lambretta76

Following a (too) brief trip to Portugal this past summer, I became hopefully addicted to Delta coffee. It's not particularly special, but the taste balance works perfectly for my taste buds. Now, I've since given up caffeine (it's health related, as prescribed by a doctor, so no yelling), and I've become again addicted to this coffee, particularly, the Delta Café Lights - Café Descafeinado. My question to you is, does anyone know where I can purchase this coffee, along with other Delta coffees, online? (I also really liked the East Timor coffee I purchased to bring home while in Oporto.)

Zeitoun - I, too, was disappointed at the place on Court when it was called 145 Luncheonette. For $6 for takeaway, I was given a bowl of soup, a large salad, an entire bag of pitas (Damascus-brand - not homemade), and a huge takeaway container of a vegetable stew. The fenugreek foam on the stew was so bitter and pungent that I scraped it off and threw it away. It had unfortunately tainted the rest of the stew so much that it was nearly inedible. (I pretty much just ate the salad and soup, which were fine, but bland, and put some taramasalata I had at home on the other pitas to eat as dinner.) I know it's changed names a couple of times, but it's rather dirty and unwelcoming, so I don't really see the need to return.

I live about three, three-and-a-half blocks away. Worth noting, for those in the area during lunch hours, the prices are around $8 or $9 for what normally costs $12-$14 on the dinner menu.

After years of putting it off, I finally made it here last night. It was nearly empty when I arrived at 8, but by 8:30 it was almost entirely full. And unlike the currently unnamed restaurant on Court Street specializing in Yemeni food (it was formerly Yemeni Cuisine and 145 Luncheonette), this place had a fairly laid-back, mixed crowd that you don't find too often in Muslim eateries. A group of Muslim women, of various backgrounds, eating together in the front. Three or four young Muslim couples. A couple of Arabic-speaking non-Muslim couples and groups. And a party of about 10 black men and women having a great time. I bring this up because most people, especially solo or groups of women, say they feel threatened in these places, and I'd like to report that everyone who worked there was quite nice and friendly. As for the food, I ordered the Special Yemen Salta with chicken. I was told that they were out of it, but could do something similar with the chicken kebabs. So, for $12, this is a rundown of what was presented to me. <UL> <LI>Lamb soup - more of a broth, it was very dense and tasty. Served with a slice of lemon meant to be squeezed into the soup. It reminded me a lot of the intense flavors of some Moroccan harira soups, except that this contained no beans. <LI>Salad - mixed green salad with tomatoes, olives, and a piece of a creamy feta-like cheese <LI>flatbread - two huge (~2-feet in diameter) pieces of wonderfully charred flatbread (perhaps straight from the oven) <LI>Salta - an intense lamb and vegetable stew with a fenugreek foam topping. I have been turned off by the foam in the past, but this version was denser, creamier, and I didn't mind it. In fact, by the end of it, I was upset that I had run out of it. <LI>Chicken kabob - about 12 large pieces of chicken with onions - charred nicely and flavored simply. The chicken may have been brined before grilling, but other than that, it was unspiced. I have to say, it was among the best kebabs I've had. The way to go about this was to rip off a piece of the flat bread, pick up a piece of chicken in it, and dip it into the salta. </UL> Tea, which is self service, costs $1 and ,when mixed with the sweetened evaporated milk, is a very good Middle Eastern take on chai tea. There was so much food that I took an equal amount home (of the salta, flatbread, and kebab) to what I consumed in the restaurant. I definitely plan on going back and supporting one of the few Middle Eastern restaurants left on that stretch of Atlantic. On a side note, has anyone ever been to Hadramout Cafe next door, or know if they are still in business?

God - now there's a magazine I can guarantee I'm not going to be touching. Disgusting. mjr - It sounds like it may have been a different experience for you altogether. Like I said, there wasn't even a hint of clam in the clam chowder I tasted. A second-hand report - my friend, who's from the Cape, did not enjoy the lobster roll at all, although I feel he may be somewhat of a purist. He was upset by the inclusion of spices in the sauce - he likened it to a dill/pesto flavor - although other mentions I've seen haven't mentioned anything besides mayonaise, lobster, and a bun. (All reports seem to reflect the skimpy serving size does not justify th $25 price tag.) Again, I'm not a raw bar person and I think that this is where this restaurant will shine. But I'm worried that the large variety will end up in some of the raw bar items being served past their prime. (How many people are going to be ordering $4 oysters to keep them fresh...)

