Jason Perlow

Like Katie, I feel that you shouldn't have to wait more than 10 minutes to eat at these chain joints. Case in Point -- Outback Steakhouse. Rachel and I were at Outback last night (it was the best option near the movie we wanted to see) and there were people waiting 40 minutes or more to get a table. As it turned out, there was no wait at the bar where we ended up eating, and also there's no wait on the patio tables either, provided there's a free one -- you can just take the first one thats open. No reason to wait 40 minutes for a table there.

It's my opinion that 90 percent of the "Food Allergies" that many people claim to have are a load of crap. There are some people that have legitimate allergies, such as those that are allergic to peanuts and shellfish, and my own allergic tendency towards dairy (I actually get a severe histimine reaction to eating dairy foods with high concentrations of casein) but people saying they are allergic to the MSG used in Chinese food is just a bunch of hooey. MSG doesnt seem to stop people from eating Doritos or eating McDonald's French Fries, but suddenly having Beef and Broccoli might kill you? No, I don't think so. Most "Allergies" are just convenient excuses or hang ups about foods they don't like.

What, the kids were missing their Playstation or Gamecube already? Had to satisfy the video game withdrawal?

I'd definitely follow Rosie's rec for Basilico. I've never been to the restaurant myself, but they were among the best of the restaurants at the NJ Taste of the Nation event a few months ago. They had a porcini mushroom lasagne dish that was truly outstanding. Here is the link to the rest of the thread: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1185371

i haven't found that to be the case. Little Saigon is known for their deep intense broth. However, given the cooking method that goes into this broth, I can understand how there could be inconsistencies. as far as "better cuts of meat", well, i suppose that's completely subjective. but i've always like the beef LS serves for its rare beef pho. could be tenderloin, but i'm guessing it's not. ← Little Saigon's Pho is excellent. If I lived closer I'd probably be eating there as much as I do Mo Pho or Saigon R.

Of the two places, Mo Pho and Little Saigon, Little Saigon is the most "authentically" Vietnamese. I like them both, however. Little Saigon's broth is the more clear type and Mo Pho's is the more intensely flavored but its cloudier. Little Saigon has the more authentic meat in it where as Mo Pho is trying to attract more Western diners so it uses better cuts of meat.

i think that goes for just about any type of kitchen, not the least of which your own. ← If you only knew how much of a contamination-averse freak Rachel is. Boy do I get yelled at a lot.

My choice for Pho would have to be either Mo Pho Noodles in Fort Lee or Saigon R. In Englewood. Both are owned by the same owner. The "Crazy Mo Pho" has the works in it (Beef, Chicken, Pork, Beef Balls, Shrimp) but the real draw is the intensity of their broth. Here's a photo I took of it: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=48049 Little Saigon in Montclair also does a very nice Pho.

Exactly... to paraphrase Jack Nicholson from "A Few Good Men" YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

Alan, I think its more the other way around... Japan has always had really serious junk food, and they are influencing our trends in snacks more than anything else.

I spoke to Christine a few weeks ago, just before she recieved her Readers Choice Award from New Jersey Monthly (click)

Welcome home Kris. So what sort of food is on the docket for Cleveland? Got any cravings you need to satisfy?

Anyone tried the Sabich sandwich at Aroma yet? Or have any good experiences with Sabich at other Middle Eastern/Kosher/Felafel joints in NYC? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabich

The Raw Foods movement is so 2000-2001. Hell, even the prominent California raw foods restaurants have all closed down. That should say something right there.

Oh they bastardize a lot more than the word bruschetta in Jersey. You ever watch the Sopranos?

Welcome to Jersey, Jaymes. Yeah, Bruschetta is technically just toasted bread with garlic rubbed on top. The tomato and basil thing is really just a variation that has eclipsed the original in terms of popularity here in the NY Metro Area.

Is that like a pizza cruist, sauceless, adorned with uncooked chopped tomatoes, basil and rubbed with garlic in the style of bruschetta? I've never heard of it referred to in that way.

Because a cast iron frying pan on a conventional gas stovetop works better. Woks need btus unknown to home kitchens. ← This is just plain incorrect. You don't have the volume for proper chan action in a cast iron pan. If it's good enough for Chinese Americans and well, an awful lot of Chinese to use at home its good enough for me.

I read that, on average, Hudson Valley produces roughly 250,000 ducks a year. Compare this to Tyson which now produces more than 2 billion chickens a year, and if you are shopping in a typical American supermarket, close to a quarter of the chickens you see on the shelves will have been produced by Tyson. ← Yeah but how many of these 250,000 ducks are actually slated for foie gras? Surely not the majority of them. So the numbers are even smaller.

Guilty. On all counts.

Its definitely not a cheap proposition.

I think it's debatable as to whether or not gavage is "cruel". If you've seen any of the videos of how its actually done at artisinal foe gras producers, the Ducks/Geese actually run up to the person get fed that way. They aren't "forced". They are physiologically adapted to that form of feeding.

Yeah, no Korean connection at all. The owners are Taiwanese.

This particular "Daruma" is not part of any chain. The name "Daruma" refers to a type of Japanese doll, which are also used to adorn the restaurant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daruma_doll It's also the Japanicised name of a legendary Buddhist monk from China who founded the arts of Shaolin and the Zen school of Buddhism.

More from Reuters: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20701101.htm