Scargo

I've looked for answers to my dilemma and the Emily Post site had one divided discussion on the topic. I consider myself a good cook and have had numerous, large (6-12 people) dinner parties. I once lived with a woman and when we entertained she and I both usually cooked. She felt that you did not cater to the whims of guests by make special dishes, just for them, when you had something else planned. If they didn't like something, they didn't have to eat it. We virtually never had a problem. There was a phase where my teenage son didn't care for fish, but that didn't stop us. He ate it or just had to eat more of someting else. Now, I am in a different relationship with a woman whos 23 YO daughter is very picky about food. At restaurants she likes to make the waiters jump through hoops with special requests of "leave this out" or "put this in" or "can you cook it this way?". If she sees garlic then she picks it out but if it is indiscernable then she likes it and will eat the dish". She will go "ewwwww" if there is something she doesn't like. My partner's son will eat anything I put before him. He raves about my cooking and frequently invites himself over for meals. I am having a dinner party since my son is visiting and the daughter has anounced, eight hours before the party, and after I planned and purchased food for the meal, that she is not eating red meat. My partner wants me to change the plans and just grill chicken. I was going to braise sirloin with my homemade tomato sauce and veggies out of my garden. The catch is, this is something new that the daughter is doing. She has never had a problem with eating red meat before! Am I justified in being pissed? My partner has asked me "pretty please" to cater to her. What would you do? Should I at least let her know that I object and don't like doing giving her the special treatment (and dislike having to change my dinner plans)? Beyond this one instance, how do you feel about making backup entrees or asking people in advance what THEY would like to eat? I would certainly make exceptions for vegetarians and people with food allergies if they tell me in advance, or if I know what their preferences are and have decided I want to invite them.

I think I hear many people saying (in this thread) that the most common thing that drives their tastes is what they were brought up on/raised on (like my Mom's chicken 'n dumplings being incomparable). Whether it is your Mom's (or Dad's) food or the local Red Lobster's, it is what you know. You go out of that sphere and then similar foods may seem wierd or odd to you. This drives the "ours is best" mentality. I have been in Connecticut for more than five years now, and, as a Texan, I have a real problem with the chili and BBQ here. Other food, like seafood and Italian is way superior, IMHO. I have an issue with local bragging rights about the best pizza, hot dog and "the original hamburger" in the New Haven area. This is what you want to brag about and rave about? But, hey, that's me. Having done some travelling around the world and the US, I would say my tastes are "more sophisticated" and that I am open to a wider variety of taste sensations or variations on a theme. So I try not to get uptight about the chili with vegetables and beans in it. I had a saying at my old business, which was, "nothing is perfect; but it can be extremely adequate". I take back what I said about the pizza. It can be damn fine.

TJ Buckley's sems to get the nod, at least from 2006 reviews I found. Pricey and small, it is in a nicely furnished diner. Someone (below) preferred the Four Columns Inn in Newfane (10 miles north on 30) over it. http://www.fourcolumnsinn.com/ Then there's Big Bob's Full Belly Deli...... This guys blog has a nice review of both, with pictures of their experience, and a reminder that TJ Buckley's is CASH ONLY and highly suggests reservations. Four Colomns review is linked, on the same page, under "previously chomped". http://bostonchomps.blogspot.com/2006/06/t...r-in-diner.html

