Holly Moore

Just one point - back in the late sixties when McDonald's switched from fresh to frozen potatoes there were over 1000 McDonald's and, as I recall, McDonald's was the US's largest user of Idaho Russets.

Good for him. I am at my best when cornered. Are you questioning whether not all russets are high specific gravity? Some varieties are not which is why the statement that any russet can be used for deep fat frying is not always accurate - at leat not if one desires to prepare the best quality french fry. It could have changed, but at least back in the time when McDonald's fresh fried potatoes, Idaho farmed russets were specified. Simplot, which worked with McD in developing the frozen fry, started off only with Idaho russets. It is very possible that McD demand has required the use of potatoes grown elsewhere, but I'm willing to bet they compare in specific gravity, sugar content, starch content and moisture with the Idaho russet. I hope you are now unpuzzled. Edited to add: I should say medium to high specific gravity. The Idaho Russet Burbank potato is considered medium specific gravity though it's moisture and sugar content is similar to higher specific gravity potatoes. Some russets are rated as low specific gravity.

Do you work for the "Idaho" Potato Board? The potato is a "Russet" and it don't make no nevermind where it comes from. Oh, and that 275 degrees is not acceptable for restaurant use. Too slow. Speed is essential on the cooking line and there is a wide degree of temperature variation possible on that first cooking, unless of course, one is doing pommes de terre souffle, as I did this week. 375 "kills" the oil too quickly for restaurant use. ← In my experience first cooking is done during prep, not turnout. Often blanched potatoes are cooled off in the walkin prior to final frying. McDonald's back when they fried fresh potatoes, did the first fry at 275 degrees. Suspect their volume back then qualified as very high. They also specified Idaho russetts. However any high specific gravity potato, low in moisture and sugar, should work well. Not all russet varieties are high specific gravity. The purpose of the low temp first fry is to cook out as much moisture as possible without browning the potato. That won't happen at temperatures higher than 300 F

The first cooking of the potatoes should be at 275 degrees. Then finish off at 375 degress. See the french fry portion of my class for the eGullet Culinary Institute.

Anything blatently wrong, I don't wait for the server to ask. I call the server to the table - assuming the server is actually capable of noticing me, or to put it more accurately, new at the job and not yet able to intentionally not notice my effort at eye contact, a nod of the head, a hand motion or my standing on the chair and waving my napkin. Otherwise the question is an intrusion on my meal and, unless feeling uncommonly gracious, I answer "fine" in a tone I hope implies, "go away, stay away, I will let you know if we need anything." Or, as is more often the case, I hold up my hand to indicate I am chewing some food, chew away until finished, and then answer as above. Tragic problems that can not be corrected on the spot, such as a steak ordered rare and arriving well done - if I really like the place I will mention it to the owner or manager in the hopes he will properly flog the broiler cook, maybe twenty well laid on lashes or keelhauling through the deep fat fryer. If not a favorite restaurant, I simply do not return.

Not recently, because every time I go to Grace Tavern I am compelled to order their Jambalaya which doesn't come with fries. Back when they first opened, they seemed to be bouncing back and forth between shoestring cut and proper cut fries. That's discussed in the thread on Grace Tavern. Maybe, and hopefully, they've settled on properly cut french fries.

My complaint, not limited to Monk's, has to do with restaurants that go to all the trouble of twice frying fresh cut fries, but cut them shoe-string, making it impossible to produce proper pomme frites.

So the show debuts in two weeks and no episode listing on Food Network. What's up with that? What I'm really asking is when the Philadelphia segment airs?

Last year I had one of the best seafood pasta dishes I've ever had in Margate of all places. Turned out the chef was Mexican. I dragged some friends back there a few days later and the pasta sucked. I asked - it was the Mexican chef's day off. Nowadays, Mexican kitchen workers are cooking and therefore learning all manner of cuisines. It is very possible the chef at Molcajete Mixto worked at a very good Italian restaurant previously and was bringing that skill to the menu. Or it could be they are covering all bases and playing it safe. Since every other new restaurant seems to be Italian, it's a good bet that someone in the party may want to eat pasta.

