lambretta76

I believe Pan was confusing this with Congee, which is further south on the Bowery. Congee Bowery has the same logo and owners as Congee Village.

That 20% is just a temporary "charge" that everyone does to make sure that there's room in you account for all incidentals. I say "charge" in quotes because it's not like they take your money, then refund it later, but it's more like holding space on your card. It's called a "block"; hotels do this, generally adding a "charge" of $100 or so, and rental cars most always add $500. They're blocking off the money just in case. This probably happens every time you use your credit card while eating out - I know it certainly does for me when I check the balance the next day... For more information on this, check out this article from the BBB.

Murray's, here in NYC, has a course every once in a while on beer and cheese pairings... haven't taken it but it sounds interesting. Then again, there's always beer cheese, as served up in German places like the Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh.

Isn't it an amazing flavor shot imparts to game! Is this the stand that had the pheasants strung up outside of it? It was quite a savagely beautiful display. I wish there was a market like that here in NYC.

eje - I have not had Young's Waggle Dance - I'm not the biggest fan of the Young's beers. I picked up a couple of bottles of Pride and 1845 yesterday, will try a different beer distributor for the others. (They'll order anything if you pay for a case.)

In celebration of Australia Day, last night I quaffed: 4 bottles of Tooheys New - an OK lager. Slightly sparkling, with a bit of a grape juice character. It was nice. 2 bottles of James Boag's Premium Lager - a little blander than the Toohey's, hence only two bottles of thie 2 bottles of Coopers Sparkling Ale - when the bar got too packed, it was easier to just drink what everyone else was drinking - Cooper's Red. Nice sparkling beer, if that's your thing.

Macken Brothers in Chiswick, as mentioned upthread, is great. Also, the one on Portobello that's called the something Edwardian Butcher Shop - it may be the one that someone else mentioned at 140 Portobello Road.

Reviving a virtually dead thread. After spending a week plus in Chiswick, home of Fuller's, I sampled my share of Fuller's brews. (37 pints in 9 days total, not all of them Fuller's, though.) The best pint I had was the Chiswick Bitter pulled at the Mawson Arm's, the company pub at the Griffin Brewery on the Thames. They had the best lines and the casks were perfectly kept. (The landlord said that that barrl had just been filled that morning - whether or not that's true I have no idea.) Anyways, I was curious if anyone knew if Chiswick Bitter, or perhaps their new Honey Dew Organic Ale, is available in the US? Obviously preferred in the cask, but bottles could be OK, too.

Does Good still have the off-menu fried green tomato BLT? I haven't had it in years, but it was always fantastic.

That depends on how drunk you are when you go there. The food is drastically less tasty at 6 pm as it is at 6 am.

A couple more updates of my trip: Milk & Honey - went to this branch of the NYC institution as it's one of my favorite cocktail bars in the world. It's a beautiful space, just like in NYC, and the person at the door was sweet. However, after placing our drink order it took nearly half an hour for our drinks. I ordered an absinthe with water, and was just brought about four shots worth of absinthe. (I know I shouldn't complain, but the stuff is 70% alcohol.) After another ten minutes and several request for water, I was brought an espresso cup of water - about 3 ounces. Ridiculous! Anyways, luckily we were able to flag down another waiter, who was much better, but this first guy was a joke. Sasha doesn't usually hire chumps like that - I wonder if he's too spread out over his three joints in NYC. Lanesborough Hotel Library Bar - Great ambiance - pianist playing showtunes in the corner. Drinks priced at a hefty £12.50, but well worth it. (My Sazerac was top notch.) What makes it easier is the canape plate, the homemade vegetable crisps, the spicy peanut mix, and the passed hors d'ouevres which included medium rare filet topped with a hunk of foie gras. M Manze Pie and Mash - So this is what people talk about when they say that British food sucks. The pies - utterly flavorless. The potatoes, even more so. And the "liquor" - man that was disgusting. However, the only thing that could possibly make this meal look good was the jellied eels, which almost everyone else was lapping up. (A couple of guys actually went up for seconds.) My first bite was enough to trigger my gag reflex - it was fishy, crunchy Jello. Utterly beyond approach. Definitely a once in a lifetime event. I do believe that this meal (save for the eels) can be done well, but the pies were of very low quality. Even once dousing the entire plate with salt and vinegar I barely tasted anything. I'm also sad that Pret no longer has a Coronation Chicken Sandwich - man I loved those. The All-Day Breakfasts are as good as ever, and I liked the Tuna Nicoise. Though I believe the crayfish and rocket could use some flavor.

