#in the north it's more common to have a big dinner on the 25th and from what I heard in the south it's more on the 24th | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

greenbagjosh · 4 years ago

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Bunker Hill Monument, Harvard, MIT, Bowdoin, and scrod dinner at Durgin Park

Hi everyone Are you ready for a challenge to match that of Saturday the 26th June 2010? Have you heard of Bunker Hill, just north of Boston? Ten years ago today, I climbed all 290+ stairs of that monument.

About 6:30 AM I woke up and took a shower. Breakfast would not be served until 7 AM. Breakfast on the ground floor was toast, bread, peanut butter, jam, coffee, orange juice and cold cereal resembling wheat flakes or so. It was okay. About 9 AM I left the hostel to walk to the Hynes Convention Center T station. I had to buy a Charlie Card for $9.00 which would be valid for the entire day on the MBTA system, even as far away as Cambridge.

Because most of the MBTA was constructed in the 1950s, it was not required to be ADA compliant. The Hynes Convention Center station has two side platforms, and only the westbound platform was ADA compliant in June 2010. Most of the green line underground stations date back to the late 1890's and have been renovated since. Only the stations Boylston, Symphony and Hynes Convention Center remain as inaccessible to the physically challenged. Elsewhere on the MBTA subway, save for intra-station transfers at Downtown Crossing, is accessible. Within a few years, the ADA compliance renovations are expected to be complete.

I took the green line to North Station to transfer to the orange line for Community College. North Station is convoluted in the way that it has a side platform for the northbound orange line, an island platform shared by the northbound green line and southbound orange line and another side platform for the southbound green line above the other three tracks. It is ADA compliant. I had to go up and down an escalator to get to the northbound orange line platform. I went only to Community College which had a simple central platform. From there I walked to the Bunker Hill monument. It was a fifteen minute walk and just over a half mile / 1 km from Community College station.

I remember visiting the monument in April 1993 but do not remember ever climbing it at all. I paid the entry fee to the monument, willing enough to climb the 290+ steps to the top. If the Pilgrim's Monument was hard, this was an even bigger challenge. However I did not give up. Once I reached the top, I had a very nice view of downtown Boston and the Boston Harbor. I remember that the USS Constitution / Old Ironsides was docked somewhere, and I visited with family in April 1993. I think I spent twenty minutes contemplating the view, before going downstairs.

After walking down from the Bunker Hill monument, I went to a pub on Main Street. I had a glass or two of Sam Adams. Then I walked back through City Square Park and New Rutherford Avenue to the Community College station. I took the Orange line to Downtown Crossing to transfer to the Red line for Harvard. I knew of an Indian buffet restaurant that offered airline miles, on Eliot Street, not too far from the Harvard station. The buffet was not much different from the one I had in Hartford, CT. Around the corner incidentally was a commemoration of the birthplace of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, known as Rama IX, as he was born 5th December 1927 in Cambridge, MA.

Since Cambridge had a trolleybus line, I decided to ride it for a few stops. At the Harvard station, there is an underground bus stop. The trolleybusses have doors on the left in addition to the standard two doors on the right. The left door is used only for places where it would otherwise not be possible to board or alight on the right. I took line 71 as far west as the Mt. Auburn hospital before heading back.

I walked about a half hour through the Harvard campus. Much of it looked similar to that of Yale which I visited Friday 25th June 2010. The most interesting building I noticed was the science center, which looked like it was made of four step floors, the fourth floor being shorter than the first three floors, the fifth floor being even shorter all the way to the seventh floor. Then I walked back to the Harvard T station to head two stations southeast for Kendall / MIT.

I spent maybe ten minutes at most at the MIT complex just out of the Kendall / MIT station. MIT did not seem particularly remarkable, just a complex of what look like office buildings. If I spent more time there, for example, walked down Vassar Street, I might have found the inner campus, but the campus did not look particularly inviting enough. So I went on to Park Street to change to the green line and Government Center to change to the blue line, so that I could see Bowdoin station. Bowdoin is correctly prounounced as "Boh-din" or "Bow-din", the second "o" is not pronounced. Bowdoin is somewhat north of the State House, and so far is the only station on the blue line, not to have ADA compliance. Also, the eastbound platform is shorter than the westbound platform so that trains cannot properly fit, and for that reason, trains on that line have push buttons used only in Bowdoin. While waiting for the eastbound train, I left the station to buy something to drink. It was about 2 PM and getting very humid. I walked down to the eastbound platform at Bowdoin and went as far as Government Center before taking the Green line to Park Street.

At Park Street was the eastern end of Boston Common. I walked along Beacon Street to Charles Street and Brimmer Street to find the Bull and Finch pub, the location used for the TV show "Cheers". The actual pub is nothing like what was shown on TV. The actual front does not have as much room. Only the rear part resembles something like the show. I was allowed to sit at the bar (try that ten years on, considering the current situation!) and I ordered a plate of cheese fries. They were tasty. I had two craft beers on tap, one from New Hampshire and the other from Vermont. It was a good experience to see the Cheers location.

After Cheers, I walked up Beacon Street, to see the State House. The State House is about as big as the one in Hartford, Connecticut. It is also uphill from the Park Street and also the Bowdoin T stations. It was closed that day.

I wanted to have a look at the Maverick stations on the Blue line as well as see a station northeast of Airport. Maverick Station is inclined somewhat like Aquarium, but has a central platform. Wood Island eastward are pretty much the same, each one having side platforms.

After seeing Orient Heights, I went back to Quincy Market, had supper at the Durgin Park, ordered the scrod (young cod), with seasonal vegetables and rice, and had a Sam Adams. My chair was not bumped into as much as I remembered from April 1993 when I visited last. I still enjoyed my supper. I took the green line back to the hostel at the Hynes Convention Center but decided to take the "C" branch to Hawes Street and take it back through Kenmore.

Why is there no "A" branch of the Green line? There used to be such a branch from Packard's Corner to Watertown prior to the 1960s but it went into disuse. It was replaced in June 1969 by a bus line.

