Gifted Gourmet

I, like Patti, thought that the photo was from one of the side walking lanes on the Avenue des Champs d'Elysées ... the manicured trees and the pavement look quite familiar to me as well ... and Therese is well versed in French dining ... As to Therese and her blog: this one will, as anyone familiar with her writing knows, be brilliant! Along with her commentary and photography, one can expect surprises and pleasure at every turn! The Georgia peach, as we Atlantans know, is one of our precious local gifts ... summer is always joyous when the juice drips down one's chin ...

several options with links for Roanoke, Virginia From what I've heard, Alexander's (Downtown Roanoke) is a good choice .. upscale and French ...

This is "the new black" ... yes, pretentious as hell, but so "clean and neat" graphically ... an "economy" of verbiage ... Went back to read the item from the Austin-American Statesman and found that this totally agrees with me:

The major problem here is that Sunday lunch this week will fall during the Memorial Day holiday weekend which may limit availibility. I would definitely recommend Peninsula Grill however they are only open for dinner. As for the other options of true Charleston cooking, there are many (noted in the first post of this thread): Magnolia's, Blossom Cafe, Carolina's, Sermet's Corner, Hyman's Seafood, Hominy Grill, Cru Cafe. I like Hyman's Seafood because it has my favorite quintessential Shrimp and Grits preparation. And for that, I drive 5 hours to get to Charleston! It is the one dish which best exemplifies the local cuisine. And, if I know Phyllis Hyman, the owner/hostess, she'll be open for a brisk and busy lunch business! Hyman's Seafood On the Hominy Grill menu, you will find some true Charleston cooking as well. It is open and is usually busy as it will be on this weekend. Delightful food!

from Winebusiness This is an excellent article which examines, in great depth, how tasting rooms work and how they affect their wineries' profits, or lack thereof ...Are you a fan of the tasting room concept? Would you pay a fee or do you believe that the winery should offer this service free of charge and simply use it as "advertising"?

Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous and coming from Raichlen, the King of Barbecuing, I think he must know whereof he speaks! or, maybe not, depending upon what carpetbagger,esq. just mentioned ...

For some of us, an online menu can be positively erotic ...

from SF Gate's Michael Bauer: a list of questions to consider ... after reading this, I now look for many things I had previously overlooked ...

La Caterina Trattoria has a website with a menu and the prices ... Savoy Cucina also has a delectable menu online here and includes the prices. Vincenzo's

I could swear that he is living in my house diguised as my husband ... The usual response is something to the effect that all the food on the plate winds up in one's stomach .. and then in the .. well, you know ...

It would appear that online menus serve as a very strong asset for people who enjoy dining out! Appreciate your input as well as that of anyone who has an opinion on this topic!

This thing is so awful that even Jay Leno made some (humorous) negative comments last night on his show during the monologue ... I have, of course, put them completely out of my mind ... source for this quoteHad my mother made food like this and piled it into one bowl, I would have left for college at the ripe old age of 8! On the other hand, I can see this working much better because these ingredients are tasty when layered: source

I saw that too, Ludja! Thanks for posting the menu and notice! Atlanta Journal-Constitution has an article by John Kessler: Friends, dishes honor Edna Lewis Published on: 05/25/06

With the advent of the Internet to offer information on every possible topic, I have begun to contemplate whether online menus actually encourage you to try some dish or meal which they offer ... Do you choose by the items offered? By the prices? Are you more or less likely to dine at a place which does not offer a menu for your perusal before eating? In Europe, menus are posted near the entrance to a restaurant ... you can always run off if the place looks too chic and pricey ... So, how often do you read online menus?

sherbert instead of sherbet mannaise instead of mayonnaise of course, Emeril Lagasse does this every single time he uses the stuff ... Heineken remover instead of Heimlich maneuver (or manoeuvre, Br.) 100 Most Often Mispronounced Words and Phrases in English

Pallee, won't you please do us a huge favor and post your recipe to Recipe Gullet? We are dying to try to make these gorgeous cookies ourselves!

and a recent foodblog by eGullet's own Jason Perlow: http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/ with all manner of visual stimulation: Jason's photography ... and the audio stimulation: those hysterical podcasts of his ... now if he had a way to send out taste samples, it would be perfect!

I love food blogs because, unlike my cookbook collection, the blog is constantly being updated ... and then there is the aspect of the food photography! ... then there are the thoughts, ruminations, musings of the blog's author ... and they are free, of course, and they ask for your comments ... and ... and .... so very many reasons!

http://chezpim.typepad.com/ http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/ http://deusexculina.robsama.com/ http://foodgoat.blogspot.com/ http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/ (Julie/Julia Project) http://www.lapingourmand.com/

How about giving some of these places a quick phone call? thread here with options for Greenville I'd think about Soby's myself ... this just in! 33 Liberty ... Chef John Malik

and who among us could ever forget that divine candied bacon?? recipe for Praline Bacon "Pig Candy" recipe with pictures

eGullet discussion on Savannah dining ... .. see what strikes your fancy ...

Your posts on Little Rock are greatly appreciated, Therese! We have heard little, if anything, on this southern city since Bill Clinton left the White House ... the photographs of all that fresh produce are enticing!

Beer Advocate article Does anything on this list look like something you would wish to try? Any of your favorites here? Agree with their rankings?

Sure, and people do it all the time .. About concern about "antiseptic" issue: freeze it (the fish) and then defrost when ready to "cure" ... that is the recommendation which I have read most frequently. It will take care of fish parasites ... source of info .. also has an alcohol-free gravlax recipe ...