Over the past few weeks, we've solicited recommendations for restaurants in various Biglaw cities. We've now compiled the lists of places where lawyers and summer associates like to wine and dine. We hope to help summer associates on lunch expense accounts find the hot spots. You'll find cities from coast to coast on the ATL lawyerly eats list, after the jump.

Sadly, we at ATL have not had the opportunity to visit all of these restaurants... yet. Next time we're in your town, we'd be happy to be taken out. Hint, hint.

ATL has been (virtually) touring and gathering suggestions for Biglaw eating from coast to coast. Soon, we'll have a round-up post with lawyers' and summer associates' favorite restaurants nationwide.

We hit all the geographical locations we wanted. This last surprise bonus thread is on KOSHER restaurants. We're looking out for observant attorneys around the country. Norman Schoenfeld, holla atcha goys.

This omnibus thread covers kosher restaurants nationwide. Please be sure to specify the city for which you're making recommendations.

Look out for our round-up post on all of your restaurant suggestions, coming soon. In the meanwhile, enjoy the summer eats!

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Chicago; New York City; Boston; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Texas; the Pacific Northwest; and Southern Living.

Did we say the Pacific Northwest was the last stop on the summer associate lunch tour? Our bad. [FN1]

We've been touring the country getting lunch suggestions for summer associates in various Biglaw cities. Given the heat wave that hit D.C. and the rest of the East Coast this weekend, we've been told it's actually cooler in the southern states right now. So we're (virtually) heading south.

For this SOUTHERN LIVING post, we're looking for restaurant recommendations for summer associates based in ATLANTA and CHARLOTTE. Yes, ATL is visiting ATL.

This is Creative Loafing's list of Atlanta's "Oral Pleasures." Attorneys in Hotlanta: where should SAs go for good food and fun times?

Charlotte folks: where do attorneys eat out in your town?

Please be sure to be explicit about which city you're writing about in the comments.

[FN1] Since Kash grew up in Florida and went to undergrad in the south (Go Duke), she felt especially guilty about leaving this part of the country off the tour.

Best of Atlanta 2007: Oral Pleasures [Creative Loafing via The Faculty Lounge]

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Chicago; New York City; Boston; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Texas; and the Pacific Northwest.

For the last two weeks, ATL has been touring the country to get suggestions from attorneys-in-the-know on where summer associates should be wining and dining. Well, folks, this is the last leg of our road trip. We're meandering up to the PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

This is an open thread for your suggestions on the best PORTLAND and SEATTLE restaurants for firm lunches. Be explicit about the city the restaurants are in, and feel free to include suggestions on places to avoid and places to go when the firm's not paying.

We'll do a round-up post next week with best-of lists for all the Biglaw cities we visited. If we didn't make it to your city -- we have to stop somewhere, and this is it [FN1] -- feel free to start up a conversation in the ATL Community.

[FN1] A special shout-out (and our apologies) to the readers who requested threads on restaurants in Cleveland and South Dakota.

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Chicago; New York City; Boston; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; and Texas.

The summer associate lunch spot solicitation continues. We're traveling around the country to find out where summer associates should be going for their leisurely law firm lunches, and where they should be eating when they're footing the bill. We've been to many the Biglaw city and will be winding down soon. We'll do a round-up post at the end, but you can find a collection of the lunch suggestions posts here.

Today, we're doing a road trip through the Lone State, looking for restaurant suggestions in Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Please be explicit about the city for which you're making recommendations in the comments.

If this weren't a virtual road trip, we would want to stop by the District Court in Austin to meet Judge James Nowlin, who wrote this hilarious order (PDF) on the location of a deposition, as noted by the WSJ Law Blog:

The Court is sympathetic with the Defendant's argument. Surely Defendant's corporate representative, a resident of Arkansas, would feel great humiliation by being forced to enter the home state of the University of Texas, where the legendary Texas Longhorns have wrought havoc on the Arkansas Razorbacks with an impressive 55-21 all-time record.

