Fred

Roxbury Gap is only closed if there is too much snow but I've taken the gap all the time in the middle of winter. APP Gap, and Lincoln Gap, will also only get closed if there is too much snow and ice, but for the most part they are open with the warning do not attempt without chains and 4 wheel drive. The skis and cheese idea is a good one.

absolutely. and it's also possible to salivate with a mouthfull of Dow's Port, I proved that theory last night.

JPW I was there last night too.. STELLAR. The Bro and I decided to nix the gym last night and go eat dinner in town instead. First course I had the Tuna Tartare with, and I can't remember exactly, but it was a foam that kind of tasted like the ocean, briney and rich. The tartare had onions in it which was a first for me but they worked well with the tuna. Portions were generous and plating was very cool. Service was "on" it was non intrusive, gracious and very attentive. Bri had the lobster salad with pea greans. For as much lobster as this kid has eaten in his life he was quite impressed with this, ultra fresh, un-adulterated, really good. We both had the beef cheeks osso bucco syle with tarbias beans (think farve beans) grean beans and root vegtable ragout. FANTASTIC. sooo rich, perfectly cooked. The fat of the cheeks was just velvet and it had this great crust on the outside which was very rich and provided an awesome difference in texture between the soft melt in your mouth meat. We did dessert as well and I had the bread pudding, stellar. Brian had the warm chocolat Sabayon, stellar as well. Wine service was great. They decated the 2001 Cape D'Estaing Kangaroo Island Shiraz I brought quite properly and the stemware was quite good as well. I'll definetly be back.

Wow I thought everyone has seen the rollerskating flaming knives bit.....I guess I'm just a REALLY special customer.

My neighborhood fav. is Boulevard Woodgrill. I've come to know the bartenders and they make great bloodies and the food is consistently very good. A typical Sunday (especially during football season) is a seat at the bar around 12:00, a bloody mary, cup of coffee, paper and some eggs benny. Awesome.

Awesome. My favorite is smoking them if I get a ton. I use a regular stove top smoker. Soo good, and a 1/10 the price that Ducktrap sells smoked mussels for.

Johnny- You should use Great Easter Mussel farms I sail with Chip Davison (Owner) in the summer, good guy and an awesome mussel farmer.

As I'm reading these posts I can't help but think of the difference between the meals I've experianced in Vienna Austria and in DC. You practically have to trip a waiter in Vienna to get their attention and quite frankly if you are in a cafe and would like to linger at your table all day with a line out the door well....that is perfectly fine, and it seems almost expected. It's the difference in the pace of life and customs I guess. Don't mean to throw this off track, Michael can do what ever the heck he wants except cook well done steaks!

Congratulations to the Stretch Family!!! Tonight I'm heading to VT so it's dinner at my uncles restaurant in Waitsfield, can't wait!

thanks for the update Johnny. The Tsunami effect is right on the money. Wholesalers are telling restaurant that if they are looking for Tiger Prawns and other seafood coming out of SE Asia that they better change their menues. Whatever is making landfall in the states is wicked expesive. Heard there was supposed to be some significant icing conditions on the coast in the last couple of days, not fun ESPECIALLY if you have traps to haul or shrimp to catch.

I've only had this happen once when Michael squeezed us in last minute on a busy night and asked that we give up the table within 90 minutes.....absolutely no problem there. If they ask you to do that they pace the meal so it's possible.

I had a good meal at Tallula last night with some friends. We sat in the wine shop and it was perfect for 6 people, definetly less noisy than the main room. I had to try the corn dog which rocked! I also had the fried green tomatos with duck crackling. Tomato's were great, and with the duck crackling and frisee it really came together. My main course was the Niman ranch pork chop. Cooked perfectly but a little dry somehow? I'm still confused about that one. The chanterelle spoon bread was very good and really rich. good times. Also has anyone eaten at the bar infront of the kitchen it looked pretty cool.

meeting some friends at Tallula tonight. I've had the booze now to try the food. My only concerned is that it will probably be hella crowded.

Is it treasonous to say that I have yet to have a "mini-burger" in this city or anywhere for that matter? Will I have to were a scarlet M-B on my chest from now on?

I agree on Mie N Yu. As soon as you walk in the door you feel as if everyone takes out a pen and paper and starts judging your clothes. Way too eurotrash for me.

Thanks Johnnyd- My exile was self inflicted...You know how the saying goes, "spend the first part of your life trying to get out and then the rest trying to get back in" The only spot within 50 miles is a meat distributer in Baltimore, as I am in the Washington DC area. Oh well, and I'm also bitter about the shrimp season going on without me too. Thanks for the explaination as to why they left the public market, I was wondering why that was.

Morning Folks, I'm currently a Mainer living in exile and would love to know if anyone knows of a way to get Wolf Neck Farm beef/sausage etc. online or over the phone? Also are they still raising Venison does anyone know? Their's was some of the best I've ever had. Cheers-

Chefbrendis- "Chefs don't cook so they can be compared to other chefs, chefs cook because they have something to add to the dialogue of great food." That is RIGHT on the money....well said.

FWIW: I had a great RW meal at Signatures during the last go around.

