This article was originally written by me for Merchant Processing Resource, the only independent resource for merchant processing and merchant cash advance.  I am posting it here again as I think that restaurants are the key to changing the culinary habits of Americans and it is my hope that chefs across the nation will respond to the call to arms.  Here it is one more time.

Restaurants: The power of the plate

April 3, 2013
By: Angela Bell

It was several decades ago that Chef Alice Waters introduced the concept of using natural, locally grown ingredients in all of her menu items in one single restaurant in California, a restaurant known as Chez Panisse. From one Chef with an idea and a passion for fresh ingredients came a whole new cuisine, California cuisine, still popular today for it’s abundance of fresh, locally caught or grown, and simply prepared ingredients. Fast forward to 2000 and there is Chef Jamie Oliver who has made it his mission to rid America’s food supply of toxins, sugar and all things unnatural. He singlehandedly rid the country of “pink slime”, a nasty concoction of ammonia laundered meat remnants in ground beef.

America is clearly in a food crisis. It was never more obvious to me than it was yesterday afternoon when I received a 10 pound case of what was described to me by my fish purveyor as frozen at sea whole haddock fish fillets. Having lived twenty three years on the coast of Maine before relocating to the upstate of South Carolina, I was euphoric at the prospect of dining on haddock fillet for the first time in several years. But, as I peeled away the wrappings on the carton, my euphoria was replaced with repulsion as I caught sight of the words, clearly stenciled on the side of the box, “contains sodium tripolyphosphate (STTP)”. STTP is just another additive we humans use in an attempt to help mother nature (and the processor’s deep pockets) by chemically inducing longevity in our food supply. But at what cost to our wellness?

Chefs Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver got it right — fresh, local, sustainable. We, as chefs of restaurants frequented by Americans across the country, have the power to change our course. If Chef Alice Waters can start a whole new cuisine with one single restaurant and Chef Jamie Oliver can have a profound and lasting effect on the beef industry with one single television episode, imagine what we can do together to change the eating habits of this country. Eat smart, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef Angela Bell
Beyond the Bull (an “eat smart” kitchen)
233 W. Main St., Central, SC 29630
http://antiaginggastronomy.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ChefAngelaB

Installment # 8 (this really is the final installment) of Diary of a madwoman uh, I mean chef, in the throes of opening a restaurant…

We have now been in operation for 8 days and with minor adjustments to food preparation times and serving procedures, we have finally arrived at what I refer to as “kitchen rhythm”.  I compare it to the musicality of a well choreographed dance performance, which when performed routinely with practiced participants, reaches a comfortable and repeatable rhythm each time it is performed. 

Preparing menu items to be held in a steam table presented some obstacles that were unexpected, but zealously overcome, with one exception.  Roasted split chicken breasts were not meant to be held for more than a few minutes because of the lack of fat content, so developing a method to prevent them from drying out is a challenge.  I know what you are thinking.  Who needs chicken when there is duck, rabbit, elk, and so on?  People who think they don’t like “game”, that’s who.  So, I must persist in finding a way to prolong the juiciness of these delectable little breasts.  As a well trained and experienced chef, I have tried everything in my repertoire and failed 8 times so far (yes, every day that we have been open).  Middle Sister’s Roasted Chicken MUST stay on the menu so any one of you who have a suggestion as to how to prepare and hold roasted split chicken breasts in a steam table, please send me your comments.  I will not give up!    

Here is the Beyond the Bull menu for week ending April 12.  Notice the new hours and I no longer have specific days for specials.  Sides and specials rotate and I reserve the right to cook whatever speaks to me on any given day!  Someone asked if we deliver.  No.  Someone else asked if we take phone orders.  No.  Since I reserve the right to cook whatever speaks to me for specials and sides, why not just come in and see what there is.  Cafeteria style means no waiting.  Someone asked if we are gluten free.  Yes, with two exceptions, the rest of the menu is gluten free, AND free of refined grains, added sugar and trans fats.  No food comes out of a box, bag, bottle or can with the exception of olives, Dukes mayonnaise and crushed tomatoes!  Imagine being able to eat out, and still stay on your diet whether it is weight watchers, low sugar, paleo, gluten free, low carb, anti-inflammatory or vegetarian.  EAT SMART, FEEL GOOD!

