JPW

For me the information collecting was always more troubling than the price scams. Call me a paranoid Luddite, but some of the things that I see in working with IT companies and reading the trade mags makes me nervous about information trading (not to mention the renamed and reborn Total Information Awareness program). I use fake names and adresses and pay cash. Then again I also do it just because I don't like marketers. Or perhaps their databases will get so dirty that they'll have to pay me to come clean them up. yours, Franklin Pierce 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington DC edited for fat finrges

Another vote for the recipes from Food+Wine. Not just because I have yet to have one not work out, but also because of their variety. PS - eG's own Madame Paula Wolfert is a frequent contributor and has provided (or funneled) some superb recipes. Which reminds me that I need to try more of them!

Jeez! Sorrrrrrrryyyyyy! I guess I should have put a smilie on my comment. (How's that?)

I say we stick the Cos (as in Bill) on her!

Unless they've changed the laws, E'town and Oak Bluffs are the only "wet" towns on the Vineyard. In OB, try Jimmy Sea's for some of the best pasta dishes that you'll find anywhere. (I used to work there many years ago) Try the lobster fra diablo if it's still on the menu. I think that the best seafood on the island is made when you go to any of the fish mongers and get your own ingredients. Enjoy. I love the Vineyard.

Don't know if people still hang it, but I was there in the late eighties/early nineties and my favorite banner at the unfortunately named Dyche (pronounced with a hard k) Stadium said -- "At least our football players can read!"

Our games are near the Washington Monument. So the Cap Hill ones are probably out. Politiki is a fave though. Especially since I can occasionally be found downstairs at the Pittsburgh bar during football season eating kielbasa and drinking the worst beer ever made -- Iron City. At one point in time I've abused my liver in most of these establishments. In my younger days I got kicked out of Madhatter at least once (that I can recall that is). Uniformly the food is BLECH. Just about all of these dives are filled with superannuated, often self-delusional athletes during the summer. I was hoping against hope that I could find a non-bar place where I could escape them and tuck into something good. Maybe I can talk Zaytinya into setting up a table across the street at the library for me. That way I'll fit right in with the "parking attendants" that live there. I'll even buy them a round or two.

? Never heard of it.

Have a softball game on the mall tonight. (Northwestern Univ alumni team - Go Cats!) We usually retire to the Bottom Line (dive bar on I between 17th and 18th) for post-game burgers and beer. Frankly, the burgers suck, the fries suck, the beer special they give us as a league sponsor is pitchers of Miller Lite for $7 instead of $9 (maybe I should call it the water special). However, the wings are acceptable. I don't make it in from the wilds of SS too often and when I do, I want something a little better than a repurposed BK burger. But where else in town will take me when I look (and smell) like I just finished a long stretch on a road gang?

C'mon Don. Quit being so coy! I want names damnit!

Ya know, that's the first thing I thought of when I opened my paper this morning. I'll have to compare the lists and descriptions.

I'd think of Southside 815 as being more Cajun than southern - jumbalaya, gumbo, etc.

Chef Michael has an "entrecote" steak on the menu which he describes as good for those who like their steaks well done. Many of his steaks he refuses to cook beyone medium rare, and rightfully so. EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!! Believe me, she can't wait to be eating red meat that is actually closer to red than to gray again!

Give her the charred part and eat the inside. Tried that one and got a steak knife inserted into my left nostril along with the appropriate threat.

I'll do any time. Don't know if I'd be able to drag Mrs JPW out though. This pregnancy thing of requiring meat to be well done has definitely been a downer for her. (Me too, as I have hated watching good meat be abused on my grill).

Slim Jims are one-half of my car trip snack food. I tend to gravitate toward the Tabasco spiced ones. The other half is red shoelace licorice. What a combo! Mmmmmm.....

Thin boards will have a tendency to bow if you let them air dry at an angle. You can usually fix by leaning it the other way the next time you wash and dry. But on the whole, I agree with GoodEater - do not cut on a badly warped board. Mineral oil can be found at a good hardware store (not necessarily at Lowes or Home Despot). If they sell cast iron pans, chances are that they'll sell mineral oil. Be sure to look for "food grade" on the label.

Note: Whole Foods has started to sell dry-aged beef as well. It makes a big difference. Which Whole Foods?! I know for sure the one in SS has dry aged. If memory serves me right, dry aged NY Strip was $20 a pound (but I may be wrong). I'll pay more attention next time I'm in there. PS- While their mushroom selection has improved somewhat, their peppers still suck rhino.

Sorry that I'm going to miss it. Mrs. JPW and I had a blast at the last get-together in Malcolm X Park. Have a drink for me. I'll be at home priming and painting Peanut's room.

Congrats to BBhasin! And best of luck. Now if you'd only come over to SS for me.

There is outdoor seating on the balconies, and downstairs on the sidewalk, if I remember correctly. The entrance was left wide open, with couches and a coffeetable across from the bar. I get the sense that Eleven is trying to have it both ways; funky bar open to the street and high-end dining destination. Valhalla tried the same concept when it initially opened, but fairly rapidly abandoned the dining part in favor of turning into a more conventional brewpub, which was unfortunate, given that they started with a very interesting wild game menu. Hopefully Eleven will stick to its guns. Your post dredged up some memories, I had forgotten the original game component of Valhalla. The Strip District is a tough, tough neighborhood for fine dining.

Sounds great! Thanks for the thorough review. Since it's been a while since I had been back to the 'burgh, I was unaware even that Valhalla had closed (for non-burghers, it was a brew-pub). I used to love Saturday afternoons on their upstairs outdoors balconies. Could you see what they were using those for. Putting any seating up there?

DO NOT call sparkling wine from OUTSIDE the eponymous region in northern France "Champagne" Along those lines, I hate the term "bubbly" when refering to the same.

Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix. A tub of sour cream, some veggies and I'm in heaven.

Maybe they didn't recognize you because you bear only a passing resemblance to your new avatar.