Kim WB

Welcome to the new forum and new moderator. I've had a long standing compaint. When dining in many restaurants, even those considered high end, there is a distinct difference between the coffee and tea service. The coffee drinker might get a caraffe( at brunch, for example) or at a minimum, a refill. There is usually a selection of types of coffee as well. A tea drinker gets a cup of hot water, and a tea bag in it. A higher end place might have a selection of tea bags in a pretentious wooden box, and will serve tea in a glorified creamer with a lid. Oh, there are a hanful of places that do it right, and I've been to them: a small china or ceramic pot that has enough for two or three cups, perhaps an infulse or strainer with loose tea, or at a minimum tea bags that are FRESH, and actually begin to infuse the water when it makes contact! I drink coffee,a nd when I'm skipping dessert I'll order a coffee instead, sweet and light. But when I have dessert, or during breakfast or lunch, I prefer black teas. Any tea drinkers feel similiarly discriminated against?

This is an important element to me, as well. I usually enjoy my cooking, but I am especially receptive to sincere compliments and empty plates... I recently made veal saltimbocca for a dinner party, which I usually avoid because the sauteeing keeps you away from the guest for a bit...but, the compliments were great, and I was so ..happy. Content, satisfied... without even taking a bite. We have a dinner party at least once a month, at least lately, and casual dinner guests about 2x a month. WE're moving, so I plan to increase those numbers once we're in the new, "kitchen open to the great room" situation. Plus, kid's friends or neighbors are here at least once a week, but sometimes that's not more than burgers on the grill or pasta.

The basil will discolor when exposed to air, and the pesot will losse some of its freshness...but it will still be good. I'd suggest using a glass jar, and then putting a layer of saran directly on the surface, pushing down with your hands or a spoon to really minimize any air, then seal it well with the lid. It also freezes well in little ziplocs, perfect for a serving or two.

I really like when I cook roasts and whole poultry and such. I mean, a duck breast is better from any restaurant, because of the sauces and such..but doesn't beat a whole pheasant roasted with golden raisin stuffing! A lamb chop can be wonderful, but give me a pancetta wrapped leg of lamb anyday!

Went with a party of four to Felidia on Friday night, 7:15 reso. I was disappointed. I didn't have expectations of a life altering meal, or even an excellent one, but on the other hand, I really love Lidia's cook book, and her general approach to food. I had two major issues, one wth service and one with the food. I understand that sommeliers LIKE to help people, but sometimes, a person just really wants to look at a wine list without so many intrusions. I think my husband was polite but firm..when they handed him the list, he said "I've been looking forward to this" ( I sold him on Felidia because of the Bastianich connection, and he's very hot on the Italian Wine Center right now, the store on 16th?17th?) and proceeded to look through the wines. Now, he's a major wine person, and Italians are his personal favorites. While we ordered sparkling waters and cocktails, the sommelier came up to him twice to ask if he needed help with making a selection. My husband replied "No thank you" and returned to the list. A few minutes later, the same person again asked if he needed suggestions..The second time, Bob just took off his glasses and gave the sommeleier a withering look. Now, it was not 15 minutes total, it was more like 5 minutes. When the waiter came, he told him he was ready to order the wines, and then the sommelier returned with an attitude. Once we ordered, he got a little better, but was still curt and dismissive..even with a 2 bottle wine tab that exceeded 300 bucks. The appetizers were great: foie and calves tongue terrine, shrimp in vidalia onion, grilled ocupus salad, and a soup. We ordered an order of pasta to be split... the special with crimini mushrooms. Excellent, lots of sage, toothy pasta. Entrees were unimpressive...just a bunch of things that didn't seem to go together..for example, I had osso bucco, which needed a knife and was not falling off the bone as I have had before. It was doused in a tomato based sauce. Then, whole or coursly chunked roasted vegs with a decidedly balsamic syrup flavor..tasty vegs..but made no sense with the meat. And, barley risotto, with a very strong chicken stock based sauce...no melding of flavors, not complimentary..all in all, 4 entrees, and each of us left some major componenet untouched. Bite by bite, there were no terrible flavors..but as a composite..just didn't work. 2 desserts samplers, which were just ok. Citrus and chocolate...nothing new or exciting, a coconut twist on tiramisu that almost worked except for texture, and being served in a little glass egg shaped glass, with a tablespoon..so there was no way to get it out.

