wannabechef

I made it back today - this time my experience was 200% better. I arrived at around 11:30 to find that the line for cuepons was already growing. I hopped on asap. They started selling tickets around 11:45, and by 11:50 I was on line at Mitchells. Mitchells Tasty - but I found it to be slightly overrated. I think in different situation it could've been a lot better. For one thing it was cold. I also had very few of the skin or cracklin's which is my favorite part. Also, the juice from the coleslaw intermingled with the meat, which I felt was a negative thing. It sort of made the meat "water logged" or soggy. I found the sauce to be slightly too vinegary. The coleslaw by the way, was fantastic. I enjoyed it overall but was slightly disappointed - esp after hearing all the hype. I immediately got on line next at K.C. Baron for some Brisket. K.C. Baron Wow - this blew me away. I didn't find it overly fatty at all. It was the best brisket I ever ate hands down. Pickles were good too. I ignored the bread though, both here and at Mitchells. Next stop - Big Bob's. Big Bob's Shoulder Double WOW. This was my favorite of the day. There was a lot of skin or cracklin's mixed in which was great. Sauce was great. This was the one booth where I actually ate the bread. For some reason, eating it in sandwich form added to the experiecne. This was some of the best bbq I ever ate and it will be hard to match. By this time the lines had grown pretty long. It was around 12:30 and I waited here for only about 15 min or so. Not bad. Final stop was 17th St's baby backs. 17th Street Bar & Grill I agree with what others said. These ribs were tasty but a little dry. And very cold. I did like the sauce though. I think if these were eaten fresh and hot it would be a whole other game. Still pretty damn good though. In order, my favorites were: Big Bob's Pork shoulder, KC's Brisket, Mitchell's whole hog and then 17th St. After all of this, I was able to meet up with a few EG'ers down by the speaker area. Nice to meet everyone. Sorry I jetted out of there. I had to go meet some people. Hopefully I will be joining on some of the upcoming outings. I have a few photos which I will put in the next post. Happy cue everyone!! ~WBC aka Wayne

If the lines were more organized I would've had no problem waiting. Like other posters said, it wasn't clear which line was going where, etc. I wasn't ready to invest 30-60 min to wait on a line that wasn't a line at all. So it wasn't the lines that were the problem, it was really the disorganization of the lines. I think if there were some of those line barricade type things - maybe with signs at the entrance for each line, that would've been much better. I'm off right now for try #2! Will report back...

Alright guys - you convinced me! If I can wake up in time, I'm there at 11:45! I'll report back tomorrow. Thanks for everyone's input here. ~WBC

Don't know if this is inappropriate, but do any eG'ers have any "inside" tracks to any of the booths? These food pics are making me want to go back again tomorrow. I just can't stand to wait on those crazy lines though. To people who stayed all day today - are there any better or ideal times to show up? Was it less crowded at the end of the day, or when it first started? Just trying to come up with a good strategy!

I was SO excited for this event today. In fact I was dreaming about it all night. Unfortunately, I have to report back that I was pretty disappointed. I'm sure that the food was spectacular, but I didn't have the patience to wait through the lines to taste it. We arrived at around 2pm. The crowd was so thick that you couldn't even tell which line was which or where the end of the lines were. Myself and my companions bought a bunch of tickets before we realized the situation. In fact, I purchased MY "cue-pons" from a guy who bought his and then couldn't wait on the lines. Ironically, I ended up doing the same thing. After about 10 minutes of wandering around we decided to bail. It was just too chaotic. We couldn't even get close enough to the booths to get a good look at the food. Luckily we ended up pawning off our tickets to some other poor souls. We were determined to eat barbeque though and promptly hopped in a cab and headed towards Daisy Mae's BBQ on the west side. Sadly, upon arriving, we saw that it was closed! BBQ didn't seem to be in our future today. Even more determined, we took another cab over to Virgil's which satisfied my craving for the day. We topped it off with a gelato downtown at Il Laboratorio del Gelato. Superb. All in all a great day - just disapointing how crowded this event became. Everyone and their mother somehow found out about this thing. I'm curious to hear how other people did today. Like I said, I'm sure the cue was worth it - and Fat Guy's pics are making me drool - even though I'm full on Virgil's. Did people who came early have a better time? Should I give it another shot tomorrow?? Here are some pics of the crowd. See if you can find the line!

Thanks Dave! This is hard for me to imagine since I've never bought a rib roast before. But I'll have to try it out. Is it possible to cut the bones yourself at home? Do you need some sort of saw to do this?

