www.nataliedee.com

Have you ever worked service? We have. Our tip jar often looked like the one in the picture. Once, a customer left something like a 30 percent tip. That was a big day in the Martin Household.

Then this guy Eric Hawthorne, some ne'er-do-well "father" and "medical student" waiting tables in Kansas City, Mo., gets a $1,100 tip — something like 1,300 percent of the check, while he was having a bad day, the news report said. Here, watch this video.

Did you catch the part about how Hawthorne is going to spend a lot of the money on his kid? And on books? God, who is this guy, right? He should instead buy 1,100 scratchers. Or maybe use the dough to fly to New York and eat at Per Se. Hey, they serve ice cream. It just happens to be licorice flavor, served with candied walnuts, bosc pears, and walnut mousse. Whatever, we missed our chance, apparently, having stowed the white apron. Of course, the trend for us seemed to be toward a lot more bad days and a lot fewer $1,000 tips. Harumph.

Waiter Receives $1,100 Tip After Having a Bad Day [Fox News Kansas City]
Per Se [MenuPages]
Per Se [Official Site]

[Image: Via Natalie Dee]

There hasn't exactly been a boom in new restaurants over the last week. We assume people are either on vacation, or spent the week celebrating the New Year. But one thing we couldn't helping mentioning is how we must lay to rest the popular new years eve eyeglasses with the double zeros in them. Rest in peace, trashy eyewear.

Crazy Incidents: Well, we assume they didn't ask for that piece of plaster in their lobster bisque. Unfortunately, Saturday night the new Franklin Cafe in Southie literally brought down the house. Several wooden panels fell from the ceiling and landed on the diners. 11 people were hurt, but luckily the injuries were not major. However, this shouldn't deter you from going back to the Franklin. It's still one of the coolest spots in the Hub. [Boston Herald]

[Photo: Gawker]

We love pizza as much as anyone, but we also like making choices that have a positive impact on our community and ourselves. It isn't a secret that some of us are vegan (or can be persuaded to act like one, depending on the day), but finding the best vegan eats can be tricky for those not embedded in the culture.

Most omnivores know Veggie Planet Pizza for their folk music stage and delicious pizzas for vegans and vegetarians alike. From using local ingredients to organic dough made at the South End's Haley House, Veggie Planet is an establishment firmly rooted in the community. For skeptics that don't believe vegetarian food can be tasty, VP is the place we take them every time. No one is ever disappointed.

T. J. Scallywaggle's, currently in the process of rebranding themselves TJ's House of Vegan Pizza, is also busy opening another location in Jamaica Plain. The good news is that during the changes, they're still open for business, serving some of the most inventive vegan pies in town. If you've ever had vegan cheese, you know it's melting properties aren't quite the same as the dairy version. That doesn't stop TJ's from making delicious pizzas that warm up great the next day, too. Our favorites include anything with their fake chicken.

We'd also be remiss if we didn't mention Beauty's. While nothing on their menu is explicitly vegan, the friendly folks behind the counter are happy to accommodate a vegan guest who walks through their door. Most of their gourmet vegetarian pizzas can be easily converted. Our fave is the spinach mushroom Florentine. Join their mailing list on their website and get a free medium pizza that will win you over and send you back for more.

Veggie Planet [Official Site]
TJ's House of Vegan Pizza [Official Site]
Beauty's Pizza [Official Site]

[Photo: rusvaplauke/Flickr]

• Three months into the trans fat ban, the vast majority of Boston restaurants are free of the dreaded substance. However, doughnuts and cakes still have a couple more months before they too must be trans fat free. Get 'em while you can? [Boston Globe]

• Last month, Chan Yan-tak, a chef in Hong Kong, was the first Chinese chef to be awarded three Michelin stars. It turns out that this honor is not free of controversy, as his restaurant is at the Fours Seasons &mdash potentially not the most authentically Chinese of establishments. [NYT]

• Speaking of Michelin controversy in Hong Kong, Bo Innovation, a restaurant with a self-taught chef garnered two stars. What's the drams? Some consider Bo the El Bulli of Asia, others deem it far over-hyped, but most interestingly, it would appear that the real problem is having a French guidebook act as a definitive guide on Hong Kong cuisine. [Wall Street Journal]

