epicurious

Hello, I'm looking for a recipe to make a terrine (or rillette, or paté) with fresh oysters. I can only seem to find recipes with smoked oysters online. Can someone share theirs if you have a good one? Thanks D.

Thank you all for the recommandations! I've booked North Pond, The Publican and Café des architectes for 3 dinners and will keep Frontera Grill, Purple Pig and Quartino for lunch. I'll be back in a few weeks to review all my meals!

Thank you for the input! We're definitely gonna throw in a Bayless joint sometimes during our stay (and yes, I AM one of those Top Chef Masters people! LOL) We were also debating whether to go to Avec or Blackbird but now that you've thrown Publican in the mix, we can't choose!! Are they all similar? As for Sepia, I think we might go for North Pond instead for that local cuisine experience. Would that be a good choice? Thanks again and happy Easter!

Hello, We are a group of three foodie-ladies going to Chicago in May for 5 days and would like some recommendations for lunch & dining. The condo we are renting for our stay is at the corner of E. Huron & N. Wabash. What we are looking for: anywhere around there or a short cab ride away where the food is great, the service unpretentious, the crowd lively. We also have a soft spot for seasonal cuisine and chefs that support local farmers and producers. We are willing to venture out of that area for a must-go restaurant. We would also appreciate feedback on our short-list so far: - Sepia - Avec (or Blackbird) - Purple Pig - Custom House - Quartino Thank you!

Hello, I'm looking for a sugarhouse that also has a dining room... anything like that in northern Vermont? Thanks!

I know the end of the month deadline is past on this thread but in any case, I just wanted to share my favorite spot in that area... Chez Seb, l'artisan culinaire (www.resto-seb.com) It's in the St-Jovite village far from the Tremblant crowd, very laid back and cosy, beautiful terrasse in the summer and fireplace in the winter, with lots of local and original products on the seasonal menu and great wines. I've had many romantic and delicious meal there!

We are a group of 35-40 people looking for a place around Palais des congres to celebrate the end of a training program next Friday. We would like to be able to have drinks and a snack but the issue is that the course ends at 10:45pm. Chinatown is an option, but I don't know where to go with a group this size. Any suggestions?

I was there last Friday with a group... the food was very good (it went beyond my expectations) but the service was extremely rushed. After sitting down, we ordered some snack plates (sage sausages, risotto balls, olives and crspy wings, all very tasty) & oysters with our cocktails. The waiter then took our order for the apps & mains but the snacks AND apps we all served at the same time so we ended up with wayyyy too many plates on the table and rushing to eat everything before everything got cold. My husband asked the waiter if the table was reserved for a later hour (answer: no) and asked him to «wait before bringing the mains». Well, they did «wait» to bring the mains... they waited until the apps plates we barely off the tables!! So many guests had to eat their main while still sipping their cocktails!! We were basically done eating (snacks, apps, mains, desserts & coffee) in about 1 1/2 hour, which is way too fast for a group of nine!! We felt that the waiter didn't respect our wishes to slow down the pace. What also didn't work for us was the 20% service charge that was added to our bill... don't mind it when the service is adequate but in this case, it was not worth it, especially on a $600+ bill.

My topic says it all... we are a group of people wanting to have a good dining experience tomorrow night in Manhattan. It's a very last minute thing so I don't think we can reserve anywhere (plus I don't know yet how many people will be in the group - between 6 & 12) Is this an impossible request or is there somewhere we can show up without a reservation and have a decent chance to be seated? We are willing to show up early if that's what it takes! I've been to Fatty Crab before (loved it) but I remember it being very small. I also read that two of the Momofukus don't take reservations either. Would these be good bets or shoud I just look for something else? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks

Hello, I'll be attending a 3-day seminar this weekend in NY and would like to have suggestions of places to grab a bite. I won't be seeing a lot of the city but I want to make to most of my (short) lunch breaks! What I'm looking for is anything good, from low to mid-range in price (we will be a small group most probably) located between 5th/Madison & 9th Ave, and W 20th & W 26th Street. I would also like to have feedback on any of these spots I've pick up on Menu Pages. - Daioh Sushi - East of Eighth - Eisenberg's Sandwich Shop - Pongsri Thai Restaurant - RUB - Righteous Urban BBQ - Toasties Delicatessen - Shake Shack - Famous Original Ray's Pizza Thank you vey much!!

