herbacidal

Having not read the article quite yet, it's not just the Amish-Quaker axis. But it's never one particular reason for something. In this case, there's also the state store workers' union, the beer distributors'. I'm probably leaving a few out.

As someone for whom every trip to NYC involves at least one day of nonstop eating, I say bravo. You are taking a different strategy than me, as mine tended to be all within Manhattan. I'm just getting to the point where I'd like to do one in Brooklyn, Queens, or both. Reference the thread on Offal Tour I for the last trip, and I'll see if I can find the rest. Here and here are two more.

chinatown! of course you're right. duh, i knew i was forgetting something obvious. ← Chinatown will be good, but the Devon one is a good price. Do they de-shell it for you? If not there's no reason you can't take the shells with you for stock. Just ask. Bring your own bag if you want. It's not like they're going to take them back off the plate on the way in for their own stock use.

My experience from working in one place that had 2 menus, and knowing enough people in the Chinese restaurant business, is that any non-Chinese can get the "other" menu if they ask. The staff's not hiding it on purpose. Their purpose is to get you to spend your money and eat there so they can get paid. They don't want to scare you away. So they play the percentages that most non-Chinese don't want to order from that menu. And are very suprised when someone does. They don't want you to come away with a negative perception of the place, or they might lose your business. You have to understand the most important goal of any restaurant, and this is true of Chinese restaurants especially (that's why they're priced low and a little sweeter for the American palate) is to get the customer to spend their money there.

First, although I thought the tripe I had at P&P was good, I think tripe is best in soup. From my trip to P&P, I know they have gizzards, although I don't know if that's definitely what you had. Also, if anyone's 48-hour film team needs a member, I volunteer! I've been wanting to try one of those events ever since I read about one in NYC.

My general feeling, and others will have to rule in on this of course, is that fishes get popular based on a combination of: 1) what the fish suppliers are pushing 2) what fishes the restaurants, public and nonprofit groups believe to be overfished, and therefore put pressure on fishermen and suppliers to not use 3) what fishes are considered overfished based on past history In other words, when a fish gets overfished, w/o previous overfished stock numbers going back up, then I expect the fish suppliers/fishermen to look for a new fish to catch en mass. This in turn, increases the availability of that fish at a good price, increasing its presence on menus.

Reminds me of my relationship with Studiokitchen. In summer 2003(?) I had three dinners there. By the end, I still liked Shola's food, but had less appreciation for how good it was. I needed more time away, to taste normal food.

I thought I had a review of this place here but I guess not. I thought the server I had was reasonably good, but pretty new. I give her credit for trying. She comped my burger when the kitchen printer jammed or something, causing 1/2 hr delay with the burger. She didn't know a whole lot, but at mostly sandwiches and such, she's probably okay. I value attitude more than anything, and she at least tried and was fairly pleasant. But I sat at a table and didn't get my check in a stiletto.

I think Teikoku got a lot of press when it opened but then all the rave reviews for Nectar switched all the attention over there. There seems to only room for one big Pan-Asian upscale restaurant in the northern Chester / western Montgomery county suburbs, or at least room for only one at the top of the heap. That said, from what I remember of Teikoku's reviews from random people and press, I think most people thought it slightly overrated, and therefore once Nectar came onto the scene they lost the spotlight. Personally, I will never forgive them for opening on where Bobby's Seafood was. Ooh, I miss that honey-butter.

There's a Marathon's on Chestnut between Broad and 13th next to Borders.

One would think that one's desire for a burger is completely independent of sexual orientation. We've all gotta eat! ← For some people, their individual desire for a burger may well be overpowered by how comfortable/not he/she feels in a particular establishment, whether or not it is the direct/indirect effect of what effect the establishment is consciously attempting to develop.

The differentiation is more from the marketing / decor end, and therefore relative to the target demographic.

Yea, the dirty little secret on how to get more attention for food in a particular area on Egullet is to get more active members who frequent that area. At the current time, I'd say much of our PA readers are central Philly based. So we just need more people in Bucks County. And in Chester County. And in South Jersey...

