Holly Moore

We've added a day, which means a total of 6 days outside of Paris. Tentative plans (Carman's plans - I'm just along to split expenses and help with the luggage) are Lyon for one or two nights, then rent a car, drive to Marseille for a night of boulibasse and then take a few meandering days to the airport on the back roads. Suggestions of a village handy to the airport (50 km or so) for our last night - good food and lodging - also would be appreciated.

Meant February. Isn't France French for February? It'll be Carman and I striking out from Paris. We'll leave Friday morning and have to be back to catch a plane on noon the following Wednesday. We will probably be renting a car and will want to spend the entire time in France. Thanks for all the help. Carman gets surly when she's not well fed.

It was Belgium that started my quest for a comparable fry in the U.S. You can find them at just about any Belgian frittaur (pardon the spelling), even in the smallest of towns.

Looks like I'll be in France the first couple of weeks of February. (10 days or so). We're planning 3 days in Paris and then heading elsewhere. We're looking for suggestions as to where else in France to head this time of year. Food is of major import in the decision making process, but not just high cuisine - all levels... (Edited by Holly Moore at 6:21 pm on Jan. 21, 2002)

Actually the oldest joke is W.C. Field's epitaph - All thinkgs considered, I'd rather be in Philadelphia.

1. You won't get any arguement from me re John Mariani or his validity as a barometer of national opinion, though I do appreciate his "Dictionary of American Wine and Food." It's been a handy reference from time to time. 2. Alas I stopped reading Philadelphia Magazine about 10 years ago. Maybe 15 years ago. 3. I think the "lead with Le Bec-Fin strategy" is not as prevelant now that Walnut Street has grown up and some excellent new restaurants have opened elsewhere in the city. I'm trying to remember if Bryan Miller's recent piece on Philadelphia in the Times Travel Section placed much focus on Le Bec-Fin. Don't think so. 4. True some Philadelphia restaurants whine about national press ignoring Philadelphia. Suspect there was some whining in NY too after Gourmet published its top 50 list (I agree Gourmet's list was inane with little relevance). Actually, I'm not sure I've ever known a restaurateur anywhere who doesn't whine at least a bit when he's not included on a list or article on which he feels he rightfully belongs. It's interesting that the Philadelphia chef who for a long time got the most national press, Jack McDavid, receives hardly any local press. Over that period the more consistant whining hereabouts was, "how come Jack gets all the national press?" 5. "Top tier of secondary cities." Out of curiosity, which are the first tier U.S. restaurant cities, or is there only one U.S. city on that tier? Philadelphia is something like the 5th or 6th largest city in the country so I'm not sure it should be classified as a secondary city, nor do I believe Philadelphia is a secondary tier restaurant city in comparison to the other major U.S. cities unless, of course, one believes that New York City towers above all from its lone perch on the top tier.

Yo Steve! What ya say? Guess one person's inferiority complex is another person's pride. Didn't know there was a responsibility to accept another person's assessment. Consider it, sure. Accept it - only when there is merit. Don't know when Philadelphia's "reduced standing nationally" came about. Whose standing? Philadelphia will never have the culinary depth of New York City, and you can't get a really, really good pastrami sandwich hereabouts. But other than that we seem to hold our own rather well. New York probably has more great restaurants than Philadelphia. But it probably has more worse restaurants than Philly too. ;) And Philadelphia has Carman's Country Kitchen.

Haven't eaten all over Texas, but I have eaten Austin. My two favorites there, both home style Texas Cooking, are Threadgill's - a Texas Legend - and Hoovers - less character, just as good cookin' I also recommend breakfast at Mom's Cafe and Mini Storage - Austin's version of Philadelphia's Carman's Country Kitchen. Details for all the above are in the Eating My Way to Texas portion of my site. Other recommendations - check out the small towns, that's where you'll find some of the best brisket - and in San Antonio, stroll the River Walk but eat/dine elsewhere.

I'm not sure if restaurant reviewers qualify as "gourmets" but if they do I'd suggest that some gourmets started off as newspaper reporters writing on subjects other than food. I'd also offer the occupation of housewife / househusband - at least self-actualizing housewifes and househusbands who figure as long as they've got to cook, it might as well be on a gourmet level.

