Milt

We discovered Ukrop's last week, on our way to New Jersey to visit family. We were trying to find another restaurant which had been recommended on a message board. We were tired of looking and took the next exit and found the Brook Run Ukrop's. I now realize that we were only about a mile from the restaurant we were seeking. My wife noticed how busy the restaurant/deli portion of Ukrop's was and suggested that we eat there. She also likes to eat at Publix a lot more than I do. She was hungry, it was late, etc. We went in and were amazed by the number of dining options. It was overwhelming trying to decide what to order and where. The staff was very friendly, professional and helpful. Far beyond what I would expect in such a place. My lunch was delicious (shrimp scampi wrap). My wife ordered tuna steak, and says she would order what I did next time - or try something else. The tuna was well enough prepared, but that is all there was beyond the side item. On our way back to Georgia, we again tried to find Binigi's and ate at River City Diner on Parham @ I-95 instead. Now, thanks to eGullet, we know exactly where Binigi's is - and will eat there on our next trip. Beyond that, my wife wants to try Ukrop's again and so do I.

Time for my two cents worth. I am not pleased to be asked "the question". I generally don't adjust the tip. I just think that the server is less professional. Service is all that the server can provide. The food quality and preparation is the responsibility of someone else. When I am in a hurry, I leave the exact change - and then I leave. At that point, it is obvious that I don't expect any change. If I am still there, I probably want the change. It is also interesting to note that when the check is, for instance, less than forty dollars and the cash is two twenties and then some, the question still gets asked. That is proof that they haven't looked, and are trying to save an extra trip to the table. The extra trip is what the professional server does, in my opinion. Similarly, I feel that I am receiving excellent service with something as simple as refilling my tea, water, coffee without asking - even though this will mean throwing out a nearly full glass when the table is cleared. Extra effort on the part of the server is what impresses me most. Extra effort may be defined many ways, but bringing my change to me is certainly one of them.

This past week we drove from the Atlanta area to northern New Jersey to visit family. We ate lunch in the Richmond area on our way up Monday and ate dinner in the Richmond area on our way back on Friday evening. Our Monday lunch was at the Brook Run Ukrop's. We had been told about a place called Binigi's near the Parham and Brook Rd intersection. We gave up on finding where Parham exit was and stopped at exit 81 northbound to see what we could find. Ukrop's was quite busy and we ate there. I had a shrimp scampi wrap and my wife ordered a grilled tuna steak. With drinks, our total cost was $14.27 - not bad. My wrap was quite good, my wife said she would order differently next time. Immediately after leaving Ukrop's, we discovered that Parham was the next exit. On our way back Friday evening, we exited on Parham and began to look for Brook Rd which we found quickly. It is also US 1, and is just west of I-95 - but we could not find Binigi's. It wasn't listed in the phone book at the Holiday Inn on Parham, so we ate at the River City Diner next door. The food was decent, the place was quite busy, the service was very slow, the manager was very defensive. The ambiance was quite enjoyable. We were both able to watch tv screens running commercials from the 50s and 60s - many of which we remembered too well. Earlier in this thread, Binigi's is mentioned positively. Were we close to it? For our sake and others, please give as specific directions as is humanly possible. You know your city well, but the rest of us do not. For our next trip to New Jersey, where should we eat in the Richmond area? Close to I-95 and casual is best, as we don't travel in our Sunday best.

Today I had lunch at Mi Pilon in Norcross (suburban Atlanta). It was fantastic Dominican food. I had plantains stuffed with shredded beef brisket and cheese along with black beans and rice and a bottle of Presidente - a Dominican beer. My dining companion had stewed goat and red beans and rice and a bottle of Presidente.

Harry's Farmers Market, here in the Atlanta area, was full of sample foods - and it generally convinced me to buy or not to buy that particular item. One must remember, however, that something about the way the business was run caused their bankruptcy filing. Whole Foods (who purchased the bankrupt Harry's) seems to offer less samples, while remaining fiscally solvent. My limit on any sample is one per station. This was always stressed to our children when they were growing up. My oldest daughter knew our family policy so well that she would point out the adult transgressors - "Daddy, that lady took three pieces of pineapple". She did the same thing with those who litter. Samples and coupons have each encouraged me to try something new - and sometimes I have made a purchase that I would not have otherwise made. That is the ultimate point of samples and coupons, isn't it? It is a marvel that samples are offered of a fruit that is not excellent. At Harry's especially, I decided not to buy a particular fruit because of the samples. I still bought fruit and the purchase was still of a fruit I had sampled. The samples worked well for me because I knew that I would be pleased with my purchase.

When I prepare lamb chops, I always broil them. Seasoned meat tenderizer is used some of the time, but not always. My family loves lamb chops prepared thusly. The first dinner my son prepared for his girl friend (Valentine's Day 2003) consisted of broiled lamb chops, potatoes, green beans and salad. She was impressed.

