Around the world on Reservations Managers

Source: Times Online ()

Fulham have suffered a setback in their search for a new manager after Martin Jol withdrew from contention for the vacant post. The former Tottenham Hotspur manager was approached last Friday about his interest in becoming the permanent replacement for Lawrie Sanchez, who was dismissed last week, before the transfer window opens next week.

Jol was initially attracted because of the club’s proximity to his home in Essex, but it is believed that he felt that the squad may not be strong enough to avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League this season. They are one place above the relegation zone, with only two league wins. Some Fulham officials also had reservations about the Dutchman.

Jol is holding out for an opportunity to take charge of one of the big clubs below the recognised top four, such as Newcastle United, where speculation persists about Sam Allardyce.

Ray Lewington will continue in charge of Fulham away to Tottenham today and it is difficult to conceive which manager will want to take on the job. Fulham have said that no approach has been made for John Collins, their former player who resigned as Hibernian manager last week. Graeme Souness and Terry Venables have been mentioned.

Mohamed Al Fayed, the Fulham chairman, is likely to have to offer the new manager a contract with a substantial bonus paid if the team stay in the top flight.

Tottenham’s hopes of capitalising on Fulham’s unsettled situation at White Hart Lane today have been boosted by the news that Ledley King will have a fitness test to decide whether he is ready to return. The centre back has not played since the final game of last season after knee operation, before a thigh strain suffered in training last week prevented his participation in Saturday’s match away to Arsenal.

Source: Worcester Telegram ()

Bon appétit!

Worcester Tech’s culinary program steps up enrollment, offerings

LEARNING

By Jacqueline Reis TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

jreis@telegram.com

By Jacqueline Reis TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

jreis@telegram.com

Want to talk to a high school culinary student? Good luck.

The new Worcester Technical High School, in addition to being a beautiful academic facility, hasattracted a raft of conferences that are keeping its culinary and hospitality students hopping. On any given day, the approximately 145 students in the two programs might be bustling between the Skyline Bistro restaurant on the school’s lower floor, the conference rooms or the bake shop on the main floor.

Fortunately, both programs have increasing numbers of students to serve those three areas. The hospitality department (officially called hotel and restaurant management) has grown from 39 to 60 students over the past five years, and the culinary arts department has grown from 47 to 85, according to Peter C. Crafts, director of vocational/technical education. Combined, they would be the second largest department in the school, behind automotive technology, according to hospitality department head Wayne Staltare.

The school’s new facility, which opened in 2006, has helped generate interest among both students and patrons, said Kevin R. Layton, chairman of culinary arts. The quality of students has improved and people seem happy to dine at the sleek Skyline Bistro. The restaurant at the school’s old building was a room with tables in it and, although it could get busy, it didn’t offer much in the way of ambience.

The bistro is busy even on what Mr. Staltare called a relatively slow On Dec. 7, it was nearly full with faculty members, alumni, a woman celebrating her birthday, …

Source: Saipan Tribune ()

Tony Roma’s and Capricciosa are at it again and are offering their signature meals with the red Italian sparking wine Fragolino Rosso this holiday season.

General manager Akira Onishi said Tony Roma’s holiday meal that consists of Roasted Beef and St. Louis Ribs Combo with Toasted Garlic Seared Green Beans and Rice Pilaf with a complimentary glass of Fragolino can be enjoyed for only $22.99.

Onishi said he himself had a hand in Tony Roma’s holiday season offering as he was the one who whipped up the creamy horseradish sauce for the 6-ounce roast beef.

He added that the tender and juicy roast beef is a great complement to Tony Roma’s world-famous St. Louis Ribs as well as to the sweet and fruity taste of the Fragolino Rosso red Italian sparking wine.

And for an additional $2, guests can upgrade their ribs into baby back ribs, while non-wine drinkers only need to part with $18.99 to partake of the meal.

Next door, Onishi said Capricciossa is bundling the Fragolino Rosso together with its all-time favorites-Cobb Salad, Smoked Salmon, Spicy Seafoof Linguine, Spicy Chicken with Rosemary, Garlic Bread, and Homemade Pumpkin Pie.

For a mere $39.99, couples can enjoy the Capriciossa smash hit together with two glasses of Fragolino Rosso, which is distributed exclusively by Pacific Wines & Spirits here in the Marianas.

Those opting for an alcohol-free evening, can still enjoy Capricciosa’s holiday season meal-for-two for a mere $33.99.

Onishi said the two restaurants’ promotions will run from Dec. 17, 2007, to Jan. 15, 2008.

For reservations, call Tony Roma’s at 233-9193 or Capricciosa at 233-9194. The two restaurants are open from 11am to 10:30pm everyday.

