Wm's AVA Wine Blog

You never get a second chance to make a first impression!

2009-05-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

If you cannot make a connection with your prospective new client within the first 60 seconds then you need to stop reading and quit whatever sales job you are currently wasting your time doing.

This is the easiest part of your routine. Also one of the most vital. They really should sort of like you. It makes it easier. Unless you're pitching from a position of impending doom or disaster (another post on that later), it would serve you well to have a nice rapport with whomever you're giving a presentation to. It also aids in building trust. Trust is a critical element to any sale. Trust not only can be the lynchpin in getting you the sale, but it usually helps in keeping the sale after the fact, and don't forget return residual business.

I always asked my clients where they grew up. Not just where they were from, but where they spent their childhood. This immediately puts their brain working in the middle, and unless they were beaten routinely by their alcoholic parents, brings them to a place of comfortable euphoria. Get them talking a little bit about this subject and watch the walls come crumbling down. Ask a married woman about how she and her husband met, even if they hate each other now, and she'll be brought back to a place and time in her life where she was happy. Happy people buy stuff. Relating a VERY small tidbit about your life is nice just to establish a connection, but get back out quickly and back onto them. Try and hold out as long as you can before even beginning to ask the questions relating to the product/service, it never hurts to have them ask you about your product/service before you begin. But now they're ready.

Now you can start loading your weapon.

Who? What? Why?

2009-05-18T14:44:00.000-07:00

We're now going to asked pointed and deliberate questions. They vary by industry and trade, but it's all the same formula. We're going to ask people the questions that will tell us what they like, what they don't like, and where in their lives our product can fit them. Even if they don't want to.

We're going to go through a process of bringing out from them what's important to them (so we can sell that to them), we're going to find out what they dislike (so we can avoid trying to sell that to them), and we're going to bring them to a place in their brain that is comfortable and emotional. People buy emotionally. Emotional people buy more than stoic or analytical people.

Spend all the time you want trying to refute that fact.

It is important not to give any information during this step. No selling while you're discovering. It's a fatal flaw. If you're selling you're not listening, you'll have plenty of time

to sell later during your presentation. It is essential that you are gathering the information

(ammunition) you will need later to close this deal. If you ask the appropriate questions that are germane to your product or service, you'll get everything you need to pitch that prospective client hard and strong. Failing to ask the right questions will just leave you pitching your heart out to someone who is convinced you're just out to sell them something. Which is very impersonal and nobody wants to be sold anything.

Confirm What You Learn!

2009-05-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

The whole point of doing your discovery was so you could gather up ammunition to completely load your weapon, so when it was your turn to talk (sell/present/pitch) you would have all the information you needed to show them what they are about to buy. How do you know they're going to buy? it's because they told you what they wanted during your thorough discovery. They also told you what they didn't want! So don't sell them that! They told you what they like, now present your product as a perfect fit for those wants and desires.

By re-confirming the answers they gave you during your discovery you accomplish two goals. The first is that they see that you listened (most people find that flattering). The second is you confirm their answers, thus eliminating their ability to change their wants and desires sometime later in your presentation.

Skipping this step is always a major mistake. By completely confirming what you've learned you've set up complimented the excellent discovery you did, and fortify it's ability to help you get some business.

Presentation / Cost Analysis / Display

2009-04-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Now it's your turn to talk. Up until now you should have been listening. They've told

you in the discovery what they want, and they've told you what they don't want (if you've asked the right questions). Now that you have that information, you can sell them based on what they told you. Which is why you did a Discovery Confirmation, right? It's because now it's THEIR words, not yours. It's what they said, not you putting words in their mouths. Re-emphasizing a few times throughout the presentation exactly what they told you doesn't hurt, and using examples of how they can use "THEIR" product (speak like they already own it) puts them in the picture. Sprinkling your presentation with actual examples of how the product or service fits perfectly into their lives is how you're going to win their business. Don't be afraid to put on the breaks and ask them how this sort of thing would benefit them, and then allow them to tell you. Then follow up and ask them to buy it. They just might, right then and there.

