emilymarie

Am making lobster bisque this Thanksgiving per my youngest sister's request. I've got my recipe but now need a source for good quality fish stock. Can I get this at Whole Foods, or is there another, reputable fish purveyor where I can get good stock? Thanks in advance for help.

well, at least my tastebuds were right on target. good to know! and, like i said, i was smiling the whole time. the place is a hoot (yes, i just said, hoot!).

I have always had enjoyable meals at craftbar, and their apple fritter dessert makes my eyes roll back in my head in delight! Last time I went, a couple of weeks ago, my dinner date and I ate about 5 (or 6 or 7) breadsticks each. They're very rich, buttery-tasting, and crunchy--and addictive, in my opinion. Had the gnocchi to start. They sounded good, and I remembered Andrea Strong raving about them in one of her recent Buzz reports. They were not nearly as good as she claimed (isn't that always the case?) but they were tasty. These are not gnocchi of a light or cloud-like variety, but are tasty, chewy gnocchi in a shimmery, chestnut/butter sauce. Date had the chicken soup, which I didn't taste. For entree I had the pork loin with apples and bitter greens (can't remember what kind of greens now) and pork belly. Pork belly had a layer of fat on top, which melted in my mouth. Loved that. Loin was good, a bit dry. Greens and apples a nice compliment/flavor contrast. Date had the veal meatballs in tomato sauce, which were perfectly salted and just outstanding in my opinion. I had the apple fritters with caramel ice cream for dessert (YUM!) and tried to stuff myself with as much of that peanut brittle as I could. I had two of the pear/prosecco cocktails, but wish they would bring back a cocktail I had on my first visit many years ago--some sort of orange liquor, prosecco, and a thin slice of candied orange.

Had dinner at Belmont on Friday night. I loved the place, which smelled like my dear great aunt's house (a combination of garlic, gravy, and cigarette smoke) and even looked like it--wood paneling and all. We were the only people there under 30 and without a whole can of hairspray in our hair. I thought it was all very fun! Had the clams oreganato and sauteed hot peppers to start. Peppers weren't hot enough and I would have loved it if they threw some vinegar peppers in there. But both tasty. For dinner, cavatelli with pot cheese and chicken murphy. Both very good. Cavatelli was nice and al dente and though I don't know what pot cheese is it tasted like cavatelli with ricotta. Chicken murphy was really tasty, though I wish I was one of the lucky few who got some potatoes thrown in. Some naysayers who I was telling about my dinner seemed to turn up their noses at the place. They asked if the food was greasy. Yes, it is, but it's old school Italian American, just like my grandmother still makes today! I will go back.

I have a feeling that this place has the potential to do very, very well. In addition to all of the Columbia, Manhattan school, and Union Theological kids, there are always carloads of people driving in from NJ and Westchester/CT to shop at Fairway on the weekend. It's packed and a madhouse. My guess is that if Dino does a good PR job they can attract a lot of these people to their place, which looks to be just a hop skip and a jump away from Fairway. I wish them all the best--it will add a nice flavor to the mix (or lack thereof) of restaurants in that immediate area. Plus it's just a 20 to 25 minute ride from my house over the Bridge.

Whenever I order anything wrapped--wraps, gyros, burritos--I always eat the insides with a fork first and then eat the outside tortilla, pita bread, etc. with my hands. I never just take a bit into the thing, wrap and filling! Just wouldn't be the same.

Hey, as a Columba undergrad and a Texas ex-pat, I resent that. I would never call eating BBQ in any neighborhood "slummin' it" ← Well, at least it's not in Morningside Park. That's truly "forbidden" territory. Truth be told, the only place up there where you run the risk of injury or--GULP--death is at Ollie's!!!! The smell alone could kill Don't punish me for getting off topic a bit!

