snausages2000

I have a quick question about New Jersey I was wondering if anyone might be able to help answer. I'm going to be shooting a scene for a video project in a NJ supermarket and I'm looking for a certain aesthetic: basically, a huge, modern, wide-aisled superstore, preferably housed in a massive, high-ceilinged airplane hangar type of structure. It doesn't matter what kind of products they sell (well, it has to be food), I'm just going for this look. I found exactly what I'm looking for in Nutley, NJ at a Super Shop & Stop off of Route 3. I found a bunch of other supermarkets nearby, but the aisles were more narrow, the ceilngs lower, the structures less modern. I'm trying to compile a few options because I assume I'm going to be denied permission to shoot at a couple of these spots and therefore want to have numerous places to ask. Also, it would help if it was within 30 minutes of NYC. Anyway, if anything comes to mind, I'd love to hear suggestions. Thanks to Rachel, who I already asked concerning this. She suggested Fairway in Fort Lee. Thanks everyone.

Grand Sichuan in the East Village. Beautiful. I haven't been this excited about a restaurant opening since Chuck E. Cheese came to Rockville, MD when I was 5. If they could just install skee ball and giant singing animatronic mice at GSI my life would be complete. This is like dropping a quality-bomb on the existing Chinese spots in the Astor vicinity. Grand Sichuan makes all other Chinese options within a 12 block radius obsolete. Not that there were other Chinese options. I hate eating on St. Marks. Junkies and homeless trust-fund kids aren't appetizing, but, for Grand Sichuan, I will endure such eye-sores. As Grand Sichuan proliferates around the city, could there come a day, as in baseball, with the spread of too-perfect retro-modern stadiums, where we actually feel nostalgic for the inferior, outdated things we were once accustomed to? When we're eating our fresh killed kung pao chicken in plush, heated seats at the Ebbets Field clone on the West Side highway in 2018...we'll long for nothing more than some bland lo mein in the cold, half-empty upper deck at Shea. Speaking of baseball, I've come to realize that Grand Sichuan provides as good a litmus test for sizing up new acquaintances as the old 'Mets or Yankees' question. As with a Yankee fan, I know that I can pretty much dismiss the notion of serious respect for or long-term compatability with a person who doesn't like the Sichuan fire.

Regarding last week's discussion of the problem with the walls at Per Se, a friend of mine who works in the kitchen says the issue was that there wasn't proper insulation, or breathing room, between the various electrical wires in the wall. From his description, strands of cable were overheating because they were packed too tightly against each other. This is consistent with initial reports that it was an electrical fire. I don't know that much about it, so I don't want to claim any real knowledge here, but I hadn't been under the impression that wood was the concern.

You're right. Pat's is in Portchester. Not sure why I said Port Jefferson. Try Coromandel's ala carte dinner and see what you think. I haven't been in several months, so I can't vouch for its current quality, but all previous experiences have been excellent.

Marcus, I would think there are a fair number of NY egullet members and NY forum readers that live in Westchester, so restaurants discussed here don't necessarily need to be considered long-distance affairs. Also, the notion of a 'destination' restaurant is too vague, especially in the egullet/chowhound context, where we have tons of people willing to travel for good/adventurous/interesting food, regardless of how upscale or widely recognized the place might be. I live in Brooklyn, but have made several places, most of them dives with remarkable kitchens, in Jersey, Westchester and Queens my 'destination' based on reviews posted here. I agree with the earlier point that the Westchester posts get swallowed in the NYC forum. It's too bad, because there are a lot of places in the county that deserve to be raved about and I'm sure there are tons still waiting to be discovered. As for some of the highlites in my Westchester experience: I second the praise for New Rochelle's ethnic food scene. The Corner Mexican Restaurant is a find. Also, Coromandel on, I think, Division St. in New Rochelle is the best Indian I've ever had. Never been to a couple of the reputed top places in the city, but I imagine Coromandel holds its own. If I remember correctly, it's bloodlines relate to that place Thali in New Canaan and the Cinnamon Club in London. There's also a Chinese Buffet in New Rochelle that's worth checking out. I hate the idea of a Chinese Buffet, and was scared to go, but here's what makes it worth it: all you can eat crab legs, clams and oysters. $10. not high-end dining, but a fun way to stuff your self. In Mamaroneck, Sal's pizza (on Mamaroneck Ave) serves one of the better (Americanized) sicilian slices you'll ever have. Thin crust, crispy, good. In Port Jefferson, I love Pat's Hubba Hubba. It's just a low-key little greasy spoon, but they slather a spicy ground beef chili on everything and it's addictive. Plus, the menu just consists of items written on paper plates that're glued haphazardly to the wall. It'd be great to hear about more Westchester finds. Happy to make them a destination.