In the past few days I've hit a couple more on the list: North Sea Fish Restaurant - great fish. So-so chips and peas. Bit on the pricey side, though they offer takeaway for about 4 quid. (Jumbo cod in the dining room, easily split by two, cost £11.95.) Overall it was good, but chips are integral part of the dish, and theirs were just OK. 'Smiths' on Smithfield - quite tast full English breakfast (served all-day) in the Ground floor room. Nice house beer (SOS), good sausage and mushrooms, ask for the fried bread. The Devonshire House - gastropub in Chiswick. Really nice place - decent wine list, good tapas plate, nice puddings. I had a spaghetti with crab, clam, and chilli which was perfectly prepared. Shared app and dessert, two mains, a bottle of wine, bottle of sparkling water, port, and armagnac came to just under £60. Also had a great pint of Fuller's winter ale at the Mawson Arms pub next to the Fuller Brewery. Today for lunch it's the dreaded eels...

Hit the Borough Market on Saturday morning - some fantastic tastes but we ended up with a couple of great things (the names of the stall are long fogotten) * cheese from Neal's Yard Dairy - including a fantastic aged cheddar that reminded me of the best goudas - it was superb. Also, a really nice goat's milk cheese and a loaf of Poilane bread * freshly made olive tapenade * French sea salts w/lemon * an amazing hard cider (yes, it was only 10 but who cares!) that was aged for years in old whiskey barrels - so smooth and nuanced. Also very tasty mulled cider (non-alcoholic). * and about fifty tastes of various meats, fowls, fish, olive oils, etc. Thanks for the recommendation - it was fantastic! Was going to hit Chakalaka for lunch today but unfortunately they no longer serve it. Will try for dinner soon...

PotjieCheffie - Will you be my friend and cook me dinner? (Kidding, of course.) I may try Chakalaka, or I may just head to St. Marcus Fine Foods and see if they have any recs. And, like I said, I will go to Cape Town, but not until 2010. So this will be my SA kick until that point in time. (And hope that Madiba here in Brooklyn gets better.)

South African restaurants in New York CIty = 1. Good South African restaurants in New York CIty = 0. (It was formerly good, but the food has gone downhill steadily over the past years.) I had noticed that there were several SA restaurants in London, many well respected, but it seems a great many have closed this past year. There are also a lot more SA expats in London than in the US, so I figured that there'd be some good restos over there. Plus, I'm very excited about the World Cup in 2010 and don't imagine I'll get to SA before then... fatmat - thanks for the rec on the market. I'll try and check it out early Saturday before the football. (I shan't say who I support as I may get some misleading answers here!) And if eels taste nothing like pickled herring, what are they similar to? The only eel I've had has been Lithuanian and Japanese, both grilled. Guys - thanks for all of the recommendations - I certainly have a lot to mull over.

So, I'll be spending nearly 10 days in London next week and was looking to do a good job of hitting lots of great restos. I've been reading through these boards and various books but I have to admit I'm quite overwhelmed with the choices. (Also, I haven't been able to locate a definitive thread of what's good out there now.) Here's what I'm hoping to sample - please let me know if there's anything else I should try. 1) Cockney food. Looking for the best of the best of the eel, mash and pie shops. Thetwo easiest to find info on - Goddard's and Manze's, have had both favourable and unfavourable reviews. Is there anything else to try besides the pies and eels? And are the eels really like pickled herring? 2) Looking for good value lunch fixed-price menus, especially near Chiswick. Also, any good dinner fixed price menus? 3) Real "British" Indian food. I've had Chinese-Indian, American-Indian, and Indian-Indian. Looking for something the makes the Anglo versions better. (There's an Anglo-Indian takeaway in my neighborhood here in Brooklyn, and one at a chip shop two neighborhoods away.) 4) South African food. Was excited to try Fish Hoek in Chiswick, only to find that it is closed. Any other good ones out there that are reasonably priced? 5) New Zealand/Australian food. THe Kiwi Kitchen at Baroque sounds interesting - any other recs? 6) A nice meal for the weekend. Sunday dinner or brunch maybe. Was thinking maybe The Glass House in Kew, but I'm sure there are many more that you recommend. Looking to spend less than 30 quid per person if doable. 7) Fish and chips. Have two prospects - Faulkner's and North Sea Fish Restaurant. EIther one better, or should I choose an audible? 8) Coronation chicken salad. One of my favorite dishes, and a true British invention. Who does the best one? 9) Anything else I may have forgotten that is a must try/do in London. Cheers for all/any of your advice!