Here are more pictures from our first service including my latest creation, a quinoa cake which turned out delectable with the combination of goat cheese and Thai basil.  The house made Sangria has been popular with at least three returning customers so far.  Not just a ladies’ drink!  Duck cakes caramel and crab cakes are popular and the number one game dish---Dad’s Easter Rabbit with Nappa cabbage. 

Quinoa Cakes

MY kitchen---love it!

Best table far right 

Beer and Wine coolers---Favorite beer Shipyard Thumper
Favorite wine Santa Rita Carmenere

First customer remains anonymous

Yes, more of MY kitchen!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB.  

Installment # 7 (final installment) of Diary of a madwoman uh, I mean chef, in the throes of opening a restaurant…

Slow opening went better than expected.  Need to tweak some recipes and teach Chef Eric the difference between “just cover” with water and fill to brim!  All equipment is functioning properly and customers are raving about, what else, THE FOOD.  Seems like GOOD FOOD is gaining popularity as the number one menu choice was quinoa tabbouleh, number two was buffalo short ribs.   

Here are the latest pics, taken preopening. 

26 seats ready and waiting

Delivery and HC entrance

Downtown Central, SC

The salsas:  chimichurri, roasted pepper and olive and tomato, jalapeno and corn

Duck cakes caramel, ratatouille, crunchy beans and buffalo short ribs

Best deer-caught-in-headlights look

Chef Eric... best knife skills in the world!  Not bad at dishes either!

DHEC grade 100

My "crew" of two!

 Next week we start the marketing phase with distribution of flyers to all campuses and off campus housing, big box retailers, apartment complexes and gymnasiums.  Get your GAME on and eat smart, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB.

The long wait is almost over.  Here is the menu for the 

weekend of March 29, our opening date.  

Hope to see you there.  Get your "game" on and eat smart!

In spite of the fact that I am enveloped 24 hours a day in the task of opening “The Bull”, I couldn’t ignore the call to voice my opinion of the proposed ban of certain beverages by the Mayor of New York City.  First guns, now food, one a human right, the other a God given right, what’s next?  I know it's just one woman's opinion, but here it is, published today at http://www.merchantprocessingresource.com/2013/03/restaurant-madness-ny-bans-sugar-drinks-whats-next/

Culinary Byte$…NY bans sugar drinks, what’s next?   

March 12, 2013 is the day that the New York City ban on the over 16 ounce sugar-sweetened soda is to take effect.  It will probably be just another day in New York City, but if the ban takes place, it will be a huge monetary loss to foodservice business owners who will have to bear the loss of revenue as well as the added expense of such things as changing the size of glassware, reprinting menus and revising advertising copy.  The National Restaurant Association, a voice of the foodservice professional, joined other organizations that sued to block the ban, claiming it unfairly targeted food service establishments by exempting the ban for convenience stores and grocery stores.   But, unless someone in the judicial branch steps in, Mayor Bloomberg will have his way and sadly, foodservice operators will have to bear the loss. 

Although no one disagrees with the idea that less added sugar in the diets of Americans is a good thing, is it really the Mayor of New York who should decide what a restaurant, deli, sports concession stand, movie theater, food cart or street vendor should serve to its customers?  If a government official can limit the serving size of soda in my establishment, the possibility exists that a government official can limit how many calories I can serve in a dinner entree or how many ounces of pasta I can plate.  What’s next---menu approval?  Americans are raised on sugar starting with baby formula, then refined grain products in the form of sandwich bread and pasta, followed by prepackaged foods with more sugar, more refined grains and high fructose corn syrup, energy drinks, sweetened fruit juices, baked goods, pizza, sweet tea and soda.  Banning large size soda isn’t going to put a dent in America’s love affair with sugar.