I got in over my head, with regard to spice, at a Sripraphai dinner last weekend. We told the waitress we like it spicy and, unfortunately, she listened. Nothing I've ever had at Grand Sichuan, no Indian Vindaloo could have adequately prepared me for the Sripraphai fire. Fried Catfish Salad and Pickeled Spareribs (the catfish, and the pungent sauce it soaks in, being superior to the rubbery riblets) were both managably hot. No problem. Soy Sauce Noodles with Chicken. Delicious. Not hot. Then, a combination of Green Curry with Duck and Sour Curry with Pork absolutely destroyed me. The pork pieces in the sour curry looked like sesame crusted meat, with sesame seeds sadistically swapped out for pepper seeds. I ordered Coconut Milk to cool the mouth, and it worked, perhaps too well, as its numbing effect may have allowed me to eat more than my body could handle. I noticed what looked like scotch bonnet peppers in one of the curries (I was in too much of a spice daze to know what was what), as if red chiles weren't adequate punishment. Is it possible they use habaneros? All the food was delicious, but I'm wondering if anyone else has ever experienced an aftermath like this: I started hiccupping about an hour after meal, and couldn't stop for 2 days. My esophagus was so battered by the ordeal that it hurt to swallow for another 2 days after that, and I had to refrain from drinking hot liquids. I've never been so spice-traumatized. I'm proud, I suppose, to have tested the limits of my constitution, but am sad, in the end, to have been so profoundly defeated.

There used to be an Ethiopian chicken cart on the corner of 9th Avenue and 59th St., but, since the Time Warner towers went up, I'm not sure it's still there. I didn't love the food - kinda like chicken souvlaki drowned in a not-that-spicy version of Big Mac special sauce. Didn't seem to have anything to do with any other Ethiopian food I've ever tried. Anyone know where this guy is now? Last Friday night, in a drunken haze, I stumbled upon the late-night weekend street cart guy at Ludlow and Stanton. I got the korean beef roll. Bulgogi with lettuce (and Kim Chi, I think) on a roll. $4. Plus free soda. Delicious. The menu also featured Carolina Chicken Wings and a Hot Dog with Kim Chi. He's got a website: http://www.kapshow.com/cart/

I'll second the praise for Sweet Melissa's. Don't know anywhere in NY that makes better madeleines. Not a massive selection, but possibly my favorite bakery in the city.

Don't forget the two best-kept secrets of Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill: inside Long Island College Hospital on Atlantic Ave. you'll find a Taco Bell and a 24Hour Au Bon Pain. I've lived in the area for four years and haven't once been tempted, but it's sort of a 'break glass in case of an emergency' kind of thing. Plus, there's something so appealingly depressing about the image of eating at a 24 hour Au Bon Pain in a hospital. Perhaps Sofia Copola can use it as the setting for her next script... I checked out 360 in Red Hook last summer. I don't remember specifically what I had, but it was a great value ($20 prix fixe i think). It's the perfect neighborhood bistro, but it's difficult to get to without a car, or a flock of bicycles. Pete's on Atlantic Avenue between Henry and Clinton is easy to overlook since it looks like (and basically is) a run-down sportsbar but there's something winning about it - huge portions of mid-west comfort food. Ribs, venison chili, ostrich burgers, bratwurst platters, HP Brown sauce at every table, and an excellent selection of draft beers, including hand drawn cask ales which is pretty rare in the city, especially in Brooklyn.

I'm not sure where the peppercorns came from. I didn't want to press him on it. Though, we did discuss that it's easier to get them in Canada, especially Vancouver. I don't think the quality of food would have been particularly effected by which cook was in the house on Monday night. The centerpiece of our meal was Ruby Pork, which I think is prepared well in advance and then just heated for plating. Soup dumplings are probably made in advance as well. (Is the tofu-wrapped flounder usually a smallish dish? There were about 10 chicken mcnugget sized pieces on our plate. Good, but I thought it'd be bigger.) The place was completely empty. By 8:30 we were the only people in there. I know Mondays are the slowest restaurant night, but are they still doing good business? What a bizarre location. I mentioned my meal to friends from Jersey and they were like 'Oh, that place?!' The dump by the motel? Why don't they open a branch in the city? Manhattan responds to exceptional Chinese. There's so little of it to be found. Or, put one on Smith St. in Brooklyn, so I can eat it every night...

