Free-For-All Friday 1/24/14
Decatur Metro | January 24, 2014Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
Feel free to use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here over the past week.
Comments close on Monday.
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¡Hace frio!
Mar?? Anyone??
On another thread, it was reported that there’s a sign saying that they’ve gone to the beach and will bring back new recipes, or something like that.
That is never a good sign.
Reopening by the end of January with a revamped menu, according to their facebook page. I’ve had some amazing meals there, so I’m looking forward to it.
I really like Mar and hope it survives, but it does seem like a warm-weather type place.
When it’s 15 degrees out and we are thinking of where to eat out, the idea of margaritas, guacamole and grilled fish tacos is not what immediately comes to mind.
Interesting point. Italian, something we rarely eat out, does seem to come to mind when it’s really cold out like this. But I mean the heavy, old school pasta stuff like you find in those places on Cheshire Bridge, not the more contemporary places like 246.
Pizza Antico turned out to be the perfect prescription for last night. Pizza was superb, as expected. I was not prepared to have my mind completely blown by the best cannoli I’ve had in years, maybe ever. If they’d been open early this morning, I’d have been tempted to bundle up and go have some more for breakfast.
Oh man, I love that place. Finally got around to trying its sister restaurant next door, Gio’s Chicken Amalfitano, and was equally blown away.
Oh dear God, you’ve never been to New York or Philly, have you? If you had that reaction to the cannoli at Antico, you would probably have a Meg Ryan at Katz’s Delicatessan reaction to an Isgro or Termini Bros. cannoli
As for the pizza, I like Sapori di Napoli just as good or better (spicy salame!) with much better service and owners who aren’t complete sh*theads. Keep it Indie-catur!
Yeah, well, I don’t live in Decatur no mo’, Pizza Antico is 10 min from my house. And yes, I’ve been to both NY and Philly, many times. The cannoli I ate last night had filling just sweet and just rich enough, and fresh, crunchy shells. The other secret was that they hadn’t been sitting around–they were filled before our eyes, as they should be.
Try Antico’s sfogliatelle when they’re fresh. You’ll get a glimpse into the secrets of the universe!
I was there last night as well, STG! And J_T, again, we know everything in Philly and NYC is the best ever. I still struggle to understand why anyone anywhere else even tries.*
*Sarcasm
Sarcas-what?
Except burritos, but then it’s people arguing about the west coast
My two favorite cold weather dishes in Decatur are the Shepherd’s Pie at Mac McGee and the Boeuf Bourguignon at Cafe Alsace. YUM.
Hubby and I really enjoyed Mar – especially for the patio and lighter eats, and good drinks. We haven’t been for months and think it’s partly just the weather cues. Hope they can hang in there and have a great season when the arctic conditions fade.
Looking for recommendations on a place to buy a new mattress. Haven’t made such a purchase in more than 7 years, so I’m not aware of what new stores are around, what’s closed, etc. Local would be nice, but not a must. Any good experiences out there? Thanks.
Oh, good topic brianc. I’m a little obsessed with Latex mattress’ at the moment but don’t know anyone who has one, only reviews I have read online. Anyone actually bought one of these and slept on it for a while?
We recently got a latex mattress from savvy rest — they have a small showroom somewhere up in the northern burbs and then you order direct from the factory in Charlottesville. Mix and match layers, soft to firm, each side can be different, we love ours. Worth checking out. (My wife tells me chemicals in most mattresses are bad for me, so we went the extra mile with all natural latex.)
Good tip, thank you. That’s why I’ve been looking at them. Even many of the “natural” mattresses can have the flame retardants or even glue that can take years to fully air out.
we bought a Tempur-pedic from Mattress Firm at N. Decatur and Clairmont a few years ago and it was easily the best purchase ever. those things are totally worth the money! if you’re just looking for a regular mattress though I know Clark Howard recommends Original Mattress Factory.
+1 for Mattress Firm on Clairmont AND (especially) Tempurpedic!
I did a ton of research last year and purchased from the Original Mattress Factory. We bought the memory foam bed (their Tempurpedic) and the difference it makes in our sleep quality continues to amaze us. Worth the $$!!
+1 for OMF.
+2, or whatever number we are up to, for Original Mattress Factory. Brand name quality for a much better price. When I bought my first mattress from them 15 years ago in my bachelor days, I was dead-set on getting one of those fancy pillow top mattresses and I wanted a king-sized one to boot. The salesman pulled me aside and said “look, if you want this one, I’ll sell it to you. But you’re a single guy living in an apartment. If you have a girl in your bed, you’ll want her close to you. If you destroy one side of the mattress, you’ll want to just flip it over and use the other side. And when you move, you definitely won’t want to be moving this thing, and I’m not coming over to help you. You need a full-size, regular mattress.”
