Forget Lunch, Kap is Interviewing Theo at Noon Today

False.

[quote name=Rodrigo Ramirez]I would add Moto and Ria. But you did a good job covering most of the great ones.[/quote]
They’re both on my list of places to try soon, as is L20. Another one I forgot to list is Arun’s. It’s 5-star Thai food. Expensive, and the atmosphere is weird, but it’s fantastic.

[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]They’re both on my list of places to try soon, as is L20. Another one I forgot to list is Arun’s. It’s 5-star Thai food. Expensive, and the atmosphere is weird, but it’s fantastic.[/quote]
I’ve heard great things about it, but it is in such a dead neighborhood. There is nothing else of interest around. Unless you really like Auto Zone and laundromats.

[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]I also forgot to mention Hopleaf. Man, Chicago is a great food city. No wonder I’m so fat (dying laughing)[/quote]Have you been to Fountainhead? Great beer selection too (lots of special cask events and such) plus they do scotch and whiskey flights as well.

[quote name=dylanj]Man i know this is way OT but this Boeing thing is a great example of how fucked things are these days. Two years ago our now governor and both state senators were promised that if they helped Boeing land a 35 billion dollar government deal the company would stay in Wichita and create 7500 jobs. They got the deal. Today they closed the plant.[/quote]Does that mean Boeing gives back the 35 billion dollars?

/wishful thinking

its morbidly humor to see Arch Conservatives like Bronwback and Pompeo who went on and on about how they were going to make it easy on “job creators” and all the while helped a multi billion dollar company whore itself for 35 billion in taxpayer money only to see that same company fucked them over royally.

[quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]Hopleaf is way overrated and they run out of shit too often. Been that way for years. Fountainhead and Bad Apple have lapped them and they don’t even know it.[/quote]^^This^^

Bad Apple is the shit. Hopleaf also has like 4 food items on their menu, IIRC.

If we’re talking beer, here’s my nominees for best beer lists:

1.) The Publican
2.) Bad Apple
3.) The Globe
4.) Fountainhead
5.) Map Room
6.) Kuma’s Korner
7.) Quenchers
8.) Edgewater Lounge
9.) Hopleaf
10.) Clark St. Ale House

They join the AL in 2013.

[quote name=Rice Cube]Don’t recall if anyone saw this, but apparently PedoBear showed up for the Penn State bowl game:

No, I don’t read every post.[/quote]
http://www.shaggybevo.com/board/showthread.php/102812-Shaggy-to-Ticket-City-Bowl-(UH-v.-Pedo-State)-FEATURING-PEDO-BEAR-UPATE-It-s-on

Tigers say no Turner for Garza. At this point just extend the guy

I really don’t understand why Marquez Smith doesn’t get a real shot with Ramirez gone.

[quote name=dylanj]Tigers say no Turner for Garza[/quote]Not at all surprising. There’s an outside chance that Turner could be better than Garza in 2012. More than likely better by 2013.

[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]I have, but I think their food is terrible. I agree about the booze, though.[/quote]I haven’t had the food, but I’ve heard good things (your opinion not included). My buddy is the beer director there, so I don’t care if you insult the food as long as you gave the beer its props.

[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]The Globe? I live right by there, and I go quite a bit, I wouldn’t consider their beer list to be very good. I can’t really argue with the rest of your list, though the order might be different.

The Bad Apple’s food is way too inconsistent. Hopleaf really only has the mussels, which are amazing. Everything else is average.[/quote]Take a look at the bottle list at The Globe. It’s phenomenal, and if you follow them on Twitter, they get special casks all the time and no one else knows except the Twitter followers. Lots of rare English stuff.

[quote name=Aisle424]I haven’t had the food, but I’ve heard good things (your opinion not included). My buddy is the beer director there, so I don’t care if you insult the food as long as you gave the beer its props.[/quote]Yeah, excellent beer. I should go more often. If we’re talking just places for excellent beer, you can’t beat Local Option. I also regularly make the trek out to 3 Floyd’s in Munster which has pretty good food as well (ex-Blackbird sous chef).

