Nathan

TJ's is great. the only frozen food products on the planet actually worth buying. (those who go there for the fresh produce miss the entire point of the store -- except for price) as for it being crowded...yeah, if you go at peak times. (remember when Whole Foods first opened?) (they haven't had people waiting in line to go inside in six months) I go at 9:00 on Sunday night and even though the line still looks long...they are so efficient that you never wait more than five minutes...(they'll also deliver for $5!!!) another great thing about TJs is that it has placed tremendous price pressure on other grocery retailers.

the witness protection program is highly conducive to culinary exploration....

"But when it's on, it seems to me (a very NON-expert) to be the best in the City." I agree, with the proviso that one does need to order right. But then, my only claim to expertise is that I lived for six months in South Carolina...long enough to learn what good cue should taste like (which RUB's sometimes does)....I know nothing about ribs however.

the "Taste of the Baron" easily feeds 3 people for $15 apiece.

I like RUB...but stick with cue, sausages and some of the sides...

the ribs are not the way to go at RUB

I think everyone understands the bar is separate...but if you have to wait (luckily I did not)...I could see it being rather annoying. It was clear to me that one's experience is going to be much better seated at the bar than at a table....but then that's true in the vast majority of restaurants; however, I think this is especially true of L'Atelier. I loved my meal there...in terms of flavor. My problem was with the value point. It is at the same cost level (disregarding the phantom "club menu") as virtually every four star restaurant in NY. However, the food -- though great -- is not quite at the JG or Per Se level.

in the latest entry in his blog, Bruni notes (specifically with reference to Uovo) that when he has a crappy meal at a small not-ambitious restaurant, he deliberately chooses not to review it....as a sort of beneficience.

I don't have any problem with that. My sole point was that the dish was from the bay area, not Liguria. as to the comment about NY Italian restaurants...I think that completely misunderstood the NY dining scene. In NY, just like anywhere else in the U.S., I generally dislike "Italian" restaurants that are run by 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation immigrants. The food is inevitably quite a bit different than anything served in Italy. There's nothing wrong with that of course...but I just happen to not actually like it. Italian restaurants in NYC today, except for some tourist traps, usually have native Italians as chefs. Most of these restaurants are regional in nature and the regions represented are from all over Italy. Very few of them are southern Italian.

to be fair to Atelier, I think the cocktails are made at the regular 4 Seasons bar and charged at that bar's standard rate. robyn: a martini anywhere in the city is going to put you back $12. of course, you do expect decent booze at that price. I remember being appalled that the $12 house sidecar at The Tasting Room was made with triple sec.

you know, if Milwaukee for frick's sake can have this menu: http://www.cempazuchi.com/regionale.htm I find it a travesty that no one will do it in NY...

I'm sure there plenty of people in NY from Oaxaca or the Yucatan...however, I think they're all turning out Pueblan food. I suppose the problem is customer expectations....

"The Village Voice article is out-of-date from what I experienced. (Of course, I mainly went there 03-05 when I was living closer so take everything I say with a grain of salt). The simple menu mostly consisted of the crowdpleasing favorites like guac, mexican corn etc. , but they always had tons of daily specials: a pretty decent mole, pambazo, chicken in huitlacoche, chorizo tacos etc." I don't doubt that it's good...what I fail to understand is why you called it Oaxacan.

as I noted above, the fact that there are Italian fish soups is irrelevant. There is a substantial debate as to whether cioppino was devised by Italian fishermen in San Francisco, or whether it was fishermen of a different background, or whether it was in fact, developed in a different part of San Francisco. The fact of the matter is, the dish, as we know it, and with the name that we know it by, was developed in California. Further, San Franciscans proudly proclaim that they invented the dish and that it is indigenous to the bay area. No self-respecting Italian restaurant in NY serves cioppino. Though plenty serve some sort of seafood soup. In my experience, an "Italian" restaurant that serves cioppino is always of the Olive Garden variety.

I'm thoroughly confused by your last post.

Chicago does have a large enclave, and I've heard stories of Chicago's ethnic neighborhoods. Still, maybe you aren't going to the right places in the NY metro area ← I don't dispute that NY has south Indian vegetarian. what I disputed was your proposition that it didn't exist elsewhere.

this place? http://www.villagevoice.com/nyclife/0215,s...a,33769,19.html http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails...ineid=43&home=Y if that description and menu are at all accurate...heck no!

Raj said: "South Indian Vegetarian food - try finding that ANYWHERE" try Chicago. Not only does Chi-town have the best Indian in the country...Devon Avenue is famous for having several south Indian vegetarian restaurants. I'm serious, check it out. google it if you don't believe me

yeah...but that's different or, as a good Italian friend of mine once said after trying an American pizza (NY-style) for the first time: "this is very good. I like it. But, why do you call it pizza?"

the thing is: I'd heard they had a "good brunch" but no one had described it....and neither did the website....so the setup was a complete surprise to us.

ah...but then it's not authentic Cuban...

I don't doubt that it would be good. But would it be underseasoned and overcooked?

Nathan, have you checked out Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana on 107th and Amsterdam? Speaking of "two Korean places offered a couple rolls" I'd say that there is also no good Korean food in the city (compared to LA). ← I'm unfamiliar with it. But the menu on menupages indicates that they have four different moles (the pipian is a mole): that is a step in the right direction...certainly more than anyone else. I'll check it out.

Daniel, I really dislike "authentic" Cuban....and I lived in Miami for 2 years. I've eaten all over Little Havana, Hialeah, Aventura.... Sandwiches and roast pork are all that I found flavorful. the places in NY seem to be more "fusiony" which improves them imho. better cubanos in Miami though

1. decent Mexican...really, any decent Mexican. but especially Oaxacan -- the greatest regional cuisine in Mexico, and you can't get it here. I know, there are a couple restaurants that offer a couple items. That'd be like arguing that NY has sushi covered if there were no Japanese restaurants and two Korean places offered a couple rolls. 2. really good Indian 3. Laotian. its funny that with all the plethora of Asian and African restaurants, we don't seem to have this one covered. Zabb is the closest I've seen. I'm sure there are Laotians in the NY restaurant industry, I'm guessing they are running Thai restaurants. 4. high-end German 5. Serious vegetarian (I can't believe I said that...but there is such a good thing as a good vegetarian restaurant...just not in NY.) Well, I suppose the vegetarian tasting menus at Per Se and Daniel qualify...but after that? I have to say that's about it, if you think about it, the breadth of what is covered here is astounding....the most of anywhere.