Random randomness

[LawBeefaroni]

Folks, hepcat is surviving. While there are no Bennigan's Monte Cristos in the Chicagoland area there are still Monte Cristos here and there. And Pizza Puffs every 3rd corner to provide sustenance for the trip.

I'm not going to lie. It's tough. But it's a living.

[hepcat]

There is no trick to such perfection! You savor each mouthful. Every morsel should be accompanied by select bible verses read to you by the pastor that every Bennigan keeps employed for the religious experience that is a Bennigan Monte Cristo. And when you're finished, and the after meal defibrillator is wheeled out and used to get you back on your feet after such a holy encounter, you genuflect on the newfound spirituality that you've just gained from the meal.

This place https://www.mariettadiner.com/ has an awesome Monte Cristo. Though slightly different than the great Bennigan's, which I can't find anymore.

Caribbean Monte Cristo
Turkey, ham and melted Swiss and cheddar cheeses wrapped in a
tomato basil tortilla, beer battered and deep fried, served with
pesto mayonnaise and French fries 12.65


Just try and save room for a "slice" of cake after. By slice I mean a piece that is as big as your head.

What time should I make our reservation?

I'm not sure about the tortilla and pesto mayonnaise. When I find such a perfect beast as the Bennigan's Monte Cristo, I try not to mess with the master work of the gods that created it. That's like running into the Louvre, pulling down the Mona Lisa and replacing it with a hand drawn picture of a smiling Bea Arthur. While Bea is nothing to sneeze at, it's not quite the Mona Lisa. And considering my artistic talent, it's probably going to look more like a constipated Abe Vigoda.

beer battered and deep fried,

.... pass.

Though I'm sure you were talking to hep anyway.

We've already established that you're clearly suffering from some form of mental derangement that has destroyed your sense of taste, along with the part of your brain that controls good judgement, so I'm not sure why you would think otherwise. I can only hope that eventually you'll be placed in an institution that specializes in caring for those poor souls who don't appreciate the beauty and perfection of the Bennigan's Monte Cristo. I know that most states have allotted funds for such endeavors in an attempt to keep them off the streets. You can often see the residents of those places roaming around the grounds of those places, smacking their lips and exclaiming "This is the best thing I've ever eaten!" while chewing on handfuls of grass and McDonald's chicken mcnuggets that children from a nearby school have thrown through the chain link fence.

Folks, hepcat is surviving. While there are no Bennigan's Monte Cristos in the Chicagoland area there are still Monte Cristos here and there. And Pizza Puffs every 3rd corner to provide sustenance for the trip.

I'm not going to lie. It's tough. But it's a living.

I'll sometimes just sit and stare at the Bennigan's menu from the last one that survived what I call "The Great De-greasening of 2010". It was around for about a year after that fateful day, but was eventually replaced with some kind of organic potato restaurant or something. A tear will slowly fall down my cheek as I lick the Monte Cristo picture that I've dabbed with raspberry jam and powered sugar. Then I will emit a tortured wail that is reminiscent of an art gallery owner encountering a hand drawn photo of a constipated Abe Vigoda in place of what they thought was the Mona Lisa.

I survive though. And I've heard stories about a Bennigans in upstate Kansas from the travelers who stop by my apartment after seeing my posts on the Bennigan's Monte Cristo forum on reddit. Someday...someday...

[LordMortis]

I survive though. And I've heard stories about a Bennigans ...

Bennigan's - 5773
495 Airport Rd
Elgin, IL 60123
Directions
Phone847-488-9900

One of 11 remaining. I'm impressed. None in KS. Two in IA.

https://bennigans.com/bennigans-locatio ... -domestic/

[Jaymann]

I survive though. And I've heard stories about a Bennigans ...

Bennigan's - 5773
495 Airport Rd
Elgin, IL 60123
Directions
Phone847-488-9900

One of 11 remaining. I'm impressed. None in KS. Two in IA.

https://bennigans.com/bennigans-locatio ... -domestic/

I could have sworn I have seen them in California. Oh well, I like organic potatoes.

[hepcat]

I survive though. And I've heard stories about a Bennigans ...

Bennigan's - 5773
495 Airport Rd
Elgin, IL 60123
Directions
Phone847-488-9900

One of 11 remaining. I'm impressed. None in KS. Two in IA.

https://bennigans.com/bennigans-locatio ... -domestic/

I could have sworn when I checked google maps for Bennigans a while back that that one was listed as "closed permanently".

I'll have to do some more research....which essentially means just calling them, I guess.

[LawBeefaroni]

I survive though. And I've heard stories about a Bennigans ...

