Seattle Bound

I'm off to Seattle in the AM for the Emerald City Comicon and, more importantly, the annual gathering of my pals from the Eurotrash Paradise. Probably won't be posting much over the next couple days, though I'm guessing that Seattle does have an internet cafe or twenty. More next week...

Hopefully Nobody Needs Coffee When That Phone Rings at 3 AM

Something tells me I shouldn't be surprised that Hillary Clinton doesn't have a ton of experience working a convenience store coffee maker...

FOOD COURT: Another Day, Another Food-Related Stabbing

I have never worked in a retail environment – and for good reason. Had I worked in a restaurant I'd have been hard-pressed not to question diner's choices or make my own thinly-veiled suggestions, such as, "Really? You think you should take a look at the dessert tray?"

Even worse, I can't imagine working in a video store or record shop, forcing myself to choke down critical comments about customers' selections.

At the very least, though, I think I would have been able to keep my anger at fellow employees in check. Sure, I've worked with some boneheads through the years (haven't we all?) but I've never felt the need to stab one of them.

Not the case at a Catonsville McDonald's according to the Baltimore Sun. Seems that one worker stabbed another in the torso – multiple times – and will be arraigned on attempted murder charges. Fearing they'd be left out, another employee offered to hide the stabbing suspect and faces charges of being an accessory to the crime.

My guess is that there will be two, maybe three, positions open soon... if not immediately. Check out the McDonald's website for the latest. And while you're there be sure to browse the latest – wait for it – McDonald's podcasts.

FOOD COURT: Woman Stabs Husband Over Hot Dog Dinner

From Local6.com..

A 28-year-old woman in Orange County stabbed her husband during a fight that sparked over having hot dogs for dinner, according to a sheriff's office report.

Great New Source for Area Reviews

I like to get a lot of opinions on a restaurant before I decide whether or not to give it a try. Typical "research" might include inquiring on area food groups, tracking down blog posts, and perusing the critical thoughts of critics from the local daily and weekly papers.

In other words, that's a lot of time spent deciding if I want to hit one burger joint over another or selecting a place in the city to meet with a friend for lunch.

Enter Urbanspoon. This new site does a great deal of the legwork for me (and you!) by collecting reviews from pros (like the Baltimore Sun and City Paper) as well as bloggers and the casual eater.

Right now the site has 31 local sections – including LA, NY, Philly, Pittsburgh, Seattle and DC in addition to Charm City – and features an array of widgets and social networking features like Friends, Wishlist, Newsletters and Voting.

I really like Urbanspoon's clean design as well as its user-friendly interface. I've already bookmarked the site and started linking some THG blog posts to its restaurant pages. Check it out, I think you'll dig it.

Charm City Blogger in NY Times

Congrats to Baltimore food blogger Roopa Kalyanaraman for an enthusiastic mention in Mark Bittman's 'The Minimalist' column in the New York Times.

Bittman wrote an interesting article on embracing the microwave ("Shouldn’t you be using it for more than reheating coffee?" he asks) and mentions Roopa's blog, Raspberry & Eggplant. He even comments that "it's a good one" so hopefully that'll translate into some well-deserved traffic and new readers for the blog which focuses on original vegetarian recipes as well as "yummy sweet things".

Japanese McDonald's Go Mega!

I reported last summer that when it came to fast food of gargantuan proportions, the Japanese were leaving their American counterparts in the dust.

I wish that I was here to report that we were closing the artery-clogging gap on our friends in Japan, but that's simply not the case. While US fast food eateries continue to go back to the "meat as condiment" well (witness the recent return of the Philly Cheesesteak Burger), Japanese sandwich scientists are going bigger and taller.

In a word, they've gone Mega.

Check out the latest sandwich creations from McDonald's Japan including the Mega Mac (four patties!) and the 900+ calorie Mega Teriyaki (two pork patties topped with teriyaki sauce and sweet lemon mayo).

And they're not just limiting this mega madness to lunch, dinner and late-night snacking (because nothing sits in your stomach better at 3 AM like pork, teriyaki and mayo). Mega mania has even crossed into the breakfast realm with the Mega Muffin, an extreme take on the Egg McMuffin, GOJIRA-style complete with an egg, two pork sausage patties, cheese and bacon!

What, no country gravy?

HELL'S KITCHEN: FOX's Trailer Trash Version of TOP CHEF Returns

HELL'S KITCHEN is back, whether you wanted it or not.

Gordon Ramsay returned to the titular fire-and-brimstone kitchen/eatery this week, kicking off the fourth season of the cooking competition. This season's prize? A gig as exec chef at Ramsay's new LA-based restaurant, London LA.

If you're alarmed (as I was) by what appears to be a personality-driven downgrade in the casting over at Bravo's TOP CHEF, just wait till you get a load of the contestants FOX has trotted out for this go-round with Ramsay. I remember watching the first season of the show and being impressed by chefs like Michael and Ralph (the season 1 finalists). By the time we got to Season 3 not only was I duly unimpressed by the contestants but I wasn't sure I'd want any of them to cook for me.

Watching this week's season premiere it's safe to say that if I saw any of these contestants behind the counter at a local eatery I'd contemplate running the other way. Fast.

Contestants for this year include the usual mix of current and former cooks, with some of the latter currently doing everything from working as a stay-at-home dad (Dominic) to a receptionist in a law office (Rosann, whose unbelievably annoying accent had me scrambling for the mute button every time she opened her mouth).

Beyond that you have the incredibly mouthy Bobby (who proclaimed himself to be "The Black Gordon Ramsay"), sexually ambiguous Louross, mousy gal Vanessa, mousy guy Craig (who wore a huge toque until Ramsay berated him into taking it off), lazy guy Jake (who spent the early part of this week's service smoking and massaging his feet), and a bunch of other contestants who seem cast because they'll remind us of past contestants.

Have to mention Philly's own Matt Sigel, though. Sigel, who works as a sous chef at the Radisson Warwick in Center City, launched himself into HELL'S KITCHEN lore with the unappetizing signature dish of raw venison, diver scallop, caviar and white chocolate. A bite or two had the short-fused, foul-mouthed host hurling into a nearby trashcan like yours truly after a run-in with tequila!

Sigel, whose face has the perpetually pinched look of somebody who smells something that's gone bad, apparently used to be known as Matt Bloch but changed his name to Sigel after marrying his wife Ellen Sigel.

By show's end, Dominic – whose kitchen performance would be hard to defend – got the boot over Blue Team "captain" Bobby, whose entire contribution to the dinner service appeared to be avoiding any kind of cooking and carrying around a squeeze bottle.

Vegetarian Star Waxes Poetic About Applebee's

It took me a few viewings before I realized that the new "voice" of Applebee's is none other than John Corbett, a successful, albeit one-note, actor that my wife insists women love.

After countless viewings of the ads during the NCAA tournament – in which Corbett waxes poetic about the new "Ultimate Trios" available at the eatery – we remembered that Corbett was something of a celebrity vegetarian.

In fact, one website mentioned that he was once named to a list of The World's Sexiest Vegetarians.

Granted, I know voiceover work is nothing more than a job and Corbett isn't returning to his role as Aidan in the upcoming SEX & THE CITY movie (shudder). But when your agent calls and asks if you want to be the spokesperson for Mini Bacon Cheeseburgers, Steak Quesadilla Towers and Mini Chicken Ranchers, don't you take a pass?