• A grocery store burglar in Wisconsin has a mighty refined palate: the $625 worth of groceries that he stole was mostly in lobster and ribeye. [AP/San Francisco Chronicle]

• Chicago-area Whole Foods stores pulled items from the shelves that were mislabeled as gluten-free, in the wake of a Chicago Tribune story about this very matter. Score 1 for journalism! [Chicago Tribune]

Ernesto's has been hanging tight in the North End for over twenty years, and with over twenty thin crust pizza options daily - all of these available by the slice, mind you - it's no wonder these guys have a steady following and booming takeout business.

Ernesto's is perhaps most famous for their size. We don't tend to think size matters, but when you pay $4 for a slice of pizza and end up walking out with a fourth of the pie, even we can be forced to rethink these things. The guys who work there get the joke too. They've seen the naive first-timers come in and ask for two slices for one person. Everyone sort of laughs, and the newbie is absolutely horrified when their order is ready. Live and learn.

As a family-run business, only the friendliest folks handle the cooking and counter. They serve beer and wine and run a nightly drink special. The actual seating space can be cramped, but we always grab ours to go anyway. If you ask nicely, they'll even cut your monster slice of pizza in half for you.

Even their calzones are a reason to stop in. Go hungry, leave happy.

Ernesto's [MenuPages]
Ernesto's [Official Site]

[Photo: wEnDaLicious/Flickr]

Is there something going on we don't know about? When did Porter Square suddenly become Japanese food mecca in Cambridge? What's with the influx of amazing food into this food court-type area? We may not be good at keeping track of time or locations, but we're all kinds of stoked that this red line stop has multiple selections of noodles and rice, right next to one another. We love Cafe Mami, and we're just as tickled about Ittyo.

Much like its neighboring Japanese cafes, Ittyo serves up incredible deals that fill you to the brim. Dinner boxes offer an array of choices, much like the lunch combos. Prices are easy on college kids and recession survivors alike. Hot soup is our choice for now, but come spring, we have a feeling we'll be trekking into the Porter Exchange for cold soba. And yes, Ittyo has hamburgers, too.

You also won't have to wait around for lunch at Ittyo. Unlike some of the other cafes in the area, Ittyo opens early for lunch at 11am. Got somewhere to be at noon? These friendly folks will welcome you in Japanese and send you on your way in no time.

Ittyo [MenuPages]
Ittyo [Official Site]

[Photo: jetalone/Flickr]

If there's one item we're always excited to discuss, it's the delicious nectar of the gods. Wine is one of our favorite alcoholic beverages, and in all truth, we would probably suck the alcohol out of a deodorant stick, so that's saying a lot. But despite all our ingestion of the product, we aren't particularly experts on designating between price and quality. However, we've recently settled on a specific vineyard that is a great cross-section between reasonable price and quality taste. J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines is a California-grown company that is guaranteed to please all palates every time a cork is popped.

A staple of many dinner parties is Chardonnay, and J. Lohr's Riverstone Chardonnay is the perfect type to purchase by the case to keep your guests on their toes. A perfect touch of citrus makes this a wine that will go with most meals. However, the price is equally attractive. Downtown Boston liquor stores will charge around $14 per bottle, but we have a feeling the 'burbs provide the chance to save a few bucks.

Looking for a J. Lohr red to sit back and enjoy the evening? Their most frequently sold is the Seven Oaks Cabernet, a rich and fruity option that won't break the bank. For around $15 a bottle, you and your loved ones can sit back in intoxicated bliss. However, J. Lohr offers a variety of other delicious wines for fans of the vineyard. For a higher price, sample the Cuvee Series. In fact, the 2005 J. Lohr Cuvee St. E, which is 50% Cabernet Franc, and the rest a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, was awarded the gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. We can pretty much bet that those giant jugs of Carlo Rossi on the bottom shelf at the packie aren't winning any contests.

