Newmark's Door

". . . and tchotchke shelves next to the window"

83-year-old grandmother, with help from her grandson, becomes a Net "superstar".

She heard from a woman named Betty who wrote that she was making Bubbe’s sweet and sour meatballs and “Jelly Jammies’’ that week. “I never had the privilege of being in the kitchen with my own Bubbe,’’ Betty wrote. “Watching you brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. . . . I would like to adopt you as my own Bubbe.’’

Another woman threatened to adopt Bubbe, gushing: “I absolutely love you, Bubbe.’’ (“You certainly can adopt me,’’ Bubbe replied.)

"40 Gut-Busting Restaurant Challenges for Free Food"

With arresting pictures.

At almost 260 pounds per kilo . . .

. . . that's got to be some really tasty ham.

Link via John Palmer.

Two on food

"How to Cook a Perfect Prime Rib".

Recipe for, and other details about, "Big McSausage Egg Surf & Turf Big Mac".

"Top 6 Hangover Cures"

As they say on the car ads, your mileage may vary.

"Grease is good"

 Gawker reports that six "fast food moguls" have recently died but at ripe old ages.

It may be an extremely exceptional case . . .

. . . but renowned restaurant El Bulli seems to succeed by violating some cherished B-school principles.

The case also highlights the distinction between understanding and listening to customers. "Adrià's idea is that if you listen to customers, what they tell you they want will be based on something they already know," Norton observes. "If I like a good steak, you can serve that to me, and I'll enjoy it. But it will never be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To create those experiences, you almost can't listen to the customer."

Norton asks students to consider the operations and marketing of elBulli. There is much about the restaurant that is inefficient, as MBAs are quick to note: Adrià should lower his staff numbers, use cheaper ingredients, improve his supply chain, and increase the restaurant's hours of operation. But "fixing" elBulli turns it into just another restaurant, says Norton: "The things that make it inefficient are part of what makes it so valuable to people." 

"The All-Inclusive All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Guide"

A little over the top but entertaining.

Two on food

Alan Richman energetically and lovingly recounts visits to "The Seven Temples of the Food World".

"Thinking About Opening a Restaurant? Think Twice." Yes, it does seem as though running a successful restaurant is an extremely tough job.

"The AHT Guide to Hamburger and Cheeseburger Style"

Everything you ever wanted to know about hamburger and cheeseburger "styles".

Comprehensive. Trust me.