daisy17

It bothered me that the judges didn't bring up Andrew's failure to use a grain when they were all about the rules a couple of weeks ago with the polish sausage. I had no problem with Lisa raising the issue. I'm happy to see that Richard and Stephanie are doing as well as they are; I personally think they're the real competition here, along with Dale. His tantrum last week (before they hadn't slept, so I don't feel that's an excuse) was ridiculous, and he really does need to cook something non-Asian. Richard and Stephanie both remind me in some ways of Harold from the first season. They are extremely talented. They're also the people you'd want in the kitchen of your restaurant, or to be cooking next to on the line on a sat night when you're getting slammed. They don't talk shit about everyone and need to resort to theatrics like many of the others. Solid.

Bingo. That's the problem with going down this road. You'll find things you love, but they'll be hard to find well-made. I've been SO spoiled with the high quality of cocktails at the bars I frequent, and then I end up in a non-cocktailian bar or restaurant without a good cocktail program and I have NO IDEA what to drink. Campari soda is my go-to - very hard to mess up. And is deceptively girly-looking, which I secretly revel in. I thought I hated gin until I had a Gin Gin Mule at Pegu on my first visit. What I didn't realize is that I just hated crappily made gin drinks. And I discovered how complex and soul-stirring rye can be. So keep an open mind! Some of what I think are the best gin cocktails for someone who doesn't know they like gin yet are quite simple, and you can play with them at home if you don't have access to a good cocktail bar. I love a Southside, or a French 75, or a gimlet (I would go fresh lime/simple over Rose's) or tom collins. There are many threads on these cocktails, or you can check out drinkboy.com or a good cocktail book. I would also go back to the great bartender at the restaurant you were at tonight, but at an off-hour, and talk to him/her. Ask for recommendations, and to taste new spirits on their own and in cocktails. If s/he is really great (if they're using fresh citrus and other ingredients that is a good sign), you'll be exposed to new things you never thought you'd like and who knows, you may find that sweet isn't really your thing after all. Try a daiquiri (no, not the frozen kind - just rum, lime, simple), or a negroni, or a Manhattan. The best part of this is that you're open to trying new things and finding out what you like.

Glad you made it over there and had the opportunity to have one of Joaquin's cocktails. (oh, and Kelvin rocks.) Did you also hit Little Branch?

Cool spot, sorely disappointing cocktails.

Love that you've actually calculated it.

You've listed some great places, but I'd definitely say PDT and Death & Co. if you have just a couple of hours. Both are in the East Village, which is just a very quick cab ride from the West Village. Open at 6 (good to go early), and are 2 blocks from each other should you want to hit both. Next choice for me, and closer to the west village, would be Flatiron. I love Little Branch but I don't think it opens early (or maybe I've just never gone early - someone here will know).

Definitely agree that Mary's Fish Camp and Pearl Oyster Bar are the way to go for casual but really good seafood. Great for lunch. (Have heard not good things about Ed's.) Keep in mind that both places are on the small side and may not be able to seat a group of 8. I was at Toloache again last week and continue to think they're putting out very good food. I would imagine that they would accommodate any requests you had for toning down heat.

um: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1564363 ← what does that mean? ← You said that you're not VIP'd at either Ssam or Noodle Bar. but in that other post you described getting extra dishes at Noodle Bar. ← I didn't say I got extra dishes for free; I said they were off menu because they were specials. I paid for everything I ate and I am not VIPed at either place. I assure you that I am smart enough to not write contradictory posts within 2 hours.

um: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1564363 ← what does that mean?

Are we talking about just Ko or all the Momofukus now? Because I think that Ko offers a very different type of service. I have never had a disappointing service experience at either Ssam or Noodle Bar (and I am not VIPed at either).

