Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 2)

I have never been to a funeral. Not sure which one I should check.

If I had an all-black outfit, which I don’t; and I thought the mourners at the funeral wanted people to show up in all black, which these days at least they don’t seem to expect; then I would wear all black to a funeral. I mean, I’m not philosophically opposed to the idea.

So I voted that I would under some circumstances. In practice, I can’t recall that I ever have; and if I have it was a very long time ago.

I will wear a black fabric Hawaiian shirt, but that’s as far as I’ll go.

I’m really bad with song titles…especially those for songs I used to hear mostly on the car radio back in the day. I was curious about The Eagle and the Hawk because I didn’t know it. Turned out I did. And it’s one of my favorites of his. I have a sentimental fondness for Rocky Mountain High because of the memories it kindles.

I chose Inspector Gadget as one of my top three cartoon theme songs. It’s by Shuki Levy, who also did He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (shamefully missing from the poll).

At least one of the other cartoons in the list had a first-rate theme tune, but only because it was copped from another source. In particular, The Pink Panther used the Henry Mancini instrumental from the movie of the same name.

I noticed the cartoon theme songs were limited largely to western animation, or I’d be picking from several anime and it wouldn’t even be close.

Of more or less traditional Western cartoons that weren’t mentioned, my favorite which was not on the list is an oldie from Saturday Morning Cartoons of yore, which I’d listen to even if I couldn’t stand the cartoon itself.

Disney’s Adventures of the Gummi Bears.

Better sung, and a better song than most, and it was stupidly catchy.

In fact that’s what I’ll be wearing this week when I go to a funeral

I picked Hill Street Blues as one of the top themes. Can’t go wrong with Larry Carlton.

Sent back food poll, what people didn’t vote for is just as interesting as what they did vote for. Almost no one would send back overcooked pasta, that’s crazy. What if pasta is 90% of the dish?

I guess… How badly overcooked is this pasta? I’ve sent back overcooked meat. I’ve never sent back overcooked pasta. If it were really gross, maybe i would… But they probably just have more from the same pot of overcooked pasta. Would it even do any good?

We made a pinhole camera in college, and got to develop the pictures ourselves. Fun.

I think John Denver is underappreciated. I know that, back in the day, I wasn’t above poking fun at his music, but I’ve since grown to appreciate it. He has some beautiful songs.

This is Truth.

I also would have voted for “Get Smart” were it an option.

mmm

If a restaurant is drawing pasta from a giant pot of precooked pasta, you’re either at Chuck E Cheese or someplace else you shouldn’t be eating there. Any decent restaurant cooks (par-cooked) dry pasta to order, or fresh pasta to order.

Still,

  1. I’ve never been served pasta that was significantly over or under cooked. (Meat is often served at the wrong doneness.)
  2. if i was served a plate of over cooked pasta, i would have such a bad impression of the place that i wouldn’t expect to do better with a second try. I’d just write the place off.

Yep.

Last weekend we were at a brewery whose food truck had cancelled. In their place they had a pasta pop-up. A Pittsburgh restaurant/caterer Soul Pasta had some tables set up and a gas stove-top that they heated your pasta and sauce on.

We each ordered their Pasta Arrabiata (with homemade Mafalde pasta), which was amazing. It came with Italian bread and a salad. I had low expectations, but it was done perfectly. By a pop-up on the sidewalk.

I’ve been corrupted by too many visits to Italy, hosted by Italian friends. In their view (and mine now) 99% of the pasta dishes cooked in American restaurants are overcooked.

So, sending back pasta that is not al dente is a fool’s errand in the US.

You have so many better food options than we do. I’m jealous. And hungry.

Anyone in Pittsburgh, check out Soul Pasta. The couple who were running the pop-up did not sound Italian. My gf was talking with them and discovered they are from Kazakhstan, but are really into pasta.

I love overcooked pasta. Fond memories of pizza hut spaghetti dinners as a child, or crunchy overbaked lasagna. I won’t overcook it deliberately, because correctly cooked pasta is better, but I won’t complain.

I sent back a steak once that was so tough I couldn’t cut it. They were nice about it, but of course my meal wasn’t ready until my partner had finished, which was less than ideal.

If the meal is just badly done I’m not sending it back. Why would I trust them to get it right? If it’s bad enough I’ll ask them to take it off the bill. I won’t be going back to the restaurant. I’ll only send something back if the waitstaff screwed up the order and I got the wrong item.