We've got some pretty big news around here: New York Media, the parent company of New York Magazine, has bought MenuPages. It's a natural partnership, and we're very excited about the whole deal, as it should give us more resources to better cover our markets. For more information, check out the New York Times article about the deal. We've included the press release after the jump:
An ambitious new North Beach vegetarian restaurant may close before it even gets momentum, thanks to a labor dispute that’s resulted in a staff walkout, servers working double-duty in the kitchen and an aggressive but vague smear campaign by one chef alleging mistreatment.
Barely 2 months ago, the Usual Suspects Cafe reopened after a renovation, boasting a new vegetarian and vegan menu with a hip 50's diner twist. The initial reviews were mostly glowing and there was talk of the Usual Suspects giving popular veggie spots like Herbivore a run for their money. But a meltdown in the kitchen seems to have left this promising upstart reeling on the brink of closure.
Rumors and speculation about the Usual Suspects have been making their way around the food blog and website circuit this past week indicating that there's been a labor dispute between Bob Bosco, the owner, and both himself and Mark Benedetto, the other chef. Bosco doesn’t deny that there’s been a dispute, but claims that some of Rosenblatt’s actions amount to slander.
We spoke with Rosenblatt and Bosco. Find out what they have to say after the jump...
Continue reading "Suspcion Surrounding The Usual Suspects Cafe?" »
Dear readers,
It's an exciting day here at MenuPages. We have a new writer, Alexis Wright, who will be taking over much of the local coverage here on the MPSF blog. Look for her in restaurants, cafes, bars and especially here on MenuPages. Here are a few words of introduction, straight from her very own keyboard:
Hello Everyone. My name is Alexis Wright and I’m stomach-deep in the San Francisco food scene. And as an essayist and lover of food, it makes sense that I’d be just person to provide you with timely updates on what’s cooking around the city. But I’m also here daily to make sure that MenuPages is not simply your one-stop shop for up-to-date menus of SF’s eateries, but rather an ongoing, interactive study of Gastronomy, the study of the relationship between culture and food. Part advice column, part think tank, part salon, I hope to create a space where those who love food, those who are curious about food and those who eat food can stop by for a quick byte each day.
There are a lot of foodies out there, especially in San Francisco, but I like to think I’m a bit more than just a foodie. I’m a Food Enthusiast. Sure, I like to eat good things, but like this blog, I’m committed to sustenance with substance and I welcome you all to join me on my epicurean adventures.
Cheers!
Well, the weekend is deliciously within reach--time to launch into that home stretch. Let's see what other MP bloggers have been up to this week:
Over at MP Boston, some pushy publicists appear to have been experimenting with over-submitting "user" reviews. Yeah, right, y'all, MPB and the rest of us are way to sharp for that. Leila's got your number. [Another Open Letter]
MP Chicago, always good for a little eye candy, shows of a beautiful collection of marzipigs just in time for Hannukah (sorry, we've been waiting to link that picture for days). Adam points out they're probably not Kosher anyway. [Viewing Pleasure: Marzipan Pigs @ Christkindlmarket]
MP Philadelphia covers the Dictators' Handsome Dick Manitoba covering punk rock foods. Good stuff, from a preview of the Official Book of Punk Rock Lists. We love garlic and clam pizza, too. [The Dictators' Punk Rock Food Rules]
And MP South Florida posted a very funny, short interview today as Carolina tried to get to the bottom of the name of a new restaurant called Domo Japones. We still don't have a copy of their menu yet, so stay tuned to find out exactly what the new joint fuses. [Now Open: Domo Japones
]
Were we ever going to drop the bomb about our precious new union? Yes, we were getting around to it. But then other blogs started beating us to it, so we figured it would be best not to wait.
Savvy web user that you are, you no doubt surf around to a few sites for restaurant information, enjoying the snarky debates on Yelp just as much as the straightforward product information right here on Menupages. Well, knowing that, we've joined forces to save you a click or two.
That's right. Menupages menus are now linked on Yelp. We think this is a very positive development, as everyone in SF seems to be a commenter on Yelp, and just about every restaurant seems to be the subject of some colorful thread.