Fauchon has an afternoon tea and has some amazing baked goods (their macarons are flown in from France) Fauchon

BLT Fish, the raw bar and seafood spin-off of Laurent Tourondel's popular (and fairly well-acclaimed) BLT Steak, is one of those places that I find myself describing with the phrase "It was fine...", with the "fine" being several steps down the chromatic scale from the "It was" part. Was there anything wrong with my meal? No, "it was fine..." But there really wasn't anything right about it either. The wine, a Gruner Veltliner, was, again, "fine..." But at $8 per glass and $21 per carafe, I might have expected that. The clam chowder, at $8 a bowl, had a wonderful smoked-bacony essence when delivered that really caught my attention. Too often these days, NYC restaurants skimp on the bacon in New England clam chowders. (Side note: This reminds me of a humorous event involving chowdah. After sampling a particular restaurant's clam chowder on several occasions, and after really enjoying it, I asked the owner why he didn't add bacon to his chowders. His reply was that his restaurant was in a typically Jewish area he didn't want to alienate any possible customers by adding bacon to his soups, which he said the Jews viewed as unclean. I didn't have the heart to tell him that, while yes, they do avoid the bacon, they also tend to avoid the shellfish as well.) However, among the army of cubed potatoes in this slightly too-thin soup, I didn't find a single clam. Not a chunk, no a piece, not a scrap. Nada. It may have had clam juice, or clam essence, but it was not a clam chowder. (Had it been thicker, it would have been a fairly good bacon and potato chowder.) This was served with a garlic bread that was, you guessed it - "fine..." The crabcakes, two silver-dollar sized cakes (diameter only, about an inch or so thick), were simple - almost entirely crab with just a hint of Old Bay and enough batter to keep them held together. ($14, and came with a small salad of greens.) The fish and chips ($14) I had were "fine..." - a nice piece of cod (I think) that was moist, but with a batter without much flavor or texture. The fries were of the shoestring variety, tossed with a liberal amount of Old Bay. My friend's tuna ($22) was a little more medium than the "quickly seared" he requested, but he said the fish was good enough that he was OK with it. (He described it as a shame to let it go to waste, but it was a shame for it to have been overcooked in the first place.) The desserts were uninspiring and, at $7-$8 a piece, unnecessary. (Key lime pie, chocolate cake, berry crumble, etc.) The total for two came to $106, excluding tax and tip. The room is comfortable, with an "upscale New England lobster shack" kind of feel to it. No reservations for now, but the upscale restaurant opening upstairs will be taking them when it opens in February. (BLT Fish is in the old AZ space.)

You could always try some Bangladeshi "near beer". (I particularly love the Hunter's can.)

In Flushing I remember there being two very good dumpling places and, at the time, both were 7 for $1. (This was about two years ago.) Anyways, the first had only 5-6 kinds and was down a side street of a Main, directly across from a Chinese Shabu Shabu place. The second had nearly 30 kinds of dumplings and was in a kind of food court area with balcony seating overlooking the LIRR tracks. I remember that the pork, mustard green, and chive dumplings there were amazing. My friend, an expat from Beijing, ordered something will jellyfish in it that, although not to my liking, I could see that many people would be really into it. I wish I had names or more definitive locations, but I usually just ended up at these places by chance. In the City I love Dumpling House on Eldridge. I also love getting the scallion pancake with vegetables (no beef).

So - we hit Ozumo last night (Sunday) - with some trepidations about the quality of fish that would be served on a Sunday night. We were, however, quite surprised at the quality of some of the fish - in a good way. We started with the appetizer of spiny lobster sashimi and "kobe-style" beef tartar. It was served with the lobster on top of the beef, with black caviar (perhaps an American variety - it wasn't the good stuff, but wasn't bad) and green apple on top. It was served with crispy wontons and three endive leaves with anchovy oil inside. This was an amazing dish - with the lobster and beef playing well off of each other. The beef, as expected - but not usually found in today's Wagyu beef - was melt-in-your-mouth tender and really surprised me. The only downside was an unknown inclusion of a pesto dipping sauce on the side of the plate - it went unused after the intial taste. We did about $140 in sushi/sashimi - and I was only disappointed with the ebi (it was just fine, but nothing special) and, unfortunately, the fatty tuna belly, which - at $10 a piece (we got 4) - was not very good. There was a lot of gristly pieces and the chef's amateurish knifework was quite apparent. Unliked by me, but favored by my cohorts, was the tako (octopus) - which was too chewy for my tastes but, then again, I'm not a big octopus fan. However, the sweet shrimp (first time I've had it) had a beautiful, sweet flavor with a sort of custardy texture - it was incredible. The horse mackerel from Tsukiji was the best I've had of this fish, the yellowtail was quite nice, the rolls were above average (particularly liked by my table was the Tempura roll, with spicy tuna and tempura flakes with a spicy mayo sauce). The best, however, and most relevatory was the salmon sashimi. It had the texture of a good toro, and the most amazing, buttery flavor I've ever had in salmon. I had no idea salmon could be this good! And the knife skills (must've been a different sushi chef) were beautiful - these were splayed out almost like mandarin orange segments. We ordered one plate, then a second, then a third. I have no problem saying that this is the best salmon I've had in my life - and my dining companions would eagerly second (and third) that opinion. Overall, I was much more impressed with this place than I figured I'd be. (Kind of mixed reviews out there.) The service was kind of eh, but I believe they were a bit understaffed that evening. It was very friendly, and helpful, just a bit nonexistant after the initial ordering phase. I wish I could compare to some of the more traditional sushi joints in SF but it would compare favorably, if not on par, to some of the mid- to upper-range sushi joints in NYC.