Why is the Green line so slow between North Station and Boylston? The Green line was constructed with streetcar operation in mind. It is difficult given the many sharp corners, for rapid operation as one would expect for the other three lines, would not be possible.

I went to bed at 10:30 PM. I had to catch the 8 AM Downeaster train from North Station and transfer to a bus in Portland for Bangor to meet family who were staying there. Hope you will join me for the final state in New England to be visited.

#Bunker Hill Monument #Harvard #MIT #Bowdoin #Cheers #Bull and Finch #State House #Beacon Hill #Boston Common #Maverick #Orient Heights #Suffolk Down #Airport #Hynes Convention Center #Durgin Park #scrod #Boylston #Branch A

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thehikingviking · 5 years ago

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Yushan (12,963 ft) & Dongshan (12,712 ft), Standing on top of Taiwan

My good friend Robin was getting married in Taiwan so like any normal person I started researching mountains in the area. I learned that Taiwan is a very mountainous country with an active hiking community, which was influenced by the Japanese during their occupation of the island prior to WWII. Taiwan even has their own 100 famous peaks list called the Baiyue. Without getting too far ahead of myself, I narrowed down my focus to the tallest peak on the island, Yushan, which translates to Jade Mountain. With that I had a mountaineering objective to further enhance my trip, so the last step was to find a way for work to pay for my flight. My customer at the time was Google and I was primarily selling RF components to the Pixel phone programs. A year prior they officially acquired several thousand of HTC’s engineers, and several of their phones were being developed out of New Taipei City. With that I had a rock solid reason to meet with their RF design team and visit their location to discuss several topics face to face. Managing the red tape was somewhat difficult, but luckily I have several Taiwanese friends who helped me with all the linguistic challenges. One unique requirement was I had to upload a photo of me atop a 3000 meter peak. This is something I’ve done many times, however it’s another thing to prove it. In the United States it is not common for a peak to have a sign on its summit with its name and elevation. I struggled with this hurdle for a while, but then I found a picture of me on top of Aino-dake in Japan, which met the prerequisite.

At first I wanted to do an overnight at Paiyun Lodge, and while I was successfully able to reserve a spot, my work itinerary changed and I was later unable to accommodate the previous date. There was no longer any overnight availability, however the peak did seem reasonable enough to day hike. Luckily the day hike permits were easy to obtain, so I scheduled to hike on October 25th, a day before the wedding. I reserved a night at Dongpu Lodge the night before and planned to leave in the early morning. The biggest challenge of the whole trip was transportation. I went through many mental exercises, but the safest option was to hire a personal driver from Chiayi. A one way trip cost 3000 NTD (100 USD)! However the bus option was confusing and unpredictable, and driving myself was out of the question. To save money, I planned to try the bus option on the way down. I felt I would find my way so long as I was able to reach a big city.

I ended up booking within a week of departure and my flight was somehow less than $500. I flew direct from SFO to TPE via United and upon arriving was shuttled to dinner by some friends who were in town for the wedding. I had my work meeting the next day, then the following afternoon took the HSR to the Chiayi Station. From here, I took a taxi to the town center where I stayed at the very nice Hotel Discover for a very reasonable rate. I got there with time to kill, so I spent the next few hours walking around town trying my best to avoid the thousands of mopeds. This city felt more like China than Taiwan. I ended up at some roof top bar where I chatted with some locals over drinks.

The next morning my driver 朱海良 picked me up at 8:30am. He didn’t speak any English but the arrangement was agreed upon a few days prior. The drive took almost 3 hours and he dropped me at Shangdongpu along the roadside. He pointed in the direction of a driveway and left me. I first decided to drop off my huge suitcase at the Dongpu Lodge. I struggled to roll my heavy suitcase down the steep road and when I reached the Lodge the lights were off and the door was closed. I poked my head inside and some guy came out yelling at me. I had no idea what he was saying but he was speaking in a very rude tone and making rude gestures implying for me to leave. I really wanted to kick this guy’s ass, but I was in a foreign country with no where else to stay. I called my local friend Ryan and told him to call the lodge and talk to the guy. Maybe there was a misunderstanding? It turns out this guy was just a dick and equally rude to Ryan. Now Ryan wanted to beat this guy’s ass. He was a perfect example of a poor and uneducated mountain townie. Official check in was in a couple hours so I decided to register at the wilderness office and the police station, which was some additional red tape I had to work through. I first walked to the Takata Visitor center a few minutes down the road. This ended up being the wrong place. Frustrated, I backtracked and climbed the steep hill towards the Tourist Information Center 排雲登山服務中心. This ended up being the right place, so I checked in using my friend Ryan as an over-phone translator. Afterwards I walked to the police station next door. They checked my passport and my required paperwork and sent me on my way. I ate lunch then hesitantly walked down to the Dongpu Lodge and checked in. This time there was a friendly old lady who welcomed me in. I finally was able to leave my suitcase and drop off my backpack. It was still early and I had a lot of time to kill, so I spent that afternoon FaceTiming Asaka, reading and talking to some of the English speaking hikers. I was surprised to learn that dinner was included with my stay, but I was still bitter with the place and refused their food. I had my own dinner which I brought so I ate outside by myself. I wanted this place to burn to the ground. There was some weird European who kept trying to talk to me in his very broken English, but I did my best to avoid him. Perhaps he felt a connection with me as I was the only other white guy there. The bathroom situation was a little confusing with squatty toilets, strange levers and water on the ground, so I chose to use the bathroom at the visitor center instead. On the way I spotted a baby serow.

The lodge, which is actually a hostel, started to fill up around dusk. I found a futon and started organizing my stuff. With all the people stirring and jet lag lingering, I knew I would get little sleep. I figured if I started off at 3AM this would give me enough time to make it to the summit and back down in time to catch the bus at 1pm. I put on my eye shade and tired to get some rest.

Jet lag had me awake just after midnight. Why wait for my alarm, I thought to myself. I silently grabbed my gear and headed to the Yushan Trailhead. It was about 1.8 miles from the DongPu Lodge, but it was on a paved road. I hiked under headlamp, stopping to verify my route with my GPS at the first fork in the road. I hiked downhill until I reached the official trailhead.

