tcavallo

Cap'n Crunch is divine. I prefer it with milk. And what is UP with the ravaged roof-of-the-mouth after you're done with a bowl?!?!? ← Remember Quisp? I think it made a short-lived comeback a few years ago. It tasted much like the Cap'n's (???) cereal, only the smaller pieces were easier on the mouth. For me its Heartland granola when I'm feeling crunchy, and Reese's Peanutbutter Puffs when I'm feeling the need to get cracked out on sugar, that stuff is good.

Well my grandmother has been making me hummus and tabouleh since I was very small, and I am sure it took a while, but I can't imagine ever not liking it. My first oyster was at least a 3-biter, and I found it rather hard to swallow... I still prefer the smaller ones. I kind of jumped right into sashimi, I think I liked it by my third piece of tuna belly. And olives... my once mortal enemy, ruiner of pizzas, pastas, falafel sandwiches... i spend a loooooong time on this one, and now I can eat tapenade with a spoon, and like it!

Really? I was appalled when last year at my first and only time at New Green Bo I had rather standard soup and fried dumplings. I've also tried both at Yeah Shanghai, and preferred Yeah's to NGB's. Dumpling House can not be beat, in my opinion, but I'll have to hit NGB again and perform a more systematic comparison. And then I need to go to Flushing! ← OK, whats the deal here. I went to New Green Bo for the first time today (after helping my GF's sister move into her new place around the corner) and the soup dumplings were terrible. The "soup" tasted like straight sesame oil. I was unable to taste any crab, and I could BARELY differentiate the crab from the crab/pork dumplings. As a matter of fact I could taste nothing but sesame for the rest of the day. The wrappers were no more delicate than Joe's, and they were just as large and sticky. Has anyone who has had such good things to say about them been there recently? Did somebody mis-label a bottle of sesame oil today?

OK, now I wish I took pictures of the many many pizzas I made at my party on Friday. These two were adapted from pizzas my GF's dad made us over the holidays, and while they aren't that that odd (other then using starchy toppings), they sure are good. Similar to potato pizzas already mentioned: Par-boiled small red fingerling potatos, sliced 1/8" thin Thick cut pancetta pieces Dollops of goat cheese A bit of fresh mozzarella Plenty of sage butter drizzled over it all A very cheesy pie: Gorgonzola Goat Cheese Feta Fresh mozzarella Navy beans Garlic/oil drizzled over it all

A great year for my kitchen: Henckels 5-Star Bread Knife Le Creuset dutch oven, saucepan, and grill pan from the GF (she so rocks) Huge stainless restaurant prep table (need the counter space in our new loft) Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet The Dinosaur BBQ Cookbook A nice olive oil Oh, and a Williams Sonoma gift card... still have to spend that one.

Mmmmmm.... Genny. Many fond memories of my upstate drinking days included Genny, and unfortunatley a lot of Labatt Blue. What is it with Syracusans and Labatt Blue? I would be willing to wager that it sells better than Budweiser up there. Anyway, does anybody know of a place in NYC to buy Genny cases? My uncle may be coming down for the holidays and thats all he drinks. He'll probably bring a case of his own, but I wouldn't mind finding a supplier for old time's sake anyway. T

It's actually the kids of the Zen Palate folks... I think mom and pop funded them to set up the first one, which has been doing pretty well... I also saw the UES location for the first time a couple days ago; I would imagine that since they were doing so well downtown, they wanted a piece of Candle Cafe's UES action, what with their newer location only a few blocks away.

I ended up making it out there around 7:30 last night, and already there was a 45 minute wait for a table. We managed to get in after only 5 minutes however, since there were only two of us, and when I suggested it was because they knew I was a native Syracusan, the hostess claimed she could "smell it on me." This fits with the same rough-around-the-edges-but-somehow-endearing service I remember from back home. The waitress was the same, but VERY attentive. I would imagine they are overstaffing for opening week, as it seemed to me that every waitperson had only a few tables, and there must have been a bus boy for every person in the place. The decor works. It seems a bit more campy/themey than I remember the Syracuse restaurant being, though I haven't been there in years (and years). The raw concrete and dim lighting prevents it from feeling too much like a safe, family-style restaurant, as does the great food. In the interest of full disclosure, I have only started eating meat again in the last three or four months, so my adult barbecue experience is limited. Also, having grown up on this stuff before my stint as a vegan and before I left Syracuse for the greener (greyer?) pastures of NYC, I am somewhat biased. That said, I loved everything. I just spent a week upstate, sampling wings all over Buffalo (including those at the original Anchor Bar... disappointing) and Syracuse, and I must say that the Dinosaur's wings blow them all away. Finished on the grill to a perfect char and coated with the wango tango sauce, they are succulent, moist, and have the perfect balance of heat and flavor. Of course I added plenty of the Devil's Duel at the table. The Carolina Pulled Pork sandwitch was smoky, rich, with just a touch of sauce and a generous pile of creamy coleslaw. Better than Duke's and Virgil's, I'd eat it for lunch every day, if 131st and 12th wasn't over 100 blocks from my office. The location isn't bad, actually. With a ton of parking, easy access by cab and train (1, 9, A, C to 125th) they should have no problem keeping the place packed for dinner every night. I am not up there very often during the day, so I can't say what the lunch crowd will be like if they extend their hours earlier into the day, but as others have mentioned, I am sure the Columbia kids will make it a staple. All told, I couldn't be happier to have the Dinosaur in NYC. I am eager to see everyone elses reactions, and even more eager to get back there myself to try the ribs and AK chili I missed out on.

Born and raised in Syracuse, living in NYC for 6 years, vegan for 8 years up until this past summer... so happy to be able to eat Dinosaur BBQ again... Oh yes, I'll be there tomorrow.

Thanks much for all the tips! Now I have quite a list to get through. I have been meaning to try Caserta Vecchia for a while, after having stuck to Savoia until now (closer to my girlfriends old place) for pizzas, and Frankie's sounds exciting too. Pan, I have found the Falafel at Bedouin Tent on Atlantic to be pretty darn good, and the lentil soup and "pitzas" at Zaytoons on Smith are great too. Also, check out Sahadi's on Atlantic and Clinton. Its an Arabic import grocer with some good prepared foods, and the hummus is great. Todd

I am a recent transplant to Boerum Hill (from Long Island City), and my girlfriend has lived in Carroll Gardens for a while now. The restaurant explosion up and down Smith (and Court to a lesser extent) has made for some great Brooklyn dining. I know it can be hit-or-miss, and I was wondering if you had explored the area at all and if so if you have any favorites. Can't wait to get my hands on your new book. Thanks so much for your time here. Todd

OK, copied and pasted from my already typed up list. Some old some new, some classics, some oddities: On Food and Cooking (New Edition) - Harold McGee Thai Food - David Thompson Eat Not This Flesh: Food Avoidances from Prehistory to the Present - Frederick J. Simoons Plants of Life, Plants of Death - Frederick J. Simoons Japanese Cooking - by Shizuo Tsuji The Eater's Guide to Chinese Characters - James D. McCawley The Oxford Companion to Food - Alan Davidson Larousse Gastronomique - Prosper Montagne (Editor) Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook - Anthony Bourdain The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating - Fergus Henderson As a recovering Vegan (almost 9 years) I am eager to explore the realms of animal foods that I have been so missing out on, and I am sure my meat-loving family and girlfriend will be happy to oblige buy picking up a few of these books.