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Best French Food in Dallas: Leslie Brenner is Off Her Rocker

French Chefs: Be on the lookout for Leslie.

OMG. I mean, oh mon dieu! DMN dining critic Leslie “Caron” Brenner has lost more than weight on her Restaurant Critics Diet. She has lost a large portion of her cerebellum.

This morning La Brenner reveals Best in DFW: French Restaurants along with a little essay on French food in Dallas.

Her top picks are Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek, Toulouse Cafe & Bar, St. Martin’s Wine Bistro, Bijoux, Rise No. 1, Saint-Emilion, and The French Room.

Excuse my probable overreaction to her words but I am on Day 3 of pancake withdrawal and this article really pissaladière-ed me off.

I would like to go into a short back story on French food in Dallas and then talk a little about the endangered status of French food in Dallas and the U.S. Then I will do a Q&A with La Brenner’s text. Okay? Let’s get this party started.

(more…)

Avila v Avila in Court: Live Update

Ricardo Avila, center, outside the courtroom

I threw our intrepid intern, Sam Todd, a fastball and, at the last minute, sent him over to cover Ricky/Ricardo Avila’s hearing at 1:30. He is outside of the courtroom and files this report from his Blackberry:

The courts just adjourned.  Ricardo is talking with 2 people in the hallway now.

The 24-hour rule is no longer in place–all things taken from the restaurant must be back in back and working by close of business on Sunday or Ricardo will be fined $500 a day. If Ricardo takes any length of time, the judge will take more extreme measures.

The plaintiffs lawyer asked where the books for the business are located. Ricardo said “at the accountants office.” The defendant’s (Ricardo) lawyer noted that without Ricardo on the property, the plaintiffs can not sell alcohol at the restaurant.

Judge Molberg said, “I’ll be damned if I see another small business closed by lawyer’s fees.” Then he asked to speak to the lawyers off the record in his chambers.

Woman with Ricardo, Suzanne, is on the phone  discussing sinks and drains. Ricky is talking about pvc, sinks, drains, and she’s relaying the information to another person. Probably a contractor.

Anita Avila outside of the courtroom.

UPDATE: Anita Avila Speaks:

Mother (Anita) is here and seems fine. She said, “I want to be in there like I was because I’m capable and I have a lot of help. It is frustrating, and I’ve never dealt with anything like this. It’s heartbreaking.” She also adds, “The restaurant has run smoothly for 20 years, but since [Peter] Tarantino came in, it’s been down. Peter wanted me out of there because he his not a nice person” Mrs. Avila also claims, “It (the restaurant) belongs to me, I never sold it to him (Ricardo).”

Teresa Gubbins is Tossed Out of Tutti Frutti in Richardson

No wonder TG has 856 friends on Facebook.

I’m a little late to the PegasusNews party hosted by Teresa “Gumshoe” Gubbins. She has written an enlightening essay on the proliferation of food photography in public restaurants. It’s a great subject for debate. Apparently some restaurants have a “NO PHOTOS” policy while others are “flattered.” Gubbins is now my heroine—she managed to get thrown out of a frozen yogurt store in Richardson and used the “copyrightable” on the same day. That is just pure awesomeness. How about you? Do you take pictures of your meals in restaurants? Do you believe a plate of brisket tacos is copyrightable? Have you ever been thrown out of a restaurant?

Soap Opera Update: Avila’s Mexican Restaurant on Maple in Dallas

What Dallas Tex-Mex restaurant is on the verge of collapse?

Yow. Zah. Looks like the pendulum of justice has swung to the other side of the Avila family. Last week when I spoke with Ricky/Ricardo Avila and his fiancée, Michelle, Ricky told me his 88-year old mother was suffering from the onset of dementia. He claimed that he and Michelle were the primary care takers of Mrs. Avila, the founder of the Avila’s Mexican Restaurant on Maple Avenue. “It’s sad that other members of my family do not even visit her,” he said. Ricky/Ricardo explained that he owned the restaurant business and his mother owned the building. “She’s just not sure what is going on most of the time,” he said.

The whole Avila family appeared before Judge Ken Molberg on Tuesday, February 9. “It took him ten minutes to realize I owned the business,” said Ricky. As I reported from the restaurant, Ricky/Ricardo and Peter Tarantino were running the restaurant.