Well, it took me a while but I finally got a chance to go to JB last night. Since it was a last minute decision, I had called earlier in the day to make my reservation and booked their last spot at 9 :30. The evening started rocky… as we got there, we saw there was two tables available, one banquette next to the bar and a small table for two right in front of the door. A couple had just gotten there before us and was in the process of being seated at that table but for some reason, the waitress went to get them and brought them to the better table in the back as we were just standing there watching the whole thing. When she came to us, my annoyed husband asked her why she moved these guests to give us the worst table in the place. She started explaining that they were here before us and that they had made their reservation months in advance (also turned out he was apparently some hot shot from Le Cirque in NY). It still made us feel like «second grade» customers and at that point I knew my husband wouldn’t stand for this and he would want to leave the place (I know, I know… he can be a bit of a diva sometimes! ;-) So the waitress suggested we wait for another table to free itself and to have a drink at the bar in the meantime, which we accepted. And boy, was that the best thing we ever did! Turned out David himself was tending bar that night. He had sensed that something was a little off after watching the previous scene from the corner of his eye and he immediately offered us a couple of drinks. He then also offered to sit at the bar, have a couple of apps and he would then give us the big table in the front window. That and the scotch made us happy and the evening took a turn for the best after that. We ended up sitting at the bar all night, eating, drinking and sharing a few laughs with David. He really made us feel at home and cared for us as if we were his only customers. As for the food, everything was awesome. A few words come to mind to describe it : simple, fresh and abundant. We started with huge PEI oysters with Sancerre. On top of the two apps we were served afterwards (heirloom tomatoes with crouton & warm goat cheese and a salad with foie gras torchon), David brought us a plate of homemade rabbit sausage with pistachios. We were in tastebud heaven… The mains were off-menu items, since they were out of our first choices (the ribs and the lobster shepherd’s pie). We had seared tuna with foie gras on a bed of brown lentils and pork with scallops on mash. Both were very generous in size and very satisfying, if not a bit heavy since there was not veggie in sight. Wine was a great California red recommended by Dave also. No room for desserts but we finished off with a couple of digestifs. So overall, we were extremely pleased with our evening. We had a real kick out of the cosy and laid-back atmosphere; the place has a fishing lodge/neighborhood tavern type of feel. The music was also up our alley, as David’s iPod is filled with some of my old faves : the Smiths, Violent femme, etc. The bill was on the higher end but we enjoyed our evening so much that we didn't even care at that point how much it would be. A lot of stuff, mainly drinks, ended up being on the house. We were very impressed with David’s generosity, which definitely ended the evening on a high note. Can’t wait to go back… it could possibly become my favorite hangout in the city!

I'm more than willing to walk (or cab) a little further out to have a great meal so any suggestions in the East Village or Soho are fine! I've already put a note in my agenda to call Babbo exactly one month before our trip to try to get reservations (we got a big Batali fan in the family). We would also like to go for great sushi... so far I had my mind set on Yasuda but I'll check out the recommendations above. Little Owl looks interesting as well, as well as August for brunch and Pearl Oyster Bar for lunch. So many to choose from, so little time... but I can't wait to go stuff my face for 4 days!!

Sorry guys... Not a big fan of acronyms so I will call it the Village from now on, although that sounds like a scary movie I once saw...

This is a follow up to my previous post... I now have booked in Greenwich so I would like to get dining suggestions for that area as well as surrounding neighborhoods. Anything from low to high end... as long as it is great!! Cool neighborhood bars suggestions to stop by before or after diner would be appreciated as well. Thank you vey much!

Thanks guys.. I've booked at the West Eleventh in Greenwich. I'll now start a new thread to get dining suggestions in that area and around!

Hello! I will be going to NY with my two sisters in August and I would like to know more about a few different areas before we book a B&B. The places I have shortlisted for our stay are located in Greenwich Village (Adingdon Guest House and West Eleventh), on the West Side (Wyman House) and The Upper East Side (1871 House). I would like to find out more about these neighborhoods, like restaurant choice, shopping and nightlife, which will be our main activities during our stay! If you also have any comments on these inns, I'd also appreciate it, although they all rated well on Tripadvisor. Thank you for your feedback. If you ever bump into 3 girls that look a lot alike and that are giggling constantly, that'll be us!!

Very good! And the price was right as well... $8.95 for a 9" pie that was more than an inch thick. The caramelized crust had a nice mahogany color. Very pretty! There was this other place at MJT (La fournée des Sucreries) that had pecan pies but they were very thin, the crust was all damaged around (I like my food to look good as well as taste good) and it was about $14!!

Thanks for all the input. I'm sure a homemade version would be great but I'm trying to save some time here with all the crab cakes and gumbo I also have to do!! I will try the Au Pain Doré pie and will let you know how it turns out. By the way, if someone is interested in the bourbon butter sauce, here's the recipe. It's divine with either pecan or pumpkin pie. Whiskey Butter Sauce 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick) 1/3 cup sugar 1 large egg 1/2 tablespoon very hot water 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup bourbon whiskey Also, the best (and freshest) nuts are available at Akhavan in NDG. They have a great selection (about a dozen versions of each kind of nuts) and good prices as well. Their pecans are sweet and, well... nutty. Never been disappointed.