As I said in my post about a few recent meals in the Austin area, http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=105587 "The best BBQ in a long time was had in Elgin, Texas at Southside Market & BBQ on 290, which is part of Meyer’s BBQ; famous for their sausage…. The brisket and sausage was as good as I’ve had anywhere! The brisket was flavorful, tender and juicy. I liked their sauce, too; slightly hot and slightly vinegary. Everything was well smoked and flavorful. I have eaten Q all over the Hill Country and twice at Cooper’s in Llano. I think this brisket measured up to all of them!" Every dog can have their day, and I have only eaten here about three times over ten years, but to me, it was their day on July 31. I and my brothers all cook Q and do a decent job of it. We have all eaten at prime "Q" joints in Austin, the Hill Country, and not to mention Ft. Worth and Dallas. We had a family get-together in Elgin (where I was born) and agreed that it was "some fine brisket"! All the meats had fantastic smoky flavors. We had the beef ribs, pork ribs, brisket and sausage and shared meat all around. The sausage had a little heat and was excellent. The pork rib was quite large; as big as the beef rib. Pork is far and away my favorite and it was good. The beef rib had a thick and heavily smoked crust; way towards burned. A little too much smoking for my taste, but it was pretty tender inside and very flavorful. I think it should have been trimmed some. I think that a one-time experience may not be indicative of the quality and flavor that a place may have to offer. Dry brisket is easy to do! So to all that rush to judgement I would say: try a place two or three times before either condemning it or deifying it.

Almost fifty years in Dallas, then five in Connecticut, leaves me with a new perspective. Diversity comes to mind. Unless we go into NYC there is so much more good food to offer in Dallas. The DFW metroplex is about the same size as Connecticut. This trip home we went to Ama Lur, Rockfish, Blue Mesa Grille, Bugatti’s and Poor Richard’s for breakfast. Some of my logic for the restaurant decisions may sound strange. I so enjoyed my three or four experiences at Star Canyon (late 90’s) that, when I saw “Stephan Pyles” connected to Ama Lur, I wanted to go there. Also, I watched the Gaylord Texan being built from my patio, overlooking Grapevine Lake. What a complex! Had I known it was a little like a Texas theme park I probably would have had second thoughts. It is a fantasy world inside a bubble. What a contrived ambiance! You sit out in the open, with a glass roof way up over your head. There is at least one large table in a “covered” area for a large group to experience more intimate dining. There was a live group playing jazzy Carribean/Mexican influenced music. The wine list was good and the food was excellent. Two of our party of five had an excellent, fried, soft-shelled crab, on a bed of spicy masa, much like an open-face tamale. The calamari with cascabel aioli was good, too. Between us, we had salmon, sea bass, coriander cured pork chop and marinated and wood-grilled ahi tuna. All were done properly and all were very tasty. I'm not sure what the point was in serving purple, Peruvian potatoes, but hey, live large and forget "local, sustainable food resources".... We finished with key lime crème brulee and flan. Service was excellent. It is a weird setting: you feel somewhat like you are outside, yet it is a perfect 72 degrees. We ate lunch at Bugatti’s because D Magazine rated its patio dining on its “top 10 list”. What were they thinking? It was too hot to be out there for lunch, but that’s beside the point. It is right beside Lemmon Avenue and at the end of a main Love Field runway. As we went in the planes and vehicle traffic were making quite a racket. This is not the impression you get from the D magazine article. The food was acceptable but unimpressive and uninspired. I believe the owner was sitting in the corner, smoking. We complained and he quit smoking. Service was good. We have eaten at Rockfish (Mockingbird and Central) three times, now. I think it is great for what it is: a classy fish café featuring Cajun influences. This place may be an underrated secret. They have a small outdoor seating area. Hmmm. What can I say about Blue Mesa Grille? Excellent salsas, great margaritas and good, solid entrees. I’ve been there at least three times in the last eight to ten years. Since we were staying at the Richardson Hotel (which is quite nice, BTW) we went to Poor Richard’s (in Plano) several times for breakfast. This is in the style of a classic Texas café. Good food and far cheaper than the hotel! We went to Austin for two days and ate at Bouldin Creek Coffee House where they serve breakfast and vegetarian meals (as well as good coffee). I should mention that my son cooks there as well as going to UT while finishing up his art degree. The highlight was Shoreline Grill. This is an out of the way place tucked between the Four Seasons and ?, overlooking Town Lake. It’s on San Jacinto, off First and Congress. It is tucked away in the back. We ate outside and had a perfectly wonderful, very expensive meal. The stuffed pork chop at $30, is an example. There were four of us and the meal was fantastic, including service. The outdoor ambiance is very nice. You get a limited view of the water because of the trees. It is up high, so it is private and intimate. The best BBQ in a long time was had in Elgin, Texas at Southside Market & BBQ on 290, which is part of Meyer’s BBQ; famous for their sausage…. The brisket and sausage was as good as I’ve had anywhere! The brisket was flavorful, tender and juicy. I liked their sauce, too; slightly hot and slightly vinegary. Everything was well smoked and flavorful. I have eaten Q all over the Hill Country and twice at Cooper’s in Llano. I think this brisket measured up to all of them! We're fat and happy now and heading back to Connecticut. Cheers!