Yesterday morning, I received an e-mail from blogger Texaskatey reporting  there was a sign on the door saying the restaurant was closed along with a link to the restaurant’s website announcing Avila’s was moving to another location. Apparently, the previous night, Ricky/Ricardo Avila and company gutted the interior of the restaurant.

A little later, an e-mail from Patricia Avila Guajardo, who I can only assume is one of Ricky/Ricardo’s sisters, hit my inbox. The note, printed below the jump was addressed to Kim Pierce of the DMN and cc’d to me. She claims Avila’s Mexican Restaurant on Maple will “begin operating as soon as possible.”

I agree with Patricia on one point—this whole soap opera is “out of control.” From where I sit, it looks like everyone is guilty. Why Ricky/Ricardo and company did not wait for scheduled legal proceedings to take place is astonishing. Late yesterday, DMN’s Karen Robinson-Jacobs reported the judge ordered Ricky/Ricardo to “‘restore all property and tangible things taken or removed from’ the restaurant within 24 hours of Thursday’s order.” Hmm. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Wilonsky has the legal documents online.

Jump for Patricia’s side of the story. (more…)

Live Report From Avila’s on Maple Avenue

Home from (sorta) Hawaii: Ricky and Michelle

(I am posting from the ladies room at Avila’s)

What a wild ride for Ricky Avila. He is back in the restaurant and, thanks to a Dallas judge, back in control of his business. All of the staff, including Peter Tarantino, is here. I just spoke with Ricky and his fiancé, Michelle.

Ricky had to get a restraining order to keep his brother and two sisters from taking over the restaurant.”It was maybe the first vacation I’ve planned in 20 years,” he said. “This is the wake up call I think I needed.”

Basically his siblings, who were never interested in running the restaurant, now want a piece of the post-Diners, Drive-ins & Dives revenue. There is another hearing on Thursday. The sticky point is the building which is owned by their ailing 88-year old mother. I get that Ricky is going to move the restaurant to another location. More details on Thursday. (Excuse the weirdness of this post. First time I’ve blogged from my phone. In a bathroom.)

UPDATE: Below the jump are two e-mails from Michelle outlining this week’s ordeal.

Thursday Update: Another e-mail from Michelle with news.

(more…)

Rumors Behind the Restaurant News: Mexican Revolution at Avila’s on Maple in Dallas

Has Ricky Avila has been overthrown by his brother, Octavio?

This is a weird coincidence. Yesterday, I wrote the post below about Peter Tarantino and scheduled it to run at 9 this morning. Before it was live, I got a phone call from a well-place source informing me that  “there was  a real Mexican revolution at Avila’s on Sunday.” Here’s the story: Ricky Avila, one of the nicest guys in the restaurant business, has been running his family’s restaurant for years. Ricky’s mother owns the building on Maple Avenue and the place has just been on steady cruise control. It turns out Peter Tarantino has been working with Ricky for the last year and Peter’s nephew, Michael, has been waiting tables.

Yow. Zah. Enter Avila’s debut on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. After host Guy Fieri left town last April, Avila’s business more than doubled.  Apparently the uptake in money coming into the business fueled a real family feud. According to several former employees, Ricky and his wife left early Sunday morning for a two-week vacation in Hawaii. As the plane took off, Ricky’s brother Octavio “stormed into the restaurant on Sunday morning and fired almost everyone.” Both Tarantinos were let go (they are not a source for this post). One witness says, “Octavio said ‘I have a gun, and I will use it’” during the takeover. It sounds like Octavio staged his revolution a little carelessly. The liquor license is in Ricky’s name so legally Octavio can’t sell liquor. Also, Ricky found out about the fiasco before he boarded his connecting flight. Instead of hitting the beach in Hawaii, he turned around and came back to Dallas and called his lawyers. Stay tuned.

Roaster’s New York Deli in Dallas is Closed

According to Robert Wilonsky, Roaster’s Deli at Preston and LBJ closed two weeks ago. His post on Unfair Park asks the question we have tried to answer here: “Why can’t Dallas do a proper Hebrew deli?” (See “Three Jews, Zinsky’s Deli in Dallas, Six Opinions.”)

