What Would Jesus Dip?

loaves and fishes

This is totally unrelated, so my apologies, but I don't know where else to put this. I drove down Belmont Blvd last night and there is a SUBWAY now open near the Circle K. I almost drove right off the road. Guess outrage, neighbors' pleas against it, and signed petitions do no good.

jesus would love and accept 'subway'

There are limits even to His forgiveness.

It was a stealth attack. The original plan was to go into Tabouli space, but that got derailed, so they snuck in around the corner on Portland next to the new agwe store, who were likely in an altered state of consciousness and didn't notice til it was too late. The entire Subway kit took about one week to assemble and is already serving footlongs. I don't think Subway corportate gives a rat's ass about neighborhood petition drives, or likely was even aware one took place. We are just a push pin on the franchise map. And what has come over you Claudia? Was it the raw diet?

Kay has been telling me about the Subway for weeks now, and I kept thinking if I ignored it it would go away, much like the economic downturn and my pre-middle-aged spread. Well, shit.

Fox, the economic downturn is all in your head. Though I don't see it on you, from personal experience I can't say the same about the middle aged spread, which the Anti-Social Drinking Mothers Club refers to as the Sickening Thickening.

It pains me to say this, but my kids were thrilled to see the familiar yellow and green glow of the nation's 987th Subway virtually in our back yard.

I guess the good news is, this leaves the Tabouli's space open. I nominate the Crows' oft-discussed pizzeria. Tell me there's a better location than across from a college campus.

is there a better location? yes - across from my house!!

oh, i was just speaking for jesus...

i could not find it in me to love or accept subway
heathen that i am

In order to be a food critic, do you have to have any knowledge of food @ all? I read the article for that new place in the village & I was appauled by the review. Please respond Ms. Fox.

Thanks for the clarification Claudia. I now feel confident pausing to ponder 'WWCD?" when stuck on the horns of a moral and/or culinary dilemna.

As many of my many critics over the years noted, you don't need to know much of anything to be a food critic, but SB, it helps to know how to spell. Is being appauled as horrible as it sounds?

Sorry, I was appalled. Did Kay read the review? Let me know.

SB, why not come out and tell us what your problem is with CF's review of the tuscan grill...

i read it. i claim to know food. i thought the review was not only well written but entertaining and i will make sure to steer clear, despite any of the vague complimentary remarks because i am quite sure that i will passionately hate the place.

what the hell was so appalling?

And BTW Pink, Brumm spoke again this week to the Tabouli landlord, offering a deal no reasonable person should be able to refuse. He refused. Tabouli's seems quite devoted to their 8-member customer base. Perhaps they could rent their empty seats to the folks waiting for a table at PM almost every night of the week.

I did read the review, but because I no longer dining professionally, I have not been required to eat at Tuscan Grille so I can't offer an opinion on their operation. But I would take the stand under oath to testify to Fox's food knowledge.

The review was generally complimentary of T's menu--particularly the pizzas, pasta dishes, grilled shrimp and home-baked bread--but was critical of the environment, which detracts from the experience in many ways. Before I respond, can you clarify which side of the equation appalled you?

Kay, with all due respect, I believe you were leaving a digit off that Subway number. I think 9877th would have been closer to the actual number.

I don't eat at Subway often, but when on the road, I will sometimes choose it over a Taco Bell. Subway is vegetarian-friendly fast food, after all. But when faced with the choice of PM or Subway, I'd go for PM any day. Then again, I am not a po' college student.

Lesley, I stand corrected. And I couldn't agree more on Subway as a viable road food option when pondering an interstate exchange screaming with McDonald's, Taco Bells, Wendy's, Hardy's, Burger King's, KFC's and service station hot dogs made of genuine pork by product. I'll also put in a word for my kid's favorite, Arby's which in addition to their sodium soaked beef, offers relatively healthy deli sandwiches and salads. Though truth be told, our guilty pleasure is the curly fries. My son, who will be a po' college student in two years, is doing his basic training for that future assignment at Internatational Market and Taste of Tokyo, though when he and his buddies pool their limited funds, they treat themselves to PM.

appalled by the fact that you wrote such a negative review about that building. the building is great & is, to me, the best location in the village. did you read where the rage put that t's was the sleekest & sexiest spot in the village? all in all, i know that it was a good review, but i think that the fact that you wrote 3 paragraphs about the food and 5+ about the building and nothing about the service at all, goes to show that you just wanted to get your sole opinion of the building out there. please respond CF. thanks.

In terms of volume, I wrote more about the food than about the setting, though the passages about the setting seem to have left greater impression on you. Interestingly, that mirrors my experiences at T's, in which various aspects of the setting left greater impression on me than the food itself. My goal is to help readers spend their dining dollars well. Since setting--and all the overhead associated with it--factors into the cost of the meal, I think it is more than appropriate to comment on the setting as it affects the overall dining experience.

