My initial reaction was "oooooooooooooh, nummy" but looking more closely, almost every dish has one ingredient I'm not wild about. (Hazelnuts in the gnocchi, shitake mushrooms in the mac'n'cheese...I'd be the annoying picky customer no matter what I ordered! Their brunch looks fab, though.)

... not even eggs?

I have recently discovered that it is eggs that are hurting me. I have removed them from my diet, and now, no more burning bellyaches.

I am reasonably certain, though, that if I asked for two scrambled eggs, they would come covered in fish eyeballs in a delicate parsnip sauce or some such shit.

Ah, fair enough. I was just wondering.

I myself am pretty much always the picky eater, disliking almost everything involved in sophisticated dining, so I know whereof you speak, Jessica. I end up with a lot of hamburgers.

disliking almost everything involved in sophisticated dining, so I know whereof you speak, Jessica.

Oh, see, I love "sophisticated dining," just not hazelnuts and shitake mushrooms. If they were pine nuts and morels, I'd be happy as a clam.

Favorite restaurant: Greekfest. Love a cuisine that gives the cucumber its due.

Stinky flower webcam - watch the blooming of Amorphophallus titanum (Corpse flower) from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens live!

One is called Suzi's Smokin' and it has a subtle smoky aftertaste-- can't figure out how she did it.

Hmm, I think it is a drinking night at P's tonight. I should bring fancy drink mixings. Also a toothbrush since I get the guest bedroom if we do drink.

Stinky flower webcam - watch the blooming of Amorphophallus titanum (Corpse flower) from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens live!

If only we could watch it in Smell-O-Vision.

OK, in this case, maybe not....

I don't know about other nations, but U.S. security regulations are insane both in what they do, and in what they don't do. For example my 84 years mother who traveled recently was subject to searches coming and going. Coming was actually understandable - her back brace set up of the metal detector, and she did not not know to notify them, so they had to figure out that is what it was. But coming back she was selected for the intensive search because her flight was canceled and they had to give her another. Wouldn't you think that if they were profiling on the basis of last minute changes they would distinguish between passenger instituted changes and airline instituted changes?

In terms of what is not being done - there are machines that can dectect explosives. And those still are not installed in every airport in the U.S. at least cause it would cost too much. I think the basis of a lot of the U.S. rules are "cause minor inconveniences for passengers so they know we are doing stuff, but don't take real precautions that would cost the biggest bucks". None of this is the fault of the employees who execute the policy. But respect for them does not require me to pretend the policy is not stupid. In point of fact while searching my Mom, she was told that they knew it was idiotic, but they have to follow policy if they want to keep their jobs.

I'm also suspicious of the "plot" they thwarted. Not that it is impossible or anything. But the Blair government lying or exaggerating is not unknown either; does not seem on foreign policy, security and civil liberties to be distinguisable from Bush.

My initial reaction was "oooooooooooooh, nummy" but looking more closely, almost every dish has one ingredient I'm not wild about. (Hazelnuts in the gnocchi, shitake mushrooms in the mac'n'cheese...I'd be the annoying picky customer no matter what I ordered! Their brunch looks fab, though.)

The brunch is good. The menu on the website isn't the most up-to-date one, but I'm pretty sure the gnocchi still has hazelnuts.

There isn't anything on the Crave menu I would put in my mouth unless it would prevent someone from dying.

So when we finally lure you to Seattle for a visit, we won't go there. Hmm, maybe Rosebud?