'll want to gouge out your eyeballs when you're done because you'll never see something so great again. And you're into self-mutilation. I guess you'd need to have those two things going for you.
The long awaited, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, isn't available on Amazon yet but Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe has it if you need it gotta have it right now. Which, you might because COOKIES!!!
If you're all about the street food, there is an event in the Mission on Saturday, Oct. 24th. I can't tell exactly what it is, film screenings, mainly, I think. There will be lots of food carts on the scene, many vegan friendly. No guarantees obviously b/c those crazy cart food people can change at any moment because nobody is regulating their shit but here's hoping! I know Wholesome Bakery is all-vegan and they'll be there so yeah WOO!
Rod Rotundi, he of the BEST NAME EVER, is promoting his new book, Raw Food for Real People, also on Saturday from 3 to 4 p.m. at Omnivore Books. It's cool that OMNIvore Books is doing a veg event so let's all show up and turn it out for the vegans and maybe they'll do more in the future! Oh also, there will totally be free food at this event so I'm gearing up by not eating today (lie) and most of the day tomorrow (lie).
∞ posted at 10:35 by laurahooperb
The Whole Foods at 1765 California St. is having this sale on So Delicious Coconut Creamer!
Reasons to be excited about this:
- The name does not lie, it really is so delicious;
- It is 100 percent, coconut which is not going to make you skinny but it's hella better for you than the thickeners and shit they put into other nondairy creamers;
- Silk creamer is also good but soy will totally make your kids gay; and
- It's a total recession hack! At $2, it's less than the price of that hand-dripped Four Barrel I know all you fools are drinking. Why don't you get some grounds from your favorite prissy roastery (they sell the Ritual grounds at my local corner store and I have to admit, they make a tasty home cup) and multiply your weekly coffee budget into your bimonthly one? Except I don't think the creamer will last two months. But who knows? I digress. Go get some! Get two (That's the point of the sale)! Give one to someone you have a crush on for instant reciprocation!
Sale ends next Tuesday, Nov. 3. Isn't there also an election that day? Why yes there is! If you're such an activist, you lazy hipster, why don't you get to the polls and vote NO on the commercialization of public space and take some time to read about how Prop. 13 broke California?
Speaking of activism, I know we're not supposed to be shopping at Whole Foods because their CEO is an asshole (oh and none of us can afford to anyway because it is fucking $1.99 for a potato—that is NOT recession-hacking) BUT they do carry a lot of the good stuff we like to put in our bodies, and the people who actually work there are usually really cool and just doing their jobs (you should try to date one of them sometime because they get a ton of free produce!!) AND we are trying to get the Northern California Whole Foods regional buyer to carry Basu's Homestyle, the awesome Indian prepared foods they have in the Southern California and Nevada stores (celebrities woo!) so you can consider your trip to Whole Foods a recon mission if you stop at the customer service desk and ask why we still don't have the delicious vindaloo of the stars.
∞ posted at 15:13 by meganallison-deactivated2012021
You already know we love Sweet and Sara Marshmallows up in here AND NOW THEY ARE OFFERING VEGAN MARSHMALLOW GHOSTS FOR HALLOWEEN. Ordering a million.
∞ posted at 13:57 by laurahooperb
» Tell Chipotle we want vegan burritos everywhere! Please & thank you!
Chipotle is test-marketing a vegan burrito in its D.C. location and we need to let them that we want it in all 837 of their restaurants! I know walking into a Chipotle in San Francisco is basically like going on a 12-state killing spree (but less understandable I MEAN WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?) but you know, sometimes we travel. And think of the poor vegans in Boise JUST THINK OF THEM FOR ONCE YOU ARE SO SELFISH.
Email the company and post on their Facebook wall and let them know, we want all up in that piece. The good people over at Fuck Yeah, Animal Rights tried the burrito in question yesterday and report that it's delicious and the same price as a regular beans-and-rice burrito. We'll take it!!
∞ posted at 11:59 by laurahooperb
Cinnaholic's first place cupcakes from SF Food Wars. They're Blueberry Dragon Fruit Chocolate Ganache Cakes. I'll take 50 dozen. Delivered to my mouth, please.