If 2 miles over the border counts there is always Philadelphia and maybe even NYC

Road trip: White House Subs in Atlantic City Just as good, but more foodierific: Dune, Margate

From a September 16th post by chicagowench in the Heartland forum's thread on the Chicago foie gras ban.

Having messed around with market research a bit, I'm surprised the question, as phrased, didn't generate a 99% response in favor of banning foie gras. There is nothing impartial about this poll. My guess is it was financed by Farm Sanctuary or a similar organization. Shame on Zogby for lending its name to it. I'm sure that is the case. And I want only the best for D'Artagnan and their employees and families. They have fed me quite nicely on occasion, other than some buckshot I once bit into. But even though New Jersey once banned sunnyside up eggs for a short period of time until shouted down by the populace, I'm hoping and pretty sure this is just a politician trying to make his bones.

Might this be much ado about nothing? A minor Philadelphia councilman read about Chicago, tried the same thing, got his day of headlines and two days of letters to the editor, and then returned back to obscurity.

Figured that was coming. Starbucks has to pay for all those new fangled automated, baristaless espresso machines they recently installed and for the resultant loss of my triple breve latte grande business.

"Kinda makes one glad that eGullet is a moderated board," Holly moderatedly observed after following that link. As to Famous, they've always done fine by me, other than once serving me a plate of corned beef hash that could have fed the entire 400 black of Bainbridge Street.

Sarcone's Deli has added a roast beef, gorgonzola, roasted peppers, mushroom and balsamic vinegar hoagie as a special. Highly recommended, though I wish the would roast the beef to medium rare or bloodier.

Missed this earlier I think. That helicopter trip was as cool as it gets. When we weren't chasing down noisy perps, Chris took me on an aerial tour along the coast line, using their high-power spot light to point out his favorite restaurants.

Done. Wish I could join you, but it being Rosh Hashanah, I have prior obligations. Have fun and we expect a full report. ← Holly on the other hand: 1. Reminds members to negotiate dates and to declare who and who isn't attending, or whose plans have changed, to communicate by email; and 2. Asks that requests for calendar listings be made by PM to Katie or Holly. Thanks.

I can't think of a better business model than Capogiro here in Philadelphia.

Breakfast at the Down Home Diner, too.

I agree with Ms. Ephron on a few points. My pettest pet restaurant peeve is the clueless server who must interupt a diner mid bite to robtically ask, as if he really cares, "How is everything." Equally as pretention as a chef barring salt from the dining room is a chef who underseasons a dish as some diners may be on a no/low salt diet, punishing the rest of us who either don't care or are willing to push our luck. A chef should properly season any dish that comes out of his kitchen unless a diner requests no salt. Another reason I object to a restaurant not putting salt on the table is the implication that any customer who requests a salt shaker is criticizing the chef's skill. The same goes for grinding pepper tableside. Same seasoning rationale as above. If a dish requires fresh ground pepper, let the chef include it as part of the dish's seasoning. If pepper is needed, perhaps the server should roll a seasoning cart to a table so diners can add any other missing herbs or spices . Only exceptions, eggs or a baked potato.

My favorite cut of beef is the deckle, which is the outer part of a prime rib or rib steak. Has anyone ever used ground deckle or a mix of deckle and chuck or brisket for a burger? I'm thinking it would be spectacular.

Hot cast iron skillet, 20% fat content and ecoli free ground sirloin, quarter to third of a pound patty, fried rare to medium rare, lettuce, slice of vine ripened tomato, slice of sharp raw onion on toasted Metropolitan Bakery whole grain whole wheat bread. Possible slice of very aged cheddar.

I always check out the parking lot, calculating the pick-up truck to minivan ratio. Anything less than three to one and I drive on by.