From here I took off down the trail. There were some headlamps up ahead of me so I used them as motivation to see if I could catch them. The trail was sliced into the side of steep rocky slopes. There were some early switchbacks where I passed one group, and I caught up to the second group shortly after. I tried to be polite and give them room while passing but I stepped off the trail and went straight though a patch of bamboo which I thought was solid ground. I slammed my knee pretty hard on the rock and stumbled into a puddle until I regained my balance. This group had the one lady in it who could speak really good English that I chatted with at the lodge the night before; how embarrassing. I continued in darkness playing with my thoughts until I decided to take my first rest break a few miles into the hike. As I sipped water, I noticed some eye shine in the tree above me. It appeared to be some sort of lemur. In places where the trail couldn’t be cut into the rock, there were wooden platforms and chains to ease passage. After passing the two groups, I would see no one else until the Paiyun Lodge.

I turned off my headlamp as light began to emerge. It took me 3 hours to reach the Paiyun Lodge. I smelt it before I saw it. I stopped here for a second break. There was one old man walking about the inside, but no one was up to check my permit. By this point I was 6.8 miles into the hike and only had one mile left, but the remaining mile would require 1,800 vertical feet of gain.

After the lodge, the thick vegetation began to dissipate. I followed a series of switchbacks underneath the southwestern flank of the mountain.

The moon began to set as the sun began to rise.

I could now see a large group of people ahead of me. It appeared that all the people doing Yushan from Paiyun Lodge that morning started an hour before I got there. During the last few hundred feet, the trail had some exposure and chains were hammered into the rock walls.

People started to come down, some of them commenting on my lack of clothing. It wasn’t very cold so all I had on was a t-shirt and shorts. You would think these other people were climbing Mt Everest.

Great effort was put forth to make sure this peak is as safe as possible. An entire section has a roof to protect hikers from rock fall danger.

The final section would have been class 3, however the chains made everything less technical. The hardest part was passing people and letting others get by on their descent.

I made it to the top in under 5 hours. To the west was Chiayi County.

To the north was North Peak.

To the east was Dong Shan, which translates to East Peak. Behind that was Xiuguluanshan.

To the southeast was Xinkangshan.

To the south was South Peak.

I found a place to sit down, but like most country high points, the summit was overcrowded. Someone pulled out his drone and that really annoyed me. I wanted to say something to the guy, but it wasn’t my country or culture. I had enough time and energy to do a bonus peak, so I decided upon the east peak since it was on the Baiyue list and if I were to come back for it, I would have to re-climb Yushan. If I were to climb North Peak or South Peak on a later trip, I could bypass the summit completely. I followed the rocky ridgeline south for a short distance looking for the trail which was marked on a map I previously researched. I ended up finding a marked route which was a little rougher than I expected. It dropped steeply to the saddle between Yushan and Dongshan. The face of Dongshan looked intimidating and I wondered if I would be turned around.

As I got to the base of the cliff, I found a series of chains that were nailed into the rock. What would have been class 3 or possibly even class 4 was now rather nontechnical and quite fun. I was the only one venturing past the peak from the summit, so I relied on instincts and faith.

After several pitches I found myself on the summit of Dongshan. To the west was Yushan.

To the south was South Peak.

To the east was the Pacific Ocean covered with clouds.

To the northeast was Xiuguluanshan.

To the north was North Peak.

This summit was much better as I had it all to myself. I had a constant paranoia of missing the last bus, so I carefully scrambled my way back down.

I passed by a young couple at the base of the rock climb and they asked how it was. I told them that for me it wasn’t bad, but I am an experienced hiker. I watched their progress as I made my way back to the main peak and they seemed to have little trouble finding their way to the top.

The climb up from the saddle was very steep and I took it slowly.

Only a few people remained on the summit by the time of my return, so I was finally able to enjoy the tallest point on Taiwan.

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Just for fun, I checked my PokemonGo app and found there was a gym on the summit. I decided to leave my American Pokemon in the gym.

I felt I could comfortably make it back to the bus stop in time. A few minutes after leaving the summit I ran into the nice English speaking lady. We chatted for a few minutes and she egged me on to go climb North Peak. I told her of my concerns for the bus, so I politely declined and continued down the mountain. I regret not asking her to give me a ride back to the city in exchange for accepting the challenge.

As I blissfully hiked down the switchbacks, a giant explosion made my heart jump into my throat. I was extremely startled and had no idea what it was at first. A few minutes later I reasoned that it was probably a firework. What a terrible fright it gave me.

I made it back to the Paiyun Lodge where again no one checked my permit. From here on out, I would be stuck behind slower hikers.

I patiently made my way down the trail, passing people whenever I had the opportunity. I was impressed by the strong, young Paiyun Lodge workers hand carrying large equipment and heavy supplies up to the lodge.

I was unaware of the mountain’s steepness when hiking in the morning darkness. A fall in some places could have serious consequences.

The fog started to roll in across the lower elevations of the peak. It was a nice opportunity to cool off.

I investigated the dangerous landscaping of the trail. By looking at the below image, you would expect to be able to step off trail. In reality, it was like a punji pit trap, and stepping on the vegetation would have you fall through empty air.

Not one person passed me on the way up or down. Everyone on the trail that day was either Chinese or Taiwanese, with the exception of two old Japanese hikers and the one weird old Euro who hadn’t even passed reached Paiyun Lodge by the time I passed him. I reached the trailhead 11.5 hours after departing from Dongpu Lodge.

Here I paid 10 NTD (3 USD) to take a shuttle back to the Dongpu area.

There were several bus stops and many buses, but I couldn’t find the correct one. It started drizzling and as time crept forward I became more and more nervous. To make a long story short, I missed the the last two buses I planned to take down.

Once my failure became evident, I started asking around until I found a lady who could speak English. She started asking around herself and eventually found a nice random guy who offered to take me to the Alishan bus station, which is a popular tourist destination. He didn’t speak English, but I had no other choice but to trust him. 15 minutes later he dropped me at Alishan where I was able to board a bus which took me to Chiayi City Center, just across the street from Hotel Discover. I felt very fortunate that everything worked out. I reserved one more night at Hotel Discover and went to night market. Here I had some boba and the famous turkey rice.

