FeedMe518

I met Bob Lee, the owner of the Wishing Well Restaurant years ago at his other venue, the Brook Tavern when it had first opened. He was mingling with customers, laughing and interacting with everyone. He's just that type of guy. He's genuinely a nice person, and everyone says, "they know Bob" because they actually do. Bob is everyone's friend, and he genuinely wants to know who his guests are when they dine at his venues.

Opening in 1936, passing through the hands of many owners, Bob's family purchased The Wishing Well in 1968. "It was a classic story, parents running the restaurant downstairs while the kids were in the living quarters upstairs. We grew up working in the restaurant," Bob shared. "Some people come for the history, others for the food, the convenience, or the relationship to our family. But for whatever reason they are here, we like to think that we provide the hospitality they are seeking. Guests recognize familiar faces when they arrive," expressed Bob.

"Our menu is a reflection of Continental Cuisine. Our goal is to take that foundation and expand upon it, both from a seasonal ingredient as well as a presentation standpoint." Bob tells me, "Our chef, Patrick Brown, has been instrumental in moving the restaurant forward from a culinary perspective while showing great respect for the traditional dishes people enjoy. Inspiration takes many forms, and Chef Patrick embraces new concepts and techniques in a way that has been well received."

It was truly a pleasure to meet Head Chef, Patrick Brown and experience his incredibly creative and stunning gastronomic dishes. Chef Pat started as a dishwasher at Longfellows in the '90s working his way up to chef de cuisine, added Mirror Lake Inn, Interlaken Inn, and restaurants in Boston to his resume before coming back home where he has been Head Chef at the Wishing Well for the past three years. When I asked Chef Pat what inspires him, he shared, "Mostly, I draw from the chefs that I’ve apprenticed with, trying to revisit and refine dishes that I’ve done in the past. My dishes are constantly changing. Inspiration comes from everywhere if you just slow down enough to listen, smell, or even taste. Most of the time I think of a dish and ask, “Why is this product like this?” “How can I incorporate another product into the dish that can change the experience as a whole? A lot of the time, however, I connect to the dish in its original classic form. Some things just weren’t meant to be changed." said Chef Pat.

I must say that the food here is creative, plated beautifully, and unbelievably delicious. I'm now adding the Chicken Liver Pate with cornichons, whole grain mustard and crostini to my favorites list. I need to go back just to eat this again.

The Lobster Bisque, made with a lite cream and large chunks of lobster is delicious and offers the most delicious aromatic experience.

If you like burrata, you will truly enjoy the Maplebrook Burrata with pine nuts, arugula, pesto, and crostini. I may have eaten this entire starter by myself. Let's just say that I didn't share it with anyone.

The Heirloom Tomato Carpaccio is a refreshing and creative dish served with mixed greens with a roasted tomato emulsion and olives. I love when I don't have to add salt or pepper to a steak that is served to me. The prime sirloin steak with a Cabernet demi glace topped with house made chips was seasoned perfectly. The flavor was great.

I've mentioned a few times before, I love duck. The Slow Roasted Duck, drizzled with a raspberry duck glaze, topped with an arugula salad, and accompanied with golden beets is excellent.

Dessert is served! Taking into consideration that Chef Pat is not a pastry chef, he figured out on his own how to make dinner decadence for those with a sweet tooth. Like his stunning Blueberry Mousse with blueberry gel mirror glaze over almond lemon cake.

The Wishing Well, located at 745 Saratoga Road, Wilton, New York, is not only well known, but is truly a well loved restaurant by many. If you haven't had the pleasure to dine here yet, make your reservation soon.

Happy Eating! The Prime Sirloin Steak

Nellie Ackerman-Vellano, Feed Me 518™ Instagram: @FeedMe518 FB: www.facebook.com/FeedMe518 Website: www.FeedMe518.com

"We Help Make the World Better by Bettering Ourselves" The RiP Security Group

by Rona Mann

Before you can understand the realization, you have to understand the dream.

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but dream, so when young Duztin Watson dreamed and others told him to stop dreaming big or he'd find himself one day at age 50 with nothing but his dreams, he ignored them. Instead he threw himself into a lifelong passion for learning and married that learning with hard work to support those dreams and whatdaya know? His dreams came true and are continuing to do so every day of his life.

Before you can understand those dreams, their reality, and how they came to benefit so many, you have to first meet the man...Duztin

Watson. No, this is not a printer's typo.

