jhlurie

Like I said Stone, for some people its all about punishing success. The antidisestablishmentarians insist you operate at a sustenence level OR ELSE. Not that little guys don't change when they get big (Ben & Jerry's, anyone?) But if the place is local, and keeps their money locally, you might want to actually support them in a business venture like a local marketplace. Don't give them a space any larger than anyone else... but to punish them? And AFTER they were promised a space, apparently? And its not like they are a faux-front for the corporatization of "naturalness", like Paul Newman's little empire.

Well, the closest I've had to any of this is Ethiopian, which has been real big in the Adams Morgan area of Washington, DC for about the past 15-20 years. Lots of ground meat, fairly well spiced--both raw and cooked. Eaten with your hands, wrapped around a soft flatbread called "injera". In some places I understand the "tablecloth" which everything rests on is actually made from this bread and you rip it up and use it as the meal progresses.

Only if we were talking seafood. (even I'm disgusted at that one...)

Great lesson for the marketplace ("marketplace" in a larger sense, I mean)... ...punish success. Bloody brilliant.

"Come here, sugar" the Candyman said sweetly. Actually that one's kind of creepy. Next time maggie, lets try a captioning contest.

Well in Hong Kong they just refer to them as "restaurants", not "Chinese Restaurants", right? Just joking. I know better.

When they opened in my neighborhood (72nd St., NYC), I went immediately, and got cold donuts. I went again. And again. I just noticed the sign was no longer lit. I wonder if they HAD to turn it off, or if it just blew. The sign is turned off when the donuts aren't hot.

Kris, its a lot more understandable with all of the news coverage we are getting on our screens of people in Asia walking around everywhere with surgical masks on.

Place called "Baci", in North Bergen is not bad (yes, its a horrible name), although its not quite up there with Brooklyn's Coal Burning or Kinchley's. The Arrabiatta Brick Oven variety is the choice item there. 9011 Palisades Ave. North Bergen, NJ 07047 201-758-9600

Two words... "Water Crackers"

I get nostalgic discussing hot KK donuts, 'cause (as Dave Barry says-"I'm not making this up"), the last time I've actually had a piping hot from-the-oven one was about a week and a half before Sept. 11, 2001, in the Krispy Kreme location right at the bottom of the World Trade Center. The crowd used to snake around into the central plaza between the buildings, and I never saw it not busy.

Okay, John's Shanghai is at least decent, but that review is a bit glowier than it deserves. It's good in comparison to the endless legion of crappy cantonese places, but 3 "diamonds"? Kinara, the Indian restaurant in the same mall is 3, but not John's.

The answer is not that easy. Ideally, yes. In actuality, usually not. Save it up for next time you are in a place with an actual Krispy Kreme Bakery, instead of one of the legion of convenience stores which now sell KK donuts. Its got to be eaten within minutes of coming fresh from the oven, and the difference between eating them so and not is pretty astronomical, in my opinion. Plain glazed only, BTW. Wait... discussed... ad nasuem, here, and a bit here and here.

Has the rather unexplainable genetic tendency towards peanut allergies hit this part of the world, or is that only a western thing? Aren't Peanuts a "New World" item originally? Do we know how and when this item made its way to Sudan?

Massive quantities of ginger work well in combination with good quality (meaning strong) sichuan peppercorn. Alas, it is banned.

People who are easy?

Film a horror movie.

Alright, 201. You are definitely going to hell for stirring this up again.

Glad you got that out of your system? To be honest, for years I've always heard that Mole Poblano=unsweetened chocolate. Jason isn't the only one. Then again, I've also heard that there are no less than 10,000 different recipes for it.

Maybe it has changed, but here's an amusing anecdote about how hard it is to get Italian citizenship if you don't have a criminal record.

In protest of this outrageous insult to El Gran's mole sauce, I just trucked on over there and ordered a boatload of tacos to take-out, with a huge side of bitter bitter mole sauce to slather on top of them. I mean really, its like a half-hour round trip for me. I must feel strongly about this.

To be more accurate, Wegmans is taking over Northwest NY, Central NJ, and certain parts of Pennsylvania. They've been avoiding the Southern part of New York, including New York City, Northern NJ, the area around Philadelphia, the area around Pittsburgh... in other words the areas with big rents and big risks. So "taking over" might be a bit of an overstatement. Besides, they only are in three states: NY, NJ and PA, minus those areas mentioned.

The Europeans are a bunch of real crybabies.

The phrase "new tastes" has never sounded so unappetizing. Hey, dig that Honey Lemon Jelly!

"Doesn't know jack shit" is a bit strong. Instead I would question whether or not he realized that chocolate, without sugar, is naturally bitter. That said, I've had mole poblano which wasn't bitter. But the best ones usually are. The bitterness is an aquired taste, which is why some people absolutely hate mole poblano.