robyn

I don't use many canned veggies (too much salt). I do like Progresso black beans. Cook them up with some red wine vinegar - a little ground cumin - and a bay leaf. Ready in 10 minutes. They're fine over rice. Do you want the stash of canned veggies I bought but didn't use during the hurricanes ? Robyn

Who doesn't like a bargain? Barilla is frequently on sale at Publix here - $2 for 3 boxes. And you can throw in a coupon for $1 off 3 boxes. Cheaper than eating dog food . That said - I think the most important thing - assuming you're using a decent pasta (and I think Barilla is more than decent) - is matching the shape to the sauce/preparation - coming up with an appropriate combination. What works with a big winter meat sauce doesn't necessarily work with a delicate summer pesto - or a pasta salad. And when you live outside a major metro area (like I do) - sometimes your choices are limited. I like papardelle with my home made pesto - and there's only one brand sold here (forget what it is - but it's really good). Not to mention that the "gourmet stores" that sell high end pastas sometimes have stuff that's been sitting on the shelf for more years than I care to think about. By the way - when I have a lot of time on my hands (which hasn't been the case lately) - I make fresh pasta at home. I'm not very good at it (I'm probably not unique) - and I therefore stick with flat rather than extruded pastas. Perhaps the best thing to make homemade if you're a rank amateur like I am is ravioli (which comes out nice and light - as opposed to the store bought stuff which could be used to anchor boats during hurricanes). Robyn

Thinking about Thanksgiving. Family get together for my father-in-law's (probably) last Thanksgiving. Asked him what he wanted - and he said steak. Haven't made a decision whether to do this yet (does sweet potato pie go with steak?) - but I have a question. If I order steaks from Lobel's - can I freeze them and not lose a lot in terms of quality? I just think I'd get very nervous with a mail order main course arriving the day before a big deal meal. If I'm going to freeze steaks for a while - would I be just as well off buying decent steaks at the supermarket? As you can tell - I'm not a big beef eater/cooker - I'm just considering menu options. Robyn P.S. We're still pretty warm in November - so I'd be grilling the steaks outside.

How did you search? I can do lunch on a Sunday for 2 - but I frankly don't have the time to spend 5 straight hours on speed dial these days. Robyn

My husband and I wanted to make a "tex mex" salad to accompany chili tonight. So we bought some peppers which were supposed to be "Cubanelle". They were light green - about 4-5 inches long - slim - and smooth. Touted as mild - between a green pepper and a jalapeno. Whatever we bought - they were killers. Burnt our mouths out (we used a quart of milk to put out the flames). And my poor husband didn't wash his hands before he went to to the bathroom. In a word - OUCH. Big OUCH. Poor guy. And I had a similar experience an hour later when I made the mistake of rubbing an eye with my hands. Anyway - does this sound like Cubanelle peppers? Or what other pepper would look like this - but be so potent? Note that I use jalapenos a fair amount - but have never had a problem like this with pepper oils left on hands. Any comments from pepper afficionados would be appreciated. Robyn P.S. I know I'm behind in answering messages. They're in my "to do" box. And with no storms on the horizon - I'll get around to them soon.

This chafing dish from Sam's Club looks ok - at least on the internet. And it's hard to beat the price. Has anyone seen it in person? Robyn

They are "kinda ugly". I'm not sure this spread will be the most beautiful I've ever put out - but I'd like to avoid "ugly". I think I'll poke around a little - and see what I can come up with. Robyn

Extremists of all persuasions (left-right-religious-weird issues-etc.) are impossible to deal with. There is only one way - and that is *their* way. So you did the best thing you could do under the circumstances - you left. Robyn

And I'll add - I don't eat Tex-Mex - but a new La Napolera opened in the strip center at Beach and San Pablo. Haven't tried it. It's next door to the Chinese buffet (China King) which is the only place I've found in Jacksonville that serves edible Chinese food (not great - but it's better than nothing). The Gene's in Ponte Vedra closed last month. I've mentioned in another thread that we really like River City (Southbank). I'll mention it again . I'll also say that it was picked for the Playboy Superbowl Party (if that's not praise - what is ). Excellent microbrewery - good place to eat. For those who want to try other microbrewery/restaurants - there's the trinity of Ragtime (in Atlantic Beach) - Seven Bridges (in Tinseltown) - and A1A aleworks (in St. Augustine). All owned by the same people. Good --> excellent brews. Good food (although the food isn't the same at the 3 restaurants). No need to prefer any of these places over another - because they're all in very different geopraphical areas. We choose one over another just on the basis of where we happen to be on a given day. The best BBQ we've found near us is Downsouth - a tiny place in the strip shopping center just north of Harris Teeter in Ponte Vedra. We love Bistro Aix - and have enjoyed Biscotti's in the past. Where we're in "town" these days - we're usually with my father-in-law. He's in a wheelchair - and Biscotti's is definitely wheelchair unfriendly. So we usually stick with Bistro Aix or bb's. Matthew's and Medure's (high end) are owned by the same people. Pick one or the other depending on where you are (near downtown or on the beaches). For those of you who are planning vacations/business trips to this area - note that the greater Jacksonville area is huge - and that your choice of where to dine may depend on where you're staying - and how much you want to drive. That's it for now. Robyn