I got the full-size regular and it lasted me 10 good years. When we needed a mattress and box spring when we bought our house a few years ago, we did some comparison shopping and ended up right back at OMF. Can’t recommend them highly enough.
Of course if I was in your shoes, the salesman would have said “When you have a girl in your bed”, not “if”
Whoah. I heard that gauntlet hit the ground from all the way over here in my office!
Gauntlet? What gauntlet? All I heard was some silly bluster from an anonymous blog commenter
I’ve heard the memory foam can run hot in the summer, so to speak. Or do the new versions avoid this?
We did not have any issues with heat or with a smell that you sometimes hear people complaining about. We absolutely love the mattress.
Another recommendation for Original Mattress Factory. We bought from them a few years ago and I get reminder emails when it’s time to flip the mattress. Best thing is, the price is the price. No wondering, or assuming you’re getting screwed. They also show you cut-outs of their mattresses vs. the others’. Also, no pressure from the sales people.
The Mattress Firm on N. Decatur gave me great service. Bought a traditional mattress and box spring, decided that together they were just too high for my frame, and returned the box spring (had to pay a small pickup fee). Ended up putting the Mattress Firm mattress on a new bed from IKEA that didn’t require a box spring. The manager was very easy to work with. On a related note, I ended up later adding a new memory foam “topper” like the one I’d used on my old mattress; I guess I am addicted to that really soft feel.
Anyone know why the westbound lanes of Dekalb Ave will be closed part of Sunday (per the big sign at Inman Park MARTA)?
It’s for the Hot Chocolate 5K/15K run.
Should be re-opened by noon.
So, how much warmer is it this morning than the two days school was cancelled?
3 degrees warmer at my house.
saw several middle school boys in shorts and no hats walking to school, one in particular I know has a long walk. made me smile. I am sure their moms told them to cover up.
the kids are all right.
Yup, and they walk to school in basketball shorts and short skirts with no tights in New England too. Evidently the human internal thermostat, like the brain, does not fully mature until age 26.
I remember arguing with my mom because she wanted me to put on boots to walk to junior high in the snow and I wanted to wear my ballet flats (with cotton cropped pants and thin stockings no less). Nobody wore boots to school, no matter how deep the snow!
Yup, the only boots that aren’t dorky are the kind that don’t keep you warm.
this is a battle every morning in our household – to put on layers, gloves and a hat. Especially for my 5th grader whose classroom temp is at 72 degrees. She will not wear her cold weather coat so it is a compromise to wear several layers
You stole my post. I don’t understand the difference between the Polar Vortex and now. It’s just as cold and likely to freeze pipes and little children, right? And this cold spell is lasting longer. But no talk of school or work closings or delays? Is everyone just better prepared now? Are we figuring that the pipes that are going to freeze are already frozen? The kids have gotten their warm coats at Last Chance Thrift Store? We’ve run out of wiggle room for cancelling school? NOT THAT I WANT SCHOOL CLOSED!!! Just that I’m trying to figure out the logic for the future.
+1. Everyone was carrying on when we questioned school closing a few weeks ago. Well …. someone please explain why there have been no additional closings, and why no one is complaining about school being open now under the same conditions. Oh yeah – and a 5th Polar Vortex is coming next Tuesday! I’m with you – so glad we’re open!
I wonder if the difference might be that when they were closed it was because similar cold followed a period of two weeks that the school was closed. Might they have had the heat off or way down over the break and worry that the schools wouldn’t heat up adequately? I understood similar concerns were discussed in another Northeast Georgia district where my sister is an administrator. Other than that, I couldn’t say what the difference might be. Glad school is open, though I wouldn’t mind an actual snow day with actual snow.
The heat turned down over the break theory makes sense. And it’s true that the first day of the Closed Schools Polar Vortex (CSPV) threatened icy conditions although they never materialized in Decatur (except where pipes burst!).
I’m as curious about the frozen pipe issues as I am about the schools being open. Are pipes freezing everywhere again? A longer period of freeze seems to raise the risk but, so far, I’m not hearing tales of pipe bursting woe again. Did all the vulnerable pipes already burst? Are we just better prepared this time?
Lucky for us, we were too lazy to take off the jerry-rigged faucet and pipe insulation and basement vent stuffing. So no big deal this time although I think a long freeze and open pipes in an earthen basement may eventually overwhelm our freeze defenses….
According to the DOE calendar, the last Thursday and Friday of the kids’ break were teacher workdays (that’s what “professional learning” is, right?), so I presume the heat was up and running before the call was made to close the schools.