I don't know enough about Caribbean food to be specfic about particular dishes. Several restaurants have opened in the Atlanta area in recent years serving Cuban, Jamaican, Dominican and Puerto Rican food. All that I have tried has been enjoyable. Particularly noteworthy are Cuban sandwiches, Ropa Vieja, and a Jamaican dish of ox tails and rice. The two Dominican restaurants here serve a choice of meat and vegetables from a serving station in the restaurant. I know that I have enjoyed their plantains and goat. Much exploring and familiarizing remains ahead.

This series of responses has caused me to rethink my initial comments, also. My thoughts were limited to what is offered in grocery stores and restaurants here and abroad - but I think there are a few "off the wall" offerings where I would choose to stay hungry. I still feel, in general, that the less popular meat, vegetables, desserts, drinks, etc. are where I would choose the one I had never experienced.

Thanks menton1 for the Le Me Toujours recommendation. It is still unclear where we will be at what hour, so I am creating a list of possibilities. This sounds wonderful. Curtz, thank you also, for your comments about one of our favorite restaurants in Atlanta - The Food Studio. I have posted this same question on the Southeast board. Now I'll go check to see if they have any suggestions yet.

Next month will find us traveling I-85, I-95 and the New Jersey Turnpike getting from the Atlanta area to Maplewood - just west of Newark. Are there any recommended places to eat that are casual and convenient? We enjoy all kinds of food, and would much prefer your recommendations to taking whatever we can find at the next exit.

The most enjoyable meal we had during our week (nearly two years ago) in South Beach and Key West was at Blue Heaven. I had grouper and my wife had yellow fin tuna. Charming place and fantastic food. Bahama Mama's at MP 19 (I think) was very enjoyable for lunch, also. Bayside Grille at MP 99.5 is a great place for a grouper sandwich.

I'm cheap. I'll eat whatever is on my plate, including pickle and cole slaw almost every time. My mother always assured me that had the tablet been longer, thou shalt not waste was going to be #11. It is also a fascinating way to stay aware of the great variety in pickles and, especially, cole slaw. Limp, dead cabbage is the biggest turn off with cole slaw. Otherwise, I am intrigued. The many recipes are fascinating. Cole slaw, huevos rancheros, barbecue, potato salad and even a ham and cheese sandwich fascinate me because of the tremendous variety of preparations that I have been served.

Your query brings back a memory from my past. Over twenty years ago, before I left New Mexico for Georgia, a fellow in the same Dale Carnegie class with me told a story about an accident he had had. He was heading east toward the continental divide on his motorcycle about dusk. A deer jumped out in front of him and he swerved. This took him off the road and through a fence. A strand of barbed wire played havoc with his jaw. As a result, his mouth was wired shut for eighteen months. The same food day after day was getting quite monotonous, and he had a craving for a green chile cheeseburger. Nothing ventured, nothing gained - so he went to Blake's Lot-A-Burger and ordered said green chile cheeseburger, put it in a blender and enjoyed the best meal he had had in quite some time. With the efforts you are making, I am confident your guest will be pleased with whatever you provide.

On Sunday evening of last Labor Day weekend we were in downtown Memphis trying to find Rendesvous for dinner. We were informed that they were closed on Sunday and Monday and got a recommendation on the street that Blues City Cafe at 2nd and Beale St had the best ribs in the area. We waited a long time for a table because the Labor Day Blues Festival was underway, but they background music was enjoyable. I had a full rack of ribs for $19.95 and my wife ordered Southern Soul Stew (otherwise known as beef stew). The ribs were quite good and the stew was decent. The tea was the weakest I have been served in years. The slaw was decent, the fries overdone, the onion rings decent and the toast was good.

I just can't do one word answers, even when they are requested. I was born in Oklahoma, raised in New Mexico and I love okra in any form that I have been privileged to try - fried, boiled, steamed, pickled. My wife used to make critical comments at Furr's Cafeteria when I would order both fried okra and okra & tomatoes to accompany my meat of choice. She finally realized that I love okra. That's a YES.

For the life of me, I can't think of anything to list that I wouldn't eat. If other people eat it, it must be okay. If there is something on the menu that I have never had, I probably will order it. At a potluck dinner, I fell compelled to try everything. I have never been exposed to some of the most exotic offerings, so perhaps I would feel differently when they are on my plate. There certainly are foods that I prefer over others, but to absolutely refuse to eat something. I don't think so.

I just discovered this topic and, as Arnold says "I will be back". My two oldest cookbooks will need to be dug out, as I think they will prove interesting. One was printed by Crisco. I believe it was published two years after Crisco was introduced to the market. It seems like half of the book is devoted to convincing cooks of the advantages Crisco offers over lard and butter. The point is made over and over throughout the book. The other book was published in Denver in 1871. The recipe for soup begins "One the first day ..." and then continues with the steps for the first and second days of the process. No wonder Campbell Soup Company went over so well. I will dig them out soon. I know where the Crisco book is, but I haven't seen the other one in years. I hope my first wife didn't keep it. I bought it (She didn't) for a dollar at an antique store in Parkville, Missouri in 1968.

