jgould

no takers???

manhattan: veuve cliquot: retail ~ $32 > houston's in the citicorp ctr $55 > shun lee west $98!!

does celeste have french wines?

thx kath, we buy our beans (mocha java, vanilla almond, vienna, french vanilla, french roast, & sometimes kona) from large sacks or barrels in specialty food stores in neighborhood, which are then poured into take home packages to be ground at home; therefore, there is no date. so, how do i know the "roasting" dates?? what is "americano" as opposed to drip & as opposed to buying a full-fledged expresso machine at williams-sonoma; & can u recommend a coffee maker that is considered to be a better method than the krups drip style coffee maker? thx

excellent gibson last nite with Boodles

In this forum there is no such thing as a question that's too naive. If a different thread is required we will start one. prefer staright varietals when consuming Americano's. Drip coffee is another story - some of the varietals that I really like as Americanos, I am less fond of when made as drip coffee. I'll reemphasize the excellent point that was already made - the critical importance of freshness. It's hard enough to find REAL Kona or Jamaican Blue Mountain, much less find the real thing that is truly freshroasted (i.e. was roasted within 24 - 48 hours of the time you get the coffee). I'll take fresh roasted beans of nearly any old arabica variety over stale beans of some pricey and exotic brean or blend. Both Kona and JMB are very smooth, well balanced and subtle. I think that many people expect some sort of earth shattering and transcendant experience or a major coffee epiphanywhen they drink those two celebrated beans but it's really their smooth and subtle nature that is the draw. It's not everyone's cup of.... uhhh.... coffee. The high price for those two coffees is a simple matter of supply and demand. To be a true Kona or JMB the beans must be grown in a particular area, typically one that is limited in size. It's also worth noting that in both Kona and Jamaica (most particularly Kona), we might assume that the growers are actually earning a living wage, in contrast to much of the other coffee growing population in the world. drip as opposed to _____ ? i have a typical Krups, like most. &, how does one actually know "fresh-roasted? thx

now i'm waiting for all those here who defend & justify hi priced wines!!!

It's all a matter of personal preference. If you want a cup similar to what you get at a diner but of much higher quality - find yourself some columbian. My favorite for drip coffee is a 50/50 blend of Yemeni Mokha and Java. Some people really like Kona, but I don't find it very compelling. If you have a local roaster, buy a small amount of each coffee they offer and try them. thx very much. i live bet fairway, citarella's, & zabar's in nyc (uws) so have many options re: sampling. i guess the main intent of the question is "which is considered the best"?? usual answer is Kona, but seems that it is very hard to find REAL kona??? what about illy??

aware this question may be too naive or in the wrong thread; therefore, won't be offended if told so what IS considered to be the best coffee beans to purchase to make either regular american-style coffee or expresso??

forgot about that one! thx for reminding - a great bistro & great link

basically, bet w70th - to - w89th, the following are considered the "better" french restaurants: cafe luxembourg - not technically french & food not highly thought of nice matin - part of a nyc chain of french-themed restaurants ouest - now the step-sister to 'cesca aix - seems to be going further downhill based on comments jean-luc - have not found anyone who actually goes on a regular basis. as per comments here & on other sites, there are many critiques & criticisms, & unfortunately i have to agree. as per this thread, maybe UWS'ers are actually more sophisticated than given credit for by others? & that the popular french restaurants in other neighborhoods are just simply better; & therefore, the reason why the above restaurants are criticized is because they deserve it?? query? maybe if we got a french restaurant that actually hit that sweet spot, it would be a smashing success???

oui, several times & each time had a fabulous meal with fabulous service & never tire of the room, & will continue to visit when in Paris, to answer your question. BUT, having "been there, done that", i find the pleasure of that dirt road leading to yet another bbq discovery is sublime

in today's NYT's "The City" section, pg 10, "good eating" column: as per this thread, interesting trend (?). restaurants offering wine discounts on certain nites, notably mondays, typically a slow restaurent nite. add "@SQC" on UWS to the list, offers all wine @ 1/2 price with dinner on mondays. are restaurants finally beginning to realize that prices should be more reasonable & this shift is just beginning, or simply a 1 slow-nite deal??? but, this is a good thing.

difficult, but interesting: if one had to choose, what would be your best/favorite bistro in Paris - only one per response, s'il vous plaît. to start: after much hand wringing > Benoît

hate to beat a dead horse, but is that it from all our friends in memphis??????

i think u may mean la cocina at 217 w85th, 1 of several locations. not bad, not great; but good bar. salsa very average, & food appears better than it is, which is to say, after several tequillas! supposedly, further up broadway is a very mexican enclave with a number of restaurants to sample. have been to mama mexico on bway & 102nd. always very crowded & recently expanded & has a lot of mexicans mixed in with gringos. might be worth trying on your next sojourn

generally speaking, whenever a bbq thread appears, it "seems" to always evoke much debate, which is a good thing as to those who "don't give a s__t!, or those "who cares?"; try going down some dirt road one day & coming up to a cinder block shack, with a screen door that may or may not have a screen, couple of guys closely watching burning hickory under a chicken coop wiring set-up, supported by cinder blocks, BBQ'ing pork shoulders, boston butts, pork ribs, some with sauce, some without, some with a dry rub. selling by the lb, & placed in alum foil for take-out only - that's it! talk about sublime!!! when u've done that, then tunes may change, & the sky opens. le grand vefour or this?? the cinder block every day!!! & of course, only with pre-sweetened ice tea

supposedly "one should have their G&T's with the traditional" beefeaters or regular tanqueray, i.e. the higher proof gins, + schweppes (only). the untraditional: tanq #10, bombay sapphire, junipero, etc; simply have too many botanicals. gin martinis (historically, the "martini") with gordon's, plymouth, citadelle, or boodles; with noilly prat vermouth. all are at the low end of "proof", which better when quaffing STRAIGHT gin as for tom collins, would rather have a 'gibson' anyday

oops!! the best price so far in manhattan $87!!

curious as to how chimay or ommegang compares to an anchor steam & to a sierra nevada pale ale? additionally, harp's, which is never mentioned, has a very easy taste. apologize beforehand, if this is in the wrong thread, but curious as to the comparisons.

& out of curiousity, what area of the country do you live?

This sums up my experience last night perfectly. Incredibly meaty ribs, desperately in need of more flavor. Overly pulled pork, in need of more flavor. Ditto. Have been three times, and just can't get excited about the ribs here. Being a native Southerner with a deeply ingrained pork BBQ addiction, I was thrilled when I heard Blue Smoke had arrived on the NYC scene. The ribs just don't have the intensity of flavor that make we want to order that second slab. I wonder why this is? Surely these people have put a lot of time and money into creating such a high-end temple to BBQ. What's missing in their equation?

I was merely agreeing with the previous post that "BBQ equaling pork is not always true." My point was that in some places BBQ might mean pork, in others it might mean beef and in others it can be both. in the SOUTH, BBQ IS PORK!! brisket is beef, & texans call that, in error, bbq!!

has anyone tried??

ok, final follow-up: i ended up buying the chardonnay as per the above good salesman, good knowledge - satisfied customer! now, what do i do when have a puligny monchachet????