Hmm, good point. My conclusion is that the close/don’t close decision point is lower when there’s more leeway in making up the closed days.
I agree with your conclusion, but I don’t think that is a good strategy for the school system to use to make the decision to close. As was discussed ad nauseam during the closings, it was very difficult for many parents to scramble for child care. Either it’s too cold, or it’s not too cold.
Nope. Not really. I was in there for the teacher work days in many layers trying not to shiver. It takes the system a long time to heat up the building.
Agree with InStitches that, if it’s got to be this cold, actual snow would be nice. The common wisdom, true or not, when I was growing up was that it can get “too cold to snow”. Maybe that’s where we are. But up north, we were talking about it being too cold to snow when it got down to 10 to 20 degrees below zero, not 10 to 20 degrees above. Maybe the “too cold to snow” point varies by distance from the equator?
I had the same thought this morning when I walked outside. I would love an actual snow day, but it is too cold to snow. Wonder if there is any truth to that.
Sort of- snow needs clouds and clouds trap heat and are associated with a “front.” This is why it tends to warm up in the winter when weather comes and why it’s so cold when it’s sunny.
Like all online fury, the hype peaked. We’ve all moved on to the next absolute-proof-of-administrative-incompetence or irresistibly-salacious-speculative-tidbit. Cold weather shutting down schools is just so last week.
Plus keeping school open is a lot less disruptive to the status quo than closing it. Human beings instinctively strive for homeostasis, the biologic equivalent of status quo.
Maybe the heat generated by all the hubbub solved any cold-related problems in perpetuity.
Because the schools and buses had been shuttered for almost three weeks and that is very different circumstance. I know for a fact that some buses in Cobb have been having problems the last two days in the cold. Commercial vehicles and buildings are drastically different operationally than your house. Most people don’t seem to understand this.
I don’t know of any other commercial enterprise that was closed due to the cold weather. Garbage was picked up, banks & libraries open, businesses (including my employer) open without issue. @HID hit the nail on the head above. Peer pressure is a powerful force.
My newspaper didn’t come today maybe it was too cold to deliver it.
No problem with mine. On time in the usual spot.
Maybe under 10 degrees is the cut off. All three kids walked today. I am pretty sure they made it to school alive as I haven’t received an attendance call… Had to convince the high schooler to wear something over his hoodie and I doubt he wore gloves–just keeps his hands in his pockets…
Yep– I am glad school is open today too. We woke up without heat because the drain pipe froze and auto off flip switched (easily fixed) but it just reminded me that if we are going to close school for temperature, we need an objective standard. Exactly what temperature is our school heating “untested” to work in? And what is “too cold” for kids at bus stop?
Again, commercial vehicles and buildings are not like your house. There cannot be a temperature standard; rather there is an issue of circumstance.
I know I’ll never get over the fact that so many bright minds will never go Ivy League because of the 2 days of missed school. I wish there was something that could be done, but it’s important to face this earth shattering reality head-on. Maybe we could start a support group to help us deal with the anguish that will stay with us, not just now, but for the rest of our God forsaken lives. I was once so naive. Before this happened, I thought females sold into prostitution and slavery, Bangladeshi garment factory workers, or even migrants working in 100 degree weather just for food had tough lives, but they shall never know a pain such as this. All I can do is look to the heavens and scream “WHY GOD WHY!!!!!!!!????????????”
Godforsaken is one word.
idk Missed 2 days in furst grade, nevur culd recuver
. . . and these are very stressful times, I know.
You win!! This is such an awesome post.
Yep. I’ll have what (s)he’s having!
There is a recent New Yorker article THE DEFIANT PARENTS: TESTING’S DISCONTENT about opting out of testing that was posted to the Oakhurst listserv this morning.
I am curious to know if any Decatur folks have considered opting their children out of standardized testing like MAP or CRCT.
Can you really opt out of the CRCT? I would do that in a heartbeat because it’s a worthless test in so many ways that the topic could take up a whole thread.
I have found MAP testing to be useful, both diagnostically but also as a tool for the middle or high school student. Bright but lazy students can see that they aren’t meeting their goals even if they are acing the CRCT and struggling students can see improvement even if their disabilities will never allow them to be top of the class.
+1. I too find the MAP actually useful, compared to all the other tests, for the reason that it is more of a progress measure than a test to assess some fixed standards.
Apparently you can opt out of CRCT in Decatur. Support information is provided by United Opt Out National, Inc. and they have a state by state guide on what you need to do. http://unitedoptout.com/state-by-state-opt-out/georgia/
I am not necessarily promoting opting out of the CRCT, but was just curious about others’ feelings about testing.