But, I think both sides are missing the point.  By arguing the merits of its affect on obesity they are missing the bigger picture.  The debate should not be over the benefits of the ban, nor the monetary loss to the foodservice industry.  The debate should be over legality, the constitutionality of the ban itself.  Although I am a strong advocate of ridding America of all added sugar, my position is this.  There is nothing more important to the sustainability of life than the food we feed ourselves.  NO ONE should make that choice for us.  If we allow this ban to take effect, what’s next?  At some point, we may find ourselves shopping at the Agway for USDA approved human food right between the dog chow and bird seed.  And, by the way, Mr. Bloomberg, why don’t you call the related penalty what it really is, according to the Supreme Court---it’s a tax!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef Angela Bell 

Beyond the Bulll (an "eat smart" kitchen)

233 W. Main St., Central, SC 29630
http://antiaginggastronomy.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ChefAngelaB

Installment # 6 of Diary of a madwoman uh, I mean chef, in the throes of opening a restaurant…

Fire department, building inspector, SC DHEC, done, done and done!  All inspections were passed and we are now on to phase 3.  A note for  those of you who might be considering the launch of a restaurant---there are a few unexpected expenses that pop up from time to time some of which I have recently experienced.  These are “other” start up expenses that I have not had to deal with in the past, such as paying a third party for certification of fire suppression equipment, adding  safety hardware that is required for certain equipment, and the cost of the big, silver fire extinguisher (technical name still unknown).  These expenses were specific to South Carolina, and since I am fairly new to South Carolina, they were new to me.  Fortunately, I had included a contingency in my budget for the unexpected and so must you if you are going to pursue your dream. 

Phase 3---cooking.  Although I have been playing with food all along, tasting samples to decide on a final menu, this week begins the cooking phase in preparation of documenting standardized recipes.  I know that sounds boring and tedious.  It is.  However, the biggest mistake that a chef can make, the one that almost always results in loss of profitability, is to NOT know the cost of food for every item on the menu.  The second biggest mistake is inconsistency.  Documented standardized recipes reduce the risk for both.  I have developed a sample menu according to what I believe will please the palate of my customers and match both their wallets and my concept.  But, until I measure, chop, slice, cook, and portion, I will not know if the item is priced correctly---priced to provide me with enough revenue to cover food cost, rent, payroll, other expenses and still have some revenue left that I can call “profit”. 

             Here is the Beyond the Bull (BTB) sample menu for the first week in operation, target date Friday, March 22.  There will be plenty of time to make changes, some resulting from the exercises next week, some from suggestions I get from locals, vendors, family and friends, and some I hope, will come from you.  All comments are encouraged and will be seriously considered.  Tell me what you would and would not order, what you don’t understand, what is too expensive, what is too cheap, how it looks, what it’s missing and most importantly, would you be a regular customer (assuming the food tastes fantastic and service excels).  Keep in mind that service is cafeteria style (like a Subway or Chipotles) and food and beverage is served in disposables for take-out or eat in.  First is the menu, followed by the cover which includes "our story".  

Thank you for following my journey and helping me celebrate my dream.

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB.

Installment # 5 of Diary of a madwoman uh, I mean chef, in the throes of opening a restaurant…

                Still in phase one!  After a failed attempt to replace the kitchen flooring with self adhesive tiles, it became necessary to hire a professional.  Gustavo came highly recommended, arrived on time and worked after hours which meant, as a side job, the labor rate for my job was lower than the usual, which, of course, was fine by me.  The floor, thus far installed by Gustavo by Monday night, was looking great, smooth and sealed, just the way the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) expected it.  I did, however, have one problem with Gustavo.  Gustavo’s command of the English language is somewhat poor, poor enough that I did not understand him correctly when he answered my question as to how long before I could walk on the floor.  

               I had been waiting for the fire chief and the third party fire suppression certification people for some time and they were expected the next morning.  Gustavo ensured me that with the heat set at 78 overnight, the floor would be dry the next day.  “Tomorrow”, I repeated to make sure that I understood.  “Jes”, he answered, shaking his head in the affirmative.  I left that evening with the heat cranked up to 78, confident that when I returned the next morning, the glue would be dry.

                I am still not sure exactly where the communication broke down, but what I do know is that when I arrived the next morning to host the fire chief and his party, the floor was no dryer than when I left the night before.  And, it was not until I was well into the middle of the kitchen and looked back toward the door that I realized that every tile on which I had walked, had moved away from the next, leaving gaps between the tiles and glue squishing from between.  Fortunately, the fire chief could see what he needed to see from the doorway.  Unfortunately for me, I spent the next two hours returning the tiles to their proper placement, peeling unidentifiable debris from the bottom of my sticky shoes, which on trying to leave, stuck unexpectedly to the door mat.  If it were not for my daily workout which includes balance exercises, I would surely have fallen face down as I attempted to get free, first one foot then the other, then back again to the first one.  Having watched Candid Camera in my youth, I laughed out loud, expecting to see Allen Funt burst through the door.   

