phaelon56

I think i'ts one of the best values in the city - not necessarily the best meal. I've only been three times but have not been disappointed. is it on par with what you'd get for 2X the money elsewhere? No but it's usually a very good meal for the money, a soothign and relatively quiet room and pleasant but not stellar service. I've generally gone with the price fixe that's about $30 for starter, entree and dessert. there are usually two items of the six or seven entrees that have an upcharge. An amuse is typically served, appetizer portions tend to be generous, main course is more reserved in size and the only dessert I've tried is the creme brulee. It's their "signature" dessert and has been consistently excellent every time I"ve tyried it. Can't comment on any other desserts as I have not tried them. My friend is a foodie (I am not). She's visited France on several occasions and dined there extensively, is a creme brulee fanatic and pronounced what she had at L'ecole as the best she's ever tried anywhere.

That would be the time my ex GF and I made dinner with a friend. major amounts of alcohol and other substances were consumed while the veggie crepes were being prepared. The fun started when I made Caesar salad the traditional way. I recall coddled egg and lots of other ingredients flying about the room before we consumed it - may have been the tastiest salad I ever had..... Other major memory has to be the time I walked home from a neighborhood bar in an extremely drunken stupor - stopped in the local pizza shop and ordered a pie with everything on it to be delivered when ready (I only lived a few blocks past the pizza shop but was far too drunk to stand there waiting for the pie). Fast forward twenty minutes - the delivery guy is bangin on the door and awakens me from the stupor - I am literally passed out at the kitchen table. Apparently I consume the pie...... awaking the next morning I'm baffled by the weird little black things stuck all over the walls of the kitchen. Investigation proves: these are the anchovies that I pulled off each slice as I ate it and flung them away (appraently I was sober enough to realize that I don't like anchovies on pizza but far too drunk to just leave them on the table - what could possibly be more fun than drunken anchovy tossing? Needless to say.... I no longer drink.

There's been no word yet on the issue fo where they'll do the actual smoking. The only publicity, per se, was a few paragraphs in the local paper mentioning the expansion and indicating that they'd secured the location.

You can also expect to see their bottled sauces in Fairway not long after they open. They started small with a few Wegman's stores here in the Syracuse area and they've gone far beyond. They also sell a darned good 1 lb pakc of frozen pulled pork that typically retails at $7.99.

Who in the heck is Daisy May?

There's an italian menu oriented cafe in the mezzanine above the lobby of the AMC 42 movie theatre on 42nd Street - called Times Square Cafe. They sell thermal press pot coffee in a handful of varietals and IIRC it's about $4.50 - each pot yields about three cups full - I'd guess perhaps 24 oz or so. Stumptown Roasters in Portland OR, a local microroaster, serves ONLY press pot coffee. Their baristas make 32 oz press pots all day long and refill the airpots with them. Their coffee really rocks (as does their espresso) but keep in mind that they run a tight ship with great quality control. I don't recall the prices exactly but I'm thinking it must be about $1.50 up to $2.25 depending on size of cup. They're a microroaster with multiple cafes and also a good wholesale market for their beans - bean cost for them is way lower than most independent cafes but Portland is a fairly representative market for what prices tend to be outside of Manhattan.

Dinosaur BBQ, a Syracuse NY based blues 'n BBQ restaurant, has just announced plans to open a Manhattan location. Their original Syracuse location has good live local and national blues acts almost every night and their more recently opened Rochester location has followed suit. IMHO their ribs are a trifle overrated but it is a good smoky Q and their pulled pork is just about the best you'll ever try anywhere. The Syracuse location is just way too crowded for my taste but I do get takeout from them on occasion now that I'm living in the 'cuse again. To put the level of their success into perspective..... I attempted to go there this afternoon with some friends who are visiting - at 3 PM in the afternoon on a Saturday (when there was nothing going on in downtown Syracuse and every other restaurant and bar was empty)..... there was a ONE HOUR wait for a table. Although I haven't tried all the usual suspects in NYC, I suspect that they'll blow away Virgil's, Pearson's, Tenesee Mountain and anyone else in NYC. I haven't tried Blue Smoke but think that the Dino will equal them on some dishes and fall short on a few others but come in at a far lower price tag in the process. Their signature ambiance is best described as biker bar chic - think Hogs 'n Heifers with no girls dancing on the bartop but plenty of good musice and Q. One of the owners will be on site full time to run the operation (a very good thing - absentee ownership seems to be the major downfall of expansions). Location is to be "west Harlem" at or around the intersectrion of 12th and 131st. IMHO they do a darn good job for a northeastern BBQ restaurant - not fantastic but they seem to get plenty of raves in occasional post both here and in Chowhound.

