Holly Moore

That's cool, though I'm guessing it won't show up on search engines., resulting in far less attention than my soul will surely require. I'd like to have people stumble upon it in a few hundred years and yearn for the time when a cheesesteak was a cheesesteak and not a capsule from a bottle.

No plans of shuffling off my mortal coils anytime soon, but I guess it has to happen some time. So what happens to HollyEats.Com? Books live on forever. As far as I can tell web sites vaporize shortly after the provider doesn't receive its monthly stipend.

Find an alumnus of Cornell or CIA or another such program. Even better if you have applied to their school. Worked for me, though the restaurant owner kept on my case more than any of the other employees.

I'm not sure whether I prefer Parc's view of Rittenhouse Square more on a sunny summer day or during the drama a gray, stormy November afternoon such as today. Their french onion soup and salad Lyonnaise with poached egg both served me well, cutting through the damp chill. The place was maybe a third full and has a much more welcoming and linger-encouraging feel about it than when it is running at full bustle.

Ariane may have been and should have been at risk after stating she didn't need to travel all the way from Montclair NJ into New York City to visit the ethnic neighborhoods because she had the cookbooks.

Just once, try their brisket. A crazy-good sandwich. DiNic's is still my favorite pork sandwich, but now the choice is not as easy as it once was.

Having at one time owned a restaurant and having fired a chef or two, I'd suggest that there is often more than one side to such a tale. Speaking of the restaurant business in general, I'd also suggest that as painful as it may be to shoot one's self in the foot, it is preferable to aiming at one's head as a final option to bring an end to the misery and frustration a wretched kitchen crew is capable of inflicting on a gentle and well-meaning restaurant owner.

I'm reading all this and thinking, "Yes, yes, it makes sense and it looks and I'm sure tastes fantastic." But... My inner caveman still craves a tinge of the charcoal flavor I can get from grilling on my trusty Weber or broiling in my salamander. Not a heavy char - just a bit. The charcoal flavor, the rare to medium rare rib eye and the soppable beef juices on the plate - steak utopia for those strands of my DNA that date back to the Stone Age. But... If I ever get my hands on a steak as perfect as the one Steven shows above - I'll take mine with the deckle though - I will likely be searching out this thread and Steven's tutorial.

It depends on where you want to end up. If it is as a chef, your plan sounds spot on. If you want to own a restaurant - a four year program like the Cornell Hotel School (my alma mater) or the CIA will serve you better. Your advantage with the Cornell Hotel School is that you can burn up your electives on food science. I've been all over the place as an entrepreneur, including owning a restaurant and a couple of concessions. But also business totally outside of the restaurant business. My hotel school education has served me well on all fronts - especially the accounting courses. The Cornell Hotel School provides one of the best undergraduate general business programs for entrepreneurs.

Great presentation Steven. One thought - instead of dumping the unneeded rendered fat from the rib steak, why not use it as the sauté medium for the home fries pommes frittes style? Or, if not enough oil, mix it with the olive oil. Edited to add - I just checked out the rib steaks on the Lobel's web site. First off your pic looks like a much better steak than the one in their pic. My concern is it looks like they trimmed off most of my beloved deckle on the steak you received.

At this point I am mostly curious as to whom will eventually tkae over that piece of free and very valuable real estate once the RTM Board figures things have died down enough to announce a new tenant. Will it be a politically connected "friend" or will they grudgingly figure there has been too much sunlight on the "Tony Luke" fiasco that initiated their actions that they are now forced to actually assign the space openly and fairly.

Heading back to Isla Mujeres in late January 2009. Anyone have some additional recommends? Thanks

I must confess to being a tad miffed that Rules, on its website, choses not to include among its other distinguished acclaims the coveted Five Grease Stains awarded by HollyEats .

Yes it was a joke, Doc. Well meaning, too. Perhaps I should have said science instead of chemistry. What chefs such as these accomplish is wondrous, astounding. I never envisioned an interpretation of my reference to "chemistry" to mean industrial food. I was conjuring a month of awe with a dash of whimsy - risking one's psyche rather than one's arteries, Super Size Me style.

Mostly to compare notes, but also to plot a trip and see if there are major spots I've overlooked. And, as usual, to provoke discussion. ← An upscale Super Size Me, perhaps, to determine if one can live on chemistry alone for a month?

