Daniel

Great blog. Really, so enjoyable.

Went there last night to a pretty mediocre time.. The cooked food is definitely the reason to go.. I had a 42 dollar sashimi assortment.. Two piece of otoro, two pieces of baby yellow tail, a raw shrimp, and something else.. Really did not like the way the chef cut the pieces, as they were made really long and angular.. The otoro was almost chewy.. Tasted a cooked tuna dish that was cooked perfectly.. Started with the tuna pizza which is still good.. Also tried a pork bun that had a wonderful winey taste to it.. Service was overbearing and annoying.. They are looking to clear the table and turn it as fast as possible.. They are also looking to pad the bill... We were with a party of 7 so they were already happy with their guaranteed 20 percent.. The only problem was the waiter added on close to a 120 dollars of extra things.. An extra entree, a few extra drinks.. The bill was 620 originally and after deductions it was down to 480 with tip.. Felt pretty pissed about the thing and alerted the manager.. If you must go here because say Nobu is crowded, or Morimotos isnt your speed, and you dont feel like eating sushi that night, you can get a few decent cooked things.. However, if you ask, I can name about 30 other restaurants that are serving a better version of anything you would order here. But the service isnt good, the room is pretty to look at I guess but, not great to be in.. I might opt for going on a tuesday night or something.. Though, I think I had my last meal here..

Must have this now!

Do trees feel pain is a better question..

Wow.. Thats disappointing to hear about your experience.. Maybe they changed kitchen staff or something I suggest you go back because the place is really really good.. Though, I did not order anything that you seem to enjoy.. So, if you are happy, then maybe you shouldnt try it, unless it closer to your house.. But for a change, I can't see how anyone wouldnt love the pork leg and mustard green.. Its really strange how menus can vary.. Whats the local obsession with Crab Rangoons for crying out loud.. Thanks for the recommendations I will have to check the places out.

I wish I had known about the gathering, it would have been fun.. Perhaps next time.. I will be back in May..

I was there last night.. Having been pressured to leave Tandori at 820 I am assuming I arrived around 845 or so.. I walked in by myself wearing a black jeans and a button down.. I sat in the far left back corner of the room.. I saw a large group sitting against the left side of the main room.. I am assuming that was your table.. How funny.. Right as I was leaving the heavens opened up.. They were nice enough to let me hang out for a bit..

Drove passed this little spot tonight on my way to Khan's called: Pampanga's Cuisiane Filipino 6407 N Caldwell Avenue Chicago, IL 60646 (773) 763-1781 Has anyone been there? ETA. I just noticed I asked this same question two years ago..

2401 W Devon Avenue Chicago, IL, 60659 (773) 338-2800 I have been here a few times before and each time I have found it wonderful.. As you can see above the menu is pretty limited.. There is another side but, it doesnt vary much.. A few rice dishes, a few grilled dishes, some different breads, and some vegetables.. My normal go to here is the seekh kebab and the lamb bryani.. The bryani being possibly the best I have had.. I tried to venture out tonight and go to Tandori in Park Ridge but, the India's answer to a NJ Guido manager informed me that the restaurant closes at 9.. So as I entered the restaurant at 8:20 with 4 tables ranging from 4 to 8 people at them, he told me that he would serve me take out or I would have to eat quickly, I decided Khan's would be a better choice.. Khan's draw is certainly not its decore.. I am happy that they at least went the sparce route and kept it fairly open.. Its two large rooms with high ceilings, lots of tables with plenty of space between them.. In the main room, there is a large screen television and a full few of the cooks placing large swords with skewered marinated meat into the ovens.. I am not proofreading or checking my menu so, I will give you all the gringo names of what I had.. Sesame Naan: The bread here is always perfectly charred and wonderful.. Some sort of marinated chicken.. Chicken Boti i believe.. This too, like all of their meats was perfectly charred, juicy, and just wonderful.. Aloo Gobi: Fantastic version, not fried like I often find.. This was stewed, had really deep layered flavors with some heat to it.. None of this generic sweet flavors that most "ethnic" restaurants assume Americans want to have.. Finished off with a little candied fennel.. Check was $17 dollars.. P.S. Here is a previous photo of the bryani.. This too has a wonderful depth of flavor.. A really nice heat to it..

