SLOW GOING… Been a lot of talk lately from everyone about the sluggishness of the local economy – a microcosm of the larger economic scene we are facing around the country. On one hand I don’t want to promulgate (Martha, come here. What the hell’s that mean?) the possibly self-fulfilling propheticity (come on Martha, I know that’s not a word) of that concept by harping, carping and Al Sharptoning about it, but on the other hand, my once-inflated paychecks don’t seem to extend my lifestyle benefits quite the way they used to, either.

Folks been complaining (“complaining and complaining and complaining… but nobody do nothing”) ’bout the “worst quarter in history” and stuff like that – it’s enough to make a blind man cry (huh?). The restaurant operators I talk to all lament the rising prices of virtually every ingredient and fixed costs in the business, squeezing their already narrow profit margins. The difficult part is that they can’t just pass those costs along to the diners by raising menu prices – folks will choose someplace cheaper. Corporate chains have an advantage because their greater buying power exerts leverage over the purveyors – although they are also certainly feeling it – but the independents are bearing a heavy brunt.

Chris Caul, who owns and operates Christopher’s on Lincoln in Carmel, knows the feeling. “Prices across the board have skyrocketed, from linen to dairy,” he says. “All the ingredients we use, PG&E, my rent. We’re getting into the soft-shell crab season now and the same crabs I bought last year are 70 percent more. If I charge what I should be for a crab appetizer, customers will think I’m trying to gouge them. Another new phenomenon is the delivery charge virtually every purveyor imposes. Even though it’s usually no more than two dollars, when you multiply that times 30 or so purveyors, it’s suddenly 60 or so a week extra cost. In Carmel, where there is so much competition, we end up charging much less than we should. I ate out in a little restaurant in a strip mall in a little podunk town in Fishkill, New York, and paid higher prices than you see in Carmel. As people realize how much more they’ve been paying for their own groceries they are beginning to understand how that affects us.”

So, my advice is to start drinking heavily (Blutarsky). Actually, I worry about the many restaurant operators and employees who depend upon folks eating out for their livelihoods. Another example I got was from John Ratto, GM at Il Fornaio. (It also has a bakery, so imagine the impact when recently, a bag of flour rose 150 percent in cost during a three-month period.) It will be interesting to observe how the season progresses and how the year unfolds. Meanwhile, please be understanding of the stresses facing restaurant folks who, unlike most people, get paid based upon who shows up and how much they spend.

ONE MAN’S END… Along those lines, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge one of the greatest restaurant customers who ever lived, but who unfortunately was overcome by an aggressive form of cancer and passed away recently. His name was Larry Gallery. He was an engineer based in San Diego who was here to help plan the desal plant in Moss Landing. Since his wife Brie was mostly down in San Diego, Larry gravitated to local restaurants for his evening meals. Never was there a more generous, happy, go-lucky, fun and genuinely warm-hearted customer. He ate good food and drank good wine, always looking to share with staff, other customers, owners – whoever. He was a marvelous tipper, unpretentious, and an all around prince of a man. I know there are a lot of moist eyes among the hospitality community here… Larry, my man, peace be with you, brother.

MIGHTY MEAL… Had another great time at this year’s Chef of the Year dinner for the American Culinary Federation, Monterey Bay Chapter. Colin Moody, who is now the chef at Monterey Peninsula Country Club (hope he golfs), was this year’s winner. The event took place in the ballroom at the Hyatt Regency, and Food & Beverage Director Debbie Franz turned out a great affair with Hyatt Chef Mark Ayers knocking out the assembled with a multi-course masterpiece. Bert Cutino shined, as did Julio and Marie Ramirez, local politicians Ila, Chuck, Ralph and a couple of others. Mary Pagan of the Culinary Center was her usual warm self and that’s about all I remember – oh yeah, they also honored Kurt Grasing – I like that ACF is reaching out beyond its normal constituency to recognize other chefs. Guy Buffet the famous artist was there, too, plus many others, except I don’t remember too much – Tony “Boom Boom” Baker paid the waitress to keep refilling my wine glass and he tore up my notes.

HIT PARADE… Cooking for Solutions baby, coming up May 16-17 at the Aquarium. Great event with a heart, a conscience, a soul… don’t forget the Santa Lucia Highlands wine tasting at Paraiso Vineyards on May 17, santaluciahighlands.com… Mother’s Day is this weekend. Do something nice for your mother, in honor of her mother and mothers everywhere… German Perez, chef and all around food guy, contacted me to let me know he’s cooking at the Tap Room in Pebble Beach. Funny, I had dinner there a couple of months ago with the Three Amigos from the Pebble Beach Food & Wine and was remarking about how delicious everything was. That man could always cook… Starting May 25, look for Edgar’s at Quail Lodge to enact Sizzling Summer Sundays whereby folks get to enjoy great Sunday barbecues at the casually fun sports bar and restaurant throughout the summer. With great bloodies, cocktails, fresh air, 12 flat-screen TVs and more, this should be a fun pot to hang, 620-8910… meanwhile, for now I refer back to my original main man, Thomas Paine, who while trying to inspire the early patriots invoked the great line: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Indeed.