The link seems to suggest that it’s quite murky in Georgia whether you can opt out and how to do it. Or do you know that CSD specifically makes it easy? If it’s a pain in the neck to opt out, not worth it. Your child wastes some time, morale, and faith in standardized testing by taking the CRCT but they’d probably just be assigned to go sit somewhere if they didn’t take it.
I’ve seen practice CRCT questions which I think came from former CRCT tests and are darn scary in terms of the competence of the folks who write the questions, review them, and proofread them. I always thought that the entire legislature and State Board of Education (and staff) should be made to take the CRCT, the former for obvious reasons–to see if they would be promoted out of 5th grade, and the latter so they could see what the kids sit through. I claim that taking the CRCT may actually have a negative effect on students’ knowledge base because it confuses them about what they thought they knew.
+1 more for MAP. Those scores are used to identify students in need of early intervention. We have seen the huge difference a early intervention can make…
We may yet have more broken pipes. My previous pipe didn’t burst until the temperature went over 32. Here’s nervously hoping my pipes stay intact this time.
NPR did a piece during the last blast, in which they explained that it’s not the freeze that bursts the pipe, it’s the thaw. Unfrozen water between the frozen clog and the closed faucet causes the break. That’s why letting the water drip can keep that pressure from building up. Also why everything can appear OK in the morning after a frigid night, and by mid-afternoon you have a hot (cold) mess on your hands. I have also read, and been told by a plumber, that wind chill is the biggest threat. So even pipes in an unheated basement or crawlspace can be fine, if they are sheltered.
Speaking of universities and Georgia rankings, did anyone see this article? What would you call that internship on your resume, elderly happiness assistant?
http://blogs.ajc.com/news-to-me/2014/01/23/report-gsu-tops-uga-on-sugar-daddy-site/
I wonder if there is a correlation with Atlanta having the most strip clubs per capita in the U.S.? (or it used to anyway, not sure if it still leads that list)
I think it’s Portland, OR. Every time I’ve been there, someone always seems to be talking about how they’re #1. But, I digress.
Next topic . . . how do y’all tip when you’re picking up carryout from, say, Raging Burrito. If the waitress has only to hand me a bag, three green sauces, and run my card, how much tip has she earned? The standard 15 or 20 percent seems a little too generous, doesn’t it?
I am never sure if you are suppose to tip the guy at the feed and seed store for carrying your chicken food out to the van. Anyone know?
I’ve always heard 10 percent for takeout.
I always pick up – waiting on delivery infuriates me (because I can always seem to drive there faster)!
I tip 10%. The logic is that when dining in, you are tipping for service as well as food (waitstaff tip out the kitchen). So I figure that half of 20% sounds about right if you take out the service part.
I suspect that not a lot of takeout orders tip – I’ve got surprising looks a few times when I actually filled the tip line out on the credit card slip.
Agreed. We always tip 10% minimum, and up to 20%, depending on the complexity of the order, how busy the restaurant is, how accommodating they are, etc…
Probably 10% if the cashier is putting the order together, because I believe they make a non-server wage, but if the waiter has to as is often the case then it is taking time away from their attention to their tables who probably will be tipping 20%, and we are a “table” that they won’t get because we ordered take-out. In addition, the cooks and bus folks also are involved and may share in tips.
Or looking at it another way, if you get delivery, they had to do more than just serve your table, they got in a vehicle, walked up a steep driveway (in our case) and brought it to the door, so how much do you tip then? Twenty percent seems chintzy then.
Yeah, but delivery drivers aren’t paid servers’ wages. I think 20 percent is fine.
Has anyone heard anything about the vacant Ruby Tuesday’s?
I heard that the Ruby Tuesday’s [edited] want way too much money in any sublease deal for the remaining years of their lease. If their real estate negotiating skills are on par with their ability to stock a mediocre salad bar and not screw up simple food orders, I have no trouble believing this.
The article writes “”A critical piece of our brand transformation is lowering our overall cost structure …”
I’ve heard the same (they want too much) from a local agent. You would think at this point they would rather sublease at a loss than not subleasing at all? Of course, I have no idea what the market demand is for that space, or how hard it would be to transform it to something that isn’t a restaurant.
(I just realized I’m referring to the article link that appears _below_ this post …)
“Of course, I have no idea what the market demand is for that space, or how hard it would be to transform it to something that isn’t a restaurant.”
I’d be very surprised it didn’t stay a restaurant, likely an upscale one that does a lot of alcohol sales.