herbacidal (Herb) pointed me to this thread and I'm very glad to have a chance to see the perspectives offered here. I'm especially pleased to see the sensible and informative post from La Coulombe's owners. I have yet to try an espresso in one of their cafes as I'm rarely in the Philly area but intend to do so on my next visit. Like Mitch, I'm a home roaster and rarely buy roasetd beans when I'm out somewhere but if I happen across a local roaster on my travels, I always try to buy a half pound or so to take home. Consistency does seem to be the big bug-a-boo of food and beverage businesses in general but i think it's especially critical in espresso. I'm considering going into the business myself in about two years - the more folks who are out there oiffering truly good product, the more the public will come to appreciate what good espresso really can be (and recognize that it's tough to find).

On a menu..... that would be "gently poached in a broth reduced from seafood and a melange of exotic vegetables infused with the chef's favorite herbs" No? I think the steamed vs. boiled also plays on the health aspects - just about everyone seems to know at this point that steaming is better than boiling re/avoiding nutrient loss.

I prefer it when the host/hostess/maitre d' mentions the servers name when we're being seated, as in "Your server this evening will be 'x' ". That way, if exceptional (or horrible) service ensues or the server vanishes in the middle of the meal, I know who to give credit to or make sure I don't get again as a server on another visit.

I disagree but only within certain parameters. I have a $1,200 espresso machine that kicks ass if properly used - I make better espresso than I can buy out in just about any cafe in the US, barring a dozen or so that are really serious about their craft. There are $200 espresso machines that can come pretty darn close to or equal the output of my machine with the right operator but they're less consistent and have plenty of limitations. Beyond that (lowest end) are plenty of machines in the sub $200 category that can never make real espresso no matter who's using them. I have a Charbroil h2o smoker. It has plenty of limitations... 1) has to be replenished every two hours with more wood chips if you want a reasonable amount of smokiness 2) is very sensitive to ambient temps - if the outdoor temp drops below 60 degrees or there's a cold wind.... it may never be able to get a pork butt up to 195 degrees for proper pulling 3) fit and finish isn't great - the lid on mine has a gap where smoke escapes and I have to plug it with tin foil Soooo.... why do I even bother? 1) it was a cheap and easy way for me to try out smoking and decide whether I'd smoke often enough to justify a larger investment 2) it really does smoke - the same can NOT be said of the little smoker boxers that people throw into a conventional propane grill - classify those as being like the $100 espresso machines - it ain't never gonna make the real thing 3) It's easy to start and use - cleanup is minimal - it's also reliable - mine sat outdoors for two years without being used and worked like a charm when I plugged it in again 4) I'm lazy - I like the set it and forget it aspect 5) It does a great job with ribs, chicken and fish - think of it as the $200- $300 espresso machine - great for the causal user and with diligence and proper process it can produce stellar results but has limitations Would I like to have a Smoky Mountain, a Big Green Egg or some kick-ass rig? Yes but I'm also (at present) renting my living space and have no desire to become further encumbered with yet another large, heavy device that requires storage many months of the year (I'm living in a northeastern US area where winters are long, cold and snowy). Not trying to be contentious here but I think H20 smokers are unfairly slammed without a balanced discussion of where/how they fit into the scheme of some folk's smoking needs. I'll put my pampered smoked ribs from the $80 Charbroil up against anyone's ribs from a high end smoker and bet I can equal, better or at least come close in quality every time.

