Alex

It may be well nigh impossible to catch a reservation for all 19 of us to be seated together, so I'd be fine (and I suspect others would, too) with seating at several separate tables. In any event, I'd encourage making the reservation by today, or tomorrow at the latest. My vote is for Roadhouse first, Zola second. If we opt for the Roadhouse, we may want to consider moving brunch to when they open at 10.

Ninteen is a big crowd, so I suggest we go to a place where a 10:30-ish reservation is available, and that we make a decision fairly soon.

Don't forget the biscotti! Several years ago, I sold lemon-anise biscotti, made from the Cook's Illustrated recipe, to a local coffee house. They keep well, don't take up much storage space, and are a nice alternative for customers who want something sweet but are too full for a regular dessert. You even can market them as part of a special package, e.g., coffee (or Vin Santo) & biscotti.

A picture of a Stuffed Zucchini Blossom from last year's Heartland Gathering The story behind it, with recipe

YES!! Look what I just found: Absinthe Cake ← Yikes! Pls save a thimble-ful unadulterated (at risk of sounding hard-core ) ← Yeah, I'm with moonsqrl. My guess is that people who are interested in absinthe would be happy to have just a taste in the interests of making sure there's enough to go around... ← Me three. Even a little absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.

To begin with, although it might come as a surprise to anyone who has not participated in a Zagat survey, the 30-point ratings in the book do not represent actual choices. In fact, the survey form is much cruder, offering only four choices, 0 through 3. Thus, a conscientious participant who believes that a restaurant’s rank should be, say, 25 on a 30-point scale must choose either a 2 or a 3, each of which represents an inaccurate extreme. These ratings are then averaged and multiplied to give the appearance of a more nuanced evaluation. ← monkfish, these are Fat Guy's exact words from his above-referenced article. Nothing wrong with that per se, but you should have enclosed the paragraph in quotation marks and cited the source. You still have plenty of time to edit your post, though.

Yes, to be sure, but this is where I go fuzzy: ← The average is multiplied by 10. If the average is, say, 2.1, it's reported as score of 21.

For those who are driving to Ann Arbor, here are two web sites that list all the major road construction sites in Michigan. AAA Michigan (the SW page includes some Chicago info) Michgan Department of Transportation

6 is fine. I'll just have to be careful about eating too much for lunch at Exotic Cuisine & Bakeries.

Metromix doesn't list lunch hours, either. Just looking at it, I'd eat that ice cream tasting for lunch, brunch, AND dinner. Breakfast, too.

This makes me hopeful that I wil indeed be able to sneak in a visit to Hot Chocolate on my too short trip to Chicago later this year. With hoped for dinners at Schwa and Alinea, I didn't figure a late night dessert trip would be plausible. What are Hot Chocolate's hours? ← Hours

Most of the cooks will be making dishes based on what's current at the Farmers' Market and what's best at the butcher and the fishmonger; the preparation may or may not be regional. As part of his charcuterie, Ron will be bringing some homemade bacon, which I will gratefully use in my corn dish. Are you offering to prepare some pork belly?

Not too late at all. You're required to bring pictures of the new one, though. Just fill out the survey and we'll see you in a few weeks. Also let us know if you'd like to cook, sous, etc. Glad you can be there!

Hey, one man's slop... Seriously, though, it would be fairer to Nuevo Leon, and more eGullet-ish, if you could be more specific, rather than just calling its food "slop."

On a related note, I happen to have an unopened bottle of Absinthe (the real northern wormwood variety) sitting around that I was thinking of bringing. Rockandroller gave me the idea at the same time she told me about this gathering to start with. Too bad she can't make it. Anyway, would that be an appropriate thing to bring with me? ← Oh, yes, please do. My never having tried absinthe, August 5 is now officially designated as "I learned something today" day.

Staying in the Gold Coast, you're in the immediate vicinity of Sarah's Pastries and Candies (thread somewhere in the Heartland Forum). Don't miss it!

Great report, Ron. Actually, I think I was more impressed by the service than by the food. The folks who answered the phone for my several calls, as our group dwindled from nine to four, couldn't have been more courteous. The hostess was friendly, pleasant, and accommodating. Chris, as you mentioned, was attentive without being intrusive and, after I narrowed down our wine options, made spot-on recommendations for our first (Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve) and second (Bethel Heights Pinot Noir) courses. I loved the amuse -- I could've been happy with a vat of that for dinner. I wasn't as impressed with the sweetbreads as you were. I thought there was too much breading, which interfered with my appreciation of the taste and texture of the sweetbreads. I was duly impressed, though, with my entrée of braised veal cheek and boudin blanc with morels and ramps. And did I mention that the company was very enjoyable, as always?

"Along with milk, sugar and the other usual ingredients, the ice cream is made with...a blend of Dave's Insanity Hot Sauce and Blair's Megadeath Hot Sauce, along with a secret ingredient. Chile peppers, habaneros and Thai chiles are then stirred in." Click if you dare.

Ooh, can we hear about that? (Or have you already posted and I've missed it?)

I'll do something with our wonderful Michigan corn. And if the blueberries are out, I can organize a blueberry cobbler.

Going to Wrigley tomorrow for afternoon game--first time. Would love some pre and post game recommendations! Prefer good food to rowdy crowd. ← I'm sure that others are way more knowledgeable than I about this topic, but I do recommend the Wrigleyville location of Heaven On Seven. You also can try a Metromix search. On the left side of the page, in the box for "Neighborhood," scroll down and select "Wrigleyville," then plug in your other options.

I agree -- Black Cat is quite good. My favorite espresso place here in GR uses the excellent Caffé D'arte decaf, also mentioned in Richard's article. I buy my whole beans there, but I'm pretty sure that Caffé D'arte will sell by mail.

FYI, S & S is now offering a $26, three-course prix fixe menu from 5-7 p.m. daily. Here's a link.

Le Méridien was sold to the Hilton organization. Cerise is now "The Restaurant at Conrad," although a name change supposedly is in the works.