stuart_s

This is my favorite eGullet thread. Thanks everyone for such mouthwatering inspiration. I recently returned from a trip to New York with a cooler full of goodies from Russ and Daughters. I've been eating them for breakfast. Tuesday: That herring was fantastic! Wednesday: The knish is from Yonah Schimmel. Friday: Pastrami salmon Saturday: The bread is Irish soda bread from a local bakery and it's wonderful. The raspberry jam is also local and wonderful. The fish is trout. Sunday: The mushrooms are from a local farmer and even though you can barely see them they're also wonderful. The fish is sturgeon.

I've had a few knishes before but I've never really thought about the best way to serve them. The normal way of eating these is to consume them just as they are sold, correct? No gravies, no condiments? I'm thinking it will go very well with an egg which I have and some corned beef which unfortunately is in the freezer. I'm going to eat it for breakfast with an egg and some smoked fish. When do you eat your knishes and what do you like to eat with them?

I just back from dinner at fire and it was very clear that I didn't praise them highly enough in my previous post. I had a fantastic chicken sausage as an appetizer. Then a fantastic frisee salad with braised Berkshire pork belly, hard boiled quail egg and sauce gribiche. Then I had a fantastic walleye. Dessert was chocolate cake with fudge sauce, ginger ice cream and a ginger chocolate truffle. It was intensely chocolate-y. The ginger ice cream was fantastic too. If I return and I'm not in the mood for chocolate drenched in fudge with a side of chocolate then I think I'd like just a scoop of this ice cream. The meal was phenomenal from beginning to end. It was hard choosing. I'm looking forward to all the dishes that I had to pass over tonight. My friend really enjoyed his chocolate bread pudding. Every single dish was tempting.

As far as bread, the only good bread I've found is at a couple restaurants: Moxie (warning: loud) and Light Bistro. Over all, Moxie is the best contemporary American restaurant in the area but since so many good restaurants don't follow through with bread and dessert Moxie stands out even more in those areas. I think Light Bistro may be also be on the same level as Moxie. They're new but I've been very impressed with my limited exposure. fire food and drink is one more contemporary American restaurant worth visiting. Their pork chop is fantastic - even better than Moxie's. ZOMG!!! I just went to their website so I could find the description of a fabulous salad that I waned to recommend and I see that they have a completely new menu posted. Don't worry, that pork chop isn't going anywhere. They have a chicken sausage appetizer and I know already that it will be amazing. Chef Katz hired Tom Kazubowski who has brought a lot of great, fresh ideas to the restaurant and particularly in the area of charcuterie. fire and Light may be a dollar or two less expensive than Lola but Moxie is probably about the same. There are some great ethnic restaurants. El Tango has amazing Mexican and other Latin American food. I knew that I had to take them seriously when I tasted the vegetable sides. Potatoes, cabbage, cole slaw... nothing is an afterthought. Every thing is bursting with flavor. It's hard to choose a highlight but all the soups are phenomenal. There's also a quesadilla, a beef dish and a pork dish. And of course, the pork tacos. Portions are big, BYOB, sometimes understaffed. Shanti's kitchen has equally phenomenal Caribbean food. Curried, jerked, stewed... lamb, goat, chicken. Call ahead for fish but definitely choose the snapper or tilapia over the shrimp. And again, sides are just as good as entrees. Great spinach and great cabbage. Mostly takeout business. Siam Cafe has a misleading name. Their specialty is Chinese food and they also have some of the best Vietnamese food in the area. The menu is so extensive that I haven't even explored much of the Thai food. My Vietnamese favorites are the crepe and the bun bo hue (spicy soup). The brisket in the bun bo hue is as flavorful as any meat at any restaurant in the city. My favorites from the Chinese menu are too numerous even to mention. The other day I had salt baked shrimp with live shrimp. Beef noodle soup. Fried tofu. Ong choi with bean curd. Curried beef stew.

