SF, NYC, Chicago...and the Whole Darn Country

*The venerable Rubicon closes in SF and Nieporent discusses how SF and NYC diners differ. No surprise that in SF, eating is more of a ritual, only earlier. [Between Meals]

*Chipotle pledges to go local for produce...sort of. [Grub Street]

*Bourdain hits Chicago to film an episode of No Reservations. (All while Achatz is taking NYC by storm.) [The Stew]

*Southern Wine and Spirits and Glazers merge forming a super-national wine and spirits distributor. Will it change the industry? Jeff shares his vision for the future. [Good Grape]

New Books from Anthony Bourdain

I'm behind on my publishign email, but Grub Street caught this yesterday. The Publisher's Lunch Deal Memo (a daily report on deals from editors and agents) reports Tony Bourdain has a new three-book deal with Dan Halpern at Ecco. From the Publisher's Lunch:

Anthony Bourdain's COOKS, a follow-up to Kitchen Confidential, in which Bourdain explores how the industry he loves — and the people in it — have changed (if they've changed) since his years in the kitchen, and tracks the bizarre changes in his own life, along with more frank observations on dining, cuisine and the grim/glamorous business of cooking; NO NEW MESSAGES, a crime novel about a disgraced former 'It Boy' novelist and a disgraced chef (fresh off a public humiliation on a reality series), involved in a murder on the Caribbean island where both are laying low; and an untitled memoir of moving his family to a small village in Vietnam to spend a year in total immersion there, taking time to get to know his neighbors and deeply exploring Indonesia and Southeast Asia, to Dan Halpern at Ecco, by Kim Witherspoon at Inkwell Management.

Spent last night eating our way through a few downtown restaurants on a preview for Devour Downtown. This guy on the left? That's how I feel and I'm on deck for large wine and dinner night number three with a large group at Peterson's tonight. Look for some Devour Downtown recommended dishes shortly (and a couple to skip). In the meantime, here are a few items of interest from better bloggers than me. I've been meaning to work my way through the backlog for a while.

The Reservations Dance: Perhaps because I'm a geek, I'm fascinated with reservations and how they work. I'm also fascinated with no-shows (and why people think it's OK to make reservations then blow them off), percentages, and how restaurants accommodate overages and shortages. One GM I spoke to recently in another city says they stopped taking reservations to boost their neighborhood traffic of locals. Does opentable help? Apparently. Michael Bauer has another in a series of posts on reservations -- the pros, cons, and the problem with no-shows.

A Cook's Tour--Revisited: Old news, but needless-to-say Bourdain wasn't happy when the Food Channel announced they would be re-airing his old series A Cook's Tour this month. Sure, it's their show to air, but Bourdain doesn't pretend like he doesn't notice how they're capitalizing on the success of his successful Travel Channel program, No Reservations, or latest book. Of course, the Cook's Tour book was pretty good, too. Worth checking out if you're re-watching the program. (My favorites are the Russia episode where they get hammered and the lamb-in-the-sand-dune Moroccan incident.)

Raw Milk Outlawed in California: If you're a fan of raw milk, you already know how tricky it is to find in Indiana. But a few producers have always made it reliable to find in California, but not as of January 1. In October, some say a "sneaky" requirement quietly passed the statehouse with no input or notification to the two raw milk dairies in the state. (Some numbers say as many as 40,000 people a year consume raw milk in California.) Local food advocates are working this month to reverse the requirement for minuscule amounts of bacterias, impossible to remove from raw milk. As of right now, the law puts two dairies out of business -- but they're still fighting. From the Chron. Via Ruhlman.

Top Chef, Chicago, and a few Updates

Report on Grant Achatz: Via Michael Ruhlman:

"I was able to have breakfast with Grant Achatz on Saturday and was delighted to see him looking strong and fit. You’d scarcely know he was battling anything at all, let alone going through chemo to treat squamous carcinoma of the mouth. He was at ease, confident and determined. As he always is. And he ate one of Nookie’s enormous omelets. Best news of all: doctors say treatment is exceeding expectations."

