plattetude

One other ingredient for this (at least as I'd had it prepared for me at Pegu Club) -- flamed orange peel. At home, I've found that Regan's Orange Bitters are a close enough approximation. (Drinkboy.com recipe includes a lemon twist as well.) This is definitely very high in my rotation these days, and I'm really loving how both the tequila and Campari play together without either one obscuring the other. Christopher

Not exactly. It's a mushroom that's obscenely stuffed with cheese and onions and fried. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Christopher

Here's the tip I gave to Mr. Kinsey: use the Google search box just under the eGullet Forum banner to search eGullet content. Google will allow you to use two-letter words in your search (or clustered two-letter words set off by quotes, e.g. "Al Di La"). My two cents. Sounds like a most excellent (and stultifyingly hot) trip, Therese! Christopher

Well, there is another steakhouse on the cusp of opening in Hoboken, Shades of Hoboken, purported to open next week. As you'll see, there's not much in the way of humility in the prose on the website; time will tell if they live up to their own hype. I was particularly interested (and not a little amazed, frankly) to see Bucky Pizzarelli listed as one of the regular Friday/Saturday jazz players. Christopher

It's gotta be the green. Makes a huge difference. Higher proof, more assertive flavor profile (as you noted) and oh the funky pale neon green color you wind up with! You'll still taste the maraschino, but you'll also taste the Chartreuse, and the lime, and the gin is kind of a subtle backdrop tying them together. It should certainly be balanced at equal parts. I can understand you thinking it may be a little "too too" too -- I sometimes feel the same, preferring emphasis on drier or more bitter elements in cocktails -- but really, try it in the standard formulation. It's one of my faves, personally. (And I recently had a take on it called "The Final Ward" at Pegu Club -- equal parts rye, maraschino, green Chartreuse, and lemon -- equally sublime.) Christopher

Of course, Picholine is a great option for a killer cheese course, having really put the cheese course on the map in NYC way back when. Not much on the menu for purely vegetarian dishes, but I'd expect the kitchen could put something nice together. And according to Open Table, they've got tables available for Wednesday. Christopher

Hmmm. Seems to me that it's really only the witbiers that would have the banana/bubblegum ester thing going on. And even then, I don't think it's too pronounced in most Belgian brews, what with the spicing and all (coriander, orange peel, etc etc); it's more in the German weizens that you'll really get banana to a noticeable degree. If you're looking for Belgian brews that aren't so sweet, that's another story though... Typically, there will be more sweetness and less bittering in general (and also a disposition to a balancing sourness rather than bitterness), but there are always exceptions. Orval, to my mind, is the gold standard of the more bitter side of Belgian brewing. So there's something to try! What Belgians (styles and/or specific breweries) have you tried and not liked? Christopher

You won't be all that far from the Flatiron/Gramercy areas, which could put you firmly in Danny Meyer Land. There's Table/Bread Bar at 25th and Madison, Eleven Madison Park at 24th and Madison, the Shake Shack in spitting distance of either. Blue Smoke a little further east at 27th and Park. Any of these would give you a lovely meal, and there's a good variety of cuisines and price points. I'd say maybe a 10 minute walk to any of them from 34th and 8th. I'm sure others can and will have other suggestions.... Happy eating! Christopher

Yesterday, faced with a pile of diced watermelon and the attendant watermelon juice, I tossed together a healthy splash of the juice (maybe 1 1/2 oz) with 2 oz Hendrick's gin and a twist of lemon. After a sip, I thought that maybe a splash of Campari would emphasize the watermelonicity. That splash made a huge difference and really made the watermelon jump to the fore. The sweetness was amplified, the color enriched, the bitterness of the Campari somehow gave the drink an essence of watermelon rind (and in a good way). Yum. As for cucumber, well, that'd be pretty well rendered moot by Campari, so I guess this won't be of much help on that score. Christopher

In no particular order (and 5 is too small a number to choose for such a varied beer-producing region!): Hapkin Rodenbach Grand Cru Orval Karmeliet Tripel Rochefort 8 Christopher

Not a direct answer, per se, but the May 2006 issue of Harper's has a fascinating article about breeding and factory farming of pigs. Nothing mentioned about specific breeds of pig, but the process for most pork produced these days has certainly gotten pretty, well, not pretty. The postscript gives special note to Niman Ranch for getting back to basics (and, more importantly, back to flavor). Great read, still on the newsstand I believe (and hence not currently available online). Christopher

http://www.thediner.statecollege.com/stickies.html ← As for what it is rather than how to get one, a grilled sticky is a Central PA treat (which may or may not have originated in Philadelphia) that's a bready kind of dough coated with a sugary topping, mashed together into a log, cut to a 2" or so width, and pan-fried in butter. Best served, IMHO, with Penn State Creamery butter pecan ice cream. (Note: at Ye Olde College Diner, a sticky served a la mode is known as a Mount Nittany.) Mmm. Mmm mm mmmm. Christopher

Don't be too sure about how much wine either consumed. You're assuming the reunion was presented chronologically, when in all likelihood, plenty was altered in the timeline in the editing. Of course, in 10 hours, each one of them could've had 2 or 3 bottles of wine, for all we know. Christopher