I was excited about this thread particularly to express my amazement at the chorizo-crusted cod at The Modern, but there it is in the second post! Well, let me just say that I second that recommendation, and that the bed of navy bean puree which it is presented perfectly accentuates the fish and makes the flavors really pop. Even the foam (I think it was a sherry foam) seemed appropriate, and not dated, which is a testament to Kreuther's cooking. A second dish would be the manchego cheesecake at wd-50. What a great dessert! (I have yet to eat in the main room, though I will be doing so shortly.)

Dunno if this is the right forum, but of all the beverage ones - I guess this is the closest. Anyways, I am trying to find a place online (or anywhere, for that matter) that sells boxes of the MarieBelle Aztec Drinking Chocolate Single-Serving packets. There was a place that used to sell boxes of 24 for $40, but they're sold out and have discontinued carrying the MarieBelle line. I have asked at the retail store here in NYC and they do not sell them through their retail channels - does anyone have any other ideas where I might find these? Thanks in advance!

I'm going to second all of Daniel's recs save for Fratelli - it's a Brooklyn chain, but the quality has slipped in the past few years. There are a couple of other Italian bakeries around that turn out very good cannoli. Other's recommended: Sample - Smith/Bergen - Spanish conserva-style place - meats, cheeses, wines, etc. Chicory - Degraw/Clinton - takeaway with yummy sandwiches and heartier fare Atlantic Chip Shop - Atlantic/Henry - best British restaurant in tow, FWIW Frankie's 457 Spuntino - 457 Court - Italian - better for lunch - spacey service Fernando's Focacceria - Union/Columbia - old school Sicilian - panelle sandwiches are great Zaytoon's - Smith - never figured out what it is, but good middle eastern fare - great lahmajun Bar Tabac - Smith/Dean - comfortable French bar food - live music (gypsy jazz, Dixie, etc.) Oh, and yes, Saul has a Michelin star, and a $25 fixed price menu.

The Pegu Club rec for bitters is spot on - $5 a bottle for Peychaud's is great. And if you sit at the bar - free cocktail recipes!

Chilewich placemats are beautiful looking and easy to clean. BO Concepts has nice looking furniture at reasonable prices - plus there's an Overstock sale going on right now. And never underestimate eBay - you can shop locally there, too. Lots of restaurant supply businesses put up auctions there - my friend got a perfect condition glass-doored commercial fridge for $475 there. Another thing to think about would be what to do with all of this stuff when you're not "entertaining". Perhaps a large communal table would be worthwhile. You could have one commissioned - a large slab with legs that could be attached. You could paint the underside, remove the legs, and hang it on the wall as art when you're not using it. Stacking chairs are always nice - check out ones with that gel material as they're thin but comfortable. Design Within Reach is a good source for chairs. If you plan on making a go of this, rental prices add up quickly - buying would probably be the best option. (If it doesn't work out, you can always sell them to recoup some of the money.)

Argghh! Missed the last bottle of Equinoxe du Printemps by about three days. Oh well, I was able to sample a hot pepper beer, as well as one of their porters - this place rocks! As for Sortilege, picked up three more bottles, which I plan on using in a signature cocktail at my wedding in April. Let the experimentation begin!

Payard also does a very nice tea, as does Fauchon.

Anyone have any idea what the private rooms at Congee go for, and how many people they can accommodate? Is it still just a minimum purchase, or do you actually pay for the rooms plus the food? I called, but was told "Talk to manager - he not in." I figure I'll stop by there in the next couple of days, but for the mean time I was wondering if anyone else had this info. Thanks!

TGI Fridays. First one was at 1st and 63rd.