"And just how do you think we are going to pay for all these renovations?!?!"

When we last looked, the Spy Bar in Cleveland had closed its doors forever, and the Spy Bar in Chicago had closed its doors for renovations.
What's a spy to do?
Go to Stockholm???

Good news! Spy Bar (Chicago) re-opens this week after a $1mil disguise upgrade. But our spies tell us that the bigger news is the new truth serum, "1996 Dom Perignon Rosé ($$$).. hooked up with Vosges Haut-chocolat ($$$) which is behind the truffles being paired with the Champagne." (more)
"Miss. Moneypenny, an advance from petty cash, please."

Teckies Mourn this Week

Pamela Low, who was credited with developing the flavored coating for Cap'n Crunch cereal, has died. ... She drew upon a recipe that her grandmother, Luella Low, used to serve at home in Derry. "She used to serve rice with a butter-and-brown sugar sauce that she made. She'd serve it over the rice on Sundays." (more)

Edward Traisman, an innovative U.S. food scientist, researcher and inventor, has died of heart disease at age 91. Traisman, who lived in Monona, Wis., the Wisconsin State Journal said. Over his long career, he was part of a Kraft Foods team that created Cheez Whiz. (more)

Fish & Chips with Hellfire

The Hand & Flowers restaurant / pub is located in the beautiful Georgian town of Marlow, UK. There you will find award winning cuisine by Michelin chefs, in warm and welcoming surroundings. Their Fish & Chips dish (awarded Best in the UK - 2005) is delicious and well worth the journey. An Abbot Ale makes the meal complete.

While in the area, visit The Hellfire Caves in West Wycombe. They consist of almost a mile of underground passages with various figures depicting the life and times of the the members of the infamous Hellfire Club.

Pictured is the entrance to the cave.

"Hell-Fire clubs were notorious, thought to be the home of sexual rites, orgies, abuse of alcohol, hedonism, satanism, freemasonry, and the worst of all: free thought! All in all, much of it is probably true, but Satanic goings-on and Black Masses are most likely the product of imaginative fantasy. From todays point of view, where swinger clubs, rave parties and hard rock concerts are rather common, the 18th century bigotry seems rather naive.

Probably to be safe from witnesses or because of the strange atmosphere, Sir Francis Dashwood used the former chalk quarries of West Wycombe for meetings of his club. He enlarged them, which gave work to numerous men and produced enough chalk to build a road. The Monks of Medmenham doubtlessly held wild parties here, but it's doubtful that they ever did any more than that. The caves are cold, dank and damp and not very comfortable for orgies."
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World's Best Crabcakes (still)

Food Spy Diary

May 2001 - While at the NSA this week I picked up the following bit of intelligence... "Go to a non-descript strip mall in Linthicum, MD. Look for the 'G&M' sign."

I arrived at 10:54 AM. The door was locked. Other people were milling around waiting... waiting for their fix. At precisely 11:00 AM the door was unlocked. Everyone filed in and took seats.

According to the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun, I had just entered the home of "the best crab cake platter." ... After barely finishing my baseball-sized crabcakes (you get two), I had to agree. These are The Best! ... P.S. You can order them over the Internet. Delivered FRESH (not frozen) by FedEx.

September 2002 - 'G&M' has baseball-sized crabcakes (you get two). Still 'the best'.

May 2007 - Nothing has changed. The place is still non-descript. The parking lot appears to be full of the same cars. The interior still makes me itch. Cryptonerds still populate the tables, and... 'G&M' is still pumping out "The World's Best Crabcakes". (more)