The next day, my friend Ryan picked me up at Hotel Discover and drove me to Taichung City which is where the wedding was held. I give Ryan all the credit in the world because without him I don’t think I would have been able to summit.

Additional highlights from the trip include getting boba milk tea in Taichung City, exploring Taipei with old colleagues and playing pick up basketball against the locals.

I had one more work meeting the following Monday then flew back to San Francisco. It was an extremely fun and eventful trip that I will always remember.

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bluebookweb · 6 years ago

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#DiningMode: Phone’s Off for Mom and Chefs Cycle for a Good Cause

This edition of MRM’s News Bites features Taco Mac, Lavu and MenuDrive, Tripleseat and Restaurant365, OpenTable, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, ParTech, Artisan Exchange and Honeycomb Credit, Thanx, Chefs for Change, Moët Hennessy USA, S&D Coffee & Tea and the 25th Annual APC National Pie Championships.

Send news items to Barbara Castiglia at [email protected].

Taco Mac Turns the Big 40

Taco Mac is 40 years old this month, having opened its first location on April 4, 1979.

“Hitting 40 years, for us, isn’t about doing a victory lap,” says Taco Mac CEO Harold Martin, Jr. “We wanted to get everyone involved in the celebration and recognize the roles they play in our continued success. Taco Mac wouldn’t be here without the customers who’ve embraced us and made us a part of their lives over the years, so it was very important to us to make them a key focus of our celebration.”

To that end, on April 4, all Taco Mac locations offered its signature wings for 40 cents each all day long. And on April 15, the company hosted a 40th anniversary “reunion party” at its Prado location, where current and former staffers and members of Taco Mac’s popular Brewniversity program enjoyed food, entertainment, the chance to win prizes and sample new cocktails and beers. All ticket proceeds from this event were donated to Taco Mac’s long-time charity partner Camp Twin Lakes, renowned for providing life-changing camp experiences for children with serious illnesses, disabilities and other challenges.

Taco Mac staff members also helped develop new wing sauces to add to the company’s menu during an internal Wingman Competition, in which teams from each location created their own sauce recipes. A panel of industry experts selected the winning sauces, while guests voted online to determine a people’s choice winner.

Most significantly for Martin, guests were invited to submit their favorite Taco Mac memories via the Taco Mac website for the chance to win $40 gift cards.

“We had dozens and dozens of responses,” Martin said. “We had a family in Peachtree City, the Ramthuns, who came to Taco Mac to watch their favorite football team and developed relationships with the staff. Then there was the couple who shared the story of their first date at Taco Mac—they’re happily married today. All of these memories of prized moments really drove home for us that we aim to be more than just a great place to have a beer and some great food while you watch a game. If you treat people like family and serve them high-quality food, they will make you a part of their lives.”

It’s that attention to customers and community that earned Taco Mac the honor of having Thursday, April 4 named Taco Mac Day by the Atlanta City Council, along with an official proclamation bestowed during a council meeting at Atlanta City Hall on April 15. But Martin and Taco Mac aren’t resting on their laurels; the brand is preparing to roll out a revamped menu at all 28 Taco Mac locations this May.

“We’ve grown from a couple of guys opening a wing restaurant in Atlanta’s Virginia-Highland neighborhood to Atlanta’s No. 1 spot to enjoy your favorite foods, discover the best craft beers on draft and experience unmatched Southern hospitality,” Martin says. “And as long as we continue to offer that, the sky’s the limit. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next 40 years bring!”

Started by two friends from Buffalo, New York, Taco Mac now has 28 locations across Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.

Lavu Acquires MenuDrive

Lavu acquired MenuDrive, a branded online and mobile ordering platform for restaurants.

“Lavu and MenuDrive share a single vision and goal which is to provide restaurant owners with the online ordering technology they need to thrive. Together, the strength of our combined companies will enable our customers to achieve even higher profit margins and increased levels of customer satisfaction,” said Saleem S. Khatri, Chief Executive Officer of Lavu.

The pairing of Lavu’s and MenuDrive’s technology platforms will help restaurant owners compete with third-party delivery services. Utilizing third-party software which typically require restaurants to give away a percentage of their food and beverage income will no longer be the only option available to food establishments. The Lavu-MenuDrive technology platform which offers an intuitive control panel and seamless end-user experience allows any restaurant to realize increased profits from customer online ordering and food delivery. In addition, restaurants can achieve significant increases in traffic and revenue as a result of more effective marketing and higher brand awareness. The Lavu-MenuDrive technology platform also offers a branded online ordering presence, customized loyalty programs, and marketing automation – this helps ensure that new customers can easily source new restaurant choices. In addition, the Lavu-MenuDrive technology platform offers restaurants enhanced analytics, including detailed customer order history, product reports, sales trends, and consumer buying habits, which allow restaurants to stay current with new dining trends and changing customer activity.

“We are excited to join Lavu and bring MenuDrive’s best-in-class features and expertise to their impressive technology and team. Together, we are positioned to provide more value and benefits to restaurant owners so that they can succeed, regardless of size or budget,” said MenuDrive co-founder Adrian Fang.

Lavu’s legal advisor is the Rodey Law Firm. MenuDrive’s legal advisor is Pillar+Aught.

Tripleseat Teams with Restaurant365

Tripleseat entered a strategic partnership with Restaurant365 that will give new event solutions to Restaurant365’s users, which already have access to technology in accounting, budgeting, financial reporting and employee management.

“Through this partnership with Restaurant365, we’re able to provide our customers with the technology and services they need to continue to streamline their businesses,” said Jonathan Morse, CEO of Tripleseat. “At Tripleseat, we strive to make our users’ universe easier to navigate by providing them with the tools necessary, and partnering and integrating with great companies in the industry we are able to do just that.”

“Working with Tripleseat, our first integration with a comprehensive event management solution, is a game-changer for concepts that have struggled to find success within their event and catering departments,” said John Moody, co-founder of Restaurant365. “Together, our software will simplify complex processes and allow restaurant owners to remain above the fray while maintaining focus on their customers.”