Top Chef Sightings: Oh, so sad to see Tre go. I've long loved Abacus in Dallas. However local-connection Brian Malarky, Ryan Nelson's counterpart at The Oceanaire in San Diego is still doing well in the competition. But where are they now? Bourdain reports that Tre is trailing with some major restaurants in NYC as he well deserves to be. This professional and creative chef will land somewhere great. Also, Ted Allen reports Dale is currently working at Sola on N. Lincoln in Ravenswood (Chicago) where chef Carol Wollack is reportedly doing a great job with the food.

Where is Gail? Loads of fans are asking where Gail Simmons has been on the show in the past few episodes. On her blog, she reports the show was filmed in April and she was slammed at Food and Wine magazine with the Best New Chefs awards as well as planning for the F/W Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. (Aspen is one of the premier food events in the use with experts, fans, wine makers, chefs, and foodies from across the country eating, drinking, learning, schmoozing, and partying for a week.)

One Year for Foie Gras Ban: And as long as we're touting Chicago, yesterday marked the one year anniversary of the city's ban on foie gras. NPR reports only one restaurant has been cited and the health department (under whose enforcement this falls) has openly stated they have better things to do. It's readily available at many restaurants if you just know who -- and how to ask. And at least one local chef has likened the ban to prohibition calling these restaurants that serve the underground delicacy "duck-easies". Twenty Three Skiddoo!

A Little Top Chef Reading

Don't forget your list of Top Chef Blogs. (Top Chef airs on Bravo, Weds nights at 10:00 p.m.) It's easy to add these to your reader (I use Bloglines) so updates automatically appear. New posts usually pop up the Thursday morning after a new episode. Note that semi-local chef Brian Malarkey (exec chef of The Oceanaire in San Diego who trained here under Ryan Nelson) is still hanging in there, this week on the winning team with a shrimp tartare.

Thom Collichio's blog -- Thom usually gives insight in some of the judges decisions. But, he's currently opening a restaurant so not blogging as much.

Gail Simmons' blog -- Gail is a food critic for a living so don't expect her to always paint a rosy picture. She's honest -- sometimes brutally so -- and gives us her take on an episode whether she judged or not. Usually interesting reading, especially with regards to some of their decisions.

Ted Allen's blog -- While I wasn't so impressed with Ted Allen on Queer Eye, he's shown he knows his stuff as he judges on Top Chef. Filling in for Gail as she's been gone, Ted has stepped up from cheesy food fluff guy to able judge. He's criticisms are often spot on and he understands the dynamics of competition and how it influences the cheftestants' decisions. (Here he actually updates viewers on lobster and how the judges unfairly dressed down Brian Malarkey for using a high cholesterol seafood. Of course, Brian didn't know any better and didn't correct them either.)

And everyone's favorite snark-o-rama, Amuse Biatch: While lately, they've been overly focused on Faux-Micah who grew up in Massachusetts, not South Africa (hard to wonder how she escaped meatloaf that whole time) and Lady Rushdie's divorce (apparently it's all about Salmon, Salmon, Salmon), they are a great source of amusement when it comes to spotting the chefs in real life. Plus, they do a killer recap. (Amuse Biatch goes down in my book as best name for a food blog *ever*.)

There are more blogs for Top Chef (from past contestants like Sam, Carlos, Marcel, Harold, and Lee Ann Wong) if you're that big a junky.

And if you're looking for more information on the Chaine des Rotisseurs, the international fine dining society featured in last night's episode, you can find out more through the Indianapolis chapter. It's an active and fun bunch of wine and food connoisseurs (plus they get to wear those cool sashes and chains.)

PS: I'm not watching Food Network Star, but Tony Bourdain is.

Opinions Galore -- Around the Food World

It seems like today I ran across an unusual number of posts that give all of us foodies a little, well, food for thought. There are no clear answers to some of these controversies and by their nature, many will inspire wildly different views, but I thought I'd share them here. Questions to ponder.

The Sad Saga of Patrick Atkins: Agree or disagree, this post from Advance Indiana has put me right off Atkins Cheesecake. If you have gay friends in committed relationships, you'll understand what I mean. The sickening too-close-to-home story underlines why unmarried couples should go to the trouble -- and expense -- of preparing the right legal documents to protect themselves. It's heartbreaking enough for one partner in a couple to be hospitalized or incapacitated without an intolerant parent in the mix. I'm not big with the boycotts, nor am I anti-Christian, but this sort of thing makes me want to find another place for desserts.