Bennigan's - 5773
495 Airport Rd
Elgin, IL 60123
Directions
Phone847-488-9900

One of 11 remaining. I'm impressed. None in KS. Two in IA.

https://bennigans.com/bennigans-locatio ... -domestic/

https://www.benniganselgin.com/bennigans-menu

[LordMortis]

Website says

© 2020 Legendary Restaurant Brands, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

So I would think it's up to date.

Google says it's a holiday inn by address but they also show pics and reviews of Bennigans if you add the name.

[LordMortis]

I survive though. And I've heard stories about a Bennigans ...

Bennigan's - 5773
495 Airport Rd
Elgin, IL 60123
Directions
Phone847-488-9900

One of 11 remaining. I'm impressed. None in KS. Two in IA.

https://bennigans.com/bennigans-locatio ... -domestic/

https://www.benniganselgin.com/bennigans-menu

Love the feature on the menu. I think we just killed him.

[Isgrimnur]

Reuben Fritters as the appetizer for the Monte Cristo.

[Z-Corn]

A Monte Cristo was the first thing I ever cooked professionally. Although the place I worked called it a "Chomp Sandwich". No idea why...I guess it was a variation so maybe that's it.

It was ham, turkey, bacon and swiss on thick cut french toast. We served it with raspberry jam but most people didn't eat the jam.

I didn't mind making the Chomp Sandwich but I grew to hate the kind of people who order a club sandwich. Pretty sure they are the same type of people who use standup desks. If you order a club sandwich or use a standup desk people are talking shit about you behind your back, promise.

[Isgrimnur]

I may have a future weekend lunch run.

[LordMortis]

I didn't mind making the Chomp Sandwich but I grew to hate the kind of people who order a club sandwich. Pretty sure they are the same type of people who use standup desks. If you order a club sandwich or use a standup desk people are talking shit about you behind your back, promise.

Hey Remus, can we get a club with tomato on half?

[gilraen]

If you order a club sandwich or use a standup desk people are talking shit about you behind your back, promise.

I don't know about club sandwiches, but our entire office uses standup desks

(well, okay, they are powered desks, so you can get them to slide up and down for both standing and sitting use)

Found this Monte Cristo recipe, might have to try it at some point...it just requires shopping for ingredients that I never have in my house.

[Daehawk]

Talk all you want..I love club sandwiches Harder to find now days but still love them. As a kid we'd go to Rose's dept store and eat in their little eatery there. As I recall a club sandwich was $1.25 and the chocolate shake was $0.89. So good. Cant beat a 4 piece sandwich

[Anonymous Bosch]

My long standing old personal email has been compromised. I know this because they used it to compromise a very old and never used blizzard account (though they did not delete the mails that showed their presence *shrug*). And now off that I've changed both passwords and have go back and figure out what else could have been easily exposed. Crappy. I'm kinda wishing my email required two factor authentication and it may be time to find email that does.

Here's a list of email providers that support 2FA.

But if you're not doing so already, start using a reliably secure Password Manager to ensure all your accounts have unique, strong passphrases.

The problem is that many sites limit password character length. So your passphrases have to be something like "an oak dog pee". Which, if I understand it, isn't strong.

Perhaps so, but the Readable Passphrase Generator I mentioned in the post I linked provides a wide degree of customization and flexibility. So it's easy enough to work around such limitations while retaining decent passphrase strength and entropy.

Besides, most decent Password Managers provide the option of generating a random gibberish passphrase when needs must.

[Z-Corn]

Talk all you want..I love club sandwiches

I bet you never had a job as a stoned 16 year-old where you had to make 30 of them in 55 minutes. You know how fucked up it is to have to toast THREE pieces of bread per sandwich using a four slice toaster!? You can't get ahead on that, you are always behind and dragging down the whole table!

Do you even know the toothpick pattern to deploy to allow them to be cut properly!? It's almost as hard as cutting a quiche into 5 pieces!

Still suffering PTSD from short-order lunch service 35 years ago.

[Rumpy]

Talk all you want..I love club sandwiches Harder to find now days but still love them.

They're quite popular in Canada, apparently. Nearly every restaurant has some variation, whether local or chain.

[Daehawk]

I bet you never had a job as a stoned 16 year-old where you had to make 30 of them in 55 minutes.

No but I was once a stoned 17 year old working a pizza place and delivering them too I gained weight that summer.

[Jaymann]

Talk all you want..I love club sandwiches

I bet you never had a job as a stoned 16 year-old where you had to make 30 of them in 55 minutes. You know how fucked up it is to have to toast THREE pieces of bread per sandwich using a four slice toaster!? You can't get ahead on that, you are always behind and dragging down the whole table!