First, SB, you need to recount: I get 7+ paragraphs about the food, most complimentary. Second, let me get this straight: you're appalled because she wrote negatively about the building? If I had a stake in T's, I'd be more appalled about the paragraph that describes a swarm of bugs falling in the food and the bizarre choice of mood music—either of which would be enough to negatively affect a meal.

the fact that you wrote 3 paragraphs about the food and 5+ about the building and nothing about the service at all

Heh heh. Be careful what you wish for, SB.

when you choose to sit on the patio in 95+ degree weather, you must expect bugs of some sort. i've eaten at sunset grill & gotten not only herds of ants, but also, tons of flys from domino's dumpster across the street. not to mention the fowl odor. sounds to me like the problem may be that dumpster, not "the old girl". and what was so bizarre about the choice of music, t's is a BAR & grill!!!, not a fine dining establishment. it sounds to me like both mr. pink & carrington are holding some type of grudge to make their end justifiable. does ANYONE else agree???

Heh heh. Be careful what you wish for, SB.

What does that even mean?!?!?!?!?

I just read the convo between all of you...
I happen to be friends w/ the manager over @ T's & I'm giving you a heads up as a "Bites" fan. The Tangredis will be taking out a rebuttle in both the Scene & the Rage about the article.
I can't say I blame them, but I do stand by Carrington's expertise. From what I hear, mr. rayburn is in for a treat as well.

~But remember, you didn't hear it from me~

when you choose to sit on the patio in 95+ degree weather, you must expect bugs of some sort.

There wasn't a bug in sight today on Edisto's patio, in 100-degree heat, and the place is even ringed with shade trees. I feel deprived.

i've eaten at sunset grill & gotten not only herds of ants, but also, tons of flys from domino's dumpster across the street. not to mention the fowl odor. sounds to me like the problem may be that dumpster, not "the old girl".

Sounds to me like good reasons not to dine in that stretch of Hillsboro Village. Thanks for the warning.

and what was so bizarre about the choice of music

You mean the Lynyrd Skynyrd blaring at T's Tuscan Bar & Grill? Why, nothing at all. Nothing evokes Florence like a few bars of "Sweet Home Alabama." Hey, to set the mood at La Terraza, howzabout crankin' up some Molly Hatchet?

t's is a BAR & grill!!!, not a fine dining establishment.

You said it, not me.

And I don't have anything against T's, which I haven't even visited. I'm just trying to figure out your animosity when even you write "all in all, I know that it was a good review."" Wasn't your original complaint that Carrington doesn't know anything about food?

I'm just saying how Carrington reviewed the place as if it was supposed to be a fine dining establishment. That would be like rating the food & atmosphere @ your local Hooters.

By the by, how is Edisto, I've been meaning to try it.

SB, the point you may be missing is that food journalism is for the restaurant consumer, not controllable advertising for the restaurant professional. Accepting criticism with a little grace, gleaning any relevant information and adapting to the market is a much better reaction than petulance.

Beautifully put, LWilson.

If you were a food critic and (God forbid) you were sent to Hooters, you would most certainly rate the food and atmosphere. One function of food criticism is as a consumer guide, and as a reader, hell yes I'd want to know whether the wings are any good and whether the music is so deafening I won't be able to hear my friends or the game or whatever.

Edisto was good. I only tried the smokehouse, and that was late in the day when most everything had sold out already (including the brisket—cue sound of gnashing teeth). The pork shoulder was a little dry (like I said, it was late in the day), but it had that blackened crust I adore and smoke permeated every bite. I'm going back with my brother, who swears it's the best BBQ he's ever had.

Let's just agree to diagree.

About what? I'm still waiting to hear you why you wrote, "In order to be a food critic, do you have to have any knowledge of food @ all?"

Because I disagree w/ the ad. Carrington clearly is not qualified to do her job.

So far you haven't given a single lucid reason or argument to back that up. Nor have you disputed one single claim she made about the food. The best we've been able to get out of you is some half-assed plaint that she wrote more about the building than the food (and that was rebutted with just a casual glance at the article). The only thing "clear" is that you've got some ax to grind that you won't state up front.

I think you guys are funny. Especially the twist who is a "friend" of the managers. Oh I so can't wait to see that "rebuttal"! T's is a total piece. Of shit I mean. They don't make anything from scratch, they microwave their mushrooms, all of the desserts are from TN Cheesecake, and the pizza dough is as frozen as the Artic. What a bullshit business. I worked there for about a month and was apalled at the product they are trying to shove down the "hipster" Hillsboro Villager's throat. The kitchen is retarded, I had to ward off the brother to make sure he wouldn't light his cigarette off the f@#$%&g grill so many times I thought I would puke. There is nothing special about a can of Sysco poured onto a plate and garnished with parsley. T's blows and so do the owners...