To consumate the union, why don't you look at the Yelp thread for Fish and Farm (for example), the new joint opened by John and Elena Duggans, whose family owns Original Joe's in the TL. Then look at our menu. Then post reviews on both sites. Wow, you've got a busy afternoon ahead of you.
This video of a man doing a stand up routine in which he simply reads reviews from our New York site has been generating a lot of buzz here at MenuPages (for real, we love being referenced in anything resembling pop culture). Instant messages (the primary form of communication round these parts) have been exchanged! Laughter has occurred! This qnarf fellow asserts that the major reasons for posting a review on MenuPages are "One: you HATED that restaurant, two: you're paid by that restaurant, and three: you are a crazy person." Not entirely false! We have one thought for Mr. qnarf: you should really see the reviews we can't publish. Comedy gold.
Menupages [YouTube: qnarf]
•MP: Boston wanted to fatten you up and tell you about dirty restaurants.
•MP: Chicago uncovered a real real creepy article and wanted to deep-fry lobster.
•MP: Philadelphia found a nasty "burrito" and exposed us all to a turkey-cam.
•MP: South Florida discussed The Dread Derek Jeter and got a little fascinated by an IKEA opening.
•MP: Boston is not overly fond of slow news days.
•MP: Chicago is unimpressed by shills.
•MP: Philadelphia does not care for misspelled signs.
•MP: South Florida could do without picky children.
•...eat a meal of pigeon pie, followed by a cream puff?
•...drink breast milk and eat Big Mo' Candy Bars?
•...buy some beer from the supermarket?
•...make friends with your bartender?
MP: Boston rang in the school year with a balanced breakfast of beer cereal and then kicked off the fall arts calendar by interviewing a food critic-turned-playwright.
MP: Chicago warned of incoming frost, but couldn't quite quit summertime.
MP: Philly shared the joy of college. Sometimes college is hard, y'all!
Since MP: SoFla doesn't really experience autumn, the passing of Labor Day means the conclusion of Top Chef draws near and, um, Chipotle?
*No, we have no idea who "them" refers to either.
In MP: SoFla, common sense says that you should take your friends to Danny DeVito's restaurant to try his limoncello, but don't let them eat at robbery-prone Subway locations because those can be dangerous.
At MP: Philly, we learned that you should enjoy working hard, but you shouldn't enjoy hardly working.
MP: Boston provided us with some instructional videos. Some creative people understand the Farm Bill, but Mitt Romney doesn't quite understand grilling.
Finally, from MP: Chicago, all we have to offer you are two unappetizing photos.
As the city takes its last summer weekend in Tahoe or wherever, the Menuniverse also had some travel fun with planes, trains and automobiles (and one heroic boat) this week.
MP: Boston found a soda train! We didn't know what that was either!
Heavens. MP:SoFla shared the scary tale of a Florida restaurant-owner getting shot, dumped in the bay and then fished out by some nice people in a boat. Luckily, he's ok (considering).
MP: Chicago took a Tribunal tour of the Windy City suburbs, perhaps avoiding the city's storms.
MP: Philly took a look at what the tourism department is doing. They're trying to make themselves more gay-friendly and woman-friendly. Let us know when you meet 1993, Pennsylvania.
This week, the MenuBlog Universe experienced all types of cah-razy foods ...
MP: Boston tried some cat crap coffee along with her morning ravioli. O HAI, I'Z IN YER CUP, MAYKIN YER CAWFI.
MP: Chicago pondered the merits of purchasing a pound of $130,000 ginseng and of purposefully eating glass.
MP: Philly spent some time with snails in France's "Snail Capital of the World."
MP: SoFla drooled at a pretty plate o' dolphin. Thankfully, it was just mahi-mahi, not Flipper. She then went home and arranged vegetables in face-like patterns.
MP: Boston advised against placing eggs in the microwaves but recommended putting hamachi in your mouth.
MP: Chicago reminded us that when you go grocery shopping in China in a rollercoaster, don't forget to grab that lemon, because then you would have to go on the ride again and that just wastes time. On the other hand, an in-house chef dinner at the new Whole Foods is an efficient and fun way to spend a Friday evening.