Yes there is a difference between a salamander and the broiler used at most steak houses. However there is also a difference between a salamander and a cheese melter. Smaller restaurants that include steak on their menu often use their salamander for broiling it. I've got one at home too, atop my Garland, and I use it as much as the stove top for anything from a toaster to broiling 2" thick rib eyes - I agree with all, a bone-in rib eye is my favorite steak at home. However I also have a cast iron grill that set on the range top and use for grilling steaks. It does a mighty nice steak too. Best retail steaks in Philadelphia and about the only dry aged (avg 20-24 days) steaks come from Sonny D'Angelo's shop in the Italian Market. The one thing that troubles me about the original post is the pepper and salt rub. I'm of the opinion that a fine slab of steak needs no adornment.

Way back when I ran the prepared foods section for one of the major Wisconsin supermarket chains. Did all the buying for the delis which meant I bought a lot of Klemments and Ussinger's sausages. Both are old time Milwaukee sausage companies. Both produce some of the finest sausages in the United States. Like John, I try to always keep some Usinger franks on hand. Both the Black Angus and the all beef. Also their fresh brats. Also their liverwurst and braunswager. I've been toying with the idea of starting up a hot dog truck and have set up a way to import Usingers to Philadelphia if I take the final step and order the truck. Their dogs are that good. I did a bunch of taste tests last year, and with 100 percent consensus, all chose Usingers. Interesting fact. According to the food service sales guy at Usingers, the hot dog joints in front of some of the Home Depots in the DC area serve Usinger franks.

Big news in Philadlephia today. The Old Original Bookbinders, which has been around for something like 140 years, has closed down. Owner John Taxin blamed both the lost of business travelers with their expense accounts since 9-11 and (probably more of a consideration) the declining physical plant and the cost of repairs and maintainance. The general concensus in Philadelphia seems to be good ridance - the end of an "overated tourist trap - high prices, mediocre food." Alas, I will miss the place. It was expensive, yes, and if one orders wrong, the food is indeed mediocre. But the Old Original Bookbinders, without question, served the best snapper soup - starting with the deep, rich veal stock. Great fresh oysters too. And the lobsters - half boiled, half broiled were as good as any and better than most. Where people went wrong was straying from these Bookbinder's basics to fried or broiled fish which were never the reason to dine at Bookbinders. A restaurant survives 10 years, it's an exception. 20 years, it's an institution. 140 years, it's a big chunk of Philadelphia history that will be greatly missed. There is another Bookbinders in Philadelphia, 15th Street Bookbinders. Good oysters and lobster, not as good snapper soup. A novel boullibaise on Fridays. It is owned by the original Bookbinder family. Back in the 1930's the Old Original Bookbinders was willed to a charity which sold it to the Taxin family. Shortly thereafter the Bookbinder family opened Bookbinders on 15th Street - confusing tourist and local alike. Taxin is hoping someone with deep pockets will step in and join him to renovate the place to a city inn, rooms above and Bookbinders below. Just might work.

La Grolla. Haven't been there for years. Fits in what I call my V-8 category of restaurants. Good restaurants that for one reason or another have faded to the depths of my subconscious. I never think of them until I drive past one after a mediocre dinner elsewhere. "Wow," I say to myself, "We should have eaten there." La Grolla is a very good, smallish, family run Italian restaurant that specializes in game - at least that's what it was five years ago. I've got to get back and see how they're doing. I remember once toughing it through a 24 course venison dinner (an annual event) that was as incredible as it was overwhelming. Vetri - Considered by some to be the best restaurant in Philadelphia; considered by many to be at least one of the best. They're housed in the original Le-Bec Fin location, very small and intimiate, with an excellent chef. Also Italian. While you're here - you've got to head to Carman's Country Kitchen at 11th and Wharton for Saturday or Sunday Brunch. Call early, the day you're going there, for reservations - a must on weekends. You've been to Philadelphia a few or a number of times before, so you probably know about Reading Terminal Market at 12th and Arch/Ludlow and the Italian Market which starts at 9th and Washington and runs up 9th to Christian or so. If you haven't been there, either is worth a trip and there are great lunch opportunities at both. Enjoy.

My cheesesteak criteria in some sort of ranking are: 1. All encompassment (how much the cheesesteak in question becomes a part of me, envelops me, is at one with me) 2. Aggregate Flavor 3. Chewability 4. Quality of the Bread (key reason for my blasphamous proclamation - Sivio's bakes their own as does, I believe White House Subs) 5. Counter Person 'tude

Out of the three that you mentioned, let me say that Pat's is not my steak of choice. Anything but. It's pretty much a tie between Jim's and Geno's, though I end up at Geno's far more than Jim's. Thinks it has to do with ease of parking and the speed at which the line moves. My favorite Cheesesteak within Philadelphia city limits is Dalessandro's on Henry Ave. in Roxborough. But the two best cheesesteaks, in my opinion, are not from Philly. White House Subs in Atlantic City and Silvio's in Hatboro earn that distinction.