Has anyone explored the Thai Menu from Siam? I want to try to get them to translate the menu.. I feel the best items from this restaurant have yet to be explored.

Have you been to Thai Sookdee in Evanston?

Spicy chicken gizzard appetizer: A bunch of Banchan from Kimchi to raddish, all very good.. Charcoal burning grill and a frosty beer mug: Pork and Short Ribs.. bibimbap Bite:

Taqueria El Gallo de Oro 1186 Lee St Des Plaines Lots of missing photos from this place.. But I am trying to clean out the camera so I might as well post some of the photos.. Actually, I added some photos to the above places too. Chips and salsa: Avacado salsa and pretty spicey chipotle salsa.. Carne Asada,fried tripa tacos and a huitlacoche quesadilla.. Mmmm intestiney... So damn good.. A couple of these with lime and hot sauce in the can.

Siam's House Restaurant 7742 N Milwaukee Avenue Niles, IL 60714 (847) 967-2390 Went here tonight.. It was a good sign walking in to a restaurant with only Thai customers.. We were greeted by a lovely young lady who was running the whole show.. She was answering phones from a cordless she had in her pocket, she was clearing tables and serving food.. We looked at the English menu and they had lots of the old favorites.. I had read somewhere else that there is a Thai Menu that they will translate for you.. We ordered grilled squid and pork sticks to start.. Soft and chewy with a little grill flavor.. Very nice starter.. Next up were tender grilled pork sticks.. Very flavorful, very juicy, very good..Served with a peppery sauce with crushed peanut in it.. After our waitress described some of the things on the Thai menu, I was very happy to hear they had a fried catfish salad.. I have had this dish at a few other Thai Restaurants such as Lotus of Siam and Sripraprhai.. Each place has made this dish differently but, it still remains a wonderful dish.. I like how they kept the catfish in a cake.. This led to more substantial pieces.. The dressing was a very spicy limey fish sauce dressing with lots of onion.. The salad was a hit.. Another dish of the Thai menu.. Pork leg with mustard green.. In a sweet brown sauce.. Pork was perfectly cooked, the greens were al dente, the sauce was drinkable.. Another dish of the Thai Menu. Homemade noodles, lots of Thai Basil, scrambled egg, chicken, mustard green, peppers, and sprouts.. I was expecting to like the pork or the catfish salad more but, this was my favorite dish of the night.. Though the previous dishes were very good, I loved this dish even more.. Might have been my favorite Thai Noodle dish that I have eaten.. Unfortunately we did not save room for their homemade coconut ice cream.. There was a table of 12 people sitting by us and they were all eating different bright glutinous rolls of some kind.. I couldnt even think of eating anything else.. This place is a gem.. If it was in my hood, I would be going there weekly, and driving to Queens a whole lot less.. Sorry for the dark photos, in a hotel and do not have the strength to edit photos right now..

I don't know if they can feel physical pain, but I know they can hurt on the inside.. There is nothing more sad then a depressed lobster..

I dont shop in Supermarkets but, I did not expect something that pretty to be in them.. They look awesome. Were they just like packaged sitting in the meat bin?

Jerry's Famous Frankfurters. 906 2nd Ave, Elizabeth, NJ 07201

Some random tapas place in Haro: These were the best fries I had in Spain.. They were boiled first.. Three different dipping sauces. Some beautiful shrimp: This was interesting: It was a little pickle in a cornichon type pickle, stuffed with tuna, wrapped with an achovy with an olive and pickled pepper. Really good.. Some crawfish: One thing I really enjoyed in Spain was the use of idiazabal cheese in desserts.. From ice cream to cakes and rice pudding it was everywhere.. In this dessert there was a thin layer of cheese in the cake layer as well as bits of cheese in the cream.. It was awesome.. This was given to me for free by one of the owners of a local tapas spot we hung out in Haro.. He was really nice and we spoke for awhile one night.. This was Fresh Bellota Ham he carved off the leg.. He then added a red pepper powder and this wonderful olive oil.. It was beyond.. Top 10 ham experiences of my life.. Haha

Is Jewel Bakko still open? I know it was death watched but, they have it.. A pretty amazing version..