∞ posted at 16:29 by laurahooperb
Recipe: Beer Bread made with Pumpkin Ale! YES YES YES »
This is the easiest, best thing ever to make. You'll want to never eat anything else. Slather it with Earth Balance, make sandwiches with it, swallow the loaf whole (dang! you're talented!) or whatever. Just eat it immediately. Also, it's super cheap to make and will sustain you for days. I mean, in addition to other things, Anorexic Annie.
All you need is:
a box of Trader Joe's Beer Bread Mix.
a bottle of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale (In the SF Bay Area, you can find it at Whole Foods right now!)
1/4 cup melted Earth Balance (use organic, if you can! it's better for the world!)
a little pumpkin pie spice or garam masala.
All you do is put the TJ's Beer Bread Mix in a bowl. Stir in the Punkin Ale. Put the dough in a bread pan. Top with the melted Earth Balance. Sprinkle on the pumpkin pie spice or garam masala. Bake according to the package directions. Eat it all, be fat and happy. THE END YOU'RE WELCOME.
∞ posted at 11:51 by laurahooperb
This week's SF Vegan Bakesale earned over $2,600 (IN ONE DAY) for Give Me Shelter Cat Rescue!!! Give Me Shelter also adopted out two cats!!!! SO RAD. I am still in shock about the amount of money we made, was totally expecting to make around $1,500 but DANG. We would have made more if we didn't completely run out by 2:30 pm. NIGHTMARE. With over 50 bakers, I didn't think that would be possible but people TURNED IT OUT. So all that means is that next time, we need YOU! to bake. It doesn't have to be fancy-fancy. Everyone can make cookies, right? EVEN YOU.
Oh and the San Francisco Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (SFCHRP) collected $193.00 for victims of Typhoon Ondoy (a.k.a. Ketsana). Plus, lots of clothing and relief goods!! They are obviously looking for more so if you are interested in donating, please contact them!
It's impossible to thank everyone involved but I'll give it a go. Let me know if I left you off the list. It's because I am not totally with it ever BUT Super Special Thanks to:
VegNews magazine, À Côté Restaurant, Sugar Beat Sweets, Violet Sweet Shoppe, Idle Hands Baking Company, Cinnaholic (who we heard also won FIRST PLACE & photographers choice at the SF Food Wars Mini Cupcake Clash on Sunday! Congratulations!!!), Fat Bottom Bakery, Pure Life Chef, Mood for Food/Philip Gelb, Avi's Vegan Treats, Laura Lemon, Brassica Supper Club, Ike's Place, Love All Beings, Say It's Not Soy, It's Faturday, Vegan Homemade, I eat cupcakes, UGH I KNOW I'm forgetting people. Amazing people. Crap. Email me if I don't have you on here and I'll add you asap! Also email me if you're interested in participating in the next one, we're thinking sometime around the holidays. Let's DO THIS.
The photo is from/of one of our awesome organizers, Sharon from Veg-Table, showing off the delicious wares! She has some other great photos in her flickr, so check them out!
∞ posted at 10:25 by laurahooperb
» Pumpkin Bread is back at Rainbow & IT IS SO FREAKING AMAZING
Make sandwiches with it, toast it with Earth Balance, put two slices around your hand and try to eat it. whatever.
∞ posted at 14:36 by laurahooperb
» Millennium's Eric Tucker opening a vegetarian restaurant in Jack London Square
It's gonna be a tapas bar or something. Bummer it's not all vegan but not surprised, Eric Tucker isn't vegan and blarg. I mean, I'm excited for a new veg restaurant but I'm bummed that someone coming from one of the world's best vegan restaurants, one that basically re-invented vegan cooking and made it so amazing, is falling back on eggs and cheese. Disappointing.
That said, call us! We want to come to the soft opening and eat all your vegan food and throw the vegetarian bullshit in the bay. You'll love it.
∞ posted at 08:02 by laurahooperb

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Fantasy Football Trends: Johnny Manziel's Influence On Drafts
You don't need to be a fantasy football guru to know you shouldn't draft a back-up quarterback. This is especially true if the back-up in question failed to beat out Brian Hoyer for the starting job.