We usually go to the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island for lunch (too far for dinner). Last time we went - I had the chef's bento box of the day - and it was excellent. Wasn't a big seller though - chef told us most people there don't know what a bento box is. Robyn

I am definitely in the mood to get dressed up. I'm sick of moving patio furniture in cut off jeans and t shirts (although I may have to do it again this weekend ). I need a few days where I can wear nice clothes - and be pampered. That truffled macaroni sounds terrific. Can't be sure we'll find it on the menu when we're there - but - if it isn't - I'm sure <fingers crossed> that they'll have something comparable. Robyn

I just decided to forget about it for this trip. My husband and I are exhausted - and the last thing I need to deal with right now is a next to impossible reservation. Life is too short - and there are plenty of really good restaurants in New York we haven't tried yet. Made reservations at David Burke & Donatella (Thursday) and Babbo (Friday) - and have one more reservation to make (Sunday - was thinking about where yesterday but all I'm thinking about today is my father in law's surgery tomorrow - Yom Kippur on Saturday - and maybe Frances on Sunday ). FWIW - the reservation system at Babbo was really slick compared to what I found at Per Se (no endless busy signals). Anyway - I'm sure we'll have a great time. Robyn

P.S. To the powers that be. Perhaps you could rename this thread to "Jacksonville, FL" - "Home of SuperBowl 2005 - or SuperBowl VXIII or whatever it is". The thread might get a little more action. Robyn

Just found this thread - and I'll add to it from time to time. We went to Mezzaluna last night - in Neptune Beach. Same old place. New owner/chef. Tony Pels - who used to be the head chef at the Augustine Grille at the Marriott in Sawgrass. He spent a few years in California - and now he's back. Chef Pels was one of the top chefs in the Jacksonville area before he left - and he's one of the top chefs in the Jacksonville area now that he's back. One of the few chefs in Jacksonville to have been honored by an invitation to cook at the James Beard House (we had some of the dishes he prepared at the James Beard house when he was at the Augustine Grille). Dinner was kind of mind blowing for Jacksonville. Like seared foie gras with a fig compote. Served on a fashionably square plate with all the proper plate painting. Tasty piping hot Italian wedding soup (I have a terrible cold - and it felt great going down). Beautiful seared scallops served on greens laced with bits of pancetta. Dessert - fresh strawberries and whipped cream in super flakey puff pastry with a delicate zabaglione sauce was terriifc. On the other hand - you can have a pizza or a simple pasta too. So you don't have to spend a fortune. Or you can "mix and match". And you don't have to get all dressed up either. About the only thing I didn't like is that Mezzaluna still looks like Mezzaluna (one of those old woody looking Italian places - like from little Italy in New York). That look just doesn't work for me. There is a small patio outside - and Chef Pels says he'll be expanding it - adding music on the weekends - etc. Anyway - Chef Pels has only been in residence for a few months - and I'm sure he's spent more time since he's been back dealing with hurricane shutters than decorating. I hope he makes lots of money - enough so he can hire Larry Wilson (popular and very good interior designer here) or someone similar to brighten up the place. So the space shines as much as the food. I'll take good food over good design any day - but I'd rather have both. Anyway - try it out. Preferably on a week night (like most places in Jacksonville - business is good during the weekends - but - to keep restaurants going - we have to support them during the week). Robyn P.S. For those of you who've read other messages in this thread - L'Orient Chez Guy closed a while back. The chef was supposed to open a new place in Ponte Vedra - but hasn't. We go to Medure's a fair amount. It has gotten a lot better the last six months or so. We also go to bb's and Bistro Aix (less frequently because they're not as close) - and they are both still excellent. These are just brief comments - not meant to be all-encompassing.

