lambretta76

Has anyone had any recent experience with this restaurant? I'm heading there tomorrow evening and wanted to know if there's anything that really has stood out lately...

It's nice that Bruni isn't as OB-phobic as other Times reviewers, but does a single star help or hurt a neighborhood restaurant such as Taku? I just hope it serves to pull some people in to this space, which has seemed empty as of late. (Though, it's possible, everyone may be in the garden.) Still haven't made it there to try the ramen, and the wings sound fantastic, too. (I can't believe I just described the beauty of brining this past week. Since then, I've made an amazingly moist chicken parmesan and coronation chicken salad.) Might be much more tempted to go and slurp some noodles at the bar if there was a decent crowd in there...

The place is actually called Water Taxi Beach. I'd be interested in seeing a pictorial thread on Schnack. I really enjoy that place, but I've yet move past the sliders and hot dogs/sausages. Have you tried any of the other foods (besides the BLT)? I guess you could answer that question in the other thread...

Going to try and hit this place this weekend - can anyone who's been lately point out the treasures that shouldn't be missed? I'm quite an adventurous eater, and will even be giving chicken feet a go. (How do you "eat" these, anyways?) Oh, and could one of the mods change the title of this post to be a discussion about World Tong? This thread didn't come up in a site search for "world tong"... I just realied that Pan's post was from July of this year, not last... anyways, - can anyone throw out any other opinions. (And it looks like I may steer clear of the chicken feet...)

Damn, Daniel, that is some thick bacon. If you're inthe nabe again, I urge you to try the BLT at Frankie's on Court. It's obly available for lunch/brunch, but it is mighty tasty. Warning - it's on Sullivan St. Bakery ciabatta... On a side note, I was at the Schnack spin-off at the Water Taxi Beach in LIC last night. The manager (owner?) of Schnack was there, but the staff helping him out were newbies. First beef hot do was fine, second was burn to a crisp and disgusting. Once they get their act together it may be a nice venue. Great view of the city, and $1 PBRs to boot. Had they been organized, I would have opted for the $8 elk burger - but if they can't cook a hot dog yet... (Not to mention Jever on tap.)

B&G Oysters on Tremont in the South End has a great oyster selection and an amazing lobster roll. Also very, very good clam chowder. Beautiful space and a nice patio/garden to boot.

Is it possible that this is poulet de Bresse, or is this a domestic version, kind of like wagyu beef is to Kobe beef. I didn't think this chicken was available in the States.

The BLT at Frankie's 457 Spuntino in Carroll Gardens is amazing. Thick bacon, unbelievably flavorful tomatoes, and slightly too much mayo, all on Sullivan St. Bakery bread. It's only available at lunch or brunch, and is well worth a trip.

zeitoun - I think I was there while you were - I was the solo diner at the corner of the bar reading the Sun. (I believe you, too, had walked from Smith St. I'm on Hoyt and this is my "local".) I usually do sushi by the piece and was just stopping in for a quick nosh, but the regular sushi chef/owner was out (totally spacing on his name). They usually have fish from Tsukiji (the horse mackerel is fantastic), but didn't have any of those offerings on that night. I instead opted for the three-roll combo and the new chef's did very well. I was worried that the quality may lapse when the head chef is out, but they seemed to do a very good job. (Slightly too large pieces of salmon in the salmon roll, but not too-much of a complaint when you're already going the Americanized route. And the fish is always of high quality.) However, I have had the ankimo probably a dozen times and I have never had a dry one - it's usually perfectly cooked and nice and moist. My fiancee is addicted to it - we always split an order. I urge for you to return when the owner is back. I'll remember his name and post it - he's usually there on Thursday-Saturday, I believe, but on random weekdays when I've gone he's always been there, too.

Chef Speidel - Will you be planning on adding a lunch menu at anytime in the future? Or, will the restaurant be available for private parties? I'm responsible for finding a place for a rehearsal lunch and all of the places in Newpoert seem, well, rather blah. chrisamirault's review presented your restaurant as anything but. I figured that while this may have been better as a personal e-mail, I feel that the eGullet communit would benefit from knowing the answers to these questions as well... BTW - congratulations on a successful opening!