Let's face it, it's just not that easy. But we know this, we're professionals. We're only asking to find out why they're not ready to buy (translation: they need more information). We'd like them to buy at that point, but realistically our experience tells us that they've got some objections holding them back. What better way to get those objections than to ask them to buy? If you ask these questions early enough in your presentation, you have the rest of your presentation to get over them. If you're going to give a demonstration or show a display that whole portion of your presentation can be dedicated to overcoming their objections. With a healthy portion of closing questions and 3rd party stories you can find success in helping your client get themselves over their objections.

Close the Show / A.B.C

2009-04-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already asked for the business at this point, most likely you don't have the first

clue whether or not they're going to be buying from you. If you haven't already asked them for the business, you haven't been told no and there is no way for you to know why.

One of the reasons the steps have produced so much success is because they happen in sequence and they're designed to always let the salesperson know where he is with the client. If you don't ask them to buy, they usually won't.

Re-setting the tone, reminding them and reinforcing the reasons they told you they were going to buy. If you haven't already asked them how they want to pay (and you should have) do it now. If you did your job, there are no objections to overcome.

Post Sale

2009-04-23T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is what separates the women from the little girls. After all the work, after all the calls, after the inevitable blow up of the deal that you handled like a Messier dish pass to Kovalev, the deal is not done until the money is in the bank.

Follow up. Send a note. Follow up on that note. Be absolutely certain the client has whomever's information they need to get the service or product they paid you for. There is nothing worse than putting all that love and energy and english on a deal than to have it spike, because they didn't feel comfortable after the ether wore off. It's called "buyer's remorse", and it can be prevented.

Phone Pitch: Expired Listings

2009-02-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest; do you like calling people on the phone to solicit business?

The answer cannot be yes. I simply refuse to believe it. It's loathsome. I hate it

with all my might. I would truly rather lift heavy things from one corner of a room

to another corner of a room all day than try and get someone to listen to me about anything on the phone. I hate the phone to begin with, may God bless whomever invented the text message.

Now let's face it. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Sometimes you gotta sit your ass down at the desk and get out the notes and make the calls. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Ok, enough with the stupid cliches. We work for money so lets talk about how you can make some money by calling expired listings.

First realize why listings expire. In many cases people simply didn't price their homes correctly and they missed that first 30 day tidal wave of happy homebuyers with whom it's best to do business. These are the people I've mentioned in my previous post who bicker with their real estate professional. These are the people who should have shut their pie-holes. Expired listings are frequently our friend Joe FSBO, who finally got a clue and "did you a favor" by listing his home with you. Not because he realizes he's an idiot and situated himself outside the market, but because he's under the impression that a realtor should have a cell phone full of colleagues and buyers with checks already made out in his name. Joe FSBO, what a jerk.

Here's some tips to make you more effective in contacting property owners with expired listings.

1. Obviously we identify ourselves and warm up to the best of our ability with whomever does happen to answer the phone. Take their temperature, empathize with their concerns about the market, concede that real estate is slow, but assure them that homes are moving and qualified buyers are out there looking for great deals. (Acknowledge, Empathize, Overcome)

2. Be sure to be clear as to what they feel prevented them from moving their home. You cannot get them to list with you if you don't know their true objection. If they blame the realtor, ask them to tell you more about where that realtor failed. We can tell from experience it's more likely the owner failed the realtor, but expressing that is not going to get you a listing. Once you know what their problem is, don't sell them that. Ha. It's basic. Find out what they hate so you know not to bring the conversation there.

3. DO the math. Find out the date they first thought about selling the home. Find out the date they first listed the home (smoke out Joe FSBO by saying something like "You did the For Sale By Owner" sign on this property if I recall correctly, right?". You absolutely need to know with whom you're dealing with if you plan to succeed. From the time the first sign went into the ground to the day they decided not to extend the listing agreement. This chain of events is crucial in order to do the equation below.

Basic Money Line.