                Two weeks later and the floor has begun to dry.  The infrastructure is finished.  We sadly said good-bye to our last contractor on Friday (we came to know them well) and phase two has officially begun---moving in!  Thus far, craigslist has provided us with coolers, furniture, stainless prep tables, steam table and finally, the perfect size sandwich station, 27 inches wide.  I say perfect, because everything at the Bull must be miniature in size in order to fit the 750 SF space.  But apparently small is in because the smaller the piece of equipment, the more desirable and therefore as supply and demand would have it, the fewer available and the higher the price.  But fortunately for us, although sad for the seller, there are always restaurants closing and good deals to be made.  If only it would stop raining!

                Today was a day to spend in my office catching up on bills, designing menus, brochures and coupons in preparation for the first marketing event for Beyond the Bull, a Mardi Gras theme fundraiser for Meals on Wheels, to take place on Friday, February 15, at the Anderson, SC Civic Center.  It will be a coming out party for the new kid on the block, so it is important that we get it right.  On the menu for tasting is a Louisiana Cajun Canard with LA white BBQ sauce, a Bull signature dipping sauce.  For those of you who are not fluent in French, it is duck (this one in meatball form) seasoned with Cajun spices and a vinegar-based white BBQ dipping sauce.  Recipe is below for you adventurous types who have access to duck.

                Now, how to prepare a whole rabbit for service at the Bull, hmmm---time to play with my food again.  As I have stated earlier, but it bears repeating, “I love my job!”

Louisiana Cajun Canard

with LA White BBQ Sauce

Makes 38 1 oz meat balls

1 lbs. ground duck 

1 egg

1/2 cup celery, brunois

1/2 cup yellow onion, brunois

1 green bell pepper, brunois

1 poblano pepper, brunois

ground thyme

salt

pepper

garlic granules

whole bay leaf

celery seed

ground cayenne

ground sweet paprika

For the dipping sauce

1 cup Dukes mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup cider vinegar

mustard seed

salt

pepper

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB.

First review of GOOD FOOD BAD FOOD is in..."The book is a marvelous read. Candid, honest and heartfelt...and teaches wonderful techniques. Don't think I ever thought about poaching in olive oil!  Can't wait to try it.  Everything is beautifully put together and authored by a most fascinating and funny woman who obviously cares about the health of America and beyond! I will cherish this and share the info with my clients." Dr. Susan Solomon, Charleston, SC.

This unsolicited first time review of Good Food Bad Food arrived in my email box on my birthday last week.  What a gift!  Thank you, Dr. Solomon.  The book is available on Amazon and Createspace online as a paperback or as an ebook for Kindle and Nook at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. 

                Now back to the business of opening a restaurant.

Installment # 4 of Diary of a madwoman uh, I mean chef, in the throes of opening a restaurant…

               Still in phase one, improving the infrastructure (floors, plumbing, etc.), my team and I decided to travel the state and leave the contractors on their own while we continued our search for equipment that fit our budget.  Considering the small size of our miniscule budget, this is no easy task, but we are determined and have thus far met our goals.  Crisscrossing the upstate from NC to GA, hauling a utility trailer behind, we came back empty handed except for one thing…the PERFECT steam table. 

                For those of you who are unfamiliar with food service terminology, a steam table is a hot holding station containing wells. or whales as they say here in the South.  Being from Maine, I wondered about the relevance of the underwater mammal to the discussion of the steam table until my embarrassed, red faced husband translated on the tech’s behalf.  Back to the steam table---the wells heat water to a certain temperature, into which a hotel pan of food is placed to keep it warm.  And this one is perfect, right color, size, condition, price, and is essential for cafeteria style service, the type of service customers will find at Beyond the Bull.  Picture a Subway sandwich service counter, but replace the cold food with hot and you have cafeteria style hot platters like the ones to be served at the Bull.  Customers will not only see the scrumptious looking eat smart versions of Hammonasset Chicken, Duck Cakes Caramel, Dad’s Easter Rabbit, Sage Chicken Livers with Figs, Bison Osso Bucco, and Scallop and Shrimp Ceviche, but they will be able to choose their house made fresh salsas, dips and side items like fried brown rice with chili and sage fried corn or quinoa with butternut squash from what is right in front of their eyes, all thanks to the steam table, which we have now nicknamed the whale.

