how adversity changes us

Before the pandemic, my feelings about restaurateurs were pretty much like my feelings about highly paid professional athletes and celebrities. Considering the huge markup on food and service, the obscene markup on liquor and alcoholic beverages at restaurants, I really had very little sympathy for restaurateurs who needed to close their businesses.

But the pandemic has put so many things in a different light. While my feelings about highly paid athletes and celebrities remains the same, I've learned to have a new respect for restauranteurs, especially those who own mom-and-pop establishments.

My wife and I needed to do a couple of quick errands this morning, and in our travels we noticed that two of our favorite restaurants had closed for good. One was part of a chain, the other was independently owned. We'd gone to each restaurant numerous times over the last few years, and we got to know their menu, some of their service staff, and the philosophies that shaped the way they prepared their food.

Driving home, my wife and I both felt very sad, for the restaurant managers or owners, the chefs, the service staff, and other customers, who will no longer be able go to these two great places.

As a final thought, it seems such a shame that huge governments throughout the world were never prepared in any way, for the pandemic. And while the pandemic has served to thin out the herd of businesses, those affected could have used more support from customers, home office if these were corporate establishments, and managers with some Ingenuity enough to stay in business. My sincere hope is that all the staff from each of these restaurants find new and better positions at other eateries so their excellent service and excellent cooking can be enjoyed by more.

Comments

The "Nondiet Diet?"

At the ripe old age of 74, I've certainly seen and most likely participated in any number of diets. Including fad diets. Many fad diets. Lately, there's a lot of talk about something called intuitive eating. I still don't know very much about it, but it seems to be guided by logic, rather than mere number crunching. While most fad diets rely upon some measurement or distorted measurement of some nutrient or calories, intuitive eating depends more on good, healthful choices, eaten in moderate portions, guided to a great extent by mindfulness or slow eating, as well as a measure of hunger versus fullness. This last attribute is, perhaps, the most important. Many of us of my generation were taught to clean the plate. Much of that, of course, was generated by parents who did not have reliable refrigeration open to them. Food was prepared freshly, served quickly, and anything else needed to be thrown away. Nowadays, of course, we have reliable refrigeration, as well ...

The World Was Not Prepared

When I look back, over the last few months, I see nothing but a global screwup, of astronomical proportions. If the world's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic isn't the quintessential example of Murphy's Law, I don't know what is. From the early mischaracterization of the virus as not being a global threat, to nations and local areas not having the resources, it's been a mess. To make all this worse, it's clear that no one has set a long term communications plan, to report updates. For example, here in the NY-NJ area, we typically get three, lengthy press conference style updates every day. Each lasts anywhere from an hour, to an hour and a half. Much of it is meant to be gracious, thanking the almost endless list of front-line personnel, to other government agencies, to individual patients. A truly effective, long term communications plan would do three things: Set a reasonable, bite-size time limit, for each daily presser. Set standard ...

Organ Meats

Before You make a face, consider that organ meats are never eaten in large quantities. Not only that, but they're also mixed in with potatoes and vegetables and other things.. Lastly, the way organ meats are prepared before cooking can make all the difference in the world. I'm not urging you to eat organ meats, but I am suggesting that you give them a try, if possible.Although I have always liked kidneys, I hadn't had them until recently at a local sichuan restaurant. That same restaurant also prepares things like tongue and tripe, pork intestines and beef tendon.They're all highly seasoned and absolutely elicious, in small quantities and only occasionally.

Eating Better

Search This Blog