I posted on this awhile back. There were several issues raised about what affects the texture and how a real NYC style chewy yet thin crust can be achieved. Using a bread mixer/dough hook appears to be a significant factor as well as the raising time. I found that adding a certain percentage of pure semolina flour adds something to the texture that gets the dough closer to the ballpark. Since the original thread was posted I have not had time to return to the kitchen and try the additional suggestions but for what i'ts worth..... here they are Pizza Dough Thread

We don't all like french press coffee - I know I don't csare for it as much as good drip coffee. the ideal temp range for brewing coffee is just off the boil - between 205 and 210 degrees. Most auto drip makers, even some very expensive ones, either don't brew hot enough (in some case they miss by a wide margin) or they taqke too long to complete the brewing process (or both). Some suggest brewing two separate four pot cups to maintain best quality, others choose the best compromise in a full size drip machine (IIRC there are Bunn, Technivorm and Capresso machines that do fairly well at both). You could get the Kitchen Aid four cup model at about $50 - it's suppposed to hit the mark on all counts. I use a teapot and a Melitta cone. Just off the boil water is poured in to infuse the grounds.... alow it to drip through and then add the remaining water in two pours. I brew directly into a preheated thermal carafe and my results are great. The gold mesh filters (available in flat bottom or melitta shape) allow more essential oils to get through the way that the French Press pots do. The robustness this adds is appealing to many bubt there is often a bit of sludge in the bottom of the cup. If using a thermal French press such as jason mentioned, please note that the coffee keeps brewing to some extent, even after you've pressed the plunger. Best bet is to pour into thermal carafe after plunging if making more than a few cups. Unbleached brown paper filters are considered better than white - less residual taste - pour in abit of hot tap water and then pour it off before adding coffee if you want to truly minimize the possible negative results that some say result from paper filters. The Solis Maestro is a good burr grinder - it was genrally widely sold at $129 but now that the new Maestro Plus is available, the original Maestro can be found for $90 - $100 if you shop around. Shortcoming is that many have reported that heavy use (e.g. grinding enough coffee for a pot every day and two per day on weekends) can lead to significant wear of the burrs. Result will be some inconsistency in grind size after the first couple years. If inconsistency in grind size is not an issue (it definitely is with French Press and with mesh filters).... might just as well stick to $20 blade grinder). If you don't need to grind for espresso (Maestro is the cheapest burr grinder on the market that grinds well enough for real espresso production).... look into the KitchenAid burr grinder. It's built like a tank with an old-school look and I'm told they last forever (that's a long time). Couldn't seem to find it at Amazon but I could swear that they were selling them a few months back. Here's a website that has the KitchenAid burr grinder at $129.95 - the going rate for a "sale" price wherever you choose to get it. Fat Guy made another excellent point (as usual!): freshness of the coffee should come before all else or your efforts are for naught. Find a reliable microroaster locally who sells beans the day or day after they're roasted. keep no more than a 7 day supply on hand, store in an airtight container until ready to grind and use and keep in a dark place at room temp if possible (or at least don't fill the hopper all the way) . Home roasting is even better but not convenient for some (but not too difficult). If you have no reliable local microroaster, find one who ships - I can suggest several.

These are great tips - thanks to all. The electric H2O smoker is great for ribs, fish and chicken but in this climate (central NY state where it's already down in the 40's at night) I need something that stays hotter. I believe I can get the butt to 195 degrees if ambient temp is mid 70's or above but on this last endeavor, as it got later at night (11 PM or so) and the temps were dropping, the temp gauge on the smoker showed that it was dropping toward the low end of the "ideal" range. I lack the space, patience or time to deal with using all wood or charcoal and wood but there is a cabinet type smoker available locally that runs on propane - I'm guessing that it would allow me to maintain the higher temps even when it gets cooler outside. I unquestionably needed a few more hours for this one - it's between roast pork and pulled pork in terms of texture but pretty damn tasty - better than anything I've had in any commercial joints in the northeast (not yet tpo the standard of Carolina or texas 'cue but I'll get it there).