Pan, I'd return to Restaurant Malaysia (why did I think it was "Restorant"?) as well, but I think it's the type of place that I need a pre-planned ordering strategy in order to better navigate the menu. Unfortunately, Flushing is a bit of a trip for me, so the stakes are a little higher when I eat out there - to justify the trip, it better be good! Nonetheless, Rest. Malaysia is still a treat and exciting in the sense that there's so much to discover about the menu. There's probably 30 more dishes I want to try there before passing real judgement. Also, any spot in the city serving competent renditions of Malaysian food is a valuable neighborhood asset. I wish there was a Malaysian option in Brooklyn (Heights). Even counting Smith St., we don't have a single good option for Chinese, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, let alone Malaysian. (There's a Cambodian cafe in Ft. Greene, tons of Middle Eastern and some ok sushi, but it doesn't make up for the bleak state of Asian food in the Atlantic Ave area).

One of the best features of that neighborhood is the abundance of Korean restaurants between Broadway and 5th. I forget the name (Kum Gang San?), but the place on the south side of 32nd St., closest to Broadway has a good assortment of spicy tofu, beef and pork soups for cheap at lunch. They have teriyaki boxes and Bi Bim Bop for more mild tastes... Seoul Garden, also on the south side of 32nd is another good option. You can just walk down 32nd st. and choose from about 15 places...

Thank you New Jersey for bringing China 46 to my attention. Had to butter up a friend with a car for several weeks to escape from NY and experience highway Shanghai delights, but it was well worth it. Went last night in a group of 5 and got: Spicy Capsicum Noodles Ox Tongue and Tripe Soup Dumplings (Crab & Pork and Pork) Sizzling Lamb with Scallions Ruby Pork with Sesame Buns Flounder in Crispy Tofu Skin Came in expecting a lot and was not disappointed. Everything was great. Tried to order sticky rice stuffed chicken and superior soup but they weren't available so we went with the lamb. China 46 seems to excel at such a wide variety of things - I've been to places that have great soup dumplings, or places with good braised meat, or good sichuan spice, or Islamic Chinese lamb options, but it's all covered at Cecil's. Do good Shanghainese restaurants in China offer this sort of breadth or is China 46 creating an unusual 'greatest hits' experience? The owner was, as seems to be the rule, extremely gracious - brought us cold seaweed to start and a big sticky rice cake at the end. Also, anyone who likes Sichuan peppercorns should go now. The ox tongue left my tongue numb for about five minutes. I've never had a dish at Grand Sichuan as powerfully tingly. The owner said he had just gotten a small, fresh supply of peppercorns after going mostly without them for about 6 months.

Pan, I caught your recommendation of Restorant Malaysia on the "Best Non-Fancy Dining In NY" thread (thank you for the referral), but thought it would be better to revive discussion here. I'd also like to hear people's recent impressions of Malaysian in general in the city. I'd like to go to Taste Good II next. I took three friends to Restorant Malaysia last weekend. First impression was pleasing. All the trappings of 'authenticity': fluorescent lighting, cafeteria like decor, packed with asians (though, I suppose any OTB in Queens boasts the same). I enjoyed the big mural of Malaysia, complete with provincial flags. I think the entire (very accommodating) staff was Chinese, though. And I've noticed the same thing at Nyonya and Baba. Are Chinese-Malaysians from Malaysia or are most of these places stocked with Chinese cooks doing renditions of Malay cooking? Not sure it makes much of a difference in the quality of the food, but I'm not sure I've ever seen a Malaysian person in the kitchen of a Malaysian restaurant, though maybe I'm way off... Unfortunately, since I found Pan's recommendation elsewhere, I hadn't realized this thread existed and thus didn't go in with a gameplan for ordering. Just went with trial and error, but here're the results: Roti: Roti was solid. The dipping bread was gummy and chewy. A nice alternative to the flaky, less dense version at Nyonya. The curry was good. More coconutty and spicy than Nyonya's. Asam Laksa: Was looking forward to this. The only catch: they never brought it. We were stuffed by the time we realized they'd forgotten (or decided for us that we wouldn't enjoy), so we didn't follow-up on getting it. Whole Steamed Tilapia in Special Sauce: Tilapia's not a particularly flavorful fish, but they did a nice job with it - juicy, tender. Seemed very fresh. The 'special sauce' was pretty weak. Basically seemed like ketchup mixed with red peppers. "Home cooking" in the bad sense. Next time I'd go for a fish served in a curry sauce. Baked Yam: Probably the best dish. A big ring of taro breaded and fried with a mild, grayish stew of chicken and vegetables poured in the middle. I love taro (had a taro bun and a taro bubble tea after lunch), so I'm biased, but this was great - sweet, dense taro worked nicely with a crunchy fried, but not greasy, coating and the meat paired nicely. Probably the one dish I'd order again next time, other than the obligatory Roti. Steamed Baby Bok Choy in Garlic Sauce: Huge plate of little whole bok choy. Nice to look at and vegetables seemed fresh, but they had a slightly unfortunate taste/smell of dirty or stale water. Seemed like maybe they'd been soaking too long in less than fresh water. A Mee Noodle Dish, the name of which I forget: Thick brown noodles, seemed promising. But this was not a pleasing dish, at least my group. At first we just thought it was bland. Upon further exploration one unlucky companion but into a big chunk of liver. This was just sloppy noodles and liver. I also forget the name of the big plate that comes with rice, peanuts, chicken, and curry sauce and you mix it all up together. It's basically a full-sized version of the roti. Good, but for the sake of variety, we shouldn't have ordered. Overall, the food was good, but I was a little disappointed that none of the dishes were assertively, knock-out flavorful or spicy. I'd like to go back a few times and keep ordering different dishes until I could amass a solid roster of 5-7 choices. Also, I was surprised to find that Nyonya held up rather well in comparison. Totally different atmosphere, but I find Nyonya's dishes tend to be more cohesively, fully flavored. Price difference between Nyonya and Restorant Malaysia is not significant. Has anyone made any Malaysian finds recently?

