Building the perfect waiter/waitress…

By Ron Rollins | Monday, November 9, 2009, 08:26 AM

Wow, this is a great list… One of the food bloggers for the Times posted 100 things a good server should/should not do, and it’s a terrific look at the things good wait staff do for you, often without you realizing it.

It’s also a good reminder, for the diner, just how complicated and difficult these jobs are — and why you should show your appreciation, when they’re done well.

Be sure to follow the link back to the previous 50.

Got any thoughts on any of these? I’ll admit that the items near the bottom about music in the restaurant got my attention… I think most restaurants, fine or funky, usually blow it on the atmosphere by playing everyday pop hits that you can hear anywhere… Why not play Indian music in an Indian restaurant, or Asian in an Asian restaurant? I can hear Rihanna in my car…

Anyway, comments?

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What’s in your wine bottle?

By Ron Rollins | Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 12:32 PM

You know, Leadbellies like a glass of wine now and then, provided it’s really cheap and has a kangaroo on the label, or something like that.

So, imagine our delight when we read the following piece from The Daily Beast! Pretty much, most wine is no different from a bag of Doritos! And you didn’t even know it!

Take that, you pinkie-extending sippers, you…

Thoughts, anyone?

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A McDonald’s-less nation…

By Ron Rollins | Saturday, October 31, 2009, 07:10 PM

Wow, folks up in Iceland are about to all get skinnier… Good for them.

According to this story from Reuters, McDonald’s is closing the last of its eateries in the island country, saying the economy is too tough.

Um, OK … So is this bad news, necessarily?

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Where are you eating?

By Ron Rollins | Friday, October 23, 2009, 07:44 AM

Sorry, kids, it’s been a slow week with the Leadbellies … you know, work and life DO occasionally get in the way of eating. But never for long…

So, where you folks in Happy Leadbelly Reader Land eating these days? Been anyplace lately you want to share?

And what did you like about it?

Munch munch munch…

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Another bizarre Vick Burger experience…

By Ron Rollins | Friday, October 16, 2009, 08:19 AM

Ahoy, Brother Ron here… I met a friend at the very fine Sunrise Cafe in downtown Yellow Springs yesterday evening — the place is becoming one of my favorite local restaurants, btw — and I had another run-in with their famous “Vick Burger.”

As before, it was totally different from the last time … That is because, as you may know, the Vick Burger is a chef’s-choice sandwich in which the burger is topped by whatever the kitchen wants to put on there.

Literally. Anything. They. Want.

The thing is named after our DDN book blogger Vick Mickunas, who’s a longtime regular at the Sunrise, and who just leaves the cooking to them. So…

“Is there anything you really don’t want on it?” the waiter asked.

“No anchovies, please.”

“We don’t have those anyway.”

“OK, then, have at it. I trust you.”

Sure enough, here’s what arrived on my burger: a slice of provolone cheese; two thick pieces of bacon; pesto, lightly grilled on the bun; a tomato slice; a Mediterranean olive; lettuce; bean sprouts; carmelized, grilled onion chips; thinly grated carrots; and a fried egg. Oh yes, and a piece of grilled asparagus, apparently for good measure.

They don’t do fries, so I had it with broccoli. Yum.

My friend’s advice was to just do it with the knife and fork, and not try to eat it like a burger. Good advice, that.

Anyway, it was AMAZING.

Check this place out. And trust them.

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What’s for lunch?

By Ron Rollins | Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 01:09 PM

I’m just askin’…

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Do you like garlic? You’re in luck…

By Ron Rollins | Friday, October 9, 2009, 06:48 PM

Saturday and Sunday you can visit Cox Arboretum MetroPark for this year’s Garlic Festival — it’s good family fun, but it’s also good eating.

For the last few years, the Leadbellies have been the judges for the special garlic food items and recipes prepared for the fest by local chefs, and this year was one of the best.

We did the tasting Thursday night, and I don’t know about Brother Ray and our newest Leadbelly, Brother Kyle, but I know I’ve been living in a garlic haze all day… Stay away, you vampires! And everybody else, for that matter.

But I do love garlic, and I wasn’t the only one.

These restaurants and caterers will be represented: El Meson, Giovanni’s, Brock Masterson’s, Chimneys Inn, Bahn Mai Thai Cafe, Stengl’s Catering, Maggie Moo’s and Boosalis Catering and Cafe.

The latter two had great garlic ice cream (uh-huh) and cheesecake… The garlic in the ice cream was odd at first, but actually rather tasty after the second bite.

Brock Masterson had wonderful crab cakes; El Meson did lamb meatballs; the Pasta Giovanni was killer; Stengl’s offer healthy, yummy wraps; Chimneys Inn had amazing fish chowder… and yes, garlic was the chief ingredient in all of it, or darn close.

Check out the festival this weekend, and find out for yourself. Tell ‘em a Leadbelly sent ya.

Have fun!

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