The Whale

That leaves only one last piece of equipment to find---the sandwich station.  Although the Bull will not be serving sandwiches (one of man’s worst inventions) the cold station is an essential piece of equipment from which every restaurant serves condiments, salad ingredients and cold sauces.  We did find one not far from here this week, affordable and looking oh-so- good in the photos, but sadly disappointing when seen in person.  There was enough greasy dust on the fan to fill a king size pillow case.  Badly maintained, it would no doubt fail ten minutes after being plugged in.  So, now the hunt continues.  Any leads from my fellow restauranteurs will be considered and greatly appreciated.

A special shout out to our RNDC wine representative for supplying samples of varietal wines for us to try before deciding on the final offerings of single serve wines to complement our eat smart menu.  Yes, I know that wine is acid forming and therefore, not smart.  But, remember, we strive for balance, at least 60% alkaline forming foods.  Consider wine to be in the acid forming portion and if you add a little piece of lemon, as I do, it makes it just a little less bad.  The Santa Rita Carminere and Barefoot Merlot were especially good choices for bison and duck.  Next week we sample whites---yummm…I love my job!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB.

               

Installment # 3 of Diary of a madwoman, uh, I mean chef, in the throes of opening a restaurant...playing with food

As anyone who has worked on a long term project that includes the coordination of contractors, leasehold improvements, inspections and so on knows, there are times when there is nothing more that can be done but wait.  I have never been good at waiting so I use the time to write, scour the upstate for great deals on equipment like these recently purchased coolers, designing signs, banners and marketing brochures and my favorite pastime, of course, I cook.  

Yes, as you can see from the photo, we chose Clemson Tiger orange.  What else did you expect since we are in such close proximity to the champions of the 2012 Chick-fil-a bowl?  And besides, statistics prove that it is the color that stimulates the appetite the most.  Yum!!!

Recently there has been a lot of waiting, so I have done a lot of cooking, practicing and experimenting, refining, and standardizing recipes.  Those who benefit the most from this are friends and members of my household, my husband, and my loyal companion (not my husband, although he is also loyal) who at this moment lies under my desk, sleeping with his wet, black nose warm against my bare skin and soaking my flip flop. 

One of the biggest perks of opening a new restaurant is free food---no joke.  Vendors competing for your business will gladly provide samples, and for me, that means I get to play with my food.  Since Beyond the Bull is an eat smart kitchen, and avoids the use of highly inflammatory foods that include anything prepackaged, added fats, sugar, table salt and refined grains, as well as many of the most popular proteins including beef and pork, I get to play with alternative proteins like rabbit, duck, bison, venison, and organ meats.  Thanks to Maple Leaf Farms, the producer of the finest duck products in the U.S., I now have a freezer full of duck sausage, ground duck, duck patties and slow roasted pulled duck.  But, no foie gras!  For those of you who are new to my blog, read my article Corn Fed America to find out why.  After weeks of practice, my favorite duck recipes and those that will appear on the menu are Moroccan Pulled Duck and Duck Cakes Caramel.  The first is a blend of slow roasted leg and thigh meat, Moroccan spices, raisins and green olives with paper thin slices of lemon, and the latter a cake (a thick patty) of ground duck, balsamic caramelized onion, cilantro and Latin spices, crispy brown on the outside, juicy and sweet in the middle.  I am currently waiting for samples of Bison for osso bucco and rabbit for Dad’s Rabbit Stew.  In the meantime, since today is my birthday, I’m allowing my husband to spoil me and do all the cooking!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB.

                                                            

P.S. to the sheetrocker and tiler, I am still waiting!

                        

Installment # 2 of Diary of a madwoman uh, I mean chef, in the throes of opening a restaurant…

And I thought cleaning the grease trap would be the worst of it---no, not so!  Having completed the cleaning, painting and repairing of the dish and rest rooms, my team and I spent last week alternating between painting the front of the house (dining room) and searching the upstate for appropriate equipment and furnishings to bide our time while waiting for contractors (sheet metal, carpentry, and plumbing).  And a successful week it was! 