Lucky's is a local treasure. In addition to great food, they're very active locally. A learning garden. They'll be hosting a benefit dinner soon. They supported a neighborhood farmers' market. They use local ingredients. Local art on the walls. But really, it's the great waffles that are the feature attraction as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, there's exciting Lucky's related news. They'll be closing. For a couple weeks. Then they'll re-open better than ever with a bigger menu and brunch available seven days a week. I'm not aware of the schedule. They're still open so rush over, get some waffles and find out for yourself if they have more specific details. I also don't know whether just the food service will close or whether the entire coffee house will close. They may serve coffee and pastries straight through. Call to check.

I was sure I had some suitable Sephardic recipes. Sephardic Jews have many more options in Passover meal planning whether it's veggie or not. Needless to say I couldn't track down what I wanted but I came across this web page. It had two vegetarian Passover menus - one Ashkenazi and the other Sephardic. The Ashkenazic menu made me grateful that I'm not a vegetarian but the Sephardic menu made me quite sorry that my relatives aren't Sephardic. In case your not familiar with the difference, Sephardic Jews eat rice and peas during Passover. The Ashkenazic prohibition on these and other legumes is based not on the inherent qualities of rice but on the two-fold risk of contamination and confusion. I think contemporary Orthodox authorities offer only the argument based on tradition for upholding the prohibition. I even vaguely recall reading something about some Orthodox rabbis reconsidering it. As far as I know that's still a radical opinion in the Orthodox community but I don't think you should have an qualms about serving it in a Refrorm setting. Whether or not you're comfortable serving so-called kitniyot you may want to try searching for Sephardic recipes. They're likely to be novel and boldly flavored. If you're searching on Amazon or Google combining the keywords "Passover recipes" with "sephardic" or "rice" will give you a entirely new set of options. I assume you've got dessert covered but you could continue the Sephardic theme through dessert with these mouth watering recipes from the Times.

Shanti's kitchen is the last of the restaurants that I think are unpassupable in Cleveland. It's Caribbean - curries, stews, jerks. Goat, chicken, lamb. Oxtail stew. Ribs with Guyanese chow mein. Roti. All the food is well seasoned but the jerks are spicy. They have fish which you can get curried, jerked or ?? It's best to call ahead if you want the fish. It takes time. If you like the spicy, I would recommend the jerk for your first visit. Shanti's is the only restaurant I've ever been to and never once said "that was good" or "that was good but not for me". I've gone a dozen times and I usually try something different each time and it's always phenomenal. Every time. The jerks have real heat but the vegetables still have a great taste. I eat at the restaurant but I think I'm the only one. They have bright flourescent lights and two tiny tables. Now that Spring is coming, maybe you could take your food to a bench in the park. Garfield Reservation is very close. They're closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The food they make is very labor intensive. Some items are only available on specific days. I think their website has up-to-date information.

Moxie is one of the best restaurants in the area. It's one of the very few with bread that isn't an afterthought. Their bread basket makes an excellent first impression. From their current menu, I would recommend the lobster but I don't think that you can go wrong here. Moxie is also one of the very few restaurants I can think of where the quality holds out through dessert. Several of my all time favorite desserts are from Moxie. I think I've had most desserts from their current menu and I'm not sure that any of these will become permanent favorites but they're still the best in the area. Maybe try an old standard - their baked hot chocolate is a permanent fixture. Siam Cafe is another personal favorite. In fact, I'll be going their tomorrow. I'm not so familiar with the Thai portion of their menu but I've been working hard to cover as much of the Chinese and Vietnamese items as possible. I know a lot of people are wary of restaurants with such diverse offerings but that concern isn't warranted at Siam Cafe. There may be a few dishes that aren't as phenomenal as the rest but I've had literally dozens of dishes that were phenomenal. In a post on Chowhound I recommended Add to that stewed beef with curry sauce, beef noodle soup with or without wontonLight Bistro also starts of with a nice bread service. With Moxie, I think they're the only bread in Cleveland worth eating that I'm familiar with. On top of that, I was very pleased with my dessert at Light Bistro which as I've said is also uncommon. I don't think it's any coincidence that I think that Light Bistro is also with Moxie (and fire) in the top echelon of contemporary American food in Cleveland. I've only eaten there once so perhaps I should make this a provisional ranking but I think the food at my one meal was diverse enough and delicious enough that I don't think it was a fluke. My one disappointment, a serious one, was the salad. It was very balanced at all. A companion felt that adding salt helped but I don't like having to cook my own food when I eat out.