Perhaps the subject doesn't say it all! Perhaps you need to elaborate.... I'm assuming you are talking about sharpening with Global stones and you are not talking about sharpening Global knives? Global says to use water with their stones. You want to use water with a waterstone. There are carborundum stones that are designed for use with oil but most types recommend using water. I would not take issue with using a very light oil on a ceramic stone, though flushing metal particles from a stone may be easier accomplished with water. As for what would be "OK": Mayonnaise.

I am really fascinated about the "legal" and practical aspect of this question. It seems so common that if you receive sub-par food that you can negotiate an adjustment in the bill. This sometimes requires involving management. If you received poor service and you are under their arbitrary party number, then you can leave any amount of tip you want. What are your options if you are at or over their mandatory gratuity number? Is there anything legal about gratuity for a large party since the minimum party size seems to vary. Though I have never been faced with the issue, I would think that you could reach some compromize with the management without the police being called..... Has anyone ever heard of a complaint being filed, the police issuing a ticket or anyone ever arrested for contesting a bill or refusing to pay a portion of it?

Now that's what I'm talking about! Thanks

Please share your favorite all-round online resources. I've found a few online merchants recommended by eGulleters but I am trying to find one or two well-rounded, comprehensive, recommended online resources for my kitchen cooking and baking needs. Here's my thing.... I have bought kitchen stuff through Amazon (and their myriad of merchants) and knives from a knife specialty place but I dislike buying from so many different places and having UPS and FedEx running up and down my driveway so often; sometimes just to deliver one tiny item. I am trying to think green and efficient. I would like to do most of my shopping at one (or two) place(s) and have fewer deliveries. Lowered shipping costs are nice but that's not the point. If I want computer parts "NewEgg" consistently has almost everything I could ask for, the prices are good, they almost always have it in stock and they deliver on-time or early. It has always been a pleasant experience and I am totally satisfied with buying computer related products from them. I want the same for cooking tools and accessories from one or two places! Do places like this exist? I'm not sure I've found the right one yet. I am near New Haven, Connecticut so I buy a lot of things out of New York and the New England area, if I can. And, besides "Bed, Bath and Beyond", I don't know where I can drive to locally and shop.

Blue cheese. Now we've added cheese into the equation! And sour cream in another recipe. Interesting.......

Nope. Didn't use Durkee's as far as I recall, for potato salad. Yes, I know it was in a lot of kitchens, used for a lot of things. I gotta brisket in the fridge an' I got a hankerin' for some BBQ brisket, potato salad and beans. I'm fixin' to do that tomorrow.... I can do Texas speak...