Our first stop was an abandoned restaurant in a mill town where the only occupants for the last 18 months had been four legged and furry or six legged and nocturnal.  We had not thought to bring a flashlight and without power, we were forced to use the light of our phones to work our way through the once bustling kitchen, now a graveyard of sticky stainless steel and crusty grill work.  The owner, however, was only too willing to let us have our pick of cooking apparatus as long as we removed it without any help from him.  And to our delight, we found two gems, a char-grill and a griddle, both table top versions in recognizable condition, a small prep table and an odd assortment of baking sheets and pans.  What a haul, except for one minor detail, the grease was as thick as that purposefully applied to automotive parts to make them move effortlessly.  For a brief second, I longed to return to the dish room and clean the grease trap for a second time.

My experience has been that Craigslist is the best place to shop for bargains, better than any auctions or used restaurant equipment stores, online or brick and mortar.  But, since I am not the only chef looking for bargains on the site, I also know from experience that, as we used to say when we were kids, you snooze you lose.  So, Saturday morning, when my search for commercial refrigeration (coolers) returned a used two door True stainless steel cooler for an unbelievably low price, off we went.  And since the seller naturally expected this to be a cash transaction, the first stop for me was the local bank. 

Here’s a riddle. What bank in this country does NOT have Saturday hours?  MY BANK! Okay, so the local branch in Central was closed, but surely, the main branch in downtown Clemson would be open.  Nope, the sign posted on the door read Mon to Fri 10 to 5, ATM in lobby open 24 hours.  Yes, of course, the ATM, and I entered the lobby.  Although the seller wanted more than I was allowed by the only bank in America closed on Saturdays, to retrieve from an ATM, I fortunately had two accounts flush with cash at the only bank in America closed on Saturdays.  And between the two of them, I would have the funds needed to buy the damn cooler.  

I withdrew my first card, and completed the transaction, entering all of the information required.  Now, as I waited for what I thought was waaay too long, I could hear the inner workings grinding and squealing as the ATM tried to push the bills out the horizontal door.  I say tried because unbelievably, only the bills that I could see on the top of the pile made it all the way out the little opening.  Those who know me well, know that I have exceptional eye hand coordination, and I am fast, but even with both hands free to grab those bottom bills, that door clamped shut before I had a chance.  Never have I ever experienced such frustration as I did when I read the words that appeared on the screen.  The bills were not removed in the allotted time.  Please see your financial institution for assistance.  What?  Financial institution?  The only one in America that is closed on Saturdays?   My second attempt at the ATM in Central, the one that sits prominently in the square in front of the only bank in America that is closed on Saturdays, was just as unsuccessful.  There the screen read, The allotted daily amount has been met  We are unable to fulfill my request. 

Fortunately due to the intercession of my husband who uses a bank that, unlike mine, IS open on Saturdays we paid the seller and the monster cooler was tied securely into a utility trailer with the help of several of the seller’s neighbors.  Euphoric at the success of our latest acquisition, I called upon our business neighbors to assist in offloading and moving the giant into our establishment.  Here is another first, right up there with the grease trap!  How do you get a refrigerator which measures 33 inches deep by 54 inches wide and 84 inches high and weighs 500 pounds, through a standard size doorway and into a room with 96 inch ceilings?  Well, I am not going to bore you with the details, but after 45 minutes, the cooler was upright, inside and the only wound was in the ceiling which will be scarred for life.   

In addition to a cooler, char-grill and griddle, our only other score for the week was made in a place I should call home---the local Goodwill store.  I think the reason that I am so fond of that store is twofold.  First, I am an antique lover and self recognized authority on certain period pieces and therefore, appreciate all things older than I am.  And second, some of my fondest memories of time spent with my mother were those when we dressed in our Sunday best including hat and gloves and went downtown to the local Salvation Army store.  It was there that I watched in awe as my mother found the diamond in the midst of quartzite and managed to talk the clerk into accepting half the price on the ticket.  The poor salesman never had a chance.  And so in the spirit of my mother, I came to be the owner of a barely used, very expensive DVD/CD/MP3/tuner with 4 speakers and sub woofer, all for half the ticket price of $ 15.00.  I think our on-premise diners will be quite pleased!  

                ‘Til next week, keep an eye out for a natural gas convection oven, sandwich station and steam table, all looking to relocate to BTB in Central, SC.   And a degreaser wouldn’t hurt either!

Eat Smart, America!

Buon Appetito e Buona Salute, Chef AngelaB.