Squeat Mungry

You must go at odd hours. I haven't been able to get a table there in about 35 years. Now I'm a Puccini weenie like Squeat Mungry. It kind of galls me to go to a place that hasn't been there since before I was born, and to drink coffee made by a machine that weighs less than I do, but I guess that's progress. Hey Gary, It's the most 'Italian' place in the City (Puccini I mean), and you can't get much better than that. They have a killer foccacia sandwich as well. Trieste of course used to be great until... what? It's still great I assume, but I'm certainly not going to wait on those street corners until the tourists leave. How do you feel about Malvina? And how about Mario's, eh? Cheers, Squeat

A few to try: Cafe Greco uses Illy beans, and makes a quite satisfying espresso, though I personally would rather go to Cafe Puccini. Cafe Roma also turns out a respectable product. Any of these places will know what you want if you ask for a "ristretto" (which it sounds like you prefer), "lungo" (though who would want that?), "breve", "macchiato", etc. At Roma I believe you could even get a "corretto' if you wanted. Not sure about the others. Cheers, Squeat Edited to add: all are in North Beach. And to add: but if you are convinced you make the best espresso in America, and Italy agrees with you, you may still be disappointed.

Hmmm.... maybe inside-out s'mores would work better? Just a thought. Squeat

Was that the absolutely lowest setting on the toaster the second time? Maybe you could just breathe on the bags and get satisfactory s'mores? Squeat

I just visited Toast-n-Serve's website for the first time, and have a couple of questions: 1. Why didn't the guy in the video burn his hands off? He grabs the thing right out of the toaster with his bare hands, and the caption says "90 seconds later" (ie, after he pushed the toaster button)! 2. Jason and Rachel, have you noticed your feet beginning to shrink? Cheers, Squeat PS I had no idea you pay for them through PayPal! I just bought a pair. I'll make room somewhere for a $7 toaster... Edited: homonyms our confusing!

AHA! Thanks, Bux. I've been trying to figure it out since August 28th. Thanks from me as well, Bux! I based the handle on a vaguely recalled joke about the way New Yorkers talk as told by my father. I had completely forgotten about the "jeetyet?" part! My extended family on both sides is for several generations North Carolinian, but my father was a Coast Guard officer and I grew up all over the country and in Europe, finally settling here in San Francisco. I don't have a distinguishable accent, but to this day can instantly recognize a North Carolina accent, and often place it regionally. Here in the Bay Area, I have heard our non-accent referred to as "Basic Radio Accent". Cheers, Squeat

As it's the home of Fort Bragg, most people just refer to it as Fayette-Nam.

I'm not sure, but I think this is what is referred to linguistically as a glottal stop. The tongue literally shuts down what's being uttered for the briefest time. This is from the Columbia Guide to Standard American English: "Some British English dialects and some speakers of the Metropolitan New York City regional dialect replace the usual medial t sound in words such as bottle and water with a glottal stop, which closes off the column of air briefly (to form a stop) at the glottis, the space between the vocal cords in the throat. The phonetic symbol for a glottal stop is [i have no idea how to reproduce this symbol on eGullet. It looks kind of like a giant question mark with an underline.]" Cheers, Squeat

unless they are an exhibitionist... You know, I used to work as a bar bouncer (SobaAddict70, who has met me, is probably laughing if he reads this because I look more like that Burger King guy than that Round Table guy). Anyway, you would be surprised what some drug users try to do even when they are perfectly aware (or perhaps hazily aware) that an employee of the establishment is right there in the same room! Cheers, Squeat

Okay, thanks. I hesitated to ask, but I have been halfway around the world in another direction and seen some pretty unusual things! Cheers, Squeat

Okay, I think I'm being incredibly dense again, but were these people actually buying 10-kilo bags of rice that had already been cooked? Keep up the good work! Squeat Edited to add that the lamb flaps sound absolutely revolting!

I was just going to ask, "Did nobody else use Altoids?" We always used Altoids. To get the smell of smoke off of our hands, we'd rub them in dirt. Squeat

Varmint will be familiar with the North Carolina town of Fayetteville. He will probably back me up when I assert that the inhabitants of this town pronounce it "FED-vul". When I wish to disembark from a bus or elevator, I signal that wish with "going out!". Cheers, Squeat

misgabi, Although I did indeed accuse you of trying to expose me as an ignoramus, I hope and believe you knew I was taking another piss (although it's quite likely I qualify as a "flaming galah", whatever that is). I really don't need any help in that regard. I seem to be quite capable of embarrassing myself! Is lemon myrtle available in fresh form; can you simply waltz out and pluck it from the bush? If someone in the States, for example (completely hypothetically), wished to sample it, would it be possible to send some via international post? What if the proposed recipient lived in a carefully gaurded agricultural zone? Installing a widget is simpler than it sounds. Obtaining friends and exotic ingredients from other continents can prove problematic in modern-day California! Any ideas are welcome. Your intercontinental friend, Squeat Edited to say that knife thing interests me strangely.

