phaelon56

Actually I have heard that Arad Evans isgood - it's in Fayetteville about 1/2 mile from La Cena. Forgot to mention it - somehow it's just no on my radar but I've never heard any negatives apart from a service related issue but that was from many years ago. Add to the list of "don't bother" a new place called Amore - in Fayetteville very close ot the other places I mentioned. Okay service but the food I had was really mediocre. Another place I forgot that is in the "definitely don't waste your money" category is Pascale's (downtown Syracuse). I had a decent meal there (a bit pricey for what I received) several years ago but they've declined and I'll politely suggest that not all the entrees are made to order in-house if you get my drift.

If we're referring to classic dishes that have somehow been basterdized by virtue of "modernization" then put me in the school of Caesar Salad haters. The first time I had a Caesar was in my early 20's (circa 1978) when I waited table at a casual bistro. A few of my colleagues and I went out for a special dinner at a "fancy" restaurant with tableside service (Steak Diane, Caesar Salad, Cherries Jubilee etc). That salad was nothing short of a revelation and I made it at home many times subsequent to that. Garlic closes rubbed into a wooden bowl with coarse salt, anchovies crushed into that... fresh lemon juice whisked in... coddled egg drizzled over and then tossed... fresh parmesan grated and sprinkled... fresh ground black pepper... freshly made garlicky croutons (made on site from yesterday's leftover French bread) Was it the salmonella scare that prompeted so many decent places to stop using coddled egg and making their own Caesar dressing? Hard to say but as the quality declined hte numebr of places offering a "Caesar Salad" seemed to increase in geometric proportions. And now they heap on crap like tomoatoes, chicken, salmon, onions.... The final insult was at a restaurant in Ireland where my GF was served a toassed salad consisting of iceberg lettuce, sliced cukes, tomoato wedges, sliced red onion and stale store-bought croutons. But it had Caesar dressing.

That's a great tip about adding water to saturate the grounds and then backing off. Every now and then one of the waiters at my favorite Viet restaurant doesn't get it right because he's one of the younger less experienced ones - the older cousins and brothers all make coffee that drips through at the proper rate. I think CDM is better than the typical "Vietnamese" brands you'll find in the average Asian market because most of those are just dark roast fine ground canned coffee made under contract and not even from Vietnamese beans. They have Viet writing the can but the one I tried was packaged in Canada and it was lousy. It's worth mentioning that as the world's second largest coffee producer Vietnam has two categories of beans: 1) Cheap rotgut robusta that is so bad it was unmarketable until the big four food conglomerates found a way to steam treat the beans and remove some of the most noxious flavor components. It makes it barely drinkable but still bad. If you've noticed a quality decline in mass market grocery store coffee over the years (Folger's, Maxwell House et al) it's because many of those brands now include a high percentage of these beans. The glut of production that resulted from this development (Vietnam contains much land that grows this bad coffee very easily) was the primary factor leading to declining prices for coffee on the commodity market worldwide in recent years. It's had a terrible impact on coffee farmers and their families in many countries and the worst is not over yet although a small rebound has started. 2) High quality robusta and arabica beans. Most of this Viet coffee production goes to their own domestic consumption or to neighboring countries where coffee is consumed. These are beans with a very unique flavor profile markedly different than Indonesian coffee. I've yet to see the higher quality beans available in packaged from here in the US except for the Trung Nguyen brand which is difficult to locate.

