DISQUS

This is totally unfair. I haven't eaten any of those things. In fact, I mostly eat vegetables and salmon. And yet, I'm fat. The reason I'm fat is because I'm lying on the sofa, reading Crispy on the Outside, instead of riding a bike or something.

And yes, wcmgoodwin, I'd happily try all of that, if I wasn't fat (except the McNuggetini - I do have quality standards).

-- Zorba's in Normal, Illinois. Very cheap, great-tasting basic breakfasts, endless coffee, Gyros and more. They used to be in an old building that was pretty much only held together by cooking grease. Unfortunately, they had to move and the new place lacks some of the charm, but is still a great place.

-- Renaissance Diner on 9th Avenue between 51st and 52nd in Manhattan. It's a diner, and it's open 24/7, but it also has a bar and the menu is about 20 pages with an outstanding selection of fun items, along with the usual, with a laid-back atmosphere. The front is rather ordinary - get a table in the back where they've converted part of an alley into a dining room.

The West Wing episode (Let Bartlet be Bartlet) involved Margaret.

MARGARET
Anyway, she sent me an e-mail about the actual calorie count in the raisin muffin
they’re serving in the mess. I forwarded the e-mail to several hundred assistants
and secretaries in O.E.O.B. and in the West Wing, and that was fine. But Jolene
Millman, who works in political liaison, then hit reply, which apparently-

LEO
Oh Margaret! Margaret! I’m sorry. I’m gonna have to...I hung in there as long as I
could, but you long since passed the point when I stopped caring. If you’re curious,
it was right around raisin muffin.

Employees are supposed to wash thoroughly before returning to work.

I've always wanted to eat Moroccan cigars with chopsticks.

I'd probably go to the cheese counter and ask the salesperson to surprise me with a sampler of $50 worth of imported cheeses.

Since you're talking about bacon (and when aren't you), I thought I'd let you know about a sandwich that I made for someone last week. Students were doing a four-square marathon to raise money for student scholarships, and I was working the griddle through the night outside to keep them fed with grilled cheese sandwiches, and grilled bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, etc. By special request, I made a grilled (with butter, of course) fried bacon, fried baloney and fried spam sandwich. The student said it was heaven (though a bit salty).

I went today to check it out. I like the concept -- the attention to freshness, etc. and the coffee's pretty good. Low acidity, distinctive flavor that lingers, rich, slightly tart. I picked up a pound to allow further exploration (I'm on the wrong side of town for regular store visits). I doubt it'll replace my Starbucks Italian Roast (I'm a sucker for naturally sweet extra-bold), but it'll make a nice change of pace.

I love the fact that this page is already the number one Google result for rib-a-que