Thursday, August 18, 2011

Mercadito Chef's Encounter With JHud

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On his flight from Chicago to NYC Thursday, Mercadito chef/partner Patricio Sandoval snagged a first-class seat next to newly svelte star Jennifer Hudson.

He admitted that he was a tad bit star struck, but not so much that he didn't pay attention to her eating "habits:"

Best Customer Service Story EVER.

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Peter Shankman (left) with tuxedoed server from Morton's Hackensack. (Photo: Peter Shankman)

I guess you can say there are benefits to having more than 100,000 Twitter followers. And it certainly helps if you're also a whiz when it comes to social media networking.

New York consultant Peter Shankman—who tweets @petershankman—received one of the best receptions ever Wednesday night when he arrived at Newark Airport to find a Morton's Steakhouse server waiting for him with a bag filled with "a 24 oz. Porterhouse steak, an order of Colossal Shrimp, a side of potatoes, one of Morton's famous round things of bread, two napkins and silverware."

How did this happen?!

Can He Bounce Back?!

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Chef James Toland of The Black Sheep. (Photo: Lorenzo Tassone)

The troubles plaguing the The Black Sheep have been well documented by Eater Chicago.

The West Town restaurant has only been open for about a couple of months, but it quickly became known more for its drama behind the scenes than for the food. THAT is not a good thing.

But James Toland, chef/owner of TBS, insisted in a recent interview with Chicago magazine's Dish that all is good on the homefront: