Forgo Pantry for Counter Space; Turn Den into Storage

A legendary “food” location transformed into a new specialty restaurant at the three star Tulip Inn, offers fresh interpretations of classical Indian flavours. Aromas from the fresh tandoor envelope us as we approach the stretch. The open kitchen sporting shiny kebab skewers and the ultra modern décor at the almost empty restaurant looks unbelievably new! Decor The rich, red and gold brocade menu advertizes the traditional “Bawarchi khana” from the kitchens of Oudh. There’s a small problem with that promise. The beaten gold faux leather furniture, white tables with runners, dark chocolate and gold-etched glass backdrop and an over powering canopy of wrought iron filigree lighting instantly runs a flashback of the previously existing tired dining room that buzzed at the same space as Kolkata’s busiest biryani and chaanp place. Food As a first-time diner, it is a pleasure to find a simple menu prepared with great perseverance, it steered us to a slice of Lucknowi culture. Curries, tandoori and unusual vegetarian dishes dominate the options. We settle for Paya Shorba ( 150), Mawa Bhara Khumb ( 200), Galouti Kebab served with Ulta Paratha ( 300) in the first course. For second, we chose the obvious Oudh Gosht Biryani ( 300), Khusk Aloo ( 175) and Mehr-e-Aftaab ( 300), stuffed minced balls in brown sauce, very similar to the Kashmiri Rishta. Plus & Minus The flavours are great — subtle and not overpowering — and the service is efficient and fast, considering the cuisine. The delicate lamb shorba sets the mood — perfect in temperature and a mild dash of lemon makes it a fabulous blend. The char grilled button mushrooms comes with a freshness of cheese, khoya and onion stuffing, delightful for the palate. The real Oudhi jewel, melt in the mouth Galouti, comes with ample spicing and brushed in ghee. A faultless combination with the sweet touch of the Ulta Parathas. For grilled meats, you can try the Kebab Tashtari ( 475), a day’s special kebab platter, which we skipped to try the mains. The Biryani arrives in a generous portion. Though, the authenticity is a question — more “Kolkata” than “Oudh” in its manifestation, with the unique Kolkata tradition of a potato along with the well-cooked pieces of lambs! It is light and tasty in its mildness, without the strong essence. The mince balls with Mawa stuffing are dipped in a rich tomato and onion gravy, but are dry inside. The Khusk Alu fails to impress, no baby potatoes, it comes in a gravy with curry leaves and mustard tempering. We polished off a Malai Kulfi ( 125), sans the faluda and a Pista Phirnee ( 100) at the end. Daawat-E-Shiraz: Tulip Inn Kolkata , 56 Park Street, Kol: 700017 Meal for two: 1,000 Timings: Noon to 4 pm, 7 pm to 11.30 pm Alcohol: No Ratings Food: 3 Service: 3.5 Decor: 3

During their two decades in Rustic Canyon, Cydney and Gary Mandel had revamped their 1920s house twice before considering its relationship to the garden. In the third and final remodeling, San Francisco architect Tom Goodwin made the outdoors into pictures using glass walls and French doors and Santa Monica garden designer Nancy Power created garden rooms to lure people outside. Organizing the landscape, Power worked with the bold volumes of the building, creating functional patios, as well as walks, steps and understated fountains. L.A. architectural designer Clive Bridgwater conceived finishing touches--such as stacked stone walls and a freestanding fireplace that warms a terrace behind the house. Now, in place of the soggy lawn the Mandels seldom used, they have an outdoor kitchen and dining room, plus ample space for open-air lounging and parties.For planting help, the Mandels turned to Pasadena landscape architect Denis Kurutz. Their emphasis, Cydney says, was on "serenity, with an exotic twist." Given heavy shade from existing sycamores and other trees, the logical plant choices were common--"like impatiens," Cydney recalls. But she and her husband, both avid travelers, had memories of Balinese bamboos, Hawaiian bromeliads and large-leafed tropicals from Indonesia. They wanted to de-emphasize flowers and showcase foliage in mass plantings that would stand up against their tall, geometric house.Kurutz's focus was to assemble the wide variety of plants and make them all work in harmony with the setting. "It's cool and wet here in this canyon, and ferns speak to that," he says. "So do strap-leafed plants, from mondo grass around paving stones to giant crinum lilies." Eye-catching accents include a yellow-striped bamboo, visible from the dining room; fiery orange epidendrums planted along a hillside walk above; and yellow kangaroo paws beside the pool in front of the house. "In certain areas, we sought relief from green," says Kurutz, who delighted in hunting down character plants, such as Dalechampia dioscoreifolia, a vine with bat-shaped purple blooms.With the plants in place and growing strong, the Mandels are busy furnishing their verdant rooms. They found a granite pedestal in China for their outdoor living room, a marble-topped table in Paris and a pair of upholstered lounging chairs at Blackman Cruz, a shop on La Cienega Boulevard. In dry weather, Cydney unrolls a sisal rug in front of the fireplace and, in the cool evenings, she sets floor lamps and heaters amid the chairs. "In the beginning," she says, "I resisted all the paving. But it's made the garden usable. Instead of seeing it from a distance, we're out there all the time."

Without knowing your decorating scheme, I will just offer the site listed below, which makes it easy to find a suitable photo. You can search by theme or by color. And you wo not be overwhelmed by too many mediocre choices; just a few good ones in each category1. at disney world, where do you recommend dining?I can not say that I've had a bad meal at any restaurant in WDW. Some of my favorites are: The California Grill Ohana The Whispering Canyon Cafe (make sure to ask for ketchup) Chef Mickeys At Epcot Le Cellier (Canada) Nine Dragons (China) Chefs de France (France)2. Do you think this dining room is nice?Very large! To many chairs, if you need the extra chairs for large gatherings I guess you have to put them somewhere, but the room looks like a chair factory. I personally do not like the color of the table or the lighting fixtures. But it is your house and it is about what you like not me. The floor and the beams are very nice.3. How is Tokyo Dining at Epcot?have not really eaten here after they redid the place because its always packed now. but I think its really good. do not know if you've eaten at Benihana but they serve similar food. I like the sushi, salad and tempura there. There is one large window facing the World Showcase lake unless you sat here I do not think you will have a good view of everything that goes on during the fireworks.4. Does my Disney dining plan include tip?always leave a tip even if it included in the bill5. What is the formal statement of the dining philosopher's problem?Having the philosophers act simultaneously (like if two of them try to pick up the same fork at the same time) would potentially make the d.p.p. even worse.But with the "bad" algorithm presented on Wikipedia, if all philosophers pick up the fork on their left, at times $t_1,dots,t_5$, then we have deadlock no matter what the times $t_i$ are6. question about disney dining plan!?If you plan on doing any of the sit downs the YES!!! It saves a poop load of money. My husband and I always do the one table, one quick and one snack and it is perfect. Ends up being $80 a day total for the two of us and we eat $80 to $150 a day in food. Our dinner at the Coral Reef in Epcot came to a little over $90 so we paid for an entires day worth of food and them some in one meal. The only thing the meal plan does not cover is tips at the nice sit downs. The prices is different for kids and unless they are toddlers who eat very little or infants who clearly are not going to eat anything other than what you bring you can pass on them. We tend to do meal plans in our family tree for anyone over the age of 5. Sometimes 3 or 4 years old when it comes to the boys. Nevertheless when it comes to adults it saves a ton. Also keep in mind two things. 1: Make reservations ASAP, the nice places will fill up fast. This year when we went I booked two months early for Coral Reef and we got the last seat. The steak house in Canada in Epcot I have been told fills up first because the food is soooo good. We still have yet to make it there because it is always booked. 2: "Snacks" are more or less anything under $8.00. First time we got the meal plan we were halfway through the trip before I knew you could use it in Goofys Candy Shop, Frozen Drinks (no booze), or even some of the sides we would get with our quick serve meals. The cut apples with carmel dip in your hotel food area are yummy! So are the chocolate dipped marshmallows rolled in mini M&ms in the candy shops. Have a wonderful time!7. Is dining out expensive in Honolulu?Avoid hotel restaurants & most places in Waikiki. Look for "plate lunch wagons". They may not be the healthiest thing around but they are cheap, filling, & tasty. If you are staying in Waikiki, try some of the smaller, local restaurants up Kapahulu Ave (the zoo end of Waikiki). Ono Hawaiian Foods is one place I can personally recommend. There are many Zippy's all over the place - they are kind of like a local style Denny's. Their chili is a local favorite. A couple of other places that give you good value are: I Love Country Cafe, near the Ala Moana Center, & Kaka'ako Kitchen in the Ward Center. Eggs 'n Things at the western end of Waikiki has a good breakfast. None of these places are great on atmosphere, but they are all good value for your money.

Family Dining RoomState Floor of the White House, showing the location of the Family Dining Room. The redecorated Family Dining Room in February 2015.The Family Dining Room is a dining room located on the State Floor of the White House, the official residence of the President of the United States. The room is used for smaller, more private meals than those served in the State Dining Room. Used in the 1800s as a space for the First Family to have their meals, the Family Dining Room was used less for family meals and more for working lunches and small dinners in the 20th and 21st centuries. (Family dinners are now more often served on the Second Floor in the President's Dining Room.)— — — — — —what heads up can you give me aboutgoing on a cruise??OKay, bring daytime clothes, and basically usually the things that u would take on a normal vacation and this may sound weird but I would not overpack as you are going to do alot of shopping and might not have room in your suitcase for it all and if you wear some of the same things twice people really wont know and can save you some room. Their will be 2 formal nights on 7 day cruises and then 2 semi formal and then the rest are casual. In the main dining room for dinner no shorts, jeans, and other apparell like that are aloud in the dining room for dinner and their are exceptions with kids. . Formal means dresses and semi formal means nice blouse and slacks usually and casual means khakis and a polo or skirt and nice blouse or something to that effect. If you have any more questiosn email me as I am not sure what all to tell you but If you email me I can give you tons of more information— — — — — —KFC workers please!How to clean lobby at KFC?You close sections of the dining room early so you can start your cleaning early— — — — — —Would you use these in your dining room?No but it's cute for grill outs or picnics. Wood is a pain to care for. It can not be put into the dishwasher and cannot be immersed in water. You also cannot allow the food to sit on it for extended amounts of time because the odors and oils will absorb and stain.— — — — — —Where does the leaf get stored on a dining room table?if you have a sofa with a skirt on it put it under the sofa— — — — — —WHAT IS THE EATING SECTION OF A RESTAURANT CALLED?Sometimes it's called the dining room— — — — — —My dog pees on the dining room table!?Maybe there is something going on that is making him nervous. You know, when dogs sense an enemy nearby, they start peeing and doing things they normally would not . So, is there some strong smell on the table he's peeing on? If there is, maybe you should try washing that part with some mild soap, and water so the smell will go away. If this does not work, you could simply try putting on there something he owns such as his bed or a toy he uses a lot to disguise that smell a bit.— — — — — —Damaged dining room table....?A quick fix is not always the answer when repairing a piece of furniture but some times in situations like this it may be your best solution. if the dent is not much more than superficial you can pic up a furniture repair kit from one of your local furniture stores. Or have them repair it. they normally have some one there that specializes in fixing scratches and dents.— — — — — —What is a great color to paint a dining room?Your style we dont know the color of the furniture but try to get a lighter variation of those— — — — — —Help with the color of dining room chairs? :-)?You might want to consider a print with the beige or peach in it. Maybe a geometric or flower print, bold colors mixed in with the more neutral tones would liven things up a bit, too— — — — — —What do you guys think about this dining room?What a gorgeous set! The holes add such interest to the design. I feel like because of the positioning of the holes you wont even notice them being there. It's sort of like how some chairs have the gaps at the bottom of the back.

Opening a restaurant takes a lot more than a dream and a good set of knives. Startup restaurateurs have to contend with countless hurdles, and landing a central location that comes with an affordable lease can seem almost impossible.So, rather than finding the perfect location and spending endless amounts of money on decor and kitchen equipment, the team behind the recently opened Nights and Weekends has taken an unconventional route. The franchise owners of the Meat and Bread sandwich shop in the downtown Grain Exchange Building approached Nights and Weekends’ now-manager Aaron Ellard, knowing that he has plenty of restaurant experience, including running a roving dim sum pop-up called SUM SUM that’s held events in Calgary bars over the last few years. Since Meat and Bread is only open for lunch, the owners thought Ellard could make good use of the space in its off-hours.Chefs from left: Bern Glatz, Nick Berenyi and Zander Hamm with the Nights and Weekends pop-up restaurant get food ready before opening in the Meat and Bread sandwich shop. Gavin Young/PostmediaGavin Young / CALwpEllard recruited co-chefs Bern Glatz (who has worked in the kitchens at Ten Foot Henry, Anju, UNA and Mercato) and Nick Berenyi (formerly of Bar Von Der Fels, Ox and Angela and UNA), as well as his SUM SUM partner Zander Hamm, who helped out with the menu. Klaire McCallum of Vine Arts signed on as wine director and Nights and Weekends was born.Despite having a regular location, the restaurant still brands itself as a pop-up, since the space is not really its own. The Nights and Weekends crew moves in on Thursdays through Sundays from 5 p.m. onward when the sandwich shop is closed. The furniture, signage and kitchen all belong to Meat and Bread — dinner guests sit at the 30 seats that line the sandwich counter, front window and a long table towards the back of the room, just as they would if they were grabbing a quick workday lunch. Nights and Weekends is essentially squatting in another restaurant, which is a huge part of its charm.“We’re a completely different business than the one that operates there during the day,” Ellard says. “We face a lot of constraints in that we’re working around everything that is already in place.”Chef Bern Glatz prepares a dish at the Nights and Weekends pop-up restaurant in the Meat and Bread sandwich shop. Gavin Young/PostmediaGavin Young / CALwpThe non-committal nature of the space also gives the chefs a chance to flex their creativity. Without the pressure of having a large corporate dining room to fill, Glatz and Berenyi’s small plates menu is daring, fun and full of flavour. Like the venue, the food has an enticing fly-by-night feel — every few months the chefs will revamp the menu from scratch, hinging it on an entirely different kind of cuisine.Currently, diners can choose from a small menu with a decidedly Asian fusion flair, with dishes like a cold baby beet salad with shishito peppers and cashews ($12), house-made tagliatelle with guanciale, kombu dashi and shiitake mushrooms ($9) or a larger format bao plate for two with a rotating filling (it’s set at market price, but when I stopped in it was $24 for four succulent pork belly buns). The servers recommend ordering four to five plates per couple, which is more than enough food.The drinks are also a key part of the concept — limited storage space means that McCallum can only have a few wines on hand but she keeps a well-curated selection, maintaining a “whatever is open” policy for wines ordered by the glass. There are also a few cocktails to try as well as surprisingly affordable bottles of wine.Nights and Weekends is located at 821 1st St. S.W. and is open from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Thursdays through Sunday. To make a reservation visit nightsandweekends.ca.The popular Dinner and a Movie nights at Heritage Park have returned for 2019. Held once a month, guests enjoy a three-course dinner in the Selkirk Grille inspired by an iconic movie, followed by a screening of said movie in the Gasoline Alley Museum. Tickets are $44 for the whole shebang or $8 for those who want to just do the movie.The first event of the year is on Jan. 29, featuring the classic Groundhog Day (maybe the chef will serve the same thing for all three courses?). A full list of dates and movie selections can be found at heritagepark.ca and reservations can be made on the site or by calling 403-268-8607.Send some positive vibes out to Calgary’s Dave Bohati next weekend as he travels to Kelowna to represent our local restaurant community at the Canadian Culinary Championships. Bohati, executive chef for both the Calgary and Canmore Murrieta’s locations, will face 10 other chefs from around the country in a fight for the top title. Bohati won the Calgary qualifier in November as part of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party fundraising event with a dish of smoked Waygu beef cheeks.Bohati has made it to the national finals before: he previously won the Calgary qualifier in 2014. The competition takes place Feb. 1-2 in Kelowna. Calgarians willing to make the trek to cheer Bohati on can buy tickets at greatkitchenparty.com.Elizabeth Chorney-Booth can be reached at elizabooth@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter at @elizaboothy or Instagram at @elizabooth.

By MOIRA HODGSONFEB. 3, 1982 This is a digitized version of an article from The Times's print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems. Please send reports of such problems to . THERE seems to be no limit to the number of ways and places in which Americans take their meals: in bed, at coffee-shop counters, while sandwiched between other passengers on commuter trains, from brown bags at their desk. They eat chili to the twang of country and Western music and hamburgers that are served by waitresses on roller skates. They dine at drive-ins where plastic trays are fixed to their car windows and in restaurants where the lights are so dim that flashlights are needed to read the menu. At home, meals often turn into a sort of relay race, the freezer's treasures being consumed in front of the television set by one family member at a time.Considering that diversity of setting, one might ask, just how much does ambiance affect th e enjoyment of food? D oes the atmosphere of anelegant restaurant enhance the pleasure of wh at is eaten there? Does it really matter if we are watching the news, reading a book, having an argument or listening to classical music w hile we dine?An inspector for Guide Michelin once said that if the food was good enough he would give three stars to a restaurant that had Formica tables, neon lighting and blaring music in the background. ''But,'' he added, ''in actual fact the kind of place that goes to the trouble to make that sort of food naturally takes a great deal of trouble with the ambiance.''Great chefs and good home cooks understand that eating is both a physiological and a psychological act. Where one eats can be as important as what is eaten. The body responds in the most subtle of ways to surroundings - to harsh colors, bad lighting, noise or tension. It is no co incidence that some of the highest-rated restaurants arealso among th e most beautiful. ''Food is very important but many other things come into account,'' said Charles Masson Jr. of La Grenouille, o ne of the leading French restaurants in Manhattan. ''There must be a warm, festive ambiance, a simple decor that gives the feeling o f freshness, crispness and cleanliness. We want the dining room t o sparkle.'' Indeed it does at La Grenouille, with soft lighting, pas tel colors, silk lampshades, velvet banquettes and elaborate spr inglike flower arrangements.AdvertisementThe perfect ambiance for eating is more than beautiful surroundings, according to Andre Soltner, chef and owner of Lutece. ''Everything depends on the first contact between the restaurant and the customer,'' he said. ''We try to keep the atmosphere relaxed, not stiff or snobbish. From then on the ambiance carries from one table to another. A feeling builds, and each evening it is slightly different.''AdvertisementParticular foods seem to demand certain contexts, so that the wrong decor is often unsettling. A dark saloon is not the place for breakfast. Dinner in an empty restaurant is depressing, no matter how good the food. Pizza does not seem to go with candelight, nor Chinese food with Puccini. Sawdust on the floor seems appropriate for a steak dinner but not for nouvelle cuisine. Psychologists who were interviewed said that the environment in which people dine has a marked influence on their well-being.To get the most out of meals, said Paul Chance, a psychologist and former asssistant managing editor of Psychology Today, they should be eaten only in a place designed for the consumption of food. Forget dining in the bedroom (a sleep-inducing environment), on the run, while listening to rock music or, above all, while watching the evening news.''The negative effects as the body battles against influences of the environment may be subtle enough to go unnoticed at the time,'' he explained. ''But there is constriction of the muscles, adrenalin and increased heartbeat. Nothing could be less compatible with good digestion. Adrenalin and acids are flowing into the stomach and there is an increased arousal, a general stress reaction. This can be followed by headache, stomach cramps - and a crummy mood.'' That could explain why there seem to be so many advertisements for digestive tablets on prime time.Nonetheless, many families watch television over dinner as a matter of course. ''There was a terrible period when families would watch news of the war in Vietnam,'' said Dr. Robert Sommer, professor of psychology and director of the Center for Consumer Research at the University of California. ''That they were able to watch it without flinching is spooky. It reflected how eating was something that was incidental. You wouldn't watch programs and eat a gourmet meal. Eating in front of TV would induce a Pavlovian response. You'd end up associating TV dinners with violent Westerns or news of disasters just as you link beer with the Super Bowl.''''If you habitually eat in bed, in front of TV or at your desk, these environments will supply you with food cues,'' Dr. Chance said. ''So as soon as you turn on the television or sit down to study you will feel hungry.''For many people mealtimes summon up unpleasant associations going back to childhood, Dr. Chance said, so they eat as quickly as possible. ''If you have grown up feeling that sooner or later your parents are going to jump on you for something, you minimize contact,'' he continued. ''You eat as fast as you can and go out.''These days, when both parents may be working, some families rarely eat together. ''My daughter told me that her friends in college were amazed to hear that our family sat down to dinner together,'' said Mildred Hall, a writer on the behavorial sciences. ''One or the other was always out and the children just helped themselves. For many families it is very difficult these days with parents out working. And as a result nutrition has gone to hell.''AdvertisementAs living space diminishes in apartments and houses, the first room to be transformed is usually the dining room. Though houses built before World War II had large kitchens and separate dining rooms, many of those built since then have no more t han dining alcoves or eat-in kitchens. In apartments, too, the dini ng room is often the first space to be converted to an extra bedro om. The result is that even when families do get together, the space to make the most of the experience is lacking.For a good many people mealtimes are still a break in the day and an important means of communication -and eating in an amiable atmosphere should certainly enhance the experience. Although home dining may be a lost art in many American families, hostesses who take enormous trouble to create the right ambiance for entertaining have not vanished.''I like a warm, glittery atmosphere,'' said Marilyn Evins, the wife of David Evins, the shoe designer. Mrs. Evins, who frequently gives large dinner parties in Manhattan, decorates her duplex in seasonal themes, with plants in spring, log fires scented with cinnamon stic ks in winter and plenty of flowers year round. ''I neverseat more tha n 10,'' she said. ''Otherwise people lose the chance to talk across t he table. How you place guests is very important to the ambiance and so is the lighting. I always have lots of candles because they are very flattering.''Americans seem to be dining out more these days. By the end of this century, according to Waverley Root and Richard de Rochment, authors of ''Eating in America,'' we will be eating one out of every two meals away from home - many of them, of course, in fast-food establishments. Last year restaurants took in $75 billion, according to the National Restaurant Association. The number of American franchise fast-food restaurants has doubled in less than 10 years to over 60,000 and the number of all restaurants is increasing. Naturally, such statistics are not lost on restaurant owners, who realize that ambiance is an important attraction to customers and spend millions a year to create an inviting atmosphere.What is the effect they strive for? ''A restaurant should give a person a feeling of privacy and yet allow them to be a little exhibitionist at the same time, to be seen,'' said Joseph Baum, who created the Four Seasons and Windows on the World. ''The proportions of furniture are very important too. Tables should be a little bit lower than normal to give a sense of security as you lean on them with your elbows. They should not be too big and should have soft tops under the cloth to cushion the elbows. The sound level should be low since you don't want to have to strain to hear.''''We had thought the Four Seasons space would be all wrong for a restaurant,'' said Philip Johnson, the architect who designed the Seagram Building on Park Avenue at 52d Street, where the restaurant is situated. ''It was leftover space and we could as well have put a Chrysler showroom there. It has no entrance, no toilets, no crossover from private to public dining rooms. It has no color - just the color of wood - a very neutral background. We were lucky to get a kickoff from Picasso with the mural. But what I like about the place is the height -which is what you don't want in a restaurant because it isn't intimate. But it works because the tables are so far apart you feel as intimate as you do in Lutece, where the ceilings are low and the tables closer together. If you build a good room, then you can eat in it. You could eat very comfortably in Chartres Cathedral.''Charles Boxenbaum, designer of the Woods, a restaurant on West 37th Street, feels that calm is the essential element for restaurant dining. ''Otherwise you're just in a place to feed,'' he said. ''The source of light is very important. In a restaurant the table is first and foremost. All the light in the restaurant should be focused on the table top.''To make food look its most appetizing, lighting should be as close to daylight as possible so that all the food colors are sharp. Dr. George Schwartz, a physician and owner of One Fifth Avenue, a restaurant decorated with fittings from the Art Deco-style firstclass dining room of the Cunard liner the Caronia, once tried softening the lighting with a red filter. ''But the food looked ghoulish,'' he said. ''The spinach and broccoli turned black.'AdvertisementMany designers say that harsh colors should be avoided in restaurants; mauve, peach, soft pink, deep grays and browns are more conducive to relaxed dining, they contend. White is neutral, a good lunch color because it is light and suggests daytime. Some psychologists have theorized that colors may affect the endocrine system, which is connected to the nervous system and thus to mood. ''It's all psychological,'' said Eric Jacobs, associate design director of the Walker Group, a design concern. ''In a very black and neon restaurant, for example, people tend to be distracted by the decor and concentrate less on the food.''More than lighting or the color of the walls, noise can ruin a meal. Plates rattled fiercely into piles and banging kitchen doors are bad enough, and not much better are restaurants where the meal is accompanied by music, whether it be the Rolling Stones, Muzak or strolling violinists who transfix women with their eyes and play ''Fascination.'' Classical music is no more appropriate for dining, yet it seems to be especially popular in vegetarian restaurants, where owners are under the misapprehension that tofu goes with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony or tha t bean sprou ts are improved by Ravel's ''Bolero.''The ambiance in which we eat should be as unobtrusive and relaxed as possible. Since eating is something most of us do two or three times a day, we might as well enjoy it. ''Take the phone off the hook.'' Dr. Sommer suggested. ''Turn off the radio. Food should be the high point of the day.''A version of this article appears in print on February 3, 1982, on Page C00001 of the National edition with the headline: . Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe

Re-upholstering Dining Room Chairs?Instead of re-doing the padding, try getting a thick batting at the fabric store and rapping a couple of layers around the old padding and then adding the fabric your using to recover them. It works great and it will last quite a while. It's also cheaper. Good luck .— — — — — —The modern dining roomMixing and matching is the modern approach to furnishing a dining room. It makes the room feel more personal and stylish. It should be a feast for the eyes, as well as the appetite. Interior designers suggest choosing two different finishes for table and chairs that contrast and complement each other. Remember the look should be harmonious, not hodge-podge. 1. Budget, size of the space and your style. 2. Reach for the measuring tape and measure the space. Leave 36 to 48 inches on all sides away from walls and other furniture. You will need room to pull out the chairs and have easy traffic flow around the table. Modern tables often have an extension leaf (or two) built into the table, so you do not have to fetch it from under the bed when you are hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. 4. Choose comfortable chairs. Sit down, squirm around, lean back - how does it feel? Slide the chair up to the table.— — — — — —At Home | The Dining Room: Dedicated for eating and not a dumping grounds for paperworkThe dining room of the home is many times the last-in-line to be decorated and styled. Many think as soon as you select a table and chairs the project is complete, but actually, that is not true. The dining room is the gathering place for family meals and memories and should not be an afterthought or the dumping ground for bills and paperwork. Some homes are designed with a more casual eat-in kitchen dining table and no dining room. For the purpose of this article, we are discussing homes that have a dedicated dining room although some of these rules can also apply to the eat-in kitchen. Choosing a table and chairs: The first decision is the table and chairs. Selecting a style that flows with the rest of your home is as important as the dining room is usually open to the other public areas of the home. In deciding on the table and chairs, consideration should be given to the size of the room. Guests should be able to freely move around the table when other guests are seated especially when the table is not expanded. Many tables have leaves for added length and some are self-storing leaves. Most dining rooms cannot accommodate a fully expanded table for everyday use; plus, you may only expand your table two to three times each year, so most of the "rules" are for the everyday size of the dining table. Just keep in mind the furniture needs to be in proportion to the size of the room. Storage needs: Next question is do you plan on having storage pieces like a sideboard, buffet or hutch? It is very nice to have storage for silverware, serving pieces, linens, china, etc. I have often seen homeowners struggle with the furniture placement of these types of pieces in the dining room especially if the chandelier was hung in the center of the room. That is because when a hutch or buffet is added, it can shift the center of the dining table to one side making the chandelier off center from the table. Lighting: Speaking of lighting, most dining rooms will have a chandelier over the table or sometimes two. The lighting of a dining room should be dimmable so to keep ambiance as warm and inviting. The traditional height of a chandelier is 30 inches above the table for an 8-foot ceiling height to the bottom of the fixture, but as with all rules, exceptions can apply. Typically, you would add 3 inches for each additional foot of height. The size of a chandelier should be 12 inches less than the table width for a rule of thumb. Area rugs: Your choice of an area rug also has an important role. Color, texture, and style will definitely influence the style and design of the room. If the rugs from the living room, entry, or other adjacent areas are visible, the rugs by no means need to match. They just need to coordinate and flow with each other. The dining room rug needs to be two feet wider than the table on each side, or in other words, four feet longer than the length and four feet wider than the width. This allows dining guests' chairs to remain on the rug without the back legs falling off the edge of the rug. Walls and windows: Wallpaper is reemerging as a strong accent and the dining room is the perfect room of your home to show off a wow factor. Paired with wainscoting, wallpaper can be the star even in a neutral color palette. Another wow factor to consider in the dining room is custom window treatments. The style of your home will dictate whether luxurious floor-length drapery or a simpler top treatment is in order, but the perfect finishing touch in the dining room is definitely a beautifully crafted window treatment.

Ondine, 299 Queen Street, Melbourne, 9602 3477For some, realisation comes later than others. The talent behind est est est was never entirely manifest for me until a dinner in June last year. I won't bore you with the details; suffice to say that Donovan Cooke's vichyssoise with freshly shucked oysters remains one of the most satisfying things I have ever eaten. And the rest of the food, wine and service dripped with inspiration, too. By that stage, nearly four years into the restaurant's life, co-proprietor Frank Heaney had gathered a floor team whose enthusiasm diffused the sometimes funereal ambience of est. It was actually a fun night out.But by then, talk was already rife of evolution; that est, in some form, would move from South Melbourne to something bigger and smarter. Probably in the city. The owners had done what they could with Clarendon Street. And from a practical point of view - not that the diner should necessarily care what goes on behind the scenes - the kitchen was ordinary. Give these guys a smart room, with good facilities, it was reasoned, and you'd have a seriously good restaurant. An even better one than est had become.And so someone has.Enter uber-architect Nonda Katsalidis, whose basement Republic Tower restaurant wasn't really going anywhere. Est closed; Luxe - est's St Kilda venture - was sold; plans to re-launch as Sous Sol, in Russell Street's Hero building, were put on the back burner.And for now, Cooke, his wife Philippa, and front-man Heaney are running Katsalidis' restaurant. It's called Ondine. And it is seriously good.A multi-layered space of infinite surfaces - glass, timber, carpet, bluestone, cut concrete, cement render, leather, sculpture and other modern art - the dining room manages both the intimacy that comes from being cocooned within warm materials with a modest ceiling height and the feeling of optimism and light that comes from the vast, abutting atrium. Access to Republic Cafe from the restaurant has been closed, making Ondine a discrete entity. The things that were good about est est est are good about Ondine. Service. Wine. Personnel. And, of course, food. I don't want to imply any particular expertise on the Cooke/Sibley-Cooke food, but it seems to have lightened up over the years, drawing influences from Australia and local preferences without losing its classical roots. That's most obvious at lunch, when dishes are pared back to a simpler, less-embellished formula than at night (with appropriately lower prices). But even when the sun has gone, the food, while very refined, is never fussy. It's post French-classical, post New British, and thoroughly New Australian.Tables are simple: good glasses, white linen, classic cutlery, sel gris, a disc of French butter, no pepper, supremely comfortable leather-upholstered bistro chairs (or banquettes). Petite, crusty submarines of house-made bread cruise the dining room in a basket borne by smiling waiters.Right.First, an intensely flavoured, frothy little yabbie bisque with Cognac that, like everything sensational, is short, sharp and leaves unrequited desire. Pieces of yabbie flesh are suspended in a slightly creamy soup that combines persistent shellfish/fortified liquor flavours with a seductive mouth-feel. The perfect tease.Continuing with extraordinary liquids, a sparkling, vine-ripened tomato consomme ($20) comes alive in the mouth, scented with baby basil and other baby herbs as well as the obvious smells of seafood: pipi, shavings of calamari, a scallop. Two black pasta parcels - agnolotti of crustacea - lurk in the raspberry-coloured depths. The sweet-savoury flavour balance of the consomme challenges description; the dish is stunning.So, too, is a salad combining grilled figs, various baby lettuces, smoked duck breast and roasted scallops, ringed with a jammy, golden and warm mustard fruit dressing ($19.50). Like all the dishes, there is careful order to the assembly of the components, but not so you'd call it overworked. Ondine's is a spare art.This time, smoky, rare duck with a salty-chewy skin gets into bed with the faintly sweet, fleshy figs, makes love, and asks the scallops to make it a menage a trois. The addition of scallops perhaps shouldn't work, but it does, and it's absolutely memorable.The menu is a wonderland of modern fine dining. A "tranche" of poached salmon ($30), pink flesh falling away in firm leaves, is served on a bright tomato "sauce gazpacho" studded with dried black olive. The counterpoint is a cannelloni filled with mudcrab and soft herbs, including coriander, draped in a creamy fish veloute that has seen 20 seconds of salamander flame, leaving salty brown hints. The dish is a stunner, although the crab, tonight, is oversalted, the only fault of the evening's cooking.A simple, dark-roasted pigeon ($36) arrives, sectioned, on top of sauteed spinach and a gallette of ultra-finely sliced potato. The dish says a lot about Cooke, particularly the sauce: rich, powerfully flavoured yet light in consistency, it is a pigeon stock mounted at the last minute with foie gras butter and finished with pellet-sized zanti red grapes and their marinade, Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. A perfect expression of the liaison between game bird and grape.Sorbet. The perfect lemon sorbet in a martini glass. Then more grilled figs, this time part of a vacherin - a meringue dessert - with soft, piped and perfect vanilla icecream over them ($16). The meringue, too, is perfect: piped to create a raft of side-by-side tubes - like a li-lo - it has a distinctly art deco appearance, and each raft forms the upper and lower decks of a "sandwich". Blueberries in a red wine/star anise syrup guard opposite corners of the rectangular plate.Last is a "tartlet" of fresh raspberries ($17), which may suggest a flaky pastry (it did to us): it is, in fact, a tart of sable pastry with its unique texture somewhere between shortbread and cake. It is layered with white Valrhona chocolate, a circle of berries dusted - like little alpine spruces - with icing sugar. A quenelle of lovely raspberry sorbet at the centre is touched with gold leaf. Notwithstanding the quality