Its actually not that far from Columbia. The north side of the campus is on 120th and the nearest cross street to Dinosaur is probably 125th. Its a ten minute walk from the west side of campus. Granted it is closer to the area that grad students live in, especially International House. But its not that far. Remember these are not midtown blocks. Mary ← It's not at all far. Back in the days when I had slept not a wink finishing a paper, I was known to take the bus or subway from Broadway and Tieman to 116 to hand in said paper. Point: It's really easy to get to this place from CU without walking. My guess is they'll get lots of kids, grad and undergrad alike. It will give those columbia/barnard undergrads the chance to feel like they're really slummin' it--barbecue in Harlem, trekking north of 120th?! Oh my WORD! It's as easy as a subway/bus ride away. Back to the pics and a bit off topic, didn't know that was the original cotton club. It's not, is it?

I am a PBS junkie. Colomeco's Food Show on PBS is my favorite show. He will pick a subject for the day--chefs who are couples or armagnanc or a particular restaurant such as the French Laundry--will visit that restaurant, etc., etc., take you behind the scenes, and will then make a dish inspired by his recent adventures at his house. He's funny, completely unassuming, and very very likeable. His is my favorite show on television. Then there's Lidia, who I love because of her heavy hand with the cheese and olive oil. I also enjoy Charlie Trotter's Kitchen Sessions. Can't stand Ming or Johnson & Wales, but only because they make everything seem so sterile and non-sensual. I agree with a lot of people's posts about the Food Network. I loved the Food Network of Sara Moulton and Cooking Live. It feels like all they show now is Unwrapped (product placement for advertisers??).

Mmm, thanks everyone. I ended up not getting up there this Sunday but will definitely keep your recs for another Sunday. And Jogoode, I'd be even more interested in hearing about some great Mexican joints in Westchester (if you have any info.), specifically in the White Plains/Harrison/Portchester area. Have stopped in at just a couple of the places on the main drag in Portchester (nearby Pat's, if I recall) and had some sort of a steak, eggs, and plantain platter that was greasy as hell but delicious! Off topic, but if you have any details, please share. Thanks!

I'm in love with the whole idea of working in a kitchen now, though I can appreciate what you've said about some of the people who find their way into this line of work. How many people just fall into it without knowing what they're getting into? I guess those people get out as quickly as they got in. I can be overly flowery, I admit it. I'm still very green and inexperienced (In fact, someone told me that my couple of days of work at a restaurant each week is play). But I'm hopeful and motivated. I'm going to go to culinary school and take seriously my two days of work. I'd be destined for mediocrity if I didn't, wouldn't you say?! The only thing I need now--balls and the agression of a NFL defensive lineman. GRRRRR?!

Mesob is not exactly what I'd call a dive. That might contribute to the rise in price. I don't know about the places in NY, but I thought that Mesob was, on the one hand, a rather large space, and on the other hand, decorated rather nicely--wood floors, that big bar, art, etc. Also, maybe the fact that there is not that much (any?) other Ethiopian food in Montclair contributes to their higher prices. If you're in NYC competing with other restaurants serving similar food, well, you've got to lure in customers with good prices (good food is a given). I remember the food at Mesob being on the expensive side for what you get, but it's a neat experience and worth a try.

Absolutely, CityCook. It's interesting to hear people who work in the industry talk about it. One friend said he wanted to work as much as he could even if it meant not sleeping and another person I know who is exec. chef/co-owner at a restaurant has called people insane, maniacs, and psychopaths when they've told him that they want to be cooks. When people say things like this it begs the question--well then, why do you still do it? There are ways to cook professionally but not in a restaurant kitchen. Or is it just run of the mill complaining? Probably both. But I am convinced that there is something so inherently powerful about this industry that keeps a lot of people in it, despite all of the drawbacks. It's why I am pursuing my dreams now. Check back with me in 5 years (haha!) But as you say, spending every holiday away from family would be poo! And I wish you all the luck in the world in your quest to write. I've met many a nasty magazine/book editor who cared little about my talent and knowledge but rather that I'd paid my dues, worked in the industry and had a certain mysterious something that they thought I needed to do the job (maybe no pride in myself??). Rant over! I look forward to reading your posts...