Area of the state outside NYC (e.g. the Capital District, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Finger Lakes etc.) do get discussed periodically but the volume of NYC related discussion pushes those threads off the active pages rapidly. Syracuse has been discussed a few times in the hazy distant past but it's time for an update. Most of the old standbys are still there but we have some new additions and I've edited some of my comments on previous entries to this list: Dinner: UPSCALE NEW Luna Park Grimaldi's - Tuscan Italian - one of only two places in Syracuse serving this cuisine style and it's very good. I've only been once and that was on their opening night but everything from the secondi of mezzaluna ravioli with handmade pasta to veal Osso Buco was on the money. I've heard many favorable reports in the several months since they've been open. NEW La Cena - in Fayetteville about 15 minutes outside the city. Spanish, Mediterranean and Moroccan inspired menu. Strikingly beautiful decor, good service and (for this area) very inventive menu. L'Adour - the only real French restaurant in town. Bistro menu downstairs (i.e. country French with entrées in the $16 - $22 range) and weekend nights upstairs is a tasting menu at about $60 - $80. Very good food with French owners and predominately French staff. They also have a fantastic breakfast that's very reasonably priced (about $10 per person with coffee) bc - (lower case not a typo) opened last year by a local couple who worked FOH at Nobu and in the kitchen at Tribeca grill and Montrachet in NYC. Excellent food and service with relatively simple dishes and an emphasis on seafood. I had dinner there this week (smoked duck app, trout fillet with beurre blanc and wild rice entrée and peach Halette for dessert). Have now been three times and they've really hit their stride since opening last year - very good food and service. Kettle Lakes Inn - down the road in Tully off Rte 81 (20 minute drive). Upscale contemporary with emphasis on seasonal local fresh produce. One of (possibly the only) local places to be involved in a CSA program. Mirabeau Inn and Spa (in Skaneatles about 25 minutes outside the city) - highly rated - upscale big city style dining in a romantic country setting. Tasting menu's are at $55 and $80. Phoebe's Garden Cafe - near SU but they might not be serving dinner on weekends during the summer. Tuscan inspired cuisine and very, very good but a somewhat causal atmopshere. They do have a less expensive "tavern menu" also. CASUAL / ETHNIC Eva's Polish restaurant - in Solvay. If you like Polish food it doesn't['t get any better unless you're cooking it at home and you're a better cook than Eva (and very few people are). They also have good European style (i.e. not sweet) desserts made in house. get the potato pancakes that have bacon and sauerkraut mixed into the batter and share some Bigosz (Hunter's Stew). Alto Cinco - on Westcott Street. Mexican influenced tiny bistro but not a "Mexican restaurant" - great for weekend brunch and good for dinner - inexpensive but expect to wait for a table. Dinosaur BBQ - blues/biker bar atmosphere with pretty BBQ, especially for the Northeast. Fun and moderately priced but swamped - expect to wait an hour or longer for a table but take-out is quick and efficient. I recommend the pulled pork and the Cajun style fried green tomatoes. New Century Vietnamese - Kirkpatrick Street on the city's North side. As good or better than the best Vietnamese food I've had elsewhere in larger cities and they have the best cafe sua da (iced coffee with condensed milk) I've had anywhere. Lemongrass Thai - in Armory Square - better atmosphere and easier access (i.e. less crowded) than Erewhan on Erie Blvd. but a trifle pricey for Thai food by Syracuse standards. int: thumb through the menu towards the back to find traditional and reasonably priced dishes - the "special" are pricey and all in the front section. New and not open until around July 1st - Boom Boom Mexican and BBQ on Howlett Hill Road in Camillus - will offer decent chopped beef BBQ and what is likely to be by far the best Mexican food in this area. Breakfast: The Eggplant - midscale, very neat and clean with great basic breakfasts and some specialty items. Have the grilled sticky bun. 'Nuff said. Coffee is fair. Mother's Cupboard - the archetype of greasy spoons - get a frittata but remember that it takes two people to eat one. But their coffee sucks. Lunch: Pastabilities - great fresh salad items and incredibly good bread (their bakery is right across the street). The specialty is fresh pasta - stick to the basics like Alfredo, pink tomato sauce or the spicy red sauce. Good for dinner but stick to the pasta dishes - their strength. Blue Tusk - sandwiches and beer Clark's Ale House - English style ales from local brewer Middle Ages plus the best roast beef sandwich you will ever eat. Anywhere. I am not kidding. Possibilities that I have not tried: Appetito's for Italian at Clinton Square Ambrosia for sushi and fusion - in Armory Square Kyoko for sushi - in Fayetteville - have always heard very good things Kabuki for sushi and Japanese - in Skaneatles - lovely little space and I hear it's good Dante's in Armory Square for Mediterranean food - they also offer Italian but the chef is from Spain and is said to make a mean paella TO AVOID Delmonico's Steakhouse, Daniella's Steakhouse, most area Italian restaurants other than Nestico's and Antonio's, Chinese in general except for China Road and China City, the Craftsman Inn IN DECLINE or OVERRATED Saratoga Steaks (I can confirm this based on a recent visit), Scotch 'n Sirloin, Sherwood Inn in Skaneatles