MP: Philly didn't warn us against chickens that wear clothes, but he should have. On the other hand, Jersey tomatoes are a delicious, wardrobe-free alternative.
And finally, MP: SoFla blatantly and unwisely tossed caution into the Caribbean wind (get it? hurricane season... nevermind) and indulged in avocado cupcakes with lobster icing. She would have been much better served to reap the benefits of the local, in-season mangos.
[Image courtesy: Highlights]
It's been a big week around the Bay. We had Bill Walsh's memorial service, 756 and plenty of Stabuckian ire, so don't feel bad if you missed what's going on in the rest of the Menuniverse.
MP: Boston delved deeply into two Boston chains: Dunkin' Donuts and Boston Market. Turns out that the latter should really be renamed Golden, Colorado Market. MP: Boston is also responsible for the video gem seen above.
MP: Chicago revealed a new menu and secret items at Alinea. Also, we've noticed that Chicago restaurateurs don't spell very well.
MP: Philly found a cheesy video from England and a research article from Stanford.
MP: SoFla celebrated lobster season and mused on the possibility of bringing the LA-influenced health grades to Florida's dining scene.
Here's the good stuff from the other MenuBlogs that you missed this week while trying out your homemade submarine...
• MP: Boston played Cupid (or Eros, depending on whether you ascribe to Greek or Roman myths) in a little feature series, giving us ideas for where to go on your first and second dates. Then she took some liberties with her game and skipped dates #3 through #291 and suggested places to propose (... marriage).
• MP: Chicago shared a pretty, pretty picture, but we couldn't stop thinking about his analysis of people's age-defined flavor preferences.
• Let's just say that MP: Philly got really "into" this one story.
• Finally, the first week of MP: South Florida talked about the one culinary thing Florida is known for: Top Chef Miami. Just kidding; the blog was also abuzz with plenty of other quintessential SoFla things: alligators, dolphins and homeless people.
Yesterday marked the debut of the fifth member of our blog family, MenuBlog: South Florida. Your editor is the lovely Carolina Bolado, whose culinary expertise will undoubtedly make a splash down there. So, we encourage you to pass the word along to your Floridian food-loving friends, because it's going to be a great resource for those beach bums.
In the meantime, we thought we'd share some fun facts about Florida:
• The state bird is the mockingbird.
• The state saltwater mammal is the porpoise (not to be confused with the state marine mammal: the West Indian manatee)
• The state pie is key lime pie.
• Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii is farther south.
• Gainesville's Fred Bear Museum is a tribute to Fred Bear, a promoter of proper wildlife management and the founder of the Bear Archery Company.
Discuss.
MenuPages Blog: South Florida [Official Site]
Florida [Wikipedia]
Florida Fast Facts and Trivia [50states.com]
Around the Menuniverse, it's been a very entertainment-centric week.
MP: Boston shared first-date destinations and showed us how to turn a banana into a Jello shot.
MP: Chicago found a forty-year anniversary party and looked forward to the upcoming television season.
MP: Philly met the king of tailgates and enjoyed some salsa made by the Wild Thing.
MP: Boston experienced a big finale of her own this week--an evicted restaurant--as well as two things that are clearly the products of a mischievous wizard's erroneous spell: octopus ice cream and a doughnut-hawking supermodel.
MP: Chicago revealed a much-anticipated ending and then coped with the disappointment of something that was too hyped-up.
Finally, MP: Philly (rife with rabble-rousers of his own) celebrated a book not written by JK Rowling. Because you know, there are other books in the world.
*We made this part up. Rowling actually ends the book suddenly and prematurely. The cut to the black screen makes you check your TiVo, and you are left wondering what exactly happened.
MP: Boston felt old and confused because of new chalupa technology, got depressed that the "best" fried chicken in Boston is at a fast food chain (yuck), and then lost her beloved trans-fats, and if that wasn't enough, there's a rash of bee AIDS buzzing around Beantown.
MP: Chicago shared some poor fortune that hit the Windy City, including a "malevolent batch" of hummus at a local restaurant, broken-down autos, heart attacks and illiteracy.
