Walter and Mary Alice, not to be outdone, pointed out this article from the Seattle Times about another underground restaurant - Gypsy. This one is in Seattle where I live. I admit I'm fascinated by this stuff. Part of it's the clandestine nature, and the excitement of breaking the rules. But part of it is that many of the trappings of the modern restaurant (menus, choice, etc.) are forsaken for the privilege of eating at these places. I think many of these qualities should be reintroduced to regular restaurants. Fixed menus, fixed prices, the personal touch, the feeling of being privileged to get this special treatment, even sitting with strangers.

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I think cookbooks are like multi-purpose exercise machines. Some people buy them because of the promise they hold. It doesn't matter if you ever do those crunches, or make that risotto. It's nice to know that you can if you want to. The Los Angeles Times (free registration required) lists the current top 10 in the country (cookbooks, not exercise machines). Anthony Bourdain's first book is still in the top 10. Amazing. He must be raking in the bucks (or at least his publisher is).