The Raw Oyster Bar

Like beer, raw oysters are an acquired taste. Initially when you’re handed a raw oyster, you cringe and cower down. Yet, there are those individuals who absolutely love raw clams and oysters on the half shell. Recently I have been seeing the ins and outs of what goes into a functioning raw bar at a restaurant in Nantucket, MA. The raw bar serves between 7-12 types of oysters that hail from spots in the Northeast, Virginia, and Washington State. Depending on the waters harvested in, the oysters each have a unique taste. For example, local Nantucket or ACK oysters are incredibly briny (salty) at first, but end with a touch of sweetness. The Northern Cross oysters from Virginia aren’t as salty and they finish with a surprisingly crisp and refreshing aftertaste. It’s remarkable how each oyster, disregarding their separate exteriors, size, and shape, boast a unique flavor. Before working at this raw bar my experience in oyster eating and shucking was limited to the days spent in Spadafora’s Seafood Market/Restaurant. One type of oyster was served and I rarely got close enough to think about eating it. Now, between endless bouts of shucking I try an oyster that arrives with a new shellfish tag. If you’re allergic to shellfish or simply can’t move past the idea of slurping down raw seafood then forget about raw oysters. But if you’re up for the challenge, you should definitely visit an oyster bar and at least taste what the world of oysters offers. Are you a fan of raw oysters?

No Late Night Eating in Nantucket

As an eater who hungers at various hours of the day and night, I value the presence of the late night eating scene. What drives me nuts? No late night eating spots available! People here in Nantucket have told me countless times that this is one of the hot spots for food in the country. The food is supposed to be remarkable, the restaurants amazing, and the people are passionate about their food.  I have not lived here long enough to know if the hype stands true to the rumors, but the one downfall of eating in Nantucket is the lack of late night food spots. The bars stop serving drinks at 1 AM. Nothing else stays open. Only one place, Stubby’s, serves food late into the night. Besides the one option, I have yet to come across another. As a cook who isn’t finished work until 12 AM and often forgets or doesn’t have time to eat amid the 8-14 hour shifts, late night food spots are essential for my existence. I shouldn’t be eating out, but following a long day of work, whether in a hot kitchen or not, I'm too tired to cook. You may tell me to eat dinner or prepare it before work, but that never happens. I find it hard to believe that one of the “foodie capitals” of America fails to thrive late into the night. I don't expect the fancy restaurants to stay open, but at least have more than one spot available past 1 AM. Are you a late night eater like me who values the after-hours food scene?

Who Enjoys Cleaning a Dirty Kitchen?

Do you hate walking into a messy kitchen? Can you stand a sink overflowing with dirty dishes, crumbs and random scraps of food scattered across the counters, and when you reach into the utensil drawer to grab a spoon for your cereal there’s none to be found? Eating cereal with a large metal ladle is as awkward as it sounds.


Everyone wants a clean kitchen, but the task of cleaning is easily categorized as a chore or burden. Every eater obsesses over glorious dinners, cooking elaborate meals, and being wooed by the food, but it seems like a fair amount of people fail to recognize the cleanup process.


Are there any others, like myself, who enjoy cleaning the kitchen?


Maybe I’m a bit crazy, but I believe a good cook knows how to clean too. A cook knows how to find a healthy balance between cooking and cleaning. The art of cooking and cleaning interests me.


There are some dishes that can’t possibly be cleaned while cooking. There are times when a kitchen full of dishes is unavoidable. Hence, the tendency of most eaters arises to give into their food comas, the exhaustion from eating, or simply pure laziness rather than attacking the sloppy kitchen.


Over the years it’s become a habit of mine to be a more efficient cleaner. I attempt to cook and clean. When done a meal I try and force myself to volunteer to clean the dishes and kitchen. 


I now enjoy washing dishes, wiping the counter clean, and ensuring the floor is spotless. Kitchen cleaning hasn't only evolved into a sense of pride, but it’s an easy after dinner exercise that helps me digest and unwind. 


If done with a partner, it can almost be a form of socializing similar to what cooking provides for individuals to talk.


I have been caught up in many deep and friendly conversations while scrubbing disgusting dishes as my dish dryer put them away.


