jordan

I love to finish a meal with some sort of Cordial. One of my favorite parts of a dinner party is after clearing the table breaking out a bottle of something and sharing it with friends. I love dessert wine, but the problem (maybe not for everyone is that you have to finish the bottle) and some wines can be very expensive. So I will usually opt for a cordial. My favorites are: Lemoncello-this is a sweet Italian lemon liqueur and served right out of the freezer (syrupie) it is fantastic. Belle de Brillat - is cognac mixed with a sweet pear brandy (a+) Canton - ginger flavored liqueur Mandarine Napoleon- Mandarine flavored liqueur

I find this to be an interesting topic. I have always found that a trend gets started with one dish and then variations of the item begin to appear all over (best example "asian" influenced tuna tartare). I remember having it at Garry Robbin's AJ in the Flatiron and by the summer it was everywhere. I think that it is flattering to be copied; it lets you know that you were on target and should make you feel like an industry leader. However, I think it is reprehensible for a chef who borrows an idea from an other chef to claim ownership of it or in the worst case publish the recipe in a book. Some major lifestyle personalities (her name withheld) have made a business of doing this. A friend of mine owns a popular Austrian rest. in the city, and in the fall he serves a signature soup. One of his friends (an other NYC chef) had the soup and asked if my friend minded if he put a variation of it on his menu. My friend was flattered and gave him the recipe, a few months latter the exact recipe was printed in a major food magazine and listed as a signature of the other rest. Needless to say they are no longer friends and that individual has lost all credibility in my eyes.

Taking notes at the table can make your servers feel nervous and hinder the level of service. Not to mention if you are dining with guests it is rude. I suggest taking a copy of the menu and write your notes when you get home.

For Austrian fare Wallse is tops. Had a sensational tasting including wood pigeon, foie gras and scallops. Service was friendly and efficient. The wine list although not as deep as Danube's, has some interesting selections and is fairly priced. An other point of interest is that Kurt Gutenbrunner is operating the cafe at one of the city's Austrian cultural institutions. I'm not sure exactly where it is but I've been told that it is very good. Has anyone been? If so, where is it?

It depends on the restaurant and your experience. As a rule of thumb Fine Dining Sous are earning $35-45k. However for the right person and in the right restaurant I know of Sous who earn upwards of $65k. For a Pastry Chef a rule of thumb would be $40-60k, but again the right person/establishment can earn upwards of $80k. In my experience most pastry assistants are employed on an hourly basis and again depending on the situation it can range from $9/hr to $16/hr. If you don't have something lined up and you don't have solid connections in the city, don't plan on getting top dollar. An other alternative is working as a freelance cook/pastry cook for catering companies. The work can be sporadic but the pay is very good $18-28/hr based on a min 5hrs per job. If you can get yourself networked with a few quality companies the work can be steady and has lead to permanent positions. This is also a good way to get into private chef gigs.

I'm 100% with Fat Guy on this; Go, if for nothing else the institutional factor. The chopped liver is pretty good too.

My favorite NJ Pizza is Fort Lee Pizza. You can't beat the thin crust. Anyone agree?

I too like my coffee, coffee flavored, and I find the south american estate coffees to be a great less expensive alternative to the blue mountain or kona. But if you want to be creative and you are serving guests, try: In a pony glass add 11/2 oz. of strong black coffee 1/2 an oz. of a flavored brandy (grand mariner, creme de cocoa, frangelico, creme de cassis, creme de almond, etc.) and top with a complimentary flavored whipped cream. I like to use the coffee syrups (Monin) to flavor the whipped cream. One of my favorite combinations is frangelico in the coffee and chocolate flavored whipped cream (for chocolate use cocoa powder instead of syrup).

Not to change the subject but since you mentioned rib, I am wondering if anyone has tried the rib-eye at the old homestead. The prime rib is great too, but they char the rib-eye and it is juicy and delicious. I suggest you try it, it is the best (of its kind) in the city.

I am sure that you know of all of the top major city destinations, so I won't suggest any. I have driven cross-country 3 times and I all ways seem to pass through Missouri on Interstate 80. Any way, about mid way through the state on 80 you will pass an old beaten up sign (it's on both sides of the highway) that says "worlds best fried chicken and mile high pies to the sky" or something like that. I have stopped there once on each trip and they truly do have incredible chicken. The pies are good and really huge. So even though you plan on circumventing the breadbasket, you might want to plan a detour on your way home.

Not to change the subject but since you mentioned rib, I am wondering if anyone has tried the rib-eye at the old homestead. The prime rib is great too, but they char the rib-eye and it is juicy and delicious. I suggest you try it, it is the best (of its kind) in the city.

I am not 100% sure that the fries are not available at dinner, but I am sure that the home fries are not available at lunch. Please don't get me wrong I think that the home fries and the steak fries are good, just not great. By the way, have you tried the lamb chops? They are offered as a double cut or you can have them butterflied (my choice). They are fantastic. I will often share one order with the table as a first course with the tomato and onion, shrimp cocktail and (sometimes) bacon.

I think your take on Luger's Lunch could not be more accurate. You did however forget to mention that the hash browns (really home fries) are not available at lunch, and that the steak fries are much better (not available at dinner). I am a huge Luger's fan for over 20 years. Every 6-12 months I get a foreign intern in my office, and so long as they do a good job, I make a point of taking them to lunch at PL for a send-off meal. The only problem with lunch at PL is that you fall into a coma after stuffing yourself and it is very difficult to return to work.

I like to either have shot of Bell de Brillet (cognac combined with sweetened pear brandy) or an "I don't know what it's called". An "I don't know what it's called is made with: a shot of dark rum, a table spoon of premium honey, juice of half a small lemon and one once of boiling water. Stir and drink. Not only will it help you fall asleep it also makes a great cold remedy. By the way Bell de Brillet also makes a killer sidecar; I tried one at "Bid" (they have a fantastic "classic" cocktail list) and I am a convert. If you go for the sidecar I would also suggest the real whiskey sour (made with egg whites).

Like a Negroni but different. Try 2 parts vodka, 1 part campari, and 1 part OJ. Shaken and strained into a cocktail glass. It has a nice bitter taste, it gets your mouth watering and ready for food and it packs a punch.

I have found the wine list at Bid to be value oriented. Yes, there are some rare/hard to find wines on the list that are priced on the high side but the list, as a whole, is inexpensive.