JesseNYC

The family and I are going to be in Boston for 4 days in the middle of August. We're looking to partake of some great chowder and steamers. We do not want anything too touristy. We really want to eat where the locals eat. Any Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

WHile I won't argue with you about the storage of wine in supermarkets in CA, it's still a nice feeling to go to a Von's and get anything I want, be it a bottle of improperly stored Chianti or a bottle of Grey Goose.

I was in California last week and was thrilled to see wine, beer and liquor sold in every supermarket. It was fantastic. The blue laws here are just archaic.

I would suggest Nadaman Hakubai in the Kitano Hotel. Very underpublisized, but excellent nontheless. Very authentic.

It's not only not ethnic, but my experience there was that of a combination Pizza Parlor food/Diner experience; I think that for the price there, you have much better choices in the Forest Hills area. Well, according to Zagat's, Italian is the number 1 ethnic food eaten in America. Yes, Family Restaurant does serve pizza. However, the food in the restaurant is wonderfull. The Veal Fracaise is OUTSTANDING, the best in Queens. All those people standing outside waiting up to an hour for a table can't all be wrong.

Family Restaurant - on Queens Blvd. in Forest Hills. Great Italian.......is that still considered ethnic ?

The official name is Osteria del Porcellino. Osteria del Porcellino Also from the wesite: Restaurants. While in Florence this time, my daughter and I found this absolutely wonderful restaurant called Osteria del Porcellino. It is located just down from the Hotel Porta Rossa near the Mercato Nuovo (described below and located at number 2 on the map) on a small street to the right of via Porta Rossa a block long called via Val di Lamona. Walking down via Porta Rossa to the next intersection toward the Mercato Nuovo, you will come to via Pellicceria. Turn to your right there and a couple of doors down on your left is via Val di Lamona. Facing the Mercato Nuovo on this small street, they are located mid-block on the right, at No. 7/9r. The atmosphere is wonderful, they are open from 7pm-1:30am, they have a great menu with lots of good food, and their staff is very friendly. Among my daughter's and my favorites were Filetto all Aceto Balsamico (Beef Fillet with Balsamic Vinegar) and Tagliata di Manzo alla Birra Scura (Porter's Ale Beef Cut in Slices). They also have great pasta dishes such as Ravioli alla Caterina dei Medici and Pappa di Melanzane e Porcini (Eggplant and Porcini Mushroom Soup). We ate there practically every night during our stay. They are very reasonable. As I said before, their menu is quite large and varied, with Antipasti (Appetizers), Primi Piatti (First Course), Pesce (Fish), Carne (Meat), Piatti Vegetariani (Vegetarian Plates), Dolci del'Osteria (Desserts), and a large wine menu. If you want good food and a great atmosphere, I highly recommend this wonderful restaurant. edited for content

I loved "Osteria Procellino", it's just off of a side street near the straw market. Great food, wonderful owner (Enzo), very friendly. I'll try to find and address and post it here again. I was there during my honeymoon, and still consider it one of my favorite meals of all time. Highly recommended. Have a great time.

Great review !!! I love the fact that there are other opinions out there that can be perused other than the mass-marketed press (NYT, NY Mag, etc...). It's very refreshing. If people only went by what they read in these publications, they would ever step a foot in Mix. Steve, keep up the great work, you are very appreciated. You are one of the many reasons that makes eGullet great, and important.

Best Drunken Meal - Bacon Swiss Burger, well done, Mozzerella Cheese Fries, extra crispy, gravy on the side. Consumed at the T-Bone Diner in Forest Hills, Queens, NYC. Or..................any White Castle, anywhere, at 4:30 am. Wosrt Drunken Meal - Anything from Takee Outee, a horrible chinese take-out place which used to be on Bourbon St. in New Orleans. Just god awful. Thankfully I don't think it is there anymore.

Just curious what the thoughts are about Industry (food).

Just goes to show how tenuous this industry is. A great place, with great operater/owners, and it can all go down the tubes due to greedy landlords. Seems like they were a victim of their own success. I hope they can find a new location, and get a great deal on their new lease, and that whatever moves into their old space causes nothing but trouble for the landlord.

That's Nick's BIG Train bar to you, buddy It is located directly across the street from the venerable Dixie Brewery on Tulane Ave. The absolute center of the "layered drink" universe. Come on down. There is plenty of dirt and beer spoo to wallow around in and the drinks are cheap and plentiful. LOL - I must have been too drunk to remember the name exactly.