His name is Duztin. It's different, unique, makes you remember him, and perhaps that's exactly what was intended. Because who he is, how he approaches his work, the people he employs, the ones he meets along the way, and the deep and abiding love of his family and country make him that unique individual.

Not everything Watson touched in his life turned to gold. Admittedly, he had several business failures along the way, but true to the way he does things, "I learned from them. I love to learn. I wake up every day wanting to learn something new."

Early on, Duztin identified as a protector. As a young child in school when others were bullied, he was there ready to step in, help the victim, and de-escalate the situation, although at that age he didn't even know the meaning of the word. He just did it. In high school, when others were offering drugs and alcohol, Duztin was offering help when needed. "I was always driven to be a responder, and I knew my future would be determined by the decisions I made. So when a mentor told me to figure out what it was I did best and

then go in that direction, I did exactly that because what I did best was analyzing risk and putting together the pieces to ensure safe outcomes."

Raised in Houston, his growing up years were rough for many reasons, divided between a mother who lived in a rural area and a "rugged" father whose home was more in the city. "I couldn't look at them as my role models and adapt, so I learned to read the world on my own."

Watson did not go to college, but instead enlisted in the service and became a qualified United States Army Scout Sniper during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He says little about this except, " It was an interesting time in my life. I loved the preparation and the training, but then you find yourself in a war zone, and it gets real."

He did not stay in the military beyond his tour of duty because he felt he could do more good in the private sector, however, when he came back in 2007 he could not shake the memory of the friends who were not as fortunate and never came home. "I kept wondering, how do I pay respect to the friends I lost overseas? So I started my company, The RiP Group as a living memorial to them to help make secure and protect others. I kept wondering how would they want to live their lives, so I created my company as a platform dedicated to being supportive and caring of people."

Today the RiP Group has grown exponentially protecting individuals and businesses throughout the United States and internationally as well. It would be impossible to describe in these pages the entire scope of services Watson's company offers, but we will generalize. You will have to personally contact RiP to allow them to consult with you, find out specifics needs, and then tailor a plan to meet those needs...and then go beyond. Here is something to whet your security appetite. To get you thinking not only about what you believe is needed for protection, but also those things you don't yet know that The RiP Group can provide.

Safety and security is more important in our world today than ever before. Whether it's the threat of porch pirates grabbing packages or something far more substantial, it is not to be looked upon as, "Oh, it won't happen to us." It happens to people every day from the middle class homeowner to the major corporations, which is why RiP operates under five major braches:

RiP Security... providing legally licensed, bonded, certified, and insured individuals to protect people and property, tailored for individual needs. This is not hiring a hulk to stand at the door of your nightclub and check IDs! It is facility, mobile, remote, rapid response, event, corporate, and personal services.

2 Six Advisors...professional health and safety consulting

Zig Sacrifice Instruction Group...comprehensive training for your employees with both mental and physical components covering a wide swath from unarmed readiness to firearm safety, CPR, stop the bleed, jiu jitsu, and tactical emergency care.

RiP Rentals...temporary rentals of security equipment to ascertain what may work best for your specific needs

RiP Aviation...this is both drone and aviation security, and RiP can either provide pilots or provide the necessary training and instruction

RiP at present carries open security licenses in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia, but can work nationwide as well as OCONUS (outside the continental United States). They thrive in the business to business world with high level legal involvement, and in the 10-plus years they've been protecting people, their company, their team of highly trained professionals, and their reputation for results have grown. The little boy who grew up hating bullies and wanting nothing more than to create a platform of protecting and securing to pay homage to his fallen buddies has now come full circle.

He's still nearly a decade away from his 50th birthday, that milestone year he was warned early on would come, and he might find himself with nothing achieved, sitting only on a pile of dreams. Well, they were half right. When Duztin Watson reaches the age of 50 he will still be dreaming because that's precisely what powers him, what keeps his insatiable hunger for learning going, what lights the fires deep within his soul. He admits he lies awake at night dreaming, planning, fine-tuning his company to find the best ways to protect and keep safe individuals, companies, and the world.

"We help make the world better by bettering ourselves. That's what I believe in. That's why we do it, and therefore I believe we are the best trained security company in the United States."

And that's why it's good have BIG dreams.

To start learning even more about how The RiP Group can protect and secure you and all of your needs, whether personal or business, visit: www.ripusa.com or call (800) 833-INeedRiP

INSTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT>>