I'm a Texan. For most of my life I ate variations of the same potato salad that many people from north and central Texas made. My mom is almost 91 and can't make food anymore but this thread made me think about how much I owe her for my love of the kitchen and home cooking. I started fixing meals when I was eight. This was out of necessity to help the family function after my father suddenly died. So my mom raised five of us by herself and all of us cook quite well! I am the second oldest and my two younger brothers and my son have cooked in restaurants. Thank you Mom! The unique thing about Mom's potato salad was that she would use the dill pickle vinegar to make the salad acidic. This was not a "sweet pickle" or "sweet" potato salad, by any means. I have found, in my fifty years (of being discerning about food) that I remember eating a lot of soggy and soupy potato salad. This may be the biggest gripe I have. My Mom's recipe, in basic ingredients: red potatoes diced into 1/2 inch cubes once cooled sweet vidalia onion, chopped to 1/2 inch shards dill pickles, chopped to 1/4 inch cubes hardboiled eggs, chopped celery, strings removed and chopped to 1/4-3/8 inch size mustard and mayonaise salt and pepper (I salt and pepper while the potatoes are cooking) Paprika (I like McCormack's smoked pepper paprika) Use just enough liquids (pickle juice-or whatever vinegar, mustard and mayonaise mix) to generously coat the potatoes; similar to how you might dress a leafy salad. Pretty basic. I have done variations: different kinds of olives, mustards, celery seed, fresh dill, white wine vinegar and capers. I have used fried bacon and a little bacon grease, as well. Thanks for letting me share.

GordonD, Good to see you're still at it. I remember you gave me a recommendation for The Panda Pavillion here on EG in March of 2005! I guess you are still the local paper's food editor? Do restaurants vary from spring through winter or do they stay pretty consistent (and open)?

I updated my photo to a real picture of me. I am 60. At one time I thought disguising myself was important if I wanted to anonymously review restaurants.... I have not been out much lately since I became a "gentleman farmer". I put in a vegetable garden (25 X 35) and an herb garden (30 X 20) this spring so I have been very busy at home and I usually cook about 12 meals a week. We can now live off all the lettuce and spinach it is producing. I can't remember my last memorable meal in the New Haven area! I guess I can't complain too much about the lack of egullet participation for our area anymore. I do plan on visiting some farmer's markets in the Seymour area, to fill in the blanks for what I am not growing, and will report back on that. Oh, I remember; my last memorable meal was at the Somers, CT chili cookoff!

Hemingway's is excellent and I don't consider them snobbish; but the service was good. They may clean the crumbs... We ate in a semi-private alcove off the diningroom and had a wonderful, romantic experience. We are 60 YO active, experienced travelers. We have had several really good, high-end meals at Birch Ridge Inn, (http://www.birchridge.com/) in Killington. You could stay there, too. I have posted a number of times about the area so you might want to look at my posts. I would like to help more but I lost my list of restaurants in a PC crash. Choices, in Killington is OK for a decent meal but beware of those saying "fine dining" if they don't have the reviews or reputation. We were burned a number of times when we winged it. Look for a small, chef owned and operated place around Killington. There was one that we ate at several times, and enjoyed. Usually the service is very personal, but not stiff. Most of our experiences are during skiing season so I can't help further with accomodations.

Yea. We're 60YO now and "been there/done that" at many fine restaurants including Paris, Madrid, etc. and often in NYC. I like critiquing restaurants and hope they get the feedback. I do not choose my restaurants lightly; even if it's a taco stand. Like I said, "I wish I didn't let myself get talked into or out of things" (that aren't right). I still occasionally feel that I am being treated like a child that doesn't know any better. That really ticks me off, but usually in hindsight.... when I realize just how poorly I've been treated. BTW, I grew up in Dallas and lived in the area for fifty years. Just five years ago I moved to Connecticut. I come back often to visit family. I've exposed my partner to "Q", good Tex-Mex and much more between Big D, Austin and the Hill Country. It's a great place for food!