My apologies for the edited word. It seems that the term I used has indeed been replaced by a more politically correct one in the most recent DSM manual. However, to avoid being edited again, I won’t use that term either.
Is it happy hour yet?
Ruby Tuesday’s might be gone with the wind before that space gets leased:
http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230755
Overproduced, hand crafted cocktails are the big hair and synthesizer music of our day. In 20 years our children will make fun of us while they drink straight bourbon.
Hey! I drink my share of straight scotch and bourbon even now, and (in time) will pass the appreciation of fine whisk(e)y on to my son.
As it happens, even now, bourbon sales are so high that the producers can barely keep up. Surely not all of that is being ruined in cocktails.
“Ruined.” Blah. I drink my whiskey both neat and in delicious cocktails. Open your minds and try it all!
Fair enough, I went too far. I could see putting certain bourbons in a cocktail. But a fine single barrel, never.
I do agree with that, my friend.
The Eagle Rare single barrel now on sale at Decatur Package Store is excellent, by the way.
I was stopping in on my way home actually! Thanks for the heads up! We should pour a couple of glasses one day and preach to each other’s choir about how our political philosophy is superior to all others.
Deal!
Just don’t try to crash the JC/J_T porch drinking party when the weather warms up!
Oh, we will be there! But don’t worry, I’ll come with Rolling Rock, Utz potato chips and a copy of the Constitution!
Bring the Utz but make it Yuengling (preferably Lord Chesterfield Ale if you can find it). And do bring the Constitution, but don’t forget the Amendments and relevant case law!
Well said. You’ll often find a Sazerac being served up now. It’s delicious and a 100 year old N. Orleans tradition. I think it’s great.
Cakes and Ale makes a fine Sazerac, as does Leon’s. Also had a great one at Sprig in Oak Grove. Some places don’t stock absinthe, which I think the “official” recipe calls for.
Sprig does make a fine Sazerac (as do the other places you mention). I make the best, though!
An old fashioned with absinthe? Yes, please! Call me a purist, but I’m not a fan of the spray many restaurants use now. It just doesn’t taste the same as a simple rinse.
But it’s so much easier! I just think they don’t spray enough sometimes.
+1. If anything, the craft cocktails have led to a greater appreciation of good bourbons and ryes.
I am sick of craft-beers that age stouts in bourbon barrels. Make it stop. A craft beer micro-fad in 2013. Maybe the bourbon craze created a lot of barrels needing a home.
Of course, I don’t like bourbon. Or whiskey. Though I do drink gin straight up, and don’t care for most cocktails.
But…um… Bourbon tastes good.
I know there are lots of beer snobs and bourbon snobs who look down on bourbon barrel beer. But as a lover of good beer and almost any bourbon, I love the combination if it is done with a soft touch.
It reminds me of the first time I had a braten-burger – that is a Wisconsin delicacy where a butterflied bratwurst is put on top of a hamburger. They are both good on their own, but together they become even better.
Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale is the nectar of the gods, my man. Not a stout, but seriously.
“Overproduced, hand crafted cocktails are the big hair and synthesizer music of our day. In 20 years our children will make fun of us while they drink straight bourbon.”
Maybe. But what does that have to do with Ruby Tuesday’s?
Nothing. But it’s a “free for all.”
I guess for some reason the 80’s reference made me think Bo was replying to the Ruby Tuesday’s discussion.
No I was just trying to change the subject from trees and frozen pipes. In fact, someone should make a drink called the frozen pipe.
“In fact, someone should make a drink called the frozen pipe.”
A bit (drip) of water in a glass with a large ice cube made of whiskey in it. The thaw is what gets you.
And it costs $700.
It should be drunk from a copper pipe with one end capped off. Charge even more for the stainless version, because it looks cool and shiny. Like a yard of beer, but a pipe of distilled stuff.
Does anyone know what the deal is with the frozen right lane on Commerce, eastbound, by baby Kroger?
On and off for the last 3+ weeks, the lane has been flooded and frozen solid, and then blocked off. But on other days it is fine, so the problem doesn’t seem continuous, but does seem random and recurring. The water appears to becoming from Dekalb Medical (but it is not clear). It doesn’t look like a public works problem, though I may send the city an email on Monday just in case they really don’t know about it.
If it’s blocked off, then Public Works are likely the ones doing it. And since it’s less than a block from the temporary PD office, I’m sure they know about it also. And, since the firefighters shop at Baby Kroger, they’ve probably seen it also. That still doesn’t answer what’s causing it.
There’s often water there — not sure what it’s from. And that stretch gets very little sun in the winter, so that’s of course what keeps it frozen.
I guess this post didn’t provide much additional information. Sorry about that, but it’s all I got.