I was born in Oklahoma City in 1942, moved to Kansas City in 1945, back to Oklahoma City in 1949 and then to Farmington, New Mexico in 1951. My father loved to travel, so we had some wonderful vacations during the 1950s. O'Mealey's Cafeteria at 23rd and Classen Blvd. was where we frequently had Sunday lunch when we visited family in Oklahoma City. On a beautiful day the line would be half a block long waiting to get into the building for the serving line. I always ordered chicken pie. While living in Kansas City, my father discovered King Joy Lo on the second floor, over Katz Drug Store at 12th and Main. We visited KC every other year, and always had one meal at King Joy Lo. I always ordered egg foo young. The only other place where we ate Chinese during my childhood was a block south of the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe. Most people thought we were crazy to eat Chinese in Santa Fe - but we always went there. While traveling on vacation, my mother was always looking for an A&W. When she found one, we all had root beers in frosted mugs. It didn't matter the time of day. This was a benefit of traveling before cars were air conditioned. We also enjoyed watching for McDonald's - even though we seldom ate at one - to see how high the number served at reached. If memory serves me correctly, the first signs we say showed less than 100,000. Della's Spanish Dining Room in Farmington, New Mexico was an experience. Della and her husband operated a small grocery out of a room on the front of their home. Della started serving a few meals in that room. Eventually she took over the living room, then closed the grocery so that entire room could be used, then added her own dining room, and finally another room on the west of the dining room. Then she moved her family out completely. Her beef tacos were what I always ordered, but they were so spicy I could barely stand them. Everything else on the menu was hotter yet. The real reason I loved going to Della's was to eat her sopapillas. A basket was brought to the table along with a honey dispenser. She was constantly replenishing our supply - and they were always fresh. Frequently, they were so fresh (and hot) that we could barely hold them. As soon as they were cool enough to bite a corner off, we would pour honey into the sopapilla. We ate sopapillas in the various restaurants of Albuquerque's Old Town, but they were never as good as Della's. The Blue Spruce Cafe in Farmington was THE place to eat in 1951. A town of less than 5,000 didn't have very many choices. The Sullivans operated this cafe for twenty or thirty years. Their cinnamon rolls were so large that all four corners were sticking over the edge of the saucer used to serve them. They were made fresh each morning, and in the early 1950s cost ten cents each. That was my breakfast many mornings. In 1958, we visited New Orleans, and we dined at Antoine's one evening. My father asked the waiter to bring us four different dinners - one beef, one pork, one chicken and one seafood. We would decide who got what when they arrived. While waiting Dad informed us that this was one of the finest restaurants in New Orleans, and that the waiter would bring us the best dish they had in each category. I had never had crab cakes until that evening, and they were fantastic. They were so good that I ordered them again later on in Key West - and was I ever disappointed. The difference in two restaurants preparation of what by name was the same dish was very graphically illustrated to me on that trip. Maybe that is why I am on this board this evening. At the end of the block where my grandmother lived in Oklahoma City, at 15th and May Ave. was a Chicken In The Rough restaurant which had the best fried chicken. I don't remember what else they served, but I always looked forward to their chicken. Another chain that I remember from the 1950s was Toddle House. Whenever we found one on a trip, that was where we would have breakfast. I don't remember whether it was particularly good or not, but my mother would always insist that we eat there - except the one in Albuquerque - which she felt was not up to Toddle House standards. We ate there twice and never went back. That's enough rambling for now. Does anyone else remember any of these places?

I haven't yet checked out Swapna, but it is on my list. I have enjoyed Haveli's buffet for years, but generally message boards don't all agree with my tastes. I want to see how Swapna compares. Monday I had lunch at Supermercado Jalisco. Excellent, as usual. Yesterday I ate at Seafood Corner. We ordered at 1:10pm and were told it would be 40 minutes. Everything is cooked fresh. After 40 minutes, I was told it would be another ten minutes. Fifteen minutes later, I was told the order was ready and he just needed to bag it up. We were starving by then which always helps food taste good. My two guests said it was the best fish (they both ordered whiting) that they had had in quite some time. That was quite a backlog - they must be doing something right.

Swallow at the Hollow in Roswell has the best ribs, in my opinion. Likewise, for beef brisket I recommend Champs Bar-B-Q in Smyrna. Old South Barbeque in Smyrna does a decent job with pork.

My awareness of cheap eats (with good quality) is generally in Cobb County. Green Tomato is a southern buffet operated by a very pleasant Korean couple. It is on Powers Ferry Road, across from Brumby Elementary School between Terrill Mill Road and Delk Road in the same shopping center with Micro Center. Seafood Corner (takeout only) is in Jonquil Plaza Shopping Center on Atlanta Road at Spring Road. Also in Jonquil Plaza is Supermercado Jalisco (also two other locations) where excellent burritos are $4.50 (one is plenty for a meal), tortas (sandwiches) are $3.50 and desserts (kept with the grocery cashier) are $.69 each. Champs Bar-B-Q on South Cobb Drive in the block north of Windy Hill Road has the best brisket I have had in Georgia in the more than twenty years I have lived in Georgia. El Taco Veloz (several locations) has superb food similar to Supermercado Jalisco. Dining for under $10 is possible at any hour in these places. Many others are available during the noon hour, but are higher in the evenings.