J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines [Official Site]

[Photo: Seven Stars and Stripes]

Some Boston brunch spots give off the impression that your food has been dropped on the floor, thrown against the wall, and then strategically placed right back on your plate. Ever seen the disgusting (yet hilarious) college movie Road Trip? There's a scene involving Saturday Night Live's Horatio Sanz as a diner cook. The many ways that man defiles French toast, you don't want to imagine. Let's just say it scared us away from truck stops for a bit of time. So where''s a decent brunch spot that won't cost an arm and a leg, yet isn't the International House Of Pancakes?

In looking for a great brunch spot to nurse our hangovers with friends on the weekends, we came across The Kinsale. Are you thinking, "Didn't I get plastered there last night?" Well yes, the Kinsale is an Irish pub after the sun goes down. But come the hours of 10am to 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and the Kinsale becomes a great place to recover from the night before.

Very centrally located in Government Center just a hop from the T stop, we found the menu to be equally as easy to choose from. Since we have an awkward aversion to breakfast foods, we love to head to the lunch menu for the Kinsale's crispy, seasoned fries. While we tend to order a veggie burger to sit next to those fries, we understand the majority probably would prefer one of the Kinsale's many burgers. While there are typical combos such as the peppercorn smoked cheddar burger, the Kinsale isn't afraid to go a little further. An example: The Dubliner Burger, topped with black and white pudding and aged Irish cheddar cheese. If you're brave enough, let us know how that goes down.

The Kinsale [MenuPages]
The Kinsale [Official Site]

[Photo: Huge Reviews]

With the New Year on our doorstep, it's completely a given that thousands of champagne bottles will be poppin' across Boston. But when it comes to this delicious beverage, known to "go in like perfume, and come out like poison," there are all levels of luxury. On the champagne scale, you can go from bottles that cost a few bucks to those that cost over a thousand. So let's navigate the river of this fizzy lifting drink from low to high, and find a price everyone can settle on for a successful New Year's Eve.

At the bottle of the barrel is a brand most people have succumbed to drinking, whether it be in college or just out of desperation. Andre champagne retails for literally only a few dollars a bottle, and it still serves the purpose if you're having a large party where lots of mouths need to be fed, er..filled. If you're looking to step it up a notch, a bottle of Korbel is a popular choice for only around $12.

Want to skip up to the high-class champagnes? Well luckily enough, champagne is immediately associated with luxury, so no problem there. Leave your Bud Light at home for a lovely bottle of Laurent Perrier Champagne Brut, for the low price of around $40 at most liquor stores. The type of champagne you don't have to be ashamed to bring as a gift to your host, it's much less expensive than some of the alternatives out there. For example, one of the most famous brands around is Veuve Clicquot. For around $90-100, you're definitely paying for that label, but if price is no object, then so be it. Another high quality alternative includes Moet and Chandon's Dom Perignon, which at its cheapest level can be bought for around $120. However if you're willing to pony up, a 1998 Dom Perignon Lagerfeld costs around $2500!

No matter what form of liquid you choose to ingest on New Year's Eve, we still think the company you keep is the best key to having a fabulous evening. But a little bubbly never hurt.

[Photo: Baskets By Rita]

There's yet another New Year's Eve lurking right around the corner! That means another night of listening to the smooth sounds of those honking noisemakers, finding someone to make out with at midnight, and of course forcing someone to be the designated driver. But say this year, you've chosen to bypass all the party mania and head out to dine instead. Where's the best location for your last meal of the year?

A multitude of Boston restaurants have the perfect evening planned out for their guests with special prix fixe menus. A standout in the field of New Years choices is Hamersley's Bistro, the beautiful location adjacent to the Boston Center for the Arts, lit to perfection with tiny white lights across the brick courtyard. If you're looking to go French for the evening, Hamersley's would be an ideal choice. They are offering a 4 course menu at $110 per person. Also included is a champagne toast with your dessert, and we all know champagne is a great way to ring in a new year. While Hamersley's can definitely get a little pricey for this holiday evening, there are a variety of alternatives for those who are looking to keep their budget trim.