When Evan “Hebrew American League” Grant was on staff here at D, he wrote about Roaster’s and the dearth of delis in Dallas. In particular, bagels. Grant said:

“First a disclaimer, finding good bagels in Dallas has been as difficult as finding a date ( and for me, that’s nigh impossible). Einstein’s? Feh. They should be called “bagel rolls.” Whole Foods? Again with the rolls, only heavier than Einstein’s. Central Market? Getting closer. The bagel I had [at Roaster’s] Sunday was a work of art.”

Last April, I ate a pastrami sandwich at Roaster’s. I thought it was great.  A week ago, I went to Zinsky’s. I didn’t think the pastrami was as good as what I was served at Roaster’s but I noticed that the bagels they serve at Zinsky’s have changed. Initially they were made by Empire Bakery. Now, according to a server, they are baked on site. (I hear they buy pre-formed dough and bake them off.) I’ve spotted H&H bagel’s, imports from Manhattan, at Deli News and Beyond the Box. Cindi’s N.Y. Deli seems to be the only one that manages to stay alive and propagate—they now have 5 locations. I think we need to answer this question. I’m calling an expert. Let’s see what she has to say.

Dallas Deli Trivia: According to this, Jack Ruby was toting a brown bag filled with sandwiches from gone-but-ner-to-be-forgotten Phil’s Delicatessen on Oak Lawn (Lucky’s location.)

Dave Faries Leaves the Observer: Is Dallas Dude the New Dave? Do Chicks Make Better Dining Critics?

Pigs and chicks in happier times.

I was just catching up on the Dave-less City of Ate and found this line in Dallas Dude’s latest Toque To Toque report.

My health insurance at the Observer hasn’t kicked in yet. And I ate a lot of burgers.

Am I the only one who is curious about Dave’s departure? He was there on Friday and gone on Monday. Well, if Dallas Dude is the next Dave, then then a couple of male chauvinist pigs (wow that came from the dark recesses of my brain) over at Dallasfood.org will be happy as, well, pigs in slop. Some  bloggers over there—Luniz, I’m looking at you—are hoping  a male fills the Observer job. Luniz hopes “they don’t replace him with a chick.” Perhaps you men should subscribe to the Star-Telegram. Your boy is back doing reviews. Cue the Boss.

I Scuba For Scallops: The Movie

Andrew Chalk attended yesterday’s sea scallop tasting at Chamberlain’s Fish Market & Grill. He files this video report.

Freebirds Announces Super Monster Burrito Eating Contest

Photo courtesy of travelchannel.com

Calling all Man vs. Food wannabees: Freeb!rds has a challenge for you. Not just any old challenge, but a “Super Monster Burrito Eating Contest” challenge. This gives me a stomach ache just to type. But here you go:

Come one come all to a truly gluttonous affair at FREEB!RDS where patrons will hone in their inner monster, peel back the foil and try to eat their Super Monster Burrito with in the quickest time! The Dallas winner will get their picture posted in their home store, a FANATIC card preloaded with a free burrito, a FREEB!RD tee and a chance to compete in the “Big Kahuna” championship the following Saturday. If crowned, the “Big Kahuna” winner will win a FANATIC card preloaded with 100 points, a plaque with their picture on it hung in their home store and of course the honor of reigning Super Monster Burrito Eater supreme.

You are probably wondering, what the heck is in this thing? Well, all the usual suspects: rice, mixed cheese, beans, chicken or steak, mixed veggies, queso, pico, salsa, red onion, corn, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro and lettuce. Gulp. The contest will take place at three locations (5500 Greenville Ave, 5000 Beltline, and 238 W. Campbell Road) on February 20 at noon. The entry fee is $12.

“I Scuba for Scallops” Tasting Panel Picked and Ready to Rumble

The “I Scuba for Scallops” tasting will take place tomorrow around 1:00 p.m. at Chamberlain’s Fish Market in Addison. At that time, the five talented Dishersw who came up with the correct answer to my riddle, will participate in a blind tasting of scallops. On one plate will be really expensive, hand-harvested diver sea scallops. On the other will be dry-packaged U-10 scallops, the ones  generally served in high-end restaurants as “diver” scallops. Should be an interesting challenge. (In case you care, the answer to the riddle was the line “the doctor says I need rest” from Humble Pie’s song “I Don’t Need No Doctor ” on the Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore album.)

Kinky Friedman to Run for Texas Agriculture Commissioner

Kinky Friedman will not leave one asparagus stalk behind.