The best Mexican food in Cleveland is El Tango Taqueria. I don't think people would call it innovative or nuevo or sophisticated but the food is delicious. In fact, it's one of my favorite restaurants of any kind. Anywhere. Get the green chile stew and a couple pork tacos. Or beef tacos. That would be my recommendation for a first visit. I also like all the other soups. I just tried the quesadilla for the first time - great. There's a pork dinner and a beef dinner with Mexican names which escape me. They're both fantastic. The vegetables here are simple but flavorful which beats many much more expensive restaurants. The dinners come with a simple cabbage salad that's fantastic. The soups come with a tortilla in them and the dinners come with a tortilla hiding somewhere underneath. Corn tortillas and Mexican food have evolved together for generations and the food loses something when they're omitted by restaurateurs who think that Americans won't appreciate them. The chips are served in an unreasonably large portion but they're worth getting because the salsas are good (pico de gallo, cinnamon, pineapple). The guacamole is made fresh to order. It tastes different from day to day which seems to bother some people. The chips and salsa are sold together. The salsa is sold separately. The dinners are also large and should be enough for a hungry person but I recommend eating too much. Two tacos, soup and chips, salsa and guacamole is enough for one meal and will leave you with a pile of chips virtually indistinguishable from the pile as it was when it was delivered to your table. Antonio, the owner, has come back to the kitchen. El Tango was a favorite even before I saw him regularly but I think he's raised the consistency and beneficially tweaked some of the preparations since he's returned. The art on the walls is his, by the way. It's always a one or two person operation. They get backed up sometimes. That seems to be less of a problem with Antonio back but it still may happen. You order at the register and your food is brought to the table. Finally, they don't serve alcohol but you can bring your own.

I remember reading something about health concerns related to eating hairy moss seaweed. I can't remember any of the details. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I understand that there are artificial and authentic varieties of hairy moss seaweed. Does this concern apply specifically to one or other? And, while I have your attention, what is artificial seaweed? Thank you

That sweet rice looks delicious. We had that for the first time yesterday and ours tasted delicious. For our entree we had braised spring lamb. I think it had some red dates. We also had braised sea cucumber. Are lamb and red dates and sea cucumber traditional New Year ingredients? On Tuesday we had two other dishes from Siam Cafe's special New Year menu. Fried custard with shrimp and stir fried pork. The pork had delicious Chinese sausage and bacon on top of that. Are these traditional New Year dishes?

I do love Goodfellas, Big Night and I Like Killing Flies so if the previous recommendations left you undecided... I also liked one scene in Mostly Martha. A patron doesn't like something. Martha comes out to see what's wrong and apparently the fault lies with the diner. She tells him(her?) that the food is prepared "comme il faut". How about the shorts from the Southern Foodways Alliance? Has anyone seen those? Also, Our Daily Bread is excellent. It's simply a view of industrial agribusiness. No dialogue - just stunning images.