Just a followup. We made it to Sarasota this weekend. I have to say that apart from spending some "quality time" with my husband - my favorite part of the trip was having a massage at the Ritz Carlton spa (boy - did I need that) - but the food wasn't bad either . We had drinks the first night at Marina Jack's - good place to watch the sun set. Dinner the first night at Pino's Primi Piatti - a nice little Italian restaurant downtown. Pleasant dinner - friendly service. We ate the rest of our meals (2 days worth) at the Ritz Carlton. The breakfast buffet (included in the room rate) and dinner. The breakfast buffet was typical of a Ritz Carlton spread - more like "frokost" than "breakfast" (meats and cheeses in addition to the usual suspects - like heaps of smoked salmon and fresh berries and eggs and sausage etc.). The pastries were a couple of notches above the norm (very flakey pastry - hard to do in the Florida humidity). Vernona at dinner was very competent. The service was excellent (e.g., in off season - our server doubled as a sommelier - and she knew the wine list backwards and forwards). I was somewhat disappointed by dessert the first night - and mentioned that to our server the second night (same server both nights). When dessert time came around - she said that the chef had prepared something special for us. And he had. Two desserts which weren't on the menu - and both were terrific. All in all - we were pleased - and I think we would have been even more pleased had the whole town not been so stressed out. Ivan was supposed to affect Sarasota (although it didn't) - and everyone in town had jangly nerves after dodging 3 hurricanes (and some people who worked in Sarasota but lived south got whalloped by Charley). A lot of residents had simply left and gone away for a while. There were only eight people in Pino's when we were there - and the hotel only had about 35% occupancy (and I think half of those people were emergency operations and insurance people dealing with the aftermath of Charley). So I have to cut some slack for the whole town. I'm sure everything will be humming by the time "the season" starts. Robyn

Hadn't thought of that. Thanks. Robyn

Well that won't work for me since this "last minute" trip is for October. I seem to remember about a million messages back that someone said one couldn't make a reservation in person by showing up at the restaurant. Without looking back through a million messages - does anyone know off the top of his head if that's correct? If it isn't correct - we'll just stop by the day we arrive and see if we can get a last minute cancellation for lunch/dinner. Falls into the "no harm in asking" camp. Robyn

Sorry about the delay in replying. We were out of town - then catching up. You have been informed (warned?) [cough-cough] about scrapple. It's not one of my favorites. Better idea for Chinese - try the buffet place at San Pablo and Beach. It's pretty good (especially for Jacksonville) - and increasingly authentic (lots of things that are hard to identify - like chicken feet). OTOH - the apple pie is good too - Chinese buffets are nothing if not eclectic . Will set you back less than $10 for 2 for lunch (except on Sunday). We really like River City. Have been going there for years and years (after meeting Steve the Brewer at another restaurant one night - he gave us cards for a couple of free beers and a brewer's tour first time we went - don't know if he's still the Brewmaster). Try to get there at least every month or two. My husband really likes the Porter. And I think the homemade cold smoked salmon is amazing (which is why we really like Sunday brunch - we eat lots of smoked salmon). You'll have to tell us about the Super Bowl party there next year (I don't think I'll be getting an invitation anytime soon ). Robyn

Just FYI - I think the restaurant must be getting slammed these days - because I put my phone on speed dial for a couple of hours this afternoon and never did get through. Just busy signals. I think that I'll wait until next year - or perhaps hope to find that one of my cousins did a root canal for the chef. Just curious - has anyone here had luck with reservations through a concierge? Robyn

Not too late at all. This is a trip for next year - maybe year after that. All I'm doing now is collecting ideas. So thanks for yours. Robyn

Hmmm.... I searched on Donatella - and then Burke - before I posted this message - and came up empty-handed. I'll have to make sure my search options are set properly. But thanks for putting my message in the right place. Robyn

Going to New York in a few weeks. A relatively spur of the moment trip for us (family bar mitzvah - lots of family I haven't seen in a long time). Want to try some new places. I made a reservation at David Burke & Donatella. Sounds like fun. Very much over the top and not too serious (I seem to have spent the whole summer ducking hurricanes or dealing with doctors - so over the top and fun suits me fine at this point). Have any of you been there? If so - what do you recommend - not recommend? What are the hits on the menu - and the misses? Thanks in advance for any suggestions. Robyn