Following up on a previous post, I checked out Ivo & Lulu Friday night. It's a dimly lit, one room, BYO, 8 table cafe on Broome near Varick. It's a spin-off of A, up near Columbia. The kitchen consists of a couple stovetops and a sink in the corner of the room. It's like going to a friend's studio in the village for a dinner party. If your friend is a really good cook. It's organic French Caribbean, but, from what we had, it seemed more like relaxed French homecooking with tropical accents (though, maybe that's exactly what 'French Caribbean' is). There're only about 4 appetizers and 4 entrees on the menu. Started with two appetizers: Pheasant Terrine baked with Truffle Oil and Brie ($8) - Came in a little ceramic baking dish. Pheasant was ground up into little bits and dispersed through the melted, crusty brie. Tasted like the best cheesy corned beef hash ever. Salty and greasy, in a most pleasing, comfort food kinda way. If they'd brought me 10 pounds of the stuff I probably would have kept eating well past the point of being sick. Addictive. Baked Avocados filled with Spinach Mousse in a Shitake Vinaigrette ($8) - Learned I don't like warm avocado. Wasn't so high on this. My girlfriend liked it, but I thought it was pretty bland. I couldn't really tell the avocado bites from the spinach bites, except that the avocado wasn't fully ripe so it wasn't soft. Entrees: Jerk Duck Confit in Mango Marinade ($10) - The duck was the star dish and cemented what's remarkable about this place: fresh, flavorful, distinct food at ridiculously low prices, considering the portions, quality of ingredients, and location of the restaurant. Generous portion of duck. Whole big juicy leg. The thick marinade was sweet, tart and spicy, essentially an excellent barbeque sauce. Venison ($10) - I'm not sure how they described this on my menu, but, if I remember correctly, it didn't give the impression that it would be served as sausage. Well, that's how it came out. The sausages were tasty, but extremely rich and smoky. Also, not the best complement to the duck. Too many rich meat dishes. (Not the widest selection of veggies on the menu) The girl was not high on the sausage. Don't know much about Caribbean cooking, but this seemed more like a German hunter's winter breakfast. Dessert: Chocolate cake and something apple I think. Not memorable. Desserts may not be their strength, but we were also pretty full by this point. We brought a $14, slightly sweet but crisp 2000 Cotes Du Rhones (from Eguilan?) which worked well with the food. If you look at my individual dish descriptions, you may not be enticed to try the place, but I gotta say that it's a pretty exceptional find. I'd give it a vote for this top 20 list, especially given how much intimate ambience the place has. Grand Sichuan, Katz's, Grimaldi's, etc., are obviously all great, but here's a place you can take a date on a Friday night, and get a little drunk, for $60 total. It's packed on Friday and Saturday, so, if you don't want to wait, go on weekdays or early/late. No reservations. PS - One other thought for this list: Manchenko Tei (sp?) can only vouch for the 55th st. location, but the creamy ginger noodle soup is a winner...