On the other hand, the Court is sympathetic with Plaintiff's position. Plaintiffs might enter Arkansas with a bit of trepidation as many residents of Arkansas are still seeking retribution for the "Game of the Century" in which James Street and Darrell Royal stunned the Razorbacks by winning the 1969 National Championship.

Nowlin then orders that the deposition be held in the Texarkana Federal Building along the Texas and Arkansas statelines.

For those summer associates happy to be in Texas this summer, where do you like to go to be wined and dined? Texas attorneys, which restaurants are the hot spots, and which are the not-so-hot spots?

In Texas-Arkansas Spat, Judge Orders Parties to Midfield [WSJ Law Blog]

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Chicago; New York City; Boston; Los Angeles; and Philadelphia.

We enjoy writing about food here at ATL. Justin Bernold has been running lunch-related surveys, while Kash has been collecting restaurant tips for summer associates. See all of our food coverage here.

During our recent stop in Los Angeles, we discovered via comments that L.A. restaurants may give non-"Movie Biz" folks the shaft, even senior partners.

So we're moving on to PHILADELPHIA, where we imagine attorneys get the mad respect they deserve.

When not chowing down on cheesesteaks, where do attorneys and summer associates dine out in Philly? This is Philadelphia Magazine's Best-of List. Which places make the lawyerly list?

Kash's gastronomical tour is winding down, with remaining stops in Texas and the Pacific Northwest. If you want ATL to stop in your city for restaurant suggestions, let us know in the tips.

Best of Philly 2007 [Philadelphia Magazine]

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Chicago; New York City; Boston; and Los Angeles.

We show summer associates a lot of love here at ATL, with coverage of NYU Law's advice on how not to be a summer ass, and our summer associate of the day feature (just one so far this summer -- tarot-card wielding Divljan Shatterhand Steele.)

This is the fifth in a series of open threads on restaurant suggestions for summer associates. We hope you noted the following under "General Demeanor/Behavior" in NYU Law's advice memo for SAs:

B. Attend firm social events regularly. Summer associates may be expected to attend many social events while still completing assignments thoroughly and on time. Firms are more likely to extend permanent offers to summer associates who make a sincere effort to become socially integrated at the firm. Take the initiative to meet attorneys, especially those with whom you would like to work. Be yourself and make friends; summer classmates can provide reliable feedback and tips. However, attendance at firm events and summer lunches should not be at the expense of your work. Note that it is generally inappropriate to bring guests to firm events unless the firm specifically extends an invitation to guests.

NYU had the following under "Real World Examples of Career Limiting Behavior:"

GG. Summer associate uses lunch budget for personal grooming, including a manicure/pedicure.

HH. Summer associate extends disingenuous lunch invite to attorney in order to dine at an expensive restaurant.

We're not sure we quite understand HH. Isn't that how the game is played?

On this stop on the ATL gastronomical tour, we're looking for advice for SAs in LOS ANGELES who have the time for a leisurely lunch and aren't using their firm funds to head to the salon.

Which restaurants are stand-outs in L.A. for law firm lunches? And where should summer associates eat, drink, and play when they're footing the bill themselves?

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Chicago; New York City; and Boston.

We've always had pleasant experiences with employees at Starbucks. But we only order simple drinks like iced coffee, so our interactions tend to be limited. After an extended encounter with a Starbucks manager, a Portland woman had a bit of a coffee tantrum. Prosecutors tried her for misdemeanor harassment, but she's been found not guilty.

From the Oregonian:

The prosecutor turned toward the woman on the witness stand and began her interrogation: Is it or is it not true that you flung the iced venti mocha with extra hazelnut and caramel at the defendant out of anger?

No, answered the woman.

And isn't it true that you also lobbed a capful of whipped cream toward another employee?

No, the woman insisted once again.

And so went the criminal trial of a Starbucks customer accused of throwing a $4 drink onto a manager during an argument last September.

Mocha, hazelnut, and caramel? That's getting a little crazy.