hmm, my first reaction was that of Roz's..you've got to be joking, paying for food that you have no idea what it will be...for example, a Fall tasting might have beets, my avoid at all costs food...on the other hand, I realized I've done just that at omikazee dinners at certain places. It is intriguing, I guess if you are very confidant in the general quality of the restaurant. I guess there are a handful of chefs I'd trust..do you give any hints, like "not suitable for vegetatrians" or "undercooked fish served" or whatever?

Adam, I am really enjoying your writing style and sense of humor. Keep posting, and go for making your own stock next...it will make a difference in your risotto.

What is a "suprise" tasting? Rat's has a wonderful tasting menu, not limited to teh entire table. And the tasting menu at Stage House Inn was fantastic, too.

I was at La Fontana last week, and Panico's this week...both are busier during the week for business than during the weekends. I think they're doing fine. I used to prefer La Fontana, but lately I've been getting better speicails at Panico's.

I'm glad to see you are going to Lafayette and environs...I'd been to NOLA numerous times, and just during my last visit took my first road trip. My husband lived in Eunice for a while, we drove out there and it was quite different than NOLA...great food in local shacks, but I wasn't keeping names and records.

My two cents: Stage Left- I was very hot on this restaurant over the last year, since they renovated and the wine store becasme a dining area..its the only place I like to sit, as I feelt he rest of the restaurant is very cold and stark. I've had some real winner meals there, in large parties of 10 and just the two of us...and great service. Then, my last meal was uninspired, the service was just average, and they were out of two wines we tried to order.... Knowing that every place has a bad night, I'll still keep it on my list, but some of the shine has come off. Also, I had a terrible experience with the catering manager there, which certainly colored my views. I really like Soho, and think that their food can be quite adventurous for a casual kind of place..also, very grown up ( ie not college) bar scene on weekends there. Had a gingered duck last fall that I can still recall, and I love their lobster club for lunch..but lunch service at the bar can be spotty at best. I've had lunch at Atillio's, and while it was a generous, cheap bowl of pasta, it doesn't have much of an atmosphere. Not impressed. Rosie is right, Clydz has a reputatuion for game selections..but there were none on their summer menu, the last time I ate there. I like the feel of the place, and its great for lunch at the bar with the judges and attorneys from the courthouse...great evesdropping! I realy like trying their game preperations, and at least once we'll visit int he winter to see what's new on the menu. Frog still gets great WOM even after all these years. I have not been in years, had a meal or two that was way too full of itself, fussy and overcomposed. But, repected palatees regularly give it a thumbs up, and I really should visit again. Makeda was good for lunch, but I had little knowledge of the cuisinne, so I can't really give an opinion on the food besides that it was tasty. I like Green Grotto...same owner has a Jamaican take out next store with fabulous jerk dishes and curried goat..I think he's slated for a tear down to make room for new development. My parents love OMRafferty's, so I have always assumed it was cheap, large portioned and mediocre! Never been. WAs a Goebel's for drinks,a nd it was so empty, so " on our way out" kind of feel, I never returned..but that was a year ago, so they must have survived! Good dining,a nd welcome back to NJ

Pulaski's is the Polish deli, and during Easter and Christmas they will accept orders for hams and homemade sausages..Rich is correct, they are not butchers per se, more like meat market type place. Rich, doesn't Cartlidge's have the best turkey sausage? I use it as a replacement for pork sausage all the time...its perfectly seasoned.

