Holly Moore

Alas, no. Though I do see a trip to Austin happening within the next few months.

Yes, but that breaks down to only $62.50 per Stern - a heck of a deal. An especially good value for those traveling from Europe, with the current rate of exchange for the Euro. More to the point, I imagine the Sterns will be gabbing on about this and that during the bus trip. Considering their knowledge, it is a fair price for the experience. They're entitled to a return on their time and expenses. I do hope the bus has operable windows for the trip back to Austin. After all that barbecue, and a few sides of beans...

So I find myself flying into Nashville around 6:30 PM on Christmas Day. Will have already had the Christmas feast, but will be needing something to tide me over til morning. Should I pack a day-old hoagie or are any of the Nashville eating places (as opposed to dining) open on Christmas evening?

Actually I'm in Nashville overnight every four weeks - travel there every two weeks. Have made it to Martin's and found it great. Just have to get it and about twenty other joints up on my site.

Now we're talking. Hadn't thought of the Belgian places. Cassoulets may also make winter more tolerable, but a stew is a stew.

It's going to be an even longer winter if I can't find some decent restaurant stews. Any suggestions?

Any idea as to how much age the hams have on them?

Any update on the Ferry Plaza Market or environs? Tomorrow I'm in San Francisco for a long weekend and picked the Hotel Vitale because of its food-centric location. Looks like I can end up well fed without having to walk more than a couple of blocks in any direction.

Recovery time is one issue. And since it is the rare home fryer that can achieve 375 degrees in the first place, much less recover once the cold food goes in, stove top pan and a gas flame seem the only solution. The bigger the pan, the more oil, and the quicker the recovery time. One note on smoke point. It gets lower with use, as the oil breaks down. I have two other issues with deep fat frying. 1. Waste of oil. I deep fat fry maybe every once every two or three months. I don't trust oil held that long so end up starting with new oil every time. Which means I fry even less because I don't like wasting the oil. 2. So I throw away the old oil. My method is to get hot water running through the sink drain and then slowly mix in the oil. Liquid oil, so it is not going to congeal. But still some inner sense tells me this is wrong.

It was fun but came across as more staged than his usual episodes - like the director kept telling Bourdain to "turn up the Bourdain," - similar to asking Scrooge to put more bah in his humbug. This was Bourdain playing a sit-com version of Bourdain. Glad he included the segment on fois gras. Though Tony was preaching to the choir, the segment showed the whole production process which I have never seen before. Wiped out a bunch of misconceptions on my part.

I'm renting a villa on Isla Mujeres for a couple of weeks next month. Though the place comes with a kitchen and a bbq I plan on eating out most of the time. Looks like there are some great options. Any recommendations on where/what to eat? Where should I shop for groceries? Food prep recommendations / cautions? Any other thoughts on Isla Mujeres? And, for a question never before asked on eGullet, does it make more sense to rent a scooter or golf cart? Gracias,

That's speedy by my experience. I've ordered two from them with delivery times running 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Very good pizza. Probably great if consumed at the restaurant rather than delivered.

For us wannabe five string banjo pickers, there is only one self-rising flour cause you bake all right with Martha White Ain't no Hot Rise in White Lily.

There was a Philadelphia restaurant columnist who offered up his recipe for Turkey Hash first in his column and then rehashed for another local publication. He credited his mother, too good a cook to ever actually consider such foolishness. The recipe calls for taking all the leftovers from the Thanksgiving table, chop them bite size if necessary, mix them together, form patties, sautée or bake in butter til done and serve covered with giblet gravy. Fortunately, nowadays, he is rarely paid for offering up such falderal and must limit his flimflammery to the likes of eGullet

Back in the 80s or 90s someone opened a hamburger place in London called the Great American Travesty.

Hoagie History Submarines are Hoagie wannabes.

Can't wait to give them a try. I'll be a tad leery. Anyone who messes with perfection - Beef on Weck - must be watched carefully. Given the tip of the hat to New York's snow belt, would be pleased to see grilled white hots on the menu.