Browns Hope Johnny Manziel Keeps Focus On Field Instead Of Off
Johnny Manziel fell a lot further than anyone would have expected at the NFL Draft, but he landed right where the Cleveland Browns wanted him to fall. Now, the focus needs to stay on the field instead of off it, and Manziel could up bringing an excitement that the Browns have not seen in decades.
Stevie Johnson Returns Home To Round Out 49ers Receiving Core And Silence Critics
The 49ers' acquisition of wide receiver Stevie Johnson is a win for both the team and player. San Francisco gets what they hope is the final missing piece to their passing game, while Johnson gets the chance to return home and not only play for a contender, but play in a market where his talents will not go un-noticed.
Charles Woodson Must Lead The Oakland Defense To New Heights In 2014
Even though he will be 38 in October and well past his prime, safety Charles Woodson has the ability to lead the Oakland Raiders defense this season to a level the team hasn't seen in awhile.
Darrelle Revis Is The Key Component To New England's New-Look Defense
It's been a long-time since the New England Patriots had a shutdown cornerback on their roster, and they finally have one in former New York Jets star Darrelle Revis.
Jeremy Maclin Must Embrace Becoming The No. 1 Receiver For The Eagles
Jeremy Maclin is not going to have to be Jerry Rice or Terrell Owens. He merely needs to be a receiver for Nick Foles, while the tight ends help chip in the rest of the production in the passing game.
Greg Olsen Gives The Carolina Panthers A Proven Receiving Threat
The Carolina Panthers cut the face of the franchise, Steve Smith, and let the only other three wide receivers on the roster that caught a pass last season leave as free agents. Tight end Greg Olsen is the only proven receiver returning from last season's squad. Olsen should be Cam Newton's favorite target this season.
Fantasy Football: Top 10 NFL Kickers To Draft
Let's not kid ourselves: a kicker is not going to win you a fantasy title. But in a tight match-up, you'll take all the points you can get. All of these players are last-round selections, but you might as well have a strategy for crafting your kicker rankings.
Can Colts WR Hakeem Nicks Regain Old Form In 2014 NFL Season?
Hobbled by injuries, the Indianapolis Colts hope (wide receiver) Hakeem Nicks can contribute with the type of production that catapulted the New York Giants to a Super Bowl championship in 2012.
Darius Slay Key To Lions Secondary
The Detroit Lions' struggles last season cost Jim Schwartz his job, and another disappointing season could do GM Martin Mayhew in. When Lions fans and NFL analysts discussed the team's issues and needs, the secondary came up more often that not.


text:
Antibody Therapeutic Drug Maker Immunogen on the Rise
usman is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
The healthcare sector was introduced to a new segment of therapeutics when the first antibody drug, developed by Janssen-Cilag, came out in 1986.
Today, hundreds of drugs by various companies are in clinical trials that are based on this concept. With cancer research becoming a hot topic in the biotech industry, companies dealing in monoclonal antibody therapeutics for cancer are getting more popular. These companies are expected to be pure growth entities and investors have displayed a fair amount of admiration for these stocks.
Luckily, I found something interesting about ImmunoGen (NASDAQ: IMGN). Despite the negative profitability of the company, it has extensive growth prospects. I will be discussing these prospects along with the company's comparison with its peers.
What is Antibody Therapeutics?
Monoclonal antibodies are created by the B-cells, part of the human body's defense mechanisms, and are a key part of your body's defense against illnesses. Each antibody is able to acknowledge and bind to a particular target, known as an antigen. Antibodies contribute to the immunity system by preventing pathogens from entering or damaging tissues. They eliminate infection through macrophages and other cells by covering the virus, bringing it to the attention of those cells, and then inducing the destruction of infection by stimulating other immune reactions such as the complement pathway.
Immunogen's outlook
Immunogen is a company which develops monoclonal antibody drugs for cancer and small molecule cytotoxic or cell killing agents. The company has been successful in getting FDA approval for a drug known as Kadcyla, which is an ADC for HER2-positive breast cancer. It has been developed in partnership with Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche Holdings.