I have a meat question. I watched Emeril tonight - something that I ususally never do, but while channel surfing, I saw he was doing a program dedicated to beef. Being that I love everything beef, I tuned in. He said that one can go to a butcher and buy a "rib roast" which is not all THAT expensive. Then you can go home, and cut a few steaks out of it and have the equivalent of a rib steak - a highly coveted cut. He made the joke that butchers will be mad at him for giving away the secret, etc. Is there any truth to this? I just bought two incredible prime rib steaks the other day, 1.75" thick, which ran me almost $30 a pop. Granted, they were out of this world, but I'd like to know if there really is some sort of secret to getting a high quality cut at cheaper prices? Are a rib roast and rib steak one and the same? Thanks! ~WBC

Thanks Mr. C! I've only been to Lugar's once and it has a legendary place in my memory. I'm gearing up for another visit soon and hope I won't be disappointed. In your opinion though, even though they are slipping, do you still think they're the best? Is a sub-par Lugar steak still better than any other NYC contenders? Haven't been to Sparks yet but its on the list. Thanks - ~WBC

WOW! That's all I can say! Question for you guys who have done this technique successfully: do you think it's possible to make beef carnitas this way? I think its not fatty enough, but maybe there's a cut which would work? Unfortunately my wife doesn't eat pork so I can't try this great technique at home . If this method won't work, maybe another form of braising and pulling would be better. Thanks! ~WBC

Thanks Tommy. So I tried it out tonight. I wanted to try first on a supermarket steak as an experiment. I'm too nervous to try new techniques on high quality beef, but maybe thats related to the problem of why my steaks haven't come out so great. This was a standard supermarket shell steak - probaly only .75" thick. I made a little mixture of kosher salt, pepper, one crushed garlic glove, and a tiny bit of EVOO. I rubbed that mixture all over the (room temp) meat. I used the OO just to help the seasoning stay on. Meanwhile, I heated the cast iron for about 15 minutes on medium-low. I put some butter on the pan and cooked about 1-2 min per side. The result was that the middle was about how I like it - maybe slightly too done. But I just couldn't get the nice crust. It browned, but it wasn't charred at all. Is that too much to expect with this method? I just feel like with a slower cooking, its going to cook through too much and become tough. Also, I wonder if the quality and thickness of the meat I'm using is an important factor here? Can you recomend a good cut to start out with for this method? What is a good thickness to start out with? I saw in the supermarket that had rib chops, which were small, but about 1.5" thick or more. Maybe I can experiment with those. Is there ANY good steak to be found in my local supermarket???

Thank you Mulcahy! Seems like there's already a thread for everything round here. I may try FG's butter method from that thread tonight. Only thing I'm concerned about is that while in the process of browning the outside, the inside will cook too much and become dried out. Guess I'll just have to try it! ~WBC

Like many, there's nothing i love more than a thick, crusty steak with a nice pink medium-rare interior. After reading so many threads here about different searing techniques with a cast iron skillet, I decided to pick one up (yes, following the EG link ) I live in a typical NYC apartment. My first time trying out my new skillet turned out to be a disaster. The thing caused so much smoke that it not only set off my smoke detector, but my neighbors as well! Needless to say, she wasn't thrilled. I ended up having to finish the steak off in a lower heat oven and it came out meh. Second time I was more prepared. Opened ALL windows (this is in winter time), turned on fan, disconnected my smoke detector. Same thing again! It STILL set off my neighbor's smoke detector. So, short of asking her to disable her smoke alarm, is this a hopeless situation? Is it inevitable that the meat will smoke like crazy all the time or are there any techniques to reducing it? Besides grilling, are there any other lower smoke techniques that could be used to cook a high quality steak? Thanks! ~WBC

Heh - ok! I'll make it a point to try and make it to the next one - I'll try to bring my pizza-partner as well, who's even more serious about it than I. If I have time I'll post our breakdown of NYC pizza tiers. We developed a whole method of judging and comparing establishments. e.g. You can't compare a Famous Ray's to DiFaras, etc. They're just different leagues. Everywhere we go we only get the plain pie because it's requried at least as a benchmark. I think it's a good pie when I can't decide which element is the best - cheese, crust or sauce. At both Nick's and Totonno's, I kept going back and forth. It's tough to decide how ambiance comes into play also. I think it's really all about the pie, but ambiance and experience definately deserves mention. A few weeks ago my friend and I wen to DiFaras, had a pie - and then decided to drive directly to Totonnos where we had another. Ok, we're crazy. ~WBC

Based on what's been said above, you can't be talking about the same Grimaldi's. Or perhaps you went there at an off time, like 4:00pm, when the oven was cooling down and the pizza maker had to resort to dough straight out of the fridge. I think that combination could result in what you described, but it wouldn't be typical of Grimaldi's pizza. Hmmm... I was there at a later time - around 10:30 I think. Could that have been it? I'm definately always up for giving it another shot! I'll say though, it wasn't the first time I was dissapointed there. I had the same problem once before but I dont' remember what time it was then.

