SobaAddict70

A Brush With Culinary Celebrity Click here for discussion relating to Del Posto. Here is a thread on Bar Americain. Click here for discussion relating to Jean-Georges and Nougatine, and here for a thread on Chef Vongerichten's newest restaurant, Perry Street. A thread on Pylos can be viewed here.

Getting The Kinks All Worked Out (includes a mini-review of Butterfield 8) Click here for discussion relating to Mas. Here is a thread on 5 Ninth. Click here for discussion relating to Landmarc.

I don't know. KFCs beats Popeye's by a mile, imo. There doesn't seem to be very many Popeye's here in NYC (that I've seen). Come to think of it, there aren't very many KFCs either.

All About Seating Policies Click here, here and here for related discussion. Click here for discussion relating to Nobu and here for a thread on Nobu 57. Here is a thread about Ouest.

I've never had this (in any form). What's it like....and how safe is it? You know, mad cow and all that.

Don't worry. There's another one in the works, sometime later this spring -- but from a different blogger.

Actually, many people in food and food media join the eGullet Society forums to take part a bit in the old give-and-take: think of Ruth Reichl, Jamie Maw, and Michael Ruhlman. Bruni could certainly do the same. Habermas would be proud! ← Exactly. There's nothing stopping Mr. Bruni -- should he wish to -- from becoming a participating member. In fact, he might already be one, who knows? Interesting that in the two weeks since DJ began its transformation from column to blog that there are no entries on the weekend.

That might be the case were it not for the fact that there is a real column within the context of Mr. Bruni's blog.

Hesser wasn't a blogger. She didn't open up a comments section allowing people to respond to her opinions. But her writing was commented on by others, which in turn were commented on by posters here on eGullet. The principle is the same even if the example wasn't very good. I don't know why this wouldn't be viewed in a positive light, given that on this forum at least, you stand a very good chance of having most points of view being given equal billing as long as people are respectful. I would say he's been a part of our world ever since he became Mr. Grimes' replacement. His blog is just a natural extension of the online version of the articles. You could even say, well, why did it take so long for the Times to catch up? Nothing has changed. Mr. Bruni is a journalist, and as such, the fact that he has a blog doesn't mean that people can't comment on it here. Rather, one would say that it makes him more vulnerable to public discussion. But don't take it from me, here's material from the man himself: His posts ARE news, irrespective of whether or not they appeared in a print medium or online. I'm sorry, but I respectfully disagree.

But it's not bad net etiquette to comment on material such as Eurotrash on Amanda Hesser's Spice Market review or to have an ongoing thread on restaurant critics at the NYTimes? I don't get it. This thread is primarily for discussion about Mr. Bruni's blog -- which by the way incorporates his regular Friday Diner's Journal column. Anything is fair game as long as respondents are on-topic and respectful of other viewpoints.

It was only a matter of time until a thread devoted to Frank Bruni's Diner's Journal blog would be started here. Going forward, this thread will be updated as Mr. Bruni adds entries to his blog. --Soba ================== Morimoto Click here for related discussion on Morimoto's in Manhattan. Click here, here, here and here for discussion regarding Morimoto in Philadelphia. If your hunger for all things Morimoto hasn't been sated yet, you can read a thread comparing Morimoto in Philadelphia to Morimoto's in New York here. David Burke's at Bloomingdale's Click here for commentary regarding David Burke & Donatella. Click here for a discussion relating to David Burke's at Bloomingdale's. 71 Clinton Fresh Food Commentary and discussion relating to 71 Clinton Fresh Food can be viewed here. Click here for a thread on wd-50. Dining In Packs Click here for discussion relating to Del Posto. A thread on Blue Hill at Stone Barns can be viewed here. Il Mulino Questions and Answers Commentary and related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style of reviewing and the New York Times star system can be found here. A Sure Thing Click here for a thread on Aquavit. Click here for a thread on Per Se. Recent Makeovers Click here for discussion relating to Aix. Click here for a thread on Telepan. Bruni on Burgers Click here for discussion relating to Rare Bar & Grill.

Rare Bar & Grill (Frank Bruni) Click here for related commentary regarding Mr. Bruni's style of reviewing and the New York Times star system. Soba

Folks, I've just removed a great deal of posts which have crossed the line from criticism to mean-spiritedness. Please keep it civil. Thanks.

The Orchard (Frank Bruni) Click here for a thread on Apizz. Click here for discussion relating to Peasant. Commentary and related discussion regarding Mr. Bruni's style of reviewing and the New York Times star system can be found here. Soba

Nonetheless, it did work. Here's a snapshot from about a month ago (Monday, 1/23/2006): Meal 1: Whey/casein shake with 2% Lactaid Meal 2: Salad with grilled chicken breast Meal 3: Whey/casein shake with 2% Lactaid (pre-workout meal) Meal 4: Seared tuna steak, five-pepper salsa, steamed veggies (post-workout meal) Meal 5: 2 cans of water-packed tuna with Mrs. Dash Also six fish oil capsules and about a gallon of water. Total: 222 g protein, roughly 30 g carbs and about the same amount of fat. I probably broke something like 1300 calories there, about 3000 less than what I usually consume. I wouldn't recommend this for most people who want to lose weight, but it did work for me. If you want more details about the diet, send me a PM.