Despite my enthusiasm and appreciation for kitchen cleaning I know very few people could care less about actually cleaning the kitchen. They want a clean kitchen, but they want someone else to do it. Perhaps, there might be others out there who share my sentiments towards cleaning the kitchen.


Do you enjoy kitchen cleaning?

Sweating Through A Meal

Do you expect to sweat while eating? Eating shouldn't be that much of a work out, should it?

I will never forget the uncomfortable feeling of eating lunch with a few friends while sweating up a storm. No, it wasn't that hot in Phoenix at the time. It was February and the restaurant was nicely air conditioned. 

According to the server, the restaurant Los Dos Molinos translates into "Two Pepper Grinders". The food lived up to the interesting name.

Even before I started eating the combo platter with two spicy enchiladas, I was wiping my forehead with a cloth napkin every two minutes and trying to stop the dam from overflowing as sweat dripped off my face. I have never sweat like that before while eating spicy food.

The green and red salsas shocked my body into sweat mode. I couldn't help, but sweat. Everyone at the table laughed, but instead of awkwardly avoiding the food, I ate it all. My mouth could handle the spicy food, but the price I had to pay for the delicious meal was an uncalled for sweat bath.

Have you ever sweat through a meal?

Move Over Swiss Cake Rolls...The Pumpkin Roll Has Arrived

Over the last two years my childhood preference for Swiss Cake Rolls has grown into an obsession with pumpkin rolls. Although I only eat the treat around Christmas time, just writing about it now is making me hungry.

They both share the same swirly white cream filling, but the pumpkin roll trumps the Swiss Cake Roll in size and taste. The pumpkin roll is enormous and you can't possibly devour the whole dessert at once.

The pumpkin roll is the perfect substitute for cake. It's sweet, warm, and incredibly addictive. The size alone can feed a small family or a hungry dessert addict for a week.

If you haven't tried a pumpkin roll yet, but have always enjoyed a Swiss cake roll, then you absolutely must try a slice of this dessert. You will never look at a Swiss cake roll the same again.

Do You Want To Get Paid To Eat Fast Food?

Want to earn $3,500 in three months? The University of Washington in St. Louis is conducting a study on obesity by seeking participants who will only eat fast food from Taco Bell, Burger King, Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and KFC for three months. The fast food diet will allow the researchers to control and observe the participants' eating habits. The participants must gain weight. To succeed in the study they have to gain at least 5% of their body weight. When the three month period finishes, they will be "enrolled in a weight loss program." This sounds like an easy task to earn a nice chunk of change. Despite my good overall health and confidence in handling the study, I'm not certain I would participate if I had the chance. Fast food for three months doesn't seem that appealing or appetizing. Are you willing to participate in the study?

The Napoleon Pizza Complex

Does terrible service deter you from delicious food? I kept asking myself this question when eating Sal's Pizza in Mamaroneck, NY.

My New York pizza experience before left no outstanding memories to date, but this night at Sal's resulted in the creation of the Napoleon pizza complex.

Rose, my sister, handed me her bank card (sister had the big bucks to spend) to pick up the pizza. Picking up pizza is a hassle free task and perhaps I could see how this well-known pizza place lived and breathed.

Between 20-30 minutes is enough time for a pizza to be ready, even on a busy, Thursday not Friday night. We all know that Friday and maybe Saturday are the designated pizza nights in every household. The work week is finished, you don't want to bother in the kitchen, so the quick, delicious pizza takes center stage.

As soon as I stepped through the entrance, a balding Italian man asked me what I was doing. I politely told him my order and name. He checked and couldn't find "no order for Timmerman." He asked me what I ordered while another shorter Italian man began a wonderful chant of "Zimmerman, Zimmerman, Zimmerman!" Yes, that's me.

I outstretched my arm with card in hand to pay the $22 bill, but he responded with a "No, no, no, no, no!" It wasn't a no, we don't take cards, just cash, but a consistent set of courteous nos!

After paying with my spare cash he then placed two ready to go pizza boxes in front of me. I said, "Thank you" and began to grasp them, but then I received a "No, No, No, No, No, No!" chant again! So, my pizzas aren't ready?