Tony Roma’s is proud to serve "The Best Ribs in the World," as judged in a nationwide U.S. contest. Today, there more than 250 Tony Roma’s locations on five continents and it all started with the barbecue …

Source: PR Web (press release) ()

Undici Restaurant Brings Authentic Tuscan Dining Experience to Rumson, New Jersey

Newly opened Undici Restaurant, located in picturesque downtown Rumson, NJ just moments from the Atlantic coast, takes authentic Italian dining to new heights. Upon entering, patrons are transported to a Tuscan farmhouse, where they are invited to experience Italian wine and cuisine at its very best.

Rumson, NJ (PRWEB) December 22, 2007 — Newly opened Undici, located in picturesque downtown Rumson, NJ just moments from the Atlantic coast, takes authentic Italian dining to new heights. Upon entering, patrons are transported to a Tuscan farmhouse, where they are invited to experience Italian wine and cuisine at its very best.

We only serve homemade pasta using Caputo Italian Flour and bring in Italian meats from Salumeria Biellesse in New York City.

"This restaurant was born out of a love of Italy," explains Pamela Diaco, Undici's designer and co-owner. "Undici is a heartfelt attempt at importing some of the atmosphere and cuisine that keeps us craving for more."

To recreate the Tuscan farmhouse ambiance, Mrs. Diaco adorned the ceilings with 100 year old beams salvaged from a barn in Wisconsin that was targeted for demolition. Similarly, she reclaimed 150 year-old floor boards from a doomed barn in New Hampshire. The randomly mixed white and red oak boards proudly wear scarring and the kerf marks from the more primitive saws of the old mills. The walls convey the same homage to antiquity, as they are done in the plasters and pigments that are used by Vatican restoration artists.

"We mixed straw in the spackle for the first floor ceilings to suggest a hayloft overhead and increase the sound proofing," explained Mrs. Diaco. "To be in Undici is be surrounded by natural materials, because Tuscany celebrates nature."

Hundred year-old grapevines that have wooded …

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription) ()

In a climactic scene in the Pixar-Disney summer hit “Ratatouille,” Paris’ leading restaurant critic, Anton Ego, demands a showdown with the new chef at Gusteau’s, a place he has long since written off.

Ego glances at the menu in disapproval. “Tell your Chef Linguini,” he sneers, “that I want whatever he dares to serve me. Tell him to - hit me with his best shot.”

The critic was engaging, in the rudest and most snobbish manner, in the time-honored Continental tradition of ordering “off menu.”

Until recently, in American restaurants, the menu was more or less inviolable, other than the choices of soup or salad; baked or mashed; rare, medium rare . . . etc. “No substitutions” was a notation frequently found on menus.

These days, with the rise of a new breed of chefs steeped in world cuisine, fusion and the New American cuisine, some version of ordering off-menu is not only not discouraged, it may be welcomed. The menu, which changes regularly in more establishments, is merely a starting point; the chef, an artist, is honored by the invitation to sail off the charts.

However, there is an unspoken etiquette between gourmet diner and gourmet chef on this score. As the practice becomes more widespread, it may be well to record some of the do’s and don’ts of asking for special treatment.

“Absolutely, we do that all the time,” said Scott Williams, general manager of Lake Park Bistro, 3133 E. Newberry Blvd., on the subject of taking special orders. “We have a policy that comes down, basically, to this: If we can do it, we will.

“Now, if it’s 7 o’clock on a Friday and you ask for a soufflé, I’m not sure we can do it.”

A request for such a complicated and time-consuming dish, at a very busy time, might well require taking three cooks off the line to accommodate one order, Williams said.

“I hate to use a ‘Star Trek’ here,” Williams said, “but sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

The …

Source: Earthtimes ()

Copyright © 2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved.

| News
Archives | Browse | Feedback

(c) 2007 Earthtimes.org, All
Rights Reserved.

The
views expressed in the articles are not necessarily of earthtimes.org and
we accept no responsibility for the views or opinions expressed in the articles
either direct or indirect.

Source: Trading Markets (press release) ()

DINING NEWS: Restaurant openings, closings and events

Wednesday, December 19, 2007; Posted: 08:56 AM

Dec 19, 2007 (Newsday - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — CAKE | charts | news | PowerRating — If your contractor is working behind schedule, he might take inspiration from the near-overnight construction of the new Cheesecake Factory, which opened last month at the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington Station. The familiar-looking branch of a California-based national chain took just 68 days to build. It’s situated on the south end of the mall, between Legal Sea Foods and Bloomingdale’s, 631-271-8200. While it may be smaller than the bi-level Westbury branch, it’s a virtual clone in most other aspects, including the faux-Egyptian columns and extensive spiral-bound menu filled with advertisements. I stopped in to satisfy a craving for the chain’s brioche French toast, which is available only at Sunday brunch. It was exactly as remembered, crisp on the outside, its custardy interior perfumed with the brandy infusing the batter the bread soaks in overnight. Another brunch hit was Baja chicken hash, crunchy corn tortillas topped with a piquant mixture of sauteed bits of boneless chicken, chorizo, poblano chiles, potatoes, corn, peppers, onion and cheese, topped with two poached eggs and served with a chipotle Hollandaise sauce. Although I found the restaurant relatively quiet at brunch, there’s often a wait to be seated. After giving your name to the receptionist, you’re handed a buzzer, which goes off when your table is ready. Whether that buzzer will vibrate if you take it to Bloomingdale’s remains iffy. Ron Gelish cooked at some impressive local and national dining spots, among them the former Tease and Lemongrass in Roslyn, Rothmann’s Steakhouse in East Norwich and the Sagamore Steakhouse in Syosset, as well as the Little Nell Hotel in Aspen, Colo., and Haydn Bistro in Portland, Ore. He was even a luau chef at Tahiti Nui in Kauai. …