If you're looking to go Spanish for New Years, there's always a fabulous meal awaiting you at Tapeo. This Newbury Street location has for years been known as a great tapas location, but their New Years menu attracts us even more. For just $40 per person, you can enjoy one cold tapa, 2 hot tapas, paella, dessert, and a glass of champagne. With the chance to pick at each other's plates so obvious at Tapeo, this deal can result in quite a large meal for both you and your guest. However knowing Tapeo's specialties, we'd suggest adding a pitcher of sangria into the mix. After that, most acquaintances will pretty much be forgotten for the evening.

Hamersley's Bistro [MenuPages]
Hamersley's Bistro [Official Site]
Tapeo [MenuPages]
Tapeo [Official Site]

[Photo: Pro.Corbis]

Christmas is over, and you're going back to work if you haven't already. At least a mid-week holiday is right around the corner...

Openings

Cambridge: Turns out those people loitering behind the Fresh Pond Mall actually had reason to be there: They opened Basha, a new Middle Eastern cafe. [Chowhound]

Chestnut Hill: Bloomie's will soon get its own Forty Carrots, an in-store restaurant that has been around since the 70's. As the name suggests, the location will feature mostly healthy foods, as well as their famous frozen yogurt. [Boston Restaurant Talk]

Closings

Framingham: Dim Sum and then some, no longer. Green Tea II has closed its doors. [Chowhound]

[Photo: Earthfirst]

There are so many ways to usher in the new year with style. While we continue to recover from the massive holiday gorging, the last thing we want to do is cook. For excellent Mexican takeout at prices to match the holiday discount sales at the mall, we head to Olecito.

Huge burritos are the draw, but delicious tacos and tortas keep us coming back to this tiny Inman Square spot again and again. Don't expect to bring a posse with you unless they're helping to carry the takeout bags - Olecito only has a small eating area and does most of their business in take-away. The amazing selection of Mexican bottled beverages is always fun to browse, and their vegetarian options are great. Extra additions to your selection - think a giant dollop of guac on your quesadilla - will set you back a mere fifty cents. They even offer a selection of Mexican-style sandwiches for those craving a more authentic experience.

Remember to snag the free chips and salsa that come with your goodies. Even their salsa is deliciously memorable, and you'll probably want the extra carb padding for your belly come midnight Wednesday.

Olecito [MenuPages]

[Photo: Moe_/Flickr]

There are so many ways to usher in the new year with style. While we continue to recover from the massive holiday gorging, the last thing we want to do is cook. For excellent Mexican takeout at prices to match the holiday discount sales at the mall, we head to Olecito.

Huge burritos are the draw, but delicious tacos and tortas keep us coming back to this tiny Inman Square spot again and again. Don't expect to bring a posse with you unless they're helping to carry the takeout bags - Olecito only has a small eating area and does most of their business in take-away. The amazing selection of Mexican bottled beverages is always fun to browse, and their vegetarian options are great. Extra additions to your selection - think a giant dollop of guac on your quesadilla - will set you back a mere fifty cents. They even offer a selection of Mexican-style sandwiches for those craving a more authentic experience.

Remember to snag the free chips and salsa that come with your goodies. Even their salsa is deliciously memorable, and you'll probably want the extra carb padding for your belly come midnight Wednesday.

Olecito [MenuPages]

[Photo: Moe_/Flickr]

We definitely love the whole grab-and-go opportunity that Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts present to us on a daily basis. If we haven't had time to enjoy our morning ritual of hooking up our caffeine IV while checking the news (cough, Facebook, cough) we love to stop in and grab a cup on our way to work. On almost every corner of Boston, one of these local coffee shops is the perfect stop to give that jolt you need, whether it's the morning or middle of the night. However, after a few recalculations of our budget (aka gigantic bills attributed to daily stops at said coffee shops and expensive shoes) we realized we should try to make an effort to make our own brew. We felt a little badly about consuming our boss' entire coffee stash, so we started bringing in our own pounds to lighten to economic burden of our caffeine addiction. While we appreciate the $6 per pound price tag for Dunkin Donuts Hazlenut of French Vanilla flavors, sometimes we like to branch out. While Starbucks is of course an obvious option, let's diversify.