With the cake doctor popularity and all, I bet it might be time to resubmit this idea...similiar market, I would think.

Poached chicken and cheddar sammich on sourdough, one side mayo, one side Sierra Nevada mustard. I'm making chicken soup, and I'll have a bowl of that later, because were going to a wine tasting and THEN dinner tonight, and i don't want to go on an empty stomach. My son is home from school, he had bacon and grilled cheese, and I was thinking about the Perlow's teflon bag thingy, casue my small non stick was in the dishwasher.

There is a part of me that relates to Adam, in that I was a well raised suburban Jersy girl, who thought fancy was a local steak house..when I turned 16, my father brought me to it, just the two of us, and we ordered fiLET MiGnon...with mushrooms, no less, in 1976! But then I was accepted at NYU, and real life started: In 1981, I went to dinner with my boyfriend, who was a valet at the River Cafe. Larry Forgione treated us like Gold, and I had a cream of wild mushroom soup that I still try to emulate. I was smart enough at 17 to pick the plainest black dress from Kmart, and drape it well over a great teen body, then added some over the top funky earings, and some ahead of the curve Madonna black rubber bracelets...we should all, in our lives, feel as spectacular as I did that night. Invincible, and what a mushroom soup! The food was an eye opener, and set the stage for my entire adult life...so, lets not minimize the importance of one meal, at one time and place.....after all, I wound up working there, had children with the chef, marreid, divorced, married again...it all started at the River Cafe in 1981, and despite some of the despair, I would not take one moment back...especially the mushroom soup. Sorry, waxing poetic again. But one meal can change the course of one's life. i would have never entered the business, except I was amazed that a soup could taste like that, and just wanted to learn more. 2 kids later... Just let Adam post, and be easy on him..its better than the 5 thousand 25 year olds that go to Chilis and Fridays every night.

In Kingston, there is the Amish market with two great poultry farmers/butchers represented, and then antoher meat place. Teh chicken places are great..but the meat place is jsut ok..I lke to use them for marrow bones for soup, country bacons and ribs, but its not the place to get a steak. Teh Trenton Farmer's market in Lawrence also has a nubmer of butchers, primarily slavic, russian, polish or hungarian focussed. Best bet is McCaffrey's in Princeton and Princeton Junction...very customer service oriented, high quality, not inexpensive.

Verve is your best bet...great food, great atmosphere, casual but still special...a great 4 top or more place. I'd be very suprised if you wre disappointed.

There are clearance outlets, such as Flemington and Freehold, and then there are factory outlets..which are just stores that do direct sales without the mark-up, and sell overruns for great prices. Le Crueset, for example, in Flemington, has most of the inventory, at least 40% off.

Once again, as Maggie tends to do in the e-gullet writing competitions, she has encouraged our members to live on the edge, push the limit, straddle the line! Or, she works for Allstate, looking for claims!

whew, that's tuition for two and a half kids, K-college.

In Nanning China, at a department store, the attendants are available to buy toilet paper from. This is handy after you squat down over the trough that runs through the middle of the room, cheek to cheek,so to say, with your neighbor. Oh, and a bit of advice..there IS a reason why no one is squatting down at the far end near the drain, dear.

Also, you follow the money trail....as FG pointed out, Bayless didn't say one word about donating until AFTER the hoopla. However, I wish Bayless had said " Yeah, I did it..do you have any idea what tuition and room and Board costs at University of XYZ? They offerrred me the gig, paid me well, so I took it...knowing I've got this chunk of change from BK will give me more freedom to run and open the kind of places I want and provide my family wioth financial security...". Then, you could all continue berating him for selling out, but at least he'd not be a liar.

Ming sigh. He's certainly the best looking of all the celeb chefs. Oh, Todd English is pretty hot, too, but Ming is the hottest. OK, back to actual comments about cooking ability.

I love this thread. I loved it then, I love it now...continue. Man, I miss Macrosan!

Ome Catereers. PM me for details.