Alex

Lobster, asparagus, and orange is a classic combination. For the sauce, reduce fresh orange juice, grated peel, and a little lemon juice. Strain, then stir in some cold butter, a bit of cream, and a pinch of salt. In the meantime, cook some penne rigate in salted water, adding the peeled and cut asparagus for the last few minutes. Also in the meantime, gently reheat the lobster meat in butter. Mix everything together, adding a little of the pasta water if needed. Adjust the salt, if needed. Some minced flat-leaf parsley as a garnish is optional.

I'll be roasting an eight-pound goose (local, free-range, etc.) for a New Year's Eve dinner, probably using this recipe, also brining the bird using this recipe. The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 165°F (~75°C). Their recommendations often are of the most-sincerely-dead variety, so I'm wondering if that's an OK temperature. Thoughts?

Do you mean this one? Like most political prognostication, it's still the 21st-century version of reading entrails (from humanely raised animals, of course) and tea leaves (fair trade and organic).

All of these are within walking distance (1/2 mile or less) of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. I won't be able to speak to their holiday spirit, but otherwise... 1) Leo's: Specializes in seafood but the meats are supposed to be good, too. So-so wine list but some decent selections. Very relaxing space -- high ceiling, lots of space between tables. Generally very good service. 2) Bistro Bella Vita: Varied menu, upbeat atmosphere, good wine list, local products when feasible. Here's a special dinner they're doing on January 9. 3) San Chez Bistro: Tapas and mezze, plus some entrees. Usually busy. I haven't been there in a while but I used to like going there. 4) Tre Cugini: (web site down at the moment) On Monroe Mall. Very good higher-end Italian food w/prices to match. Almost exclusively Italian wines. Cozy, warm atmosphere. 5) Six One Six, at the JW Marriott down the street from the Amway, has gotten good reviews but I haven't been there yet.

I have only one piece of advice (and even this may be unnecessary given that you've done duck before): Don't forget the fat! Pull out any fat that remains inside the cavity and render it. Part way through the roasting, pour the accumulated fat out of the roasting pan and strain it. It'll keep for quite a while in the fridge. It's the best stuff in the world for roasting potatoes (and other things, of course).

Apparently he and Michelle also like Spiaggia. The Chicago Tribune calls it "one of their favorite restaurants." A propos of that, check out tirgoddess's wonderful post. According to this article, he "loved the wood-roasted scallops."

From Hotels Magazine of 10/14/08:

I'd also contact Sarah's Pastries and Candies (the Oak St. store). Killer cupcakes for 2.50-2.99 each. I don't know if they'd deliver to Warrenville, and it's certainly more than 15 minutes away, but it probably is worth asking. (I know they ship chocolates via UPS ground, which would take only a day, so I assume they'd ship cupcakes as well, but I don't know if you'd want your recipient receiving day-old cupcakes. )

Chicago is fun any time of year, of course, but I prefer it when it's not end-of-December cold. Your living in SD may make that a non-issue for you, though. DC may be outside your preferred geographical range, but Ms. Alex and I have had a splendid time there on and around New Year's Eve. Last year, for example, we attended a late performance by jazz/pop/theater singer Audra McDonald in the relatively intimate Terrace Room at the Kennedy Center. (The terrace itself overlooks the Potomac.) This year features a performance by New York Voices and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band. You can hit the 7:30 show then go to dinner at any one of a number of excellent places, most of which are bound to have a special NYE menu. We ate at Circle Bistro, which is not Alinea-level (or even Tru- or onesixtyblue-) but was excellent in its own right (and walking distance from Kennedy Center). The best higher-end options, at least the ones I'm semi-acquainted with, are the Minibar at Cafe Atlantico (spiritual second cousin once removed to Alinea), Citronelle, Komi, Palena, and Mendocino Grille. Here's a good DC restaurant resource.

Alex, I'm surprised! Are you saying that you're going to be a "virgin Vegan visitor" (as in Las VEHH-gan)? As for #1: The RTC bus system is not bad at all. I've used it a few times. $5 for a 24-hour day pass, including "The Deuce" that drives up and down the Las Vegas Strip. As for #2: Take the cab ride to Rosemary's. The cab should drive you from the Venetian, north along the Strip, turn left on Sahara Blvd., drive about 7 miles west on Sahara Blvd., past Rainbow, past Buffalo. Rosemary's is on the south side (to your left), the southeast corner of Sahara & Cimarron. If you go on a Sunday night, they offer bottled wines for half price. As for #3: Sorry, I've never been there. As for #4: Is it a $50/day food coupon for each of you? If so, try Wolfgang Puck's Cut Steakhouse at the Palazzo (Disclosure: I know the manager & one of the servers). If you're into artisanal cheeses, go to Morel's at the Palazzo, even though I haven't eaten there yet. I just salivated in front of their cheese display ... If you want Thai cuisine, you should try Lotus of Siam on Sahara Blvd., between the Strip & (closer to) Maryland Parkway. ← Thanks for the info. Yep, sad to say, I'm a Vegan virgin. Or should that be ? #1: There's been a medium-sized change of plans. We decided to rent a car at the airport. It was only ~$90 total for a "standard" car like a Chevy Malibu (and ~$72 for a smaller car). We had been seriously considering trip or two away from the city (e.g., Hoover Dam/Lake Mead), and it would have cost >$50/day to rent even a subcompact from Avis at the hotel. So, if you have any longer-distance recommendations, recommend away! #2: I know about the wine deal at Rosemary's; that's why we're going on Sunday. Unfortunately, the Romanée-Conti isn't available at half-price. They certainly have a bunch of other tasty choices on the list, though. What would you think about heading west on Spring Mountain for a while before turning north to Sahara? I've heard that traffic on The Strip can be pretty congested. #3: If we go to Himalayan Cuisine, I'll post about it, of course. #4: It's $50 for both, not each.