The trial of 38-year-old Latasha Curry included accusations of racism, a cover-up, and bad coffee. Kash must disclose that she is a Starbucks shareholder before admitting that the coffee is just too bitter sometimes. But it's the jet fuel that gets us through the day.

It all began last fall when Curry called a Starbucks in Southeast Portland to complain about the bitter taste of the iced mocha she had just bought there.

An employee on the other end of the line offered her a free replacement, and when Curry stopped by the store two days later to pick it up, a store manager accused her of running a scam. The manager stood soaking in caffeinated beverage moments later....

On Thursday, Starbucks released a statement after a spokeswoman declined to comment about the case: "Providing great customer service is part of (the company's) commitment and if a drink isn't perfect, we want customers to let us know and we'll make it right."

Or you can pour it on our employees.

Dispute over spilled Starbucks mocha ends up in Portland court [Oregonian]

ATL's gastronomical tour marches on. We're stopping at all the major Biglaw cities to get recommendations on restaurants for summer associates.

Dan Filler in the Faculty Lounge has paid homage to the ATL summer associate lunch tour by making a compilation of best-of lists. After we've finished touring, we promise to do a round-up post of our own.

Today we turn our open thread over to Bostonians. This is your chance to dish on the best local dishes and lawyerly restaurant haunts. The Faculty Lounge suggests Boston Magazine's Best of Boston list.

Boston has a bit of an insiders' vibe about it, with a law scene that's hard to break into for non-Bostonians. Attorneys: Where would you send the bright young things new to the area for the summer?

As we pointed out on the NYC thread, there's a new feature over at Eater, the Summer Associate's (Lunch) Diary. In their first entry, the SA reviews two of the NY restaurants suggested by ATL readers: Gramercy Tavern and Sparks.

For all you foodies out there, Eater says it's looking for restaurant reviewers for future editions. So extend the fun of your three-hour lunch, by tacking on two hours to dissect it!

Best of Boston [Boston Magazine]
Best Restaurants and Dining In America: A City By City Guide [Faculty Lounge]
Summer Associate's Diary: Week 1 at Gramercy, Patroon, Sparks [Eater]

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Chicago; and New York City.

ATL is taking a gastronomical tour of the United States. We're stopping in different Biglaw cities to find out where lawyers go, and where summer associates should go, for the good eats. [FN1]

We've been to D.C. We've been to San Francisco. We've been to Chicago. We're going to Texas. We're going to Massachusetts. We're going to the Pacific Northwest. We're going to Pennsylvania... [Insert Howard Dean yeahhhhhhhh here.]

But right now, we're stopping to take a bite out of the Big Apple. Here is the eagerly anticipated open thread to discuss the many fine dining options in NEW YORK.

To aid the discussion, here are links to restaurants that have received four stars and three stars from the New York Times. And here is New York Magazine's list of best restaurants for 2008.

Attorneys: Where would you steer summer associates eating out? And where would you steer them away from?

Summer associates: Which places are the "hot tickets," the most coveted dining venues this year?

Update: Check out this cool new feature over at Eater, "Summer Associate's Diary."

Where To Eat 2008 [New York Magazine]
Four-Star Restaurants (NYC) [New York Times]
Three-Star Restaurants by Frank Bruni (NYC) [New York Times]

[FN1] This tour is more virtual than physical (which is a good thing for Lat, since he is publicly dieting).

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; and Chicago

This is the third post in an open thread series on recommended restaurants for summer associates. We started in Washington, D.C., and then went to San Francisco.

San Franners suggest Kokkari, Greens, Boulevard, Aqua, and Ozumo, among others, and pointed folks to the San Francisco Chronicle's 100 Best list. There was a spirited debate about whether Slanted Door is overrated. If the firm's not paying, readers recommend In-N-Out Burgers, El Castillo burritos, Mixt Greens, and Wichcraft.

The ATL summer associate national restaurant tour is moving on to a new destination, to that lonely, windy city in the heartland: CHICAGO.

This is the Chicago Reader's list of the 50 best restaurants. What's on your list?