Misgabi, further ignorance: I think of beets as a winter veg, there are some nice ones coming in now... but really I have no idea! (You are trying to expose me as a complete ignoramus, aren't you? ) Here in the bay area you can always get pretty good beets, I think. (Others will know more about when and where they are grown.) They're not that difficult, really, except for the staining thing. I just bought some gloves at the local supermarket to help out in preparing them and preserving my lily-white hands! I am still so fascinated by the vocabulary differences! Please continue to explicate whenever it occurs to you. By the way, ignore the previous request for date/time specifications... I've installed a widget on my computer to let me know all that stuff quite handily. Keep on... I'm still curious about the lemon myrtle, though! Squeat Edited to ask: really, the lemon myrtle; is it like bay?

Whew! Okay, thanks. In fact, I had beets tonight (not tinned/canned, though), which I roasted and tossed with some scallions and arugula (do you call it rocket there?) and vinaigrette and ate up with some roast chicken! Thanks again for the great blog, Relieved Squeat Edited to say: beets on burgers! brilliant!

Okay, further revelation of culinary ignorance (by the way, musgabi, I think the scotch fillet must be close to what we call prime rib?): by beetroots you mean those things we in the US call beets, right? The things they make sugar out of, that grow in the ground and are red with purple overtones and shaped like tops and stain your fingers badly? The things lots and lots of people think they hate? Cheers, Stupid Squeat... losing any cred he may have been allotted on eGullet.

misgabi, who ARE these people? "Oh let's cancel the reservations and make misgabi cook us dinner! That was great, where's our pudding? Wasn't that good? Let's throw her in the water!" These folks must have some pretty outstanding redeeming qualities! Glad you had a good time...it all sounds delicious! Keep it coming and thanks! Squeat PS Revealing my total culinary ignorance, I have never heard of a scotch fillet. What is?

Ah, but I would have to get rid of the Cuisinart to make room for it in my tiny kitchen! Store the cheapy toaster in a closet when not in use. Closet? Sigh... I wish! Maybe I could just balance the toaster on top of the Cuisinart, which itself already lives atop the fridge, but then I'd need to use the stepladder to put the bags in. Hmmm... I'll work something out.

Ah, but I would have to get rid of the Cuisinart to make room for it in my tiny kitchen!

I don't have a $7 Target Toaster. Can I use them in my $200 Cuisinart convection toaster oven? Squeat

Sorry if I caused any offense. Pan, Not at all... I was just trying to sort out the confusion caused by the cross-postings. I hope I explained my assumptions about the berries! Cheers, Squeat

Wow, I have never seen Charmed (that's a movie, right?), but actually we are very blessed here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Right now we have beautiful persimmons, figs, pomegranates (I can't be bothered to look up the spelling for that right now...I am self-medicating myself through a fall cold with some old-fashioned scotch and insomnia), the last of the basil and tomatoes which we are frantically putting up for the winter... on and on. Even off season we can get imported produce from the southern part of the state. Squash and pumpkin of course are au courant, but like you said, we are spoilt here, too. Our farmer's market is the envy of the nation, the French Laundry is up the road, and Chez Panisse is just across the bay. That said, I am doubly envious of your deck and grill. I am but a poor city boy with only a humble balcony I use to grow kitchen herbs. We have had some unseasonably warm weather, with a recent very sharp change. Last week it was in the 90's fahrenheit and today I believe the high was around 55 (I would convert but see above about scotch and insomnia). So we are bracing for the rains. Anyway, please continue to report as you will be a boost to me through the gloomy season! Thanks altogether for the charming and informative blog! Cheers to you and your mates, Squeat PS I was going to ask a favor (or favour): would you mind including what day and time it is in your posts? It makes it quite convenient to not have to consult a chart for this, and I can't readily tell from the eGullet timestamps. (Now it is 1:14 am Tuesday morning, the 4th.) No big deal if you don't, but it makes it all the more interesting for one who has travelled some, but not much!

Okay, now I am thoroughly jealous and wish I was in the lovely springtime southern hemisphere! Spinach and feta triangles! Mini-samosas! and Roaring-40s cheese! Enjoy! Squeat

Misgabi, you didn't sound condescending at all to me. We cross-posted, and said pretty much the same thing. My slightly defensive post, however, was intended for Pan. Anyway, this is a thoroughly delightful blog! Squeat