If you had a two slice toaster in addition to the four slice toaster, you could make two sandwiches at a time.

[hepcat]

Reuben Fritters as the appetizer for the Monte Cristo.

I would legally change my name to Reuben Fritters if I could. It’s a much better name than my real life moniker of Chuck Roast.

[Kraken]

I wanted to order a club sandwich once, but decided against it when I found out about the initiation rites.

[Isgrimnur]

I would never eat a club sandwich that would have me as a buyer.

[Smoove_B]

I order the club sandwich all the time, but I'm not even a member, man. I don't know how I get away with it. How'd it start anyway? I like my sandwiches with three pieces of bread. So do I! Well let's form a club then. Alright, but we need more stipulations. Yes we do; instead of cutting the sandwich once, let's cut it again. Yes, four triangles, and we will position them into a circle. In the middle we will dump chips. Or potato salad. Okay. I got a question for ya, how do you feel about frilly toothpicks? I'm for 'em! Well this club is formed!

RIP Mitch. You were one of the greats.

[Daehawk]

Pizza Hut will accept other pizzerias’coupons. That makes me wish I had my own pizza place. Mitch's Pizza -this weeks' coupon: free unlimited pizza! Special note: coupon not valid at any of Mitch's Pizza locations.

[Daehawk]

Snap! Crackle! Pop! My bones are made out of Rice Krispies. At 50 I now suffer things I used to make fun of my dad for when I was dumb, little, and young.

[stimpy]

I order the club sandwich all the time, but I'm not even a member, man. I don't know how I get away with it. How'd it start anyway? I like my sandwiches with three pieces of bread. So do I! Well let's form a club then. Alright, but we need more stipulations. Yes we do; instead of cutting the sandwich once, let's cut it again. Yes, four triangles, and we will position them into a circle. In the middle we will dump chips. Or potato salad. Okay. I got a question for ya, how do you feel about frilly toothpicks? I'm for 'em! Well this club is formed!

RIP Mitch. You were one of the greats.

I am struggling to recall any comedian named Mitch.......and I'm pretty old.

[Unagi]

Mitch Hedburg

[Sudy]

Sometimes I wave to people I don't know. It's very dangerous to wave to someone you don't know because, what if they don't have a hand? They'll think you're cocky. "Look what I got motherfucker! This thing is useful. I'm gonna go pick something up!"

[ImLawBoy]

There is a Cheesecake Factory down the road about 15 miles at the mall me and my wife used to live at

They also have a Cuban


Slow Roasted Pork, Ham, Swiss Cheese, Pickles, Mustard and Mayonnaise on a Grilled and Pressed Roll.

Ugh. Leave it to Cheesecake Factory to both ruin and make a perfectly wonderful sandwich unhealthier.

[morlac]

Talk all you want..I love club sandwiches Harder to find now days but still love them. As a kid we'd go to Rose's dept store and eat in their little eatery there. As I recall a club sandwich was $1.25 and the chocolate shake was $0.89. So good. Cant beat a 4 piece sandwich

Raw, dry Capt. Crunch cereal tears my mouth up less than a freaking club sandwich. No idea why but eating one is like chewing on flavored sandpaper. Right up until my tastebuds are scrapped off and it just taste like sandpaper. Too much toast involved...and I like toast.

[ImLawBoy]

Talk all you want..I love club sandwiches Harder to find now days but still love them. As a kid we'd go to Rose's dept store and eat in their little eatery there. As I recall a club sandwich was $1.25 and the chocolate shake was $0.89. So good. Cant beat a 4 piece sandwich

Raw, dry Capt. Crunch cereal tears my mouth up less than a freaking club sandwich. No idea why but eating one is like chewing on flavored sandpaper. Right up until my tastebuds are scrapped off and it just taste like sandpaper. Too much toast involved...and I like toast.

You're supposed to take the toothpicks out.

[Isgrimnur]

[Rumpy]

Reuben Fritters as the appetizer for the Monte Cristo.

I would legally change my name to Reuben Fritters if I could. It’s a much better name than my real life moniker of Chuck Roast.

Are you related to Meatloaf?

[hepcat]

No, my parents could afford two names.

[hitbyambulance]

end distracted driving by bringing back the manual transmission (and maybe drop car theft/carjacking rates as a bonus)

[Rumpy]

So, here's a story about a washing machine. We've had a Maytag for over 40 years, but recently it had been on its last legs and not doing a very good job anymore. My Mom was looking forward to getting a new one and after much diligent research, she finally found one she liked that met her needs, which she found at Home Depot. So, it was bought along with a new hose kit with the promise that buying this kit would assure home installation and a delivery date was set for late January.

