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EDIT TO ADD: I am not going to look for trouble.. Isnt their a prison and a courtroom in the basement of Eagles Stadium.? I think that was at the Vet, which was demolished about a year ago.

Isn't it amazing that Ming Tsai admitted to her that he had only been working with a pressure cooker for about a month?! ←

Anybody catch that Steingarten's role last night must have been heavily edited.I only remember two comments from him, that were very short.One compilmentary to Ming and one not so glowing remark about flays' wraps.

The pot hunt continues. ←

The Italian Market in south Philadelphia is about as "Philly" as it gets.It is certainly more rustic than Reading Terminal.Both are very good but different. Reading Terminal is completely enclosed and has quite a variety of produce,meats,fish,cheese,etc. The Italian market is more of an area encompassing several city blocks.There are butchers,produce stands,deli's,pasta places,etc. You can't go wrong at either place but if you've never been to philly, I think the Italian market shouldn't be missed.

Braised veal breast last w/e.Seasoned with salt,pepper,powdered morita(a smoked chilie pepper).Braised in chicken stock and still moscato.It came out very good.Leftover meat made tasty ragu sauce for pasta.

I think a great book for starting out and also for the experienced home cook is Appetite, by Nigel Slater.The emphasis is on comfort foods and there are suggestions on altering recipies for different flavors.It also spends time on what to have in your kitchen in terms of equipment and ingredients (I think, I'm going by memory).Regardless, this is an excellent cookbook that is also a very good read, as Slater is a top notch writer.I highly recommend it.

try www.philly.com for an alphabetical listing of restaurant reviews that contains addresses and phone numbers.

Actually, sorry, but restaraunt week will be over.

philly.no contest. can't misses:italian market,reading terminal market,tony lukes,monk's (if your into belgian beer), also, it's rest week so you may be able to squeeze in 3 courses for $30 at many establishments.see the thread on this in this forum, there is a link with all the participating places. Many, many, byob restaurants here so bring some juice with you, and try matyson,radicchio,melograno,Rx,pif,pumpkin,next cafe,d'jango (if you can get a reservation.There's just too many to list.Tell us what you like and we can get more specific.

I had a number 9 with a coconut curry sauce poured over a salmon and shrimp burger and it was a really nice match.I don't normally drink magic hat but this was an awfully good combo.

Malbec is the main grape in wine from the Cahors region of France.I believe wine carrying the Cahors AOC must contain 70% Malbec. If you liked the Argentine version, I would strongly suggest finding some Cahors at your local wine shop.

Jinmyo, please reconsider!Your posts are enjoyed by many.I look forward to them. Ps:what happened to the icicle?

1992 Rocca Albino Barbaresco.I pulled it out of the styrofoam pack it was in and the bottom of the bottle seperated from the rest of the bottle.Strangest thing I ever saw. I contemplated sticking a straw where the wine had gathered.

I ate at The Inn at Phillips Mill in October for my girlfirends 40th birthday.Very rommantic spot! We spent the night there also.It was a really nice, rommantic experience.Highly recommend it. Southwark is in the old Tartin spot.I haven't eaten there but have checked out the menu.It looked pretty straight forward.

Anyone know if this stuff travels well? Say, back to Wilmington.Can it keep overnight in the fridge?

If the wine is poorly handled and stored in hot stores or warehouses, I have to wonder how good a bargain plcb can provide.

Recently, I was in Food Source on Route 1 near Chadds Ford and noticed that a Pa State store had opened inside this "high end" grocery store.Great idea to mix food and wine togethor. Living in Delaware I had never been in a Pa state store, intrigued I went in after purchasing some groceries.The first thing that hit me was the temperature.It must have been 70 degrees in there.If not more.The grocery store is low 60's top.Why they close the wine shop off and crank the heat is beyond me.They have a good selection, older burg's (97,98), barolo, muscadet, etc. enough to grab the wine lovers attention.I noticed a fair amount of bottles with scratched labels or labels that looked like they had been reapplied.I bought a Jadot '97 Pommard and a Grivot '98 Vosne Romanee.Both were cooked.I was the only one in the store for 25 minutes and none of the three employees offered to help me. All in all, kinda of disapointing experience.However, I may go back and stick with current vintages.Although I really question their storage quality. If I lived in Pa I would strongly voice my opinion on changing their system.Or shop in Del., NJ, or Md.

