SobaAddict70

Welp, I can't say my experience was as bad as yours, but it was close. Turkey Day dinner prep was divided up over two periods -- the weekend before Turkey Day and the evening prior/during Turkey Day itself. Some food shopping took place during that weekend, and let me tell you that last minute shopping at Fairway that close to the main event is NOT a good idea. I see now what El Gordo did to poor Dave. Soba

This blog isnt' over yet folks, not by a longshot. Let's just say that his successor (who hasn't been picked yet btw), will have a terribly difficult act to follow. Soba

Butter and Mrs. Dash, for me. Soba

Beg to differ. Never was, either. Always overpriced and never more than merely solidly good, at best, from what I remember. Shun Lee Palace may have once been the best Chinese restaurant in the city, though. ← i guess that's why 1 has a choice between chocolate & vanilla... as well as very recent trips to both shun lee's as opposed to "what i remember". many of these have been around for a long time & so many "remember" what was, not what is. overpriced is always in the eyes of the beholder, but its best to remember "one gets what one pays for", n'est-ce pas? off-off topic, as to apples & onions, it is debatable as regards to an appropiate analogy, sort of the same as GS vis-a-vis SLW. ← An appropriate analogy? You are comparing a restaurant that serves cuisine that covers a broad range of genres within Chinese cuisine -- Shanghai, Beijing, Sichuan and Cantonese (along with some modern interpretations) as opposed to a restaurant that has a strong focus on classic Sichuan cuisine. Saying that one is not in the same league as the other with the implication that one is "better" than the other within this context is not quite accurate and is purely a matter of speculation and/or opinion. Soba

That's debatable, as this thread shows. Also, Shun Lee West and Grand Sichuan serve two different styles of Chinese cuisine. Shun Lee focuses on a broad selection of Chinese cuisine with some modern fusion thrown in, whilst GS tends to focus on one specific area. It's a bit like comparing apples and onions but your mileage may vary. Getting back on topic, if you're willing to travel out of the area, you might consider Phoenix Garden and either Wu Liang Ye (48th St. near Rockefeller Center) or Grand Sichuan (midtown location). I'm afraid I'm not much help with UWS Chinese. As for Chinatown (and for future consideration), Dim Sum GoGo, Sweet-N-Tart, and Oriental Garden are all worthy. Good luck, Soba

I could see myself ordering two of them (and taking off the bacon), but that's just me. This is one foodie who's not ashamed to put a Big Mac in his gullet and admit it. Soba

Do Chicken Selects come with sauce? I will say that BK's Chicken Tenders have a more addictive mouth feel than McNuggets. Maybe a taste test comparison is in order. (I've never had Selects.) Soba

En Japanese Brasserie (Frank Bruni) Soba

I'm in suspense. What's missing? Soba

Slightly offtopic, I suppose you could get a few of these suckers and mix it up a bit. Soba

Since when has a negative review ever stopped Ducasse? They (Gourmet) will come around sooner or later. Soba

I hope there will be lots of pix next week. I like how the ferrets are getting a bath in addition to all the prep around them. Soba

Guess what, my office is within two blocks. Guess where I'll be having lunch tomorrow or in the next few days. Thanks for bumping this up. Soba

Well, the days of fantastic cooking are long behind me but I rise to the occasion sometimes. Jake, the chicken breasts are for me because I'm a gym nut. I don't think he's discovered those particular joys yet. ================= Tonight was relatively simple. steak purists, skip to the next post. steak (seasoned with salt and lemon pepper before broiling), brown rice and steamed broccoli. Served the steak with a mixture of A-1 sauce and Filipino banana ketchup. Thai iced tea. Going to bed in a few, I have to be up in six hours to get into the gym. Nite nite, folks. Soba

What? No boneless, skinless chicken breasts?! It's a new trend, indeed. ← Oh, they still exist. I just don't report on those anymore. Speaking of which, I need to pick up more Mrs. Dash this weekend. Soba

I guess fifi's inspired me to make some onion confit this weekend for use on Turkey Day. I was thinking it might do wonders in mashed potatoes amongst other things. Soba

Spent last night with the guy I've been seeing on an on-and-off basis for the past two months. Roasted cauliflower quasi-pasta puttanesca (for the recipe, click here), and a mini-apple pie with oatmeal/brown sugar crumb topping for dessert. Wow, I actually cooked dinner last night. Must be the start of a trend. Soba

Devi (Frank Bruni) (this will be linked to the NYTimes DIGEST in tomorrow's update) Soba

Proportions on the parsnip/pear/cream? Sounds tempting. ← I can't answer for Elie, but usually one or two pears is just about right. You don't want the pear flavor to be pronounced, but a bit subtle. A similar recipe in Chez Panisse Vegetables gives perhaps 4 or 5 sweet potatoes to 1 pear and about 1 1/2 cups combination half and half and/or light cream. Soba

I like it as a finisher to penne, squash flowers, olives and fennel. Soba

Wonder whether Mr. Bruni is critical of "tall food" or other forms of plating? Soba

Couvron (Frank Bruni) Chef Anthony Demes, formerly of Couvron in Portland, Oregon, offers New Yorkers food in the style of contemporary France. Soba

Hm, ok. What do you think about their ice creams? There *has* to be something worth it, somewhere... Soba

New York Times Wednesday Update Wednesday, 10 November 2004 A. Dining In/Dining Out Section Ramen, Ramen Everywhere (Julia Moskin) Sidebar: If you navigate your web browser to the New York Times’ web page, you can hear an online audio presentation given by Julia Moskin regarding ramenya restaurants in New York City. Click on the box entitled “Ramen in New York” to begin the presentation. Sidebar: Below is a list of ramenya restaurants in New York. CHIKUBU, 12 East 44th Street, (212) 818-0715. Ramen on Fridays and Saturdays. HONMURA AN, 170 Mercer Street (Houston Street), (212) 334-5253. MINCA, 536 East Fifth Street; (212) 505-8001. MOMOFUKU, 163 First Avenue (10th Street); (212) 475-7899. NOOCH, 143 Eighth Avenue (17th Street); (212) 691-8600. ONIGASHIMA, 43-45 West 55th Street; (212) 541-7145. RAI RAI KEN, 214 East 10th Street; (212) 477-7030. SAPPORO, 152 West 49th Street; (212) 869-8972. SOBA-YA, 229 East Ninth Street; (212) 533-6966. SOBA NIPPON, 19 West 52nd Street; (212) 489-2525. Surfing For Gifts On The Internet (Marian Burros At My Table (Nigella Lawson) The Minimalist (Mark Bittman Japanese Noodle Magic (Julia Moskin) In Search Of The Perfect Cuppa (William Grimes) Tempo (Frank Bruni) Mancora (Dana Bowen) The Pour (Eric Asimov) Bits And Pieces (Florence Fabricant) Recipes in today’s DIGEST: 1. Coq Au Riesling 2. Cinnamon Plums With French Toast 3. Baked Ziti B. Elsewhere in the Times… Our Daily Bread (Dan Barry) Aquavit’s New Home (Sana Siwolop) Soba

One of Mr. Bruni's better reviews thus far, imo. Thoughts? Soba