I respectfully disagree. I would say that losing weight is 90% diet and 10% exercise. Or as someone posted on another board I belong to: ← Actually, you're both saying the same thing. One of two things needs to happen to induce weight loss: 1) you eat the same amount as you normally do, but you burn more calories by working out or 2) you eat less than you normally do, but don't change your workout regime. The moral of the story is the same though: eat less than what you use. A combination of both (in whatever percentage you choose) seems to work best though.... ← Not quite the same thing, at least with respect to my experience. I don't know about other people, but I can say that I changed my caloric consumption drastically in addition to reducing my exercise output (from 3-4x a week with cardio to 1-2 full body workouts a week with minimal to practically no cardio). Net result was that I dropped 20 lbs. in seven weeks over the course of two diet cycles. Each cycle lasted three weeks, with approximately a week off in between. You could probably say it's closer to option #2 ("you eat less than you normally do", etc.), though I'd say that's an oversimplification. I also take issue with the statement Not all diets are created equal. I certainly couldn't eat what I wanted, not at a mere 1200 calories a day. Anyway, prasantrin, I hope I haven't scared you off too much. Do keep us apprised of your progress!

I respectfully disagree. I would say that losing weight is 90% diet and 10% exercise. Or as someone posted on another board I belong to:

About as possible for people to have an opinion on just about any subject without having foreknowledge of that subject. I would act accordingly [or not], grain of salt in hand.

Ideally you should have something with a moderate amount of protein and some sort of carbs to provide you with energy during your workout. Something like a bowl of oatmeal would probably fit the bill, maybe some 2% cottage cheese. If you don't like whey drinks, you can always try a protein smoothie. By the way, the whey blend I use is a mix of casein, egg and whey, which probably accounts for its drinkability, among other things. Pure whey with a little dextrose is just blah. For post-workout, a protein shake works for me, along with some carbs. Ideally this should be as soon as or as close to the session as possible; certainly no later than a half hour past. Drinking your calories is a lot better (in my opinion and experience) than eating. If shakes aren't your thing, low fat cheese and crackers along with some fruit could fit the bill, or perhaps some yogurt. The important thing is that you want to immediately ingest something that will nourish your muscles due to the effort you just put them through. If you're going to use creatine, your post-workout meal is when you would use it, not before. [This assumes you're in your maintenance phase and not the loading phase.]

We had lunch at The Sea Grill today and while it was quite good, I was thinking in retrospect how someone who, unused to fine dining, might have been underwhelmed by what we were served today especially in regards to price point. Fat Guy, in one of his treatises elsewhere, one mentioned that on any given plate of food, there can be as many as ten or more components that go into building that seminal moment of culinary pleasure. That certainly was the case in much of what I had today. (Click here to view a description.) That plate of seared yellowfin tuna? It's listed as $35 on the menu, no doubt in part because of those nuggets of foie. And while I saw the value on the plate and appreciated how and why it cost that much, I'm sure there are those who might not. I'm reminded of this thread and another post in a past Q&A with Chef Marco Canora of Hearth restaurant: So, when you go out to eat with your friends, your spouse, your significant other or whomever, do you ever encounter this attitude, as in "They served me this giant bowl with such a niggardly amount of food. Remind me why I'm being charged X $ for this?" Soba

OK, time to counter the "New York" view with some Heartland reality. In the small town where my mother and sister live, I doubt that there are more than 5 people who even know what "artisanal cheese" is. No such cheese is available within a 45 minute drive. On the other hand, their very small Wal-Mart has taken on the flavor of the community, such as the pharmacist doing home delivery of drugs when needed. It's function is almost like a community center where everyone meets. Some businesses failed when Wal-Mart came in, but they were in the nature of a dusty old shoe store which was only staying in business because the mortgage had been paid off on the rickety building. A similar situation developed here (30 miles west of Philly) with grocery stores. The "local store" (5-6 miles miles away) was a Genuardi's when I moved here about 5 years ago. It was sold to Safeway. Then a new Giant opened about a half mile away with very low prices. Genuardi/Safeway is struggling. I like it because the store is so much smaller--fast in and out, easy on the arthritis--and the staff has little turnover. It's becoming increasingly difficult to stay loyal, however, as their traffic is so low that produce is suffering. Their prices are totally unreasonable. They try to stock foods if you request them, but certain things become unavailable for no reason. This week, petite diced (canned) tomatoes and tuna in oil disappeared from the shelves, and I got soft (fresh) tomatoes, rotten potatoes and a bad eggplant. I'm about to cave in, but whatcha gonna do? Correct. It is as Rochelle noted, a rather complex subject that's difficult to delve into without crossing certain boundaries on eGullet. I gave one viewpoint which tends to hold in some urban areas. Your view is equally valid. Not to derail Rochelle's blog -- but Costco is for the most part, open only to members and their guests, not the general public. There are other substantive differences. More information (not that Wikipedia is necessarily a good source but it'll suffice for now) can be found here.

Folks -- I've just removed a number of posts from this thread due to their being substantially off-topic in nature or relating to discussion of politics/religion. It's not that we don't like posts about such, it's that these are explicitly prohibited by the Member Agreement. Please try to keep this in mind for the future. Thanks.

Could someone explain this to an ignorant European? Why do you all hate this store so much? ← Wal*Mart has a history of setting up shop in a neighborhood or city and pricing their goods as low as possible to the point of driving out smaller businesses. Given the choice between a store that sells artisanal cheese, for instance, and a Wal*Mart that offers a wide selection of cheese but at a lower quality control (and more importantly, cost), which do you think would people choose? Pick the right answer and you win a gold star. There are other reasons to be sure, but this is one of the main objections.

Folks, In the interests of maintaining civility and decorum, I'm going to ask everyone to please take a deep breath and cool off a little. Thanks.

Hi, Lori. I'll be back later to post the teaser for the next installment, but you (or anyone else) can always access previous Foodblogs via the eGullet Foodblog index which is pinned to the top of the General Food Topics forum. Kind regards, Soba