I find it hard to believe that the remnants of Portuguese culture have dried up in this area so much, while places like the Ironbound in Newark, NJ, and Mineola in Long Island, NY, continue to thrive. No little hole in the wall places to speak of? I'd hope there were some hidden gems, but I'm not very familiar on these two cities in general. Are there any good Portuguese markets in any of these towns left? And, if any of the Portuguese immigrants around these parts hailed from Oporto - is there any place I could find a francesinha? Lastly, and a bit off topic, but are there any Portuguese restaurants in the Newport area now that the bar with the peek-a-boob mermaid (I forget the name of the place, but it was on Aquidneck Road in Middletown) has closed?

Near the falafel stands Jason mentioned, on 43rd off of 6th, is a T&T cart that was formerly called the "Trini-Paki Boyz" (I don't believe there is a name, now). Good to very good vegetable roti, and apparently they have amazing shrimp (they are always out when I'm there late on Friday afternoons). A guilty pleasure is essentially the kitchen sink roti - the chicken mixed with vegetables and channa, topped with white and hot sauces. Borders on the salty side, but I'm a bit overly sensitive when it comes to salt.

I'm always surprised that Barbès is instantly associated with North African culture. The apartment I stay at while in Paris is right off of Blvd. Rochechouart and the cultures represented seem to not only be Moroccan and Algerian, but also a great number of Senegalese and people from Chad. Also, there is a French-style bar in Park Slope also called Barbès. As for the best in the city - Bay Ridge seems to have the stranglehold on that title between La Maison du Couscous and Les Babouches. I used to really love Lamamounia on Steinway Street in Astoria, but I think it has since closed. Are there currently any good Moroccan restaurants on Steinway or in that vicinity, or have the reins been handed over to the Egyptians?

Definitely Bayamo on Broadway in NoHo. Would go there for great fushiony Cuban food (and the best Cubano I've had north of Tampa) - then head off to hear swing music at Lousiana Bar & Grill. Solid one-two punch that is now a Le Chateau and a Best Buy. Crappers. For atmosphere, and some wonderful game (they had great buffalo steaks), I miss Gage and Tollner - especially more since it is now a TGI Fridays. Double crappers.

Does anyone know what the prix fixe option for lunch at The Modern Dining Room is? And, would it be worth it to sample the menu from the prix fixe lunch menu or dinner in The Bar Room? Last I saw the lunch menu was $38 for three courses, but what options do you get? (Is it close to the dinner menu, or is it just two or three options per course?)

phaelon56? What's good these days in the Salt City?

I just picked up the Lotte green tea mint from my corner Korean greengrocer and it is quite tasty. It is a Korean-made gum with Japanese, Korean, and English writing on it, so I'll think of it as equal parts Korean and Japanese...

According to the Restaurant Associates website: The Mitsitam Cafe features native foods found throughout five regions of the Western Hemisphere, including the Northern Woodlands, South America, Northwest Coast, Meso America, and the Great Plains. Included within these five menus are a Lobster Salad Roll, Chicken Tamale in a Corn Husk, Fire Roasted Juniper Salmon, Watercress-Cucumber Salad, Pueblo Tortilla Soup, Soft Corn Tacos with BBQ Pork Pibil, Campfire Chicken Sandwich on Fry Bread, Indian Pudding, Pickled Green Mango and Cinnamon Sweet Fried Bread. So they are breaking it up into areas, not just lumping it together as "Natvie American food"

All I know is that on my recent trip to Japan I had plenty of kurobuta (Berkshire) pork and it was fantastic. Kyushu-style ramen with Berkshire pork may be on eof the tastiest things on the planet. moxieman, while you're in this post, what style of ramen do you serve in your restaurant, or is it a combination of styles?

Kissmint Apple. Good stuff. Though I haven't seen the ume mint - that sounds tasty.

Any new dishes out there to try? Among the ones I plan on ordering are the House Special Chicken, Lamb Chops (which is better - fried or w/black bean sauce), Sauteed duck tongues, and the congee with pork and thousand-year old egg. Is there anything else on the menu that is truly special?

Has nyone been here? The reviews, save for Bruni's, seemed to be fairly positive. And I kind of have a love-hate relationship with Bruni (love his writing style, don't really trust his tastebuds.)

Mitsitam Café in DC sounds great, and, it's run by Restaurant Associates (who have some hits, and lots of misses, but this sounds like a genuine winner) - maybe we can hope for one here in NYC! Pickled green mango and sweet cinammon fry bread sounds fantastic.

I would make the freshest chu-hai on the planet, but that's probably just my hangover speaking... ;)

Dewey is Wylie's pops...