I advertised my property myself at $700,000

Estimated market value of same property $580,000

Time since house first went on sale: 28months (listed 12months/2 brokers)

Estimated market value of property today $410,000

Approximate monthly mortgate payment $3,200

Lets start with the mortgage payments. I love this part.

It cost these homeowners $89,600 to keep this house. Not factoring any maintenance, or insurance or whatever else they spent while living there when they really didn't want to. $90k is an expensive mistake. That's almost the difference between what the market would give them for the house and their astronomical original asking price. Plus, nobody took them seriously and probably nobody even bothered to make an genuine earnest offer. Bring that to their attention. Verbal offers are worth the paper they're signed on.

Now lets us continue to the real heartbreaker, today's value.

How's that $170,000 drop taste? Bitter, I'm sure.

"Do you see by not taking the advice of a professional you've cost you and your family

about $260,000?". "From what you've told me, Mr. FSBO, had you priced your home appropriately you would be ahead of the game by about $100,000, and that's taking into

consideration the $30k commission a licensed real estate professional is entitled to".

Punch ... now hug.

"I'm sure you see the value now of working with a licensed and skilled professional, Mr. FSBO. Would you be interested in stopping the bleeding and getting that home sold?"

If they talk about waiting for the market to go back up before they make that decision, remind them that the market isn't assured to go back up. It goes in cycles, true. But when? What if this downward trend is really a re-aligning of how prices SHOULD be and the next upturn of the cycle doesnt happen for 30years? Are they interested in staying where they are for the next 30 years? What if when the banks start lending again, the rates are back up in the teens?

He should be sick by now, make him well.

By selling now (quickly and efficiently) he more than likely will still earn a nice profit from the original purchase price of his home. And even if he does not, even if he only gets exactly what he paid into the home, what did he gain? ............ wait for it....................

"nothing, you say?".... "well, actually... Mr. FSBO, you actually gained XX amount of years of free rent". (give that a second to sink in).

Now go for the close.

"Mr. FSBO, I think you would agree that pricing and working with a professional are the keys to getting the most return on what is likely to be one of your key investments. I suggest we re-list your property at slightly below the market average today to see what kind of qualified offers we get. Remember, you have no obligation to me or to accept any offers you don't feel are practical for you and your family, but also remember that the time we already let pass cost you about $250,000 dollars".

"I'd like to meet you in person and discuss the listing of your home, can you stop by my office tomorrow morning?" Always have them come to you, and if you can, schedule more than one fish at the same time. Let them wait, or let them see you have other people waiting. Your time is valuable.

I realize this is basic, but it does plant some aggressive phone tactics in the minds of some of us who are just dialing to be dialing. You have to have a plan in order to close business. As an investor, I took terrible delight in calling ol' Joe FSBO after he gave in and finally went with a realtor. I'd do the math for him and remind him of my original offer, clearly showing him he would have made more by being smart and having me come right over with a check and a contract. But I'm demented and competitive, no foolin.

You Missed the Boat

2009-02-04T08:16:00.001-08:00

Spiraling out of control the real estate market has led to panic among homeowners, especially those that were planning on selling their property at a huge profit. Unfortunately, real estate is not as easy as it looks. Many a moron has pitched a sign in their front lawn thinking that anyone could do it. Then they go inside and start planning what to do with their certain financial windfall. Only to have that property sit on the market (ultimately missing the first wave of attention from real qualified and capable buyers) for months, eventually getting passed around by eager real estate offices/agents hoping to get lucky.

Rule #1.

Don't do it yourself. It's stupid. There's a reason these people spend all day in the trenches, it's so they'll know the real value of property. Pay the stupid commission. Nothing makes us quiver more than a FSBO sign. I typically refuse to deal with them, even as an investor.

Rule #2.

Listen to your agent. If you find yourself in a bicker with your chosen agent over the initial listing price, you've already lost. They know what the market will bear. It's also in their best interest to sell your property for the most they possibly can. Keep in mind how many times that commission gets split before they actually see any money, some agents end up with as little as 1% of homes they sell.

