Restaurant Week et al

Restaurant week is here again. Friends and coworkers are all getting excited and booking places. I, on the other hand, am done with RW. It doesn't appeal to me as much anymore. It is a good concept to begin with back in 1992 or 1993 whenever they started it. Most time you get a reso at a nice place, the RW menu is crappy and you end up getting things off the regular menu anyways. So the illusion of getting a top notch $35/pp dinner just doesn't exist.

I am sure the restaurant workers, both the kitchen and front staff doesn't really like it, cuz they get tons more volume then they are used to and much smaller checks. Kitchen staff has to put out a lot more meals than any average week. So no one should expect 100% effort from the restaurant staff during RW week. The argument that this will remind the city what a great culinary treasure NYC is doesn't really stand either. Everyone knows NYC is the best foodie town, bar none.

So may I suggest everyone save the headache of securing a table during RW and let the tourists and newbie foodies rush to the RW and avoid the crowd.
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Some random thoughts. I saw a news report on high gas prices and how it can do us good. It has some valid points which is interesting.

1. Makes you drive less and causes less pollution.
2. Less accidents cuz of less cars on the street.
3. Makes you walk more and be healthier.
4. Leaves you with less money, so you eat out less and eat healthier.

Interesting perspective, ain't it?

Wimbledon wrap up

Wimbledon ended yesterday (7/6), and it almost didn't.

It was a great two weeks of tennis, almost rain delay free, punctuated by one of the greatest matches I had ever seen. Yes, the Rafa vs Federer match that sets all kinds of duration record and had Federer won, would've set all sorts of other record too. In the end, the younger Rafa prevailed in 5 super tight sets. The match had gone through 2 rain delays, lasted almost 7 hours into 9:15 pm. If either one insisted on leaving the court, we might have to determine the champ on Monday. Actual match time was 4:48 which is a Wimbledon Finals record.

Rafa was up two sets quickly on 2 loose games by Fed. The King looks flustered and I genuinely start to worry about him. Then came the rain delay when Fed was leading 5-4. he came back and won the next two sets in tie-breakers flashing his usual brilliance, except he couldn't convert on many of the break chances that Rafa gave him during those two sets. The futility on break chances continues for Fed into 5th set, they both held serve until the end where Rafa muscled his way to a 9-7 win the the 5th. I felt horrible for R Fed as this is his house, it is his crown to lose at Wimbledon, just as Roland Garros is Rafa's house and he defended his fort beautifully just last month (beating R Fed 1-3-Love). Rafa not only come into Fed's house and beat him, he might even take over his #1 ranking sometime this summer, since Fed has a lot of points to defend and Rafa can only improve on his tepid Hard court season last year.

Does this mark the end of Fed's reign? I don't think so, but i do think his unbelievable dominance that was exhibited last 4-5 years is coming to an end. He wont win 2-3 slams a year, but still has 3-4 slams left in him. He WILL be one of the greatest player ever played, whether he passed Sampras' slam record or not. He will be the most gracious champion ever and i am glad i lived in an era when he played. Rafa was a precious star for our era too. Hard to find a young man so intense, yet so humble and classy in handling himself. Well done, Federer and Nadal family!


Honorable mention for Zheng Jie, who became the story of the tournament when she broke through he bracket as a wild card and went all the way to final four before succumbing to Serena in 2 tough sets. She also announced that she is donating most of her prize money to earthquake relief fun in Cheng Du, her hometown. Chinese Tennis association was so touched, they adjusted the ratio they are taking from Zheng to maximize her winnings. Way to go Zheng Jie!