Fifteen minutes later my pizzas were finally ready to go.

Napoleon, the famous No man, made my quick trip to Sal's a pleasant experience. Before finally handing me my pizzas, I had the urge, I could barely control it, to give the No man a tip that matched his customer service. It involved a pizza pie to the face.

Now, to the NY pizza.
The Sicilian, which they are known for, looks the measure of cheesy goodness.

The regular pie, with its great thin crust, was surprisingly better than the Sicilian. Is it that good, that I would risk dealing with Napoleon again? Yes..

Are you ever conflicted when confronted with bad service that accompanies good food?

Man Up! Eat Your Vegetables

There are tons of eaters who could care less about their vegetables. Extend yourself, start to experience much more than meat and see the beauty of vegetables.

I hate hearing the "I'll eat the salad later" or "don't care much for greens" or "I'll have a salad, but only the greens". A salad with only greens and dressing is no salad at all. Don't get me wrong, greens are fantastic and healthy, but eating just greens is like asking for a plain doughnut. No thank you!

Can we agree that among the general population, majority being males, vegetables are ignored or undervalued. And no, the lettuce, tomato, and onion on your burger isn't a full appreciation.

As eaters, we need to recognize the beauty of vegetables. They bring color and livelihood to meals. I am not advocating becoming a vegetarian or vegan. But, I suggest stop pushing your vegetables to the side, don't save them for later which is really code for I'm not going to eat them, but indulge in the green stuff. The meat is the head of a meal, but the vegetables, despite their secondary status, are the backbone of every great meal.

I love chicken, fish, steak, pork, and various types of meat, but I also love asparagus, broccoli, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts, and any other green thing I can roast, saute, grill, or steam.

Being in NY lately has inspired me to write this article to make a stand for vegetables. Two nights, not consecutive of course, my sister and I concocted and roasted this rich, flavorful, savory combination of green beans, potatoes, and fennel. The licorice scented fennel doesn't lure me in, but when roasted to the point of ultimate caramelization, I tend to go crazy for the onion like veggie. Now if you don't think these vegetables look incredibly delicious, then you're fooling yourself.

Look past the meat, forget your no vegetable stigma, indulge and explore the world of vegetables.

Do you love vegetables as much as me?

Best Cheese Steaks: Voltaco's

The cheese steak journey continues at Voltaco's in Ocean City, NJ. As good as White House Sub Shop is, if I had to choose between the two, my heart would side with Voltaco's. 

Maybe celebrities don't fly into Ocean City's tiny private airport for their hoagies, but people on that island flood the small carry-out shop doors to pick up their subs from Voltaco's. The phone is always ringing off the hook, there's never a dull moment watching the sub makers hustle to fill orders, and customers run in and out with huge paper bags holding their hoagies.

My judgement may be a bit cloudy due to a family bias. My father used to work there in his younger days(too long ago) with the owner. It's a comforting feeling when the sub shop owner knows your name. 

It's no surprise with my Dad's past connections that Voltaco's has become a family tradition. At least for one night in the summer we ignore the kitchen and order subs. 

Not only does my family eat subs when on the island, but I constantly receive calls asking me to bring a cheese steak home to Maryland. Persons in my family, mainly brothers, will go to all lengths to have sub delivery service from Voltaco's. The cheese steak quality doesn't diminish over the three hour car ride south if it's double wrapped.

Like White House, half a hoagie runs 9 inches long and if you've got big eyes then you can try out the 18 inch whole.

The cheese in Voltaco's cheese steak is dispersed and melted throughout the entire sub. I usually add mayo, light lettuce, fried onions, and tomatoes to my cheese steak. The Italian, chicken cheese steak, and chicken Parmesan subs are fantastic too.

Much to my dismay I haven't found a pic of Voltaco's cheese steak, but I'll make my sister take a photo this summer. The lack of a visual shouldn't deter you from visiting Voltaco's.

You can peruse through all the review sites and see the profound love Voltaco's receives for its Italian food and hoagies. They are that good.

What place makes your favorite cheese steak?