My partner and I did Lola last night. We wanted to see a movie afterwards but several events at Lola made us finish too late to do that. We ate in the regular dining area, not the tasting room. We ordered a McLaren Vale red and after about a 20 minute delay the waiter offered us a substitute which was $30 more. He said that the owner was on his honeymoon and others did not know where wines were located in their immense inventory. The wine was quite cold. I mentioned to the waiter that it was quite chilled yet he did not take the hint and warm it for us; not to mention that he should have never brought it to us at that temperature in the first place! I do not like making a scene and did not want to delay our meal even further (and we were getting a free wine upgrade) so I resorted to holding my glass over the candle. It took a while to open up and be enjoyable, but it was a nice wine..... In hindsight, I feel like we were treated rather shabbily by the waiter, on this issue. NOTE: excuse and oops #1 and 2 I ordered the four course meal, while "A", my partner, hasn't quite the appetite that I have (and likes to watch her weight) only ordered two courses. The oyster combo was quite enjoyable. I've never had an oyster-pork crépinette before; I thought it was excellent and juicy. A's foie gras was wonderful; done perfectly and the carmelized rhubarb was a nice accent. Next, I had scallops. These were great with the spicy black pudding. They did not serve my scallops till A had finished her first course, even though we had a discourse and agreement with the waiter about it (how he would not hold up my second course because she wanted to linger over her first course and then have her main entree at the same time as I had mine). This did not happen and they waited to serve me the scallops, only after she finished the foie gras, which dragged out the meal even more. Oops #3 I asked for my salmon to be cooked rare. Our waiter argued with me and convinced me that as medium-rare, it would come with plenty of "red" in the center. Why do I get talked out of what I know I want? My fear was that perhaps it was not fresh enough, or he knew something I didn't, so, at his insistence I agreed to medium-rare. It came completely cooked thru! I think this was because that it sat under the heat lamps for way too long.... Oops #4, perhaps caused by Oops #3. The waiter said that overcooked fish had "never happened before". He seemed almost to be directing anger AT US but I was quickly brought a nearly rare piece of wondeful salmon and more apologies from him. By this time the wine was starting to warm up and develop nicely, but sadly, it was half gone. I should have insisted that it be warmed or ordered a glass of wine and waited for the bottle to warm. But, we were trying to eat in an hour and a half..... We shared a lime tart dessert, which we both liked quite well. I choked on the fine, dry crumb of the crust till I got the hang of how to eat it slowly and carefully. With tip (15.5%) we were lighter by 186 bucks and missed our show. This was a really nice meal, we both agreed; but it had too many excuses, oops, apologies and long pauses. Perhaps the owner should have been there......

Though we have had some good breakfasts and Sunday brunch at 214 Central I would walk across the street to Rockfish for seafood! We ate there because it was suggested by my Sister and it turns out to be a top place in AOL ratings for 2007. I had talapia with Pontchatrain Sauce, which was a very good, spicy, creamy version and my partner had excellent fish tacos. The wine was not expensive and they had a small but decent selection. We had lunch at Mia's TexMex on Lemmon Avenue. Having grown up in Dallas and having eaten at about every hole-in-the-wall to exotic place, I can say that this satisfies me as authentic, quality "Dallas Texmex". I was disappointed tha they only have chile rellenos on Tuesday nights! They are one of my favorite dishes. Last night we ate at Nate's, in Addison. I had blackened redfish with a wierd Ponchatrain topping. The fish was perfectly done and moist but the "sauce" was only OK; it was fairly dry and had mushrooms and red wine in it. I like the more typical,creamyversion with heat. Oysters on the half-shell were very good. The shrimp and fish gumbo, with okra, was a little bland for my taste, but OK. The fried crayfish nuggets were excellent and they had boiled crayfish (right now) for $3.50 a pound. This is classic, messy peel-and-eat. If you have never experienced eating crayfish you should get some. Rockfish has them, as well. They are seasonal and won't be around for long.

This is funny! I am staying at the Palamar, just like you! The thing is, I grew up in Dallas (50 years in the area) and five years ago moved to Connecticut, where I am active on the "New England" eGullet forum. Yesterday, I asked a girl at the 214 Central bar where to get good Tex-Mex (since I have been out of the area for so long) and she suggested Mia's! We are on a not-so-limited dining budget so any advice is very welcome for me, as well. We ate at Mercado Juarez last night and I was not impressed with the roasted cabritto (stringy and mostly not too tender). They only had a "Burgundy" red wine and it was not fit to drink. This used to be a place I liked.... I think the idea of searching the posts is important. There are sooo many good spots to dine in the immediate area. Greenville Avenue, McKinney ("uptown district" area)and all over North Dallas including Addison. I am not big on the West End area. Too touristy and mediocre for me, as far as what I have experienced. You must have some good "Q" while you're here. I would like to know where I can get some good ribs? I don't need upscale for barbeque! Fusion Asian and non-classic French? Speaking of French; my sister says there is a LaMadelline north, across the street from the hotel. Isn't there a good Asian or seafood place in that area, as well? We will be here for six more days so I am wanting to explore, but i do not feel confident about visiting my old haunts....