50 Best Restaurants (2007) [Chicago Reader]

Earlier: Summer associate lunch suggestions for San Francisco and Washington, D.C..

This is the second post in a series of open threads on great restaurants in summer associate destination cities.

Commenters on the D.C. thread recommended Oceanaire, Bobby Van's Steakhouse, Oyamel, Zaytinya, and Blue Duck Tavern, among others. If the firm isn't paying, folks suggested the chains Potbelly and Five Guys. If you go to Potbelly, spring for a milkshake. So yummy.

Now we are taking the thread west, to the city of sourdough bread and Ghirardelli chocolate.

The San Francisco Magazine restaurant guide doesn't have a ranking of local restaurants like Washingtonian does. That seems very San Fran. Instead, we'll rely on you readers to name the top ten or so.

What's on your list of must-eats in SAN FRANCISCO? What's overrated? What's underrated?

Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions: Washington, D.C.

We've received over 900 responses to our ATL / Lateral Link surveys on the lengths and lunches of summer programs.

Today, in honor of David Lat's Above The Lard Project Truman Show, let's focus on the caloric part of the results: lunch.

Associates seem to be of two minds on the summer associate lunch. Some commenters view the lunches as a positive perk . . . sort of:

The perks are important. Lunches and events are how you meet and get to know the associates and partners at the firm. Anyone who has ever lateraled can tell you how hard it is to meet the people around you when all you do is work (and forget about meeting anyone in another practice group). I don't know if it's a good investment, but it at least brightens the miserable halls of the firm for a couple weeks a year. All the lawyers pretend that working at a law firm is really like what we hoped it would be when we were law students. It's nice.

Others, however, view the care and feeding of summer associates as an unwanted drain on their time:

As an associate, I don't want to be obligated to take summers to lunches, and I don't care about free lunches myself.

What I do want is to be left the hell alone during those daytime hours so that I can do the work I am being paid to do, which will allow me to leave two hours earlier than I otherwise would each day.

Summers are a hassle. They all want to go to lunch for two hours each day, and then when they go to happy hour or whatever event each night at 6:00, the associates get to stay in their offices billing the time that the summers stole from them earlier in the day.

Whether they're good or bad, though, one thing's clear: summer lunches are pretty pricey:

  * About a third of respondents said that their firms had a budget of more than $50 per person when lunching with summer associates, and seven percent of respondents said their firms imposed no limit at all.

  * Ten percent of respondents said that their firms impose a $50 per person budget.

  * Ten percent of respondents said that their firms will reimburse $40 or $45 per person.

  * Seventeen percent of respondents may spend $30 or $35 per person.

  * Twelve percent of respondents may spend up to $25 per person.

The rest have lower budgets or no budget at all. On the bright side, though, their clothes are more likely to fit at the end of the summer.

Despite the expense, summer associates expect frequent feedings:

  * Roughly nineteen percent expect to have lunch with their firm's lawyers five times a week.

  * A quarter plan on lunching four times a week. The same number expect lunch three times a week, and another quarter will settle for lunch a mere two times weekly.

  * Five percent of summer associates think they'll only have lunch with the attorneys once a week.

  * A lonely one percent of summer associates don't think they'll have lunch with the firm's attorneys at all.

As the comment above would suggest, however, full-time associates are not nearly as enthusiastic about all that lunch time.

  * Eleven percent don't expect to have lunch with the summer associates at all.

  * Fifty-four percent expect to do lunch once a week.

  * A quarter will have lunch twice a week.

  * Seven percent will have lunch three times a week.

  * Only three percent will have lunch four or five times a week.

Perhaps the firms should budget coffee runs instead?

--
Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this Associate Life Survey.

Memorial Day is behind us, marking the unofficial start of summer. Many summer associates kicked off the season last week, descending on cities around the country to get a taste of Biglaw -- and a taste of the nicest local restaurants, during leisurely firm lunches.

Summers, we don't want you to miss out on the best cuisine that your city has to offer. We're launching a series of open threads in which you can discuss your favorite dining spots in summer-associate destination cities. We'll cover a different city each day.