Peet's Coffee & Tea does a great business per pound. Apparently, devoted fans are referred to as "Peetniks." They must be pretty devoted, if they're willing to spend almost $14 per pound on the signature Arabian Mocha Java. But when you think about how much you're droppin' for that daily latte at the 'Bux, $14 a pound doesn't sound too bad for the amount that it will provide you in your home. Another option is the popular Espresso Royale Cafe, most often populated by the bike riding, skinny jeans set. But man, do they know their coffee beans! We love their dark roasted blends, which retail for about $9 a pound. When we consider how much coffee we end up pouring in our boss' Black and Decker on a daily basis, by the pound is pretty much the wisest way to caffeinate our day.

Starbucks [Official Site]
Dunkin Donuts [Official Site]
Peet's Coffee and Tea [Official Site]
Espresso Royale [Official Site]

[Photo: Weblogs Asp Net]

We've written endless posts on our love of hotel bars, but never have we been able to write about one that spawned off a child due to its overwhelming success. We're referring to City Bar, of course. The original location, housed inside the Lenox Hotel, is one of Back Bay's swankiest bars for enjoying a cocktail. Definitely one of Boston's sleekest spots to grab a drink, the clientele ranges from international journalists (we eavesdropped on that one) to city hipsters in the typical Chuck Taylors. Everyone seems to be able to find their place at City Bar.

Maybe that's why the Waterfront now has an all new City Bar of its own. Down by the popular and always celebrity-attracting Westin Waterfront, it's the perfect location for those who don't feel like trekking to Back Bay for after work cocktails. And with an all new branch of M.J. O'Conner's Irish Pub right next door, you can go from swank to just plain wasted in only a few steps.

They don't simply refer to their drinks as cocktails at City Bar. Instead, they call them infusions diabolique. Oooooh, how sultry! But in all truth, their martini list is quite interesting. If you're one for a little bit of chocolate, try the Willy Wonka. It's a mix of chocolate vodka, Godiva White and Dark, and white Creme de Cacao. Luckily, there's no golden ticket required to taste it.

City Bar [Official Site]
M.J. O'Conner's Irish Pub [Official Site]

[Photo: City Bar]

Tis' the season to be jolly, black out in front of your grandma and wake up dressed in tinsel under the tree. Oh, how we love the holidays. The little Baby Jesus, sliding down the chimney carrying a menorah driven by reindeer. It's all so cheerful. But with the onslaught of holiday parties comes an onslaught of holiday cocktails, and we're not complaining. If you're looking for a dance club to forget that fact that your yearly bonus must have gotten "lost in the mail," District is a popular holiday party pick. Try their Mistle Toe Martini, a mix of vodka, strawberries, pineapple juice, and 7-up. It might not be as promising as standing under the mistletoe, but if you hand a coworker a few of those she might just pucker up anyway.

Uptown at Eastern Standard, the popular restaurant and home of bartenders who seriously know their drinks, we've heard there's a lovely drink entitled the Belle de Jour hitting the bar. A dazzling concoction of Brandy, Benedictine, fresh lemon juice, home made grenadine, and sparkling wine, the drink may be called the Bell De Jour, but have one too many and you might feel little bit like the femme de nuit. Not that being a woman of the night is always a bad thing. Just watch out for Santa when you're tiptoeing in late at night. Gotta avoid being placed on that "naughty" list!

District [Official Site]
Eastern Standard [Official Site]

[Photo: Xanga]

Our dreams of a Parisian life in which long baguettes, endless bottles of Bordeaux and plates and plates of Raclette fill the kitchen may be just a fantasy, but with Boston's incredible sources for this exquisite cheese, you don't have to live outside the Raclette set. For those unfamiliar, Raclette is a cow's milk cheese that originated in Switzerland. Now mostly made in France, Bostonians have fallen in love with the incredible dishes it creates. We're extremely partial to the Baked Raclette at Bouchee, Newbury Street's super chic brasserie. Enjoy the melted cheese draped over port poached pears on top of a fresh baguette from their hors d'oeuvres list for a very reasonable price.