No food percent of sales requirement like in Sunday Sales? I'm not a fan of half-ass, even to get around the law. Hot dogs sitting on a steam table for a few hours will not speak well of your pub unless to match the green beer you serve on St. Patrick's Day. That said, if you keep the dogs fresh, throw away those that don't sell in a reasonable time, I'd be just as happy to get a couple of excellent quality dogs on a plate with a top quality German mustard and maybe a good relish or kraut. Consider steeping the dog in beer. Ties in with your being a brew pub. How about knackwurst, steeped in beer, and spit and served on a fresh kaiser roll. Or instead of fresh brats, cooked brats. What about not cooking at all? Cold sandwiches. Maybe Lebanon bologna on a good bread, with aged swiss and a slather of Düsseldorf mustard. Are pickled pigs feet and pickled eggs enough food? Beer Nuts? "Everybody loves Beer Nuts."

Am I too much the tourist for adding Bon Ton's Rum Ramsey to the list? Have been sharing New Orleans with a week long head cold and laryngitis - and, along with regular cocktail responsibilities, the Rum Ramsey did a lot more for my afflictions than Robitussin. I'd also suggest the whiskey sauce served with their bread pudding, but not sure that truly qualifies as a cocktail.

Fat Guy's experience is the reason I don't fill out the cards. I'll just go on eGullet and rant about the worst ever restaurant in the world. Not really, but as the politicians always say, all options must be left open. Most such cards are unsealable, so the comments are there for everyone who handles the card or guest check to see. That doesn't inspire candor. Why deal with some passive aggressive manager or a server who is on the defensive because of what I wrote? If there is an issue I see as correctable, I'll try to quickly resolve it with the server or ask to speak to the manager. Otherwise, if minor, I'll keep it to myself and maybe or maybe not return. If I see it as significant, I may send an email or letter to the owner. Only time I complete a comment card is if it is a self mailer or if I want to compliment service above and beyond. Also, if it gets me free dessert on my birthday.

Contrary to the subtitle, service is a demanding job. There can be tremendous pressure. A lot can go wrong, some over which servers have no control. Service sucks because management lets it suck, including tolerating servers that should be discharged, or because the kitchen is so screwed up that servers have no chance of providing good service. FOH v. BOH dates back to the first restaurant. When this is not controlled, the customers suffer. Also, it is my sense that more kitchen turn-out staff see the kitchen as their career, while more servers are working while at school, for a second income while developing their career, or treading water until finding themselves. If this is the case it makes sense that servers, at least those who are not self actualized, will have less commitment to excellence than the back of house. Finally, some places, where management joins in on the griping about customers, encourage a server culture where customers are more tolerated than welcomed and looked down upon if not up to the restaurant's sense of hipness,

Popeye's is a good fried chicken, but too heavy a breading compared to pan-fried chicken, which I consider superior to deep fat fried and especially franchise deep fat fried. I can tell you where to get great pan-fried chicken in the midwest or the south. But for some reason it's a rarity hereabouts. Down Home Diner used to, but don't know if it is still on the menu and still up to Jack's standards. When I want to make biscuit sandwiches I head to Popeye's. Great blending of biscuit, fried breading and juicy thigh crust. Else wise Crown Fried Chicken though the one on South Broad is inconsistent.

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm heading down tomorrow. One related question. Initially I wasn't planning on renting a car. Now as I plan out some of my eating, a lot of places will be outside of the French Quarter. Does a car rental make sense? What's the taxi situation nowadays?

A year or two late in asking, but are any of the servers from Trio still at Alinea. I had a favorite, which would be a more credible statement if I could remember his name - I think Josh or Jason.

I've always believed, a food writer is accountable to the reader. The newspaper or other publication cuts the check, but a professional journalist's primary responsible is to the reader. In the case of a critic I believe his secondary responsibility is to the restaurants about which he writes. Take care of those two and the accountability to the paper falls in place. As far as an independent writer/reviewer/blogger goes, the responsibility is the same. Readers will figure out whether the writer is blogging just to hear himself blog or has something worthwhile to say. If it is worthwhile, it doesn't matter who appoints the writer.