I read that interview on the day that he posted it and I remember a strong sense of deja vu. I was able to resist the strong urge to spend the next several hours figuring out why. Now that you brought it up again, I could no longer resist. Fortunately, it didn't take quite as long as I imagined. See this previous Bruni blog entry. Clearly, there's something about these spoons. I'm glad you asked because I'm curious, too. I hope someone can explain what's so special about this spoon. -Stuart

I didn't laugh. I see corned beef in steam trays all the time. I have a rice cooker. That would be easier than using a pot, a can and a plate. I'll give that a try sometime. Come to think of it, I actually do have a disposable steam tray set that I bought from a party store.. Maybe I'll try that if I ever need to cook for more than just a couple people. Until then, my system does a pretty good job. Thanks. -Stuart

Hmm... I see I posted that at 4am asking for help with breakfast. What can I say? I was hungry... Anyway, fear not. I figured this out on my own. Lying in bed, I imagined all the various things that might go on a pastrami sandwich. Egg? Mayo? Only one made my mouth water: tomato. Not-so-early this morning, I ran to the supermarket and found an heirloom tomato. I was skeptical of buying a tomato in Ohio in February but this one felt juicy and I took a chance. I warmed the pastrami in a skillet and threw thick tomato slices in with just some salt. The tomatoes ended up with a wonderful soft, juicy interior and slight crispiness around the edges. The combination was fantastic. I think this may just be the perfect way to eat Romanian pastrami. Highly recommended. Final product In the pan

I've always liked Romanian pastrami but I've never given it much thought. I always prepare it the same way: in a skillet, like bacon. I opened the package of Romanian pastrami that I bought earlier today to sneak a piece for my loyal four-legged companion and I was stunned by the look and smell. Somehow it seemed like this pastrami was just a cut above the Romanian pastrami that I've been eating. I want to do it justice tomorrow morning. So, how should I warm it and how should I serve it? Thank you.

Grumpy's in Tremont reopened recently. I never new it existed before it burned down. I haven't tried it since it opened. Lots of people like are very fond of it, though. They're BYOB.

Vivo? That's shocking. Anyway, one of my favorite restaurants in the entire city in El Tango Taqueria. It's more casual than any of the other spots mentioned in the thread. You order at the register and your food is brought to you. It's very much a product of its owner. When he was out with the flu last week it was closed for at least a day. The guacamole (not available if he doesn't like the way the avocados look) is made after you order it. This commitment to freshness and quality runs throughout the entire menu. And it sometimes means that the food comes out when its ready not when you're ready. This wasn't a problem on my last visit and I think this issue may have been taken care of. In any case, these idiosyncrasies have never kept me away. The food is more than worth it. Awesome, in fact. Try some soup.

I'll confirm Linda's high praise for Moxie. Moxie is easily one of the best restaurants in the city. Their food is as good as any and the bread and desserts are head and shoulders above. The menu changes often enough that I have trouble just keeping up with the fish. It's been a long time since I've had the burger. In fact, I think it had foie gras and they haven't served it like that for a long time. Years? I recommend the pumpkin pie. I like the burger at Your's Truly - either the club (bacon and chese) or the patty melt (open faced rye with swiss and sauteed onions). Aside from that there are plenty of highly regarded burgers that I haven't personally tried. Whenever I see a recommendation from a trusted source I make a note. You can look at my list. I've only tried a couple from this list. Which and what I thought should be apparent. All of them are local except for Fatburger. Fatburger is actually one of burger joints that I'm most interested in trying. Swenson's has America's best cheeseburger according to R.W. Apple.

What's absolutely the best bagel topping in the world? What's the best cream cheese? How do Tuv Taam, Zingerman's, Philadelphia, Organic Valley, Russ and Daughter's compare to your favorite? This isn't an academic discussion. I'm interested in actually tasting your suggestions but I don't care if it's only available in New York. I'll get it the next time I'm there or maybe if I get really desperate I'll try to have some shipped. Or convince a local gourmet market to carry some. Let me worry about that. What's the best dairy spread? Are any commercial creme fraiche good? Alouette? There are spreads made from all types of cheeses. Is Herkimer a good brand? Which belong on a bagel? Baked farmer cheese? There was something in the dairy case with jalepeno and adobe spices. I think it was called cabana? What's the best non-dairy based bagel topping? Figgy? Honey? Nutty? Chocolatey? Personally, I like a good jam. There's a brand called Miller County that's probably only available locally. I also like June Taylor which can be shipped anywhere. And Frog Hollow which can also be shipped anywhere. Sarabeth's is another good one but I'm not sure it's quite as good as the others. Unfortunately, my experience with good cream cheese is fairly limited. I had the good fortune to try some Tuv Taam when I was in New York a while ago. When I was searching for information about them earlier today I read a 2001 article about their shameful labor practices. I also like a nice chopped herring salad. And now I'm looking to expand my horizons bagel-wise. Thank you.