The company also has a number of other drugs in clinical trials under collaborative partnerships with other large pharmaceutical manufacturers like Sanofi, Bayer and Amgen. The company has 3 drugs of its own including IMGN901 which cures small cell lung cancer, IMGN853 which cures ovarian and small cell lung cancer, and IMGN529 which can treat leukemia and lymphoma. IMGN901 is in phase 2 stage clinical trial whereas the other two are in phase 1. Currently, cancer is the second leading cause of death in US, so the resulting increase in the demand for cancer related drugs ensures a growth oriented future for the company.
Revenue growth
With the success of Kadcyla, the company finally saw some escalation in its revenues. For the first quarter of 2013 it reported revenue of $25 million, which is more than what Immunogen generated in the whole of year 2012. The company has not yet shown profits but they are getting closer to that feat by maintaining a sound Research & Development (R&D) budget. Over the last 3 years, the company has been spending over 300% of its revenue on the research and development. This shows Immunogen's intent to accomplish its pure growth objectives. At this rate, the company would achieve an approval for one of its own drugs in a couple of years and its revenues would shoot up at a rapid rate.
Peer comparison
One of the major competitors of Immunogen working on the antibody therapeutics is Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: SGEN). The company has a strong portfolio comprising of some 10 different drugs. One of them is a well-known FDA approved drug known as Adcetris. The drug has been developed for the cure of leukemia and lymphoma. The other nine are in pipeline but are expected to come out soon in the market. Like Immunogen, Seattle is also conducting research on different pipeline drugs in collaboration with various companies like GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Bayer. Seattle Genetics is a larger manufacturer than Immunogen and is expected to grow at a massive rate once its drugs get approved. Similarly, another smaller cap company Immunomedics (NASDAQ: IMMU) is also developing antibody therapeutics for cancer cure. It has not yet achieved a FDA approval but it is testing its compounds on various types of cancers and is getting encouraging results. Moreover, Immunomedics is also manufacturing radiotracers which can be used to locate tumors during surgeries.
Final assessment
In my opinion, if you want to invest in the US biotech industry, the companies working on antibody therapeutics are good investments. The demand for these therapies is greater than conventional drugs and the risk that these companies might not be able to develop a drug is quite lower than the Orphan drug manufacturers. With one of its drug in the market and several more in the pipeline, Immunogen is an attractive choice. Being the manufacturer of antibody drugs related cancer, it will experience the growth expected from these companies in the future. So I can easily give a strong buy in favor of Immunogen.
usman iftikhar has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends ImmunoGen and Seattle Genetics. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


text:
P. Allen Smith's Garden Home
Radiant Roses
Friday, Sept 26, 11 a.m. on Create
Friday, Sept 26, 5 p.m. on Create
Friday, Sept 26, 5 p.m. on Create
Episode Guide »
Allen loves roses! In this episode Allen visits Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, where he discusses antique roses and shrub roses. Allen then comes back to Arkansas to show off the new rose garden at the Garden Home Retreat. He also tells us how to problem-solve when your roses aren't blooming and how to plant roses in containers. We also visit a garden in Oregon with outstanding shrub roses.


text:
See and share Beautiful Nature Photos and amazing photos of interesting places
"The harder you work, the luckier you get."
Gary Player
Below is the poem entitled Pathological love which was written by poet
Ovidiu-Claudiu. Please feel free to comment on this poem. However, please remember, PoetrySoup is a place of encouragement and growth.
Read Poems by
Berinde Ovidiu-Claudiu
We breathe the same wind
That used to swing the leaves
On my street with solitary angels
Words touching your lips are
Fire flames that goes up the sky
First, passing through me
Then, from your gentle palms
To the meteorites
A pathological love
Able to shake the world
And the gravity
The desire to touch you
Makes me start a war
With the universe


text:
|Pin It
My Mind's Eye, Boy Crazy, Red in FAT QUARTERS 8 Total
Each Fat Quarter Measures: 18"x 22"
You will receive a Fat Quarter of each of the following:
Stars Red
Circles Red
Stripe Orange
Diamonds Gray
Cars Gray
Main White
Crazy Yellow
Crazy Cars White
Fiber Content: 100% Cotton
If you would like to have a 1/2 yard of each print, please enter 2 in the Qty Box.