I'm throwing a cajun-themed dinner party this weekend and would like to serve a pecan pie for dessert. Now, I'm not much of a baker so I'd like to know where I could buy a really great pecan pie. Or sweet potato pie, for that matter. Both would be a great finale, especially with the bourbon butter sauce I will be making... Thanks!

Back from TO... here's my Nectar review! We got there at quarter to 9 last Saturday night and grabbed a cocktail at the bar while waiting for our fellow dinners. When everyone was there, we were seated to our table, which was the last table at the back of the long restaurant. Not the best spot but those sitting on the banquette (I was) had at least a view of the kitchen. Our waiter came over to explain the menu which is presented in a minimalist way: soup thin/thick, lobster mild/wild, foie gras chaud/froid, grouper fire/ice, lamb grilled/braised/roasted ... you get to pick one or the other for the appetizer and you get both ways (sometimes three ways!) for your main course. I ordered some cold oysters, the "earth" tartare (beef - the "ocean" one was tuna that night) and the duck breast/leg. All were very tasty and originally presented: lots of little dishes/containers/plates for everything. For example, my tartare, shaped in a perfect cube, came with a small dish of cornichons and capers, another small dish of aioli and avocado oil and a mini bottle of Tabasco. The duck was a nice pink breast served with spinach, acorn squash purée and delicious reduction. The leg part were pieces of confit on top of wild rice in a separate plate. Other great stuff sampled from my friends's plates were lobster croquettes and angus steak, and cold, warm and hot tuna. All of that with some great Ontario wines (when in Rome...) I finished with the sampler dessert plate which I shared with my other half. The most memorable item on the plate was a flourless chili-chocolate cake with avocado ice cream. That was quite the party in my mouth! When I also commented to my waiter on how good their chocolate lollypops were, he brought a whole extra plate to our table! Funny anecdote.. we witnessed our waiter being fired!! We saw him rush by our table with his coat on soon after he took our order and heard a door slam (our table shook!). A person at our table thought he heard the manager say "get out of here or I'm calling the cops". That caused a moment of confusion at our table but soon after, the manager came over to apologize and tell us that he would be taking over our service. When we insisted he tell us what happened, he said the waiter was caught using drugs (which means, if I remember my restaurant days correctly, quite possibly some white stuff that looks like powdered sugar...). We had a good laugh about it, joking that we didn't see THAT on the menu!! Otherwise the service was excellent. Bill came up to about 200-250 per couple, tax and service included. So I would recommend Nectar for its above average food, its originality in a sea of cookie-cutter restaurants and its service. Enjoy!

Thank you Wine-Dad for you honest comments! I too was drawn to the place for its unusual menu concept (I'm an art director so I'm all about concepts!) and also because Pierre Jutras was one of the owners of my favorite club in Montreal in the early 90's. So whatever food or service "problem" I might encounter that night, I will make sure he knows about it! We reserved the chef's table for that night so we'll be having the tasting menu at 100$ per person. So with drinks and wine, our bill is probably going to be more around $300 per couple. I'll come back here next week and let you know about my evening. Until then, happy Easter everyone! D.

Anyone has some feedback to give me for Nectar? I've seen it mentioned a few times on other threads but with no reviews. I'm considering going there on Easter weekend (I'm from Montreal). If not, does anyone have other suggestions for a great dining experience, at around $200 per couple? We'll be 3 couples willing to spend a few bucks but none of us has a Susur budget! Thank you D.

Well, the pork was indeed "pulled"... small shreds (small enough that we had a messy time eating it with our bare hands - don't ask!) with a few bigger chunks, very tender. The ribs tasted like they really had been slowly barbequed (instead of just over-boiled then grilled with tons of sauce like some other places). They were actually a bit charred on the outside, which I love (nothing better that crispy pork fat!)

I went there last night for the first time and had a combo plate with ribs and pulled pork. Both were delicious: the ribs were full of flavour with just the right amount of fat; the melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork was smothered in a great bbq sauce which was sweet and smoky. The combo plate came with a choice of two sides. I picked the creamy coleslaw, which was just that (creamy, not "mayonaisy") and a green salad which could have been boring but was not, thanks to a very original chili vinaigrette. All that for a very reasonable price... can't wait to go again to try more of the stuff, like their black bean burger with avocado relish!

I second Bangkok in Faubourg (best bang for the buck, for sure) but a food court may not be what you're looking for. I suggest the reasonably priced Phaya Thai on Guy St. or the more upscale Thai Grill on St-Laurent St.