Yes - filtered water or good quality bottled spring water (I use tap water thtough a Britta Filter and it's fine). If you're grinding by the pot or cup just fill the standard coffee scoop slight rounded with beans and you'll be close enough. And don't skimp - Mitch is correct - one full or slightly rounded scoop per 5 - 6 oz of water.

Colonel Sanders Roast Beef sandwiches were pretty darn good - several steps above Arby's. Yes - there was a Colonel Sanders Roast Beef but it wasn't a menu item at his fried chicken joints - it was a separate operation that ran as a pilot for a few years but never caught on.

Buying it at the market is fine - Terroir only roasts and sells - they do not have a cafe operation. I'm not even sure if they have a retail storefront but they have darn good coffee.

Listen up Okra Boy- IMHO the Trung Nguyen brand is the key and I don't have access to it locally in retail stores. I've been advised that the brand of condensed milk used can make a difference due to a different level or style of sweetness. I think "Longevity" may be the brand sold in Asian markets, which has been recommended to me. I try cafe sua da in any and every Vietnamese restaurant I try out (given the opportunity that's dar near everywhere I travel). The coffee made here in Syracuse with Trung Nguyen is the best I've had. It's darker and richer tasting and has an aromatic quality that I haven't found elsewhere. I too have experimented at home with the little filter and have not yet gotten it right. If you go in a place that makes it with an espresso machine just politely decline - it ain't the same. There's something unique about the slow drip process that does something different than a fast extraction under pressure. Last week I had cafe sua da at the Saigon Cafe in Fremont CA just off Rte 880. They brought it to the table far too quickly already mixed and in a glass that was half crushed ice and half cubes. But guess what? It was the third best I've ever had - even had a second one for dessert. Second best I've had (and on repeat occasions) is at a little Viet deli/grocery corner store on the edge of Chinatown in NYC. They have about 30 of those little filters all set up and ready to go and just have them dripping all day long serving up one cup after another. Damn I love that stuff.

I always had better food at Little Saigon in Nutley NJ (pre fire) than I found in NYC but for NYC Nha Trang on Centre was one of the better that I tried when I was still living in that area. I was singularly unimpressed with Viet-Nam, as was my date. We had excellent summer rolls and some outstanding mussels with green curry at Nha Trang. Is Saigon Grill the lace on 9th Ave at or near 49th? It's a decent moderately priced ethnic option if you're in the area and I once had a very tasty green papaya salad there but was not impressed enough to make it a destination - it was just convenient if in the area is all. And the iced coffee with condensed milk (cafe sua da) was nothing special at all three. Now I'm stuck back up here in the boondocks of Syracuse NY where we have three Vietnamese restaurants in a small city - one formerly good and now declining, another is not bad and the third, new Century, is among the best Vietnamese I've ever had. And their coffee rocks.

Style over substance - unquestionably. It's a thermoblock machine - not a conventional boiler system. That fact alone answers the question. If it was style you were after I'd point you to the Francis! Francis! machines. They're not as good as a Rancilio Sylvia is in the $500 price range but would be far superior to the Bugatti. Better yet - bite the bullet, spend the $1,000 or so and get an E61 style machine. There are literally dozens of models out there and although there are variations among brands and models they're all pretty darn good. With practice and proper technique you'll be able to pull shots at home that are equal to or better than what you'd get in all but the very highest levels of cafes.

Seriously.... you're in the Boston area or alternatively can do mail-order? I have three suggestions: Terroir, Terroir and Terroir They are really that good. If by chance you don't care for the bit of sludge or the slight oiliness of French Press coffee (some of us don't) - then pick up a Melitta cone and some unbleached cone filters. Brew directly into any preheated thermal carafe (the Melitta will fit on most carafe brands). Best drip coffee you can make bar none.

