NANCY BACKUS wrote to DAVE DRUM <=-

Around here people vote with their wallets on restaurant venues.

Which, effectively, we did at that place... :)

My friend Mary Anne sold her well-known "Den Chilli" place a number of times - and wound up taking it over after the new owners screwed with
the recipes in an effort to "economize". This time when she peddled it
she sold it outright (no contract-for-deed) and hung around for a few months to help the new folks get settled in. And all of the staff
stayed except for normal attrition.

Above and beyond the call of duty... :) And a nice effort to keep the
rep of her place up, even after selling it...

The first few times she sold the place she sold it CFD and the purchasers
were required to buy the spices from her - sort of a "retirement" plan.

This time, she's serious. Sold the real estate AND the recipe (along with
the mixing equipment, etc). Some people don't understand the concept of
"dance with who brought you."

So, what are the new folks doing now that she is gone to her
retirement villa? Screwing with the recipes and raising prices. The coriolis effect as they spiral down the drain will be a thing to be avoided so as to not get caught in the under-tow.

Foolish people...

In other news - the first chilli parlor to use the two "l" spelling (from 1909) on a non-pushcart place has been shuttered. The Dew #1 was a small
place of about 600 sq ft on a busy street - with only on-street parking.
The lack of parking proved to be the death knell for that venue. However
there is a Dew Chilli Truck and three other sit-down venues. The present
owners bought Joe Bocklemann's recipe with the business - and they do
honor the "dance with who brung ya" principle. Their chilli is really
good. But they are really proud of it (high priced) so I don't usualy
go there for a bowl of red.

Seemingly the only places that are fairly immune to that syndrome are Charlie Parker's diner and the chain franchises ... and even the chain places are subject to "economies or poor management". Charlie's OTOH motors right along through multiple ownerships. If my count is close
to accurate they're on their 8th owner since Lannie Huggins converted
an old Country Highway Department quonset hut from a maintenance shed
to the "campy" place featured on an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
https://tinyurl.com/BIG-CHUCKS

Apparently the subsequent owners all understood the concept of not
messing with a good thing... and, for whatever reasons, felt a vested interest in keeping a local tradition going strong...

The current owner worked there under two owners - one who tried to change things and had to sell-up to prevent total bankruptcy. The penultimate
owner (who won the breakfast horseshoe contest and split the prize $$$$
among his staff) went back to the basics and turned things back around.
He left the business to run for a seat in the state legislature. Meanwhile
Bill Pope continues to run things as they were meant to be.

According to the Chamber of Commerce web site they do $2 Million annually. Which sort of gob-smacks me - no poker machines, no booze, and 06:00 to
14:00 opening hours. WOW! You bet I'd stick to the formula with those
numbers. Bv)=

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Springfield Horseshoe Sandwich
Categories: Breads, Classic, Cheese, Meat
Yield: 4 servings

8 sl Bread; toasted
8 oz (to 12) meat(s) *
Hot french fries
Paprika

MMMMM----------------------HORSESHOE SAUCE---------------------------
3 c Shredded American (mild
- cheddar) cheese
2 tb Butter
1 ts Worcestershire sauce
1/4 ts Dry (Colman's) mustard
1/4 ts Ground red pepper
2 Egg yolks
1/2 c Stale beer

* Original meat in a Horseshoe was ham. Any meat can (and
probably has) been used. My favourite is half-hamburger
and half crispy bacon. Seafood also works well on this
delight.

In a saucepan, melt together cheese and butter over low
heat. Stir in Worcester sauce, mustard and cayenne. Beat
the yolks and beer together and add to the sauce pan.

Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and
begins to bubble around the edges. Makes 2 cups.

On preheated dinner plates, arrange 2 toast slices each.
Top toast with meat. Pour a generous amount of Horseshoe
Sauce over meat.

Encircle each sandwich with hot french fries. Sprinkle
paprika (or cayenne) over sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Meal Master Format by Dave Drum - 28 March 2008

Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen

MMMMM

... The nice thing about egotists is that they don't talk about other people. --- MultiMail/Win32
* Origin: Outpost BBS * Limestone, TN, USA (1:18/200)