SteveW
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Posts posted by SteveW
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My usual butcher, Stew Leonard's in Yonkers, also has USDA prime dry-aged strips for $10.99 a pound. And they're excellent. But when you're looking at USDA Prime as a category you've got to realize that it's encompasses a huge range of quality, and also that it's only a visual inspection standard that doesn't tell anything about the breed, feed, slaughter methods, etc. Butchers like Stew Leonard's and most likely anyone else who sells prime dry-aged meat at $10-$15 per pound tend not to be selling from the top end of the prime spectrum. This meat is only slightly better than the upper level of USDA choice meat would be, and sometimes not even (for example, most Niman Ranch carcasses would be graded choice were Niman to participate in the grading program, but they're markedly superior to most low-prime because of all the factors that can't be ascertained though the visual inspection). If you go to Lobel's or Peter Luger for your steak, you are buying from the top 10% or less of USDA prime -- they could easily create another grade for it, the standards are that much higher. As much as I think the Stew Leonard's prime beef is delicious -- and it really is better than what most steakhouses serve -- there's just no comparison between it and the really elite stuff. Nor is there any way to sell it for $10.99 a pound. Lobel's charges around $35 per pound for its USDA prime boneless strips. Are they three times as good as what one gets at Stew Leonard's? Of course not -- and I'm not sure flavor can be quantified that way anyway. But when it comes to luxury items and improvements in quality at the margin, you're always going to fall into the rapidly steepening curve of diminishing returns. The quality improvement between $5 and $10 per pound steak is massive (controlling for other variables). From $10 to $20 it is less massive. From $20 to $35 per pound, you're paying not for a huge marginal improvement but, rather, to have the best -- you're paying for whatever improvement there is to be had.
Steven wouldn't even Stew Leonard's in Yonkers(& others), carry a fairly wide range of quality in their USDA Prime beef at any one time in the shop? I'm aware of some butchers that save the best stuff for their restaurant customers & fussy regulars who want the best they have. Even what's on display at butcher shops, not all the steaks have the same amount of marbling for example.
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Steve
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In Montreal, unfortunately the majority of people prefer their beef lean. So most of the beef here is either A or AA. AA is equivalent to US Select, while A is even leaner than US Select!! This preference for leaness, even extends to smoked meat. At Schwartz's, more than half the customers(about 55-60%), order their smoked meat lean(or even extra lean!!).
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Steve
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Taking in all the FG comments on this thread, I would conclude that the best ice cream's out there, are at top restaurants, that take desserts seriously. These establishments would have a dedicated pastry staff, using home made ice cream making methods, & importantly have the expertise to make it.
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Steve
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This question reminds me of a ditz in my management class at restaurant school. We were discussing menus for different types of establishments; at one point, bar food. In all seriousness, she asked, "Well, Buffalo Wings are such a popular item. But what do you do with the rest of the chicken?"
One of my favorite Montreal radio announcers Peter Anthony Holder(http://www.peteranthonyholder.com/), makes this exact same comment often on his radio show.
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Steve
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I learn something new every day.
I stock Canadian and American prime beef as well as Australian Angus beef. We need to do a full on tasting next time you are in town. Maybe a 48oz Delmonico of each to see which flavour we prefer...
I would FedEx you a sample of Canadian grain-fed beef but we would both end up in jail!!!
Chef Fowke, since you carry both Canadian & American prime beef, you can answer this. What is the difference in price between Canada Prime & USDA Prime? I'm guessing USDA is much more expensive. How readily available is Canada Prime grade beef in Canada?
On another issue altogether(for any eGullet member to answer), that's slightly off-topic. I noticed in William Grimes recent NY Times review of Morrell's(Wed July 2/2003), he mentions that Lobel's supplies the Kobe-style beef to the restaurant. Is this the first time ever, that it's made public, that Lobel's butcher shop supplies beef to any restaurant? I think Steven Shaw has mentioned in the past, that Lobel's acts as a steak broker to many restaurants(mostly steakhouses).