A smart strategy used with tremendous success by the sharpest agents is pricing your property competitively, but on the low side of the market spectrum. This is impossible to convince Joe FSBO, even after his property sat for months with nothing but tire-kickers parading through his living room and looking through his closets. He only knows that the guy down the block got $XXX,XXX.00 for his house, so surely his home can command at least that much. Joe FSBO needs a smack and a shot of reality liquor.

By pricing the property lower than the expected sale price you instantly get the attention the serious and ready buyer pool. These are people who listen to their capable realtors, and have had enough time analyzing the market to know what a great deal is. Now what will be the outcome? that's right...... offers! Not just verbal back and fourths, but actually signed contracts from actual people with actual pre-approved mortgages. They're looking to buy a property and move into it. These people have budgets and good credit. People with budgets and good credit can come up a little higher if they want something badly enough . These are the people who will buy your house. You even get to filter out the "I'll buy yours when I sell mine" insects. Like a screen door.

But do you see the difference? Now you have power. Nobody says you have to accept said offers. Has anyone ever heard of a counter offer? Is it unthinkable that more than one interested party might bring the price of the home back up to where it rightly should have been in the first place? Nobody is going to begrudge you for waiting a little longer for a possible offer at a higher price. If they do, fuck 'em.

In times like these it's the real money that comes out of the woodwork. My first real estate class teacher taught me that. His name was Peter and he sold houses in Elizabeth, NJ for 40 years. When the market drops and people are in a panic, you see real money scoop up great pieces of property for unthinkable deals. Maybe if play our cards smart, one day we can come out of the woodwork.

The best sort of meal

2008-07-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Colors and hues, lost and confused. One thing on the mind with so much in front of you.

Restaurant David Drake

2008-04-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

This was good. I'd been dying to get over here since they've opened. The Chef de Cuisine (Alex Stotler) has been a favorite friend of mine for almost 20 years. It's shameful I havent been in already to show support. Not that they've needed it from me. It's well known by anyone with a frickin clue about food in New Jersey that this place is the real deal. Whenever you throw experience gleaned from places like the Stage House (see previous post) or Ryland Inn, or Frog and the Peach you know you're dealing with some heavy hitters. These cats rock hard. I can't think of any other way to describe it.
We had the tasting menu. Tom suggested we get the opposite choice of the two offered for each course. He's a genuis. It was that good. I'm not even going to begin to describe the dishes, I fear I'd fall short of doing them proper justice. It wasnt long before there was no formality between the two of us as we'd reach over the table and into the opposite plate. Neither of us waited to be offered the last bite of anything. This is my idea of a good time.
Rahway isnt really famous for anything. They have their own incinerator. It has potential as a commuter town, but I really dont care. All you need to know is David Drake is one of those places you can skip lunch for. You're going to get great service, your going to have a shot at some above average wines, and you'll know when that first course comes and you start to tuck in
that you made a very wise decision.

Clayhouse Vineyards

2008-03-20T01:53:00.001-07:00

I dont make it a habit of bashing a boutique winery. I dont recall Alan ever beating anyone up either. There's just too much good to be said about the people who dedicate their lives to their passions. But an exception must be made for the above mentioned producer. You're not going to have an epic experience every time you pop a cork *or twist a cap ;), but there should be something about the juice you can respect. No trace of that here.

You'll notice there's no place on avawine.com to buy Clayhouse. I can buy bug and tar remover at Sears.

Benedict Arnold

2008-03-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

I should feel guilty. I dont though. Staying at the W Hotels makes me happy. Staying at a regular hotel doesnt make me feel like anything. Usually I'm tired, but that's about it. When I stay at the W I'm seldom (if ever) tired, usually not tired at all. I dont watch much TV while I stay at the W. I can sit around and do not much of anything at the W. There are not many places I can just sit around and do nothing. W Hotels Worldwide happen to some of them. I've constructed a list of some of the others:

Guggenheim Museums. The Beach. The Short Hills Mall.

That's all that comes to mind.