The day of, the contracted delivery company arrives. I thought they looked a bit out of their league. The first red flag that was noticed was that they never used the dolly to get the old heavy Maytag up the long flight of stairs from the basement, instead choosing to go at it themselves and huff and puff their way up, and not only did this look quite dangerous, it looks like they could have broken a few safety rules. They also did not use the dolly to get the new one down. When it came time to ask about the hoses, the response was, "Oh, we don't do that." That was the second flag. My Mom was furious at the low-ball of a job, and to top it off, the next day the company did one of those automatic call polls to ask how they did and she couldn't even respond to that as the number given wasn't in their system. She complained to Home Depot, and to their credit they escalated it quickly and told her there would be an investigation and was even given the direct number to the manager at the location who promised they would make it right.

Seeing as the hoses weren't installed as promised, that somehow fell to the owner to install, which frankly is ridiculous if you're not used to doing these things. When talking to Home Depot, the manager originally said it was only a bunch of hoses, but my Mom countered that there was actually quite a bit more to it than that, that you had to make sure the machine was also level and the fact that my Dad who ended up doing it is elderly and the fact that it wasn't easy for someone not in the know about these things.

A few days after the delivery, my Dad notices some actual damage on the bottom front edge. Then after a few days of lightly using it, some kind of orange spring appears poking out at the bottom of the machine. At this point, the machine doesn't seem to function properly and emits some extreme shaking when in use. Decided to contact Whirlpool's customer service who told us they'd send a technician, and they came today and assessed the situation, and the plot thickens. The technician noticed that the frame was bent as well as a few other things, and combined with the damaged on the bottom edge mentioned earlier, thinks we may have been sold a used machine (Or maybe a defective one which is my conjecture) despite the fact it was promised new. How that may have happened is a mystery, but they've taken pictures of everything as evidence and we're told not to use the machine until they're able to order the parts to fix it. Man, what a whirlwind this has been, and the machine is only a few weeks old!

[Kraken]

end distracted driving by bringing back the manual transmission (and maybe drop car theft/carjacking rates as a bonus)

I've driven a stick ever since I had to learn it when I bought my first car, a 1972 Opel GT. Taught Wife to drive on my 1974 Mustang, and she's a lifer, too. She mentioned a few days ago that she might go automatic when she gets her next car, though, and I wouldn't oppose that. Now that we're both going into our mid 60s, we can't count on all of our limbs working all the time anymore. I'll keep my Miata until I'm too old to climb in and out of it anymore -- it's not even paid off yet -- but if I ever do buy another car, I'll have to consider that automatics are fine for the old and infirm.

[Kraken]

So, here's a story about a washing machine. We've had a Maytag for over 40 years, but recently it had been on its last legs and not doing a very good job anymore.

We had to buy all new appliances when we bought our house. 30 years later, only the washing machine hasn't been replaced. It's a Roper (which is the same thing as Maytag or Whirlpool), and I'm sure they don't make 'em to last like that anymore.

[Daehawk]

My first car was a stick. 74 Corolla SR5. I had never driven one in my life. I was 17 and we picked it up at the lot in 86. Dad drove it with me watching from the passenger seat. We went about 1 mile to his sisters house. When we came out he said for me to drive. Had to back out of a gravel driveway on a hill. Fun. Spun the tires a couple times. But from there I drove fine if I did wind it out a little much. I learned. All that week we went on subdivision drives for me to practice but I was fine. Hell drove it the day we got it good. When I met D the next year I sold it and we drove the automatic Trans-Am. For years I complained I missed the manual shift. We even test drove a RX7 in 89 or so thinking about it. But she didn't drive anything but manual and even though I did almost all driving there were always occasions where she needed to. So we stuck to automatic.

After a few years I gave up and forgot about it. Now days Id not want a manual. Although I do a lot of manual shifting in the automatic Mustang anyways.

[Isgrimnur]

Argyle

407 BBQ calls their pastrami sandwich the Jack Reubie, a nod to Dallas' most infamous nightclub owner. ... The sandwich ($11.50) currently resides on 407 BBQ's specials menu, and on the day of our visit, shared space with fried Brussels sprouts and a turtle brownie.
...
407's take on the Reuben breaks with tradition. Besides corned beef, a classic Reuben sandwich is served on rye bread and topped with Swiss cheese. 407's Jack Reubie comes piled high on a soft hoagie roll that rocks a touch of sweetness, and melted Jack cheese that oozes into every nook and cranny of the generous portion of pastrami. The sauerkraut and Russian-style dressing keep the sandwich true to Reuben form. The result is a mash of sweet, salty, acidic and savory flavors that make beautiful music in your mouth.