TL;DR: As of Sept. 24, a refurbished Dell Optiplex 3020 and lifetime Microsoft Office Professional

People looking to eat at a high-end restaurant in New York City ultimately learned that the entire thing was an elaborate prank. On Saturday 23 September, Mehran’s Steakhouse finally had a table available in its East Village location after previously having a waitlist with nearly 3,000 names on it. Around 140 diners showed up with no idea that the restaurant wasn’t real. The origins of the prank date back to 2021, when Mehran Jalali and his 16 housemates were having biweekly steak dinners that he would cook in their Upper East Side apartment. As a joke, the roommates made a Google page where they could leave good reviews. Strangers eventually found them and assumed the reviews were real. After more people got accidentally wrapped up in the prank, the roommates created a website for the steakhouse, and by 2022, the wait list had 2,600 names on it. The group then attempted to make their prank real this past weekend, when they rented an event space in the East Village, and obtained a one-day liquor license and food-handling permits before inviting those who’d put their names on the reservation list. Members of the press were able to attend the restaurant, including a New York Times food writer, as well as a reporter from the New York Post. The $144 main entree was called the Bovine Circle of Life, better known as steak and potatoes. The restaurant’s simple salad also came with an elaborate name, Agrarian Synergies. A waiter even walked around with a gallon of milk, claiming it was from a cow from Uganda named Phillip as part of the meal’s concept. Part of the prank also included a selection of framed photographs of Jalali posing with celebrities he had “cooked for” over his years as a chef, including Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Barack Obama and John F Kennedy. “The worst-case scenario for me would’ve been if like, people realise that it was a fake steakhouse not because like, like the pranks and stuff, you know, that the lies were absurd, but because just like the food wasn’t that good, which ended up not happening,” the 21-year-old told Inside Edition. The group also staged a celebrity appearance. “We had some of our friends come and hold posters for Drake so that way people walking by, people walking would think that Drake was actually inside when he really wasn’t,” one of the pranksters, Riley Walz, told the outlet. According to the Daily Mail, the creators said they hoped the night wouldn’t be a “one hit wonder”. “People said they wouldn’t change a single thing about the steak,” the chef added. Since the one-night opening, more people have taken to Google to leave the steakhouse a review. “I got the luxury of being able to attend the one night only pop up and it did not disappoint!” one review began. “The waiter was very attentive and he didn’t bat an eye even when my husband asked him to recook the steak five times! Always smiling. We received complimentary wine because of this event. It was delicious.” The review continued: “The chef told me he personally crushed the grapes with his feet and fermented the juice for 98 years. Wine was amazing but the showstopper was the steak. The aroma in the restaurant alone almost made me pass out. I was getting lightheaded as I did not eat for four days just so that I would be able to eat as much as possible today. The first bite was better than anything on Earth. I levitated ... Turns out Drake was there a bit earlier than me?! He has great taste haha.” The Independent has contacted Jalali for comment. Read More Starbucks faces lawsuit as customers claim refreshers contain no fruit Subway enthusiasts stew over launch of first ever 3-inch sandwich 8 of the best wine regions to travel to around the world Cold-weather recipes to get on your radar now Five easy recipes to cook with your kids Baked beans and pasta become kitchen cupboard staples in British households

