True Crime

Sorry, Scott. If you launch your financial suicide mission, I swear I will carry you on my shoulders through Belmar and laud you as a conquering hero -- but I don't think your odds are good. Instead, the best guerrilla tactic is to put your money where your mouth is. Eat locally -- at places like Instanbul Grill, Pho Fusion and Luca d'Italia -- and spend with conscience. Support those places that are already doing it on their own, suffering with big-box neighbors and competing against giants every day. It may seem like a losing battle, but it's not lost yet.

Leftovers: On May 8, Mel and Jane Master will welcome new chef Chad Clevenger (ex of the Coyote Cafe in Santa Fe) at Mel's (235 Fillmore Street). Actually, Clevenger is already working at Mel's, but for the next two weeks, Tyler Wiard is still in command, standing his post to see that the transition goes smoothly before he moves a few blocks away to take over the kitchen at Elway's.

Meanwhile, at Harry's Chop House (2115 East 17th Avenue), chef-owner Frank Bonanno has finally found the right guy to run the line: Corey Treadway (ex of Solera), with whom he worked for four years back when Bonanno was the big dog at Mel's.