Today is Sunday May 29, 2011.  We close at 11PM.

Tomorrow is Monday May 30, 2011.  Its a holiday and we are opening one hour later than usual at 9AM.  We lose at 11PM.

At the moment, 2PM we have the following flavors.  They change, frequently when its hot and we’re busy.

Buckeye is a chocolate-peanut butter flavor from Ohio, named after what Woody Hayes had in his pants

French Vanilla

Belgian Chocolate

Saffron

Butter Chocolate Chip

Cake Batter

Green Tea

Cookie Dough

Cocoa Pudding

Strawberry Rhubarb

Grape Nut Raisin

Raspberry

Burnt Caramel

Hydrox Cookie

Orange

Mocha

Cardamom Coffee

Maple walnut

B3

Sweet Cream

Bourbon

Chocolate Chip

Earl Grey

Espresso

Salted Caramel

Blackberry

Mixed Berry Chip

Mango Sorbet

Coconut Sorbet

SaturdayBreakfast@TheBigTable

Every Saturday 10AM to 2PM and
Every Sunday 10Am to 2PM SundayBreakfast@TheSmallTable

Out of consideration for others you cannot study or use computers ANYWHERE in this room during breakfast.

French Toast with NH maple syrup  5.75
Creamy Egg Sandwich on toasted ciabatta  5.95
add bacon  2.25
Bacon Sandwich: our own HP tamarind sauce on pepper brioche roll   6.75
add egg 1.00
Blueberry Pancakes with a hint of lemon
and NH maple syrup   7.75
Fried Egg Sandwich with caramelized onions,
French feta and spinach pesto  5.75
add bacon  2.25
Toasted Crumpet with Taleggio, honey & pistachios  3.95
Grilled Blueberry Muffin with whipped butter  2.95
Side o’bacon  3.75
Sophia’s of Belmont Greek yogurt
with granola and honey   3.25
French Press Coffee from
Barismo, George Howell,
or Batdorf & Bronson  3.75
Fresh squeezed orange juice  2.00

Today everyone should help Dan Goldstein clean up Central Square.  At 9AM We meet at Clear Conscience Cafe, 581 Mass. Ave.  We all get a free cup of coffee.  Then we clean up Central Square to the point that it looks as if truck-sized cats have licked the neighborhood clean.  Then we show up at Toscanini’s for a free cup or cone.  Presto.  Paris.

SundayBreakfast@TheBigTable

Sunday from 10AM to 2PM.
Out of consideration for others you cannot study or use computers ANYWHERE in this room during Breakfast.

Kitchen
Bacon Sandwich with our own HP tamarind sauce on pepper brioche roll  6.75
Classic French Toast with NH maple syrup  5.75
Plate of assorted pickled spring vegetables, avocado mash with baguette 4.75
Toasted crumpets with Taleggio cheese, honey & pistachio  3.95
Smoked Salmon with Tomato, Red Onion, and Lettuce  6.95

Bagel Bar
Any type of Iggy’s Bagels toasted  3.95
(Plain, Raisin, Sesame, or Multi-seeds)
Toppings:
Cream Cheese:  assorted flavors
Peanut Butter
Whipped Butter
Assorted Hi-Rise Preserves
Raisins
Sophia’s of Belmont Greek Yogurt with Honey and Granola 3.25

French Press Coffee from
Barismo, George Howell,
or Batdorf & Bronson  3.75
Fresh squeezed orange juice  2.00

Lisp was MIT’s own computer language.  While doing research for a presentation about the history of Boston ice cream stores I discovered the following nugget in the Wikipedia article on Steve’s Ice Cream.  During the years I worked at Steve’s no one used the term “smoosh-in” which I think sounds awful.  We always used the term “mix-in.”

“The popularity of the Heath Bar smoosh-in, created by Steve’s and utilized by later chains, prompted the Heath company to expand its operation to include a commercial foods division.^[4] Later chains took concept of the smoosh-in and applied it to their operations, creating a whole new industry around it. Because Herrell trademarked the term smoosh-in, most chains refer to the term as mix-in in industry terminology.^[6]

Additionally, the name inspired computer programmers to name a function found in object-oriented programming language a Mixin.^[7] Inspired by the concept of using a basic flavor of ice cream and blending in a combination of extra items, the programmers applied the term to small sets of pre-written computer code that was mixed into the main core of a larger program.^[8] Mixins first appeared in the MIT Lisp Machine object-oriented Flavors system, which was an approach to object-orientation used in Lisp Machine Lisp.”

