herbacidal

What does that mean and where is it from?

I'll agree with not really liking the idea of the BBQ cheesesteak. But I do eat cheesesteaks with mushrooms, peppers, and mayonnaise sometimes. In fact, my standard preferred method is with: cheese (Whiz preferably, if not then American), steak, warmed hoagie roll, fried onions, ketchup, mayonnaise, hot peppers, sweet peppers, mushrooms. Of course, I've never had a cheesesteak with all that from anyplace other than a food cart. When I'm at a place that doesn't use the preformed steak slices (such as Pat's I can go for less of those toppings.

I've never known Asian men to eat jelly straight out of jars or with spoons. I do recall eating marmalade on toast as a kid. Many Asian adults don't drink sodas, or drink them rarely. Chinese cooking does often use sugar as an ingredient in stir fries or whatnot, but usually to balance a flavor, not create a particular sweetness as the end resulting taste of a dish. I can't really say how this compares to European or other cuisines and cooking styles. The Koon Chun hoisin sauce mention intrigues me. I'm wondering how many Chinese people buy it. The only Chinese condiment brand I would actually recognize is Lee Kum Kee. We usually get our hoisin sauce either from a restaurant (since we've always had restaurants in the family) or from the butcher when we buy roast pig. Offhand, I can't say I know a Chinese family that buys hoisin sauce. But I only know 2 households whose refrigerators and pantries I know well enough to consider within that sample size, my cousin's and my own.

That's not entirely suprising. I think it's an underappreciated food retailer that gets lost in the midst of everything else. That it doesn't do any advertisements, PR or anything to draw attention to itself doesn't help.

Zeitoun, I would respectfully disagree about there being more for him to lose than gain. I'd say there is little doubt Marcus cares about his food more than many a chef. As I see it, 1) he pockets a decent chunk of change over a 6-month period. 2) He gets to test out one of his top proteges for a future restaurant opening. 3) This brief interlude occurs during the summer, a slow time for restaurants, and one busy fall season. 4) He is able to open that future restaurant with less dependence on outside backing because of the monies he has available, which were hopefully invested in the interim. And he also knows whethere or not Eric Simeon can take the helm of the new place and how well the other staff he sent down (he did send others down, correct?) can operate with less oversight from him. 5) Any negative PR, of which I'd say there's been a minimum thus far, will be soon forgotten, since the majority of people in general, let alone the transient New York crowd, have short memories. 6) He gets to do reconnaisance on a market for expansion outside NYC, geographically the most feasible one for a New York restauranteur, if he /s she chooses that route. Yes, these are mostly business reasons, but I think everyone has to balance everything they want to do with how easily they are able to do it. I think Marcus Samuelsson made a good decision by doing what he did.

I agree with Smarmy. The really annoying part is how it is in all the processed foods. Sure we can avoid them sometimes, but sometimes we have to give in to convenience for one reason or another. It's just annoying that when we do, we also have to give in to all the additional sugars. I would be interested in learning in what instances Asian food uses sugar in large quantities. It doesn't fit with what I know about Asian eating habits. That said, it could be in those situations where the Asian-produced food is meant solely for the non-Asians.

Do you think perhaps Newman may be thinking about working on that as a next step, improving the back-office part of PLCB, so as to provide better customer service at the stores? Just a thought.

Yea, I've noticed a lot of reviews of the place in the local press. If I was plotting his marketing and PR strategy, that's one of the reasons the $100 cheesesteak had major value.

Yea, I think the cheapest around there would be TenStone's Yuengling @ $3. South Street Blues isn't open anymore, right? There's a old man bar/sorta neighborhood bar at like 26th and South. I think there's one a few doors away from Grace, also. Lessee, other than that, obviously you've got Tritone. There's that bar on the east side of 15th just below South St. mrbigjas, correct me if I'm wrong on any of this.

Probably. Someone here woulda heard about it by now if it closed.

Japanese food other than sushi (noodle house like Ony in NYC would be nice) takoyaki and other stuff would be awesome more Eastern European food former Soviet Republic food (there was briefly, Yonny's) better Indonesian food

Can't say I've ever had the pleasure of a tableside Caesar. But my first memory of a true Caesar is from the late Palladium. Me wonders if its successor, Abraccio, at 47th and Baltimore, makes a version that I'd appreciate.

Greg, Yea, it is very nice. I take it for granted, since I went to school there, but it is very nice. Take some time and stand across Chestnut Street from the main entrance as well. It's very striking. Students from the art or architecture school would always be sketching it in nice weather. The building's on the corner of 32nd and Chestnut.

Modification: Your next lunch choice should be: on a spring or early fall day, Tony Luke's at the corner of Front and Oregon Streets, just off I-95. You and Lou can split: the chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe the roast pork with broccoli rabe and if you really must the cheesesteak.

