jhlurie

Perhaps we could make another thread where we debate the horrors of metal vs. plastic chopsticks (visions of being at the dimsum restaurant trying to eat large stalks of uncut chinese broccoli covered in slippery oyster sauce with plastic sticks). Wood, even laquered wood. And a knife. Why the heck use anything else?

Yikes. I break these all of the time!

Especially if you have like ten hours trying to figure out where to have dinner. The beauty of ANY rating system is that you can choose to use it or not. If you want to invest the time to look at two numbers instead of a single number, well... than it might be handy. If you are in a real rush than I suppose you can glance at a copy of the NY Times and try to decipher what "2 Stars" really means.

So does Zagat. + cost. I often violently disagree with Zagat's actual rating, but the system itself isn't a bad starting point. Regarding the issue of maintaining an absolute rating system, and yet recognizing the relative level of local quality, one method which occured to me would be to add an extra value to each rating which lists the score of the highest rated restaurant of THAT type in that region. Lets say that you are rating an "Informal Mexican" restaurant (I would divide each cuisine into Formal and Informal). Very little Mexican food available in New Jersey is going to measure up to what's available in Texas, for example. Texas might be filled with Informal Mexican that on, lets say, a 100 point scale might almost always range between 70 and 100. The best Informal Mex place in ALL of NJ might be a 78. So if a new Mexican joint in NJ opens and scores a 75, I'd like to know that its nearest competition only got a 78. The score of the new place would be 75/78, at least until a place better than the joint that got the 78 opens in that area. So if you also cross reference it with a place in El Paso that scored a 94, you will be fully aware that in an ultimate sense the place in El Paso which grabbed the 94 is FAR better than the place in NJ with the 75, but that 75 is actually a pretty decent score in the local area. Obviously this system isn't perfect, but its got some real advantages.

Ron Johnson's question in If the Times is Wrong, Who are the 3 and 4 stars in NYC? thread has got me thinking about how bogus most restaurant rating systems are. Let's face it... most of the existing benchmarks out there are ludicrous. Here are some snippets of my thoughts in that thread to spark this debate: In other words, how can (or should) a rating system discriminate between levels or types of food? So... should a rating system aggregate a total score, or should each aspect be identified clearly and seperately--and if so HOW? Another thought... should the ultimate restaurant rating system recognize regional differences, or once again should it be on an absolute scale? And as a side argument... are there reasons other than tradition that outlets like the NY Times stick with their current systems? Or are there valid arguments for a simpler system? If so, I'd like to hear that too.

A few questions for Ron. First of all, do you mean "fine dining" establishments, or does your desired version of "the best" recognize that something can be the absolute best of its type but not measurable on the same scale as a fine dining experience? In this vision, is there such a thing as a four star hamburger, which exists on a different plane, or is everything absolute? BTW: I'd like Ron's take on this FIRST to gauge his intentions with this question. I already know that the Plotnickis and tommys of the world will be on opposite sides of this. Similarly, Ron, do you envision all aspects of a restaurant to be included within a single rating, or is the gauge you desire only for the absolute quality of the food? EDIT - Ron, because this whole discussion seems to be veering from your intention about discussing actual restaurants that are the best in New York, I've created another thread about the actual mechanics of restaurant rating. I, of course, give you full credit.

Fan-debidosi-tastic, whatever that means.

Is this the same cut of meat that is commonly sold at street fairs in New York as Hanger Steak? Usually at these fairs it is literally hanging on big rotating racks over a flame, while being basted with a lime-flavored marinade.

Nice quote from their website. For all your bulletproof mug needs!

If I MUST have fast food fries its gonna be Nathans (and even they can suck in the less meticulous locations).

There's a Polish restaurant in Brooklyn Heights, Teresa's, that's the only dedicated one I've ever really been to. I've also heard about a place in Bay Ridge called Polonica, but I've never been there. [Homer Simpsons mode on]Mmmmm... pierogis...[/Homer Simpsons mode off]

For dramatic reasons wouldn't it be more spectacular (not realistic, mind you) if the quest had to take the hero (or the hero's agents, I suppose) to a greater number of places, as well as further afield? If this individual was obsessed enough, despite the time constraint, I would make sure ALL FOUR helicopters were utilized to go in different directions. Sure one place might have it all, but where's the fun in that?

To start, for the first time I tried this stuff. It's hellishly expensive here in the U.S. but wow is the stuff unique. So far I've only tried the Seville Orange Jigger and the Victorian Lemonade.

Was the cuisine really formed by who ruled? I don't think so. From what I'd always read most of the cultural impetus when the romans got cut into two big pieces shifted towards the greeks. When the Turks took back over that influence had been in place for quite a few years. How much survived is the question.

Jason has got Plotz here, and actually the greek connection goes BOTH ways in time. The empire was an offshoot of Rome--which of course was strongly influenced by the Greeks. But AFTER that split, the Greeks became the cultural backbone of the Ottoman Empire. It may, in terms of locality, have seemed more like a "Turkish" empire... but it wasn't in terms of actual day-to-day cultural influence. I would suppose, as others have, that the events of the past hundred years or so might have had an effect though.

I haven't tried playing this, but it sounds fun: PeepWar: A strategy game using Marshmallow Peeps

That's pretty funny. ("That has been an extremely popular product!! We have sold those to many customers with great success!!") But you aren't actually ordering one, are you? Actually, to be serious for a moment, I can't blame anyone for good salesmanship, even if the lines seem pre-scripted. Did you also spot the "FlavorWave Oven"?

I'm with Jason on this. Then again I didn't have any of the last Klink batch. Klink, are there any ideas to make an intentional attempt at a breakfast sausage? Sweeter, I'd think, maybe with a some less traditional spices in it. Thinner links too, right?

Okay, I'm not sure if this device actually HAS a late-night TV ad, but its definitely in the same class as the stuff discussed in this thread: The Fruit Saver - "a breakthrough in countertop cooling that doubles the life of your fruit and vegetables".

I like Potato-flavored chips.

Okay, in a way the literal name actually describes it better than some of OUR attempts, Eddie. In actuality there is very little resemblance to spicyness though. Its more like a numbness which also simultaneously includes a nice tingling sensation. The thing is... unless the whole thing is actually political somehow (not out of the question), how long should a ban like this reasonably last? Is it assumed that a bacteria like this lasts through successive crops?

I didn't know either, but google helped... http://www.irelandseye.com/aarticles/cultu...king/boxty.shtm So it helps Irish gals land their men???

We should have an overall topic called "what the best way to peel/open/crack..." with the last part varying! For example, I learned that the best way to open garlic is to briefly microwave it (I used to hear "pounding it with the flat part of a knife", but that's moved to second place).

This is clearly a time to buy stock in Target, because the rash of pot and pan buying that will result from this will definitely push them over the top.

I have the funniest image of Fat Guy, from Target store to Target store, roving all around New Jersey in his quest for pots and pans.