Dear Rainer,
Your comments about food are an accurate reflection of the desire of
Americans to think they are sophisticated diners when in fact their palates
have not kept up with their age. Even if one seeks merely high quality food
well prepared but decidedly not haute cuisine, choices have diminished in
the face of trendy or gimmicky places whose appeal is not directed to
adults. Although celebrated for its barbeque, Kansas City offers more
choices that may appeal to you. As its restaurants have been scrutinized
far more than Rochester's, try searching on-line as a start.
Sorry to hear about your Fats Waller disc's fate. I remember receiving a
rare HMV 78 of a Belgian violinist, which was kindly sent to me unbidden.
However, the sender used an Lp mailer and you can guess what arrived.
Thanks for your forbearance at hearing your name often mispronounced by
those who should have known better.
Ciao,
DDR
On Wed, May 23, 2012 at 11:34 AM, Dr Rainer E. Lotz <[log in to unmask]>wrote:
> Having returned to the old world I must say a BIG THANK YOU to all those
> who volunteered suggestions on how best to spend the week in NEW York State
> on my way to Rochester! More than I could manage, but always sound advice.
>
> I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this ARSC meeting (as usual I should
> say!) because of the expertise of the presenters, the friendly
> openmindedness of the participants and especially the variety of topics
> discussed in parallel sessions which required some hard decisions. Quite a
> contrast to, say, IASA meetings which always, year after year after year,
> concentrate on digitization and mass storage and care little about the
> contents. ARSC is just wonderful.
>
> It seems that Home Security have outsourced baggage inspection. My two
> pieces of luggage were opened and physically inspected, presumably because
> the packs of 78s appeared as a black mass on their screens. They replaced
> and sealed them careful enough not to break any. Only that sole 16" Lang
> Worth ET by Fats Waller was smashed to a thousand pieces. But I do not
> blame McNeil Security Inc., it must have been due to my careless packing.
>
> I was surprised to see so many emails praising the food, though. In ten
> days of travelling New York State and staying at Rochester I found just ONE
> place serving excellent food, and that was Suzanne's Restaurant south of
> Lodi in the Fingerlakes region, too far from Rochester to dine out. What
> puzzles me: You people have access to the finest meat available anywhere in
> the world, superb vegetables and fruit - only to be executed by underpaid
> unskilled labor. It seems the word "chef" has become a four-letter word.
> Whenever I see the word "grill", or "pizza", or "BBQ" I step on the gas. I
> yet have to find a place where the food is not burned to charcoal after
> having been heavily exposed to all sorts of marinades, and afterwards
> topped with blue cheese, ketchup, mayonnaise, gravy, and other unspeakable
> culinary offences.
> At the same time the waiters were always extremely friendly! But they,
> too, are mostly unskilled labor or student part-time helpers with little or
> no knowledge about the food and wines on the menu. I rarely got sound
> professional advice. In other words, I am quite willing to spend good $$$$
> for excellent food - but the problem is how to find it. (Maybe it was just
> bad luck: When I tried Nikko's for lunch it was closed). Anyway, I do not
> go for the biggest portions for the least money, and eat all you can.
>
> I do look forward to Kansas City... Any suggestions?
>
> Rainer
>
>
> --
> Dr. Rainer E. Lotz
> Rotdornweg 81
> 53177 Bonn (Germany)
>
> Tel: 0049-228-352808
> Fax: 0049-228-365142
> Web: www.lotz-verlag.de
>
--
Dennis D. Rooney
303 W. 66th Street, 9HE
New York, NY 10023
212.874.9626
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