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll check it out next time I'm in Flushing. Tonight going to Ivo & Lulu which has nothing to do with Malaysia, but hopefully will prove to have something to do with this thread...

Pan, If you've been, I'm wondering how you think Restaurant Malaysia compares to Nyonya on Grand St. I was introduced to Nyonya by kids that've lived in Malaysia (not that that necessarily makes their opinion worth trusting) and at first I loved it (the super low prices didn't hurt). I've been less high on it in the last year or so - either it's gone downhill or I'm just sick of it. Some dishes are great, though - the spicy curry soup with tofu and fish stuffed peppers, the sizzling tofu... Is Restaurant Malaysia far superior?

I don't know how well substantiated this rumor is, but supposedly G&T will be replaced by a TGIFridays. No worries...Whatever we lose in gas lamps and borough history will surely be off-set by gains in Jack Daniels Chicken Finger Appe-Teaserz™.

[i originally wrote the following on the "BBQ in NY" board, but, at the request of Fat Guy, am copying it to this Daisy May specific board, in order to keep things better organized.] Thanks to the NY Times, sadly not Fat Guy, I checked out Daisy May's today. Relying on the Times (or a Times reiteration) takes a bit of the shine off a culinary discovery (a secret informant is more romantic), but it's BBQ, it's new, and it's supposed to be the real deal, so I had to check it out. I ducked out of work at 1:30pm and took a cab over to 46th and 11th. There was a line curled around the corner, ala the Soup Nazi. A velvet rope was set-up to guide the crowd and a doorman regulated the flow (trickle) inside. Kind of like an exclusive nightclub...for beef. It took 20-25 minutes to get inside. Once you're in, it's basically a soup kitchen set-up - the side dishes are ladeled out of a long row of trays. The meat is packaged in individual containers. I guess it's smoked down the street, so unfortunately you don't really get to see or smell the main dishes before you order. I got the Oklahoma Jumbo Beef Short Ribs. Well, Rib, that is. It's the biggest rib I've ever seen. I've never been to OK or TX, so I don't have much to compare it to, but the bone was a foot long, with a gentle curve and the attached hunk of meat was almost as big as a brick. Awesome. The guy I went with is from Texas and the enormity left him speechless. BBQ is such a visceral, primal eating experience and this rib immediately posits you in a Caveman, "Man like beef" place. Just holding this thing was joyous. The first few bites were epic. Moist, tender...a smoky Neanderthal brisket. The outer-edge bore the signature red smoke ring. The sauce was tangy, but a little mild for my taste. As I worked through the meat I got a little overwhelmed. I have a huge appetite, but I couldn't get through it. Very, very rich. Fat juices pouring out. And, the meat near the bone was almost gamey, not in a great way. For better or worse, pure bovine essence. The best bites were on the underside of the rib - little charred clusters where the sauce and meat had congealed perfectly. Sides: Baked beans with burnt ends were terrific. A smoky, sweet sludge. These actually tasted better than the rib, though the rib's heft is still the most brilliant takeaway image from the experience. Candied sweet potatoes were very fluffy and lacked character. So whisked they seemed more upscale than homemade, but how can you go wrong with sweet potaters and a stick of butter? Apples in brandy seemed good enough, but I was too far stuffed to be critical. I'm still stuffed, 8 hours later. The service is incredibly inefficient. There's about 10 people behind the counter operating in an uncoordinated haze. They made my post-meal lethargy look like hyperactivity. Very nice people, though (perhaps the slow-paced hospitality is another touch of Southern authenticity?) so I wasn't irritated. Just don't go at lunch if you're in a rush. At $10 (Main dish, two sides and soda, including tax), it's got to be one of the most exceptional values in the city. Next time, the Dry Rub Ribs or the Pulled Pork.

I'm glad the Times mentioned Daisy May's again. I missed the August piece. I read it. I craved BBQ. I went to Daisy May's today. I wrote a little about it on the Daisy May forum: Daisy May Forum

What's your favorite oyster oasis in the city? I love oysters, but I find myself wary to try them, unless I'm at a place I completely trust. (Kosher grandparents put the fear of God, and Hepatitis, in my shellfish loving heart) I've had great oysters at Blue Water Grill (East and West Coast varieties) and Pastis but a dozen will run you $24 and $30 respectively. Is there a secret oyster paradise where you can slurp without quite the wallet drain? (PS - To those who helped me with the brunch ideas, thank you, and I'll report results as they come...)