That would be the coffee served at most restaurants in Cozumel Mexico (probably true of places in other Mexico tourist destinations as well). Fact: the coffee sits for hours in the carafe on the warming plate of the cheap drip coffeemaker and whatever is left over a at the end of the day..... gets saved and heated up again the nex morning. A frined told me he saw the kitchen staff at a hotel take the stockpot in which they had boiled water and coffee grounds, then pour it into the filter basket of a big 50 cup coffee maker, using it as a strainer to serve the coffee. Ironic and unfortunate as Mexico grows some phenomenal coffee......

The best creme brulee I can find. It's not better than love or sex but it sure fills the void for me (for a short while) and it's less destructive than other.....uhhhhh...... ingestibles (the ones I relied on in my previous life).

I just tried smoking a large (~ 7 lbs) butt (pork, that is) for the first time and trimmed the excess surface fat off just as I do when smoking ribs. Believe me.... there was enough fat internally to yield a good rich flavor when the smoking was complete. I'm sure the result could have been even better but it was definitely fatty enough. OTOH, I bought a whole pork tenderloin recently at an insanely low price (Manager's Special on last sale date) and trimmed it into steaks that were frozen and then grilled in my little Foreman grill. Certainly cheap and easy for a bachelor but the pork was so lacking in taste and character that I may as well have been eating unseasoned turkey burgers. Scarier still was a package of boneless chicken breasts I recently spotted - listed as "water added". Where will it stop? Will they start adding water to our water?

Ahhhh..... this makes sense. It separated okay but didn't quite pull apart with the stringiness that I was expecting. This makes sense. It definitely has a taste and characteristic closer to pulled pork than roast pork but it was also definitely not all the way there. I'm all for the overnight method except I have to get on the stick and do it soon - my electric smoker is sensitive to ambient temps and I doubt that it will maintain adequate internal heat when the outdoor temps go much below the high 50's (they're already dipping into the 40's at night around here). I also found that basting it with BBQ sauce during the final stages seemed to do nothing of real significance as far as I could tell.

I got tired of buying frozen one pound packs (at $7.99 each no less!) of Dinosaur BBQ brand pulled pork at my local grocery - got out my Char-Broil electric smoker and decided to give it a whirl for something other than ribs (which is all I've ever used it for). In all fairness.... the Dinosaur product (produced in Syracuse NY and sold at Wegman's and Price Chopper groceries in the Northeast) is pretty darn good for a commercial product but I spotted a decent looking bone-in pork shoulder butt at $10.40 for a 7.25 pound at a local "wholesale" store and decided to try making my own. Did some trimming to get rid of a small bit of excess fat, dropped it into just off the boil water for 60 seconds to open the pores.... put on the dry rub and an hour later started it in the smoker. Replenished the hickory chips once about half way through and basted every half hour or so with sauce during the last two hours of cooking. Total cooking time was just over 6 1/2 hours to internal temp of about 178 degrees. Being impatient and not wanting to leave it for morning, I began pulling apart sections for packaging and freezing as soon as the meat was cool enough to touch without burning my unprotected hands. There was a bit of fat trimming required here and there between the sections but overall it came out beautifully - nice and moist with a good smoky flavor and good texture. Here's the question(s): Is there a "best" time to do the pulling? Does the meat pull apart more easily in stringy sections if one let's it cool off for longer or even refrigerate overnight? Does that process also make the residual bits of fatty connective tissue easier to remove? Is pulling with the hands the best and simplest method for home use? Using a couple of dinenr forks seemed to work a bit better but it was tedious. ======================================================================= By the way.... I just did an A/B taste test - the Dinosaur package had already been open for several days but was sealed in the fridge and of course it was now thawed from its frozen state. Used the same Dino slathering sauce on the Dino product and the stuff I smoked myself. Thumbs up on smoking at home! My fresh batch totally blew away the commercial product in texture but more significantly in taste - lots of rich smokiness that wasn't there in the Dino pork.