All that food writing.  All those “nubbins.”  The new Associated Press stylebook includes a 16 page section on food-writing with an AP Style for recipe writing and answers to questions dealing with food issues.  Jim Romesko’s excellent journalism website Poynter.com has an article about this.

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/132481/ap-stylebook-has-new-food-guidelines-section/

According to Romesko entries include:

* locavore The preferred term for a person who strives to eat locally produced foods.
* adobo sauce A spicy red sauce made from chilies, herbs and vinegar that is common to Mexican cooking.
* amuse-bouche French, a bite-sized dish served at restaurants before the meal, usually free.
* blind bake To bake the crust of a pie before filling it.
* farmstead Generally used to describe a cheese produced solely from the milk of one farm.

* ghee A clarified butter used in Indian cooking.

· orecchiette A small, disk-like pasta.

· pears In general, capitalize most varieties, including Anjou, Asian (also called apple pear), Bosc and Bartlett.

· sashimi A Japanese dish of thinly sliced raw seafood.

“With all the cooking shows, blogs and magazines focusing on food, as well as growing interest in organic and locally sourced foods, our new food section feels timely and on trend,” said Colleen Newvine, product manager of the AP Stylebook. “With this new addition to the AP Stylebook, The Associated Press is proud to bring clarity to the writing that describes and informs the new food movement.”

The entire 2011 Stylebook Online edition is available by subscription for $25.  Romesko includes a definition of  huitlacoche, also known as corn smut.
“A fungus that grows on corn. Considered a delicacy of Mexican cuisine, it has a smoky-sweet flavor.”

We’re serving Barismo coffee this weekend as well as their espresso which we regularly use.

Big sale at Bodega, on Clearway & Mass. Ave., next to the Christian Science Center.

Leah Gadd’s show at Mass. College of Art is up.

The frightening Korean movie Old Boy is at the Coolidge on Friday and Saturday.

Cinderalla’s is our neighbor and they deliver pints as well as pizza, pasta and sandwiches.   (617) 576-0280.  Plus you can order online.

The Brattle continues its Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

8P Free concert @ New England Conservatory.   Dimitri Murrath,  playing the viola.

SaturdayBreakfast@TheBigTable

Every Saturday 10AM to 2PM and
Every Sunday 10Am to 2PM SundayBreakfast@TheSmallTable

Out of consideration for others you cannot study or use computers ANYWHERE in this room during breakfast.

French Toast with NH maple syrup  5.75
Creamy Egg Sandwich on toasted ciabatta  5.95
add bacon  2.25
Bacon Sandwich: our own HP tamarind sauce on pepper brioche roll   6.75
add egg 1.00
Blueberry Pancakes with a hint of lemon
and NH maple syrup   7.75
Fried Egg Sandwich with caramelized onions,
French feta and spinach pesto  5.75
add bacon  2.25
Toasted Crumpet with Taleggio, honey & pistachios  3.95
Grilled Blueberry Muffin with whipped butter  2.95
Side o’bacon  3.75
Sophia’s of Belmont Greek yogurt
with granola and honey   3.25
French Press Coffee from
Barismo, George Howell,
or Batdorf & Bronson  3.75
Fresh squeezed orange juice  2.00

As predicted by many people, including George Howell on his blog, coffee prices are going up.  The Globe has a cluster of articles by Kathleen Pierce about cost and price increases.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/05/09/coffee_prices_hitting_historic_highs/

