robyn

I don't live in the neighborhood (or the state) either - but I think your analysis is on target. I'll add another factor - the housing boom. I assume NJ is pretty expensive. In the neighborhood where I live (in Florida) - the average house costs about $700-800,000 (range from about $400,000 to $3 million - values are *way* up in the last 5 years). We have 30 houses on our block. My husband is 59. He thought he was the second oldest guy on the block until the other guy died last year and we found out he was 56 . I'd say the average husband/wife here are in their early 40's (many in late 30's). Wife doesn't work. They have 2-3 kids. They have 2 or 3 mortgages and little equity in their houses. They probably spend more than 40% of their incomes on their mortgage payments. Their furniture (if they buy any) is from Rooms to Go. In a nutshell - they don't have much money to spend on food. Which is why the low end chain places are packed with them (and I see the pizza delivery trucks so frequently in driveways). We do have some higher end places - but I don't think most of our neighbors go to them. The people I see there tend to be older retired people like us. And then there are the tourists - and convention groups (we have some golf resorts nearby). There are other areas of town where the population tends to be unmarried - or younger married DINKS - and the restaurants in those areas of town are better than where I live. Anyway - I don't envy the lot of an independent restaurant operator trying to make a living where I live - or in similar places. Robyn

When we went fishing - we'd fillet the fish immediately and freeze in water. Great way to handle it in my opinion. I've been known to have some older things hanging around the house - and none of them has killed me yet. I'd defrost the salmon - see what it smelled like - and cook it assuming it smelled ok. Robyn

Everyone told me that London was relatively "casual smart" these days. But on the one occasion that my husband didn't wear a suit to a high end restaurant (lunch at Gordon Ramsay because we were going to the Chelsea flower show after - he wore a jacket and turtleneck) - he was the only man in the whole restaurant who wasn't wearing a suit. His rule of thumb is wearing a suit and tie means never having to say you're sorry. And that's with the shirt tucked in (I saw the articles today about the new "shirts not tucked in" look - but I suggest that it doesn't work for a guy unless he looks like a movie star or a model. Robyn

I don't know whether it's safe - but when I used to eat it (we're talking > 20 years ago) - it was usually cooked like swordfish (cooked white until it flakes) or smoked. That said - where the heck did you buy it? It's an increasingly endangered species and I don't know any responsible fishing people who don't catch and release these days. Robyn

C for seafood. Liked it a lot. Robyn

Apparently the guy had 2 cholesterol readings - one "before" - and one "after". "Normal" readings for a person can vary quite a bit - certainly more than the variation between these 2 readings. I'm not endorsing this diet - I'm just a little skeptical about the blood work results. Robyn

I ate at C last time I was in Vancouver (about 2 years ago). I love fish/seafood - especially when there's a bit of summer in the outdoor air - and I have to say that the meal I had was the second best seafood menu I've ever had in North America (the best being a crustacean tasting menu at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead/Atlanta Georgia). So what didn't you like about the meal? Robyn

I'm a dinner at about 8 person. If I'm in my regular time zone - I usually eat something light before the theater. E.g., when in New York - I like to get some good wine/cheese/fruit/bread/etc. and make a small meal in the hotel. In London it's easier. Post-theater is near my regular dinner time - so I just eat after. And who ever heard of going to the theater in LA ? Robyn

I've never been accused of being the most culturally sensitive person in the world - but I think it's lousy to take pictures of people - particularly in their own homes - without permission - just because you think you're not noticed. There are even certain cultures where people believe that by taking pictures of them - you steal their souls. IOW - I think people are entitled to privacy - even though they may be poor - and you may be a sneaky photographer. Robyn

Just an aside. I make cold pea soup when I have leftover frozen sugar snap peas. Simmer the peas in a good chicken stock/bullion until cooked. Puree in the Cuisinart. Strain through a strainer (mashing down with a spoon). Chill. Serve with a dollop of cream fraiche or sour cream. What kind of spicing did you detect in the Per Se pea soup (I'm always looking to improve on a good thing)? Robyn

You didn't think we'd take your assertion that Chicago's theatre scene is "bush leage" sitting down, did you? I think many towns have great theatre, and that no town can lay claim to being the best. Part of the fun of traveling is sampling the many different theatre scenes throughout the world. Perhaps I'm prejudiced - but I do truly think that the 3 greatest English speaking theater cities in the world are - historically - London - New York - and Toronto - in that order. And Toronto kind of fell off the map a few years ago when a major theater person got into financial trouble. So that leaves London and New York. A lot of what appears in Chicago is no different than what we have in other secondary US theater cities - road tours of shows that have spent months or years in London/New York before arriving there (not necessarily a bad thing - but I'm not going to go to Chicago to see something I can see in Florida). On another note - there was a rather disheartening article about the annual art show in Chicago in today's NYT. I found it hard to believe that Miami had surpassed Chicago - but that's the current word from the New York PTB. What's the story there? I haven't been to Navy Pier for a while - and didn't realize there was a problem. Robyn

