Restaurants are great at hospitality once you sit down

The instructions on how to secure a reservation at Fedora, a great restaurant in the West Village run by my pal Gabe Stulman, run 241 words. Let me highlight the broad strokes. Reservations are only taken between 11 AM and 10 PM. Ditto cancellations. If you want to cancel at, say, 10 AM, you cannot because voicemail cancellations aren't honored. There is also a cancellation fee, although the dollar amount of said fee isn't specified. For same-day cancellations, you have one hour to do so, since they must be made by noon to avoid fees and the phone line opens at 11 AM. In short, you are strongly encouraged to walk-in and just wait. Great for the restaurant and a huge pain in the ass for guests, who don't even get priority at the bar (it's seated with people eating dinner).

Where Are They Now: Adam Kuban

Eater was sold to Vox Media at the end of last year and as a result it will change more in 2014 than it has during the entire rest of its existence. I think Amanda Kludt and her team are doing an excellent job. As exciting as this evolution is to watch, it has me a little bit nostalgic, frankly. It has me missing the old days — and you’ll forgive my cheap back-in-the-day riff here — when features like the Deathwatch and the IMterview roamed. When this story ran.

It led me to reach out to Adam Kuban earlier this year to ask him if we could get together and chat. On paper I was interviewing him for sort of a Where Are They Now: Adam Kuban, but practically speaking, I just wanted to hang with an OG food blogger, one whose output, regardless of platform, I've always enjoyed.

Kuban started Slice, a blog about pizza, more than a decade ago, on account of deep obsession and, ostensibly, free time. Along the way he invented the “pizza upskirt” and was part of a small group of people who set the ground rules for food blogging that are still in effect today. Now he’s running a sold-out pizza pop-up, Margot’s; and he works one shift a week at Paulie Gee’s, the superb Brooklyn pizzeria, in training to franchise it in Portland, Oregon. Of all of the many characters who in one way or another have spent time talking about eating as a matter of profession, Adam is categorically top-5 for me. He is everything that is right about the medium. His tone is razor sharp yet approachable, he's consistent, and he knows what he doesn't know.

Is There Finally a Next OpenTable Coming? [1 of 2]

Five years ago the big ideas that were drawing entrepreneurs to food were social recommendation engines and data. Now it feels we're talking about souping up the home kitchen and OpenTable killers. The first is one of those obvious targets, the product of changes in style and taste. The latter is interesting, because it's not as if OpenTable has sailed through the last decade competition-free.  

The Zak-O-Matic

In March of 2008, Eater published a little something special called the Zak-O-Matic, one of the great editorial-engineering collaborations of all time. Digging through an ancient drive, I found the worksheet we used for the source code.

Five Things Management Can Do for Fans at Yankee Stadium in 2013

In May, I posted "House of Steinbrenner," the gist of which being that win or lose in 2012 (they lost), a decade ago and two decades ago it was exponentially more fun being a Yankees fan than it is today. Mostly because the stadium experience has declined dramatically -- and, not coincidentally, in direct relationship to George Steinbrenner's declining health. That was a somewhat downbeat rant, so now something  more constructive. With the heart of the off-season upon us, 5 things the Yankees can do for fans at Yankee Stadium in 2013:

1. Other than via static posted advertisements, don't monetize the in-game experience. Modell's "Gotta Go to Mo's" theme song plays when the Yankees steal a base. It shouldn't. Fans will appreciate keeping the gameplay sacred.

2. Make a concerted effort to fill every seat in the lower deck for every game. This is a big one, because it zeros in on the biggest difference between the new and old stadiums: energy. In the old stadium, you had that famous Yankees fan energy, which could reach a fever pitch even in April, because 1) the three main decks were stacked tightly, amplifying sound; and 2) many of the best seats in the stadium were controlled by long-time fans. 

