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Thanks for the kind words, Mamster. It even works as a Facebook app now so the cool kids can play, too.

That looks perfect. Do you use a homemade dashi? I have been using some powdered stuff from a tube-like packet...

Don & Joe's. Casings. They have them.

Never, ever get embarassed about rose. (Ever.)

Yes, sadly. All of our unfortunate incidents there since December. Edited to add: not only were we once seated and then told the kitchen was closed, but we once actually placed an order and had drinks in front of us when the server came back to tell us the kitchen was done for the night. I've never had that happen anywhere else, ever.

I'm not at all surprised to see such a wide variance in quality of experience at Stumbling Goat. My fiance and I, when we started dating, went there quite a bit and loved it. All of a sudden, though, the food slid some and seemed both mediocre and like they were pushing the concepts a bit much. They closed on us more than once (meaning they sat us and then told us they couldn't feed us) and their hours seem erratic to say the least. At least the wine list has been pretty good. It's a bummer. I really want to like the place again. That neighborhood needs a restaurant like that.

Ahh, oil from the rear end of a goat. There's a restaurant here in Seattle (Lark) that uses it on a simple cauliflower soup and it's wonderful. I've recently had it on steak tartare and it's perfect there too.

I heard there's a bit of a change in the kitchen staff... last night's cod special (wrapped in a grape leaf and grilled) was delicious w/the grapes and risotto-like rice. The room is a little weird, I think, but I can't wait to go back w/my young daughter. The kid-friendly nature is really cool.

the lemon parfait? agreed. ethereal. ← no, the chicken liver parfait ← Well, that lemon parfait is downright amazing. The two other people I was with were literally unable to speak after tasting it. A few days ago the scallops turned out to be great, too. Damn I love Lark.

I once read about a guy who worked in Chinese restaurants all of his life and ended up importing wines for Asian restaurants all over the world. The formative event for him? He was a teenager and a well-known restaurant critic laughed at him when he asked the gentleman if he would like a glass of wine with his dinner. Decades later, he watched the same critic order something off of his own wine list. I think the thing about price is pretty much spot on. Keep in mind that finding good wine in average American restaurants is a pretty new thing here in the States and Asia isn't exactly widely known as a major wine player (though that is changing, too). Typhoon! seems to do okay... but like Wild Ginger (a restaurant I despise), it is on the higher end of the price spectrum. Spicy Thai for me demands sparkling wine. Mellow Vietnamese begs for something pink. Damn that sounds good right now.

Amen. The Buffalo Deli is fantastic.

Great thread! Salumi, Paseo, Matt's are all on the top of my "best places to eat even though I don't like to eat a lot of bread" list. Honeyhole has a killer late night bar, too, with hilarious people and a nice almost dive bar attitude.

This was exactly my experience at Bon Vivant... you nailed it on the head. Too bad. I'll Try Culinary Communion now, thanks to your recommendation. Thanks!

Wow... well, this is my first attempt w/cubed chuck. I agree: cubing it is a pain, but worth it. This batch was done in the Bayless style (that is, with a toasted ancho starting "sauce") but I used ground lamb, ground veal, and a big ol' cut of chuck. All of it was worth it. The main thing missing here was a bit of spice... and while I'm not a beer drinker (that is, I'm allergic to it if you can believe that), a local crappy beer is necessary w/chili...

GF and I had a lovely time at the bar 2 weeks ago, celebrating my birthday. the friendly and attentive bartender (Shea/Shay?) steared me towards a 20 yr old Van Winkle bourbon. Damn him! The mussels were very tasty and their presentation was sweet. We will be back. ← I quite like Place Pigalle; the only reason I don't go more often is that I'm not usually in "the mood" for it if that makes any sense at all. The atmosphere in there is a little weird, I think: small but a bit cold. It's probably the only restaurant where I'd bother ordering chicken since they're one of the few kitchens I've seen that won't cook the hell out of it. The view is lovely there.

I was thinking the exact same thing; since we're already raining a bit on the parade, might as well give his quote: ''While we're on brunch, how about hollandaise sauce? Not for me. Bacteria love hollandaise. And hollandaise, that delicate emulsion of egg yolks and clarified butter, must be held at a temperature not too hot nor too cold, lest it break when spooned over your poached eggs. Unfortunately, this lukewarm holding temperature is also the favorite environment for bacteria to copulate and reproduce in. Nobody I know has ever made hollandaise to order. Most likely, the stuff on your eggs was made hours ago and held on station. Equally disturbing is the likelihood that the butter used in the hollandaise is melted table butter, heated, clarified, and strained to get out all the bread crumbs and cigarette butts. Butter is expensive, you know. Hollandaise is a veritable petri dish of biohazards. And how long has that Canadian bacon been aging in the walk-in anyway? Remember, brunch is served only once a week -- on the weekends. Buzzword here, "Brunch Menu." Translation? "Old, nasty odds and ends, and twelve dollars for two eggs with a free bloody Mary!"'' On the other hand, there is this... weird... website on the subject All that being said, I myself still eat the stuff and like it a lot.

My understanding from one who contemplated employment there was that yes, it is related to Taste of Soul.

Quick one from my father: he decided to make my brother and I some Spaghetti-O's for lunch when my mother was away. He thought they were condensed, like Campbell's Soup, and added a can of water. It separated in our bowls before our eyes. I haven't eaten that awful canned "pasta" type of thing since, and I thank him for forcing me to seek out better foods -- even if it was on accident.

Nobody mentioned The 5 Point? ...perhaps it's too obvious.

Most definitely. It radiates great vibes to go along with the snackyness. Mmmmm, takoyaki. ← Amen! Maekawa is a kick-ass restaurant. The first time I went, I went with a bunch of like-minded friends. There were six of us young-ish guys eating like madmen and drinking our proverbial tails off. Some calm-looking Japenese men were seated right next to us and one of them eventually leaned over and poked my elbow. I turned around and he said, "You want eat sperm?" My friends, naturally, all stopped their conversations and nearly gave themselves whiplash by turning in my direction. I smiled and tried to say, as politely as I could, "Sorry, I, uh, well, no, no sperm... thanks anyway." The guy poked me again and said, "I ordered it already!" Just as he said it, the server delivered a plate of shirako (image). My friends stared, totally agape. I put the whole damn thing in my mouth. Whether or not it's purely a psychological response to what it actually is (a cod sperm sac), I must say that I won't have it again... its texture was uncomfortably creamy. As the night went on, the neighboring table and ours got into some "we can order more drinks for you than you can for us" contest. Needless to say, much of the rest of the night was a blur. ...but that kind of experience is typical, I think. If you're in a good mood, it's essentially impossible to have a bad time there. edited to add: And I agree about the takoyaki. Fantastic.

I really agree with this suggestion. Tables and standing room allow for a great format. Even in the States, not that not many wineries have their tasting rooms setup w/barstools.

I was going to suggest bringing a bagged lunch to Corvallis. Too bad about the escargot.

In my experience, Cabernet Franc (perhaps my favorite red varietal) pairs quite well with creamy, soft cheeses as well as firm cheeses.

Oh, crap! I completely forgot about them. I had a very pleasant meal there last time I was in town. I was surprised to have some of the best escargot I've ever had there.

Corvallis is a tough town for food. Last time I was there, years ago, Big River was about as good as it got... Iovino's was decent too, but you'd want to check that out since I heard someone say it turns into a goofy dance joint at night.