Is There a Market For Chocolate Half and Half?

Is there a market for chocolate half and half? A coworker of mine believes it’s a huge money maker.

The “Big Guy,” show below, constantly brainstorms for million dollar food ideas. He knows that deep inside he holds the idea for the next big food money maker. His unmovable faith in “chocolate half and half” led him to survey the customers at Spadafora’s Seafood Market.

His love for half and half(loves it so much he drinks it alone) sparked this ingenious idea. But there may be a few issues with such brilliance.

The fat content per tablespoon of half and half is very high. A more health conscious American society may overlook such a minor fact if chocolate is added to the drink. Chocolate makes everything better and most eaters show a double standard when chocolate enters the picture.

Half and half is commonly added to coffee. At first skeptics may shoot down the chocolate addition, but soon they’ll realize that since chocolate does make everything better, the taste of coffee will improve substantially with the sweet innovation. 

Chocolate half and half has enormous upside and potential. I was completely astounded when customers, mainly women, laughed and weren't quick to approve of such unparalleled brilliance. There will always be naysayers, but for the big thinkers like Big Guy, perseverance wins out in the end.

Do you think there’s a market for chocolate half and half?

Can You Compromise with Reduced Fat Snack Foods?

My story involves reduced fat Cheez-Its. The Cheez-It is an incredibly addictive and tasty snack food. Once you pop open that red box, it's very difficult to stop yourself from finishing it. Before long your teeth are covered with an orange tint from the cheesy massacre. 

One way to kill a Cheez-It addiction is to unknowingly eat a few reduced fat Cheez-Its. Immediately you'll be wondering where the flavor disappeared to. 

During college I did the majority of the grocery shopping. I shopped for my roommate Quinn too. We shared meals and food for the last two years of college. As a frugal shopper I usually stick to the basic grocery items, going heavy on produce and cheese, and not straying far off the list by purchasing tons of snack foods and cookies.

But, Quinn loved his Cheez-Its. So, I typically bought either a box or two of white cheddar or regular Cheez-Its. Within no time the Cheez-It addiction took hold of me. Two to three days after a grocery trip the red boxes would be empty.

I made a huge grocery mishap on one trip to the store. I saw the sale tags in front of the Cheez-It boxes and grabbed two without realizing the catastrophe. The next day when I took that first bite I knew something was off. Someone stole the flavor. I discovered the problem when seeing the "Reduced Fat" lettering across the box. Somehow Quinn and I managed to not waste the food and eat the tasteless Cheez-Its.  That was the worst snack week in history.

I could never compromise with reduced fat Cheez-Its. Reduced fat translates to tasteless. Maybe they could grow on me if ate so many that I forgot what regular Cheez-Its taste like.

What do you think about reduced fat snack foods?

Best Cheese Steaks: White House Sub Shop

Everywhere you look a version of a Philly cheese steak surrounds you. Most are impostors that don't deserve the space on restaurant menus. As a natural hoagie eater I'm on a life long conquest to find the best cheese steak. Knowing that I might not step foot in South Jersey this summer, due to potential work and travel plans, I resort to clinging to my memories of great hoagies, especially cheese steaks. Living in South Jersey, a partial extension of Philly, the past summers growing up have left me with countless cheese steak experiences. You may disagree, but I believe that White House Subs in Atlantic City contends for the title of best subs/hoagies and cheese steaks. White House Subs in Atlantic City, NJ is famous for its subs. They have existed in the casino rich city since the days Frank Sinatra would fly into town and stop by to grab a sub. When first visiting the shop in the heart of AC you know the hype is real. The small restaurant is packed with eaters eager to take a bite into a monstrous sub. The customers wait in long lines, place their orders, and watch as their subs are assembled in front of them. Don't limit yourself to a cheese steak. I prefer eating half a cheese steak and half of an Italian cold cut sub. They make one of the best Italians out there as well. The halves run about 9 inches long.If you happen to find yourself crawling out of a casino not knowing what time of day it is, but yearning for something to satisfy your hunger and forget about your loses, then walk over to White House Subs. Have you eaten at the White House Sub Shop? Are you a cheese steak fan?