Thanks everyone. The slice-freeze-toast method and the thaw overnight-slice-toast method seem most likely to work but I'm going to sacrifice a couple to science. I'll try out the freeze-microwave-slice method as well. And sorry about the raisins. I've been told that those aren't suitable for bagels. Maybe with a higher exposure to quality bagels I'll begin to appreciate them in a purer form.

Well, I guess it's time to reconsider my suspicion of corn syrup. At least as far as brittle is concerned, it can definitely produce great results. The brittle at Moxie (hereafter to be referred to as "the ideal brittle") is made with corn syrup.

I just ordered some bagels. I'm hoping you'll tell me it was only an indulgence and not a huge waste. Can these be frozen? Will they be good as new? Close enough? There's not much point to shipping the world's best bagels if they end up tasting like Ohio's best bagels. Will they even survive the shipping? Some are bialys and some are raisin cinammon. How does that affect your answers? Supposedly, bialys are more shipable. Have you actually tried this? Assuming it's possible, what's the best way of freezing them? And what's the best way of reviving them? Thank you -Stuart

Thanks. You're correct. That was not the botched raw peanut batch. It was the pecan batch. I read good things about Stern's. I don't think I've ever actually seen a bottle of it though.

First of all, I wouldn't worry about corn syrup in any quantity. I don't think that any bad thing happens because of corn syrup consumption. At least, I haven't heard anything. What's this about liver? I was worried about the quality. And I'm not even saying that corn syrup delivers an inferior flavor. I just don't know. I don't do much baking. The reason that I was initially suspicious is because I never heard it described as a basic ingredient. I've only heard of it as a convenience ingredient: "Substitute corn syrup for sugar if you're having problems with crystallization." And no one ever talks about the best corn syrup. People talk about the best flour, the best butter or the best sugar. I did ask Chef Strizak at Parker's (one of my favorite restaurants). He said he wouldn't use it because it's a processed ingredient. I asked him if he thought corn syrup tasted as good and he made a noise. I think he meant "no." The conversation was too short for me to get a more definitive response. In the plus column for corn syrup are the recipes that I referenced (but didn't link) above from Thomas Keller and Alain Ducasse. That doesn't necessarily give me complete peace of mind. Maybe corn syrup is acceptable in apple pie but not acceptable in most applications. Or maybe it's acceptable in their books but not acceptable in their restaurants. The concerns I've articulated are clearly academic. I don't have any firm reason to judge corn syrup one way or the other. On the other hand, while I've almost certainly had many tasty corn syrup products, I'm absolutely positive that I've had stunning sugar masterpieces. Corn syrup just needs to prove its worth to me the way that sugar already has. If it's true that the entire baking world at all levels uses it, then that may happen when I'm a slightly more experienced baker. Of course, if I find out that Moxie uses sugar exclusively then corn syrup is dead to me. -Stuart Yes of course each experience supports the next. Ok, please help me out here. I'm so totally lost in the corn syrup quagmire. Corn syrup is a substitute for what??? It's supposed to taste better than what? Cheap and easy is bad because... No really, I've never heard of such a dislike, a shunning of an essential ingredient. It's in most of the brittle recipes because it works. Edsel, you wouldn't worry about it in small quantities otherwise...what bad thing happens. It's sugar. It's an ingredient to help the sugar not crystalize again and it does it's brittle thing when you cook it up & stuff. I've never drunk corn syrup, I mean I don't like it that way. I just don't get it. What? If you all can't explain this, I'll ask Chef-boy. Edited to ask: because corn syrup is metabolized by the liver??? ←