Atonement is not out of the question. Will get to that in a sec. eGullet lemming that I am, I went back to Pub & Kitchen for the fish and chips - two batter dipped and fried pieces of pollack, french fries, mushy peas, and freshly made mayonnaise with dijon and lemon. The pollack had a nice, thick crust - fried to perfection, moist and flaky inside. When cut into, the crust stayed with the fish, didn't fall off - a rarity nowadays. Good flavor to both the batter and the fish. I didn't get the reason for the dijon lemon mayonnaise. I asked the server if it was intended for the fries or the fish. He assured me it was delicious with the fish. Not to my taste. The mustard overpowered the pollack. Malt vinegar is the traditional accompaniment. Perhaps a mayonnaise based play on malt vinegar, or even a really good, freshly made tartar sauce or a tartar sauce with a Johnny Mac twist. A tip of the bowler to Johnny Mac for forsaking British tradition and preparing the mushy peas that are not just edible, but tasty. Alas, though greenish, mushy peas are more starch than green vegetable. With a basic salad going for $8, I'd appreciate a little bit of real green vegetable with the entree. Now for the reason for atonement: the chips. They are shoestring french fries. Fresh cut I'm sure, but predictable and not all that good. One of the challenges of offering fresh cut fries is that they need to be finish fried almost to order and when possible, to order. Let them sit around for even a couple of minutes and they are dead. Mine had been hanging around the kitchen a tad too long. There is also the philosophical objection I share with the British gentleman above. Shoestring potatoes may go with a fried seafood platter from a family seafood restaurant in the suburbs. They do not belong with fish and chips. They do not enhance fish and chips. Fish and chips is a better dish when served with a thicker cut "chip." Shoestring fries at trendy, casual restaurants have become one of life's inevitable gastronomic yawns. As stated in other threads, I have wondered if such is the curse of the McDonald's generation and their fast-food-shaped culinary expectations. No restaurant dares break from what has now become the cliche preparation of french fried potatoes. Perhaps, once things have settled down some at Pub & Kitchen, Johnny Mac will mess around a bit and come up with a more interesting potato side dish. None of this is intended to take away from my appreciation of Pub & Kitchen. So much is done so well.

Tommy Smother's once almost drowned in a vat of chili. He was saved when he started yelling "Fire," cause "no one would know to save him if he yelled chili."

Mine too. Granted Don has four years in as saucier and then sous chef at Emeril Lagasse’s NOLA, but can his gumbo really be as good as any found in the New Orleans? If I were to be passing through New Orleans in early November, where might I pause for a worthy comparison? Edited to add: painfully alluring pics throughout this thread.

I ordered the orange juice as part of Cafe Fulya's breakfast special. "That will take a little longer, we have to squeeze the oranges," the guy behind the counter warned. Not really an issue. The breakfast special, served all day, also includes a rich cup of coffee, a choice of entrees, and a dessert - I had the coconut and strawberry cake. Home baked, super sweet. For my main course, a three egg omelet with a choice of two fillings. I went with feta and spinach. A perfect omelet. Gently cooked eggs, nicely moist, lots of feta. Served with a couple of wedges of warm Turkish bread. Cafe Fulya is related to Divan. Breakfast all day. Closed Mondays.

Though some may scoff, consider "A Treasury of Great Recipes" by Vincent and Mary Price. It was published in 1965. The subtitle is "Famous Recipes of The World's Foremost Kitchens." It is a collection of recipes from many of the leading restaurants of the day - mostly Europe and the US and includes their menus. It is one of my all-time favorite cookbooks with some great recipes including an incredible chicken, apple and dill salad that uses whipped cream in lieu of mayonnaise. It would be both a challenge and fun to cook through.

I'm stunned too.

You're right, it won't be happening at Parc, at least not to the degree in the quote. I can see a mix of Rittenhouse Square residents sprinkled with not-so-starving artists and students, teachers, shop keepers and tourists. But the menu prices are high and the ambiance and door guardians can be intimidating; most like discouraging some "workmen" and truckers. Carman's fills that description rather well. So does Little Pete's.

I have evolved in my approach to Cajun Kates. No longer do I consume all the specials in one sitting. Nor do I risk them being out of gumbo. I call ahead, order my gumbos and make sure there will be enough poor boy fixin's on hand. This time I limited my at-counter eating to a pork poor boy as shown by philadining. The rest I took home - one quart each of brisket gumbo, pork gumbo and red beans and rice. Pretty much filling up my dining-in week, but cheaper than a trip to NOLA. Gotta agree with philadining on that pork poor boy. It was the perfect sandwich. Also brought home six cashew topped sticky buns from the donut stand down the aisle. Noticed an interesting polish bakery along the way. There seems to be some interesting supplemental eating opportunities at the market. Oysters are back on the menu this coming weekend.

Never been, but you can't go wrong at any southern BBQ festival. Lexington has impressive barbecue bragging rights. Charlotte ain't but a stone's throw as the crow flies. Curious that Lexington #1 Barbecue is not one of the official restaurants. Another plan would be to avoid the crowds, pick a different weekend and load up the GPS with all the Lexington Barbecue joints and take your own tour. Of course do that and you'll miss the "Guitar Pull."

I'm all for atonement that yields pub fare above and beyond, but agree it was not needed in this case.