Hey, Kinky. I just read that you are running for ag commissioner. You have my vote. Thanks for tagging Jim “Friend of the Farmer” Hightower as your adviser. The two of you will shine a light on small producers and farmers all across the great state of Texas. Please don’t listen to those uptight bureaucrats who call you nasty names and think you aren’t qualified. Jim Hightower? Do you think a candidate should have special skills?

“You have to have a pulse and a few brain cells,” Hightower said. “He’ll make the point that the agriculture commissioner doesn’t farm. The agriculture commissioner is supposed to work on polices [sic] that help farmers and build coalitions.”

Kinky, what sayeth?

“I might not know how to grow organic asparagus, but I can find the people who do,” he said. “It takes a bully pulpit, but you need to ride straight and tell the truth.”

The DMN has a longer version of the story. Kinky, this bully pulpit is open to you at all times.

“I Scuba for Scallops” Blind Tasting: Chamberlain’s Fish Market on February 2

Pick me!

I am really sick today and I am not thinking clearly. However, I have started this contest and I’m going to finish it. Tuesday, FIVE lucky Dishers will get a chance to make Dallas seafood history by participating in our “I Scuba for Scallops” contest. Contestants will use their palates to see if they can taste the difference between an expensive hand-harvested scallop and a dry-packaged U-10. I’ve just returned from the doctor and the doctor said I need rest so I’m going to lie down for a couple of hours.

While I snooze, you have to find some lyrics to one of my favorite songs. I buried them in this post. The first five of you to reveal the band and the song will be invited to the tasting. If you are going to play, PLEASE make sure your schedule is clear from 1-3:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Go now. It’s Friday and Google is standing by.
Winners announced at 5:00 p.m.

UPDATE: Time and date of this tasting  may change. Developing.

SideDish Tasters Event: Diver Sea Scallops vs U-10 Scallops

This could be YOU!

Sorry for the last minute notice but I’ve decided to organize an impromptu  SideDish Tasters Event. Some of you participated in the SDTE we held last summer for Zinsky’s. Others contributed to the Jammin’ With Wild Salmon (and wild commenters) at TJs Market in Preston Forest . I’m going to gather some hand-harvested diver scallops and some U-10s and see if YOU can taste the difference. ONLY FIVE OF YOU.  Chef Richard Chamberlain of Chamberlain’s Fish Market has agreed to do the ordering and provide the space. We are trying to work out the details but this much I know: The event will take place at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 2 at Chamberlain’s Fish Market in Addison.

Stay tuned. Contest rules will be announced soon.

Cha-cha-cha-Changes: Dish Restaurant in Dallas

Some dish on Dish.

I’ve heard from several frequent and upset Dish Restaurant Nightclub and Lounge (and Beyond) customers this morning. Seems they are not happy about some recent changes in the management team of the Dish, the creation of “Dallas restaurateur and nightclub guru” Tim “obar, LIFT, Dragonfly” McEneny and partner Doug “Beyond the Box” Brown. Here is one concern/question.

Could you find out why Tim at Dish fired both of his Gay Managers –the gayborhood is planning a revolt.

Yow. Zah. A quick e-mail to an insider reveals that McEneny recently sold LIFT and replaced the two Dish  management types and with former Fuse and LIFT peeps. Oh, and I buried my lead: Executive chef, Brian Sommers, was fired yesterday. I know nothing about the gay issue in this scenario but I doubt sexual orientation was a factor since Dish is located on Cedar Springs and in the heart of Gaytown Dallas. I’m just stating the facts according to an inside source. (Or, for those of you in the Buddhahood, it could just be another case of warm impermanence.)

The BBQ Challenge

Daniel Vaughn takes no prisoners.

I’ve spent the better part of today with Daniel “The BBQ Snob” Vaughn. We are producing a video with Daniel looking over Kevin Marple’s photographs that didn’t get printed in the magazine and talking about barbecue. Of course we at some too. Anywhoo, as you can imagine, Mr. BBQ Snob is getting a pretty big head on his shoulders now that he is the local expert on the subject. He asked me to relay this challenge to you. Here goes:

The BBQ Challenge

E-V-E-R-Y barbeque joint in DFW. That is my claim, with a few caveats. The baked ribs at Texas Roadhouse do not count, nor do multiple locations of chain barbecue, but if they can legitimately be called a BBQ joint, and they’re located in DFW, then I have paid them a visit. If anyone out there can come up with a legitimate joint that I have missed, I will join you for dinner there, and I’ll pay. To help weed out repeats, my blog and my map are at your disposal. Now bring it on.

