Watercooler Stories

Restaurant puts tables 180 feet up

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A Las Vegas developer said her Dinner in the Sky restaurant will hoist diners 180 feet into the air to eat their gourmet meals.

Janeen Hinden said construction has begun on the tower, which will hold up to 22 diners, waiters and a chef, and is expected to be ready for the eatery to open by April, the Las Vegas Sun reported Thursday.

"I think it's going to do phenomenal in Las Vegas. We are the capital for entertainment and culinary arts, and this just takes those over the top," Hinden said. "I hope this will be an iconic attraction in the city."

Hinden said diners, who will pay $290 each for their meals, will be held to their chairs by six-point harnesses and will spend about an hour atop the platform while enjoying a three course meal and dessert.

Hinden said she may expand the concept to other locations, including New York, San Diego and Hawaii, if it proves successful in Las Vegas.

'Two-Buck Chuck' goes up in price

SANTA ROSA, Calif., Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Shoppers at a California Trader Joe's store said they were disappointed to see a wine nicknamed "Two-Buck Chuck" go up in price 50 cents.

The Charles Shaw shiraz or cabernet sauvignon, which has been $1.99 at the Santa Rosa Trader Joe's and other California locations for the past decade, has now gone up in price to $2.49 per bottle, putting its "Two-Buck Chuck" nickname in jeopardy, The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported Thursday.

"Inflation Chuck," shopper Matt Tucker, 28, suggested as a new nickname.

"Upchuck," said customer Lisa Garrett, 50, referring to the price going "up" rather than comparing the wine to vomit.

Harvey Posert, a spokesman for the Bronco Wine Co., parent company of the Charles Shaw brand, said the prices were kept low for so long because the company owns 45,000 acres of vineyard land, making it less affected by fluctuations in grape prices.

"If there's one grape too many, the price dips," Posert said. "If there's one grape too few, the price zips up. In the sense of being the largest grape grower, Bronco can ride many of these ups and downs."

"But there were bad crops in 2010 and 2011, and that certainly impacted the industry," he said.

However, Posert said the final decision on retail prices is set by Trader Joe's.

Subway suit: 'Footlongs' not long enough

MARLBORO, N.J., Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A New Jersey man is suing the Subway sandwich chain after he discovered the restaurant's "Footlong" subs often fall short of 12 inches.

Jason Leslie, 32, of Marlboro, said he discovered from a New York Post article last week that the chain's "Footlongs" often fall an inch to an inch and a half short of a full foot -- and he discovered four days later his meatball sub was less than the advertised 12 inches, the New York Post reported Thursday.

"They advertise in all these commercials, 'Footlong, Footlong, Footlong,' and now I feel like an idiot," said Leslie, who estimated he has purchased about 50 Sunway sandwiches a year since he was 18. "I can't believe I fell for that trick.

"The sandwiches are anywhere between a half-inch to an inch shorter ... I feel cheated," he said.

Leslie's federal class-action suit, filed Wednesday in Trenton, comes after a state suit was filed Tuesday in Burlington County, N.J., which also accuses Subway of deceptive marketing.

Attorney Stephen DeNittis, who said he is filing a similar lawsuit Thursday in Philadelphia on behalf of Charles Pendrak and John Farley, said he wants Subway either to ensure its sandwiches measure up or "put up a disclaimer."

Subway said in a statement its "commitment remains steadfast to ensure that every Subway Footlong sandwich is 12 inches."

"We have redoubled our efforts to ensure consistency and correct length in every sandwich we serve."

'Ladies of Manure' promote composting

SOUTH BEACH, Fla., Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A Florida nonprofit said its "Ladies of Manure" calendar, which features scantily-clad models and various forms of feces, is aimed at promoting composting.

Lanette Sobel, founder of the Fertile Earth Foundation in South Beach, said the calendar of women posing in and around manure is aimed at raising awareness of the environmental benefits of composting, The Miami Herald reported Thursday.

"The whole point of this is to make it less disgusting. If this hot chick doesn't mind smearing fish poop all over her, maybe it's not that bad," Sobel said. "It's a resource; it's not waste."

The calendar is available for $25 online, or for a $20 donation at a Friday fundraiser at the Cafeina Wynwood Lounge in Miami.