I really can't picture what the chicken back looks like. Anyone got pics?

In the Philadelphia Inquirer , Craig Laban finally manages to get a review in about Philly’s gastropubs, as N. 3rd gets pointed out as a cozy spot with affordable, interesting food served in a cozy pub with kickin’ beer selections. Rick Nichols emphasizes the simple pleasures of Famous 4th Street Cookies as they continue where the deli left off. Catherine Quillman comes across a Japanese-oriented BYOB in pleasant little Collegeville as Bonjung pleases the stomach and the soul. In the Philadelphia Daily News , Sono Monoyama kicks the tires on the converted Sawan’s as Byblos gets the once-over. In the Philadelphia Weekly , Kirsten Henri does double duty as she inspects White Dog Café alum Michael O’Halloran’s tiny little altar to freshness in Old City as Bistro 7 debuts in the spot best known for being the original Blue in Green, while also lavishing attention on one of my personal cheap eat favorites, Pho Ba Le and its summer rolls (I prefer the banh mi, baby!). In the City Paper (Philadelphia), A.D. Amorosi does a turn in the food writer’s chair as he pokes around a few new spots as he recaps four places highlighting our love of meat. Discussion of Famous Dave’s , the Smoked Joint and Porky and Porkie has been around for a while. Juliet Fletcher explores the continual increase in restaurant sidewalk permits with Pigalle replacement Sovalo given significant column space. In the Patriot-News (Central PA---Harrisburg,York) Mimi Brodeur goes Go Bo and finds the Pan-Asian eatery in Susquehanna staying receptive towards criticism of its misses. Harrisburg’s Bagel Lovers Café serves up bagels (duh!) reminiscent of carrot cake as one of their more unusual choices. In the Morning Call (Allentown), Susan Gottschall explores an Easton pub well-stocked with microbrews as Which Brew serves up eminently quaffable drinks to go with their bar food kicked up a few notches, all served with playful “witchy” décor. Please cut and paste for the Morning Call link. I cannot determine the source of the error.

Yea, I noticed the blurb. I was about to say, you co-opted my horseradish vodka. Ah well, at least it went to good use, making drinkers in the OH order more drinks.

Mokas, on Lancaster between 35th and 36th is there, and I've been wanting to try it. Effie's is one of my favorites; with their rear courtyard, spring/summer dinner is great. Pine between 12th and 11th. Zorba's, on Fairmount at 23rd (??) is good, but I do remember one dish being a little salty, and considering how much I like salty, that's a lot. Overall, still well worth the price of admission. I think the favorite Greek stuff in town is at the church festivals; there's one at St. George's at about 8th and Locust, also one in Cherry Hill just off Haddonfield Road somewhere. KatieLoeb, SJ Epicurean, or Holly Moore will have to chime in with specifics. Here is a thread on Greek festivals and one meal at St. George's in particular.

Jefferson Restaurant in NYC had a drink with calamansi that I thought very interesting.

Yea, I think the other people are assuming that they'll just know what to do because it looks easy and they've seen bartenders do it in the past, so how hard can it be? That's folly, bigtime. All of the info given here plus more that we may be leaving out is testament to that.

But it's not there anymore.

You guys ordered pigs blood? Whatja think?

Yea, you're right. I totally forgot about that place. That old fashioned meeting hall is the Chinese Cutural Center, if I'm not mistaken, since I've never actually been inside. If I'm right, it's where the New Year's dinners that got some press outside Chinatown were held until they stopped having them a few years ago. It probably is part-Vietnamese, or at least owned by Chinese who grew up in Vietnam.

I'd go to Melting Pot, because I've never had fondue. Ted Turner isn't a bajillionaire anymore. With the AOL stock price down, he's a lowly multimillionaire.

The only Viet-Chinese bakery in Chinatown that I know of is China Bakery on 11th between Race and Spring. Roughly middle of the block.

Optimistically, maybe in a few years. Pessimistically, maybe in a few centuries.