Suing over Restaurant Concepts: So, here's the deal. A chef in NYC (Rebecca Charles) bases her restaurant, Pearl, on a restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area, Swan Oyster Depot. Both are rough knockoffs of your traditional New England fresh shellfish stand. But then Rebecca's trusted sous chef of six years, Ed McFarland, leaves and 3 months later opens his own restaurant a mile away, Ed's Oyster Bar, which -- in Rebecca's opinion -- is *just* like Pearl. Admittedly, it's similar. But is it worth a lawsuit? Pearl isn't a franchise. And there's no patent on the New England oyster shack. But is the design, menu, and even interior look and feel intellectual property? Serious Eats has great coverage the lawsuit filed yesterday. Plus Ed Levine's look at both places today.

The New Responsible Food Writing? Kate Hopkins has an interesting take on Christopher Shea's article New Grub Street from the Columbia Journalism Review. Covering the ongoing public debate between Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, and John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, it also looks at the broader issue: What can happen when positive disagreements and debate go public. My gripe with The Omnivore's Dilemma isn't unlike Mackey's. It's difficult to make a blanket condemnation of an entire industry. Pollan, in my opinion, writes for an audience he knows will buy his arguments hook, line, and sinker. The book comes off as a one-sided rant without the actual data to back it up. The CJR looks at the broader picture and offers an analysis -- the short of which is that we the readers need to continue to ask questions.

Bourdain Rants on Hell's Kitchen: Bourdain, in another terrific rant at Ruhlman's blog, sums up *exactly* the problem with Ramsey's show Hell's Kitchen. I agree with him completely about how great Ramsey can be on TV and how lovely his other shows are. But he should be embarrassed by the horrible car crash (that, granted, I can't stop watching) called Hell's Kitchen. Where do they find these contestants? It's especially awful compared to the quality of candidates on this season's Top Chef. (Jean Georges' executive sous chef from NY and the exec chef from Abacus in Dallas can't compare to the retirement home chef who started on Hell's Kitchen -- and he lasted two episodes! The best chef on the show is a short order cook!) Tony, we love you. Please do a Ramsey intervention!

Bourdain Brouhaha

In a recent post on Michael Ruhlman's blog Bob DelGrosso (My Gastronomy Professor at the CIA in 1995/1996) reviews an anthropological view of Food Celebrity, focusing on Tony Bourdain. It is a very interesting read, what is even better are all of the comments in response (currently 53 comments). The blog brought up several things that I find top of the mind in many culinary professionals, i.e. Cost of Education, Salaries, Professionalism.

Without a doubt many culinary schools are overpriced. I see schools, even in the Midwest that are charging over $40,000 for a 2 year culinary degree. It is insane for me to think about a recent high school grad going to these schools. They will graduate thinking they are going to be the next Emeril and end up making $10.00/hr working a line. They will wash out of the business in months. As the person mentioned on Ruhlman's blog, go to a community college and spend the $2,000.

Check out the NY times article that was just sent to me on this subject.

Now, this may seem very odd coming from someone sitting in a dorm at the CIA. But before I attended CIA, I had worked in the business and knew it was my passion. 10 years ago when I came here, I knew after I graduated I would be making more money because I had a CIA degree and experience. Today, probably 1/2 of the students in my class have told me they do not want to work in a kitchen after they graduate! I was sitting at dinner with a student last night from Korea. When I asked her what her plans were after graduation she said that she realized being here, she does not want to cook. "What, I am not sure I heard that right", was my response. She travels thousands of miles for an expensive eduction to realize she doesn't want to cook! She is going back to Korea to learn how to teach. Wow

Anthony Bourdain's tales in Kitchen Confidential were great stories that sold books. He knows what to say to push buttons and get people comin' back for more. Believe it or not, all chefs aren't behind the dumpster screwing the bride. Culinary professionals are, well, professional. They are people that manage people in a difficult environment who are under paid. They are people that love food. They love to create. They are perfectionists that take what they do VERY seriously. They wear a uniform with pride. I'll admit, I love to read Tony's books and watch his shows. He is entertaining. But, like watching professional wrestling, you know things are sometimes planned for the audience.

As a side note, I was looking through the bookstore last night and found 2 of his books in the bargain bin. Kitchen Confidential and Bone in the Throat were bundled together for $9.99. I wonder what the Bad Boy thinks of his books being discounted at his own school.