We embarassed Theo.

[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]I have, but I think their food is terrible. I agree about the booze, though.[/quote]Most of the good beer places in town have bad-mediocre food. Too bad.

Just started listening. One Cubs Way already.

[quote name=mb21]Just started listening. One Cubs Way already.[/quote]I’m definitely taking the over.

Why are they still asking him about coming to the Cubs? He’s already answered these questions many times.

[quote name=Aisle424]Why are they still asking him about coming to the Cubs? He’s already answered these questions many times.[/quote]Because the alternative is asking him how he got David DeJesus to come to Chicago.

“Are you going to trade Matt Garza?”
“Maybe.”

Based on what I’ve heard so far, “special place” is the new “Cubs Way.”

[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]This is why I spend most of my going-out nights at Publican, Revolution, Kuma’s, Northdown, 3 Aces and 3 Floyd’s. They’re the rare combination of good-to-great food and beer.[/quote]I just cook my own food, eat, then go out.

[quote name=GBTS]Yeah well I cook my own food, brew my own beer, and build my own bars.[/quote]You must be friends with Hipster Ricketts.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

[quote name=mb21]OK, I’m done. 10 minutes and I haven’t heard anything new.[/quote]I tuned in late. Where are they? I hear are people eating in the background.

“I am skeptical he can change, but he deserves a chance to show it.”

[quote name=mb21]RC, based on the CAIRO projection the Cubs will score just a tad over 4 runs per game next year. Your 3.33 bet is safe.[/quote]4+? That’s impressive.

[quote name=Aisle424]Kap really despises Zambrano. Almost more than Sullivan does.[/quote]He’s short, divorced, and bald with a spray tan that would make Snooki blush. I can’t imagine why he’d hate a guy like Carlos Zambrano. Complete mystery.

[quote name=Aisle424]Theo: 2011 Zambrano can’t fit into new Cubs culture. He’ll need to change or personnel will change.[/quote]That’s probably the right stance. You don’t just want to discard a pitcher of Z’s talents, but at the same time, declining skills and a shitty attitude isn’t something you want around. So you give Carlos a chance to prove he should be here.

[quote name=Aisle424]Brian Noonan is following the Chicago media 2 month lag to a tee.[/quote]Wonder if he’s related to the Danny Noonan that terrorized WV23 for a while. (dying laughing)

Then ask him if he thinks he’ll enjoy a Cubs championship.

[quote name=jtsunami]They should ask him who owns the Cubs.[/quote]That is unknowable.

[quote name=jtsunami]And for mb’s sake, they should ask him what Crane Kenney’s role is and what it used to be.[/quote]He’s on the business side, but sometimes he isn’t. Everyone knows this.

Boxers or briefs

http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/how-will-travis-wood-fare-in-chicago/

Noonan is going to ask him if the Cubs could find a taker for Milton Bradley.

[quote name=GBTS]Yeah well I cook my own food, brew my own beer, and build my own bars.[/quote]My new year’s goal is to brew my own beer. It seems expensive to get started though.

[quote name=jtsunami]So are we really convinced the Tigers aren’t interested in Garza?

Kenny Williams said there will be no immediate moves. 2 hours later they announced the White Sox traded Quentin.[/quote]I don’t buy that they’re not interested, but I do believe they have no interest in trading someone like Turner for Garza. Garza simply isn’t worth someone of that caliber who is already MLB ready. If Turner was that highly thought of and was in A ball then it would be a fair trade.