Your first quote is precisely the reason I think this is bashing. It is odd that one prefers throwing around unsupported aspersions tending towards negativity instead of ...whachacallit..constructive criticism. it could have been an 'unsatisfactory' meal or a 'disappointing' one...the word 'bitter' is very revealing and loaded...that is exactly why i was put off.. on a related note, i am developing a healthy dislike for all 'food commentators'. do these people even realise what kind of back-breaking, soul-crushing, youth-dissolving work goes behind the dining rooms that serve the food they so casually bitch about with a tap of their fingertips and the flick of their wrists. bitter is the wasted life of your average cook(barely legal to enter a bar, but good enough to work.) with no social life, education or choices..bitter is what lurks behind that subservient waiting staff who has to put up with loathsome 'guests'...bitter is the restaurant owner who keeps a nervous watch over the bottom line worrying about when the ship is going to sink..bitter and pitiable is the chef whose name bears all the laurels but who is also the first one to be pelted by 'criticism' if a fucking garnish is out of place...bitter is NOT a meal at per se or daniel or le bernadin...or anything else we choose to put into our mouths...of course, its always easier to blame america because..well..lets face it..most of the time she deserves it...'most of the time' being the key word... ← I hear ya but........why the accolades included in the article?Such as: "...for sheer diversity of fare,both ethnic and regional, there is no better place to pick up a knife than the US." "New York is unquestionably one of the worlds finest food cities, perhaps the best." It just confused me. Sounds like Simon does quite a bit of French bashing also."..and a writer perennially irratated by the complancency of the French culinary establishment." Do Alice Waters' comments count as American bashing? I just thought the article was poorly done.

My highlights of 2004. Lunch at Beringer Winery in some type of private dining room.(I had a vip tour with a good friend who is in the retail wine business). I don't remeber all the courses but there was fish,local guiena hen, local cheeses, and a rosewater panna cotta served with Beringer's Nightingale.It was heavenly.If you ever get a chance to eat there take advantage. Dinner at Grammercy Tavern.My first visit there.Very Good. Pasion in Philadelphia. Hugo's in Portland, Maine.There were four of us and 4 choices for each of the 5 courses.We ordered the whole menu and washed it down with excellent gruner veltliner.Great place, great town.Wished I lived closer. Magnolia Grill in Durham, Nc.Everyone should get here once in their life. Lastly, Elizabeth's on 37th in Savannah, Ga.Great Service, Good food, Memorable wines.

I've read this article several times now and I'm at a bit of a loss as to what the point is. It starts with Simon coming to New York to eat at three top tier restaurants and saying "There were some good things, but nothing really fantastic." This appears directly under the title "US leaves a bitter taste".Are we to believe Daniel, Per Se, and Le Bernardin "fell substaintially short of expectations" and fed him "bitter" food.If he is going to make a statement like that there better be some very specific instances to back up this claim.Perhaps, Simon did this in his original article.If so Steinberger should have provided the quotes. Then Simon drives the "famed" route 66, looking for what exactly?Regional cusine, sampling road side stands, the best Appleby's has to offer?Again, its unclear what Simon was after here? Then the blanket statement that 95% of Americans eat "merely to live". How do Simon/Steinberegr know this?I know this statement could be attributed to a cliche use of "95%", but it has no place in serious journalism. The middle of the article claims New York to be "one of the world's finest food cities-in its own way, perhaps even the best". But Simon went 0 for 3 here? Water's quote "This idea here that we have somehow developed a cuisine....."comes next, but in relation to what?Up to this point the article makes no mention of searching for an American cuisine, and if Simon was, did he try New England clam chowder, Southern Bar B Que, etc?To take it a step further, who has claimed we have developed a cuisine?What publications stated this?I'm not doubting these satements have been made, but where?Again no evidence to back this up. "Recent visits to New York restaurants have been decidely unmemorable." Visits by whom? Simon?Steinberger?It's just not clear and there are no examples to support this claim. I don't think this is American bashing so much as mediocre , and perhaps lazy, journalism. I think this is a interesting thread with the potential for more good discussion.

I agree with your reccomendations and would be interested to know what your experience with old barbera is.I have drunk 10 and 15 year old barberas from Elio Grasso that have been wonderful.

Wow! I just totally disagree with this point of view. I'm sure there are just as many fans of California wines on the east coast as the west coast.If you doubt this, walk into any large retailer here and the inventory is weighted heavily to California.Alot of my wine drinking friends are on all the mailing lists and drink wine from California almost exclusively. I think the criticism comes from wine drinkers like myself who are sick of the Wine Spectator, and Robert Parker telling us that over ripe, alcoholic wines are what we should be drinking.These wines are not food friendly and just not interesting to drink, no matter where they are produced. California has produced so many sappy, overly alcoholic, in your face wines that unfortunately the reputation has stuck.I also recognize that there are many, many wonderful wines made in California that I would love to have in my cellar.So, I'm not painting wine makers on the west coast with a broad brush, but the perception that these wines are expensive, alcoholic, and just too "big" is something they are going to have to live with.

Anyone catch Emril last night?He was doing something with flank steak (which I love, so I watched for awhile) however, he kept saying it was called London Broil when he was growing up.As far back as I remember London Broil has always been about an inch thick and never confused with flank steak.Is this a regional thing? I can't believe someone whose been around food their whole life would confuse the two.Any thoughts?

I'd be very interested if there is still room.Just about any night is okay with me.