A small jewel for those of you in the first steps of starting
your own empire. You're going to need a lot of legal things
done and that's expensive.
Check out www.legalzoom.com
Get your LLC, SCorp, trademarks, contracts and if
you see the whole restaurant thing being the end of you,
a will.
The fees are low and you are assigned a real lawyer.
I trademarked the name "Lassi" and was assigned a great
lawyer that worked for the government trademark office.
She taught me a lot and helped me get over many hurdles.
The monetary difference between a lawyer and LegalZoom?
$5000.00
Don't ever say I never gave you anything.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
antique store, Callicoon, Sullivan County, NY
Nothing to do with food but I wish I had written it myself.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
North Branch with New Eyes
Last weekend found me with the ability to do something
I rarely get to do, get the hell out of Dodge and breath
some mountain air.
My grandparents bought some land and a small, small, small
house in North Branch, NY in the Catskill Mountains sometime
in the early 50's. The coming years brought the addition of a couple
of bedrooms and, to my mother's delight, an indoor bathroom and the
destruction of the out house.
To say that the place was in the middle of nowhere would
be an understatement.
My cousins and I grew up going up there for weekends
with my grandparents when they were there on their vacations
and truly, there really wasn't anything to do.
I think TV came sometime in the 70's and cable in the 80's but
only in the way of Canadian sitcoms that weren't even picked up
by their own.
We saw the addition of a porch and then later the enclosing of the porch.
The wood paneling and carpeting remained and a short time after
we lost my grandfather, my father took it upon him to make
what was on overgrown acre of land into a beautiful landscaped
country home.
Yes, it was beautiful. IS beautiful.
We all loved the weekends up there but never much left the property
once we got there. My grandparents rarely did so why would we?
Fast forward to present. I took the weekend to get away with my good
friend Heather. Another restaurant person in need of a little mountain
air and some girltime.
We left the property. We met lots of people. It was crazy.
I suppose I should'nt have been suprised once my hairdresser had bought a house
in the area and there was a local gay pride parade but old impressions die hard.
This brings me to the Old North Branch Inn.
Last year the abandoned Old North Branch Inn was bought by Victoria
Lesser, a designer based in Key West who had bought a country house in nearby
Callicoon Center. The Inn seemed like a great project. Now she owns it and
lives there.
It still had an original bowling alley and a bar from the 1939 world's fair.
We met Victoria while grabbing a coffee and a piece of amazing apple pie
at Baxter's, the coffee bar she opened in the lobby. Only local bakers are
featured.
We took a tour of the rooms and decided that she had us at the bathrooms.
The place is respectful of where it is with just enought comforts (small flatscreen TVs, heat and enormous showers) to not feel like
you rented out someone's barn for the weekend. A night at the Inn: $120 or $140.
Fabulous.
A wine license is on the way. Cheese, wine and bowling nights are soon to follow.
We met a couple from the city now living in North Branch, Steve and Kimberly and their four-month-old Owen. Steve and Kimberly have started a record label which
means, unbeknownst to them, they'll be seeing me again in the near future.
Now other than pushing my new friend Victoria's inn, why are we here?
Food, of course.
Victoria came into the city a few days later and had lunch at Lassi.
I just loved that. I would do it but I would visit a toll booth if I knew someone.
She said she'd like to have guest chef dinners. I said I could get a ton of very
fabulous chefs who would love to do such a thing.
Well, I'll be the first.
Not a lot of Indian food up there in Sullivan County.
I have every intention of getting some great dinners going up there.
Some of my favorite chefs have already signed on.
Looks like it's going to be quite a summer and we haven't even
sold the last Tandoori turkey yet.
I rarely get to do, get the hell out of Dodge and breath
some mountain air.
My grandparents bought some land and a small, small, small
house in North Branch, NY in the Catskill Mountains sometime
in the early 50's. The coming years brought the addition of a couple
of bedrooms and, to my mother's delight, an indoor bathroom and the
destruction of the out house.
To say that the place was in the middle of nowhere would
be an understatement.
My cousins and I grew up going up there for weekends
with my grandparents when they were there on their vacations
and truly, there really wasn't anything to do.
I think TV came sometime in the 70's and cable in the 80's but
only in the way of Canadian sitcoms that weren't even picked up
by their own.
We saw the addition of a porch and then later the enclosing of the porch.
The wood paneling and carpeting remained and a short time after
we lost my grandfather, my father took it upon him to make
what was on overgrown acre of land into a beautiful landscaped
country home.
Yes, it was beautiful. IS beautiful.
We all loved the weekends up there but never much left the property
once we got there. My grandparents rarely did so why would we?
Fast forward to present. I took the weekend to get away with my good
friend Heather. Another restaurant person in need of a little mountain
air and some girltime.
We left the property. We met lots of people. It was crazy.
I suppose I should'nt have been suprised once my hairdresser had bought a house
in the area and there was a local gay pride parade but old impressions die hard.
This brings me to the Old North Branch Inn.
Last year the abandoned Old North Branch Inn was bought by Victoria
Lesser, a designer based in Key West who had bought a country house in nearby
Callicoon Center. The Inn seemed like a great project. Now she owns it and
lives there.
It still had an original bowling alley and a bar from the 1939 world's fair.
We met Victoria while grabbing a coffee and a piece of amazing apple pie
at Baxter's, the coffee bar she opened in the lobby. Only local bakers are
featured.
We took a tour of the rooms and decided that she had us at the bathrooms.
The place is respectful of where it is with just enought comforts (small flatscreen TVs, heat and enormous showers) to not feel like
you rented out someone's barn for the weekend. A night at the Inn: $120 or $140.
Fabulous.
A wine license is on the way. Cheese, wine and bowling nights are soon to follow.
We met a couple from the city now living in North Branch, Steve and Kimberly and their four-month-old Owen. Steve and Kimberly have started a record label which
means, unbeknownst to them, they'll be seeing me again in the near future.
Now other than pushing my new friend Victoria's inn, why are we here?
Food, of course.
Victoria came into the city a few days later and had lunch at Lassi.
I just loved that. I would do it but I would visit a toll booth if I knew someone.
She said she'd like to have guest chef dinners. I said I could get a ton of very
fabulous chefs who would love to do such a thing.
Well, I'll be the first.
Not a lot of Indian food up there in Sullivan County.
I have every intention of getting some great dinners going up there.
Some of my favorite chefs have already signed on.
Looks like it's going to be quite a summer and we haven't even
sold the last Tandoori turkey yet.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Beauty and Truth Prevail
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