One of my fascinations about this discussion, regarding the Japanese knives and metals, is because I am an ex-model maker. Besides cooking, I like neat tools. I regularly grind on, sand and shape my knife blades, bolsters and their handles and various kitchen tools to my liking and comfort. I have restored old knife handles and restored and refinished other antique cooking tools. I believe, as stated, that most handle materials are impregnated or they are man-made plastic composite materials and will not absorb water and are solid material all the way through; I.E., they are not coated nor have some funky substrate. Neither is any good knife handle hollow, to my knowledge.... A neat trick to making any wood handle more durable and more impervious to water is to coat them with water-thin super glue; technically speaking, "0-5 centipoise cyanoacrylate". Some "CA" will soak into the wood and you will have acrylic impregnated wood! Then sand down the runs to smooth it up. This process is tricky because the glue wants to run everywhere and also because within a second or two, it will glue your skin together. Water-thin CA likes soaking into anything and sets extremely fast! You can get 1, 2 and 4 ounce bottles at hobby stores. It is also fantastic for tightening loose joints on furniture (because it will wick into the joint)!

After years of using Henkel classic Twin Pro S knives, last year I purchased a Shun Classic 7" Granton Santoku Knife DM 0718. I was blown away by the sharpness and feel of the knife. It is awesome for tomatoes, onions or any vegetable. I love it but have realized that by using it for almost "everything" I have nicked up the edge quite a bit. So the previous comments of NOT using these style of blades, with their extra hardness and narrow angle (of sharpening) for cutting bones is a good one! I am now entranced with the prospect of buying something like one of the stainless sheathed blue carbon steel knives. One of my woodworking friends have marveled at the sharpness and durability of the steel. I am considering either the 240 length of the UNSHEATHED Mizuno Hontanren Series Wa Gyuto (Blue Steel #2, HonKasumi finished) or the SS sheated Hiromoto AS Aogami Super (carbon steel) TJ20AS...... OMG, what to do? buy both??

I'd like to know when they can be harvested, what variety is edible, are there different varieties with different tastes and can they be grown in a more southern climate (zone 6/CT). I love fiddle heads and fix them plain and fancy. I like them with nuts in the preparation. I'd love to know more and wish I didn't have to rely on the Stop and Shop to obtain them. It seems like there is less than a 20 day window in which they might be available in the store...... I would go out and hunt them if they grew here and if I knew what I was looking for.

Not really. They can be individual "pots" spaced apart and fed nutrients by tubing and the soil can be a porous, sponge-like medium that the roots dangle thru. With the heating required in the winter I am amazed that they don't cost more! I grow tomatoes outdoors and sure do miss them in the winter. The best that my Stop and Shop can offer are fair, at best... almost not worth using. The "ugly" tomatoes seem to be the best if you can find them.

Did you not send any of it back?? What day and hour did you eat there? Were they busy (you said service was good)?

I cooked the bird @325 for over an hour (with lid on) with some white wine. This made it tender. This resulted in some reduced, dark, tasty juices. I took all this (which started as a cajun flavored chicken) and made an Italian dish with artichokes, fire-roasted red peppers, jalapenos, calamatas, garlic and onion (+ thyme and oregano). Served it over pasta. I love it when my mate says "restaurant grade!". This is a great compliment from her. Thanks for all the good input and advice! I think I will experiment with the microwave and see if I can use it on low settings for succesfully heating meats. This is a new, big and powerful GE microwave and I am trying to get used to it....