Cheeky isn’t he?

Who Has the Best Barbecue in Dallas? You Will Know on Thursday

The February issue of D Magazine is scheduled to hit newsstands on Monday, January 18 Thursday, January 21 (thanks, Tim). The cover story, The Best Barbecue in Dallas, will reveal the top 16 ‘cue joints around town. The top picks were determined by Daniel Vaughn, the self-described “BBQ Snob,” who details his obsession with barbecue on his blog Full Custom Gospel BBQ. The accompanying photographs, shot by our go-to food photographer Kevin Hunter Marple, are gorgeous. I’ll post a link to the story as soon as it’s available online and I look forward to some spirited discussions on barbecue over the next few weeks. I’ve got a gift certificate to The Grape for anyone who can guess Vaughn’s top pick.

UPDATE:  Hint: I should have said in and around Dallas.

Fat Foodie Fight: Teresa Gubbins Takes on Leslie Brenner’s Battle of the Bulge

This is not Leslie Brenner on a diet.

DMN dining critic Leslie Brenner is on a diet. On January 4, she announced that she is determined to lose 20 pounds on her Restaurant Critic’s Diet.  (I’m sure the Oprah’s peeps have already called.) So far, Brenner has dropped 9 pounds in 7 weeks. Today in an f-laden post (Foodies Fit Forever!) she reports that, on deadline, she managed to burn 401 calories at the gym.

Teresa Gubbins, always on deadline at Pegasus News, decided to take a shot at La Brenner’s efforts. In a tidy little essay, “Shedding #s, The Restaurant Critics Diet,” La Gubbins, the emaciated veteran dining reporter, takes a look at the dietary hazards of being a restaurant critic. Gouda stuff.

Dave Faries Picks the Best Restaurateurs in Dallas

Best Restaurateurs. Oh no, now I’ve got to make one too. (Bob Sambol? I like Bob but he owns one restaurant.)

UPDATE: Okay, I’ve thought about the above list a little bit more and I really have to question Dave Faries’ pick of Bob Sambol as a restaurateur of the decade. What about entrepreneurial spirits such as Jeff Sinelli, Mike Hogue, Kent Rathbun, Shannon Wynne? Bob Sambol lost his butt in Denver, sold his brand to Omni, and only owns part of his original restaurant. What’s in the eggnog over at the Observer, Dave?

New Cooking Show Master Chef With Gordon RamsayWill Hold Casting Call in Dallas

Hell is for children. And contestants on any Gordon Ramsay show.

What is a national reality TV show without a Dallas contestant? That is meant to be a rhetorical question, but if you can name one, feel free to comment below. Anywhoo, the casting director for Fox’s Master Chef With Gordon Ramsay just “told” me the show, a “Foodie American Idol,” was coming to Dallas to look for potential contestants. (Here is how the Hollywood Reporter describes the upcoming show. They are looking for “people who are passionate about cooking without having professional experience.” (Boy, I could go a lot of places with that line, but I won’t.) Maybe Mr. Ramsay will listen to my pitch for a food show—Food Bitches—a show that follows female food writers.

UPDATE: They will be here “either January 9 and/or 10th.”

UPDATE: From one of the casting director: “Hi everyone! I am one of the casting directors for the show. Master Chef is a different kind of show than Gordon’s other projects. It is an inspirational show that celebrates passionate people who have a love for cooking! We have been told there is no shouting on this one….more encouragement. Master Chef has been a widely popular show in UK and Australia for years. Please call me if you have any questions we would love to have many come audition. 424-236-7500 Ext 7603. We will have more info shortly regarding when and where we will be. Hope to see you all!”

Trouble at Taco Mundo in Preston Royal: Caroline Galvan-Rodriguez Sues Landlord Over Lockout

On June 19, I wrote : “Somebody tell Caroline Galvan-Rodriguez that we are in a down economy—she is opening four new restaurants before August 4th…in late July, the former wife of MCrowd founder Mico Rodiguez, will open her first location of Taco Mundo at Preston Royal and a second location on August 4th.”