Well - I grew up near Philadelphia - and worked when I was younger in center city Philadelphia (lived in Rittenhouse Square) - and how would you feel if I said that Philadelphia is basically worthless unless you want to try scrapple or have a cheese steak hoagie (I don't share your high opinion of it foodwise)? Today - I frequently travel just to eat - and Philadelphia isn't on my radar screen (why would I go to Philadelphia when I can go to London or New York or Paris? - although I do hope to travel one day to the flower show in Philadelphia - it can't compete with the Chelsea Flower Show in London which we went to in May - but it's easier for me to get to Philadelphia than London). Note that I'll really go out of my way to get to someplace that's cutting edge - but no geographical location has a monopoly on that - and the quality of the experiences vary (I know that the epiphany I had dining at Crook's Corner for the first time wasn't anywhere near the same as my first 3 star eating experience in Paris - but it was the first light blinking in my brain - this could really be something - just like the first time I ever had Floribbean food at Louie's Backyard in Key West when Norman Van Aiken took over the kitchen - or Doug Rodriguez was the first chef - at YUCA in Coral Gables - doing Nuevo Cubano). What has Philadelphia been doing in the last 25 years that's like that? Also - I think it's important to differentiate between the restaurants we want to eat at when time (in terms of travel) and money (both money out of pocket and money in terms of time) are no object - and the restaurants we'd like to see developing where we live - the ones we'll frequent when we're home. I now have a favorite Chinese restaurant here. If you asked me 2 years ago - I'd say that all Chinese food here is inedible - and I certainly wouldn't recommend the place on my top 25 list of places to eat in my tri-county area. But I will continue to frequent it - because I hope it will get better. Likewise - a friend took us to Ruby Foo's <sp?> last time we were in Philadelphia (a fair number of years ago). It was ok Chinese - certainly better than Jacksonville - but I've had better in New York - London - Vancouver - etc. Even if Philadelphia was a destination restaurant city (which it isn't in my opinion) - I wouldn't put Chinese food high on my list there. I mean - all you're saying is "when in Rome" - etc. So what's novel about that - whether you're talking about north Florida or south Philly? And - as a food writer - I assume your goal is to try to get people to the kinds of places they can't find at home (so you're into that "when in Rome" thing in spades). Robyn P.S. Make that Susanna Foo in Philadelphia. Guess it's Ruby Foo in New York. All those high end relatively mediocre Chinese restaurants look the same to me.

I agree that tradition and history are important. Because if you're coming up with something new - you have to compare it with its antecedents. Not that purity of lineage is the most important thing - but you have to "make the connection". Sophisticated people talk about the puns Thomas Keller sometimes makes with his food - but how many people can discuss the history of southern cooking and Bill Neal and Crook's Corner and shrimp and grits? When these "sophisticated people" come to the south - it's like they turn off 2/3 of their brains. Of course - there's "tradition/tradition" - like once we found ourselves in Meridian MS - and ate at a "German" restaurant that had been there since the 19th or early 20th century. A real German restaurant. You get that in the south - people from non-southern cultures who made a turn - or a wrong turn - and they wound up in the south - and their families have been here for over 100 years. But there are the newer "traditions" too. We've had a large Greek community in Jacksonville for a while. And now we're getting a large community from Belarus. Not to mention people from various Asian countries (like China). Our restaurants don't really show it yet - our ethnic restaurant situation isn't terrific - but that's probably because most 20 somethings are more familiar with fast food and chains than real food. I don't think the south is unique in that respect. Time for someone else to talk, Robyn

People of lesser means can't afford to eat in high-end New York restaurants either. But New York doesn't wind up being a cultural stereotype - which is what happens in a lot of the south. I guess my gripe is what a lot of outsiders see when they look at us. They really don't bother to look beyond the surface. It's funny - after living in Florida for over 30 years - I think I've learned to eat/cook more different cuisines here than I would have encountered just about anywhere else. I can cook everything from chicken in mojo with rice and beans to all manner of fish (every which way) to Hoppin' John. I've been here in north Florida for 10 years (from Miami) - and now I can do traditional New Year's southern stuff with the best of them (that's just about the only day I do anything other than grits - which I do all the time - because neither my husband nor I can afford all the fat/salt/etc. in those traditional dishes). I also cook a mean sweet potato pie . In fact - I have to laugh when I buy things like smoked ham hocks in Publix on December 30 and get asked by a dozen people what the heck I do with them. On the other hand - people ask me about the rutabagas in the fall too. A lot of people here - particularly younger ones - are really "white bread"/McDonalds when it comes to cooking/eating - the checkers at Winn Dixie usually can't recognize a radish when they check me out. But that isn't only true here - it's true of my family in North Carolina. And I'm sure it's true of millions of people who've never stepped foot in the south. By the way - if it's not a breach of confidence - PM/email me and let me know where you work. If we eat there - I will stop in and say hello. When we eat on the South Bank - we frequently have my father-in-law with us. He's in a wheel chair - congestive heart failure - so we try to stick with the places that are very handicapped accessible where we know we can order something plain without a ton of salt. Kind of limits us. But - when we're on our own - we get to just about everywhere. Take care, Robyn P.S. Let's hope Jeanne stays far away from us.