monavano

You'll be mighty hungry by the time you get to Pittsburgh, cause you spend like 3 days riding through Johnstown, Pa. Ugh.

That's great news Jill. I can't wait to try it!

I think it's the height of absentee parenting. If you're insisting on using the video as a babysitter, bring a pair of earphones for Pete's sake!

Just don't serve any F#$king merlot!!

Hazlenut encrusted chicken. Rachel Ray has a recipe that turned out pretty good. It's pan fried and paired with a creamy gorgonzola sauce. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/re...6_29539,00.html

I can't think of another Philly beverage (non alcoholic, that is). Black cherry soda is the tip! I'm a bit leary of holding onto the philly soft pretzels for more than a day. Maybe if you call the company you could verify that they can be frozen. I also wonder if Amoroso (rolls) is willing to sell to private persons vs. restaurants. They basically ship frozen rolls, for thawing and baking.

I agree and I par cook my pasta before assembly, always. I;ve tried the no boil lasagna noodles and they came out crunchy in some places and cooked in others. Also, I don't use a lot of sauce with my lasagna, that's just the way I like it. If you decide to use regular pasta without boiling it first, I'd be sure to do a practice with it. I'd never trust it, but then again, I've been making a kick butt lasagna for years and know what works for me.

It's just bad form to correct a customer, period. But worse yet when you don't know your cheeses when your THE CHEESE GUY! What an ass! I've got lovely goat cheese in my fridge, from Cheesetique. It's delish.

How about making sherbert or gelato with it? I saw a recipe for sherbert which calls for grand marnier, so how bad can that be!

Another alternative is to cook lasagna noodles, spread the filling on top and roll them up. Bake with sauce until cheese melts. Stuffing canneloni is a pain in the arse!!

Behemoth, it sounds like it's going to be a great Philly blow out! I'd definitely try to get shaved ribeye for the cheesesteaks. i got excellent frozen shaved rib at Costco of all places. I made REAL authentic cheesesteaks in minutes at home. Other brands which claim to be "philly steaks" can be so dissapointing. Although you cant get Frank's soda, any black cherry would fit the bill as far as giving the feeling of a Philly beverage. Gosh, I remember going to the beverage store and getting a wooden case of glass bottles of Frank's soda. Another Philly food that I didnt' see mentioned yet is tomato pie. They sell them at the Acme!! (was just in Philly this past weekend). And, how easy it that to make!! Pork roll/Taylor pork roll is a ham product similar to spam. It's salty and a bit tangy. I like it and usually polish off my mother's supply when I visit her in philly. Scrapple is another pork product which is spicy and savory. It doesnt taste bad at all really. It's just made of every part of the pig that's leftover from butchering and that makes me avoid it. Both are really breakfast foods, like sausage, or bacon. You fry them up and serve with eggs or pancakes and the like.

Wow doc, you really toured and ate to the max. Your post inspired me to get my butt out there and do all that you did! And dammit, I live here! Come back soon. Cheers.

Butterfly wrote: I think it is out of line to feature a Baltimore restaurant during DC's biggest tourist weekend of the year--when more out of towners will presumably reading the Post than at any other time. This is a case of very bad programming on the part of the Post. .................................that's what a concierge is for

Provincialism runs rampant in these parts, and I feel Tom is taking a macroscopic view of the greater D.C. area. It's a good lead to follow. I mean, not partaking in the gems that are in the burbs, or Baltimore, or the Eastern shore is just plain settling for less as far as I'm concerned. Pride...Provincialism...Xenophobia......you're world is shrinking!! Break the mold!!

I recently went to Stardust, and agree with Al in that the appetizers were wonderful, and really after crab soup and something similar to an empanada I should have stopped(but I had a restaurant.com coupon and said "what the hell"). The entree was vegetarian and not to my liking. I have to say I usually eat meat and fish, but it was Lent, and I was trying something different. The service was good, and the hostess was outstanding. I have to say the bar looked lively, however it was quite smokey and I thought to myself that if the ventilation was better, it would be absolutely a perfect place for drinks and nosh. Funkadelic interior too! Edit to add: I thought that it was in a different spot than when last I past by it 3 or 4 years ago, before moving to Richmond (from which I"ve returned and am quite happy about). I wasn't sure, but just thought to myself "hmmmmmmm?".

Pardon me if this has been mentioned, but nothing beat Headhouse brownies and chocolate chip cookies after a night at Dickens Inn .

I miss Bauer's Bakery on Bustleton. It burned down like 2 years ago, and was never rebuilt. I NEED MY BABKA!!!! And don't tell me to go to Stocks, it just ain't the same.

Shocking the eggs in cold water will also help to avoid that green color on the outer yolk. Older eggs peel easier because the air pocket is larger. To test if an egg is old, submerge it in water. If it stands upright, there is more air in it, and is therefore, older. If it lies on its' side, it's younger. So boil those eggs that stand up!

The Open Hearth on the boulevard? That was my favorite! "From soup to nuts". I remember the salads were always a wedge of iceberg lettuce with dressing on top, and I loved it. It turned into a Mexican restaurant and now is a CVS.

Joe, I had the same reaction the first time I had whole lobster at a friends house! Prior to that, it was broiled tail with drawn butter. When everyone started ripping the body apart, and I saw the green tomale, I was horrified. Shortly after, I went on a trip to Maine decided I was going to just get over it! I wasn't going to give up this delicassy just because I wigged initially. By the end ofthe week, I had lobster breath. Yum. Maryland crabs are great. I can't wait until warmer weather, then I'm headed east to have a whack at 'em.

Thank you so much for your suggestions. I wasn't thinking when I ordered tickets to the museum, and afterwards, well it was too late. I really wanted to match the museum with Zola. But, alas, I'll have to try it for dinner another time instead!!

For the past two weeks, I've been shocked at the amount of kvetching Tom has allowed. So little time, and so little type space and this is the crap I read, having eagerly awaited some good culinary advise and fair reviews each Wednesday . Instead, I read endless whining from self-indulgent, self-important, narcissistic whiners . Why encourage this? There's so much good food AND people out there. Let's give'em their due.

Does anyone have recommendations for a nearby restaurant? I'll be going to the spy museum early on a Sat., and from the website, it appears that Zola doesn't open until dinner on Sat.'s. Thanks.

It's working really well for Patrick O'Connell. Even draws those urbanites out of D.C. If you build it, they will come......

Provincialism meets pride, once again. And I mean pride in the bad way. Why does this always come down to pitting the city folk against the suburban folk?? When tolerance turns into intolerance, it is prejudice which is in a nutshell, hatred and fear. C'mon, let talk about food here and not stereotype with the McDonalds hyperboles and SUV hell notions.