Totally right! We'll never all agree but to each their own and nobody is wrong. I agree about Nicks though. It doesn't have the tradition or reputation that the other big 5 have - but still worth a try. I also have to get to Patsy's. Guess I'll have to put off my low-carb diet another week! P.S. On Ch. 11 news just now they were live at DiFara's! Apparently he was rated best pizza in NYC by WB 11 viewers. It was pretty classic - the place was packed with kids and I've never seen Dom move so fast.

Hey everyone..wanted to throw my .02 in. I wasn't at this trip but my friend and I have been doing some Grimaldi's - Totonno's comparison lately since I consider them to be extremely similar. We both agreed that Totonno's far outshines Grimaldi's. In fact, I think Grimaldi's is one of the more overrated pizza joints in the city- in the fresh-moz/coal oven league at least. My main complaint was about the crust. The posting above with the detailed crust explanation by slkinsey was great! I pose a question though: What factor(s) cause the crust to keep a good consistency as the pie cools? My biggest complaint at Grimaldi's was that after a few minutes, the crust had a cardboard-like texture. It was so hard and chewy after a while that it ruined the experience for me. I noticed this even more so at Lombardi's (which I think has gone TOTALLY downhill). The crust at Totonnos and Nicks in Forest Hills kept an amazing texture even after sitting for 10-15 minutes. Overall I think Totonnos beats Grimaldi's. I think Nicks is right up there though. Grimaldis being one of the most overrated, and Nicks the most underrated. I see Grimaldi's as the pizza joint people like to say is the best, when in fact they haven't really ventured far enough out into the boros to have an educated opinion. I rate the "big 6" coal-oven/fresh moz. pies that I'VE been to: 1. Totonnos 2. Nicks 3. Grimaldis 4. Johns 5. Arturos 6. Lombardis IMO, DiFaras is in a whole other tier on its own which can't be legimately compared to these. Same goes for Sullivan St. Bakery. It's just a different animal. P.S. slkinsey - I REALLY recomend you add Nicks to the BIG 5 list! It's right up there with the rest of 'em!

Woah - I knew nothing about this hazard! Does this apply to cooked garlic in oil as well? I often infuse olive oil with garlic by slowly cooking it for an hour. I then save that oil in the fridge for weeks or even months. Is this hazardous as well or is it only raw garlic? Thanks! ~WBC

I just found their website acutally - complete with photos and prices. It's not really expensive comparably - just more than what you'd expect to pay at a semi-random Italian joint in Brooklyn. But I feel its worth it.

Sorry, WBC. I've never tried the fresh mozzarella at either places. How is Queen Restaurant, btw? If I was in the market for mozz in BK, I'd probably try Tuller, on Court Street. This is kind of an easy, and more expensive way out, because it's a gourmet store -- not much is made in house. The store is awesome. Actually, their prices are not all that high. They have some incredible ricotta for $7.99/lb, whereas it costs $3-4/lb for some decidely less tasty versions made in little shops in the area. Queen is GREAT! Actually, everything I've had there has been excellent. It's a totally cheesy looking place inside - kind of like an old school Chinese restaurant decor. The pastas though are supberb - and the highlight is their fresh moz. appertizer. Its a ball of fresh mozz. served on a plate with grilled asparagus. Pretty pricey though - I think around $12. Actually, everything there is pricey but it is good. And the mozz. is the best I've ever had. They make in the kitchen twice daily. I recomend trying it at least once. ~WBC

I'm another Brooklynite checking in. Glad to see this thread. Question for the rest of you guys.. Have you had the fresh mozzeralla from A&S Pork Store on 5th ave in Park Slope? I was so pleased to discover this a few months ago and declared it some of the best I've had! (Queen rest. on Court St. is still king IMO). Two weeks ago I stopped by A&S and picked up a pound. I was terribly disapointed though. It seems their cheese has possibly gone downhill? A friend of mine corroberated so I don't think it happened to be my specific batch. I heard through the grapevine that they no longer make it in that location, so maybe it changed? I can't confirm this fact though. I hope that this isn't true. I'll try it again soon and find out. Even if it has gone downhill, I still think it's the best in the Slope though. Better than Russo's and Fratelli. I'm thinking of slipping them a note under the door to register my complaint. ~WBC