Anyone tried Hampton's Gin? Pretty bottle, frosted glass in a pear-shape reminiscent of Chinaco tequila, with a minimalist seagull. Looks something like this, actually. Frankly, the bottle put me off as being, well, a lure for people who don't necessarily like gin (and heck, the company name is "Hampton's Vodka"). But I'm curious to hear if my spidey-sense was throwing me off a good product. Christopher

I for one agree in principle, though as for your specific case, it should be noted that Tennesee Mountain recently shut its doors for good after some 20-odd years. It appears that the waterline for NYC 'cue is rising. And that speaks volumes about parochial tastebuds getting more edumacated in all things BBQ. Christopher

Well, by that line of thinking, how about Hoboken? We've got FOUR Dunkin Donuts in our little square mile and a Subway (not to mention Blimpie Base #1). Sure, rents will be astronomical, but you'll be spitting distance from Manhattan. Think of all the NYC eGulleteers you'll serve! More to the point, there's more and more office space going up on the waterfront with some pretty big tenants (publishing house Wylie most notably), a built-in college crowd, a burgeoning young family scene -- all ripe for the ultimate hot dog experience. Christopher

You obviously haven't been watching Top Chef. Stephen takes the Cocky Prize of the Millenium ®. Nathan has actually shown some humility on camera once or twice when things haven't quite gone well, particularly in this past week's episode. Christopher

So my wife finnfann, young son Toby (14 mos), and two good friends trekked to Front Street Smokehouse for lunch this past Saturday. Neighborhood may not be much to look at (at this point; who knows what the future may bring), but hey, we were there for the 'q. And man was it swell. Bruce was extremely helpful and gracious, steering us to order a couple of Pig Outs, with sausages as an appetizer, thereby giving us a taste of virtually all the meats (with the exception of the beef ribs -- on my list for the next visit). Everything was excellent as everyone has reported -- brisket, pulled pork, chicken, baby back ribs, sausage -- and the sides all quite admirable. I was particularly fond of the black beans. Sweet potato fries were incredibly crisp and garnered praise from all of us. Even Toby knocked back his fair share. Bruce took some time to talk about the art and science of barbeque, and really made us feel welcome. He mentioned as we were leaving how very grateful he is of all the support from the eGullet community (and pegged us as eGulleteers from the get-go), and I assured him it is all very well deserved! Christopher

<bump!> So is no one watching the second season of this, or is no one finding it worthy of comment? Me, I'm finding it fascinating to compare and contrast FN's show with Top Chef. If I had to choose one to watch, Top Chef is far more compelling television (IMHO), and much more food oriented (by design, really, I suppose). But I think there's a similar hierarchy of talent/skill/hubris (FN's Nathan = Top Chef's Stephen + a strong dose of humility) to be sure, and some interesting "drama," manufactured or not. I just would not want *any* of the FN contestants to cook me much of anything. And few of them seem all that compelling in terms of what they'd bring to the network. The first season cast seemed overall much stronger. Anyone else watching? Christopher

I've got a soft spot for Frank in the East Village (2nd Ave at 5th St). Teeny tiny, and gets overrun with crowds to be sure, but it's great food at great prices. At least, it was the last few times I've been, which I'll admit has been a year or more. Christopher

It appears that someone's looking to get Lichido on the map. And none too subtly at that, with 7 posts today either directly or indirectly about Lichido. Amazing coincidence, and LycheeLover having just joined eGullet today. </grain of salt> Christopher

My first thought when I read "fig syrup" was to pair it with rye (or bourbon in a pinch). My second thought was applejack. My third thought was cognac. My fourth thought was rum. My fifth thought was gin. My sixth thought was tequila. I didn't really consider vodka since, well, vodka doesn't bring much to the table. That can be a good thing, of course, but I'd rather have a more complex cocktail than a less complex one, personally. Distilling the above (no pun intended), I'd lean more to brown spirits for my base to work with the fig, assuming the syrup is full-flavored enough to stand up to them. Could be my own bias, but that's just where my head went when I heard "fig". And the spiciness of a good rye seems a good foil for fig. Anyway, lemon juice as the acid seems to be a good way to go. (And Katie's limoncello idea brings a whole new dimension to it!) Another route, to give a different tartness profile, might be some pomegranate juice reduced to a syrup, and brightened with a tiny splash of lemon juice. Either way, I'd toss in some Peychaud's to round it out. Lacking Peychaud's, I'd use Angostura. [edited for numbering gaffe] My cents. Christopher

It may well have been closer to a tsp, maybe two, that I used -- I was mixing on the fly and when I make it again will work more to match the color than the ratios specified... Just enough to make the Campari announce its presence boldly but still play well with the Parfait Amour and give it that beautiful jewel-toned hue. Which brings me to the revised name I came up with -- the Amethyst. Christopher

Had a bit of an inspiration the other night to give my bottle of Parfait Amour some use -- why not pair it with a tiny splash of Campari? Herewith, The Lavender Hammer (okay, maybe the name needs work) 2 oz Plymouth gin 1/2 oz Parfait Amour 1/4 oz Campari Add ice and stir. Serve in chilled cocktail glass. It's the most sublime shade of pale lavender, between the faint blue of the Parfait Amour and the brilliant red of the Campari. Sweet, yes, but kept in check by the Campari. I think it's a keeper! Christopher

And if you want a more hands-on bean-buying experience, I'm sure there's a local roaster in your general area. I trust my coffee roasting to Empire in Hoboken (and they've another location just north of Port Authority on 9th Ave). Grinding I do for myself. Christopher