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Actor Chris Fountain has shared footage from the hospital following his heart surgery. The former Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star was admitted for an operation on his heart, months after suffering a “mini-stroke”. On social media, he updated his followers with posts to his Instagram stories on Friday (12 May). “I’m back, baby,” Fountain, 35, said to the camera while laying in his hospital bed. “Still feeling a little bit woozy, my groin is rather sore. But I’ve finally been allowed to eat and drink, but the cheese sandwich didn’t quite do it.” He added that his mother, who was in the room with him, would be going to find him something more substantial to eat before signing off. Later, he shared a video originally posted by Dutch musical theatre actor Martijn Vogel that explains the procedure that had been performed on him. Fountain’s surgery was to address a patent foramen ovale (PFO), which is described by the NHS as a hole between the left and right atria (upper chambers) of the heart. People with this condition are at a higher risk of stroke. If a PFO does not fix itself, the surgery to treat it consists of inserting a catheter with a closure device through the femoral vein in the leg up to the heart, where the device is left to close up the flap. In a later video, Fountain is seen walking around the hospital. “Back on my feet, they’ve cleared me to walk a little bit,” he said. “What a day! To be honest, I was really quite nervous when I went into the anaesthetist room, it all became very real.” He concluded on a positive note, telling fans that the outlook looks good so far after tests were run to check that the device is “in the right place and working, and not leaking”. The actor starred in more than 300 episodes of the long-running ITV soap, Coronation Street, from 2011 to 2013. He was fired after videos of him rapping about rape were discovered on YouTube. Since then, Fountain has addressed the impact that his firing has had on his life. Read More TikTok Tattoogate: How a tattoo artist sparked backlash for ‘absurd’ pricing and design changes Millie Mackintosh says she was ‘ghosted’ by Meghan Markle after she started dating Prince Harry Elliot Page praised for shirtless photo: ‘It feels so good now’ One in five people may be suffering from ‘dangerous’ sleep disorder Bo Jackson says he will undergo procedure after year-long battle with chronic hiccups As Coronation Street puts the spotlight on sepsis, the signs and symptoms to know

Martha Stewart has spoken candidly about the all-consuming obsession people have with pumpkin spice during the fall. The cookbook author, 82, may indulge in a classic Thanksgiving dessert, but she’s not too keen on the taste of pumpkin in her coffee. During a recent appearance on Today, Stewart expressed her apprehension about adding the spice to every food and drink, like most people do during this time of year. “So, speaking of autumn - I would like you to weigh in on this, Martha,” host Al Roker told the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model. “What say you on the pumpkin spice?” “In a pie, I love it. In anything else, I do not love it,” Stewart confessed. Roker agreed, and declared the overuse of pumpkin spice to be unnecessary. “The queen has spoken. By royal decree, get rid of the pumpkin spice,” the talk show host said. Roker first expressed his contempt for the spice in 2020, specifically calling out pumpkin spice lattes for being fake. “There’s no pumpkin in it. It’s chemicals, it’s artificial flavouring - just why?” he questioned. “OK, if you want it in your coffee, fine. But you start putting it in all these other things, it doesn’t taste good!” While Stewart didn’t reveal which foods she thinks should be free from pumpkin spice, she did express her disinterest in adding the flavour to a certain hot beverage. “I don’t like cappuccino with pumpkin spice in it, I just don’t,” she admitted. Some people may believe that the Food Network star’s distaste for pumpkin spice - in anything other than pie - is characteristic of an autumn cynic. However, Stewart is quite the opposite. Thanksgiving is in fact one of her favourite holidays, which is why she believes the Christmas season doesn’t begin until after the November holiday ends. When asked by Today achor Craig Melvin what it is about Thanksgiving that she loves so much, Stewart replied: “Well, I love holidays, you know that, and Thanksgiving is one of my favourites. “I do have gobblers in the poultry yard. I have 17 of them right now,” Stewart added, referring to the livestock she keeps on her farm in Bedford, New York – the property where she recently offered to host two lucky guests to stay ahead of the upcoming holiday. In partnership with Booking.com, Stewart is opening up her 150-acre home from 18 November to 19 November. For just $11.23, two individuals can enjoy a fall-inspired vacation in accordance with a special itinerary that includes a cottage tour and a “table setting and wreath-making demo with executive director of design, Kevin Sharkey.” “Thanksgiving has always been one of my favourite holidays to celebrate, which is why I’m excited to be Booking.com’s newest host and welcome guests to my Bedford farm for a Thanksgiving-inspired stay ahead of the big day,” Stewart said in the press release. “Every year, my Thanksgiving holiday prep begins weeks before hosting my family in Bedford, so I can’t wait to welcome the guests that book this experience to my fall-ready Tenant House on the farm and look forward to sharing my favourite Thanksgiving-inspired traditions during their stay,” she continued. Stewart’s home will be available for booking beginning 6 November at 12pm ET on Booking.com, on a first-come, first-serve basis. Read More Martha Stewart is inviting fans for pre-Thanksgiving stay at her farm in New York The best foods to forage in November and how to cook them Rachael Ray shares expert cooking advice for Thanksgiving dinner The best foods to forage in November and how to cook them Rachael Ray shares expert cooking advice for Thanksgiving dinner Long live British scran: Three classic dishes for autumn

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 21, 2023--

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