I sent that to my girl this morning.. Her exact words, please tell me you didnt order this.. We don't need 90 pounds of tomatoes the size of grapefruits..

So, I am sitting in bed last night and this commercial comes on.. I lost it from watching this. The idea of 180 pounds of tomatoes is hilarious to me.. Visions of 8 foot trees taking over my Manhattan Apartment.. Watch this commercial.. Tomato Giant I briefly looked up the tomato tree and apparently its not a real tomato.. Anyone want to shed more light on the subject..

A little out of order here.. But this is a restaurant we went to after going to lopez de heredia vineyard.. We loved the wines here and started buying bottles from the years of our birth. When we asked them to see where they kept the bottles, the mistaken our request for a private tour.. Lucky for us, they were more then happy to show us around.. After spending most of the morning there we were ready for lunch.. We stopped by this place.. The name escapes me but, it was fantastic.. LA VIEJA BODEGA They are known for their roasted suckling lamb and all around wonderful service and food.. It was a good sign when the great grand daughter and GM of Lopez De Heredia happen to be sitting at the table next to us.. Not the best photo of the outside but the inside had a relaxed elegance.. We started with a shrimp sort of egg roll which was suprisingly Asian.. Rather common for a New Yorker I suppose but, I am sure this is pretty unique for the Spanish Country Side. We went on to share a porion of fideos with shrimp and red mullet in a crayfish sauce.. This was wonderful.. And the restaurant split the dish for us and served it in two seperate bowls.. It was the perfect amount. The star of the show, the moment we had been waiting for since we left San Sebastian.. After passing my 400th flock of lamb, I was pretty much about to pull over on the side of the road and start gnawing on a leg.. I believe the wood they were using was Grape Vines from what I made out.. The lamb was wonderful.. Often times you hear people describe lamb favorably by saying there was no "lamby" taste.. This was crazy lamby and crazy good.. The skin was perfect, the meat was moist, and it was sitting in this lamb stock with lamb juices that was absolute heaven.. I couldnt stop eating the thing.. And luckily enough, there was enough meat for 4 people.. Its also feels very primitively comforting to have a piece of meat that also can be used as a club incase the waitress tried to clear early. Just another shot of the wonderful dish: To go with the lamb we ordered red peppers roasted on the same grill: Grill: I can not recall having a better dessert then this.. This was an unsweeten passion fruit granita, topped with a fresh yogurt cream ice cream, sitting in a wonderful thick white chocolate sauce.. It was outstanding.. The tartness of the passion fruit was eased by all the accompaning flavors.. The dish was outstanding.. There was another dessert that I dont recall.. It took a lot of restraint on both our parts to not have re-order the first dessert.. I kind of wish we did... If you are ever in Haro, this place is really special and so worth going to.

That is so sick.. Haha.. Now, I am inspired to cover more ground.. Thank you for doing that.

Simple healthy dinner.. Roasted potatoes, garlic, and radishes... Steamed spinach and added chile pepper, white pepper, and this kick ass 25 year red wine vinegar I just picked up.. Roasted a couple of branzini I got at the local fish store.. Used parchment paper as I wasnt eating the skin. 18 dollar dinner, total time 50 minutes.. Drank a wonderful rioja that didnt go with the fish..(Allende 2004 White Rioja.. I highly recommend it, I think its ridiculously priced well "WS 90") But was spectacular on its own.. Stinky gres de vosges for dessert, with a '79 sherry.. Crappy camera phone:

True true.. Its getting to be perfect weather for a dog outside..