#DiningMode

OpenTable is encouraging diners to participate in #DiningMode this Mother’s Day by putting aside their phones and giving those they’re with the gift of being truly present and connecting over a great meal. All diners can participate while dining out at any restaurant or visiting one of the nearly 500 OpenTable restaurants worldwide that are supporting the #DiningMode campaign.

According to a recent survey* commissioned by OpenTable, 73 percent of respondents rank a Mother’s Day meal as the No. 1 occasion when people should avoid checking their phones. The survey also found that nearly one third of adults say sharing a meal together is the most meaningful Mother’s Day gift followed by thoughtful conversation. Additional key takeaways from the survey include:

Losing Connections: 81 percent of diners have been annoyed by their dinner companion’s phone use in the past. 20 percent say they actually avoid eating with companions who overuse their phones. 75 percent of respondents at least somewhat agree that they use their phone too much.

Dining Hacks: The most common ‘hacks’ diners use to avoid checking their phones at the table are: turning off their phone (51 percent), turning their phone upside down (49 percent) – with millennials more likely to say they turn their phones face down. Women are 14 percent more likely to say they hide their phone to avoid using it during a meal than men (39 percent to 24 percent).

“We recently discovered that 85 percent of diners check their phones at the table while eating with others at least once,” said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer at OpenTable. “By going into #DiningMode this Mother's Day, diners will have the opportunity to focus their attention on the mom in their lives and connect over a fabulous meal.”

To help encourage diners to turn off their phones this Mother’s Day, nearly 500 restaurant partners are supporting the #DiningMode campaign. Here are a few examples of what they are doing in the US:

10 Corso Como – New York, New York

Providing a complimentary dessert and a glass of champagne for those participating in #DiningMode and putting their phone down during the meal.

Aquagrill – New York, New York

Providing a complimentary dessert for mom for tables who don’t check their phones allowing for additional time for conversation.

Bellini Grill – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Offering moms a free complimentary dessert for those participating in #DiningMode allowing for additional time for conversation.

Bodegon – Hotel Madrid – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Providing complimentary champagne for those who opt into #DiningMode.

Casa Chapala Mexican Cuisine & Tequila Bar – Austin, Texas

Offering moms a fresh bouquet of flowers for groups who opt into #DiningMode upon arrival.

Central Bar + Restaurant – Bellevue, Washington

Providing complimentary wine or champagne for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.

Churchill's – Savannah, Georgia

Giving free desserts for tables where every guest gives their phones to a secure area in the back of house office until the check is paid.

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse – New York, New York

Providing free on-site family photography so diners don’t need to use their phones at all throughout the meal.

Despaña – Princeton, New Jersey

Providing a complimentary dessert for mom for tables who don’t check their phones allowing for additional time for conversation.

El Jefe – Denver, Colorado

Providing moms with a complimentary glass of wine or champagne for tables that opt into #DiningMode.

ETA Restaurant + Bar – Chicago, Illinois

Offering moms a complimentary spa gift as a thank you for all they do and for participating in #DiningMode

Fig + Farro – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Offering a free phone check to help families unplug this Mother’s Day.

Jaya – Miami, Florida

Offering moms a chocolate rose as a token of appreciation for Mother’s Day and for participating in #DiningMode.

La Palapa – New York, New York

Providing tables who participate in #DiningMode with complimentary blood orange margaritas.

Misirizzi – New York, New York

Providing complimentary dessert for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.

Partage – Las Vegas, Nevada

Offering guests the option to check their phones with the hostess upon arrival.

Patagonia Grill & Cafe – Houston, Texas

Providing complimentary wine or champagne for moms allowing for more time to connect while dining out.

Russian Tea Time – Chicago, Illinois

Offering moms a complimentary cup of house tea to relax and connect with loved ones.

Severance – Los Angeles, California

Offering a free glass of champagne to help adult guests get into #DiningMode.

SUGA – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Gifting a free Susanna Foo cookbook per table for those participating in #DiningMode as another way to connect with loved ones.

“As a family owned and operated business, taking time to be with your family is so important to us. We love the idea of encouraging diners to be present,” said Leanne Gelish, Restaurant Manager at Mac’s Steakhouse, “Time is the most important gift we can give each other and we’re happy to encourage our diners to put their phone down this Mother’s Day.”

To participate in #DiningMode simply dine out on Mother’s Day, set aside your phone and get to know the people you’re with. OpenTable has provided participating restaurants with conversation starters on coasters and downloadable PDFs to help spark a conversation between diners and their moms. Conversation starters can also be downloaded here. Diners can enter OpenTable’s giveaway for a chance to win a $400 gift card ahead of Mother’s Day. For more information about the giveaway, see the official rules here.

To learn more about the #DiningMode campaign, click here.

Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry

This month, employees from Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants are clocking in 300 miles for Chefs Cycle to raise funds and awareness for No Kid Hungry, top photo. This year’s goal is to have 275 chefs riding to raise $2M for No Kid Hungry, which translates into 20 million meals for kids in America facing hunger.

Kimpton will have 24 riders from more than 10 properties participate in the cycling event, including CEO Mike DeFrino. The brand is calling on all fans to join in to help fundraising efforts by donating to the Kimpton cycling team’s fundraising page.

In addition to participating in the three-day ride, Kimpton chefs and bartenders across the country will feature a cocktail or dish on their menus to benefit No Kid Hungry – see below for examples. When restaurant and bar-goers order that item, the property will donate a portion of sales to No Kid Hungry. Additionally, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will offer guests 15 percent off their Best Flexible Rate, and donate $10 / night to No Kid Hungry as part of their partnership with the charity in 2019. The restaurant will donate $1 from each purchase of the Orecchiette Tartufate, which includes Mild‎ Italian Sausage, Mushroom, Black Truffle and Fontina Cream Sauce. From March 1 – June 30.

Fisk & Co. – Fisk & Co is donating $1 for each Lobster Roll sold, as well as every Short’s Brewing Company’s Local Light beer purchased.

