jhlurie

I didn't have anything exceptional when I was there, but the consensus from people I've spoken with are that Steakhouses and Cuban food (in Ybor City) are the highlights. On the other hand, Tampa is far more pleasant than most of the east coast of Florida, so I'd certainly think of returning if I could be assured of eating well.

Has Canada developed its own cuisine, or are they in the same boat as Americans where (with a few very notable exceptions) they still take their culinary cues from the rest of the world (France and England would seem to be the main targets...)? Certainly there are many types of game, and a lot of produce, that come from Canada, but have these led to dishes that are uniquely Canadian?

I've been to at least one place where the waiter asked us to tell them--on a scale from 1 to 10--how hot we wanted our food. Of course, even then, its subjective (Mark or Jason or my idea of a "5" might blow a few heads up)... but its better than nothing. My own reckoning (skipping some numbers) is as follows: 1 = Nada. Not more than basic levels of even salt or black pepper. 3 = "Normal" food. If I sat down and had a relatively normal dish at a random restaurant it would be about this. 4 = Sharp. Strong with black pepper, onion or garlic (or some other strong taste), but not more than trace amounts of capsaicin. Usually these are dishes using tiny amounts of basic red pepper. 6 = Spicy. Has other strong flavors, but the capsaicin starts to dominate. Its either the first or last thing you taste, but not necessarily BOTH the first and last thing. 7 = Hot. This is the point where you start to need to take a drink of water after each bite. 8 = Very Hot. A dish where Cayenne--if used--is the weakest pepper and not the strongest. This is the level where I look around to make sure I've got plenty of rice before I chow down. 9 = Volcano. The level where even a chili-heads face starts to turn colors. You can still taste other things in the dish... but only if they are very strong flavors. 10 = Inferno. The capsaicin overrides all other tastes in the food. Something like Wasabi mustard ruins this curve, because its a non-capsaicin taste that can be just as hot.

In the spirit of a balanced review, I'll point out that the Salsa with which we started the meal was not very impressive. It was fresh--with all the right ingredients--but the proportions were off. It seemed a bit flat, and I am NOT saying that because it wasn't a spicy variety. It was just totally uninteresting, especially compared to some of the Mexican sauces we were fed later as samples. Since the Chorizo appetizer was not as spicy as either Jason or I favored it (although Rachel was extremely happy with the less spicy recipe), we had lowered expectations by the time the entrees arrived. But they were superb. I think the Pork Chops were the winner, but then again I don't like Shrimp. I tried Rachel's Pollo Ajillo, and have to admit that it was one of the better versions I've had (and didn't suffer at all from being served off the bone...). The Papas Fritas were the best I've had outside of Newark, and while I normally dislike blanched vegetables, they counteracted the generously Garliced main courses quite well. Jason briefly mentioned the plating, and while I'm about the last person on the face of the earth to think about effective plating, it was done so well that even an ignoramus like me could see it. The portions were EXACTLY the right size. The distribution of meat (or shrimp) to the vegetables was correct, and the presentation was very attractive. The main courses were not stuck in those big ugly tureens, which not only hog all of your tablespace, but also cause the remainder of the entree to continue to get overcooked. Jay's hit this one with a bullseye. Despite my inherent scepticism at seeing a good three year old Bergen Record review in the window, this place is indeed worth it.

Jay: Isn't there a little place down the street from me in Sharon Plaza (in the southern part of Fort Lee) that might have them? I've never been in there, but it looks like its either Russian or Polish owned. I'm talking about that place between the bagel store and the pharmacy.

I'll ask a more specific question than Jason... what is the most under-rated Sushi restaurant in Tokyo?

The placemats in the Hackensack location reveal this. They tell a somewhat fictionalized story about how guys named Patsy throughout history did everything relevent to Pizza, and end with some bit about how the last of the famous Patsy's 3 nephews "continue his tradition" or some similar guff. I think the implication is that each nephew opened a Brooklyn's Pizza somewhere in NJ.

The foodsubs site seems to have a far more exotic selection than the ilovepasta site. There are three or four varities there I'd never heard of. I wonder how hard it is to make the more exotic shapes. (Edited by jhlurie at 10:10 pm on Nov. 2, 2001)

Kinchley's is one that a lot of folks don't know about. It's in the middle of nowhere, but pretty darn good. Any of the "Patsy" spinoffs are at least tolerable---whether they are named Grimaldi's or Patsy's or Brooklyn's Brick Oven Pizza (that's the one in Hackensack, NJ) they are all using a similar approach, even if years of lawsuits soured everyone on all of them. Speaking of lawsuits... I've never been impressed with ANY of the many NY Pizzarias named with some variation of the name "Ray". Who cares which one is the real original when they all suck. Of the mass-market chains, I've only had passable pizza at were Pizzaria Uno and Papa John's. The worst of the lot, of course, are Dominoes (shudder) and Chuck E. Cheese (the pizza business invented by the guy who started Atari, simply to get people to play games while they waited for their sucky pizza). Fat Guy, somewhere on his website, has some kind of NY Pizza roundup, if I remember correctly. I don't know if anyone asociated with eGullet has ever done a NJ roundup though.

I've been favoring Olive Oil potato chips lately, since its true that being cooked in Olive Oil makes pretty much anything taste better. :) Simple chips with large amounts of cracked black pepper and maybe a small amount of salt are the best.