If you have any friends or relatives in the Northeast who live near a Wegman's or Price Chopper grocery store, they both sell frozen packages of pulled pork from Dinosaur Barbecue. It's a Syracuse NY BBQ joint (also now a location in Rochester) - they produce and sell a one pound selaed pack of pulle dpork that is phenomenal - truly excellent. Their sauce is good but fortunately there's only a small amount of sauce in the package - just a coating on the top. If you had it shipped by two day in a sealed package with a couple of icey things it might get through okay. I try to keep some Bone Suckin' Sauce around that I get when I'm down in NC and use that instead of using dino's sauce (their sauce is available by mail and it's very good but not Carolina style).

I saw the reference to the Hard Rock in KW - I thought that was closed and changed over to something else but maybe I'm thinking of Hooter's (the space I refer to is a big white house with a front patio on a northwest corner of Duva and one of the side streets. I agree on Blue Heaven - I dont' care how many tourists show up (hey.... duhhh.... it's a tourist town!) - food has always been good when I've been there, service efficient and friendly and the breakfast is unbeatable. Definitely visit El Siboney for Cuban - cheap, good and generous portions. Liek others here, I continue to hear horrible reports about the food at Louie's backyard and the consensus is to just go there for drinks. Conch fritters are pretty tasty - IMHO the best ones are at the little stand by the entrance to the aquarium. There's a guy who also sells them at Mallory Square at sunset - the chunks of conch in his are smaller and less abundant. Although I've heard many good reports from others about Half Shell Raw Bar, I had conch chowder, conch salad and conch fritters there on once occasion and all were mediocre - perhaps I was there on a bad day or these may just not be gopod dishes to order from them.

I'll have to disagree on this but it is based on my one experience. I found it to be overpriced, too dense and heavy and tasted like a frozen cheesecake that was thawed out (which I later discovered is exactly what it is). The wide array of flavors and styles is impressive but to my relatively unsophisticated palate it was mediocre. Zabar's used to make an excellent cheesecake but it ain't NJ and the last time I tried theirs was twenty years ago.

Can't comment on the high end but for the street carts check on 36th, 37th or 38th either on or just off (usually heading west by 50 feet or so) 8th Avenue. Lots of recent Mexican immigrants work at the sweatsh.... uhh.... garment assembly facilities in the area. Helps to know Spanish as the signs for the food are in Spanish and the vendors are sometimes not interested in selling to gringos. Monday through Friday between about 4:30 and 6:00 PM there are usually two ladies selling chicken and corn tamales from big stock pots they carry in little grocery carts. Always on 8th Ave generally by corner of 39th. $1 each and tasty. There's also a small Mexican restaurant that's good on either 38th or 39th about 100 feet west of 8th Ave - can't recall the name.

So now the full story emerges.... a week after I left NJ for good I'll have agree on the Village Gourmet. I finally ate there a few months ago - the sald, which was requested with dressing on the side, came totaaly drenched. The hamburger (on of the rare times I've ever had a hamburger in a restaurant) was ordered MW dues to my leeriness about commercial ground beef. It arrived closer to well done but had a weird mushy texture - really pitiful for a restaurant hamburger. Last summer I had a MW burger at the Red Lion pub on Bleecker Street in the Village that blew this one away and at $1 less. There's a wine shop next to Corrado's restaurant on the circle facing the train station at Station Square (the foot of the hill on Park Ave). From the looks of the display window they may have a better French selection. Update on Tero's in Lyndhurst - they are close to completion of an expansion - took over the space next door and will now have a reasonably large separate dining room - should alleviate the crowding as well as the smoke and noise that sometimes plagued the original bar/dining area. It's really worth checking out - very nice and efficient staff and a great value. I like their food as well as any place in Ironbound or better and it's more convenient as well as having a more neighborhood feel.

It's worth noting that most of the coffee sold as Kopi Luwak is not the real thing, just as much of the so-called Jamaican Blue Mountain is not. The price is based solely on its status as an "'exotica" coffee - I'll pass. Also of interest is that the same animal (the civet) was once raised in captivity in order to scrape some substance from its sex glands - the material obtained was used by major fragrance manufacturers such as Chanel - it served to bind or somehow bring out the subtleties of other fragrances. Thanks to the efforts of animal rights folks it has been replaced by a synthetic.