Tre Rivali (Milwaukee, WI) – Donating $2 for each Blackberry Bramble cocktail sold, and $2 for each Poached Pear and Nutella Hand Pie sold through December 31.

The Outsider Rooftop (Milwaukee, WI) – Donating $2 for each sale of That Seasonal One cocktail, which features Maker's Mark Bourbon, Edinburgh Rhubarb Ginger Liqueur, Warre's Warrior Port, Tattersal Orange Crema, lemon, Angostura bitters.

King Tide Fish & Shell (Portland, OR) – On April 15, Chef Lauro Romero hosted a fundraiser dinner with guest chefs Maylin Chavez (Olympia Oyster Bar), Matt Sigler (Il Solito), and Tom Dunklin (The Waiting Room). The five-course family-style dinner included a seafood tower, grilled whole fish, surf-and-turf, and dessert board, plus wine and cocktail pairings. Tickets were $70 and included dinner and drinks, with 100 percent of proceeds going to No Kid Hungry.

The Copper Grouse (Manchester, VT) – Donating $1 from each Locavore and Old Forrester Old Fashioned sold.

Boleo (Chicago) – Donating $1 for each purchase of the Yaquitas (crispy yucca fries with rocoto aioli)

Outlier (Seattle, WA) – Bikes, Bites and Beats at Outlier: On Sunday, April 28, Outlier, Burn Cycle and Ketel One Botanicals are throwing the ultimate Sunday Funday for a great cause. Start your morning off with a 30 minute low-impact, high-intensity sweat sesh hosted by Burn Cycle’s expertly trained instructors. Once you’re done feeling the burn, snack on light bites from the culinary team at Outlier, and indulge in healthy-‘ish,’ custom cocktails from Outlier’s bar team featuring Ketel One Botanicals, a vodka distilled with real botanicals and infused with natural fruit essences – with no sugar and no artificial sweeteners or flavors. Stick around for more fun, including massage tables, a botanical bouquet building station and Outlier’s GM, Brian McFarland riding the ‘blender bike’ and spinning a variety of Kettle One Botanical blended cocktails. Tickets range from $20 – $30 and all proceeds benefit No Kid Hungry and Outlier’s support and participation in Chefs Cycle.

Henley (Nashville, TN) – Henley will donate $1 from every Henley Mint Julep sold during Kentucky Derby Weekend from May 3rd through May 5th.

Jane Q (Los Angeles) – Donating $1 from every Cinnamon Toast Latte ordered.

Ever Bar (Los Angeles) – Donating $1 from every Drink Your Vegetables cocktail ordered.

Angeline’s (Charlotte, NC) – Angeline’s is donating $1 for every Velvet Slipper cocktail purchased; and Tito's Handmade Vodka will match for every dollar donated

Merchant & Trade (Charlotte, NC) — Merchant & Trade is donating $1 for every Velvet Slipper cocktail purchased; and Tito's Handmade Vodka will match for every dollar donated

B&O American Brasserie (Baltimore, MD) — Donating $1 from all Queen Bee cocktail sales from May 1-31, and $1 from all duck wings sales from May 1-31.

Brabo Brasserie (Alexandria, VA) – Donating $1 from all daily special cocktail sales for the month of May.

DNV Rooftop (Washington, DC) – Donating $1 from all Grumpy Guru cocktail sales from May 1-31.

Firefly (Washington, DC) – Donating $1 from all Pedal Pusher cocktail sales from May 1-31, and $1 from all Brussel Sprouts sales from May 1-31.

Radiator (Washington, DC) – Donating $1 from all Rad Burger sales from April 1-30, $1 from all Brussel Sprouts sales from April 1-30, and $1 from all Ride the World cocktail sales from April 1-30.

Urbana (Washington, DC) – Donating $1 from every item sold from all-day Kentucky Derby event on May 4.

Bambara Kitchen & Bar (Cambridge, MA) – Sales from Bambara’s signature Choereg bread and Fiddlehead IPA will benefit Chefs Cycle/No Kid Hungry. Additionally, Chef David Bazirgan, Bambara Kitchen and Bar, returns to his hometown of Newburyport, MA on May 5th to host a guest chef dinner at Brine Oyster Bar. Net proceeds from this 4-course, $55 per person dinner will benefit Chefs Cycle / No Kid Hungry.

The Commoner (Pittsburgh, PA) – Donating $1 from each Beef Brisket Sandwich, Chicken Pot Pie and Not So Old Fashioned cocktail sold. Also hosting a fundraiser on May 7 and May 9, offering a $90 per person dinner which will feature a Grilled Apricot Salad, Herb Stuffed Lamb Breast and Hibiscus & Lavender Crème Brulee.

Stratus Lounge (Philadelphia, PA-) – Donating $2 per order of Pastrami Sliders to No Kid Hungry.

ParTech Partnerships

ParTech, Inc. (PAR) forged new partnership with Altametrics and Hubworks that will allow PAR’s cloud-based Brink POS® software solution to seamlessly connect with Altametrics Enterprise Office and the Hubworks suite of applications through the Any Connector tool. The partnership helps clients streamline restaurant operations by allowing better cost controls over labor and food expenses. Additionally, Altametrics and Hubworks will make menu and staff changes faster and more efficient – changes will only need to be made once and will be reflected across all solutions, ensuring consistency across the organization while reducing the time spent on data entry.

"The integration provided by Any Connector gives Brink POS and Altametrics customers the ability to use all of their software solutions more effectively. Restaurant operators, regardless of how large or small their organization is, will now have the insight they need to better manage their food and labor costs, while reducing operational efforts at the same time. The simplification of the complex task of product integration is an exciting technology advancement we are delighted to provide to our joint customers,” said Steven Sedam, Integrations Project Manager, Altametrics.

“We are excited to welcome Altametrics to Brink’s large partner ecosystem,” said Paul Rubin, Chief Strategy Officer, ParTech, Inc. “The ease of use and accessibility to data will be very beneficial to Brink customers and will allow restaurant operators to focus on providing a great guest experience.”

