BrooksNYC

Following your experiment with interest! When you hit on a gin that makes you happy, please let us know. (A well-made Ramos really IS a great drink.)

I like Galatoire's nicely balanced, classic seafood gumbo.

Marteau? Obsello?

This just in. (Reviews from the January 2009 issue of Imbibe.)

According to this Chowhound thread, it's now Pravda.

While we're on the topic of Jung & Wulff, click here to see a photo of the bottle. Lovely. (Michael Terranova's photo courtesy of Mixing New Orleans - Cocktails and Legends, by Phillip Collier)

My New Orleans father used to say that you can't over-shake a Ramos! A contributor to the Drinkboy forum offered the following suggestion. (Haven't tried it, so can't vouch for it.) "Flash-blend all ingredients (except for seltzer) — without ice — for 30 seconds. Transfer blended mixture to a shaker, and shake — with ice — for another 10-15 seconds. Strain into glass, and top with seltzer." It's a break from tradition, but if it works, it might come in handy when making fizzes for half a dozen or more brunch guests. If anyone has the opportunity to try it, please let us know how it turns out!

Hooray! It's such a beautiful room. As I've said a hundred times, I hope the new owners have sense and class enough to take down the flat-panel television that the previous management nailed to the wall. The Saz shouldn't be a sports bar. The wonderful 1930s murals by Paul Ninas are overdue for a cleaning. Hope they brought in skilled conservationists to do the honors. Thanks for posting the great news!

Manhattan-based New Orleanian here, and this thread is KILLIN' me! I am lovin' every syllable. By all means, drag it out as long as you can, then go back and fill in the blanks. If you can't find any blanks to fill in, make some up. And promise to take me with you on your next trip, 'cuz y'all know how ta do it RITE!

You may be thinking of the Belmore Cafeteria, at Park Avenue South at 28th Street. The cafeteria opened in 1929, according to this article. It finally closed in 1981, to be replaced by — what else! — a soulless condo. Google the Belmore, and you'll get a page of hits.

I love the Monteleone. I'd spring for a Deluxe King room, if you can. The Standard Kings are on the small side. Two more forums that might be of help to you: Chowhound New Orleans New Orleans forum at TripAdvisor Cheers, and happy anniversary!

Having never made rice pudding, I can't vouch for the following myself, but..... I remember reading somewhere that adding sugar before the rice is fully cooked will result in tough rice. The chef recommended cooking the rice for the recommended cooking time (or however long it takes for rice to achieve desired texture) and then stirring in the sugar. I also read (this applies to stove-top rice pudding) that the pudding doesn't thicken much as it chills. Cook the pudding to desired thickness before taking it off the stove.

The great Chris McMillian has left the Library Lounge at New Orleans' Ritz Carlton and may be coming to NYC to tend bar for a while. What an honor for us to have him here! I believe the stint is temporary, however. Anyone know of Mr. McMillian's future plans?

Almond butter is the only nut butter I've bought for years. Love it it raw or toasted, and try (when I can afford it) to buy organic. Here's one of my favorite "God forbid anyone should know what you eat in private" snacks: Chewy peasant bread (toasted or not) smeared with almond butter and topped with olive salad from Central Grocery in New Orleans.

Max, at some point, I'll poke my nose into the Wikipedia fracas. From a cursory skimming, I have to say that it looks like a hot air and baloney sandwich deluxe. However, I'll suspend further judgment until I've read through it carefully. I mentioned your post over at the Wormwood Society, and one of our members, Shabba, responded: Then there's this note from a member of the Wikipedia Help Staff: Here's a link to the Wormwood Society thread. Anyone interested in participating in this discussion is welcome to come over, join up, and dive in. .

A quick, demystifying word about proportions, since on any bottle of absinthe, the suggested water-to-absinthe ratio is intended as a general guide.Dilute with water to your taste. Start by adding water very slowly, watching as the cloudy louche builds from the bottom of the glass. Initially, you'll have two layers — a cloudy layer on the bottom, and a clear layer on top — but eventually, the two layers will meet. The time to take a trial sip is the moment when the clear layer vanishes "into the clouds." It may be just right, or it may need more water. Keep sipping and watering until you're happy. Under-diluted absinthe lacks nuance. Over-diluted absinthe is insipid. High-proof absinthes, not surprisingly, take more water than lower-proof absinthes. Lucid is an oddball. For some reason, it's easy to over-dilute Lucid, so sip as you go.