of the components, this was the only dish that didn't do it for me in a major way. Sable biscuits just don't ring my bells.If only there were space to tell of other dishes. Ondine has the potential to become one of Melbourne's signature restaurants. It has rigour. But for now, for me, it is the best classically influenced food in Melbourne, with all the extras. A must-visit restaurant.THE SCORE: 17/20Very, very sophisticated. The food of Donovan and Philippa Sibley-Cooke continues to evolve at Ondine. Which means it's probably the best food in Melbourne.Where: 299 Queen Street, Melbourne, 9602 3477Food: modernBill: about $110 for two (two courses and coffee) plus drinks; cheaper at lunchOpen: Mon-Fri midday-2.30pm, 6.30-10pm, Sat 6.30-10pmOwner: Nonda KatsalidisChefs: Donovan Cooke and Philippa Sibley-CookeWine list: excellent, not encyclopaedic, yet full of interest. Many price points are covered, although many are above $60. Vegetarian options: two entreesSmoking: courtyardSeats: 100, private room 50Outdoor dining: internal courtyardWheelchair-friendly: wheelchair patrons should inquire about special arrangementsParking: street or paidCards: AE BC DC MC VScores: 1-9: unacceptable, don't bother. 10-11: just OK, some shortcomings. 12: fair. 13: getting there. 14: recommended. 15: good. 16: really good. 17: truly excellent. 18: an outstanding experience. 19-20: approaching perfection, Victoria's best.

Grey is an unusual color for a dining room. But with the right accents, there's no reason it can not work. Keep in mind that grey will give your dining room a very 'formal' feel.1. Did you used to build forts with dining room chairs and blankets when you were little?Yeah sure did2. What color to paint a formal dining room?Some rich tan with gold hues or deep red would look fabulous3. Homeschool set-ups! Where does your child homeschool? What room? Dining room table?I school in my room (I have a dresser with a fold out desk leaf). I school on the couch. I school outside. I school on my bed. I school pretty much everywhere. Part of why home school is fun. You can change around where you school. :-) Happy home schooling!!4. What is your favorite place of the house to do your homeschool work?I live in an apartment and share a room. With 630 square feet -and remember, that includes a kitchen and a bathroom- we certainly do not have a place for a school room. My room rarely works. I go to the library, or work outside. Our living room and dining room are basically the same thing, and our TV and stereo are in the living room. It's really not fair for me to say that everyone in the apartment has to shut up because I need to do my homework. Also, I have unusually sensitive ears, and the rest of my family can talk a bit loudly, so it's even more unfair for me to insist that they all rearrange things. They are not unwilling to, but I try to be fair. I would advise against setting up a school nook in your room. Are you familiar with the psychological concept of 'conditioning'? Essentially, you learn to associate certain places or objects with certain actions and/or feelings. Insomniacs are often advised to get out of bed if they can not sleep so they do not associate their beds with stress and awakeness. Your room should be where you sleep, chill out, talk to your friends, and whatever else you do to relax. Your school area should be where you work. Also, at some point, you need a break. I sometimes feel sort of bad for kids whose entire houses are schoolized. They have school stuff on every wall and in every room. It's one thing to be a nerd and have a geeky poster in your room. It's another thing to have the periodic table on your shower curtain. Is it possible for you to move your desk? EDIT: I would recommend ditching your desk and getting a replacement off of IKEA's website. Go to Staples or Office Depot and get yourself a better chair. For your sewing nook, get a clipboard to keep on your desk to smooth out your writing surface. Sometimes I am stuck writing on this bumpy leather desk, and I use a clipboard to keep my writing slightly less illegible. Your room and study area should be conducive to relaxing -for the former- and thinking -for the latter-. If it's not, you are just going to be handicapping yourself.5. Breakfast Nook or Dining Room?If possible I would have both. People like the idea of an eat-in kitchen for every day but also like a dining room for when they have guests. A great many houses now days have Islands with breakfast bars in the kitchen and dining rooms. You really need someplace to eat in the kitchen but you a;so need someplace to eat when you have guests. A breakfast nook is great for the family but not so good for company6. My kids and I are going to paint our inexpensive dining room table...?If I were going to paint a table I would : Do any necessary repairs such as filling any holes or cracks. Use a sandable wood fill. Let the repairs dry completely. Sand these repairs smooth by using 100 grit sandpaper, then sand with 220-grit sandpaper. (Do not sand the entire table just the repair areas.) Clean it thoroughly by washing with mild dish soap. It does not have to be wet, just wipe it clean. No rinsing needed. After the table is dry. Seal it with a primer. You could use Bin or Kilz. Follow manufactures suggestions. That will dry fast. Select what colors you want (use a good polyurethane or a good enamel paint, gloss or semi-gloss.) Follow all safety requirements and insure that you watch the kids. Sounds like a fun project. 8>) Jeff (weseye) Wesley