Well, we know that'll survive the trip back, at least.

Really? I'd think that local and organic is something that a restaurant can hang their menu on. Other restaurants may be doing it, but if one restaurant does it well (or does it that much better than the others) and gets press acclaim for it, I'm sure success is feasible. Isn't that what Blue Hill does in NYC? That said, I'm not sure, but I think Fork may hold some claim to that title here, and maybe there's not enough room in a smaller market for 2 restaurants of that caliber competing in that arena.

Well, isn't the grease that you get with fatty foods alcohol absorbent? As I understood it, fatty foods eaten before drinking help raise a person alcohol tolerance. More experienced nutritiionists and drinkers than I will have to comment further. And I suspect less experienced ones, too.

Ciao mi amico!! Anybody want to take Italian with me?? I've been wanting to learn for quite some time. Anybody?? ← I'm in. I've been wavering back and forth between French and Italian. Maybe I'll try a little of both. Now all I need is Beau Monde to offer French lessons.

Yo, throw together a dinner for a buncha people, we'll bring a loaf or 4.

I'd agree with Tony Luke's, but I'd take the sitdown dining choices in the other direction from most people so far. I'd figure you'll have awesome French and French-influenced food in Europe, so why not go with what you might not find in Europe? (This may not be what you were thinking, so feel free to hammer this nail sticking up down.) I expect Latin American and most African foods to not be well-represented, and I expect Asian cuisines to be represented but probably not as popular as in the US. I may well be wrong. Pasion, Tierra Colombiana, Los Catrines, Azafran, La Lupe, Dahlak The Smoked Joint, NanZhou Noodles, Xe Lua, Fuji (Cinnaminson) (Bluezette/Delilah's) And if you really like, you can go to that other Delilah's...

You moved here? I thought you wuz a native.

Cool. January 2005 it is for Mount Laurel. I just read something from early this year that indicates that the development replacing the Garden State racetrack will include a Wegmans. So that'll be the Cherry Hill one I suppose. No idea on latest news about that.

There's plenty of places to have a "proper" cocktail, although I'm not certain I'd count the Continental amongst them. There's really nothing here that I'd call "old school" or that's staffed by someone the likes of DeGroff or Audrey Saunders, but I'd say both The Happy Rooster or Redhead Lounge/Piano Bar mix a fine martini or manhattan. If you're into wine then a trip to Il Bar at Ristorante Panorama is a must. 120 different wines available by the glass. My very favorite "grown up" bar in the city. ← What she said. As far as places to have a "proper" cocktail, I was just at Boathouse Row Bar @ the Rittenhouse tonight, and have been to the Ritz Carlton Bar before. Those would be tops on most people's list, I imagine. I suspect the Library Lounge bar at the Park Hyatt Bellevue would be another. Then of course there's the steakhouses: Prime Rib, Palm, Capital Grille, Smith and Wollensky.

According to Andrea Strong's email newsletter, a friend/business partner/protege of Tony Luke's in Philadelphia is going to open a branch on 9th between 41st and 42nd December 8th. Me hopes the migration will of roast pork, chicken cutlet, and cheesesteaks will be better than what BB's and that midtown place have been for cheesesteaks.

Belated followup: In the case of the first store at 40th and Walnut, the developer was Penn. That's a University parking garage atop the store. I was in the Office of University Relations while plans were being drawn up for the transformation of 40th Street, and I know that Penn's real estate honchos envisioned having what was then Fresh Fields open a store in the structure. They passed, and Penn went to Drexeline with a proposal. Given the nature of the surrounding communities, what Penn got in the end was far better for the neighborhood than Fresh Fields/Whole Paycheck would have been. The Freshgrocer has a good mix of higher-end specialty stuff and all the basics that everyday people actually buy. (And their deli stocks Boar's Head--always a plus.) I don't have enough experience with their private label supplier (Richfood, now a unit of Minnesota-based SuperValu) to comment on its quality. ← You're right. I forgot Penn was the developer. They've since turned to Studley (I think to manage their real estate holdings and probably manage development of new buildings and such, but the 40th complex happened first. I also agree about Freshgrocer being a better choice for the neighborhood. Truthfully, I think Freshgrocer is a better choice overall for any area. I daresay they would bring better value ovreall than Whole Foods anywhere. Speaking about what originally was planned, has Sundance done a theater anywhere? Thanks Sfuffy, I realized while I was driving tonight that I put down 70 instead of 38. I should know that's Mount Laurel, I've been in that Borders down the road often. I think I was thinking of the time I looked at the Wegmans website and it said Cherry Hill. Quick update though, I just talked to someone who said the Wegmans is going to open January 2005. I didn't know construction was that far along, but I haven't been that way in a while. Can anyone confirm the progress of construction?