Artisan Exchange and Honeycomb Credit Join Forces

Artisan Exchange and Honeycomb Credit are joining forces. Artisan Exchange already offers its tri-state area food businesses affordable flexible space, retail market channels, access to a commercial kitchen, and sales and distribution support. Now they will offer businesses that need expansion capital an opportunity to crowdsource loans at reasonable rates and terms from their existing customers.

Frank Baldassarre, Principal for Artisan Exchange commented, “This is a perfect partnership for us. I come from a 30-year career in commercial banking and am intimately aware that one of the biggest challenges for any small food business is financing. The way small business lending is done right now is ineffective. George Cook and the folks at Honeycomb Credit are doing something transformative. By supporting individual businesses as they expand they are really connecting the whole community with capital.”

George Cook, CEO of Honeycomb Credit added, “Artisan Exchange is a major force in Pennsylvania for artisanal food purveyors. They have a delivery system to 35 Metro Philly Food Stores and are an approved Mid Atlantic Whole Foods Markets Distributor. Artisan Exchange works with some of the very best businesses in the state, and we are thrilled to be supporting those companies as they grow. In addition, Artisan Exchange shares our values of helping entrepreneurs succeed in local communities, and I anticipate we will do great things together.”

Thanx Offers Native Online Ordering

Thanx now offers native online ordering capabilities to restaurant brands. Among the first to implement the new service is PINCHO. Thanx will develop PINCHO’s mobile app to include native ordering and will power their loyalty program to serve as a single tool to effectively communicate with every customer through a targeted approach. Customers will be able to order directly online through the PINCHO app and will have a single account to activate online ordering and loyalty. Through the seamless ordering experience, customers can benefit from personalized offers right at the point of an online purchase.

“With third-party delivery service providers almost ubiquitous, restaurants are challenged to maintain profitability after high commission fees, and to stay competitive restaurants need a strategy to create an owned channel,” said Thanx CEO and Founder, Zach Goldstein. “It’s critical for this channel to represent their brand consistently and create a digital experience that matches the expectations of their customers. Most restaurants lack the resources or expertise to build and maintain a modern mobile application with online ordering. Now restaurants finally have the option to drive additional revenue more efficiently through direct delivery.”

“We are always looking for opportunities to interact better with our customers and through this new offering, we created a sophisticated mobile ordering experience that looks and feels exactly like our brand,” said Jayson Tipp, CEO of PINCHO. “With this implementation, we will offer a more consistent and seamless digital and in-store customer experience. Thanx allows us to fully understand the behavior and preferences of our customers, optimize each communication with them, and reward them for purchasing the food they love.”

When customers place an order, they are added to the customer database so restaurants can see a complete view of customer spending habits across channels. Every customer purchase, whether in-store or online, is made available to the restaurant so they can reward customers for their loyalty, target them with promotions based on past purchases, and offer personalized digital experiences that differentiate them from the competition.

Chefs for Change

In May 2019, five of the world’s best chefs and ambassadors of the Chefs for Change movement, Gaggan Anand,Andoni Luis Aduriz, Luke Dale Roberts and Kyle and Katina Connaughton, are exchanging high-end kitchens for remote fields and fishponds as they travel to eastern Africa and Peru to explore the challenges facing struggling small-scale food producers.

Gaggan Anand, chef at Gaggan, named as No 2 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and Andoni Luis Aduriz, chef at Mugaritzin northern Spain, No 9 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, are both heading to Tanzania’s Babati District to meet rice farmers. Luke Dale Roberts, chef at The Test Kitchen in Cape Town, South Africa, named as Africa’s top restaurant, is travelling to Kenya’s Kisumu District to meet fish farmers. Husband and wife Kyle and Katina Connaughton ofSingleThread in Healdsburg, USA, winners of the 2018 Miele One to Watch Award, will go to Peru to meet coffee and cocoa farmers.

The farmers the chefs will meet are taking part in projects run by Farm Africa, an international NGO dedicated to driving agricultural and environmental change in eastern Africa, and TechnoServe, a leading non-profit organisation dedicated to harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty.

The chefs will witness first-hand how poverty, environmental degradation, climate change and lack of access to markets are thwarting the potential of small-scale food producers, but will see how efforts to improve agricultural expertise, manage and preserve ecosystems, and develop links to markets can transform lives across whole communities.

The chefs will learn about local cuisine and work with local farming families to create dishes using the produce from the projects they visit.

A short film about the chefs’ trips will be shared by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Farm Africa, the official charity of the awards, will work with the chefs to share stories about how the projects they visit are contributing to achieving one or more of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that aim to end extreme poverty, hunger, inequality and injustice, and fix climate change by 2030.

Exceeding Charitable Goals

Since announcing their partnership one year ago today, Moët Hennessy USA has exceeded its 2018 goals of helping City Harvest feed families across New York City by 1.25 times. As a result, they will continue their mission of donating both time and resources to assist City Harvest, which is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, throughout 2019. Moët Hennessy is currently the exclusive wine and spirits company to partner with City Harvest in this manner.

Over the past year, Moët Hennessy USA has been involved in fundraising and volunteered 248 hours, surpassing their 2018 goal in pursuit of feeding New Yorkers who are struggling to put meals on their tables. The company and its employees helped City Harvest feed nearly 1 million New Yorkers in their year-long partnership by giving time and raising funds.

Last April, in celebration of National Volunteer Week, Moët Hennessy USA employees participated in City Harvest’s Repack on the Road in which they assembled snack packs which were distributed to children in pre-school, Head Start and after school programs. Moët Hennessy employees also donated their time and resources by participating in the Ace Endico Food Rescue, and the New York Produce Show. This year, Moët Hennessy USA will be participating in volunteer work including the Skip Lunch Fight Hunger fundraising campaign at the MHUSA office.

Moët Hennessy was the sponsor for all of City Harvest’s 2018 signature events, including the 35th Anniversary Gala on April 24th at Cipriani 42nd Street, honoring Chrissy Teigen, Robin Hood, Bill and Wendy Mills and José Andrés. The 2018 gala raised enough to help feed more than 17,000 New York City families for a year. This is City Harvest’s largest annual fundraising event, and will be held again this April, in which Moët Hennessy will be the official wine and spirits sponsor. Other events include Summer in the City which raised enough to help feed over 6,000 families for the entire summer and BID which was a record-breaking year for the event, raising enough to feed more than 18,000 New Yorkers in need for an entire year.