googletag.display("div-ad-articleLeader");ÂAs you look for , you will find that you have several different options available. You will not always need to stick with the same exact type and model, so you can change it up a little bit and keep your rocking chairs looking great. In other words, if you have a Better Homes and Gardens glider rocker, you could buy Greendale Home Fashions cushions and still make them work out fine. It’s not always necessary to stick with the exact same model and manufacturer. In fact, in many cases, it’s wise to check out other makers for the best deals possible, so you can save some money on update the look of your home furniture. In this article, I’d like to share some options you have to find cheap deals, where to shop, and why people love to change out and replace their seat cushions often.ÂBrentwood Haitian Cotton Rocker Set, NaturalAmazon Price: $19.99 $10.27 Buy Now(price as of Oct 9, 2016)Quality Rocking Chair Back and Seat CushionsAs you shop around and look for the best deals on replacement seat pads and back pads, you will find there are many different prices. Quality does count, so just getting one over another because it’s cheaper might not always be the best idea. If you are looking, be sure to compare quality by checking out these things.Padding Quality: Single piece pads will last longer than stuffed ones and memory foam might be the most comfortable. The padding used is going to make a big difference in how the cushion feels and how long it lasts. If you don’t care about how long it lasts and just want the cheapest, you will be able to find many of them for under 10 dollars each. At some places, you might even be able to get them cheaper, perhaps as low as $5 each on sale.ÂNon-Slip: A non-slip bottom can make a big difference and it really won’t make much difference in the cost of the pad. ÂIt will help it to stay in place and keep it from sliding around. Those little ties designed to tie it in place are notorious for ripping easily. If the chair cushion and back you choose has a nonslip bottom, it is less likely this will happen to you.Machine Washable: Don’t expect the filling to be machine washable, but you can expect the cover itself to be machine washable. This will make a big difference if you happen to spill something on it. ÂIt’s much easier and convenient to just toss it into the washing machine than take it to a dry cleaner or use stain removers on them.ÂGreendale Home Fashions Standard Rocking Chair Cushion Hyatt fabric, MossAmazon Price: $54.99 $32.43 Buy Now(price as of Oct 9, 2016)How to Measure Glider Rocker Chair CushionsWhen you measure the glider chair, you need to make sure it will not hang over the edge of the seat. If it does, it will quickly get ruined. You don’t want to set yourself up with a pad that won’t last, or you will just end up having to shop for new ones all over again. In addition, you need to make sure the width is accurate. If it’s too wide, it won’t fit nicely between the arms and will wear out quickly. It's best to subract about one inch from the actual size you need.Why Updating Makes SenseThere are many reasons people want to replace their current chair pads and backs other than the obvious wear and tear. The list below represents some of the reasons people do this frequently.Cheap New Look: It’s amazing how much a simple addition of a different colored cushion can make a chair look completely different. If you update your interior design, it won’t cost you much money to make your glider rocking chair match your new décor, so it makes much more sense than buying replacement furniture. With all the colors and style designs available, you can paint and decorate in just about any way you want and find a way to make it look right.Medical Issues: Those that have back pain, hemorrhoids, a bruised tailbone, or other needs simply need to have the additional padding. It will help to make the living room furniture much more comfortable and practical. In some cases, a simple chair pad can make an otherwise unusable piece of furniture into a very practical and comfortable one.Added Height: If you get very thick padding, it will help to raise you as much as an inch, even when it’s compressed by your weight. Those who are very tall or have a slightly higher table might enjoy the added height. It’s something to keep in mind if you always tend to believe you are too low to the ground when you rock back and forth on your glider.Comfort: If you entertain and the furniture will need to be used, quality, cheap replacement glider rocker chair cushions will make your company much more comfortable and they sit down and carry on conversation. It’s a really good way to go.Best Places to ShopWhile there are multiple places to shop for the cheapest deals, you will find there are some places that simply deliver the best value routinely. The list below represents some of those places.Amazon: For online shoppers, there is nothing better than Amazon for pads. You will find their prices are great, selection and quality are fantastic. You can buy from a well-known seller and save money.eBay: New or used replacement chair seat cushions can be found very cheap online through eBay. Take a look and see if they have what you need in the right measurements, colors, and styles. Virtually every manufacturer will be represented on this online auction site.WalMart: Probably the best place to look if you simply want the cheapest price. You’ll find all kinds of options for wicker furniture, gliders, outdoor furniture, and dining room chairs as well, so they can all match. The selection will be very good at most stores, so you’ll have lots to choose from.Direct from Manufacturer: If it’s hard to find the right size, contact the manufacturer to see if they have .Greendale Home Fashions Jumbo Rocking Chair Cushion Set Hyatt fabric, CreamAmazon Price: $74.99 $49.99 Buy Now(price as of Oct 9, 2016)function articleAdMiddleLoad()if (typeof jQuery != "undefined") var lastPosition = 0;var minimumDistanceBetweenAds = 1200;var minimumDistanceFromBottom = 300;var adsToPlace = 20;for(var i = 1; i 0// element is after last placed ad&& !$(this).hasClass("articleAdMiddle")// element is not an ad&& ($(this).position().top - lastPosition > minimumDistanceBetweenAds // enough space between ads&& $(".articleText").height() - $(this).position().top > minimumDistanceFromBottom// enough space from the bottom of the article|| $(this).prev().hasClass("articleSlideshow") // previous element is a slideshow))$(this).before($("#articleAdMiddle" i));googletag.display("div-ad-articleMiddle" i);lastPosition = $(this).position().top;spotFound = true;return false;);// If no spot can be found, stop the loop and remove any remaining banner slots.if(!spotFound)for(var j = i; j