The daily cup becoming an expensive habit
By Kathleen Pierce
Globe Correspondent  May 9, 2011
There’s a jolt hitting coffee drinkers, and it isn’t just the caffeine.
The price of coffee beans is at a historic high, as droughts and heavy rain in the world’s leading coffee-
producing regions limit supply, while a growing taste for coffee over tea in Asia fuels demand.
Restaurants and cafes have raised their prices, tacking on anywhere from 5 to 20 cents a cup in recent weeks.
The escalating price of the popular Arabica bean has affected almost all coffees, from Maxwell House to organic
blends.
“I’ve been here for five years, and this is the most significant increase,’’ said Dave Maffucci, a barista for a
Peet’s Coffee and Tea in Wellesley, one of five locations the chain has in Massachusetts. Two weeks ago the
price of a large cup of joe went up 20 cents to $2.25, a 10 percent jump.
So far, few business owners have reported a decline in sales or a customer backlash. Coffee drinkers, it seems,
are a loyal — or addicted — bunch.
“Even during the Great Depression, coffee sales didn’t drop,’’ said Meghan Hubbs, co-owner at Equal
Exchange, a West Bridgewater fair-trade roaster and importer that supplies beans to 70 cafes and restaurants in
the state and owns cafes in Boston and Seattle.
Last week, at its own cafe in Boston, the price of an eight-ounce cup of coffee went up 10 cents, to $1.60, and
25 cents for a small latte, to $2.50, as the price of milk has also soared.
“In the long run, a specialty coffee drink is not going to be the thing people are going to take a hard look at,’’
Hubbs added.
The price hike is the result of more than just floods and droughts in coffee-growing areas. Also contributing is a
weak US dollar, rising prices for fuel and fertilizer, and speculation in the coffee bean market.
And as emerging markets like Asia develop a java jones, global demand skyrockets. Starbucks, for example,
plans to open 1,500 stores in China by 2015.
Last week the price of Arabica bean per pound surged to $2.88 on the C market, the global commodity futures
market that sets prices for green Arabica beans, compared to $1.38 a year ago.
Coffee experts say the increase indicates that the beverage has become more valuable.
“We’ve gotten used to a really cheap cup of coffee. It’s not really an accurate reflection of someone’s labor,’’
said Daniele Giovannucci, cofounder of the Committee on Sustainability Assessment, a consortium that
measures the impact of agricultural practices across the globe. “This price level is a way of finally valuing what
is an extraordinary crop.’’
A decade ago, “you could never sell a cup of coffee for more than a dollar,’’ said Giovannucci. “Now we have $4
lattes. People are surprised by the evolution of what consumers are willing to pay.’’
/
Some big chains like Dunkin’ Donuts and McDonald’s have been able to hold down prices because they buy in
bulk and their size gives them purchasing power.
And in some cases, franchisees absorb the costs.
Clayton Turnbull, who owns 18 Dunkin’ Donuts in Greater Boston, has not raised his prices since the beginning
of the year. “We’ve taken a hit and hope we can outrun the trend,’’ he said. His strategy is to lure customers in
with other products to offset the increase.
But many coffee vendors have gone with price hikes, another hit for consumers who are already faced with
record-high food and fuel costs.
“We’ve been brewing more coffee at home and driving a little less,’’ said Paul Simmons of Somerville, who
started curtailing his cafe visits when the price of coffee started to creep up last year. “Most people trying to
keep a budget have realized they’re getting squeezed more.’’
Some, nevertheless, are inured. “To pay these prices for coffee is ridiculous,’’ said Dover coffee drinker Andrea
diMarco, “but I still won’t cut it out.’’
Still, raising prices can be nerve-racking for owners. Rebecca Fitzgerald, chief operating officer for George
Howell Coffee Company in Acton, said the business employs a formula based on whether it thinks coffee bean
prices will remain high. Then the company factors in other costs, from labor to rent to the price of cups and
cream.
With all that in mind, the company is weighing a 15- to 25-cent price increase at Taste Coffee House in Newton,
a cafe the company manages. “You have to balance margins and think about retaining customers at the same
time,’’ Fitzgerald said. “There’s also a gut feeling of what I can do and not lose my customers.’’
Starbucks Corp. began rolling out price increases on specialty drinks in October. In March the company bumped
packaged coffee up 12 percent in grocery stores. But the Seattle coffee giant has “no plans to take other pricing
increases right now,’’ said Starbucks spokesman Alan Hilowitz in an e-mail.
Even though Starbucks recently reported a 10 percent revenue increase in its second quarter, analysts say all
coffee companies are proceeding with caution.
“What Starbucks doesn’t want to do is wreck a year of market-share gains by jacking up the price,’’ said
restaurant equities analyst Steve West, of Stifel Nicolaus & Co. in St. Louis.
It’s not just designer coffee that’s costing more. The price for a bottomless cup of joe at Charlie’s Sandwich
Shoppe in the South End went up 20 cents to $2.25 in April and “no one’s said a word,’’ noted Marie Fuller, who
runs Charlie’s with her family. Customers, she figured, are used to seeing prices go up.

On Saturday night at 11PM  The Central Square Theater will host The IgNobels After Dark, featuring dubious readings from the salacious records of past IgNobel winners.
The event is a benefit.  Tickets are $30.

http://improbable.com/2011/05/06/improbable-after-dark-cambridge/

MIT 150 has a light art show for the weekend.

http://mit150.mit.edu/arts-festival

SaturdayBreakfast@TheBigTable

Every Saturday 10AM to 2PM and
Every Sunday 10Am to 2PM SundayBreakfast@TheSmallTable

Out of consideration for others you cannot study or use computers ANYWHERE in this room during breakfast.