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Steve
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Are people here, refering to corn fed beef & grain fed beef interchangeably? My understanding is that Canadian beef is primarily grain fed beef, while US beef is primarily corn fed beef. Is their significant difference between corn fed & grain fed beef? Would like to hear more input from people in South America, who have eaten the best grain-fed Argentine beef available. I've eaten once Argentine beef at a Montreal restaurant, & found it tasted awful!! As Steven Shaw has stated more than once, the Argentine beef that comes to America, might not be of the best quality.
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Steve
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Steven, from your neck of the woods, Lobel's butcher shop among other Kobe beef cuts(all from Australia), carries Kobe Brisket.
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Steve
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It's been picked up by Outdoor Life Network Canada, so live coverage of the Tour is available throughout North America.
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Steve
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My housemate had a pint of B&J Coffee Heath Bar Crunch in the freezer just last week. I'm here on Long Island. Don't know where he bought it, although I do remember him saying that he sometimes shops at an oddly named supermarket called "Meat Farms" in Port Jefferson. I had a taste, and yes it was delicious. I'd buy it again. SteveW, I hope you find some soon!
I miss the B&J flavor "Wavy Gravy." Has anyone seen it lately?
Personally I have never seen B&J Coffee Heath Bar Crunch in Montreal supermarkets. However, Consumer Affairs & a Ben & Jerry's location in Montreal, say there's a Coffee Heath Bar Crunch offshoot called Coffee Toffee Crunch which is available only in Canada(made by Ben & Jerry's Canada), that's virtually the same. I see at the Ben & Jerry's website, in the Flavor Graveyard section(discontinued B&J flavors), Coffee Toffee Crunch is listed among the departed flavors!!!?? I haven't seen Cofffee Toffee Crunch yet in Montreal stores, but I have a coupon for it.
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Steve
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Something that needs to be made clear VivreManger, is that there're two Lester's companies in the Montreal smoked meat business. The commercial meat supplier(that's where the Snowdon Deli, would have their smoked meat made, if the Snowdon Deli's owner claims are true). And there's the Lester's Deli located on Bernard Street for several decades. These two Lester's are unrelated. That why in my recent posting in this thread, I said that 'Lester's [Deli] don't make their own Montreal smoked meat. They like people to think so.'
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Steve
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I finally made it to Ben's Best today. It's a great old neighborhood Jewish deli in Rego Park. The pastrami is excellent, but I think it would be a stretch -- a long, credibility-defying stretch -- to say it's in the Katz's category.
Steven, where would you rank Ben's Best pastrami at this point? A distant #2 or #3, if I were to guess. What kind of operating hours does Ben's Best have? If they are open 24 hours a day for example, it might not be wise to order pastrami during off peak hours(the steaming issue is very very important in getting a great pastrami sandwich).
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Steve
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There's actually a restaurant in Washington D.C., named after the Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi. The owners are huge fans of Fausto Coppi. The name of the restaurant is called Fausto Coppi or maybe it's just called Coppi's. I don't know if the food there is good or not.
I seem to recall that ex-cyclist Greg LeMond started a fine-dining restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, around 5 years ago. Don't know anything beyond that.
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Steve
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I've been following the sport of cycling very closely for years. I'll answer some of the questions posed here. Lance Armstrong did leave living in France(around the Nice-area) around 2 years ago, & moved to Spain. During the cycling season which lasts about 8 months, he's based there. His off-season home, is still Austin, Texas. Lance is fluent in French, & can converse in Italian & Spanish. Before living in France, he had a condo in Italy for several years.
At the official Tour de France website, the home page features the photo of 4 legendary Tour riders. They're the French legend Jacques Anquetil, Lance Armstrong, Italian Fausto Coppi, & the last French winner Bernard Hinault. More in the background, there's a photo of Maurice Garin(the first Tour de France winner(1903)).
The Lance Armstrong website is excellent. Lance was among the very first professional athletes, to have a professionally run website. It's still among the very best.
