ahr

YES!

Is there some manner of dim-sum tasting available, or must one assemble a large party in order to sample widely in a single visit?

Massachusetts clam beds are finally recovering from this year's Red Tide infestation.

Weather permitting, grab a sandwich and a drink at Lassen & Hennig on Montague Street and enjoy your lunch on the Promenade overlooking the East River and Manhattan.

Shellfish beds are closed to harvesters from Maine to Cape Cod, the result of a toxic "red tide" algae bloom. The ban on clamming and other shell-fishing for the second year in a row comes as the summer season starts. Hear here. Ouch.

Once LXT has had at a meal little more need be said, so just a few observations: The urchin/pasta dish has been so widely praised elsewhere that it seems worth trying once more, despite the table's uniform indifference. The caramelization due to the sear on the scallops in the scallop/foie gras dish usually adds an intensity and sweetness that brings their taste to the foreground. (LXT observed that in this instance the taste of the scallop was concealed.) My ramekin of chocolate soufflé, served with a dab of ice cream and a small pitcher of (un-eggy, yet delicious) sabayon flavored with what was revealed, after lots of guessing, to be stout was the consensus favorite among the desserts. All in all, this was one of the best meals—and best times—in quite a while. I feel almost guilty seeing the reproachful gaze of the piggie in LXT's photos. It's a good thing we didn't give him/her/it a name.

The Yankee Tavern is a noisy, crowded sports bar on 161st Street with a noisy, crowded back room serving some of the best pastrami in the city. No kidding.

Very good fish shacks don't serve clam strips; they serve whole-bellied fried clams.

While deconstructing Mr. Cutlets, have we no comments about "good [F]rench places like Balth[a]zar or Steak Frites," or Sammy's as the go-to for rib steak? It's a shame about Luger's though, if it's sadly true. How the mighty have fallen.

Just a note that six of us enjoyed a multi-hour, multi-course feast at Tocqueville the other night, capped by a whole roast suckling piglet. Food, hospitality, decor: all were a delight. Pictures were taken, and a description is likely to follow from one or more other members of the party. Tequila shots were neither offered nor requested.

El Coyote??? If it was, they had one good dish - Carnitas con Tortillas. I've tried, but have never been able to duplicate their version. It was the only good item on their menu - but it was very, very good. ← It was Caramba! (punctuation included, as I recall). Ah, lost brain cells.

You are asked on the telephone when you reserve, and again on a confirmation form you must return via e-mail or fax(!), to "specify all dietary restrictions and food allergies so that we can better accommodate the minibar menu for your experience," and most of the of dishes we were served were meatless to begin with. That said--and depending on what flavor of vegetarian your fiancee happens to be--the food is prepared à la minute and served to all participants in unison, so call just to be sure. It's far more than a bunch of fun snacks, but just a bit less than a full meal for the trencherman. We enjoyed Cafè Atlántico's ample "Latino Dim Sum" earlier in the day, and so felt the need for little more than coffee or tea after the Minibar.Go, by all means.

Any news to report?

It's easy enough to find with a web search. An accurate speculation has even already been made in a previous eG thread.

Perhaps Mandoo, Inc., 75 W. Sheffield Ave., Englewood?

Above is the post at the head of this thread (emphases mine). The pros and cons of the specific legislation aside, is eGullet supposed to be a forum for political advocacy, even that of its managers?

If you pine for more pieces but don't love prospecting on eBay, a company named American Culinary seems to have revived Magnalite, WagnerWare, and Griswold. See here.

Lee's?

So when's this gonna happen? It sounds like it might be fun, especially given the diverse opinions around here. Edited: to complete the thought.

Excellent St. Louis ribs (long end) Tuesday night. FWIW, Paul Kirk was in the house. I find that RUB now bats a steady .667: On any given night, two of three meats will be very good-to-excellent, and one not so very good-to-excellent; similarly, a single identical item ordered on three separate days. The sides are consistently good. This seems to be an issue both of quality control and simply what just happens to be fresh at the time of ordering. Full disclosure: I've tried the St. Louis ribs, burnt ends, brisket, ham, sausage, chicken, and wings; and the fried onions, greens, and both kinds of cole slaw. Your mileage and other dishes may vary. Edited to add: Oakapple, I've noticed the cost of my soft drink added into that of my main course, instead of being itemized.

When she was good, She was very good indeed, But when she was bad she was horrid. Whatever its exact statistical decomposition or his level of expertise, Platt’s review does reflect the variability of the place—though I find that quality control has improved in the few months since it opened. What’s still striking is his conclusion that (at its best) R.U.B. is the first restaurant to deliver “real barbecue” to NYC. As always, we shall see.

I’m not sure that this properly conveys the reviewer’s sense of the place. The title of the article was “Ribs That Could Stick: Kansas City barbecue guru Paul Kirk may have finally brought the real thing to New York.” His final words, presumably the thought with which he intended to leave his readers—characterized above as “glowing terms"—were the following:

For your daily update...

My concern was that whatever process changed the color of the coating might also change its composition in some insalubrious way. I also read, and dismissed out of hand, some recent breathless comments on another site about the alleged toxicity of the substrate once exposed. Thanks again.

What's the latest scientific thinking on the continued use of non-stick cookware that has been darkened by overheating? I ask not just about the gases allegedly released during the overheating process, but specifically about the safety of subsequent use of the cookware. Also, what about the safety of such cookware that has (minor) scratches in the non-stick layer? The pan in question is about fifteen years old and a special favorite. This question is not intended to provoke yet another discussion of non-stick vs. non-non-stick cookware, or on how non-stick cookware should always be cheap and disposable. Thanks.