NancyH

"It's a very popular topping for ramen and macaroni in soup as well. And you can always get luncheon meat and fried eggs for breakfast. I kinda remember that we slice and dip the luncheon meat and fried them up in a pan at home when I was growing up in Hong Kong." What do you dip the Spam in before you fry it? Egg?

I know what I'd use it for: covering brisket during its long braise in the roasting pan. If the regular foil gets even a bit of tomato on it, it discolors or sprouts holes - I'm betting the parchment side takes care of that!

The cold, and those crowds, are two reasons why we didn't make it today. Looks like a great time was had!

David - the dates are confirmed. I'm talking to the Airport Marriott about a room block (we're probably going to have a special Sunday Brunch there at AMP 150). Should have more details shortly.

So glad that you are both healthy and planning to join. Work on Saturday venue was interrupted by vacation and illness (both me and my computers) - hopefully, I will have this nailed down very shortly. If others continue to update their status - thank you. I set up an EVite event, but am not quite ready to bring it live - soon!

I loved Frank's Place.

azmilsyahmi - when asking politely about freshness (as pertains to fish and seafood in a fish/seafood type restaurant) - good servers will confide in me that "I'd choose the snapper" or when I ask "do I want the A or the B" will say "if it's between A and B I'd choose B". Mind you, that's NOT the same as telling me what you, the server, likes to eat (which happened a couple of times this year in FL) - it's confiding in me that you know that what's in the kitchen isn't all equal, and since I asked, you're willing to to trust me to use that info discretely to my dining benefit. And I appreciate (and tip extra generously) when that all leads to a delicious meal.

Hathor - I am indeed referring to fish restaurants. We've been touristing Destin for 9 years, and it is amazing how some places that claim to have local fish/seafood will sell you crap (even if you ask). I've learned to always ask.

From our recent trip to Florida, where I ask every server the same question: which fish or seafood item is the most local and amazingly fresh. Wrong answer #1: "I like . . . ." Wrong answer #2: "We sell a lot of the . . . . ". I want to know what's fresh and local - not what you like to eat and not what you sell a lot of.

I've never liked tap water. We grew up less than a mile from a huge landfill on Long Island, and I'm convinced that the dump poisoned the ground water - my mom has MS, and all three of her children have severe allergy and immune related issues. I so appreciate restaurants who serve filtered water - the cleaning process makes tap water completely palatable to me. And often, getting seltzer with lime from the tap gun is also palatable (gets rid of the chlorine smell and taste somehow). But yes - I will buy the bottle if I must, to avoid most tap water. We're going to Portland soon - perhaps based on your comment, I'll give the tap water a try.

There is a funky smell in most Subway's that I just can't get past. Any idea what it is?

This kind of thing happens a lot at Cleveland's West Side Market. Also - when buying smokies or other meat and they don't put a clean paper on the scale before weighing the order - grosses me out!

Did anyone else get creeped out by the way all of the cooking and serving implements went from hanging on displays and sitting on shelves to prepping/serving food to guests without first being washed? Especially towards the end of the cooking, when one of the cheftestants grabs a ladle from a wall display and it goes plunk into his soup? Even Glad/Ziplock containers are supposed to be washed before first food service use - you don't know where this stuff has been and what it's touched in the manufacturing/distribution/retail process.

I've only ever seen it used in Warner Bros Cartoons - usually to mess up a character's face and voice.

The trick is to use the highest proof neutral alcohol you can get - Everclear is best, followed by over-proof vodka, followed by regular vodka.

Nothing but booze. And it works!

Secret to making those misto things work like a charm: mix your oil in a 50-50 ratio with either vodka or everclear when loading. The can will spray as if it had propellant, and you don't ever taste the booze.

Sorry for being square, but I don't get the joke. Anyway, please let me know as soon as you can. Sorry to be so slow, but I do get it now.

Two of the restaurants I am planning for the HG (Amp 150 and Greenhouse Tavern) are getting more love.

I've a total of 17 possibles for GHT - please do keep posting so I can determine how practical GHT will be - there are only 34 seats in the room we'd be in, so I need to know if we might be more than 34 before I commit to it. We just had cocktails there on Friday - they are doing beautiful barrel-aged products, served warm for winter time - like cider and mulled wine. Our companions enjoyed a vegetarian soup and fish quinelle. Good stuff - Chef Sawyer is one of Cleveland's rising stars.

Sorry for being square, but I don't get the joke. Anyway, please let me know as soon as you can.

May I please have a show of hands as to how many of you anticipate attending Friday Dinner at The Greenhouse Tavern. Both omnivores and vegetarians can be accommodated (Chef Sawyer is actually on a vegetarian kick himself these days). I need to know how many because space is a little tight. Update for the weekend: Attending all or part of weekend: NancyH +1 Ronnie Suburban +2 Edsel Tino27 torakris Kerry Beal Chris Hennes +1 (1 veg) rooftop1000 +1 David Ross Boagman +1 RockNRoller Chris Amirault Connie Hayashi +1 (1 veg) Kasw (Karen) +1 Dave the Cook JAZ toolprincess 25 Maybe: Fat Guy prasantrin +1 CaliPoutine Jeff Meeker LuckyGirl +1 technophile50 heidih 9

- I've got that one and you're right, it's pretty useless. The large oval one from that same manufacturer is actually very good - what a difference a few grooves make!

Gordon's Good Service (GFS) carries Diamond Crystal, if you are lucky enough to live in a place that they serve. Diamond Crystal has become very hard to source here in Cleveland also - hard to understand why it's become so scarce, since it is manufactured by that tiny company called Cargill.

Morton's has a chemical anticaking agent which I think affects the taste, so I don't use it. Diamond Crystal only for me!