Cash Overtime B.S. in Restaurants

Does cash overtime sound ideal to you? Initially, the unreported and not taxed cash option seems like a pretty attractive option when starting work for a restaurant. More than most of the restaurants I encountered over the years try to avoid the time and a half overtime federal wage law in one way or another. Should these practices really concern you as a server, cook, or any member of a restaurant staff even if this is a get-me-by job that pays the bills till you step into the dream job? 

You should at least be frustrated if you are on average putting in work weeks that go well beyond 40 hours. In my experience, the multiple restaurant kitchen jobs I worked told me initially that they pay cash overtime. What this means is that they will pay you in cash, under the table, your normal hourly wages.

At first it seems like they are doing you a favor by saving you some tax dollars, but those unaccounted taxes you would lose do not make up the difference for the negative on the lost time and a half wages. 

Of course, kitchen staff are more likely to work the longer hours and suffer more with this practice. But I still know servers that with their minimal hourly pay that accompanies their tips, would love the couple extra dollars from overtime pay.

Avoiding these illegal and unfair business tactics can be a paralyzing experience for a job seeker. If a potential employer offers you a job on those cash overtime terms, it is incredibly difficult to turn that job down because that may be the one source of income you need at the time. I've heard restaurant workers complain about the no real overtime pay, but they can't afford to quit their jobs. Instead they have to work and abide by the employer's terms even if they are illegal. 

When working for employers that insist on such business practices you wonder what other ways they are cutting corners to help make extra money? I understand running a business, especially trying to succeed in the restaurant industry, is very hard, but does that allow you to mistreat others and underpay them? 

Critics may say that it's just a few extra bucks that don't really matter. For individuals living pay check to pay check, the extra dollars saved and lost make a huge difference in their life.

The protest regarding huge corporations that accrue unreal sums of money flood the headlines most of the time, but what about the small businesses that mistreat and undercut the law and average worker?

What do you think about cash overtime ? 

Obesity Linked to Fast Food Advertising

Does your TV brainwash you and dictate your eating habits? Is it saying, "Eat More Fast Food!"?


Is this just another case of the television influencing eating habits wrongly like in an episode of Beavis and Butthead in which they are determined to become famous and "get chicks" like the Super Size Me star Morgan Spurlock by eating solely from a fast food chain to gain an insane amount of weight and attention?


We have heard the stories and studies about subliminal advertising that affects how we think, dress, judge others, and even eat. Does advertising, specifically fast food advertising, contribute to obesity in young adults? Or is it simply a coincidence that obese youth are twice as likely to be familiar with fast food ads on television?


The lead author of the study, Dr. Auden C. McClure, presented the results this past Sunday to the "Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Boston."


"The researchers surveyed a national sample of 3,342 youths ages 15 to 23 years. Participants were asked about their height, weight, age, gender, race, socioeconomic status, exercise, consumption of soda or sweet drinks, frequency of eating at quick-service restaurants, how many hours they watched TV each day, and whether they snacked while watching TV." 

The still image advertisements  used in the study were "digitally edited to remove brands." 


The researchers concluded that eating frequently at fast food restaurants as portrayed in the advertising, was not linked to obesity. If the obese subjects in the study didn't eat frequently at fast food chains, then was the link a result from watching too much TV? Dr. McClure says that "after accounting for overall TV time, TV ad familiarity was still linked with obesity suggesting that this finding is not simply due to increased sedentary time or an effect of TV programming.”

They need to conduct more research to further discover "how fast food ad familiarity is linked to obesity."

This study seems like an interesting observation that does not have legitimate evidence, at least none that I am aware of, that could potentially help the way researchers and doctors attack the obesity problem in the United States.


Even if concrete evidence is discovered that explains the link, how would this study help prevent obesity in American youth?Advertising is essential for these major fast food chains and I cannot imagine how changing the advertisements will affect eating habits. Are the advertisers going to step lightly when portraying their products by stating a warning? Will they say, "Warning, eating an excessive amount of fast food may lead to obesity"? No, that's ridiculous. I keep asking myself, how will this study help prevent youth obesity?


What do you think about this link between obesity and fast food TV advertising?