Had some interest in going to Escoffier Room at CIA this weekend, but want to give myself plenty of options (and was made nervous by some bad reviews I just read of the place). What are some good ($60-75 per person) restaurants from NYC to Poughkeepsie? I really don't have any real parameters on myself, other than the above-quoted price. I can do red check clothes or swank white linens. Any ideas? Thanks in advance...

A little off-subject Woody Allen humor that I was reminded of (not quoting verbatim): "I thought Commentary and Dissent had merged to form Dysentery." Gets me every time!!! Back to the subject at hand, I agree with you FG when you say: "Frank Bruni already works for the New York Times, so he already writes for an elite group of readers." While some might quibble with your use of "elite" I think that you are right on here. Restaurants are not democratic institutions--they don't want to be and I don't think a lot of people eating in them want them to be.

No worries, jogoode. I just get so darn excited when I talk about restaurants . This is all in good fun, and I love this thread. Forgot this last time--

When I went a few months ago they did not have a liquor license and sent us around the corner or somewhere very near by for a bottle of wine. I would say you don't need a reservation--there were only 2 other tables when I went there and I've never seen it too crowded ( ). Chicken dish we had was one of the most comforting things I've eaten in a long time. Can still remember it, and it was made even that much better by the fact that you could eat with your hands (using bread, of course). Have fun and pls. report.

I guess part of Bruni's (or anyone's) job as the NYTimes restaurant critic is to bring to people's attention fantastic restaurants of every kind--Thai, French, fried chicken, white or no tablecloth. And that's an important job--and I've gotten many a good idea from the 25-and-under section, in particular. It's not that I want to dismiss completely good Thai, or any type of cuisine, as not good enough for a review (though I suppose it looks like this is what I did in my first post). I did not mean to say that this restaurant should have been ignored completely--I just think that it should have been reviewed in the 25-and-under section. I come to the reviews each week with a very personal goal (and bias, it appears) in mind: I want to know what a certain caliber of restaurants and chefs are doing with food, how they're using certain ingredients, what is going on in the business foodwise. I use these reviews like I do cookbooks and eating out. I do not want reviews of the latest, "hot" new restaurants b/c they're hot, and I don't want yuppy-expense account-dot.com-scene reviews but an examination of the kind of food and food pairings and restaurants that are really important influences "in cooking" (I'm having a hard time articulating myself here). And to me, there are certain restaurants and chefs that I look to as these types of innovators and guides, which would reveal my bias. And though Bruni reviewed a good Thai restaurant that is to some the best in the U.S., I was disappointed because I could have just as easily gone to Sripraphai myself whereas I can't just pick up and go to Per Se or Babbo or Fleur de Sel, for example, to see what chef xyz is doing these days. And as for the assertion that I am not the kind of person who would make a 2 hour trip to eat at a restaurant, well, that's a fine, but misinformed, assumption based on one posting.

I look forward to the food reviews (or used to, rather) every week--and then I turn to a review of this Thai place in Queens!!!! I've never eaten at this particular restaurant, and I am sure it's wonderful, a destination restaurant, the best in the country, etc., etc., but I immediately thought--well there goes another waste of a week!!! No matter how well this place executes "authentic" Thai food, it does not qualify for the main review. It belongs in the $25-and-Under section, which to me should be reserved for places that you decide to go to when you get home from work at 6:30 or 7 at night. You get home and say: Honey I'm in the mood for Thai. Let's go to Queens. What will he review next--the small hole-in-the-wall that makes the best fried chicken and cornbread north of wherever?? And what will his justification be--it's fried chicken at its best?! It's the ultimate execution of this staple food? The main review should be reserved for places you can't just walk in to. They should be reserved for special restaurants that deserve special attention, a reservation for god's sake--places we all can't just go to on a Tuesday night! These are places that are shaping how we think of food and what we eat, that are introducing us to new flavors, dishes, etc. They are my chance to experience a meal, albeit secondhand, at places like Per Se, Jean-Georges, Daniel. I have a feeling that my frustration may be futile and that in order to continue to read these reviews without getting pissed off that I should learn to understand what Bruni is doing, what his intentions are for his stars, as per your suggestion FG. Perhaps they should implement a star system for the $25-and-Under places. The stars for these restaurants would mean something very different than the stars for the main reviews. As one poster mentioned, I suppose that the 25aU restaurants are not of the same quality/caliber as the "main review" restaurants, so maybe they need their own rating system? Am I just babbling at this point?

thanks, Curlz.