That's exactly what it is - the sauce is OUT OF CONTROL good - a tangy, mustardy mayo studded with a tiny dice of grilled country ham. Holy crap, I almost licked the plate. The egg was not runny, and perhaps that's why it didn't seem essential to the dish in my mind. I kind of ignored the egg for the asparagus and sauce. I also had another off menu dish today - rice cakes with a bibim sauce, shrimp and strips of cooked egg, garnished with scallions. The sauce is a luscious combination of sweet and mild but evident heat. Really enjoyed the textures and flavors in this dish. Was told they're playing with both dishes and that both will be on the menu soon. I'm not sure what kind of further tweaking is needed - they both seemed ready to go to me!

I wouldn't characterize the service on my visit as "bad," or not courteous, but it definitely affected my experience. The servers on the floor were quite sweet and accommodating, but my interactions with the guys on the line weren't very satisfying. I had questions about the food, which I was enthusiastic about, and wasn't able to digest what was told to me in very few words as the plate was put in front of me. My questions were along the lines of "so what is this dish exactly?" - I was not trying to have a lengthy discussion with anyone because clearly they're busy. But I didn't feel like my inquiries were met with any sort of positive response or appreciation, or anything other than a repetition of the same 4 word description I was initially given. And frankly, it detracted from my meal considerably. If I had been able to read a description of the food, I would have had fewer questions, and maybe wouldn't care about my interactions with the cooks. I wouldn't even say that my expectations have anything to do with the cost, and I don't expect this to be Gramercy Tavern. But I just had a fantastic lunch at Noodle Bar for $40, was able to talk to the guys on the line to understand what I was eating, and felt like they cared about how I felt about the food.

What a cool site! Yes, tons of herbs and flowers. And the lilacs I bought are delicious.

You should be forewarned that the Union Square Greenmarket is a bit of a sad mess due to the construction on the north end. All of those vendors have been squished onto the west and south sides. And you thought it was crowded before . . . BUT I've been enjoying ramps for the last 3 weeks, and this past weekend asparagus.

My understanding is that many Southside recipes call for lemon but all the bartenders I know (Toby included) use lime. (There really seems to be a lot of variation in the books - DeGroff says to use lime, but tops with soda water. It's in Savoy with lemon and soda.) I've always had them with gin/simple/lime/mint. I think the last time I made Southsides I used Beefeater and loved it. Such a simple yet fantastic cocktail.

Daniel, I am free to come over for dinner any night. Question for you on the pasta - did you blanch the ramps first? Have been playing with them, and can't decide if it's necessary. You cooked the leaves too?

It felt slightly lazy since I was previously considering doing Corpse Revivers, but at a brunch baby shower I threw recently I did St. Germain (1.5 oz), prosecco (2 oz) and soda (2 oz) with a lemon twist. It was incredibly easy to prepare and serve by the pitcher and everyone loved it. Nice and light, hard to get wasted on this stuff. Although believe me, I tried my best.

please, do whatever you need to do. what i tasted this weekend was AMAZING. am still thinking about one of them in particular, but I promised not to say anything, so I'm suffering in silence.

I would also go with as few people as possible if you want to dine at the bar - 3 absolute max.

I wasn't referring to being comped - I meant the deliberate disclosure of the comp in the post. I guess 2 posts in a row made it really obvious to me and it seemed a little odd.

A new trend?

Perfectly put. The Tour at Alinea is really not "regular" in any sense. The smaller courses are as mind-blowing and full of remarkable detail as the larger plates (and in fact were some of my favorites of the night). I only wished I had seen the construction of some of the dishes, because I know that a lot of technique was not obvious in just seeing the end result. Really, a phenomenal experience.

Wait, they stopped serving the Hitachino?!

Had the good fortune to enjoy this last night. I really loved how the rum came through. I'm a huge amaro fan, but usually see it show up in Manhattan variants and the like. This was a wonderful surprise. I would still like to know if the bottle of Averna I have in my kitchen qualifies me in any way for the Sicily trip.

I also get the kimchi stew every time I go to Noodle Bar. I can't help myself; it satisfies many cravings. That's always been my take on the place - which I've long preferred to Ssam - the food at Noodle Bar is generally more craveable to me. It seems to me that they're having more fun with the food than they did in the previous smaller space.