robyn

I've eaten at ADNY and 3 star restaurants in France. In all of these places - the service and atmosphere were impeccable. So it just comes down to what you like to eat. E.g., I could have the best steak in the world - and it wouldn't excite me as much as the best chocolate dessert in the world. Or the best dover sole with the best beurre blanc sauce. Or the best roasted Bresse chicken for that matter. In fact - the thing I liked best about ADNY was the dessert trolley. I'd kill to have that trolley at every restaurant I ate at . On the other other - you may be a steak person - or a pork person. You may care more about wines than I do (they're not important to me). Different restaurants - not to mention different regions in different countries - are noted for different things. So read a bit about what particular restaurants or regions are known for - and pick ones that specialize in what you like to eat. Robyn

I'll assume you're correct that the food sucked. But you didn't say that the service was bad. In my opinion - you don't punish the servers for the sins of the chef. On the other hand - I would assume that service would be added in any restaurant in France - so are you talking about just not adding a little extra? Robyn

Thanks. Fingers crossed. It's a race between the peas and the hot weather. Robyn

Perhaps someone can help me with a problem. I planted peas for the first time. Maybe 5-6 weeks ago. Have lucked out on the weather (it's been cool). The plants are growing fine - they're about 2 feet tall now. Only problem is I haven't seen anything that resembles a flower or a pea pod. The package said 70 days to harvest. At this rate - about all that will be ready for harvest is pea leaves. Should I wait some more - or just rip the plants out and try something else? Robyn

Well - I guess you'd hold the glass - well - like a glass . Granted - the Riedel "O" collection - as they call it - won't go with Manolos. But I can't wear those shoes and stand up at the same time. And these glasses will save me from the ultimate faux pas - grabbing the stem too tightly and breaking it (which I have - sadly - done on more than one occasion). I guess we will have to say that these are wine glasses for people who wear Birkenstocks (mea culpa <sigh>). Robyn

I live a bit south of Jacksonville so you're in my neck of the woods. It's always nice to see something southern being trendy - and - in this case - it's good for your business too . Hope you get to work the Super Bowl! On the other hand - I really hate boiled peanuts. Such is life. Perhaps if they were covered in chocolate . Robyn

I've lived in Philadelphia - and I've lived in the south - and I can assure you that no southern person would be caught dead eating Scrapple - it's one of the few dishes that Philadelphia can claim as its own . Robyn

I suspect it was your pot. I use old magnalite pots for stews. What kind of pot did you use? Robyn

The tonic most bars serve (out of the gun) is sugared almost uncarbonated piss. Of late - I've encountered some high end restaurants and bars that also serve the same garbage. If the tonic isn't bottled - and preferably Schweppes - forget it. Get a martini - no vermouth - on the rocks. Let the ice dilute the gin a bit. Or try some tonic on the side to add if you'd like. Taste it first to see if it's drinkable (for the most part - it won't be). Robyn

Riedel just came out with wineglasses without stems. Seems the present head of the company decided it was silly to have glasses he couldn't put in the dishwasher. He gets a round of applause from me. Your thoughts? Robyn

P.S. It's hard to tell without being there - but I use the Kitchenaid pasta attachments too. If your strips are too long and too narrow - perhaps you're starting with balls of dough that are too large - or your roller setttings are too small. We start with a ball of dough that's smaller than a baseball (hard ball - not softball) - with the largest possible setting. Get a sheet that's kind of thick and not very wide. Turn the machine down to the next thinner setting. The sheet is thinner and wider. We usually go through this about 4-5 times - getting down to one of the smaller settings. Note that the first few times we did this - we wound up throwing a way of lot of our early results. So keep experimenting. Robyn

I live in Florida (high humidity) - where making pasta is a sticky proposition (in more ways than one). I find that some semolina pasta flour sprinkled on top of the nests (I use Antoine's - which I can get in my local grocery store) helps a lot. Robyn

Actually part of the problem with the article is that things like grits and collards aren't "snacks" - or street food. They're just side dishes. I've never seen a grits or collards street vendor - or a booth at a local fair that serves them. By the way - hushpuppies are pretty much in the same category. Robyn

I work in technology and don't have to dress well for work, so while traveling for work I'll just be wearing button up shirts and slacks. No need for a jacket. And I hate to bring a jacket for only one dinner, I don't have wrinkle free wear, my dress wear wrinkles... A button up shirt without a jacket and tie just doesn't work. You'll look like the technology geek that you are - especially if the shirt has short sleeves . Try a nice turtleneck or high end knit shirt. Not Land's End. With a smart pair of pants. If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about - go to the men's department of a decent department store - or a decent men's clothing store - and have them put together a "look" for you. Tell them you want "smart casual" - and where you plan to go. By the way - my husband is (also) clueless about this stuff - but I've managed to get him a wardrobe that satisfies about 95% of all high end restaurants. That said - London is chilly - both outside and frequently inside as well. My husband is planning to pack a jacket - and we're going in May! Robyn