No, sadly the Hummingbird is being turned into another Boutique hotel. Actually, every empty building downtown is being turned into a boutique hotel. Here in Adult Disneyland they have suddenly become very popular, due to lack of land to build any more giant Hilton, Sheraton, etc. The Circle Bar, Vaughn's, and Snake n Jakes are still doing well thank you very much. As far as the washing machine-bar combo goes there is another besides the CHeckpoint (which is conveniently located 1 block from my apartment for my drinking and washing convenience), the same guy owns one on St. Charles Avenue across from the Pontchatrain Hotel called Igors. Igors is as equally as big of a dump, but they do have washing machines and you can sit on the avenue watching streetcars while you spin and rinse. I went to Loyola Univ. in the late 80s. Igor's was, I'm sure it still is, a great inexpensive and fun place for local's and students alike to hang out. It's nothing really special on the inside, but great views of St. Charles Ave. It was great being able to get tanked and do your laundry at the same time - although you almost always forgot about it at some point. Hummingbird was a real dive. Interesting that they're turning it into a boutique hotel considering the area, kinda on the outskirts of the CBD. Gos, there are soooo many dive's in New Orleans, hard to remember them all. Nick's Little Train bar comes to mind. Is the Monster still around in the Quarter ? I seem to remember it being a great biker that you had to find by going down a blind alleyway in the quarter. It was dark, dingy, and very atmospheric. One place I do love, that's can't really be called a dive bar because of it's location and crowds is Laffites Blacksmith. If it were anywhere else but on Bourbon St. (although a less populated area at the end) it could totall be classified as a "dive". Just a great place if you be there when it's not too crowded. I'm sure I forgot to mention lot's of places, but Bourdain is right - The Big Easy leads the pack. Can't wait to go back !!!

Actually not a bad review, especially considering it comes from Grimes. I'm sure Rocco will be happy with it. I was really suprised by this. It seems that Grimes actually took it for what it is...a red sauce joint, and didn't compare it to other upscale places. Interesting.

I dunno............I really liked "Mario Eats Italy". Yes his sidekick was an idiot, and had absolutly no purpose to be on the show. But Mario traveling around that beautiful country cooking and eating - just wonderful.

They will also have an advantage over the Keller and JG restaurants as they will be open at least four months before the other two. Keller and JG are behind schedule and wont be open until early '04.

Just saw an article in the New York Post today. Apparently NBC has already made an offer to Rocco to do another season with a new restaurant. Good Lord.

[what makes you think he didn't take their reasons into consideration? and i don't see that his concern and phone call to the hospital supplanted his meeting with them. in fact, they appeared to be quite separate. i can't wait to try the place, and i consider myself a "self-respecting new yorker." i don't think i'm alone either.] What i meant was that while he was talking to them he already knew that the hospital story was fake. I feel instead of concentrating on hearing them lie, he should have tried to find out why they were so unhappy that they felt they had to lie. Who knows if he really heeded their concerns, but it wasn't shown on the show. I have a feeling though that you want to try the place to see if they are going to still be horrible or if they have started moving in the right direction. More of a curiousity that anyting.

I am in a Culinary Management Class here in NYC. Every Monday we start our day discussing this train-wreck of a show. Needless to say we can't wait for it to end. I don't think that Rocco know's just how much his reputation has suffered amongst the restaurant and culinary worlds. He is, very literally - a joke. Just a few comments for now; 1. The firings of he cooks - You would think that instead of finding out what the deal was with the hospital, Rocco woud have concentrated on the reasons they were giving him for quitting. Those were all pretty valid comments that they made - Rocco seemed to have ignored them. 2. Unfortunalty it is still VERY hard to get a reservation at Rocco's - mostly tourists. No self respecting New Yorker will eat there when there are HUNDREDS of vastly superior options. My school is around the corner practically, the other day I was walking by and witnessed tourists taking pictures outside the restauant. It has become a destination. Amazing. 3. Perhaps the most troubling thing is that Rocco stated on national TV the other day that he would consider doing another show. YIKES. 4. I wonder how the kitchens at Union Pacific and Tuscan are doing. Are they just besides themselves with laughter when they watch ? I bet they are. But Rocco isnt in either of those kitchens much either.