I've noticed that if I check the card a day or two after I've eaten, the price is higher than I left. (I usually leave tips in cash as some unscrupulous restaurant owners take the service fees out of the tip.) However, in a couple of days, the charge will be correct. There's no mention of a refund - it just shows the correct price. Must be the pre-approval that someone else mentioned (like the time my heart nearly stopped when my bill for a rental car was $500 more than was quoted...) As for weather its worth it or not to report this - I think it most definitely is. Just think at how many people may be scammed on any given day, and multiply that by 365. Thousands of people might be getting screwed by this restaurant every year. If you don't want to call, many credit cards allow you to file claims online - no waiting on the phone. If you've gone through the trouble of checking your bill, comparing receipts, etc. - it's not too much of a hassle to try to help out fellow diners.

After checking out all of the options - we decided to settle on Ozumo. (Kyo-ya seems to be closed that evening as well...) Is there anything that they do particularly well, as in shouldn't miss? Thanks for all of your help!

There's one at 64 Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan (Financial District) and one opening in Februray in Midtown at 535 8th Avenue.

Clay - Fantastic piece. Reminds me of an interesting piece I read (note: in full disclosure I must admit that my fiancée wrote this piece) about chocolate storage and aging. Chocolate "humidor" I wonder which of these would age gracefully. In the new year, I will certainly be making the trek out to Jersey for some Wegmans Pierre Hermé chocolates (and some Woo pop to wash it down with.)

Just tried the cheese ones as well. Ricotta with eggs mixed with a little salt and sugar. Perfect. I'll be buying these by the dozen from now on and keeping them on hand in the freezer. The meat ones are entirely wrapped in the pastry, while the cheese ones are open at top to allow for some of the ricotta to form a nice, crispy crust.

An L&L has opened in NYC, with another coming in the early Spring. The staff was entirely Chinese, and the customer base was a mixture of young Asian business people and, for the lack of a better term (and I don't mean to be offensive), the secretaries. (For NYC, it is DIRT cheap.) For $4.99 for the small curry chickent katsu plate, it was more food than I could eat, especially after trying the spam musubi. (The musubi unfortunately rekindled my childhood love of Spam, although I found the musubi too big to be eaten easily.) It was essentially good fast-food curry katsu, the chicken was nicely fried, the curry sauce cloying, yet comforting. I loved the macaroni salad - it was almost bland but had a nice kick as well. Hard to describe - I imagine it has to do with the particular brand of mayonaisse they use. (It kind of reminded me of Kewpie.) I imagine this will do well as it is a) inexpensive and b) there aren't many options for Asian fast food in the US (Yoshinoya seems to be doing fairly well here, but that's about it.) In NY, at least, these are being built near major business neighborhoods, not in ethnic neighborhoods.

Please say it ain't so - I was just about to make a trip out to pick up some for the holidays...

That's just over 10 acres. Tsukiji is HUGE, and open - for the most part - to the public. They are surly, and all I knew were the Japanese swears (there were many of them directed at us gaijin who were running among the frozen tunas at 6 in the am.), but there were also many samples and some amazing sushi restaurants within the market.