Fully Aware of the Consequences

2008-02-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

Can you ever be fully aware of the consequences?
Do we just say we're fully aware of the consequences as
an effort to empahsize that we're completely giving up
and subtley asking the hand of justice for consideration?

I posed this question to a well respected Novelist.
His response?
" I don't quite know."

Like Sam the Butcher Bringing Alice the Meat

2008-02-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

I just spent $14 on a Rib-eye steak at this joint in Margate that rivaled even Ruth Chris in quality, taste, and flavor.

Sat at the bar, drank Heineken that was just about ready to freeze. I watched Sportscenter, and then left.

Hard to remember the last time a steak tasted that good. Somewhere along the way all the places that had awesome steaks went cheapo or something. Even Kelly's in Neptune (world famous for their Steak n' Eggs / Bloody Mary / College Basketball Sunday Brunch) seems to have substituted what used to be a great cut of meat with something seemingly less in quality. Perhaps they change purveyor? Maybe the USDA instituted some whacky new guidelines that prevent us from getting food like we used to? Could it be preservatives?

Either way, it took a $14 dollar steak at this little dive joint in a deserted beach town to remind me of what they're supposed to taste like.

Cork, Screw Cap, or Glass Stopper?

2008-01-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

I liberated the below article from Robin Garr. If you dont read his winelover's page, you should.

It has been almost a decade now since alternative wine-bottle closures started to gain traction in the marketplace as potential solutions to the enduring problem of musty, moldy "taint" caused by defective natural corks.
The once-maligned metal screwcap has become so widely accepted that only the most recalcitrant wine snobs still resist it; and synthetic plastic stoppers have also found a significant niche, particularly among wines not meant for long aging.
But one particularly elegant solution still remains far enough out on the fringes that I finally encountered my first specimen just the other day: The trademarked "Vino-Lok" closure, developed by Alcoa Co. with support from the German government, is a modern variation on the ancient glass stopper used in old-fashioned apothecary jars.
Made to ensure that the wine in your bottle never encounters anything but pure glass (a plastic liner seals the stopper-to-bottle interface but does not appear to touch the wine), it may be the "cleanest" alternative yet.
At first glance, the bottle of 2006 Schloss Vollrads Rheingau Riesling appeared to be closed with a very short metal screwcap; but a quick turn broke the seal to reveal that the metal cap is there simply to protect the clear glass stopper. As noted, it's very much like an old-time apothecary jar stopper, with a more modern neutral plastic lining to make a tight seal. The stopper pries out easily to reveal a fresh, clean wine untouched by cork.
The wine? Well, it's okay, a decidedly modest Rhine Riesling from an old-line Rheingau producer that's now under the corporate umbrella of giant Schmitt-Sohne. There's nothing wrong with the wine, at least in its 2006 edition, which is simple and fresh, clean fruit nicely shaped by crisp acidity and lightweight alcohol. It may not show the subtle minerality and singing acidity of the fancier Rieslings that make German-wine aficionadoes moan with pleasure, but it's a decent "entry-level" Riesling that offers a benchmark sample of the Rheingau.
For more about Vino-Lok, read the manufacturer's press brochure online at http://www.vino-lok.de/

Fantesca's Double Vertical

2007-12-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Fantesca Estate and Winery has a very generous offering on their previously unreleased Cabs and Chardonnay's. These deals are even better than what we offer on our site, and I strongly suggest you take advantage of their insanity before they come to their senses. A very hefty savings on one of California's hottest boutique wineries. Also and excellent way to become acquainted with a producer who's production is so small, you've never heard of them.

This is an example of one of the artisian brands that gets snatched up locally, and by brokers in the know. You wont find these selections on the shelves of the Quickie-Mart, or even in some of the best wine shops in the country. An absolute gem.

Veritas NYC

2007-11-23T17:54:00.000-08:00

I was really looking forward to this. Everything was in place.... Selma was in town from Montreal and I havent spent time with her since May. I had 3 full days off with no professional obligations in sight (thank you Thanksgiving), and a reservation for two at Veritas. Life was good.