It wasn't the most charmed week in Philadelphia either, as MP: Philly found a steakhouse without a house and a restaurant with one less patio (was Hurley involved?) as the Phillies readied to become the first professional sports team to lose 10,000 games.
Oh, and everyone hopped on the Bastille Day bandwagon. We think Debbie Downer would point out the irony of the freedom celebration, seeing as how the French Empire maintained forceful colonies well into the 20th century, oppressing the native people of western Africa, Vietnam and Quebec.
It was a predictably patriotic week around the Menuniverse, so let's get to the highlights of the celebration of America ...
• In addition to iced tea and hot dogs, MP: Boston shared the wonders of community-supported agriculture. Can't get that in Communist Russia! Well, in theory, you probably could, because that was kinda what Marx was getting at ... nevermind. USA!
• MP: Chicago unearthed several people living out their American Dreams.
• And would America be complete without its gluttony? MP: Philly had that covered this week, what with all the news about steaks, cheesesteaks, country fried steak and cookies. There are no vegetables in Philadelphia.
While you were out celebrating reunions, the blogs of the Menuniverse were busy all week long. With a certain heiress "celebrity" drinker garnering some attention earlier in this week, we're going to dedicate this Menublog summary to potent potables.
• MP: Boston pondered cocktail covers, waxed poetics about the possibilities of a beer-laden Boston Marathon and shared a beautiful pair of words: free wine.
• MP: Chicago also whipped out some things Paris would have loved: all-you-can-drink Bora Bora Night, a wine tasting cruise and lastly, an examination of incipient alcoholism.
• Even MP: Philly got into the act, with a drinker's heaven (haven?) on the market and the wines of Israel in the press.
Because dwarf trees are exactly what scientists should be spending their time on, here's your weekly recap of the Menuniverse, with a "Snow White" slant ...
• MP: Boston was Happy, rejoicing in al fresco dining, free coffee and a myriad of super happy funtime summer festivals. And if geoduck clams don't put a smile on your face, well, we don't know what to tell you.
• MP: Chicago played Doc, teaching us all about consumer spending, Chinese food in America, fish extinction and this "summer solstice" we keep hearing so much about. Oh, and a very revealing photo post about a Top Chef host. No, it's not Tom Colicchio, thank heavens.
• MP: Philly was just plain Grumpy, talking about smackdowns, jerks, hate and miserable days.
MP: Philly sits down at a booth with a Philadelphia connection. He orders a glass of Danny Devito's limoncello. MP: San Francisco arrives a couple minutes later. They both look at menus (obviously). MP: SF says how good coffee might be for you. MP: Philly reveals he's going to have to defend himself. MP: Chicago enters behind a suspicious man who looks very familiar, immediately says he wants some onion rings caramelized lobster. While MP: Chicago criticizes the government, the trio focuses on the good times. MP: Boston has trouble parallel parking with all the ice cream trucks. Screen cuts to black.
MP: Boston snuck a peak at "The Next Food Network Star" as promised, came out with the best pre-Pride parade eats (say that five times fast) and went coocoo for Cocoa Puffs mad for marzipan.
MP: Chicago invaded a cheesey, small, peaceful town somewhere in this so-called Midwest (aka Kramer's "Anytown, USA"), got patriotic about hot dog gluttons and capped his all-American week with what else, RIBFEST 2007!
MP: Philly got all gossipy this week, discussing Bruce Willis' ire, that meter maid-beating restaurateur and Paul McCartney's miserly ways.
[Photo courtesy: Time Magazine's photo essay "What the World Eats"; pictured are the Manzo family of Sicily]
• MP: Chicago got coaly, condemned those who feast and blessed the second coming of a Chicago restaurant website.
• MP: Philly was in a summery mood all week, talking about lemonade, picnics and lobster rolls.
[Photo of sourdough croc courtesy: Flickr]
This morning, we flipped the switch on MenuPages South Florida, which will cover the majority of the southeastern tip of the peninsula: Palm Beach, Broward, Miami, the Keys and more. The main site--and the soon-to-be-launched blog--is run by Ms. Carolina Bolado, a native Floridian and an astute MenuPagester. Look for the blog later this month, but until then, we welcome you to peruse the fine dining establishments of South Florida--from Peppy's in the Gables to Fat Busters--because we know that's exactly what San Franciscans like you do in your spare time.