You got me! I didn't even notice that one was "Pluck" and the other "Cluck". Gee I feel like a Schmuck. :) Actually, they are both playing off the very human tendency to associate things that sound like each other. I'm not sure why an association with a questionable phrase people say to each other when they are angry sells chicken, but apparently it does.

I nominate Kinanra, in Edgewater, for best wings. Their Hariyali Kebab are basically wings, coated with fresh mint, cilantro and chili oil and pan seared along with onions and peppers. The wings are a bit puny, but the "sauce"/coating is so different, its a worthwhile endevour for the curious. For traditional wings, Pluck U is okay--although the one by City Hall in NY isn't nearly as good as the one in Morristown. Hooters' wings are good as well--but they are served in a very inconsistent manner (sometimes absolutely dry without enough sauce and sometimes SOAKED in sauce to the point where the wings are soggy). I wonder... have any major restaurants/chefs tried to conquer Chicken Wings, or have they permanently ceeded this item to fast food?

What a debate. I mean unless you have a big craving for Tomatoes, it's pretty easy to make a super-quick sauce. It's especially easy with good ravioli, because if you take them out of the boiling water a bit early and put them into a large cast iron frying pan for a few minutes--pre-heated with Olive Oil, Black Pepper and Garlic--you are half way home. I, at least, usually don't need much else. Maybe a bit of parsley or some hot pepper or chili oil.

I have a slightly indecent answer, so I won't post it. :)

I'm going there for a few days. Does anyone have any recommendations?

<p>I've been in liquor stores with Jason... he's so distracted by the Wines and Brandies that he doesn't really look at the beers. :)<p>Like most of us, I'll bet he thinks about beer when he happens to be in a grocery store and walks into the soda/beer aisle on Barbeque days.<p>Of course, good beers aren't in grocery stores--even most of the upscale ones.

Books have been written about the appeal of 128 oz. Heinz Ketchup bottles, NewYorkTexan. The psychology is very bizarre. How this behavior manifests itself in the wine section, I'm not sure. Katherine's implication that people THINK they are getting a deal is part of it. A desire for people to prove their ability to conspicuously consume ("gee... I've never bought wine by the case before") might enter into it.

<p>Arggh. Please don't use the "B" word. Not the "B" word!!! I'm covering my ears... have you stopped?<p>By the way, I've got a wonderful brew called "Milwaukee's Best" for you, tommy. I hear its useful for cleaning floors AND has a fine head on it as well. Right next to it we can arrange for a Pabst Blue Ribbon and a Miller Lite. Heck, we'll throw in a Corona too while we are at it. ;)<p>OK. I'm fine now. Just don't use the "B" word again. I mean it's next to Queens, but it's just not the same. :)

Sweeter fruit: Can we be more specific? Are we talking about berries, pears, bananas, grapes, oranges, apples or something else? And with WHICH varieties? I, for example, favor very tart apples would speculate that the sweeter alternatives might have been bred in that direction to contrast.

not if its a Diet Caffeine Free drink. :)

1.) Americans don't always choose "gratuitous added sugar", American food conglomerates do. It's a chicken or egg question as to whether they did so to fill a need they saw, or whether the perception of the need developed because Americans got used to it. Of course this thread started based on a discussion of restaurant food and not packaged or prepared food, but the argument still works. If Americans came to expect extra sweetness in one venue, then why not another? Chefs are people too, and what they themselves see on the shelves, and what people around them expect are certainly factors in their choices. 2.) Consumption of soft drinks for breakfast isn't inherently any more ridiculous than consumption of caffeine. Whether its true or not, many people at least THINK that the sugar will act as a stimulant. Of course I've seen people drink DIET SODA with Breakfast. What's the deal with that? 3.) Meat and Fruit: I think this thread got away from Fat Guy's original complaint about "fruity, sweet, cloying sauces and ingredients". For me, at least, the natural sugar in the fruits isn't the problem--its the idea of a sauce supplemented by fruit and/or added sugar--especially when its something not suited to it. Heck, I don't even like Cranberry sauce on Turkey--I'd rather my Turkey have gravy with a full body and I don't even want that Cranberry sauce on the same plate. 4.) Sweet corn: One added bonus of Sweet corn is that it doesn't need butter. A bit of roasted garlic rubbed up against it is more than enough.

eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. eGullet. :) On my way out to meet someone for lunch... so someone will have to fill me in on the rest of the show. (Edited by jhlurie at 12:22 pm on Oct. 5, 2001)

recommendation: if your knowledge of Newark is less than perfect, use Mapquest. The streets there are a lot less straightforward than you'd think. Jason didn't mention this, but Seabras/Med. Manor has valet parking. Casa Vasca, I believe, also has a parking lot although I'm not sure if its Valet or not. Seabras is so totally unpretentious, and yet of such high quality for such a great price, that I've considered it something of a secret... but Jason, who I first took there a few years back has let the cat out of the bag. :) The only objection I've ever heard is that the food there is VERY salty. (Edited by jhlurie at 5:28 pm on Oct. 4, 2001)

So you can't make it down to your local microbrewery... what's your compromise?

So where do we debate the merits of warm beer vs. cold, or ale vs. stout? Where do the calls for addresses of great breweries get posted? How do I ask about the success of e-gullet members in using home brewing kits? Or for a recipe for the best beer-battered onion rings? Okay. I'm just kidding. Cooking... right? :)