Me too, Curlz, me too! And I live literally around the corner from the Grove Street location so you can imagine how hard it is to resist going. The first time I went to try it I asked the server/scooper behind the counter for the graham cracker flavor. This oldish man looked at me as if he didn't know what flavor I was asking for. I thought--Is he really going to make me say: I would like a cup of your Graham Central Station?! Yep! He did, but hell, it was worth it. WORTH IT! It's my favorite flavor. It's never too cold for ice cream?

So did Amanda Hesser already appear? Can't tell from posts and can't find the listing in the adultschool website. It may be that I'm very tired today... If she did, how was it? Am interested in that champagne tasting at Orbis restaurant? What's Orbis restaurant like? Thoughts? thanks.

I actually take my "stuffing" (from NJ, born and bred) inspiration from--meep--Martha Stewart. My mother was never someone who loved to cook and as a child she always relied on the already-bagged, dried stuff. The real cook in the family, my grandmother, is Italian and so stuffing was not something that she ate that much growing up. It was not part of her diet, and she doesn't have a certain, tried and true way of making it. So, it was up to me to tweak with the stuffing recipe. I actually don't use a recipe but use a mix of stale, cubed bread (I like a nice crusty loaf of artisanal bread from which I may or may not remove the crust) which I mix with some cornbread (made from mix), cooked, crumbled sausage (no fennel seeds, thank you), diced celery and onion sauteed in butter and oil, toasted pecans, and dried cherries. I finish it off with fresh, chopped flat leaf parsley, dots of butter, and chicken/turkey stock and bake it in a buttered 13x9 in. pan. Now, my question is--how do you make turkey stock? Do you use the heart and livers? Carrots, celery, onions?

I grew up in Passaic and Morris counties in New Jersey, lived in St. Louis for 3 and a half years during high school and went to college in New York. I would have to say that there are certainly regional specialties in all three areas but that they are all variations on broader food categories--Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, junk food, ballpark food, etc. For instance, the Italian food in St. Louis is very different from the Italian food in New Jersey and New York (New Jersey Italians do not generally consider toasted ravioli "Italian" while this same dish is a very popular thing in St. Louis' Italian communities). And, I also think it's important to remember that when talking about regional foods that we don't separate regional from ethnic. Perhaps this is a given, but the kind of food that becomes associated with certain regions of the country is heavily determined, I think, by the kinds of people who settled in these regions. In places like north Jersey and New York City where there are immigrants from all over the world, it's hard to say that there is one regional specialty. I mean, there are so many different types of food available at our fingertips. I grew up eating my grandmother's food--my grandmother is a first-generation Italian-American and my grandfather came to NJ as an infant from Italy. As I've grown up (and settled in north Jersey) I can't say that what I eat specifically reflects any particular region. What I eat, however, does reflect the fact that I have more money now and have been exposed to a lot more types of cuisine--Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, classical French, regional Italian, etc., etc. As a very young child, going out to dinner with 3 kids and 2 parents meant local, family-run Italian joints with overflowing plates of lasagna (which we relished), Bennigans and other local places where salad was always included with dinner (I thought this was standard until the age of 10). Now that I am older I have more choices and will eat greek one night (tonight actually), Italian the next, ice cream the next. I'd say that my food choices are really mostly determined by what I can afford rather than some specific regional specialties. I will say, however, that my grandmother's food will always comfort me, pierogies will always remind me of my polish aunt, and I will always enjoy a good hot dog all the way and pizza made the right way (so, never anything found in St. Louis).