MP: Boston fantasized all week about getting out of Beantown, but still managed to satiate those cravings for baked Alaska, spinach dip and ceviche.
MP: Chicago live-blogged the Tribune's first-ever live web video chat and used exclamation points liberally to denote the excitement.
MP: Philly had a nice week too. They laughed over tamago Big Macs, cried over water ices and celebrated the local folks who hit the big-time.
• MP: Boston made punny headlines while blowing the lid off some free food promotions.
• MP: Chicago revealed the wonders of pizza beer, the aesthetics of haemul pajun and the delightful tackiness of Benihana.
• MP: Philly had plenty of nice things to say about burgers, offal and polygamy.
• It was an uplifting week at MP: Chicago: infanticide, felicide and piscicide. It's almost as if he was hanging out in Oakland.
• MP: Philly had a very canine week, taking a look at New York's hot dogs, doggish menus and dog-friendly bars, all while making fun of people's spelling errors.
• MP: Chicago immersed himself in the melamine controversy (we're not quite sure what it is, but kidney stones and cancer don't sound ideal), took a detailed look at a cookie and its attendant coffee and did some investigative reporting on grocery taxes. He is also responsible for unearthing that chocolate milkshake madness seen above.
• MP: Philly got into the mint julep, found a place to play crossword games and renamed the City of Brotherly Love.
Since you'll never look at Captain America in the same way, peruse the rest of the Menuniverse:
• Ms. Boston MenuPages slipped in several slippery cephalopods, right after she went on an octopus tour. She also explored the official state foods of Massachusetts; the official state beverage of Massachusetts is cranberry juice? Um, sure. Whatever you say, Boston. Samuel Adams disagrees with that assessment though.
• Over at Chicago headquarters, they're talking about the various incarnations of pizza, the quaint nature of Middle America and Thai restaurants that don't look like the Thai restaurants 'round these parts.
• Our Philly brethren took a look at the future and past of the City of Brotherly Love. The next dining trend in Philadelphia is supposedly this thing called the "wine-bar."
Before you head out for the weekend and look for a mate, peruse the rest of the happenings in our Menuniverse.
• At MP: Boston, this week's marathon inspired some angelic ideals, which in turn made the devil plead his own case. Later in the week, Ms. Boston related T.S. Eliot to grilled cheese, and it actually made sense, unlike Forbes' list of the best restaurant cities.
• MP: Chicago did some investigative reporting and doled out a good deal of information about veal in Chicago. Also analyzed: the Judgement of Paris and the future of global sustenance (let's just say it's not looking ideal for you sushi lovers).
• The last member of our little blog quartet, MP: Philly got word of a cooking demo, unearthed a movie about cheesesteaks and scoured The NY Times religiously.
• MP: Boston celebrated Red Sox Opening Day by interviewing a real Bostonian (who seems to enjoy big cups of, um, juice) about dining in Beantown. Later in the week, challah french toast destinations were found amidst some nifty little haiku summaries. We would have preferred sonnets in iambic pentameter, but whatever.
• MP: Chicago indulged in some strudel aesthetics, was on IACP beat like no other and had fun with rhymes while rounding out the weekend events in the Windy City.
• And finally, MP: Philly elucidated the art of snagging a reservation at Vetri, took a peek at pizza from the Land Down Under and got nervous about the potential extinction of Tastykake coconut juniors.
We're all about user experience here at MenuPages. We want to point you in the right directions, give you a forum for discussion, and most of all, like the photo above, we're going to do our best to reflect the aesthetic wonders of the Bay Area.
Your editor is Paolo Lucchesi: an oft-published writer, a native San Franciscan, a burritophile, a fast runner and a die-hard Bay Area sports fan (including a tearful Warriors one). He is glad to add the third-person to his already broad creative arsenal.
In the end, James Joyce said that the actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts, so we'll let the blog speak for itself.
We promise the blog to be more entertaining and informative than its title.
So, welcome.
And enjoy.
[Photo courtesy: Mystical Photography, one of the best photo blogs around]