Can't help you with everything. But perhaps I can with a thing or two. When it comes to cooking anything - whether it's meat - or chicken - or eggs - doesn't matter what. Buy/prepare uniform ingredients. Then experiment until you get it the way you like it. Make notes. And then just repeat - repeat - repeat. E.g., - I like to grill rib eye steaks. I buy the same steaks at the same market - marinate them for the same length of time - and cook them on the same grill at the same temperature. It took me a couple of times to figure out that mine were perfect at 5 minutes - my husband's at 8. Same rules apply to other thin things - like fish (cooking by minutes). With something that's thick - like a whole chicken or turkey - or a pork tenderloin - or a prime rib - whatever - you usually must use a meat thermometer. Might take you once or twice to get the temp at which you like it - but once you get it right - just keep doing the same thing again and again. Never serve meals to company unless you're confident you're done with the experimentation mentioned above. Never "finish" a protein in the microwave. Microwaves turn proteins into rubber (they're good for a lot of things - but not finishing off a steak). I think when you're talking about "seasoning" - you're basically asking what if anything you should use to flavor your main ingredient in the first place. If you start with a good recipe - or a marinade you like - etc. - you really shouldn't have to do much. I use some "store bought" stuff - like Pirate's Gold for steaks or Goya mojo for chicken breasts - and some recipes I've collected over the years (like a great marinade for pork tenderloin). Again - experiment until you find something you like - then repeat. As for pie crust - I use frozen Mrs. Smith's. If yours is greasy, heavy and ugly - perhaps it's worth a try . Mrs. Smith's is not as good as my mother-in-law's pie crust was - but once I put my sweet potato/pecan pie stuff in it - I'm not sure anyone notices . I think being a decent cook is simply a matter of trying until you get it right - and then not messing around with winners. If you have any questions about how to cook a specific thing - why don't you start a thread here about it? I'm sure you'll get a lot of good feedback (I once started a thread about how to cook a prime rib - because I'd never done it before - got great feedback - which I passed on to my sister-in-law - who had never cooked a prime rib before either - we are now friends for life ). Robyn

If you look up a page or so in this thread - you'll see a message extolling the virtues of rice cookers. I second that message. I make perfect rice for 2 all the time in a small National (Panasonic) rice cooker I bought on line. Robyn

With regard to theater - you're all ganging up on me. Since it's not really "on topic" - I think all I'll say is London is my favorite theater city in the world - and leave it at that. Robyn

I was at Le Manoir and Troisgros at about the same period of time (same decade ). Assuming that they're reasonably the same these days (with the rooms at Manoir having nicer furnishings) - this is the difference. Manoir is more like the castle/stately home places in the Loire. They are trying to be "grand" in terms of the food and the rooms and the grounds and the general atmosphere (of course some succeed and some don't). Troisgros is a relatively modest establishment in a very modest not very interesting town that just happens to serve spectacular food (or at least it used to). And the rooms when I stayed there were a hoot. Vintage Playboy fantasy. Very dark - circular staircase. Someone's idea of a "fashionable room" (but that someone had never opened a design magazine). But you stayed in the rooms for the same reason you went to the town - to dine at Troisgros. Everything else was secondary. Robyn

And if one tires of the history of restaurant patio heaters - one can swing south to Seattle and spend endless hours exploring the history of the crapper . For comparative studies - I recommend going to Phoenix and studying the technology of restaurant misters (they're really quite wonderful with them there). Robyn

I think you need to clarify for our new English friend. Outdoor patio heating technology makes it easier for the dope smokers to enjoy an after dinner puff, cigarette smokers are still sent around back, where the good citizens of the city don't have to cast their gaze upon these filthy weezing wretches. As everyone know, (tobacco) smokers are the lowest rung of the Vancouver social ladder, lower even than herring spawn harvesters. I don't think that's true. When I went to Blue Water and C - I dined out on the patios. So did most of the other diners those evenings. And although I didn't do a head count - I'd be surprised if more than 50% of the tables were totally non-smoking. I think one reason these patios are popular is because you can have a cigarette at a restaurant. I ran across a lot of "closet smokers" in Vancouver. Robyn