Although Peet's is a chain I differ from Malachi in my opinion of them. I've tried 12 oz quad shot latte's from Peet's on a few occasions recently when traveling. In their airport kiosk at San Francisco they were using a Schaerer super-auto that delivered okay shots. Not excellent but both the bean quality and hte shot flavor profiel were so far superior to Starbucks that I consider them to be in a different league. Last week I tried a Peet's location in Walnut Creek CA. They're using a Faema E71, grinding and tamping with tradtional methods and turned out a very respectable drink. I'm not a supporter of chains and will always seek out and support a quality driven independent when they're available but in the absence of a good independent I'll take Peet's over Starbucks anytime. Here in Syracuse NY I'm the roaster for Freedom of Espresso. We use and roast very good quality beans and I'll humbly submit that our drip coffee measures up to anyone's. But with three locations and no real manager on duty there are some shortcomings in barista training and consistency. We use Swift grinders at all three shops - a strike against us for shot quality but with barista inconsistency it does at least improve the overall quality of drinks. Our espresso drinks are head and shoulders far superior to those of anyone else in the area but we could use improvement (I have no control over the situation so must accept it as it is). Near to us is Gimme Coffee with two locations in Ithaca NY, one in Trumansburg and one much further away in NYC. I had a couple of machiatto's there weekend before last that were among the top five espresso drinks I've ever had the privilege of tasting. Among the other local independents I've tried who are producing true quality drinks.... - Jay's Shave Ice and Coffee in Timonium MD - Murky Coffee in Washington DC and Arlington VA - Java Passage in Charlotte NC - Stumptown in Portland (goes without saying!) - in Seattle the list is much longer but I'll put Victrola, Vivace and Lighthouse high on my Seattle list

I've dealt with this on a daily basis, and if you're a busy lunch spot, where folks only have an hour to get back to their office, then it's the only fair way to handle it. Why should I tie up a table for four while your singular ass waits for your dawdling 3 companions while I can get that group of four that's already waiting behind you in line halfway through their lunch while your rude friends dribble in at their leisure? The restaurant has a limited number of seats. They are a resource similar to one of your doctor's examination rooms or one of the dressing rooms at your favorite upscale boutique. Folks that wouldn't dream of taking a nap in the exam room or throwing a tea party in the dressing room have no compunctions about tying up the table at a restaurant. How is one business any different than the other? ← When it comes to issues liek this one business is not different form another in my opinion. I wasn't crticizing the sign - I found it interesting that they post the policy but it's probably necessary in my places, most especially ina college town where many students tend to show up late for everything (except free food). I lived in Ithaca and worked on campus for four years and can state that from experience.

It is among anyone with a reasonable amount of exposure to specialty coffeea nd a good reference point. But the problem is that so few people (in relative terms based on the size of the US population) have actually tried really really good coffee and far fewer have had properly made espresso or espresso based drinks. Starbucks has how many stores in the US? Perhaps 7,000 or more? I think that in Australia they've only managed to open about 50 stores in the five years they've been there and at least three of them have been closed already (underperformance is rumored to be the reaosn but the 'bucks does not admit that). Australia has a decided advantage in that there was already a well established quality coffee culture there when Starbucks decided to move in. Vic - can you fill us in a bit on what you know of the history and development of the coffee culture down under? Did it begin with Italian immigration... was it enhanced by adjacency to the great coffees of Indonesia? How did a country with a historical connection to the UK move away from tea and towards coffee? It's widely understood that McDonald's serves crap food yet they remain very popular and do lots of business. It's my understanding that Amercian fast food chains have been less than wildly successful in their efforts to propogate their businesses on a widespread basis in Australia. Why is that?

I should have mentioned.... although I can't speak for San Diego or Rhode Island because I haven't visited either place in years, I can assure you that excellent coffee and espresso are available in both NYC and Chicago. In NYC check 9th Street Espresso on the Lower East Side, Joe the Art of Coffee on Waverly Place or Gimme Coffee in Williamsburg Brooklyn. In Chicago the choices are fewer but it's easy: Intelligentsia Coffee.

