jhlurie

tommy, did you ever get to El Gran Mexicano, or did the worry about the cheese keep you away?

So how many threads with the words "Mexican" and "New Jersey"/"NJ" in it does this make now? Are we up to a full dozen yet? edit - okay, they don't all literally have "New Jersey" in them. And its more like 6 or 7 of them. My bad!

That's funny, 'cause Fiji is actually really good, as much as most bottled waters taste fairly identical.

Dandelion Wine? Okay, I'm just a Ray Bradbury fan. I've never tasted it. Apparently its pretty easy to make though... or here or here

Don't want to still Jinmyo's thunder, but she seems to be out of the building. Bulgogi is really just Barbequed Beef. Bibimbap is a boiled rice special, mixed with vegetables, and sometimes meat.

I've found you can make out well at some buffets if you target accordingly. Mind you, they are still making lots of money off you, but at least you won't feel wholy cheated. I remember eating at AmeriStar Casino in Kansas City (it used to be "Station Casino") and actually enjoying the big "Omaha Steaks Filet Mignon" buffet they throw about once a week. Now Omaha Steaks are no threat to a real steakhouse, but in an all-you-can-eat circumstance I can think of much worse things to have to shove down your throat. And to their credit, the Filet Mignon was plentiful, cooked about a second before you tossed it on your plate, with no waiting. Note that this buffet is not priced anywhere near $4.95. It's more like "$14.95", if I'm remembering correctly. Some people champion buffets with lobster, but I've always noticed that the buffets who do this always create big lines for it.

Welcome, David. We appreciate the visit! Does your approach towards reviewing a restaurant differ significantly if you are unfamiliar with the cuisine? Obviously this is most relevent to ethnic cuisines, although it might also be interesting for you to talk about other kinds of pre-review research as well, if you ever need to do it.

Maybe they've changed the stuff. I drank Malteds made by my grandfather with that Carnation Powder for many many years and it always tasted fairly "malty". But its been years. A websearch finds these guys. It's a complete crapshoot if you try it, I guess. Somewhere on usenet I recall seeing mention of Horlick's Malted Milk Powder. Actually a websearch for "Horlicks Malted Milk" gets a lot of hints. Try a google search. Here's one example of a web-store I found with it. I also saw suggestions posted to look in Spanish Bodegas for Horlick's, as little sense as that makes for what appears to be a British product.

You know, I hate to throw a compliment tommy's way, but I think he'd do a good job. Buy him some fries along with the sandwich. Jason, for all his ability to fall naturally into the "angry" role will personalize it too much and not know the proper point to stop. But tommy may not want to truck all the way down to Union, so maybe your Dad? Assuming he knows when to strategically get up and go for a bathroom break? Me, I'd be best at playing "bored cop".

If you really feel that you've put yourself, somewhat unintentionally, into a position of weakness with Expo, maybe you need someone to physically re-visit the Expo center with you for a face-to-face meeting with the "Super" on your project. Have your cohort play "bad cop" to your "good cop". Wince a lot when that other person is out of the room, or gone to the bathroom, and play them from both ends.

Yes, it's Loco. Quite good. Healthy Pleasures on University Pl sells, or used to sell, it. More here from David Rosengarten http://www.foodtv.com/wine/locosoda/0,6496,,00.html I didn't much like Loco. But Lemonade and Chili sounds good.

{Looking around} Where, where? Sounds good. Is the sour reved up a bit to combat the chili, or is it a sweet lemonade?

I'm perfectly willing to commit to being serious on at least the first two or three pages of any such discussion. Well, at least 90% serious.

Yes, but "can be" is the relevent phrase. Does it have to be? Why do some people seem to have a problem with this and others not?

I have a theory that there is some genetic component to this. Very rarely--if ever--have I had this problem from spicy food. I don't generally talk with people about this, but I know enough people that eat spicy food that I'd think I'd hear more about it if they were ALL having the problem. Does it have something to do with an ability to better digest? Is there a thread in this, or is this just too gross? Has anyone ever dared to write an article or study on this forbidden topic?

I felt compelled to bump this, after eating at Grand Sichuan International Midtown (whew... what a mouthful) for the first time. Really, I've been meaning to go for a long time, but was never in the right part of town. The Kung Pao? What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's one of the few places I've had freshly slaughtered chicken, and frankly that's just the unbeatibly solid base, not the heights. The peanuts are the large Grade A Virginia type you rarely see anywhere, in anything, anymore. It's got enough Ginger, and Sichuan peppercorn to kill a horse--and I mean that in the best way possible, not even remotely as negative. The key is that strong spice can work, if its mixed in the right way--and this is. Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet... this dish has all of it in the right proportion, on top of that ass-kicking chicken. The Dan-Dan noodle? It staggered even me, and I have a high tolerance for chili oil. But i sure enjoyed it. I also had part of a spicy lamb dish with ginger, although I can't recall the exact name. All I can say is... get it. A little less stellar than the Kung Pao... but not much. The Green Parrot was a pleasant surprise. Spinach, yes, but "spiced" in a way that I've never had before. My guess is that it might take an experienced palate to enjoy this... its strongly spiced in a way very different from the Dan-Dan or the Kung Pao--its sour almost beyond description. I loved it.

Wow, I miss snacking.

Now that we've about exhausted this, let's talk about the theoretical (and funny) circumstance of teaching a teenage boy to cook. I say it takes showing him lots of videotape of chicks hitting on Tony Bourdain.

Mmmm. Dumplings.

Yeah, I had that Grand Sichuan International version recently. Yum.

At first I thought this was going to be about teaching a teenaged boy to cook and I was going to say "oh brother, don't even BOTHER!" Too bad, I could have had fun with that topic. If I put my mind into a time warp I remember liking: Meat, red. Cooked. Pasta, but simple--nothing complicated. BBQ. Just about anything. Chicken cutlets, fried--maybe with some lemon or garlic, or as a parmigiana. I was odd in that I didn't like shrimp, clams, stuff like that (still don't), but I don't think its that uncommon for teenagers to like that stuff as much as most adults. Lasagna. Most people of any age like lasagna unless they've got cheese problems. If you make a good meat lasagna, its going to be shoveled down bigtime. All of the mentions of various Mexican style food is right on the mark, I think. I had a weakness for Yankee Pot-roast, for some bizarre reason, as a teenager. With those big floppy egg noodles... The Pizza/Turkey/Meatloaf ideas are obviously universal. Then again, maybe teenagers' tastes change every 15-20 years and all of this is bunk. Maybe they all like big salads now.

I just want to make sure that tommy still knows not to use tahini.

Palisades Mall "Legal" is good... assuming you like waiting to get in.

So "Why is Horn & Hardart the World's Most Famous Brand of Coffee?" I swear, those are THEIR words, not mine. Go look.

The location listed in the ad: 353 Broad Avenue, Leonia (201) 592-1662. The whole franchise of pseudo-Horn & Hardart "we're a coffee shop not an automat" locations per their webpage. No doubt everything costs more than a nickel. And remember... they are NOT automats! Actually, I myself ate at the Third Avenue and East 42nd Street location of the real McCoy a reasonably large number of times through my childhood. My grandfather was very fond of the place. Then again, he also loved those all-you can eat cafeteria places in Florida. Also of interest (for fun): http://www.theautomat.com/index2.html