[quote name=WaLi]My new year’s goal is to brew my own beer. It seems expensive to get started though.[/quote]It’s expensive to get started, but it’s a lot of fun to do. My buddy and I built our own mash tun and brew kettle and we had a friend wire the thermostat for our fermentation chamber. But it’s not cheap up front. You save money by brewing all-grain, as opposed to extract. Extract and partial mash kits are much less labor intensive, but all-grain makes better beer. HomeBrew Talk is a great forum to start learning the ropes and the community there is really welcoming. Finally, two words: plate chiller.

Someone should ask Theo if they’re going to do something like sign some free agents like a verterin 3B like DeRosa hes not going to be that mucheven if its for a few years it gives time to truly develope some of the younger talent they need to get on it the fans want to get into instant contention and im sorry I beleive the money for Pujols or Fielder would have been worth it get an established player that is amazing at what they do and why didnt they persue C.J. they need pitching?

[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]I’ve been brewing for a few years. It’s not that expensive if you buy a really basic starter kit. I recommend going with something that you can expand later if you decide to keep going with it. I usually buy my stuff online from Midwest Supply which is in MN and have them ship it. There’s also a newish place called Brew Camp near Lincoln and Damn in the city and Brew and Grow out in the burbs. It’s as easy or complicated as you want to make it, but it’s definitely fun and rewarding.[/quote]If you want to start simple and expand like WGC says (a good recommendation), I recommend ordering the kit from Northern Brewer and getting the book “Radical Brewing.”

[quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]If you want to start simple and expand like WGC says (a good recommendation), I recommend ordering the kit from Northern Brewer and getting the book “Radical Brewing.”[/quote]I also recommend this book:

http://www.amazon.com/How-Brew-Everything-Right-First/dp/0937381888/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1

[quote name=GBTS]You owe me a lunch, Aisley.[/quote]
I’ll take you to Appleby’s.

[quote name=GBTS]LaHair is the 1B.[/quote]

[quote name=Aisle424]I’ll take you to Appleby’s.[/quote]Is that like an Applebees?

[quote name=mb21]OK, I’m done. 10 minutes and I haven’t heard anything new.[/quote]I only managed to catch the last 10 minutes and I found them quite interesting. When asked about the 1st baseman situation Theo answered as straight up as it gets. Obviously when they ask him about bullshit like Wrigely Field renovations, there’s nothing interesting he can say about that.

[quote name=WaLi]Yeah I’ve been checking out HBT. I got a Mr. Beer for my birthday last August but I was in the middle of a move and fixing up a house so I didn’t have a chance to make the beer until Monday so I have it brewing now. Not expecting much, but it was fun.

I know I’ll enjoy the hobby and will get into it and make it bigger so I’m having a hard time deciding how to get started.

I have this 7 QT pastola pot which is the biggest pot I have. I guess I can do partial boils? Of course, I would like to purchase a bigger 8 gal kettle later but that seems to be the most expensive part. Especially if I want to go bigger I don’t want to start with a cheap one. I don’t mind using an extract at first just to get a hang of the cleaning/brewing/sanitation practice but would like to move to all grain.

As far as fermentation goes, I could get a bucket which would be cheap but I don’t like wasting stuff so should I just get a glass carboy to start with?

I have a kegerator so I would like to keg my beer. I guess I could get a corny for my second fermentor & for serving?

I suppose I should post this at HBT (dying laughing)[/quote]
If you have a turkey fryer, that will make the boiling part go way faster, and you should be able to pick up a 5 gal stock pot for relatively cheap on Amazon if your turkey fryer didn’t come with one. I still do primary fermentation in a brew bucket and then transfer to a carboy for secondary fermentation. I also keg. You’ll most likely be using 5-gal corny kegs and force carbonating, but you could also use a non-carbonated keg for secondary fermentation (with sugars added). I also have a kegerator, but I had to change all the fittings to work with the corny kegs.

If you’re going to do 5 gal batches on a camp stove or a turkey frying stove, and you’re going all grain, you’ll want a 7-8 gal. kettle because you’ll have to use ~7.5 gallons of water. You’ll lose about 3/4 gallon to the grain during first runnings and sparging, and you’ll lose at least about a gallon to evaporation during the boil.

