Howdy, folks!

Thanks to Indy Star's Traci Cumbay for the nice shout-out this morning in today's food section! I'm not sure I've ever been "indispensable" before! For those of you just visiting us for the first time, feel free to poke around a bit. I've been going through my backlog of posts so you'll see a few more NY/SF foodie postings than usual in the past few days -- plus, it's rating's season. (More later on French Laundry and their new, shiny 3 Michelin stars.) In the meantime, here's are some local tidbits to whet your appetite:

New at the Conrad: Susan Guyett is reporting the Conrad has hired a new executive chef to replace Jonathan Wright. Wright left earlier this year and has recently landed at Bradley Ogden's Lark Creek Inn. Enter Doug Knopp who reportedly has arrived from the Boar's Head Inn in Charlottesville, VA. Having run multiple restaurants at the tony resort complex, Knopp sounds like a good fit for the ambitious Conrad hotel food operations. We'll all have to see if he can shape up the food and service at Restaurant Du Soleil and Vitesse. (Hint: Start with that lunch buffet! It screams "Leftovers!"!) (And don't even get me started on the "food" at Vitesse.) I notice the press machine has been turned way down on Chef Knopp's arrival. Maybe a good lesson learned after the high profile entrance -- and exit -- of Chef Wright.

Dry Aging Update: After all the dry-aging folderal last month, I hear I have a piece (or maybe two pieces if I scare up a date) of a USDA Prime strip loin currently dry aging by hand with Peterson's chef Karl Benko. More to come on what may a true vertical steak tasting. More in 30 days!