"I'm sure people who even hate G.W. get sick of reading your dribble.

Café, February 1, 2007

Love Him or Hate Him

Wat's wrong: Ian Froeb's review of Queen of Sheba ["Wat's New"] misses the fact that the restaurant is Eritrean (rather than Ethiopian), and misses the first appetizer on the menu, an Eritrean "bread salad," which is one of the best items on the menu. But mainly he's pissy time after time. It is not the restaurant's fault if he spilled food on his sweater. That the owner chose a location that has housed two failed restaurants need not be rubbed in. The lamb is not "deeply gamy," it is normal lamb from a restaurant supplier. Likewise, if he can't keep from mixing the foods on his plate together, that is not the restaurant's fault, and calling the color of the mixture "a shade of crimson darker than blood" is negatively loaded speech this excellent restaurant doesn't deserve. In four visits I have never experienced cigarette smoke, and the Ethiopian music is played at very acceptable levels. Mr. Berake, the owner, is planning a coffee ceremony, which Mr. Froeb might have discovered by asking. This guy should be writing ad copy for used-car lots, not restaurant reviews.
Joel Slotnikoff, St. Louis Noble wat: Your article gave me the courage to visit this restaurant. I loved the food, being of Indian descent. I really felt the food was great and service was good. The place looked nice and owner was courteous. I would recommend this place to others. Thanks again for the article.
Dave Seehra, St. Louis

Issue of February 1, 2007

Incoming! Anyone care to respond to Mr. Ware? While I realize that print journalism is, by nature, so far to the left that you are damn near falling of the map, your rag is the worst I have ever seen. If you are writing about politics, that's one thing, but you people insist on ripping George Bush in everything you write. If I am reading about Irish car bombs [Randall Roberts, "Drink of the Week"] or Surge energy drink [Malcolm Gay, "Keep It Down"], I don't need to hear your disgusting views on our great president. I'm sure people who even hate G.W. get sick of reading your dribble. Get over it, you bleeding-heart liberal pieces of shit!

I dare you to print this letter and respond.
Matt Ware, Maryland Heights

Music, January 25, 2007

Night-Nights Let's hear it for the Nights' mettle for metal! It's nice to see such a great sendoff by RFT and the Post-Dispatch ["R.I.P. Mississippi Nights"]. But I do have a problem. Nobody says anything about the real shows at the Nights: the metal shows! AC/DC (with Bon Scott), Pantera (two times), Slayer (four times), Anthrax, Deftones, Korn, Sevendust, Misfits, GWAR, Sepultura and more. I must have been there 100 times, but not much in the last couple of years because not many metal acts had played there lately.

My first show there was with my mom; she tried early on to get me into jazz, and she took me to Flora Purim in 1983. But I was born with metal in my veins. I missed Pantera/Exodus/Suicidal Tendencies in 1990 because I was at Clapton that same night. But in 1992 I started going all the time. Tora Tora, King's X, Fight (with Rob Halford), Pride & Glory (with Zakk Wylde), Korn with Limp Bizkit, Slayer with System of a Down, Decendents with Less Than Jake, Helmet, Kid Rock with Monster Magnet...sooooo many others. I remember a show I paid money for and never got to see the band! It was Pennywise. The second band's singer had on a kilt with no underwear. He was flashing people during the set. When Pennywise hit the stage, twenty or so cops came in and the show was over because of the kilt guy. Pennywise never played a song. It was buying a soda and steam coming off the ice because it was 120 degrees in the venue. It was some random guy jumping on the stage and jumping up on a metal bar on the ceiling and going the length of the club on that bar. Mississippi Nights just ruled. I still have the RFT with the Mississippi Nights ad promoting the Nirvana show — somewhere.
Garrett Enloe, Webster Groves