CAULIFLOWER FLASH!! Yes, I admit it. I'm ready to come out of the closet. I am a roasted cauliflower addict. I consume entire heads of the stuff in a single sitting and have started to scare my friends and family from talking so enthusiastically about a vegetable. I had been growing wary though of the rising cost of cauliflower lately. I've seen the going rate as high as $4.50 a head for my fix. And is it my imagination or is the size of the vegetable actually getting smaller as the price gets higher?! Anyway, have no fear my fellow NYC addicts. While strolling down Mott street in Chinatown today I discovered gigantic, pearly white and flawless cauliflowers on sale for a measely $1.50! I was going to pick a few up to take home but I was meeting some aquaintences later and didn't want to show up to a bar with armfuls of cauliflower. But rest assured...I will be back. These are bigger, better, and cheaper than any in my hood and I wanted the other NYC addicts to be aware of this if they weren't already. Enjoy! ~WBC

Had some homemade beef stock in the freezer just the other night and turned it into some incredible onion soup. I used 3 different kinds of onions - white, spainish and purple. Don't know how this affects the end flavor, but I just like the idea of having 3 kinds of onions in the soup Chopped them up into long stringy pieces and sauteed in butter and a touch of olive oil until they were totall reduced. My pot was filled to the top with the raw ones and they reduced down about 75% by the end. Meanwhile I was bringing my stock up to a boil. I think one key is to use about 5 times as much onions as you'd think you need. Even with the pot filled to the top while I was sauteing, I still could've used more onions in the end product. Anyway... Sprinkled 1 or 2 spoonfuls of flour in for thickness and then splashed in a bunch of red wine and brandy. Brought it up to a boil again and then added my stock and seasoning. Lots of salt, pepper and a bay leaf. Simmered for about 40 minutes. Meanwhile I cubed up a few pieces of great french bread and lightly toasted. I served the soup into my traditional brown french onion soup crocks. Added the croutons and topped with thick cut grueyere and romano cheese (a sprinkling). Under the broiler for about 5 minutes and it was bubbly and golden...MMMMMM! Ate it with a lemon juice/olive oil dressed salad and a glass of good french wine. Nothing like it! The best part is, I had plenty of leftover soup. I measure it out in portions of two into plastic ziplock baggies and freeze. Then when I want onion soup, I just defrost, cut up some cheese and croutons and bam. Done in 15 minutes tops. This was my second time making the soup and both times thankfully, it's come out being some of the best french onion soup I've had. I love it! Enjoy, ~WBC

Over the past 10 years or so I've been making my own pancakes from scratch. I've tried everything from buttermilk to buckwheat and had a lot of success as well as many failures. Then, a few months ago I discovered Hungry Jack's Buttermilk Pancake mix. It's one of those just-add-water types of deals. I had tried a bunch of those before and was adamantly against them. But this said "NEW" on the box so I had to try it. Man! They were great! They were actually some of the best pancakes I've made. I don't what they did, but this mix makes a perfect, standard buttermilk pancake every time. I now sometimes substitue a spooonful or two of the mix, for some cornmeal. I'm a big fan of cornmeal pancakes and just a little spoonful gives a nice texture and flavor. I feel bad that I don't make them from scratch anymore but I'm so happy with this mix and its so damn convenient, that I just don't see the need to - unless I want something special. I cook my pancakes on a griddle that is built in to my stove. Lucky me. Of course, real maple syrup only. ~WBC

I'll tell my way of doing it and then add a question of my own. I usually unwrap the bunch, and roughly pick off the leaves and form a pile on my cutting board. Having some stems isn't bad. I just get rid of the really thick parts. This usually only takes a minute or two for a whole bunch. Then I just chop away until it reaches the "fineness" (is that a word ?) I'm looking for. Now my question. How do you seperate fresh thyme? I don't think these stems are as desirable as the parsley stems and I can never seperate all the little pieces without getting a bunch of little stems in there. I know about holding the piece from the reverse side, and sliding your finger down to pull off the leaves, but this never works good due to the many "sub branches" coming off of the main one. Does anyone have any good ideas for this? ~WBC

I have a very good kitchen aid which came with a dough blade. It looks like the regular blade except its plastic, dull, and has no points. Has anyone ever used one of these before? From what I've read in my book, instead of using room temperature water, you should use cold water since the dough will heat up in the processor. Also, the book recomends to finish off the kneading by hand. She says that although it's possible to make all breads with only your hands, some of the wetter doughs are so sticky that it takes a seasoned professional - which I'm not! And from what I understand, these wetter recipes are some of the best breads. Does anyone have any tales, tips, advice or warnings about making bread dough in a food processor? Thanks! ~WBC