We also don’t do secondary fermentation on most our beers. 4-6 weeks primary, keg, then 2-3 weeks of conditioning in the keg. We’re going to do some high gravity batches soon, and we’ll probably do a second fermentation on those.

[quote name=WaLi]So to keg, is all you need a corny? Just put the fermented beer in there with no sugar since you force the CO2. I already have a CO2 bottle. Sounds a lot easier than bottling.[/quote]Yep. Much, much easier. Get much better flavor and mouthfeel from your stouts and porters, too, because you can control the carbonation.

Kaplan asks about the big-time free agent signings that the Cubs haven’t made, and asks about Theo’s “lens of the long-term plan” comments. Theo says the point is, the Cubs are not looking for any quick fixes. Every year is important, and every year is a chance to win. The organization values the short term. “If we lose, I’m going to have a bad day.” But where the short-term priority and the long-term priority conflict, the Cubs are going to choose the long-term interest. So, when rumors about a big-money signing or an older player, the Cubs are going to make a decision about signing the player on the question: will this player help us when our core is ready to be really competitive? Sometimes, though, the Cubs might sign short-term, older guys if they think there might be future trade value there (nice).

I liked this part.

[quote name=Aisle424]Sort of. Or we can go to Chilee’s or Ruby Thursday.[/quote]I would prefer Steak ‘n Partially Gelatinated Non-Dairy Gum-Based Beverages.

[quote name=Rice Cube]Bleacher Nation with the meticulous live blog:

http://www.bleachernation.com/2012/01/04/theo-epstein-speaks-about-the-state-of-the-chicago-cubs//quote
So, is Bleacher Nation his job? That guy is all over anything that happens related to the Cubs and usually right after it happens. I get more information from him than from the the beat reporters. (That isn’t exactly impressive in and of itself, but it is impressive that he is that consistent.)

[quote name=WenningtonsGorillaCock]If you have a turkey fryer, that will make the boiling part go way faster, and you should be able to pick up a 5 gal stock pot for relatively cheap on Amazon if your turkey fryer didn’t come with one.[/quote]I can’t believe that I never thought of that before. I just moved into a new pad with an electric stove (oh, the humanity) and was convinced that my brewing days were over. Thanks!

[quote name=Aisle424]So, is Bleacher Nation his job? [/quote]You’d think so, right? Good source of info for sure.

[quote name=Mercurial Outfielder]Turkey fryers are tricky because of the pressure switches, but we use this camp stove: http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SQ14-Single-Outdoor/dp/B0009JXYQ4
and it works like a dream![/quote]That’s marvelous, thanks again. And it won’t jack up the temperature in the house by 15 degrees in the summer, either. I like this more and more.

If I ever get the outdoor space, I’m gonna set up a still.

[quote name=Aisle424]So, is Bleacher Nation his job? That guy is all over anything that happens related to the Cubs and usually right after it happens. I get more information from him than from the the beat reporters. (That isn’t exactly impressive in and of itself, but it is impressive that he is that consistent.)[/quote]
Yup, it’s my (poorly-paying) job. I started BN for fun three years ago, and then left my day job as a lawyer (which, let’s be honest, paid well but sucked something fierce) in May, I started working BN full-time.

And thank you for the kind words.

mb, here’s a new place you can go to to watch good music and enjoy a good meal.

http://www.jambase.com/Articles/56036/Phil-Lesh-To-Open-Terrapin-Crossroads-In-Marin

[quote name=Aisle424]I’m glad somebody is getting the information out there consistently. The Cubs need to get you a press pass so you can find out just how lazy and selfish Zambrano is.[/quote]Also, how much we still owe Carlos Silva and who owns the Cubs.

[quote name=GBTS]I always confuse Bleacher Nation with Bleacher Report. I apologize with the intensity of a thousand suns.[/quote]No dinner.