French Toast with NH maple syrup  5.75
Creamy Egg Sandwich on toasted ciabatta  5.95
add bacon  2.25
Bacon Sandwich: our own HP tamarind sauce on pepper brioche roll   6.75
add egg 1.00
Blueberry Pancakes with a hint of lemon
and NH maple syrup   7.75
Fried Egg Sandwich with caramelized onions,
French feta and spinach pesto  5.75
add bacon  2.25
Toasted Crumpet with Taleggio, honey & pistachios  3.95
Grilled Blueberry Muffin with whipped butter  2.95
Side o’bacon  3.75
Sophia’s of Belmont Greek yogurt
with granola and honey   3.25
French Press Coffee from
Barismo, George Howell,
or Batdorf & Bronson  3.75
Fresh squeezed orange juice  2.00

Years before I opened Toscanini’s I would walk along Bow Street and Arrow Street in Harvard Square and pass the storefront office of Gill Fishman Designers.  The storefront always reminded me of John Irving’s description of Holland’s red light district but instead of women lounging behind glass, laughing at American university students,  there was Gil and his associates designing logos and packages and posters.  There were no websites to design and while the office didn’t use metal type it was pretty old-fashioned.  Not quite Benjamin Franklin putting out the Pennsylvania Gazette but closer to that era than the flowing winking digital typography of today.  Toscanini’s was then described as home-made ice cream and most such businesses presented an old-fashion soda fountain image or a sort of hippy tree house look.  We are near MIT -and its small nuclear reactor,  and I like modern things.  So from the beginning Gill and I agreed that Toscanini’s would strive for a cleaner more modern look, possibly somewhat “swiss” in feel.  A number of people think the logo in its different manifestations is dull but I like it.  When I look at old photos I can see that successive sign makers have actually created slightly different fonts, or versions of the Avant Garde that Gill chose.  A picture of a gorgeous customer from the store’s first years shows the Shell gasoline station that was located across from the store and letterforms that differ from the present.  In fact if you go to

https://www.thelevelup.com/deals/178

and review the must-have blue shirts that are next to a Christmas tree green microscoop you might notice that the printing differs from what is on our trucks, our windows and even the pint containers we sell at Whole Foods.  For those who like order too much there is a book from the MIT Press called Helvetica and the New York City Subway System

http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=12439

The book describes the decades long battle by great designers to bring clarity and consistency to a project.  You respect that achievement more when you can’t wrestle paper companies and car painters to keep a steady course for a small ice cream store in Central Square.  Gill Fishman left Bow Street and moved to 955 Mass. Ave.  But the firm really live online at

http://www.gillfishmandesign.com/

Years before I opened Toscanini’s I would walk along Bow Street and Arrow Street in Harvard Square and pass the storefront office of Gill Fishman Designers.  The storefront always reminded me of John Irving’s description of Holland’s red light district but instead of women lounging behind glass, laughing at American university students,  there was Gil and his associates designing logos and packages and posters.  There were no websites to design and while the office didn’t use metal type it was pretty old-fashioned.  Not quite Benjamin Franklin putting out the Pennsylvania Gazette but closer to that era than the flowing winking digital typography of today.  Toscanini’s was then described as home-made ice cream and most such businesses presented an old-fashion soda fountain image or a sort of hippy tree house look.  We are near MIT -and its small nuclear reactor,  and I like modern things.  So from the beginning Gill and I agreed that Toscanini’s would strive for a cleaner more modern look, possibly somewhat “swiss” in feel.  A number of people think the logo in its different manifestations is dull but I like it.  When I look at old photos I can see that successive sign makers have actually created slightly different fonts, or versions of the Avant Garde that Gill chose.  A picture of a gorgeous customer from the store’s first years shows the Shell gasoline station that was located across from the store and letterforms that differ from the present.  In fact if you go thelevelup.com and review the must-have blue shirts that are next to a Christmas tree green microscoop you might notice that the printing differs from what is on our trucks, our windows and even the pint containers we sell at Whole Foods.  For those who like order too much there is a book from the MIT Press called Helvetica and the New York City Subway System

http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=12439

The book describes the decades long battle by great designers to bring clarity and consistency to a project.  You respect that achievement more when you can’t wrestle paper companies and car painters to keep a steady course for a small ice cream store in Central Square.  Gill Fishman left Bow Street and moved to 955 Mass. Ave.  But the firm really live online at

http://www.gillfishmandesign.com/