In the new stadium, you have a vastly different configuration in all regards, but it can be fixed if you put more fans closer to the field. Create a program by which premium seat owners can put their seats up for auction, no reserve, 2 hours before the start of the game, say. Opting in to the program could come with a moderately discounted annual season ticket price, or season ticket holders could simply have the resale price debited back to their accounts, or both. (This creates headaches around the all-you-can-eat club level experience, obviously, but there are ways of handling the logistics and the benefit to the stadium and fans vastly outweighs these problems.)

3. Fix the food. The Yankees are the greatest sports franchise in the world in the greatest restaurant city in the world, so why is the food at Yankee Stadium such absolute garbage? If you're not a Legends ticket holder, the best thing to eat in Yankee Stadium is the meatball parm sandwich found at the Parm kiosk in the Great Hall. Said kiosk is maybe 8' wide and it's massively inconvenient to get to if you don't pick something up on the way in (and if anyone really knew about it, the lines would be three innings long). Meanwhile, on offer quite widely: mediocre-at-best sliders, fries, hot dogs, chicken fingers, sausages, pizza and ice cream. Re-trade a couple of vendor contracts, take a modest loss and do something here for fans. For instance, take one of the Premio sausage stands on each level (there are six throughout the ball park) and make it a curated station that features independently operated New York restaurants. 

4. Hire a visual design company to completely rethink the graphics experience at the stadium. See Diamond Vision image above for an example of the current approach. It's time for an upgrade to a Yankees-grade graphics package.

5. Start integrating technology in a meaningful way. Follow the Yankees large pool of beat writers on Twitter during a game and you'll have a massively more informed, entertaining game watching experience. Their commentary is excellent, and the Yankees should package it up for average fans. Plus, the media has access to all sorts of stats fans would love to have, too. In the past this would have been a tough ask. In 1996, we manually updated a large packet of statistical info every day, then copied, stapled and distributed it to the media. Today, the process is entirely digital, available via a credentialed online area of MLB.com. There's no reason why fans shouldn't get access in their seats, too, via an in-stadium app. 

Had to go over this with the lady last night. Perhaps is of general use for bachelor party explaining. Insert your own You Are Here.

Skirt Steak, my friend Charlotte Druckman's survey of the state of women in food, is out at the end of the month. Though its express purpose is to see how women chefs, via 73 lady intervivewees, are "standing the heat and staying in the kitchen," it is not nearly that gendered a message. Those seeking to understand food in 2012 must read it. Chapter one is just a spectacular look at how today's chefs are defining themselves, and how much those definitions vary chef to chef, region to region, experience to experience.

There are times when Charlotte lets her panel assign too much blame on men and doesn't force them to take responsibility or consider environmental circumstances beyond sex. I think, for example, women tend to have more trouble with the media not because of a media bias (Chapter 8, "Media Rare"), but because for whatever reason the guys tend to be more proactive, especially in pounding us over the head with their messaging. Or, Amanda Cohen wants to think she lost Iron Chef because of a bias on the panel. That is an absurd delegation of responsibility for several reasons, including the fact that two of the three people on her judging panel were women.

If that is nit-picking, and it is, it shouldn't distract from the many crucial observations made about the food biz and the sharp insight the women of this book have about what they do. There's a discussion of media engagement and an acute understanding of both the good and evil of indie, largely digital, media; how the small guy (or gal) has actually, quietly won; why the most thrilling food is not coming out of French style kitchens, but from more democratic organizations; how there's more empire-building happening than we know; and, just, the West Coast is eating the East Coast for breakfast.

Read the book. 

MONTAUK SUPERBURER OFFICIAL BETTING LINE

For five years, we've had high concept and low concept burgers. Joey Campanaro once presented a luau burger, complete with pineapple. Lockhart Steele, winner in year one thanks to Dave Chang throwing the whole thing for him, won with meatloaf. Michael White's huge, fatty white label burger got close last year. Wylie Dufrense's seaweed burger with homemade American cheese is my all-time favorite, because it mixed a crazy intellectual idea with a burger that actually just had these incredibly vivid and simple flavors layered exactly right. And, of course, the Momoburger, which is now on the menu at Jeffrey's, won three times and is the most straight forward burger that's ever been in the contest.