You sound more forgiving than I am. Even at a little deal restaurant on my home turf - if the place is raggedy (and raggedy at a little deal restaurant is getting your eggs well done when you asked for over easy) - it's history. My husband has called me a Hapsburg (something about they never forgave and they never forgot) - and that's the truth. I only have so much time - so much money - and can eat only so many calories - so I'm not anxious to give places multiple opportunities to prove that my initial impressions were wrong. Robyn

Being an American (although not exactly a Francophile these days) - and not being from any large city in the US - I think New York tops Chicago in some things (like theater - which is pretty much bush league in Chicago). But what is charming about Chicago is that has a lot to offer - particularly when it comes to architecture and the fine arts - in a reasonbly compact package. It's simply a more manageable city. On our last couple of trips - I think the only places we didn't walk to were Chinatown and the Field Museum (the latter because it was raining). Caveat - I usually walk more than 5 miles a day in a "walking city". So your mileage may vary - particularly if you're wearing high heels . Robyn

The chef there is talented - and hard working. We were in Chattanooga for a friend's birthday party. He's a sculptor - and it was a huge party with people from all over the country and Europe. Great BBQ and bluegrass (J.D. Crowe). So the food really wasn't along the lines of 212 Market. But the chef is a friend of our friend the sculptor. And she made a spun sugar replica of one of our friend's sculptures to put on top of the cake. It was very cool. We didn't know the 2 were friends until we dined in the restaurant the day after the party - got to talking - and she showed us the experiments leading up to the final dessert show piece. I love to find places like 212 Market when I'm "on the road". Robyn

I had a nice meal at Georgio's last trip (I was in a *very* good mood - had just won a case). As for private clubs - there are some nice ones scattered around Florida. Most of them came to be because the quality of public restaurants wasn't very good. Robyn

You can't go home again. If it didn't work for you the first time - chances are it won't the second. Never does for me (the first non-extraordinary meal always seems to poison the second meal). I went to Le Manoir once - in 1987. It was expensive. But I didn't have any problems with the food (my husband and I had an offal tasting menu and it was superb). I did have a problem with what the room cost. Once you get out of cities - it's nice to stay in a restaurant with rooms. Saves you the agony of finding your way home on unfamiliar unlighted roads after too much to drink. Preserves the safety of the local inhabitants . You simply stumble upstairs - and fall into contented sleep. But the charge for the rooms should be in line with what the rooms are (which is frequently less than what the restaurant is) - plus a reasonable premium for convenience. At Le Manoir in 1987 - the room we had was kind of a step or two above comfy cabin at Four Seasons prices. Perhaps that has changed after all these years. I would hope so. Note that while I consider Le Manoir to be a restaurant with rooms - there are also terrific hotels/resorts with excellent (if a step or two below world class) restaurants. With these places - the facility is a destination in its own right - and the excellent restaurant is a bonus. A place like Gidleigh in Devonshire falls into this category (I thought it was terrific when I was there - best lamb I ever had - don't know what it's like today - but I'd check it out). Ditto with Inverlochy Castle. With a place like Chewton Glen - the food was mediocre when I was there - but perhaps it's improved (the rooms were lovely and I remember Chewton Glen as being my first exposure to luxury toiletries in a hotel room - OTOH - most guys - like my husband - OD on the chintz at Chewton Glen). There are places in the Lake District that reminded me of the Rocky Mountains decades and decades ago (undistinguished rooms and food but the surroundings are so beautiful you don't care). These days there are supposed to be some up and coming places in Wales (we had a good trip there - but a horrible late fall storm with tons of rain and gloom that lasted for days made me feel like I was in a low budget horror movie ). And I've seen some new places in the UK in design magazines that must be fabulous if the food is anywhere as good as the rooms look. Anyway - I guess this is a long way of saying that not only can't you go home again - you don't have to. Robyn

Must be a great exhibit. I'm sorry I'll miss it. Don't know if I mentioned it - but one thing you can't miss in Chicago is Graceland. Right near Wrigley Field if you happen to like baseball. Robyn

One word of warning. We spent a day there last year - and I thought a lot of the people attending were just totally rude. When there was a food exhibit - one person would sit down an hour in advance - have 10 friends put bags or purses on 10 chairs - then the 10 friends would go wander around until 2 minutes before "show time" since they had "reserved" the seats. The same thing happened at the concerts. So people who arrived 20 minutes in advance (like us) couldn't get seats. We did manage to see one food demo because we sat in our chairs for an hour waiting for it to start. It was ok - but not worth the wait. Disney usually handles things better than this. We complained - so perhaps you won't encounter this practice this year. Robyn

We were in Chattanooga last summer and the best meal we had there was at 212 Market. Very good. It's a short walk from the Aquarium - which is a world class attraction. Once you read the website - you'll understand why it's important to support restaurants like this in smaller cities in the US. Robyn