wkl

how's the quality?

hey v, just to be clear that quote wasn't mine. it was upthread in response to your post #87 item 4. i was refuting the other poster. anyway, didn't want to offend.carry on.....

"By the way, Americans can't accept a black person in a leadership role? Not only does the piece refute that notion for the food industry but I would add--Condi Rice, Ron Brown, DeVal Patrick and Colin Powell, Thurgood Marshall and myriad mayors--liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican and on and on." just because they are there doesn't mean they are accepted.........

all beer by the case in pa.? i thought bars and stores could sell sixes and singles. can't remember the name of the strore on 10th (?) and Pine in philly but i've purchased singles there.

thanks. my first thought was a bunch of cloves from a mccormack's can steeping away in a brine........ (sigh) i'm clueless........

may i ask, what are sour cloves?

as much as i enjoy sovana. i think 3 bells is a bit generous. 3 bells puts it on a par with brasserie perrier, budakhan, amada, gayle, gilmours, etc. not sure it's in that league. sovana ,for me, is more about a nice relaxed atmosphere, ability to eat outside, small plates or large plates, pizza or whole fish entree, good service, fresh ingredients, byob, etc..........

great report! my favorite city in the world.thanks for doing this. btw, the wine upthread is not bourdeaux but looks like saumur champigny. which is a cabernet franc from the loire valley. a great region for price to quality wines both red and white.

i do know what bryan's plans are, but i'm not sure he is ready to go public with them yet. i'm pretty sure he left sovana about mid-august. initially, he was there to bring the skill level of the kitchen up, then maybe make some menu changes. i don't think they ever got to the menu changes/enhancements. the menu at sovana bistro pretty much follows the style that has always been there. fwiw, i really like sovana bistro mainly because it's a nice escape from the wilmington retstaurant scene. oh yeah, the food is good and it's byo. eta: i have eaten there pre and post review and notice no real change in the quality of the food.

b sikora left sovanna bistro some time ago. i'm not completely sure bryan was there when laban reviewed sovanna bistro.

most of those baumard wines are years from being ready to drink.that could be why they didn't show well. assuning they were in good shape.

so busboy, how was it? what did you buy? was this event held at the french embassy?

"To Jason and Nathan: Maybe sumptuous pricey Sunday brunch buffets are a Philadelphia phenomenon, or more accurately, a Philadelphia hotel phenomenon." the sunday brunch at the hotel dupont, here in wilmington, certainly qualifies a sumptuous, but not as pricey as la croix.so, i don't think it is just a philly thing.

one difference may be that the press ,for the batali product, is "ridged".it is hard to tell if the lc press has ridges from the web site picture. batali's press fits perfectly inside the grill pan, so you can easily heat the press and the pan at the same time.that way you don't have to turn the sandwich.it cooks top and bottom at the same time. yes the handles get hot, but it's never been a problem for me.

baumard's wines are exceptional! i'd jump at the opportunity to buy any of the ones listed, especially if they are discounted for this event. if you like bubbley the cremant d' loire would be a nice "house sparkler" if it's not too expensive. lvdh imports interesting wines, the "signature series" wines, if they are what i think they are, are cooperative wines from the loire. very good price to value. i've drank several this year. these are all good to very good producers offered by trustworthy importers, so i wouldn't worry too much about vintage. the only winesd i would be leary of may be 2003 rhones.

i just bought the batali pannini grill pan and press. it was $79 here in philadelphia at foster's in the reading terminal market.here's the link to their web page http://www.shopfosters.com/griddles-and-gr...-p-1-c-107.html not sure what shipping and handling costs are. iirc, there are two sizes, i got the 11x11. there was a bigger one in the store that may have been closer to $120 something (us).

i thought it more ironic that miles made the crack about cab franc being no good, then happily slurping down his prized cheval blanc. in a plastic cup while dining at at fast food kinda place, iirc.

i'm a long time customer of the wilmington, de store and the original new jersey store. i know some of the new york staff and highly reccomend them. they are very good at pairing wine with food.lots of reasonabley priced selections from some lesser known areas of italy,france, and germany. they are also totally committed to transporting their inventory from vineyard to store in temperature controlled enviorment.the wines are always in pristine condition, a claim not all retailers can make.

d'arenburg is australian. no?

an inexpensive way to keep wine: 1) buy wine that has not been exposed to heat and is well made. 2) recork and keep in 'fridge. 3) when you have 1/2 bottle remaining pour off into an empty, clean 1/2 bottle (375m ml) and recork. many wines will hold up for 3 days this way.some longer.

ate at pazo about a month ago. very good tapas style food served in a really cool place. good wine list too. here is the site http://www.pazorestaurant.com/. you will probably need a reservation as this place is popular and kinda hip.

"Dumas Party of 4, Your Table Is Ready" Phil A Dining and Va DOO Van Simon and schuster.......... no doubt this book would have the best food pictures ever.........

i was referring specificly to the byo scene here in philly and how a view of a place is colored by wether or not it is byo, imho. the food would not be 1/3 the price w/out wine sales. i just threw the comment out there as food for thought....

also, something tells me if vetri was a byo tucked away in some unassuming neighborhood the food would be the shizzy................. right, v???

it was a few years ago, maybe 2000, but i had one of the better meals i ever ate at vetri. i don't remember all the specifics but do remember a crepe w/ proscuitto and fontina, roast goat, rissotto, and gnocchi. it was a memorable experience. i've only eaten there once but my impression is that mark's food is pretty straightforward, so if your looking for modern prepartions, or complex sauces and ingredients this probably isn't your place. funny, i was in philly the other w/e for the night and really wanted to eat here, but couldn't get a reservation.(ended up at mandoline). it's a tough reservation apparantly, so he must be wowing alot of people. after all ,mark vetri was a food and wine best new chef of the year back in '99 or 2000, so he must know what he is doing.