Yardage is cut in one continuous piece.
Hover over image for a larger, better view.


text:
The 7-P approach to international multi-channel successBritish retailers have undoubtedly built world-leading multi-channel platforms for the domestic market, but targeting overseas consumers often requires a start-up approach. Our objective is to help retailers tackle these challenges.7 November 2012
Multi-channel maturity benchmark reportIn our first annual multi-chanel maturity report we analysed multi-channel activity of the top 50 retailers, by turnover, across five categories: grocery, department stores, clothing, general merchandise and home improvement. Five sections of the customer journey - channels, product information, multi-channel shopping experience, delivery and returns and customer service - are highlighted.28 May 2012
- About
- Directions
- +44 20 8579 3335
- +60 3 8994 3335
- +86 10 5907 0861


text:
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I have never understood this logic: random=uninteresting. Randomness is interesting to me. It's interesting to all the people who go to Las Vegas and who play the Powerball and other assorted lotteries. I personally thought that one of the worst things they ever did was take the stun proc off of Starfire. I had so much fun with that proc I miss it to this day.
DeathPaladin said...
Random can be interesting, but not when random is the only determining factor for whether you win or lose. Powerball and slot machines cater more to the fantasy of getting rich without having to work.
The more glamorous games are things like blackjack or craps. They are also random, but they also require knowing how to capitalize on the randomness if you want a better chance at making a profit.
On a different note, I can see taking out random stun mechanics. From a design standpoint, it's really difficult to create a situation where you don't have one of the two situations cropping up:
1. The stun is so powerful that you can only really win in fights where it procs
2. The stun is so weak that it might as well not exist


text:
Screen printed poster by first year student Samuel Hoh, check out his behance for some more of his work
Typographic Poster design by First year student Abbas Mushtag
There are two sides to every storyT W O W T by Abbas Mushtaq
There are two sides to every storyT W O W T by Abbas Mushtaq
(Source: red-she-said, via not-too-bad)
Project by alumni student Carl Holderness promoting the second event of the LCA pop up shop.
There's even room for a couple of you illustrators on the course, recent graduate Jonny Packham shows off his skills.
Predictions for 2012 by Alumni student Tim wan,
"Pedictions is a calendar series that interprets the definition of fakery by tampering with true events; placing them outside their original context to mislead, trigger nostalgia, and remind people of past events."
clever and beautiful, that's what we like to see, this piece also awarded Tim a membership to International Society of Typographic Designers
Laser cut business card created by alumni student Jimmy Edmondson, check out what he's been up to since leaving the course on his Flickr account.
Collaboration between Art & Design with BAGD student Arthur Carey,
" Work for a 3-day workshop and exhibition at LCA exploiting the clash between digital & analogue to produce a body of work using Processing (open source generative design software) with CNC and laser machines. Guest artists and workshop leaders Rob Laux (Berlin) and Steffi Husslein (Magdeburg). Material screen printed on off-white sugar paper."
#58 Optimism.
#58 Optimism.
Check out Joe's design a day project, a second year design student on the course.
Collaboration with Dom Rugman working with basic principles of Cymatics
Collaboration with Dom Rugman working with basic principles of Cymatics
(Source: domrugman, via mattt-tucker)
FMP work from LCA graphic design graduate Anand, some beautiful print work in collaboration with generation press. Who said designers and printers don't get along?
See more of his work on his website, also defiantly worth checking out generation press if you like sustainable, high quality print.


text:
Human placental lactogen
Human placental lactogen (hPL) is a hormone produced by the placenta, the organ that develops during pregnancy to help feed the growing baby. This hormone breaks down fats from the mother to provide fuel for the the growing baby. It can lead to insulin resistance and carbohydrate intolerance in the mother.
A test can be done to measure the amount of hPL in the blood. The test is only done on pregnant women.
Alternative Names
HPL; Human chorionic somatomammotropin; HCS
How the test is performed
Blood is drawn from a vein, usually on the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic, and an elastic band is placed around the upper arm to apply pressure and restrict blood flow through the vein. This causes veins below the band to fill with blood.