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Steve
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Schwartz's, The Main, Abbie's make their own Smoked Meat in Montreal. Many others do also.
Not only that, many restaurants in Montreal that serve smoked meat be it industrially made in a major food processor or made in the back cut their briskets by hand. All the more known deli's cut their meat by hand.
Machine slicing Smoked Meat/Pastrami is barbaric.
Besides these three, who else makes their own smoked meat(at this moment I could only think of Lesters)?
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Steve
I should correct myself now. Lester's don't make their own Montreal smoked meat. They like people to think so.
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Steve
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Interested in what you have to say of your experience as Gourmet's NYC restaurant critic for several years. Things of interest to me. Was it a hindrance at all, that you must of been recognized by restaurant staff on most-to-all of your restaurant visits for your job? Why were you not retained, as NYC restaurant critic for Gourmet, when Ruth Reichl took over(if it can be made public)? How often did you dine out for your Gourmet job? On average, how many different NYC restaurants did you check out monthly? BTW David, you have always been one of my favorite food writers.
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Steve
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Just called Consumer Affairs. Finally got the answer. Coffee Heath Bar Crunch has been discontinued in bulk, but is still made in pints(this applies to anywhere in the world). Meaning Coffee Heath Bar Crunch is not available anymore in Ben & Jerry's scoop shops, but is still available in supermarkets. In Canada, in certain markets, Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, is known as Coffee Toffee Crunch(sold in pints). So there's the answer.
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Steve
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My initial question was, is it available anywhere? I was told by my Ben & Jerry's outlet, that it was discontinued entirely(not available in Canada, US, or any other country).
I'll take the FG suggestion, & give Ben & Jerry's Consumer Affairs a call later today. Although by responses here, it seems to be still available in many parts of the United States.
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Steve
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On a whim, I decided to contact a Ben & Jerry's outlet in California, & the person there told me they don't carry it anymore.
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Steve
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Any other ice cream company anywhere, making Coffee Heath Bar Crunch? I should note that Ben & Jerry's still carries Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch.
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Steve
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The person at Ben & Jerry's Montreal told me, that during a regional meeting, the Ben & Jerry's people told employees of the company that Coffee Heath Bar Crunch is not made anymore(including in the States).
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Steve
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KateW, the Flavor locator works for people living in the US only(I live in Canada).
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Steve
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Starting about a month ago, I inquired at my local Ben & Jerry's here in Montreal, what happened to the Coffee Heath Bar Crunch flavor(my favorite)? She told me it has been discontinued. Is this absolutely true? Coffee Heath Bar Crunch is still listed as a flavor at the Ben & Jerry's website. My friend in Asia tells me, she thinks it's still available in Hong Kong(she checked up on it fairly recently). When I contacted the Ben & Jerry's Montreal outlet again for more clarification, the person on the line gave me more details. She told me, it was a very popular flavor in Montreal, but wasn't that popular in the US. That in Canada, the Ben & Jerry's Canada plant now makes something similiar called Coffee Toffee Crunch. However Coffee Toffee Crunch is only sold in supermarkets for Canada(don't think it's available in the US). It's not made availabe to Ben & Jerry's outlets anywhere. Coffee Toffee Crunch is not listed as a flavor on the Ben & Jerry's website. Hope somebody can fill me in.
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Steve
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What's grilled Cypriot halloumi?? I think I know how it looks from your picture, but that's about it.
Steve
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If I can be allowed in adding something to this question. Matthew could you list some top chefs and/or food personalities that tried out for a Food Network program, that never panned out(or top chefs that the Food Network pursued, but they were not interested)? Thanks for joining the Q&A.
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Steve
Lobel's Online Store
in Food Media & Arts
Posted
Steven, how do you explain the differences in quality of the steaks at Smith & Wollensky? I remember fondly your memorable restaurant review of Smith & Wollensky, where you had 5-6 levels of quality in their steaks, for your different visits.
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Steve