BN > Blech Report

[quote name=Aisle424]I’m glad somebody is getting the information out there consistently. The Cubs need to get you a press pass so you can find out just how lazy and selfish Zambrano is.[/quote]Just out of curiosity, how does one acquire a press pass?

Also, I believe BN has a source. Though whether or not he wears a purple shirt remains a mystery.

[quote name=Snyds01]http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/01/international-notes-zambrano-cabrera-montero-padilla-sanit.html

Z—————————–>Marlins of Miami?[/quote]Ozzie has always been pretty vocal about wanting Z to pitch for him.

[quote name=DamageControlFreak]I only managed to catch the last 10 minutes and I found them quite interesting. When asked about the 1st baseman situation Theo answered as straight up as it gets. Obviously when they ask him about bullshit like Wrigely Field renovations, there’s nothing interesting he can say about that.[/quote]I chose the wrong 10 minutes.

[quote name=Ace@BleacherNation]Yup, it’s my (poorly-paying) job. I started BN for fun three years ago, and then left my day job as a lawyer (which, let’s be honest, paid well but sucked something fierce) in May, I started working BN full-time.

And thank you for the kind words.[/quote]Nicely done. Would you hire Obstructed View and pay us all very well? Pretty please.

It’s nice to have a Cubs blogger other than Alvin who can quit his job because of blogging.

[quote name=Aisle424]I’ve heard Alvin didn’t quit, but was asked to leave his actual job because he was spending so much work time on his blog.[/quote]He can still earn enough to make a living so my guess is Alvin didn’t care too much about getting fired.

[quote name=Aisle424]I bet his finances took a hit though. He was double-dipping there for awhile. That had to be a nice income.[/quote]He could spring for the occasional second bologna sandwich there for awhile.

[quote name=Aisle424]I’ve heard Alvin didn’t quit, but was asked to leave his actual job because he was spending so much work time on his blog.[/quote]Not a rumor if you have a source.

I meant to tell you that the statue you gave me for Christmas looks great in the corner of my office, MB.

[quote name=Aisle424]I meant to tell you that the statue you gave me for Christmas looks great in the corner of my office, MB.

[/quote]This one?

[quote name=GBTS]This one?
[/quote]That’s the one in B’s office.

[quote name=mb21]Nicely done. Would you hire Obstructed View and pay us all very well? Pretty please.[/quote]Absolutely. I should caution up front that I define “very well” as “Manwich coupons.”

And thanks for the compliments. I should say that I was very fortunate to have a supportive spouse (who works), and a well-timed first baby, both of which made transitioning from my former job to this one possible. I cannot underscore enough that the pay is weak relative to the hours, effort, and all that. But, obviously the many side benefits – including the fact that I love it and feel lucky as hell to be doing it – make it worth it.

And Bleacher Report sucks. I wish I’d been aware of it when I named BN (the Report had formed earlier that same year, and wasn’t the steaming pile of well known crap it is now).

I say this not because I feel compelled by the kind words, but instead because we’re getting all meta about blogging: I’ve always enjoyed OV (and the original blogs from which it was comprised) greatly. I don’t comment as much as I’d like to, but I’m around.

[quote name=Aisle424]I would LOVE to know how much he takes in from that site. I bet he doesn’t have an office as nice as our OV headquarters though. Our staff did a nice job with the Christmas decorations this year.

[/quote]
I’m the guy taking the picture since I’m not allowed in.

[quote name=mb21]I’m the guy taking the picture since I’m not allowed in.[/quote]But we still allow you access to the guest house.

[quote name=bubblesdachimp]Ken_Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal
Sources: #Marlins close to acquiring Carlos Zambrano from #Cubs. #MLB[/quote]Probably good for both teams, as well for Carlos to get away from the fucking pack of hyenas the Cubs have for a press corps.

Bubbles has really mixed thoughts…