I had posted to the existance of this place a while back, but it took the gift of a bottle of Maltese Kinnie (a chinotto-like Maltese soda) to trek out to LIC for a taste of this bakery's pastizzi. When arrived at around ten to 1 pm, the gates were already down on the storefront. I called the number on the awning and, when I told the person on the other end that I was looking to buy some pastizzi, he perked up and said come around to the factory entrance. I asked for a half dozen, three each of cheese and meat. He disappeared into the the frozen area as I watched a half-dozen men decorating cookies with airbrushes and creating amazing winter scenes out of marzipan snowmen and leaves. (Mental note - go back when the shop is open so as to check out what else they offer.) A couple of minutes later I was $7.50 poorer (they cost $1.25 each) but six pastizzi richer. I have no idea if they have other Maltese offerings available, but this seemed to be the thing to order. The man I spoke with told me if I ever needed pastizzi when the store was closed to just come around to the side entrance. He seemed to be very proud of his pastizzi and probably makes them for the dwindling Maltese population of Astoria. (He said something to me in Maltese but I informed him that, although I do have the dark skin of someone from the Mediterranean, I am mostly Polish and Lithuanian.) Yesterday afternoon, I baked up one of the meat pastizzi. It's essentially beef and peas, probably sauteed with onions and some other spices and possibly some wine, in a homemade puff pastry. The filling was incredibly tasty, although I think the shell suffered from baking it without allowing it to thaw first. Still, it was very good and went well with the Kinnie. I know very little of Maltese customs, so i don't know if this is supposed to be a breakfast item or daytime snack. Also, the cheese one seems that it could also be eaten as a dessert, although I haven't baked one of those, yet. (I picked at the cheese filling and it tasted like a sweet and salty ricotta mixture.) So, if anyone wants to try a sample of the isle of Malta, I'd head over to JMJ Bakery as soon as you can. Perhaps they have other offerings as well in the retail store, although I don't know what the hours are. (On Saturdays, I'd say it would be in your best interest to arrive before 1:30 pm, although the official closing time is 2 pm.) JMJ Baking Corp 38-11 23rd Street Long Island City NY 11100 (718) 392.7280

Last night, the restaurant was packed, but luckily they take reservations for parties of 6 or more... We were there for about two hours, but there was still up to a half hour wait for a table when we left around 10, and the place is HUGE. It was pretty much a Syracuse/Rochester homecoming, but there was a decent mix of neighborhood folks thrown in. No bikes, or bikers, though... Very nice inside, sort of a forced rustic look without feeling forced (if that's possible). It almost feels like they inherited the space in the current state, which is a big compliment. (Though they probably spent hundreds of thousands on the interior...) The food - better than I remember at the Syracuse location. And I loved that restaurant. So much smokiness in the pulled pork, the ribs were slow-cooked and fall-off the bone tender. Hell, they were the best ribs I've ever had - slightly sweet, ridiculously smoky, and charred with flavor. The cornbread was great, heck - even the vegetable of the day wowed. (It was cauliflower and broccoli in a cajun cheese sauce.) The Garlic Chipotle wings were spicy, tasty, and replace Bonnie's Grill in Park Slope as my favorite wings in the city, now. I really appreciate the unabashedly bold flavors - I'm finally in love with NYC BBQ. Will this wow those reared on southern BBQ? - I don't know. I grew up with Pittsburgh BBQ (if you can call chipped ham in BBQ sauce BBQ), then Syracuse BBQ, and I find Dinosaur's food to be better than any I've had in the South... I'd love to hear what "real" BBQ hounds think of this place... The service yesterday was friendly and professional - some of the servers had been imported from the upstate locations. And while the kitchen and bar were clearly overwhelmed, everything came out hot (or cold, in the case of the beers) and extermely tasty. Some decent Middle Ages brews on tap (pitchers at $16) and Genny Cream Ale in cans ($3). Bill for 7, with as much food as we could possibly eat and four pitchers of beer came to about $160. I'll be back next Wednesday.

I'll be there tonight at 7 and will report back...

Thanks for the recs. Various searches have also turned up Jimisan and Koo. Are either of these at the level of Ino? I'm pretty much looking for the best sushi in San Fran in a nice setting... it can be expensive or inexpensive - I'm not trying to impress but it is still on the company dime.

Mmmm.... Woo Pop! I was a big fan of their grapefruit mixer and birch beer.

Anyone planning on going on Wednesday night for the opening?

I was gearing up going to Ino Sushi in San Francisco on my next trip there. However, it appears that the only open night I'll have will be on a Sunday, and it looks like Ino is closed on Sundays. So, can anyone recommend a sushi joint of similar quality and cost elsewhere in San Francisco that will be open on Sunday. (We'll be staying near Moscone, but anything within a 10-15 minute cab ride would be acceptable.) I've heard good things about KISS! Seafood, but I've also seen a couple of posts that the quality has gone downhill lately...