My only experience with Veritas on 20th/Broadway was hearing Alan spout off about it every once in awhile when he was dropping names and bragging to others about how connected he was. He would always use that voice that spoke something like "You are a plebian and know nothing, I bet you've never even been to Veritas". Assuming everyone knew what that was, and I've seen firsthand a few people who didnt, but pretended they did. He didnt actually say those words... but I'm sure that's what people heard. I've also heard Tony Bourdain refer to it a few times on his shows or in his columns or whatever... so I guess they've been a pretty big deal.

Well, they are. Service and staff work like Jagr and Gomez (they dont necessarily need to see you over there wide open in the corner for the puck to end up on your stick for an easy tap into the net). Food was tremendous. Selma is going through a no-red-meat thing so the tasting menu was ruled out, but 3 courses (app/entree/desert) gave the good impression and we closed the place down without even being nudged once. I had grilled octopus (rockstar status) and the lamb main course. Selma did not. Fluke sashimi and something else.. I was busy.

I made numerous attempts to befriend Yoshi. I greased him appropriately when he brought our Cliff Lede "Poetry" and pulled the cork. I thanked him each time he topped off our glasses (even though the bottle was cold and needed a lot of air, so just when I'd get it to where I was enjoying it most.... I'd be smiling and thanking him anyway for the refill). After dinner Selma ran into some old friends at the bar (to include the sommelier for a new restaurant which was already on my list, so I'm psyched!).... she still had half a glass so I thought I'd ask Yoshi for a "taste" of something so I wouldnt be standing empty handed. He smiled and did that thing people do who realize they're being rude but think the smile is enough to make it ok. He might have been smiling because he knew I just spent $550 on dinner and was about to spend another $25 on a glass of something called "Cortina" that blew and did it's best to ruin my palate. To no avail. Dinner was too strong.... and everyone else in the restaurant too good at their profession to allow it. I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on him, he was very busy kissing the ass of some other sommelier from some other restaurant.

Sorrily Sifting Sorted Statistics

2007-11-10T16:23:00.001-08:00

That title doesnt really make sense; at this point I care very little that it doesnt.
I really like that I used a semicolon there. I'm not sure if I've ever used one before.
Also unsure if it's even used properly. As you can see, I'm feeling a bit irreverant right now.

Norman Mailer died. I'm a reader and I prefer American writers and reading from an American male perspective, but I'm not really a huge Mailer fan. I always found his lust for life interesting, he married six times and stabbed his second wife nearly to death. You gotta have some passion to stab your wife. She wouldnt press charges against him so he never did any time for the crime, which makes me wonder if that would even matter anymore? If the cops roll up to your brownstone in Brooklyn to learn you stabbed your wife..... does it matter if she doesnt want to press charges against you?

Not that I plan on stabbing my wife, or living in a brownstone in Brooklyn. I plan on not living anywhere. Geronimo was quoted as saying "I was born on the prairies where the wind blew free and there was nothing to break the light of the sun. I was born where there were no enclosures. " Am I talking about marriage? or jail?

Discovery Questions

2007-11-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

The Discovery Question should always lead to something you want to sell, so don't increase the scope of the conversation to the point where you waste your and your prospects' time. Finally, the most important questions are follow-up questions. After you get an answer to one of the following questions, ask "why?" Also, when you are following up and probing, probe for feelings, not just for an expected line. Ask people how they personally feel about things. Furthermore, if you ask the right probing questions, you can get people to think about their problems from a new perspective and to think more deeply about their problems and potential solutions.

Obviously, I didnt write the above paragraph. It's really step two (ish) in the steps to effective and efficient selling.

Should have asked some. I pray to God (whomever she may be) that somewhere along the line I dont find out I'm discovering for the wrong reasons.

The Evil Empire

2007-10-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

Being a Yankee fan is like being an American. Everyone is aware of what you're doing, everyone is quick to bad-mouth you, everyone blames you for all the evils, but when you come to town even the smallest markets sell out their crummy seats.