The series opens with your ATL editors' home base of WASHINGTON, DC.. Here is Washingtonian Magazine's list of the 100 best restaurants in the city. Which eateries make your list? Which places are overlooked -- or overrated?

If you have tips on SA lunch etiquette, feel free to throw those in. In case you missed the Table Manners 101 class, here's a dos and don'ts list from Corporette.

100 Best Restaurants (2008) [Washingtonian]
10 Things You Should Know about a Business Lunch [Corporette]

Last week's ATL / Lateral Link survey on trimming summer associate programs is still open, but we've already been getting some interesting debate in the comments.

For law students, trimming the summer programs -- or at least the summer salaries -- would be a critical financial blow:

[L]aw School tuition is fucking EXPENSIVE. I take out 55k per year in loans here at CLS (45k of which goes to tuition + fees). Luckily, I have no undergrad debt. The financial aid office suggests that the average student take out 64k per year in loans. In sum, you misers need to talk to school adminstrations before cutting pay.

But once they've achieved permanent (or not so permanent) employment status, some associates would prefer to see a slimmer summer experience:

It's not right that in a market where good associates are being kicked to the curb for economic reasons we're throwing buckets of money at a bunch of kids who don't know anything and just teaching them how to be (more) entitled. Shorten the summer and pay them a salary that has some correlation to what they're worth - they are mere interns.

Other associates, however, are still in favor of lunch:

I thought ATL was on our side. The open budgets and free lunches are a perk to associates too.

And one tipster wonders just how free those lunches are from firm to firm:

Might be a good time next week or two weeks from now to do a post about summer lunch budgets. I just heard on the grapevine that we're having $25/person limits, with anything over it coming out of the associate's pockets. I know some other firms have a $30 or $50 limit.

So, today's ATL / Lateral Link survey focuses on both lunch and morale. How much can you spend on lunch with the summer associates, how often do you do lunch, and would associates at your firm be upset if the summer program went away?

--
Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this Associate Life Survey.

Well, if the name is "Wolfgang" and you're in the restaurant business, maybe a lawsuit. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, owner of the famous Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills, is taking legal action against a new neighbor.

From TMZ.com:

Wolfgang Puck is filing a lawsuit, claiming another Wolfgang has screwed him over....

Puck claims a guy named Wolfgang Zwiener opened a rival restaurant, Wolfgang's Steakhouse, just blocks from Spago in Bev Hills. According to the suit, one of the owner's of Wolfgang Steakhouse had a license to use the Spago trademark, but that expired last year.

In L.A., Wolfgang Zwiener may be just "some guy." But in New York, he's an esteemed veteran of the legendary Peter Luger steakhouse (popular for summer associate outings), who has now embarked upon his own restaurant career.

Wolfgang Puck's lawsuit, which seeks injunctive relief, claims trademark infringement and unfair competition. The TMZ.com editors seem unsympathetic:

A frustrated Puck says, "The most common reaction is, 'It says Wolfgang's Steakhouse and you are Wolfgang." We're thinking Mozart might have one up on him. Dude, you make pizzas.

Will the courts be more supportive? If Puck's first name were more common -- say, "John" or "Bill," with the competitor calling itself "John's Steakhouse" or "Bill's Place" -- then his claim might not satisfy the distinctiveness requirement of trademark law. But with a name as unusual as "Wolfgang" -- not as unusual as Omarosa, to be sure, but certainly uncommon -- maybe he has a better shot. "Wolfgang" is not in the top 1000 baby names in the United States (although it does crack the top 3000 in Belgium).

We're not experts in this area, so we'll stop rambling. Any IP lawyers care to weigh in?

Wolfgang to Wolfgang -- Puck You [TMZ.com]

We received over 1,600 responses to yesterday's ATL / Lateral Link survey on your law firm weight gain. Overall, you've gained a ton. Or more.

As one commenter put it:

NY to 350!

...lbs. that is...