And this year's field is in my mind by far the most competitive. The simplest burger this year is Jesse Gerstein's Beach Bacon Burger, which was runner up last year and might have won on better execution (it was over-cooked for the judges). If they were pros it'd be the favorite. I'm calling it Top Three for that burger right now. It's the burger that the judges have in their heads as a great beach burger. 

Mullen, Stupak, Mehdi BB and Moore all have a real shot, too. Moore's "Bread & Butter Burger"  is the most down-the-middle, and he'll get an edge from the many house made ingredients he's putting in play. If the smoke on Mullen's doesn't prove too novel, it'll place well. That it has the one-slot is absolutely gargantuan. And White's Butterfly Burger is very promising. Mustard, garlic pickles, onion, American cheese is the right idea and a great, simple burger in the 10-slot for judging could be a killer combination. I'm concerned about the BBQ mayo on Mehdi BB's burger, because that flavor profile could be too strong for the six-hole judging slot. Being up at the top helps Stupak in a big way, as refried beans in the middle of the pack might overwhelm the judges. 

Solien, repping the Montauk Yacht Club, and Pelaccio with a lamb burger are the long shots. Solien is going high-concept with avocado, provolone and lardo. That's just crazy, but I can't wait to try it. And I don't know that a lamb burger can play, although Pelaccio is a guy who could make it work.

The wild cards this year are Simmons, with her "Montak Super Slider," and Ramsey-Willson, who are amateurs but who have a great concept of short rib, american cheese, a special sauce, and onions, pickled and shaved all on a Martin's. If they get the temps right, they're going to be in the mix. Back to the slider, we've never had a slider the competition and, frankly, I always advise against it. Just doesn't show as well as a half-burger. But she has the 11 hole for judging, so maybe the judges find it a welcome relief having just had 10 other bigger burgers. 

With that said, here's the line, in judging order.

MULLEN  -- 2-1 PJ CLARKE'S -- 6-1 STUPAK -- 5-1 GERSTEIN -- 4-1 PELACCIO -- 15-1 MEHDI BB -- 4-1 SOLIEN -- 19-1 MOORE -- EVEN RAMSEY-WILLSON -- 7-1 BUTTERFLY -- 3-1 SIMMONS -- 8-1

While I've got your attention, we've got a few tix left at eater.com/superburger. Tickets will be available at the door while capacity allows for $150 cash money.

Coffee Shop Rules of Engagement

We spend a lot of time judging coffee shops by their roasts and pulls and machinery. I'd like to suggest another, equally as important criteria: morning service.

Other than live-in family and, in some cases, overnight guests, those who do not brew coffee at home on the regular also communicate with a coffee shop staffer of some kind post-wake, pre-caffination. It is a delicate window of time for us. I am fragile. So, service is hugely important. Here are a modest few rules of engagement for coffee shop personnel to adopt for the AM rush. The best places do all of this and more, and that's why they're great. Here we go. 

1. Remember my order before you remember my name. If you can only remember one of the two, please make it my order. See #2, as I am deeply invested in you knowing my order. The best job anyone has ever done with this is at the Starbucks at the entrance to 30 Rock from the subway (there are a few Starbuckses in the Rockefeller Center concourse, and all but this one are total garbage, so I want to be clear). The AM manager knows names and orders and calls them into the baristas as his customers walk in. It took him six days to get my name and order down. The in-store experience is so painless that I was willing to drink Starbucks coffee just to get it.

2. The goal is for you to create a situation for me wherein I can say as few words as possible  if I don't want to chit-chat I shouldn't be made to feel like a dick for that. When all I have to say is, "Yes, thanks," you, sweet person behind the counter, are crushing it.

