Escher would be happy to see these...

the ides of march

well, we didn't make the ides of march, as i had said before -- probably not friday the 13th of april, either. i'm running out of portentous dates to choose & may have to just go for something normal, like lisa's birthday or national secretary's day.

ok, so the hood & other equipment aren't getting shipped here as fast as we had thought -- that's all part of building a restaurant, & this is not my first time. we're still finishing design of tabletops & fighting over the barstools. the ceiling has been finished (& it looks fantastic) & the walls are being painted. gas line issues are being resolved & all of that should be getting installed soon. that's the update.


so, what's the deal with the attorney general?

can't any branch of this administration -- justice, perhaps -- be honest for a little while? does anybody out there still believe a word these jokers say to us? i sure as hell don't. exactly where is it they are supporting our troops, if not before, during or after their deployment to the battlefield?


there's my rant for the day. et tu?

so it goes. matt

Sphinx dog...

march 1

hello, everyone & welcome to march --

-- snow, freezing temperatures, pile-ups on I-90 & a vote on the viaduct --

i intended to write sooner than this but our computers have been down & i am just now getting back to it, so here we go:


first off --
right now, the april 13 date looks good to us. we based this on equipment delivery times & now are being told stuff could get here more swiftly. if things go somewhat along the plan, we may be able to start playing (& i mean playing) in our new kitchen right around easter weekend, which gives us time to prep & write recipes & throw a couple of parties & get used to the whole new thing.

last time i was on here, i promised to put together an e-mailing, with some randomly chosen invites to the opening parties, so here now is the address to sign up for the e-mail list:
back@mattsinthemarket.com

please drop me a line & i will put you into our system


now, for the real fun --

since i last wrote, the room looks way different & we have made a few very important jumps forward.

- not only is the sub-floor back in, as i think you can see from the most recent photos, but the drywall is up, taped & primed. the painters are in here now, removing all of the old paint from the ceiling & posts (where it never should have been, anyway) getting it all down to the beautiful wood beneath. the ceiling in my old space has to be matched up with the new space -- it is a few shades darker, due to years of smoke & cooking fumes & whatever. once the ceiling is back to where it should be, we seal it with a clear coat as per health department request. next we paint walls & pour the work-area waterproof floor surfaces. also right now, the guys are framing in the support structures for the new counter area. tom said he'd get some more pictures up soon, because it really looks way different in there than it did even yesterday.


- we've resolved a major infrastructure issue with the market.

these are old buildings, with old fixtures & not a lot of architectural documentation, so in setting up our gas line we hit a major snag over codes & ventilation issues & outdated equipment, but i am happy to say that the pda (my landlord) has now stepped up to the plate to take on a serious upgrade so that we can get the gas line we need. these things are never easy, especially when you have to deal with public budgets & preserving the looks of a historical building, but eventually we got there. believe me, even though it's nothing you will ever see when you're here having lunch, it had to be resolved or we wouldn't even be able to reopen. so it goes.


- stefan just turned 40. young pup. it was either today or yesterday or something like that -- this week, anyway. when you see him again, be sure to wish him a happy birthday.




so long for now -- watch for the new photos & send me your e-mail addresses (once again, back@mattsinthemarket.com)


all of a sudden there's a quickening of the pace, & it feels as though we're starting to get somewhere. and it's gonna be really cool.



hope to be seeing you soon,


matt


ps -- if you're looking for a movie recommendation -- "the lives of others" -- best foreign-language film at this year's oscars, & deserving of it. a stark but beautifully human treatment of a very difficult subject. i enjoyed the hell out of it.
mj