Source: Calcutta Telegraph ()

Nilofar Mirza, a 30-something woman from a Shia Muslim family, was at a loss when her husband denied that he had been married to her. After all, she neither had a nikahnama (marriage certificate) nor any witnesses. In fact, she had nothing by way of “evidence” to show that they were, indeed, married.

That was more than five years ago and there was little the hapless homemaker could do then to prove her marriage. But with the Supreme Court verdict on October 24 asking all states to make marriage registration mandatory with proper legislation, women like Mirza have a sense of hope.

Nearly two months after the verdict, many in the minority community see the apex court’s decision as a step in the right direction. “India is a secular country and we must accept the law of the land. We have no reservations about getting social marriages re-registered,” says Maulana Mirza Athar of the Lucknow-based All India Shia Muslim Law Board (AISMLB).

Needless to say, registering a marriage has its own benefits and many members of the community swear by these. Khalid Anwar, a software engineer who now works in the UK, says he got married as per Shariat (Islamic law) two years ago. “But I had to get my marriage registered so that my wife could get a visa to go with me to the UK,” he says. Md Nadeem, a sales manager at a private insurance company in Calcutta, says he had his marriage registered so his wife could go abroad with him. “If the Supreme Court wants all communities to get their marriages registered, no community should have any objections,” he says.

According to Islamic law, nikah or marriage is a “contract” between the bride and the groom. It’s composed of ijab–qabool, a mode of declaration and acceptance, with either man or the woman making an offer (ijab) and the other accepting it (qabool). The says the proposal and its acceptance must be made in each other’s presence or in the …

Source: Albany Times Union ()

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Carrie Woerner has resigned as executive director of the Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation effective Jan. 11.

Woerner will become manager of conference software for the Wall Street Transcript, which will open an office in the city, she said. She worked as executive director of the foundation for more than five years. “I certainly made this choice with some reservations,” Woerner said. “I feel passionate about preservation, and the work we have done has been very gratifying personally. It’s just time to make a change.” The foundation’s Board of Directors is advertising to fill the job. The 30-year-old non-profit agency for preserving the city’s architecture, culture and landscape.

50% off Times Union home delivery. Subscribe today!

Source: NewsOK.com (subscription) ()

TOP 10
Around the world
The top cities in the world, according to Conde Nast Traveler’s 20th annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey.

1. Sydney
2. San Francisco
3. Florence, Italy
4. Cape Town,
South Africa
5. Rome
6. Bangkok
7. New York City
8. Buenos Aires
9. (tie) Damascus, Syria
10. Charleston, S.C.

FAMILY RESORT
Water fun
The Great Wolf Lodge, a family resort with 11 indoor and outdoor waterslides and seven pools, several restaurants, a gift emporium, spa and fitness center, and 402 suites, opens Tuesday in Grapevine, Texas.
“It’s all about an escape from reality and the fantasy of a visit,” said Jack Bateman, general manager. “When you open the door to the lodge, that’s where the fantasy begins. You forget where you’re at. It’s not like checking into any other resort you’ve ever been to.”
The water park’s signature attraction is Fort Mackenzie, four stories of water fun.
“We designed the water park and arcade with children in mind,” said Kim Schaefer, chief operating officer. “The rest of the resort was built and designed for parents.”
The resort is offering sneak preview rates starting at $159 for a family suite Tuesday through Dec. 25 and Jan. 6-31, based on availability. Grand opening rates start at $199 Jan. 15 through May 22. Type in “local” for the booking code. Grand opening is Jan. 10.
For reservations or more information, go online to www.greatwolf. com or call (800) 693-9653.
SWEDEN
Moose of an idea
With little else to attract tourists, promoters of two Swedish counties are pinning their hopes on a truly gargantuan wooden moose.
When completed, the 148-foot-tall, 155-foot-long moose will have a restaurant in its belly, as well as a concert hall, conference rooms and a shop, Thorbjorn Holmlund, project coordinator and local tourism promoter, said.
The monument to the moose will so big that its massive wooden hooves will be firmly planted in two different counties, Vasterbotten …