To further drive Moët Hennessy’s fundraising efforts, Smoke Tree wines launched a by the glass program at 34 supporting restaurants in New York, where $2 was donated to City Harvest for every bottle of wine sold – helping to feed 8 New Yorkers for a day.

"The Moët Hennessy USA team is so proud to have exceeded our 2018 goals, helping this incredible organization feed families around New York City,” said Jim Clerkin, President and CEO of Moët Hennessy North America. “We know that City Harvest shares our values, along with our commitment to the community and sustainability, and we are thrilled to continue this mission together.”

The City Harvest partnership builds on the work of the Moët Hennessy Philanthropic Committee, charged with supporting national charitable initiatives that tie with the heritage and identity of the brands, while fostering a community spirit within the organization.

With more than 1.2 million New Yorkers struggling to put meals on their tables, City Harvest’s work to rescue and deliver nutritious food for our neighbors in need remains critical,” said City Harvest CEO Jilly Stephens. “This year, we will rescue and deliver 61 million pounds of food and deliver it to hundreds of community food programs across the city. Our work is possible thanks to the dedicated support of partners like Moët Hennessy USA who step up to ensure that everyone in our city has the food they need to thrive.”

Sustainable Coffee

S&D Coffee & Tea introduced a new line of sustainably sourced coffees as a part of its Raíz Sustainability® sourcing platform. These products are the first 100% sustainably sourced coffees to be produced and branded with both the S&D Coffee & Tea and Raíz branding.

According to Conservation International, 150 percent more coffee is needed by 2050 in order to meet future demand. Raíz Sustainability® is S&D’s direct response to this looming crisis. As a leader within the coffee industry, S&D is committed to building a more sustainable supply chain, while improving resources and quality of life for coffee farmers.

Raíz Reserve coffees are exclusively available as seasonal offerings, guaranteeing peak freshness and quality, as each coffee is harvested by farmers during the ideal season for each particular region. The new varietals include a crisp, medium/light roast with hints of honey from Central America, debuting this month, and a bright, citric and sweet medium roast from South America, which will be introduced in September of 2019 and remain available through the end of the year. These new launches follow the recently released robust Brazilian dark roast.

“We are very proud to be launching our first line of exclusively sustainably sourced coffees from the family of Raíz farmers in three origins,” said Olga L Cuellar-Gomez, head of S&D sustainability efforts. “This launch is a testament to the power and potential of the Raíz Sustainability® platform, and we look forward to continuing our efforts with more 100% sustainably sourced coffee offerings in the years to come.”

Best Pies

With a sea of pies enticing eager judges anticipating their first tasty bites, the sweet smell of success was in the air in Orlando as the best commercial bakers in the nation were named at the 25th Annual APC National Pie Championships in Orlando.

Held April 12 and 13 in Orlando at the Renaissance Orlando SeaWorld Hotel, here amateur, professional and commercial bakers entered their most delicious pies in both sweet and savory flavor categories for bragging rights to be named the nation's best.

In the commercial division, bakeries from across the nation and Canada competed in flavor categories including savory pot pies and sweet flavors ranging from apple, lemon and pumpkin to citrus, fruit and berry, pecan and banana cream to sugar-free and even an open category. The pies were taste-tested by more than 200 judges.

First place was awarded for the best commercial pies in each flavor category, with top honors going to Harlan Bakeries, with 19 blue ribbons, closely followed by Weston Foods, with 18 blue ribbons.

Top pies from Harlan Bakeries, Avon, Ind., included "Bursting from Berries," "Chocolate Maple Sugar Creme," "Honey Crisp Apple," "Cheesecake Pecan Brittle" and "Peachy Keen."

Some of the judges favorites from Weston Foods, Brownsburg, Ind., included "I Only Have (Cherry) Pies for You," "Guittard Chocolate Cherry Pie," "Strawberry Rhubarb Lattice Pie," and "Hold the Sugar Pineapple Pie."In addition to sweet pies, first place ribbons were awarded for three savory pot pies including Southeastern Grocers' "Traditional Premium Chicken Pot Pie" and "Premium Pizza Pot Pie" and World of Pies' "Spinach and Feta Pot Pie."

The list of winning commercial bakers and number of ribbons is listed below. A complete list including each company's list of first place winning pies is available at piecouncil.org.

Harlan Bakeries, Avon., Ind. – 19

Weston Foods, Brownsburg, Ind. – 18

Southeastern Grocers, Jacksonville, Fla. – 14

Rocky Mountain Pies, Salt Lake City, Utah — 12

Publix Supermarkets, Lakeland, Fla. – 11

Jessie Lord Bakery, Torrance, Calif. – 9

Table Talk Pies, Worcester, Mass. – 8

Michele's Pies, Norwalk, CT – 5

Walmart, Inc.,Bentonville, Ark. – 5

Wick's Pies, Winchester, Ind. – 4

Meijer, Grand Rapids, Mich. – 3

Something Sweet, New Haven, Conn. – 3

Sunset Grill, Clearwater, Fla. – 3

The Rose Plantation, Fruitland Park, Fla. – 3

Lisa's Pie Shop, Atlanta, Ind. – 2

Mike's Pies, Tampa, Fla. – 2

A Fish Called Avalon, South Beach Miami, Fla. – 1

Wayne's Family Restaurant, Oconto, Wisc. – 1

World of Pies, LLC, Norcross, Ga. – 1

Norske Nook, Osseo, Wisc. — 1

"Our commercial bakers represent the best of the best in the pie making industry," said Linda Hoskins, Executive Director, American Pie Council. "While coming together each year to compete, our family of top commercial pie makers also share ideas that furthers the growth of the pie industry at large. We're proud of our 25 years fostering America's love affair with pie and can't wait to see what our bakers cook up over the next 25 years!"

#DiningMode: Phone’s Off for Mom and Chefs Cycle for a Good Cause posted first on happyhourspecialsyum.blogspot.com

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