I've appreciated all the information on this thread. Ms. Alex and I will be in Las Vegas toward the end of December, staying three nights at The Venetian. This is my first visit, although Ms. A has been there a couple of times for conferences (so she says ). I've done a bunch of restaurant research (of course), but would like some independent opinions. Here are our parameters: 1) We won't have a car, would rather not take a cab, but wouldn't mind taking the bus. 2) A propos of #1, one dinner is committed to Rosemary's Restaurant. 3) As wonderful as they might be, high-end places are out. Including tax, tip, and wine, ~$150-175 for the two of us is our preferred ceiling. 4) We get a $50/day food coupon from the Venetian that's good only that day at their restaurants (and Palazzo's, too, I think). We were thinking of using it for a late breakfast/early lunch at Bouchon, but are open to other uses. We were considering Louis's Las Vegas (Ms. A ate there and liked it), but I hesitated after learning his Fish Camp closed. A very recent poster on Yelp said that Louis's itself had closed, but I'm still getting an open-sounding recording when I call. Does anyone know about this? Has anyone been to Himalayan Cuisine? We're giving serious thought to this place. The menu is very intriguing and recent reviews on Yelp have been positive. At The Venetian, both Enoteca San Marco and The Grill at Valentino sound appealing. Any thoughts about these and others?

Possibly here, at Restaurant Avondale? It's been a couple of years since I've been to Tapawingo. I was wondering if anyone had feedback about their current approach (looks less adventurous than I remember) and their executive chef Ray Kusmack.

From one of his collections of essays, I just read Consider the Lobster, by the recently departed and sorely missed David Foster Wallace. Why this wasn't included in Holly Hughes's Best Food Writing 2004, I'll never know.

Here's a Detroit News article about Roast, opening this Sunday.

You're also going to be very near Sarah's Pastries and Candies. Excellent baked goods, chocolates, coffee (Intelligentsia), and sandwiches.

Has anyone been to Due Venti in Clawson yet? Northern Italian, 50 seats, everything -- including pasta -- house made. Sounds really good. No reviews so far on Yelp. Detroit Free Press review Detroit News review their wine list story (all wines are from Fenn Valley Vinyards)

Do you know if the adjacent, more upscale, Louie's Las Vegas is still open?

One obvious answer: When we're in DC, we often go to Teaism. Good breakfast food, bento boxes, ochazuke, too.

Might you be thinking of The Newberry Library? As a regular visitor, I agree that Navy Pier is undoubtedly touristy, but it does house the Chicago Shakespeare Theater and the Smith Museum of Stained Glass, and is a relatively convenient place for a walk to the Big Lake. I've found the CTA transit map, sometimes in combination with a standard Chicago street map (I use Rand McNally), to be the most useful. I'm sure others will have different suggestions. I don't know if CTA will mail you a map, but you can contact them at 1-888-968-7282 (weekdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.) or email them at ctahelp@transitchicago.com. You can view CTA maps online here.

Could you say something about your preferences (both yea and nay) about food type, cost, willingness to take public transportation and/or taxi, etc?

Intention sheshmention. Sometimes inebriation happens in a bar. I would just say to make sure you stay 3 nights so you can go twice with a hungover day between. Then get on the plane on the forth day and head to Betty Ford, or some awful lemon juice/maple syrup/cayenne cleanse. Between the food and drink you will need it. Toby ← Mmm, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne. I wonder how that would go with bourbon. Blitzing and cleansing, all in one convenient package. On a side, but related, note, have you ever had BLiS Bourbon Barrel Matured Maple Syrup? Amazing stuff.

'Fraid not. We literally have no room for any more books, cook or otherwise, unless we start making piles. At least ten cookbooks are still completely unread. Self-discipline is no fun at all. ------- My name is Alex, and I'm a cookbookholic. [Hi, Alex.] It's been over three months since my last purchase. <applause>

I loved Entenmann's (and Drake's) coffee cake when I was growing up in NYC. So I really AM a slut. I had my suspicions...

Sorry, Alex, but it is, in fact, Loui's, without the final "e"...they did it purposely. And yes: he was the one who gave both Shield's and Buddy's their recipes. Credit Buddy's for better overall marketing, since they've expanded the most, but their pizza is now pretty far from the way that Loui's is. Buddy's is a good "second place is the first loser" substitute when Loui's is closed for vacation or something like that, but Loui's absolutely puts out a far superior product, without a doubt. In fact, the last time I had Buddy's (at their Warren location), I was downright disappointed. Noble is definitely still in their little grocery in Clawson. Didn't know about the URL thing, though. Is Nobana still owned/run by the Noble Fish folks? ← Oops. Thanks for the check on Loui's. The copyright notice at the bottom of Nobana's home page says "One World Market," which IIRC is under the same ownership as Noble.

When you navigate to Noble Fish's URL, you're redirected to the one for Nobana (see my post above). I don't know if Noble is still in their little store in Clawson. Louie's (not Loui's) is a great idea if one is in the mood for pizza. When I go to Detroitland nowadays I gravitate toward non-pizza items, so it's been a long, long time since I've been there. I seem to remember a great Loui's vs. Buddy's vs. Shield's debate. In fact, IIRC (and this is a very vague memory), wasn't Louie the chef or part owner of Shield's?