Dust of the sea, in you
the tongue receives a kiss
from ocean night

from Pablo Neruda’s Ode to Salt

Buy This Salt or I'll Trash Your Restaurant

Here are all the elements of the salty controversy conveniently collected in a single location.

Castagna review published in Willamette Week on September 28, 2005

the same review, but as I submitted it (e.g., before editing)

Castagna owners Siu and Gibson strike back in a letter to the editor

Phil Stanford (under appreciated crack columnist or worn out hack, take your pick) hints at an oily quid pro quo

even more letters, and my response, the last of three drafts penned at the editors' request with every bit of information about anything I ever did that might have any connection to salt or writing, no matter how tenuous (but, like any freelancer worth his itemized expense account, I got paid for it)

and they just keep coming...I can't quite figure out just what point Ed is trying to make, but you gotta admit he's got a lively style

and thanks to the wonders of the internet, the blogosphere weighs in...

Portlandfood.org, home of the ubiquitous extramsg

The Food Dude and his bitchin' friends

behind the scenes with the Oregon Media Insiders (you'll have to click back through the older posts)

my old pals at eGullet

the Accidental Hedonist gets purposeful

our neighbor to the north glances southward

a fellow journalist piles on (check the facts next time, Dave)

PDX veg sounds like he needs a little protein

And a couple more....

my personal favorite, the Mercury's Conflict of Interest Corner

and my original review of Castagna from 1999, long before I ever dreamed of importing and selling salt