A needle is inserted into the vein, and the blood is collected in an air-tight vial or a syringe. During the procedure, the band is removed to restore circulation. Once the blood has been collected, the needle is removed, and the puncture site is covered to stop any bleeding.
How to prepare for the test
No special preparation is needed.
How the test will feel
When the needle is inserted to draw blood, some people feel moderate pain, while others feel only a prick or stinging sensation. Afterward, there may be some throbbing.
Why the test is performed
The test is done to see how well the placenta is functioning.
Normal Values
A rising HPL value during pregnancy is normal.
What abnormal results mean
Abnormal results may be a sign of abnormal (usually insufficient) placenta function.
HPL values are decreased with:
HPL values are increased with:
- Multiple pregnancies (twins or more)
- Placental site trophoblastic tumor
- Intact molar pregnancy
- Diabetes
- Rh incompatibility
What the risks are
Veins and arteries vary in size from one patient to another and from one side of the body to the other. Obtaining a blood sample from some people may be more difficult than from others. Other risks are rare, but may include:
- Excessive bleeding
- Fainting or feeling lightheaded
- Hematoma (blood accumulating under the skin)
- Infection (a slight risk any time the skin is broken)
Special considerations
The uses of this test are limited to certain rare conditions and medical research.
Reiter EO, Rosenfeld RG. Normal and aberrant growth. In: Kronenberg HM, Shlomo M, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 23.
Baschat AA, Galan HL, Ross MG, Gabbe SG. Intrauterine growth restriction. In: Gabbe SG, Niebyl JR, Simpson JL, eds. Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2007:chap 29.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process, and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation ( www.HONcode.ch.)
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. ©1997-2014 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.
Popular Health Centers
Sign Up for Free Newsletters
Ask Your Doctor the RIGHT Questions!
the most from your doctor visit.
Emailed right to you!
The Ask Your Doctor email series
may contain sponsored content.
18+, US residents only please.
Explore Original Articles About...
Get the MOST from QualityHealth
- Stories
- Video
- Top Searches
- 1. Arthritis Management: Nature Heals
- 2. 5 Digestive To-Dos
- 3. Men: Should You Shave It or Leave It?
- 4. Today's Top Fitness Trends
- 5. Sugar and Osteoarthritis : The Link
- 6. Can't Afford Your Hospital Bills?
- 7. Stay Energized All Day Long
- 8. Phobias: Who Has Them and Why?
- 9. What If Your EpiPen Fails?
- 10. 5 Costly Medical Billing Mistakes
- 1. Hotter Temperatures Linked To Kidney Stones
- 2. Summer Bug Bites: What to Look For
- 3. Skin Health Advice with Dr. Kenneth Beer
- 4. Summer Safety Tips That Every Parent Needs To Know
- 5. Sugar and Your Immunity System
- 6. Do Weight Loss Supplements Work?
- 7. 5 Super Foods for Spring
- 8. The Hazards of Reusable Bags
- 9. How to Avoid Ingrown Hairs
- 10. Health Tip: Constantly Change Shoes
- 1. 4 Common Treatments for Epilepsy
- 2. What Does a Urogynecologist Do?
- 3. GERD Without Heartburn? It's Possible
- 4. Graston Technique: Can It Work on You?
- 5. Music Therapy Can Help Autism
- 6. 8 Ways to Fight MS-Related Fatigue
- 7. Can You Still Bleed After Menopause?
- 8. Be Your Own Health Care Advocate
- 9. Why Is Syphillis on the Rise?
- 10. Ideal Weight vs. Happy Weight
The material on the QualityHealth Web site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a physician or other qualified health provider. See additional information.


text:
if i ever get married i am gonna be too embarrassed to kiss my husband in front of everyone, especially my parents, so we will probably just high five or something
(via hate)
Is it just me or you don't really realise how drunk you are until you are in a bathroom alone???
(via i-suck-dick)
"what state do you live in?"
constant anxiety
(via i-suck-dick)
I'm trying to figure out when "oh, it's midnight" turned into "oh, it's only midnight"
(Source: estebansraybans, via herlipslikemorphine)