silentbob

Does anyone know if there is a significant difference in effectiveness between the powder and liquid forms of BKF?

Bump. The Waring DF200 is down to $100 at Amazon again. They also sell the DF100, which I can potentially get for $64 with a 20 percent off coupon at BB&B. I suspect the DF200 is "better" than the DF100, but can't tell why. And if so, is it $30+ better? Any insights would be appreciated.

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/dining/26off.html Does anyone know if Sam Mason has left already? We're hoping to stop by for the dessert tasting menu next Friday if he's still around.

Anyone else have good experiences with "heat and eat" meals available at Costco aside from the ones posted upthread?

Okay, I managed to track down the restaurant name -- it's Tang 2000, located on the second floor at 432 Huaihai West Road in the Changning district. If anyone happens to be in Shanghai and ends up eating there, I'd love to hear what you think. From what I can tell, the prices are fairly gentle for what we considered to be an excellent meal.

I think Quan Ju De is the way to go. A bit touristy, yes, but my parents have been living in Beijing for a year and still think it's head and shoulders above the others. For something a little different, try the fish at Fei Teng Yu Xiang on Jiangguomenwai Road in the Chaoyang Zone. It's cooked in a lot of oil with TONS of Szechwan peppercorns. Ridiculously tender, will make your mouth delightfully numb.

I had a great dinner in Shanghai with my tour group earlier this month, but forgot what the place was called (except that it had "2000" or "2004" in the name). This joint served some reasonably creative Chinese fare, and was probably about a 10 minute drive from the Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang (in the Hongqiao district) where we were staying. Google searches have been unfruitful. Can someone help me figure out the restaurant's name?

Which Shan mix, if any, would I use to make chicken makhani?

I'm visiting from DC tomorrow and would like to stop by Teitel Brothers. Do they accept credit cards? Also, if I want to buy a case of canned tomatoes, are there unopened cases on the floor or would I need to ask for one?

I am headed there tomorrow night. Does the tasting menu generally include anything from the main menu or is it a completely separate entity? Also, how big are the portions? I'm tempted to stop by il Laboratorio beforehand, but don't want to ruin my appetite either.

What is the point of olive oil bottles with the spout -- wouldn't that allow air to get into the bottle and hasten the oil's spoilage? Also, what does mean exactly to "brown" meat? It seems like by the time the meat is sufficiently brown to me, it's already cooked.

The Sur la Table in the Tysons Galleria is a decent option.

Sorry, I didn't mean to disparage Zaytinya by calling it a "safe" choice. It's just that there really aren't any moderately-priced trendy places that are GREAT. You'll have to settle for non-trendy/great or trendy/good. If hip decor is more important, go to Zaytinya. If great food is more important, go to Corduroy, Firefly, or 1789.

Oops, the OP addressed the Sunday issue for Palena a few minutes ago. Zaytinya is a safe choice -- the food is reliably "good but not great" (though the desserts are usually excellent).

What time does the place get full on Sundays -- is it any better than Friday or Saturday? I'm not averse to getting there earlier but would like to stop by at 7:00 if possible.

I haven't been to Urban in over a year and definitely need to go back. Some old friends dragged me to dinner at Timpano's earlier this week. It wasn't as bad as I expected. Picked some relatively "safe" options (spinach salad with blue cheese and warm bacon dressing, seared ahi tuna) which turned out okay, but I would've rather spent $36 elsewhere. Oh well. It's the people you dine with that matters, right?

Does Pepe's in New Haven still open at 11:30 am on Saturdays? We can't go to Sally's because our window to pass through CT is confined to late morning/early afternoon.

"Truffled macaroni and cheese" simply means adding truffle oil, right? If so, which is better, incorporating the truffle oil as part of the bechamel/cheese mixture, or drizzling the oil at the end?

Wow! What do you like about it? This store is right down the street from my house, but I've rarely gone in since I usually buy in Virginia.

Kung pao beef tongue? Lychee flan? Peking duck enchiladas sound reeeeeally good.

Heh, you know what Tony Bourdain says about fish on Mondays... I had dinner with my parents at Houston's -- the one on the Pike -- earlier this week and am ashamed to say that I liked it. The pork chop I ordered was cooked perfectly, and their steaks were decent too. My only quibble was their caesar salad with eggless (bleah) dressing. Service was really, really good. IMO, the food is still a bit overpriced but it's a reliable safe option for eating with folks who don't have adventurous tastes.

I'm driving through Philadelphia on my way to NYC today. In terms of convenience, Tony Luke's is closest to I-95, right (is there an Oregon Avenue exit)? If so, what's the street parking situation like around there? Thanks in advance.

There have been over 300 battles on Iron Chef during the last decade or so. I've probably seen at least half of these episodes, and don't think anyone has ever failed to complete most if not all of their dishes. Much as I'd like to give Chef Donna the benefit of the doubt, 90 percent of the challengers on the show are similarly unfamiliar with the layout of Kitchen Stadium and the format/pacing of the battle. This must've been a bit embarrassing, especially for such a great chef. I feel bad for him, but would be very surprised if he was invited back -- there are so many other chefs in this country that are deserving of an appearance, and only a handful of episodes of the show get produced each year. ETA: Back in July 2002, Iron Chefs Sakai and Chen did a couple of exhibition battles in DC just outside the International Trade Center. I caught the battle between Sakai and Todd Gray, and seem to recall that Chef Donna was one of the judges there. So he had at least a passing familiarity with the show's concept.

Agreed on Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. And even though it's a Boston-based chain, I've always been happy with Emack & Bolio's as well.

Probably headed here for dinner tomorrow. Haven't been in a couple of years -- what's better, the "fish is chips" or the duck leg confit? Also, is there any good reason for me to order one of the entrees instead of the hamburger?