Well, it is November 23 and Ms. Rodriguez is now involved in a messy lawsuit with her Preston Royal landlord, Southeast Preston/Royal, LTD, Trademark Preston Oaks, Inc. The legal action was filed by Ms. Rodriguez on November 2. According to the paperwork, she has been locked out of the Preston Royal location since October 20. She claims to have already invested $500,000 in the space which was originally scheduled to open in July.  The battle is over when the lease became effective and at what point the landlord had the right to lock her out for failure to open. (The whole document is here.)

Is this a preemptive strike against a landlord who did not see the an opening on August 4,  September 4,  October 4, or November 4?  (According to Robert Willonsky over at Unfair Park, Rodriguez applied for a liquor license on November 26, 2008.) I’ve left a message at Trademark Preston Oaks, Inc. Stay tuned. Developing.

Il Frateli v City of Coppell

From the copy and paste press release department:

Huge Fine for Holding a Sign? Coppell Official’s Harassment Causes Layoffs.

i Fratelli Pizza feels “chilling effect” through unprovoked vendetta

COPPELL, TX   Did a Coppell City official lean on a code enforcement officer to fine the manager of a locally owned i Fratelli Pizza $2,000.00 because there was a lone employee holding a sign in front of the store? (more…)

Jack’s Porch Restaurant Opens in Southlake With a Lawsuit

A couple of months ago, a Disher in Colleyville asked me if I knew where Jack’s Porch was opening in her area. I did what most reputable reporters do, I Googled. I did find job listings for a Jack’s Porch but no address. Then I forgot about it. This morning a Disher with a head for the law and a bod for Law & Order sends word that Jack of Jack’s Porch is Jack Layman, the former manager of Rockfish in Southlake, and he has been slapped with a lawsuit for violating his employment contract. Layman quit his job at Rockfish and opened Jack’s Porch across the street with a Rockfish-rip-off menu. Rockfish is claiming Layman has violated his employment contract which prohibits him from working at another restaurant within 10 miles.

New Federal Trade Commission Guidelines and Food Writers

The Federal Trade Commission recently updated its “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” If you are a blogger, freelance writer, advertising copy writer, or professional writer you need to read the document, especially if you accept complimentary products such as food, wine, or free dinners. The revised rules require you to disclose how you received the products you review or endorse. Scott, over at Dallasfood.org has a brilliant analysis of the document.

Let me give you an example what happens here at D headquarters on a regular basis. Let’s say a box of cupcakes, a package of chocolate, or bag of food samples arrives with a note from the store owner or publicist. Everyone in the office goes bonkers and whatever is delivered disappears in about 2 seconds. If we don’t post anything on SideDish, I generally receive a “follow-up” note like this:

Hi Nancy, I just wanted to follow up on the “Insert Name” “Insert Item” that we sent last week from “Insert Company” and get your thoughts/feedback on the new flavors. We think it would make an interesting post on SideDish or an article for your magazine. We’d love to hear what you thought of them and see if they might be a fit for an upcoming story or mention. “Insert Company” will be expanding and owner “Insert Name” is hoping to open more locations soon.  We appreciate any comments you have!

If someone on the SideDish staff decides to write about the product, they now have to mention the fact that the food was not paid for by D Magazine. If we don’t, we violate the Federal Trade Commission Act and could receive a fine.

At the risk of calling in the food police, I will say that we have always run a tight ship around here. We’ve always paid for food we review and I do not attend media dinners or accept complimentary dinners. We have sent a copy of the FTC guidelines to our attorney to make sure we comply with all of the rules.

But here is one rub—I’ve already heard that some bloggers and indie food writers are finding ways to get around the rules by posting one small disclaimer somewhere on their webpage and not in the copy of the item. So readers beware. Ask questions. It’s a jungle out there.

Posting Reader Complaints: Good Idea or Bad Idea?

Yesterday I posted a Disher’s complaint about Zorba’s. Several commenters disagreed with the anonymous complainant and the owner, Pavlos Guiatas, posted a rebuttal. I thought, in the end, it was a discussion that provoked interest in Zorba’s.

I hate to say that I’m smart, but I receive a lot of e-mails from people trying to cyber-bash a restaurant. Usually I can tell if the note comes from someone on the inside or a disgruntled employee—they tend to know too much and the note is usually a personal attack and not a general complaint about an experience.

So, I ask you. I view this space as an open forum for discussion. Do I post anonymous complaints? Do I e-mail them back and say “I will post your complaint if you give me your real name?” Or do I hit delete? It’s your space. Define it.