Well, ok, it wasn't quite that bad, but two thirds of you who are currently practicing law have gained weight:

  * 13.78% of respondents gained 1 to 5 pounds.
  * 13.36% of respondents gained 6 to 10 pounds.
  * 14.13% of respondents gained 11 to 15 pounds.
  * 6.78% of respondents gained 16 to 20 pounds.
  * 6.71% of respondents gained 21 to 25 pounds.
  * 4.59% of respondents gained 26 to 30 pounds.
  * 7.35% of respondents -- and roughly a fifth of respondents who graduated in 2002 or earlier -- gained more than 30 pounds.

Just under 12% of you stayed the same. And a fifth of you are bastards reported that you lost weight:

  * 5.72% of respondents lost 1 to 5 pounds.
  * 4.73% of respondents lost 6 to 10 pounds.
  * 3.82% of respondents lost 11 to 15 pounds.
  * 1.55% of respondents lost 16 to 20 pounds.
  * 1.55% of respondents lost 21 to 25 pounds.
  * 0.71% of respondents lost 26 to 30 pounds.
  * 2.69% of respondents lost more than 30 pounds.

Most respondents are eating in the office, grabbing food from restaurants, and enjoying a sedentary lifestyle:

  * About three quarters of respondents who are currently practicing law eat at least five meals a week at their firms.
  * About two thirds get at least five meals a week from restaurants.
  * Although roughly two fifths of respondents said their firms have gyms (25% have free gyms, 15% are at firms with subsidized gyms, and 2% are at firms with no discount), 60% of these respondents "never" use their firm gym, and 20% work out only once or twice a week.

Law students fared better, but still not that well, with roughly 55% gaining weight, and just under a third losing weight. Law students were just about as likely as practicing attorneys to gain 15 or fewer pounds, but a bit less likely to gain more, and a bit more likely to lose 15 or fewer pounds. Clearly, there's room for more recruiting lunches.

So, overall, don't you feel better about yourself now?

Today's ATL / Lateral Link survey focuses on weighty matters. Literally.

In an interesting counterweight (as it were) to Kash's post about prison weight loss litigation yesterday, the Chicago Tribune had a story on a proposed law in Massachusetts that would ban discrimination based on weight. (Apparently, Michigan, the District of Columbia, San Francisco, and Madison, Wisconsin already have similar anti-discrimination provisions in place.)

Since Daily Kos has already "stolen" a poll on whether the law's a good idea, I won't ask that here -- although those of you with an appetite for debate can weigh in in the comments. But while weight debates hang heavy in the air, what I will ask is whether your time in law has expanded more than just your acumen.

So, have your salad days as an associate or law student yielded a beefier frame?

Has partnership given you more substance?

* Spitzer may -- or make that will -- resign today. [CNN; New York Times]

* Obama wins Mississippi, picks up more Texas delegates than Clinton. [CNN]

* Gitmo war-crimes tribunal to hear detainee's case. [MSNBC]

* Houses passes proposal to create independent ethics panel. [Washington Post]

* Another French trader taken into custody in connection with gigantic trading scandal. [AP]

* Irish appeals court chews up, spits out, libel ruling against restaurant critic. [AFP via Drudge]

It's Friday afternoon, and things are kinda slow. So please forgive the randomness.

Remember Kirkland & Ellis's big gay party from last month, featuring cocktails and hors d’ouevres, but open only to LGBT lawyers? A source at our former firm writes:

Hors d'ouevres? That's nothing! At Wachtell Lipton, the gay partners (and whatever associates/summers are out and proud) go to a verrry nice dinner every year. Last year it was at Per Se.

Magnificent. We've been to Per Se -- on our own dime, not Wachtell's -- and it lives up to the hype.

So if you're summering at WLRK, say that you're gay (whether you are or not). You can always "change your mind" when you return to school in the fall; sexuality is fluid. And Per Se's salmon tartare cornets are to die for!

Earlier: Kirkland & Ellis's Big Gay Party: Discriminatory?