I believe the menu calls for blackeyed peas, greens and corn bread on New Year's day. Blackeyed peas for luck and/or peace, greens for dollars or wealth, and corn bread for gold. In Philadelphia the Mummers bring in the New Year. Their traditional meal is beer.

Once again a picture is worth a bunch of words. The aftermath of a Gino's cheesesteak and the inspiration for the Grease Stain rating system at HollyEats.Com

A couple of years ago I had the good fortune to stay at the Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg KY Within the Beaumont Inn is a dining room straight out of the Ante Bellum south. And on the menu, along with great fried chicken, is country ham. Aged country ham. Twice aged country ham. The miserly proprietor ( I refer to him as miserly as he would neither sell me a ham nor offer his source) purchased one year aged country hams from a local ham-monger. He would then age them for another one to two years until the ham's interior took on a rich maroon hue and the flavor matured to a level I've never tasted before or since. The proprietor did allow that taking the first slice from each twice-aged ham was akin to opening a bottle of fine aged wine. You know it will be great, but you don't know just how great until you taste it. Beaumont Inn (Edited by Holly Moore at 5:38 pm on Dec. 25, 2001)

I had to interupt a pork roast at about 130 degrees F. I wrapped it and stick it in the refrigerator. So now what? My thought is to slice and sautee as opposed to re roasting, but I'm open to suggestions.

My info is that "send a salami" signage dates back to WWII days and that in some of the old films where the guy in the barracks gets a salami from his family or his "honey" it's a Katz's salami.

New York was great. It's the first time in years that my visit to the "City" wasn't in and out the same day. I sort of re-discovered New York City during my three day visit and plan on becoming a regular. To the subject at hand. Hot Dogs. New York Hot Dogs. Only hit four hot dog places this trip, one of those being a deli and another selling wurst not dogs. My favorite dog came from Papaya King, with Katz's a close second. I think Katz's might have done better, but I also had a pastrami sandwich in front of me, the most beautiful pastrami sandwich I've ever shared a table with, and I couldn't focus on the hot dog. I also really liked Hallo Berlin, a wurst cart at 54th and 5th. No hot dogs there, but I had a great grilled bratwurst. They also have a nifty little contraption, that only the German mind could concieve, that with the pull of a lever slices a wurst into bitesize chunks. The other dog came from Gray's Papaya. Got the impression you get what you pay for. Not bad for a 75 cent hot dog, but Papaya King kicked Gray's butt in both the hotdog and papaya drink categories. In between hot dog stands we managed dinner at Daniel the first night and joined Bux and wife for an after theatre dinner at Balthazar. Those places aren't bad either. The Holland Tunnel was a breeze in both directions. Note: Finally got the New York Trip up on my website.

Am curious why the grand old Hummingbird Cafe, where all the waitresses have tatoos (some metaphorically) is not on anyone's list.

Actually, the brown matter among the onions is what we in Philadelphia refer to as "Steak." Most places use ribeye sliced rather thin. One of the many debates on the definitive Cheese Steak is how thick the steak should be sliced. Other issues are: - Cheese: provolone or cheeze whiz? - Meat: leave sliced or chop with the spatula on the grill? - Gunk: is a Hoagie cheese steak (addition of mayo, lettuce, tomato and, perhaps, raw onion) really a cheese steak or a hoagie? When the fancy french chefs make cheesesteaks for the seemingly annual article in one or another philadelphia media on "fancy chefs making cheese steaks" they tend to use filet, which, in my opinion, lacks the character of a rib eye. In California, by the way, one can order one's cheese steak with either avocado or bean sprouts. (Edited by Holly Moore at 2:15 pm on Dec. 12, 2001)

A picture is worth a 1000 calories. Not visible to the naked eye is a thick slothering of Cheeze-Whiz under the meat. Yes it is good. Very good. This, in Philadelphian, is know as a "Wiz, with" Meaning the cheese is Cheeze-Wiz and it is served with fried onions. Enjoy

I'll be in New York this coming Monday thru Wednesday. While dinners are spoken for, my lunch time quest is to find NYC's definitive hot dog, be if from an eatery, a cart, a stand, a truck, whatever. So where do I find such a critter?