grandcru

Galbi damned, I'm in!

I should be up for dinner on the 13th. Unavailable on the 14th. Hope you like Bu Ga!

Adding to the body count: NV Thierry Troccon Vin de Bugey Cerdon "Clos de la Bierle" - Pleasant if simple pink bubbly redolent of cranberries and pomegranate. The family liked it, so into the regular list it goes. 2001 Bruno Hunold Vin d'Alsace pinot gris - Ehh. Nice enough, and true-to-type with apple and citrus notes playing off the tell-tale honeyed finish. I need to try some of Hunold's cru wines to get a better fix on the house.

No arm-twisting needed here. I have been to a few great spots in OC and the South Bay, but my Hollywood/Mid-City/Westside ThaiQ could stand to go up a few points, too. Tasty freakin' pictures, FZ! Yum.

Huzzah, huzzah! Benvenuto, Owen. This forum is a GRRRRREAT idea. I'm sure you'll help make this the heady crema on the top of our eGullet espresso. I'll definitely be a regular lurker, and chime in when appropriate.

von Buhl also makes a tasty riesling sekt. I brought a magnum of this to a Cal-Asian fusion dinner last year, and it paired well with several of the courses, but it was pleasing enough right out of the bottle.

I'll throw in another suggestion from personal experience: Bu Ga in Garden Grove. First of all, it's huge, and would have no trouble handling us, no matter what our numbers. Second, the panchan here are numerous, diverse and of very good quality. Third, the meats are top-shelf, approaching what I've enjoyed at Tsuruhashi in Fountain Valley, vaunted for their beef. It's pretty freeway-close, too. Bu Ga map

Truer words rarely spoken. Besides, it enhances the thrill of the hunt for many of us. "I can't believe food THIS good is in a place like this!" We're then torn over whether or not to go tell it on the mountain, lest the quality and vibe be disturbed. I die a little, though, when a great HITW dies from underexposure.

Tsuruhashi 18798 Brookhurst St., between Ellis & Garfield, east side of street Excellent Angus ribeye, salted tongue, kimchi fried rice, and Kirin on draught!

Okay, all you espresso and gelato lovers within any reasonable distance of Long Beach! We're going to give this another try. We'll be meeting on Sunday, Nov. 2 at 11:30 to sample the tasty wares at Aroma di Roma. For those who've forgotten, or just latching on to the thread for the first time, it's at 5327 E. 2nd St. in Belmont Shore. Our own Kit Williams, a devout regular at AdR, will coordinate our visit with AdR's owner, Tim Turel. Kit promises that the delectable fig gelato WILL be in play, as well as their irresistible array of gelati and panini, all chased down by some of the best espresso drinks pulled in So Cal. Your taste buds will thank you loudly and bilingually, "Thank you! Grazie! Delicioso! The best!" Mark your calendars and make the trip to join us.

I had my purportedly first traumatic dining experience here many moons ago. I picked up an uncapped bottle of Tabasco and inserted it into my ever-curious mouth. Now, I love the stuff. The seed was planted deeply.

Go Polly's! Go Polly's! It's easy to go overboard in Starbucks-bashing, but I'll just continue to let my wallet do the talking for me. I LOVE the roasting dates on the bins. Makes my shopping muy facil. I'll also add another OOTWHITW: Casa Maya in Mentone, on the outskirts of Redlands. Great seafood dishes, cochinita pibil, and they get the pickled pink onion relish JUST right.

This is a timely thread! En route to the UCLA-Cal ugliness on Saturday, I stopped at Langer's to finally taste what all the fuss is about. Heeding suggestions I'd gathered from Langer's veterans, I called ahead and placed my order for a #10 - on rye with swiss and dressing but no slaw. Once I pulled up to the curb, they ID'd me by my car, and brought out the goods to the curb. I managed to keep clean from pastrami debris as I worked my way north on the 110, enjoying each flavorful bite. Indeed, the bread is very good, and managed to uphold the structural integrity pretty well. Regulars claim that the meat portion isn't what it used to be, and I'm not sure what exactly I should expect from a $10 sandwich, but I wasn't complaining. Now, I have some idea of the Langer's legend.

Since I now can't make it at all tomorrow, I'd selfishly lobby for another day, with the proviso in mind that we'll never please everyone, yours truly included.

Can't make it back to BS until 4 pm. I don't suppose any of you will still be around? Maybe I'll just stop by anyway in solidarity of the mission, hehe.

I have a pie dough tamper that serves great double duty for juleps, caipirinhas and mojitos. The pestle idea is also good, so long as the business end of it is wide enough to handle the mint. Hopefully, there will be enough Indian Summer days this fall on which to put your newly minted skills to work.

While traveling in Friuli last month, the coffee of choice in most espresso bars was Hausbrandt, which, after doing a little digging, is a Trieste-based company founded back in the waning years of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Barista skills notwithstanding, the coffee is as rich and deep as any Illy, Lavazza, or other I've had. I know I haven't seen any of it out here on the Left Coast, but wondered if anyone back east can give any indication that the company has a US presence. Thanks for the assist. Hausbrandt

For those posters addressing the factor of equipment replacement costs, Bodum does make an 8-cup, all-plastic pot called Thermia, which has the added benefit of an insulating layer, keeping the coffee hotter for longer. I bought it after breaking my upteenth glass beaker, and I have been using it for more than six months with no detectable leaching of plastic flavors into the coffee. I have also dropped it on a couple of occasions, and I can vouch for the plastic's strength. Bodum products

Chris, pardon the ring if this place is already on your radar screen, but Jack's Country Kitchen in Wilmington is about as basic as they come. My inaugural Jack's experience was a couple of months ago, and I felt like I had left California to be transported to a Midwestern truck stop. The decor, the staff, and the patrons all seemed out of place for So Cal. Not that I was complaining, mind you. It was a harbinger of the good country cookin' to come. I went there looking for a good plate of biscuits and gravy, one of my guiltiest breakfast pleasures, and was not disappointed. It's certainly worth a look if you're in the neighborhood. Jack's Country Kitchen 558 E Anaheim St Wilmington 310-549-8080 Jack's map

Works for me. Copacetic with 10/11 here, too.

For all its storied greatness, with which I have no quarrel, I'd gladly give up a glass of it for a few drops of a good Huet Cuvee Constance. SB/Sem stickies just don't do it for me.

Kit, as mentioned before, I'm definitely interested. I agree with Ari that the panini factor indicates a lunchtime meet, and a weekend is fine with me. Looking at my calendar, my best window would be for Saturday, 9/27. I hope that is agreeable to all comers, but I'll keep an eye out for further details. I had a "palate recalibration" there Wednesday night with a mix of bacio and pistachio gelati. Looking forward to trying one of their panini, as the combinations looked intriguing.

For me, gotta be the marzipans. I like them so much, I received a box of them as an Xmas gift from my bro. Took me a while to eat them. I love 'em, but they're so rich that I can't binge. I rightfully savor each dual chevron-topped morsel.

Kit, sorry I'm tardy in revisiting this thread, but I'd be game for an AdR meet-up with no arm-twisting needed! Weekends would be better for me, but my proximity (Bluff Park) would also allow a weekday scheduling. I'll keep my ear to the tracks. Kriss

I just have to second Kit's recco on Aroma di Roma. They pull an honest espresso, confirmed by my recent travels in Friuli, and their gelati (including the fig, which I had on my first visit) are very tasty. They're a welcome exception to the mediocre clutter that plagues Belmont Shore.