Grits are a big time trendy thing these days. The New York Times says so. Glad to know after all these years that I'm trendy. As for collards - they're field greens - something that poor people in the south could grow in the winter (they're a winter crop). I don't think anyone would ever pick collards over foie gras - but they are a reasonably healthy tasty dish if cooked properly. By the way - until recently - most Americans didn't know what these things were (and most still don't). So I can appreciate some head scratching in Australia. Robyn

I don't think you're off-topic. After all - if you're talking about a prestigious award - it's important to get some sense of the criteria that determine who gets the award. Now we all know at least some of what goes on with the Oscars - because it's not only in the arts sections of newspapers - it's in the business sections too. But - with the Beard awards - I have to admit I've read very little about them other than the announcements of the nominees and the winners. By the way - I agree with you and do think that "Best" means "best". Now it's obvious that a restaurant can't be the best new restaurant year after year - but it can be the best national or regional restaurant year after year. And I think diners are entitled to know that the restaurant that was the "Best" 4 years ago is still the best today. Because although I've never paid much attention to the Beard awards when deciding where to eat - I think a fair number of people do. And it is made to be a "big deal". E.g., we were in Miami last week - and Azul's nomination got play in the Miami Herald. There are analogies. Do we disqualify athletes or sports teams from competitions simply because they won last year? Of course not. It would be silly. Robyn

Are all of the people who vote required to eat in the nominated restaurants (not just eat something the chef prepares in the Beard House in New York) - read the nominated articles - try to prepare recipes from the nominated cookbooks - etc.? Are the people who make the nominations all or part of the group of people who get to vote on the winners? I am curious how the process works. Robyn

I can appreciate the history of Chinois. It certainly wasn't new when I went there perhaps a decade ago. I liked it a lot. It was certainly head and shoulders above Spago in Beverly Hills (in my opinion) - which I went to a a few years ago. Perhaps there ought to be a category like "Lifetime Achievement Award" - it would be more to the point. And Wolfgang Puck would certainly deserve one of those in my opinion. Instead - it's kind of like giving an Oscar to someone today for a mediocre film when he/she should have won an Oscar a decade ago for a great film. Do the judges not travel because there is a bias in favor of New York - or is there a bias in favor of New York because they don't travel? And is the depth of coverage outside New York kind of mediocre because of the judge's lack of familiarity with dining in places outside New York? Robyn

I think what's more important is what are these awards supposed to be? I haven't been to a huge % of the restaurants this year - or any other year - but I've been to a fair number over the years. Chinois on Main for Outstanding Restaurant - in 2004? It was clever - and good - when I went there years ago - but I can't believe it's one of the 5 best in the country today. Azul as best in the southeast? I've been to a handful that are better in Miami - and much better elsewhere in the southeast. MK in Chicago? I couldn't give it a prize for anything since it tries to turn its tables over every hour on a busy night. And best new restaurants in the US? I can't believe that 4 out of 5 are in New York. Guess the judges don't get out much. Sometimes I think the judges who pick the candidates don't travel as much as I do. And I do think they're behind the times by at least a few years - if not more. What do you think? Robyn

Easy case. How about this one. It's clear that certain restaurants discriminate against certain sub-groups of African Americans. Like rappers - or people who dress and act like rappers. A New York example is Bouley Bakery (I'm not sure it's still there - but I suspect the chef is still around). How do they discriminate? Dress code. No sneakers - or caps. I once found myself in Soho at lunch time and wanted to eat at Bouley. My shorts were ok. My husband's jeans were ok. But my sneakers and cap weren't. I could of course take off my cap - but I couldn't take off my footwear. By the way - Bouley isn't unusual. I ran into similar dress restrictions at a Beverly Hills restaurant (which was owned by an African American and served soul food). The rules are also - in somewhat different form - common in malls in my neck of the woods (no big sneakers with untied laces or caps worn backwards). So is it ok for a restaurant to serve white people in jeans or shorts - but not to serve African Americans in sneakers? Robyn

The first night (I think we got 3 meals out of it) - I think I did just plain couscous - which is one of my favorite sauce soppers. Robyn

I wasn't at the festival - but I just got back from 5 days in Miami. Don't think you had me in mind when you were asking for a report though. Robyn

Thanks for your message Clay. As someone who loves chocolate - but who doesn't live in a major city - I kind of stumble onto things. E.g., I first found Vosges when we stayed in a hotel in Chicago in 2002 and it had a Vosges boutique there. There were giving away free samples . I'm glad that they sell on the internet - and that their shipping practices are excellent. I will look up some of the other places you recommend. If I can't get the items shipped - perhaps I will wind up in their parts of the world some day. Robyn

No problem. I was born and brought up in the northeast - but I have spent most of my adult life - over 30 years - in Florida. Robyn

Someone sent me an email about the Pub. I spent my high school years in Cherry Hill (which was known as Delaware Township for part of that time) - but don't recall ever eating there. Robyn