3. If you really, really know what you're doing, maybe I don't even have to say that? I used to live a block from Joe on Waverly. When lines got long, Jonathan would scan the line for regulars, cup their drinks and bring them out on the house. Though certainly above and beyond the call, this is how to breed loyalty.

4. As a barista, you, too, can know my drink and help a brother out. They're very good at this at Blue Bottle in Chelsea, where it's a Yes, Thanks situation because the baristas tell the cashiers what to ring up as they're getting it ready for me.

5. Please, God, don't be annoying. This is a big one. At Le Pain Quotidien, there's a server, Michaelangelo, who asks me what my name is every time he rings me up. This morning, he also had to pour my coffee twice because he spilled the first one. While bagging another customer's croissant he warned, "be careful where you throw out that plastic bag, because the animals are in danger." Worst case scenario all around.

6. Keep in mind that the less time I spend handling coffee shop ops the better. It's not because I don't love the shop -- I do love the shop -- it's because I'm not equipped to deal with people before I've had my coffee (many would argue I'm generally ill-equipped to deal with people) and I may be running late, too. Don't let the line slow down, don't wait for a credit card to run before taking the next person's order, don't run out of lids for the coffee cups, don't have a sidebar with someone else behind the counter about what you did last night and how you're hungover.

Yes, thanks.

UPDATE: Cole McBride makes the To Each His Own point: "@benleventhal I know many customers that want this same experience as you in the morning but I also know that that's not for everyone." I agree, but would add that staffers should read customers and let them dictate, not the other way around.  I tip well and am cordial and in exchange if I want to talk less that should be ok. Also I would emphasize these are suggestions for the morning rush, which we could define as opening until 9:45 AM, if that makes anyone more comfortable.

UPDATE 2: A particular morning provoked me into putting pen to paper on this topic, but let me add that I mostly have great experiences with specialty coffee shops and that my issue is mainly with places like most Starbucks and Le Pain Quotidiens, such as the one on Lexington and 64th that currently has me by the balls. Joe, Blue Bottle, Jack's, and Mud Truck have all been regular stops for me over the years and staffers at those places are invariably a pleasure. xo, BL

(MONTAUK) SUPBERBURGER FRIENDS & FAMILY TIX

A very limited number of friends & family tix are quietly on sale now at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3837325544?nomo=1. Password is "superburger." Public on-sale next week, exclusively at eater.com. Get at it.

(MONTAUK) SUPERBURGER 8/25/12, 1 PM

Featuring THE BURGER JOINT & MOMOFUKU MILK BAR

Sponsors Amstel Light and LaFrieda Meats

Competitors SEAMUS MULLEN, Tertulia JESSE GERSTEIN & DAN ALDWORTH, 2011 Superburger Runner-up (a) ALEX STUPAK, Empellon ZAK PELACCIO, Fatty Crab EDDIE "HARLEM" HUANG & CHARLIE DOUGIELO, BaoHaus RYAN SOLIEN, Montauk Yacht Club HAROLD MOORE, Commerce MEHDI BRUNET-BENKRITLY, Fedora MIKE DEFONZO, PJ Clarke's SARAH SIMMONS, City Grit (a) JAMES RAMSAY & STU “THE GRIFTER” WILSON (a)

Judges PAT LAFRIEDA, LaFrieda Meat Purveyors SPIKE MENDELSOHN, 2009 South Beach Burger Bash Winner JOSH CAPON, 2010 NYC Burger Bash Winner HEAD JUDGE KATE KRADER, Food & Wine Magazine LEE "THE RING" SCHRAGER, NYC/South Beach Wine & Food Festivals

Plus "EL PRESIDENTE" MARK PASTORE

#mtksuperburger

The Greatest Pop Culture Trivia Question in History

Between 1970 and 2000, the same subject appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Time and Newsweek in the same week. An animal, a team, a woman and two men. Who are they?

cc: RVV.