These days, you'll find glasses, spoons, and fountains all over the web, but the Wormwood Society's favorite store is La Maison d'Absinthe, in New Orleans. Great merchandise, great customer service, and it's a New Orleans store. Nice to be able to support the local economy.

It's all moving very fast. But as of December 31, 2007, the only absinthes approved for sale in the US are Lucid, Kübler, and St. George. Expect that to change soon! On a slightly different tangent, fans of European absinthe might be interested in skimming this recent Wormwood Society thread... Your Top Ten Commercial Absinthes ...in which members chime in on their favorite commercial absinthes in 2007. For anyone new to absinthe who's interested in sampling the best of the commercial crop, this thread can help you make solid, informed choices.

It's been a while since we've made brownies, and I've forgotten how much weed $100-$150 used to buy. Was it an ounce? Less? More? Whatever....that's the amount we used to add (cleaned of stems and seeds) to a box of Duncan Heinz brownie mix. After baking, we'd divide the cooled batch into sixteen squares, cut each square into four mini-squares, wrap each mini separately in plastic wrap, and freeze. Yield: Sixty-four minis. One could eat a mini straight from the freezer without waiting for it to thaw — so convenient — and an hour later it was "Aloha, Nanee Wanee!" One little square was the perfect amount. The brownies were slightly gritty, and did taste of the mystery ingredient. Not that it mattered, as they were barely a bite's worth. My favorite munchies were anything within reach. I did go through a homemade bread phase, and while hot bread and butter is staggeringly delicious, it takes some planning. One night I didn't plan, and the only items in the cupboard were a can of water chestnuts and a bottle of blackstrap molasses. "Mmmm!" I remember thinking. "The molasses really makes this dish." My next thought was: "And this kitchen is like the inside of a Kleenex box!" Ha! Know what I mean? HEY! Isn't this kitchen like the inside of a Kleenex box??? Cool 'n' Creamy Pudding! That's the one we used to buy. You could buy it thawed or frozen, and I can remember digging into the half-frozen tub because it took too damned long to thaw.Favorite flavor: Butterscotch!!! .

Correct. At the Combier distillery, where he makes the Jades.

I have this to say about that:A person who giggles at a man drinking Campari is a boor and a philistine and not fit to live in a cow pen. A lady who giggles at a man drinking Campari is no lady. I hope that's not too harsh an indictment.

The Deco-inspired bottle for the new St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur is absolutely stunning. The picture can't do justice to the weight of the bottle or the beautifully faceted surface.

To my mind, an absinthe fountain — filled, frosty, and dripping ice-water — is just about the prettiest thing you can put on a bar. Congrats, Ms. Foodie! Anyone thinking of buying a fountain will want to check out the goods at La Maison d'Absinthe. In addition to fountains, the shop carries imported, hand-blown absinthe glasses, spoons, saucers, sugar dishes.......the works. René, who runs the shop, is a great guy, and by purchasing from his French Quarter store, you'll be helping the New Orleans economy. I loved this year's "Tales of the Cocktail." Already looking forward to 2008! P.S. to Ms. Foodie: If you need to rinse out the lantern, be very careful, as sudden changes of temperature can cause the glass to crack. If you've had the lantern filled with ice water, empty it completely and allow the glass to warm to room temperature before rinsing it in barely tepid water. Also, you'll be less likely to get mineral deposits in the spigots if you empty the fountain between uses. Allow the spigots to dry completely by leaving the handles in the "open" position until next use.

To pan back just a bit..... The warmth, vibrancy, and color of Mexican culture can only enrich New Orleans. New Orleans, like NYC, is home to many cultures, and that, surely, is part of its fizz. Last Mardi Gras, I was wowed by a group of twenty or so Mexican women who were marching in one of the parades. Some were old, some were young, but they came blazing down St. Charles in spangly red, ruffled dresses, with silk poppies in their hair and huge, radiant smiles on their faces. Fantastic! New Orleans is a celebratory place, and Mexico is a fiesta culture. What a lovely match! And, as everyone is saying, the city's Mexican restaurants are about to get exponentially better. It started happening in NYC a few years ago, and New Yorkers are thrilled to death. Those are my two cents. Carry on with the truck discussion!

I had it at Pegu Club several months ago, and it was one of the suavest, most wonderful drinks I've had in a long time. Loved it! Haven't tried to make it at home, though.