The analogy being that for such a crap country, people sure do break their asses to get into it. They also have no trouble allowing us to forgive their debts, and come to their aid when something goes wrong that is too large for them to handle themselves. Baseball needs the Yankees.

Let's just say I'm confused about what happened. Certainly in basic terms our pitching could be blamed (Thanks Roger! How's life, Carl Pavano? That bicep holding up ok, Andy? Where did you go, Wang?) Does offensive need to be discussed? You could shove our whole lineup in one inch of copper tubing.

I'm always going to be a Yankee fan. I survied the eighties. I understand George Steinbrenner better after having watch The Bronx is Burning, and empathize with the frustration that must come with being up in the box watching over a billion dollars invested fall flat on it's face (maybe not a billion, but sometimes it sure feels like it). Like G.W. we will collectively continue to do what we believe is right, and just hope the rest of the world sees that we have set goals, and we're doing our best to accomplish them, for it's own sake.

Lure

2007-09-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ok, I got one. Not really interested in who you are. Even less interested in where you're from. Lure in SoHo is all about the food.

You might get it twisted when you venture downstairs to find a restaurant deco'd out in a cruise ship theme. You might even wonder if you've been caught in a tourist trap. But once that smiling face of the professional staff member pops up at your table, you settle back and relax to enjoy what will certainly be a meal to remember.

You start to wonder why the whole space doesnt smell like Fulton Fish market. It's obvious someone from this place represents Lure down there every single day and picks some very fresh fish to be prepared for their guests. The wine list smacks the ass of those who assume you need to buy within the confines of the local distributor's allocated allotment. I saw some very proud names on the legal page sized document, and all of them sat proudly, anxious to accompany your meal.

I'm getting away from naming producer names (Araujo), and describing dishes (Branzino). But I like it when courses come together like a symphony. I like it when service leaves you alone to enjoy what you've ordered. I like it when they insist you order desert, and I like it even more when they tell you it's gratis. If you want me to come back to your restaurant, treat me with respect for the money I'm spending, help me enjoy my meal by being aware of my mealtime needs, put a plate of poppin fresh food in front of me, pour (decant) me a bottle of wine that is produced by a person and not a wine corporation, and buy me desert. Winner, Winner, FRESH SEAFOOD OF ALL TYPES delicious dinner.

From the feedback I get from you (thanks), I know some of you follow my lead on your dining experiences. Lately I've been guiding you away from some less than wonderful establishments, and that's my job too. If you're in New York, go downtown.... spend some time walking around SoHo (when I was a kid it was dangerous, when my dad was a kid it was all textile factories), have a drink and some oysters at Blue Ribbon on Thompson, but save your appetite for dinner at Lure. Shelly Buck is the sommelier and she gets it. Introduce yourself.

"I'll be your Huckleberry"

2007-09-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

I'm not entirely sure what that title means. It's from a time long ago (or a place far away). But Val Kilmer uttered that line in the movie Tombstone, and the hair on the back of my neck went straight up.

Doctor John Henry Holliday came from a large, close knit, family from Georgia. He was just a touch too young to serve the Confederate Army in their war with the North, and that is said to have had an effect on the way he was raised. Without strong male role models, he was said to foster a reckless streak not found in young men of that place and time.

After dentist college in Pennsylvania, he returned to Georgia to apprentice and practice in the towns where his people were well known. Back room poker games and other ways to take chances were readily available to him, and he was recorded to have done well in all of them.

Around the time he was twenty, he woke up with the common symptoms of Tuberculosis. After a period of denial, he committed a crime in Northern Florida while on convalescence, and from there headed west fleeing to SouthWest Texas.

He spent the rest of his life dodging his illness and the other dangers in the still untamed West. He used whiskey to dull the pain of his body, sore and weak from the constant spasm of cough.

He moved about frequently, usually avoiding the law that sought him for the disagreements that left other men dead. He befriended a reluctant Marshall named Earp, and with the Earp brothers took part in one of the most famous gun battles in the history of the West. Solidifying his place in the minds and imaginations of all of us who dream about what it would be like to be free.