If you want to take the world of Raclette into your own hands, then you'll be thrilled to know that this is the season of the Raclette grill. Now imagine a bunch of suburbanites in plaid pants sitting around a table eating fondue in the late seventies. This is nothing like that. Well, the family style mode of dipping fresh veggies and meats into the grill is the same, but it's definitely much more desirable than crusty bread on a stick. Our friends over at Kitchen Arts on Newbury, the beautiful cookware supply store, have a new raclette grill in stock for the serious chef. For under $100, you can bring home an 8-person Raclette grill. It's a fun alternative to cooking an extensive meal for lots of guests, and definitely much cheaper than a flight all the way across the Atlantic.

Bouchee [Official Site]
Kitchen Arts [Official Site]

[Photo: Happygrub Wordpress]

We assume mostly everyone went through the experience of hopping over neck-high snow banks and dipping your feet in freezing, dirty slush. So hang your scarves and hats by the fire, and step out to visit these new locations throughout town.

Openings

Harvard Square: Hang out with some Tories without even setting foot in England. The vacant spot on the corner of Brattle and JFK streets will soon become Tory Row, another location owned by creators of Miracle of Science and Cambridge 1. If they're going to make burgers like those at MOS, we can guarantee Tory Row will be a success. [Cantabrigia]

North End:The spot that formerly held Emedio's will soon become Nico Ristorante, a restaurant and a bar owned by someone who really enjoys Saturday Night Fever. We highly suggest viewing the website. [Chowhound]

The Pru: We're thrilled Wagamama is continuing it's expansion across the river from it's popular location in Harvard Square. [Beantown Bloggery]

[Photo: MIT Admissions]

Everyone goes a little eggnog crazy this time of year. We've wandered past eggnog-scented girly goodies in the mall. Christina's Ice Cream carries their seasonal eggnog ice cream flavor. Starbucks has an eggnog latte. The Breakfast Club (270 Western Ave, Allston) serves eggnog waffles and pancakes.

But while all of these neat concoctions are festive and fun, we want a big tall glass of the real thing. We don't care if it has rum, bourbon, or is alki-free. We're ready to drink up. LA Burdick occasionally carries a hearty nog this time of year, but we're mostly into buying some from the store or making our own. For a cheap fix, you can try any of the new Hood varieties (we love vanilla or pumpkin), sold at Shaw's and the like. For a few more pennies and a richer drink, try the 365 Whole Foods version - you'll know it by the glass bottle. For some of the best in town, from local dairies around suburban Boston, head to the Davis Square Dairy Bar.

If you're lactose intolerant, look for Vitasoy Holly Nog and Silk Soy-nog as perfectly acceptable substitutes. And if you're just worried about the calories, Hood has a light version too.

Happy drinking and happy holidays!

Christina's Ice Cream [Official Site]
The Breakfast Club, 270 Western Ave, Allston, 617-783-1212
Burdick Chocolate [Official Site]
The Dairy Bar at Kickass Cupcakes [Official Site]

[Photo: House of Sims/Flickr]

• A pair of caviar smugglers were apprehended in Italy, carrying about 88lbs of beluga caviar &mdash estimated cash value, $550,000. So what's to be done with the valuable, and extremely delicious, contraband? It's to be fed to the needy and homeless on Christmas. [BBC]

• Get scared, y'all! Apparently, Chicago-area groceries stores (and, we assume, stores nationwide) "routinely" mislabel products that contain food allergens. [Chicago Tribune]

• A lawyer in Arizona was arrested for feeding his client a piece of candy against detention officers' orders. We are left wondering how many other times candy has been against the law. [AP/San Francisco Chronicle]

• Attention holiday travelers: while most airports are still black holes for good eats, the lucky millions passing through LAX, Dallas, Miami, and Atlanta are in for some tasty grub. That said, none of the the food at these airports comes close to that at JFK's new Jet Blue terminal. [NYT]

• After 16 years of dwindling returns, salmon are finally coming back to Maine rivers in greater numbers. [AP/Boston Globe]