Nothing too major it just looked like they gave up on trying to clear tables or drink glasses and there was paper/confetti everywhere tables and chairs all over the place. Typical after large New Years party type of stuff. It was getting towards that time of night on New Years when it goes from fun to.....ugly so we beat feet.

Dustin really did a great job and since he provided the sticky wine I never got to my bottle of NV R.L. Buller Muscat so I left it for him.

Went to Zaytinya for a drink after NYE dinner and no joke it looked like a bomb had gone off in the place, complete disaster. The gin & tonic was good though.

I had NYE dinner here and it was quite a surprise based on the feedback I got from e-gullet and the general "amature night" status NYE has attained. The restaurant is a shiek and classy spot where you'd feel a bit out of place if you weren't dressed to the nines. The bar is very cool with a great selection of your top shelf booze, and they can make a good Makers Mark Manhattan which is always a plus. We had a very large table for 7 people (table 701) right by the bar, so we had room to move around mingle drink champagne watch the ball drop in the bar etc. Our server Emily was very good, she was accomidating with all of the wine we brought i.e. fresh stems and opening in the order I requested. On with the food. We did a Chef's Grand Tasting for $85 dollars which was a bargain for the quality and amount of food we had. I'll recount what my brother and I had. Chef's Amouse: Nicholas Feuilleute Blancs De Blancs Big Eye Tuna with Granny Smith butter; This was fantastic, extremely fresh fish with warm tart butter that accompanied the tuna perfectly. Course One: 2002 Williams Selyem Heintz Chard Warm Ricotta Terrine with Country Ham and Spiced Quince; Good but not spectacular, large portion of ricotta Blue Hubbard Squash Chowder with Winter Kale and Smoked Sausage; Brian said this was inspired and truely awesome Course Two: 2003 Loring Gary's Cedar Planked Coho Salmon with Truffled Grits; This simply ROCKED, the grits were perfect the fish had a great smokey flavor and was cooked right on the money. With the 2003 Loring Gary's, Stunning Cavitelli with House cured Duck and Butternut Confetto; My brother STILL hasn't shut up about this, that's how much he liked it. Course Three: NV Bolinger Special Cuvee (we went too long without Champers) Cheer Wine Braised Oxtail and Saffron Fritter, Wilted Pepper Cress; Oxtail was awesome sooo rich, safron fritters were bland and I can't remember the pepper cress Hot Pot of Sweet Scallops, Mussels and Clams with Tomatoes and Anise; Not sure what the verdict on this was but it dissapeared quickly. Course Four: 1996 BV Tapestry Caramelized Delmonico, Mini pickled Peppers, Fingerlings, Chippolini and Fresh Horseradish; Bro and I both had this and with the 96 Tapestry it was a wonderful dish. Steak was prepared perfectly and the fingerlings had that great creamy texture which I really dig. Cheese Course: Wisconson Cheddar blue; Unbelieavable, this was an orange blue cheese that had some sharpness from the cheddar but unmistakenly blue. Goat Cheese; Can't remember what kind Vermont Brie; Very good Dessert:1996 Dom Perignon Blood Orange Sortbet Overall just an awesome time. The one glitch was that they ran out of the lobster and shrimp courses which while odd didn't cause too much of a hassel and the Manager Dustin brought us a complementary ice wine from Hunter Valley in NY which was very good.

No worries, I'm sure no one here would walk out into their backyard and start picking/eating the first fungus they see. Happy New Year.

Well I can't argue with that logic, no matter how conveluted it is so I'll just provide some education: ____________________________________________________________________ False Morels (Helvella and Gyromitra spp.) Helvella sp. Gyromitra caroliniana False morels are difficult to treat in an article on edible and poisonous mushrooms, because they so clearly fit both categories. On one hand, many people have enjoyed eating false morels for years and may even consider them a favorite wild mushroom. On the other, false morels have definitely caused serious illnesses and deaths in the United States. The problem seems to involve the amount of a toxic chemical, called monomethyl hydrazine (MMH), present in these mushrooms. MMH causes diarrhea, vomiting and severe headaches, and occasionally it can be fatal. However, because of different cooking techniques and different individual sensitivities to MMH, false morels poison some people but leave others unaffected. In addition, false morels in some areas of the country contain more MMH than in other areas. All this makes these mushrooms a very doubtful group as far as edibility is concerned. False morels have wrinkled, irregular caps that are brainlike or saddle-shaped. They may be black, gray, white, brown or reddish. (The "big red morel," Gyromitra caroliniana, common in Missouri, is a large false morel with a reddish cap.) Other names include elephant ears, Arkansas morels and brian mushrooms. Size 2" to 8" tall. False morels differ from true morels in two obvious ways: The cap surface has lobes, folds, flaps or wrinkles, but it does not have pits and ridges like a true morel. You might say their caps bulge outward instead of being pitted inward. The bottom edge of the cap of a false morel hangs free around the stem, like a skirt. On true morels, the bottom edge of the cap is attached to the stem (see page 4). False morels are found in spring, summer and fall, on the ground in woodlands. Note: Because these mushrooms have definitely caused deaths, we cannot recommend that you eat them. If you nevertheless choose to do so, they should be thoroughly cooked in a well-ventilated room, since MMH is driven off by heat.