Fellini No Like

2007-09-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

They're still making Western's. 3:10 to Yuma is a story about courage, dignity, and re-evaluation of one's self. I go pig shit for Western's. I'd sit through almost any of them again, and some of them really sucked. But I like the simplicity of the value system. This is wrong, this is right. You dont do this and get away with it, and you do this when you're pressed against the wall.

A whole lot of us have forgotten how simple it is to do the right thing. If it's business, relationships, or even everyday situations that call your judgement into question. So many people now chose what's in their own best interest over what is obviously the right thing to do. Like somehow a culture from somewhere has infected the rest of the planet, and left us with a relentless pursuit of our own self interest. I look out for such behavior. I normally try and avoid it, but this is the United States, and even more this is New York; so you're going to step in it sometimes.

Christian Bale plays what would begin as the hero in this film. But Russel Crowe plays the bad-guy who transforms as if he's experiencing a catharsis right before our eyes. He seems like he takes some shots at redemption towards the end, but negating the existence of evil is always a big mistake.

At the risk of ruining it, he gets bathed in purity when he tells the story of how his father was killed over "a shot of whiskey" when he was just a boy. He goes on to reveal his mom packed them up and rushed them to the train station with the intent of giving them a fresh start. She set him down on a bench with a bible and told him not to stop reading that book until he was through with it. He did as he was told and lifted his head to find his mom gone, after three days had gone by. ********(one day Forrest just started runnnnningggg.......)********

I wasnt perfect, but it was good. I heard a newswoman report that Crowe was a film-crew favorite and it was Bale who wouldnt associate with the minions and only flew in for his sequences (by helicopter). It was reported (by above mentioned newsperson) that he would only speak with those he had shots with, and would speak to them only during the shooting of those scenes.

I love 5star hotels and helicopter rides as much as the next guy, but why be an asshole?

Every Man has a Plan

2007-09-09T12:46:00.000-07:00

I cant remember the last good picture I took. It's been years.

Jillian's?

2007-08-27T19:59:00.000-07:00

I dont have a photo for this place, only because I couldnt find it on the web. I couldnt find it anywhere.

Which made me happy. I might just have the name wrong, I have to have the name wrong, because there is no way this place goes along simply by word of mouth. Or maybe it does.

I've been stopping into Jillian's for years. It's right on Purchase Street in the center of Rye.
It's been the cherry on top of a whole bunch of sick weekends spent at the Concourse D'Elegance in Greenwich, weekends in Westport with friends that inspire, and just too good to pass up or pass by when in Westchester County.

I had to go grab a Maybach from Nick Faldo. I may sound overly familiar with Mr. Faldo only because we spent some time chatting at the Master's, and because I have a crush on his assistant (Maria). My dad actually has a good story about Nick (ask him sometime).

I took my time getting to Rye. Bus to Port Authority, Metro North to Rye, nothing to it. And when I landed, I was physched. I get to eat at Jillian's. Albeit alone, I didnt care. I sat at the bar and watched the end of the Yankee game (they leave men on base), I had a Bloody with the salad they pile on top, and I looked around, all good.

Red Snapper pan fried (which means they just use enough olive oil to get that nice brown coating), Ceaser salad with more than enough pecorino romano cheese, and one lightly grilled shrimp. Normally I'd bitch and moan about only getting only one shrimp, but in this case, it was enough. Life was good. Lunch was great.

Afterwards I sat in the Starbucks next door. I had time to kill and contemplated hustling a ride up the hill to the Westchester Country Club. I drank my coffee, read some of my book (Heat by some cat who willingly took a monkey job in Mario Batali's kitchen) and ventured out and up the hill to the course. I had solid fuel to burn, and that don't suck.

Nick came out from the announcer's tent and said "Billy.. you need a towel!".
I responded without a thought "It's all good, mate" in my best South African drawl.
"Cheers" and in the air coming towards my head came the Tiffany Sterling Silver key ring on which the Maybach gets it's life energy. And off he went.

And off I went.