I've had some good meals at Mon Petit Cafe - I think it's at or near Lex and 59th near Bloomingdale's. Nothing spectacular but they offer reliable and predictable bistro food with soups and salads in the $6 - $8 range and entree's (which typically include a vegetable and a starch) in the $15 - $24 range. I've never been wowed by their desserts but the rest of the food is decent and it's a cozy neighborhood type spot with a French staff.

Let's point this in the discussion of a fruitful and productive conversation before I have to put on my bad cop hat and pull the thread. There's a tremendous amount of merit in your comments and observations Vic. But "adegiulio" counters with a justifiable point that US culture has plenty to offer in a culinary sense and otherwise. I regret that you had the unfortunate experience of seeing that dark side of US coffee culture. But change is a gradual thing and you simply weren't lucky enough to stumble upon one of the countless independent cafe operators or local/regional roasters who are all about coffee and espresso quality and offer a cup that any self respecting coffee loving Aussie would gladly enjoy. You're correct that we don't have a tradition of quality coffee here. For many years the market was driven by the cheap supermarket coffee foisted upon an unsuspecting public in vacuum packed cans. The quality of that product has continued to decline over the years. Enter the Mermaid. Starbucks created a new awareness among US consumers that espresso was not just a tiny cup of bitter dark liquid served in Italian cafés and also created an interest in better quality brewed coffee. The dilemma (one of many), as you've pointed out, is that their signature roasting style is so dark as to mask the aromatics and more subtle flavor components. It works for them and many people don't know better but the truth is that they generally ruin perfectly respectable beans by using this roasting style. They're not called "Charbucks" for nothing. Their metamorphosis into a fast food joint masquerading as an upscale coffee emporium has also required a move away from traditional techniques and towards full automated "push the button" equipment - yet another step in the direction of lower quality drinks. There are a few good chains (actually I can only think of one - Peet's. But surely there must be one or two others?) but the independent scene is where it's at and you have to do a little bit of homework to seek out the good ones. I hope you'll revisit the US and give us a heads up before you do. Every major metro area in the US has at least a couple of espresso cafés that are serving top shelf drinks with properly roasted beans brewed and served the right way. If you think our coffee is bad try visiting Paris. After four days of drinking total crap at $3.50 US for a 1 1/2 oz cup I broke down and went to Starbucks one morning. That's how bad the coffee was. Yet after my visit I was informed that there is indeed good coffee in Paris but just as in the US - one must seek it out.

I just tried "fried sushi" this week at an Asian fusion place in Fremont CA. They only had one offering - appeared to be California rolls or something similar to them. It was actually described as "flash-fried". Had a very thin tempura batter coating and was very light - not oily. The internal temp was just a tad above the normal serving temp of sushi. The crunch element was an interesting change. I would not seek this out or order it regularly but it was worth trying (I didn't order it - my hosts insisted that I had to try it because it was new to them as of last week).

Not completely on-topic but relevant is the sign I saw at a "casual but nice" Mexican place in Ithaca NY just last week: "We will not seat any party until all guest in that group have arrived"

I have always enjoyed the lychee ice cream sold at the Chinatown Ice cream Factory shop in NYC but my favorite lychee based drink/dessert is either Chinese or Vietnamese in origin (sorry I can't recall which). Take some cracked ice, lychees cream of coconut and those little red beans (again - sorry I don't know what type but they're canend and are sold in Asian grocery stores. Throw itn a blender for a just a few pulses and you have a delicious beverage that's part cold drink and part dessert.

Hmmm... maybe consistency is an issue. My daughter spent the summer living at my place in nearby Rutherford about 3 - 4 years and she went there on a lark with some friends when someone offered them comp tickets. She described the food as marginal at best. She was 19 at the time and certainly no gourmand but discerning enough to know acceptable from mediocre. But she also described the whole entertainment concept as being lackluster - almost no jousting and a general sense of malaise visible amongst the cast (or so she thought). It sounds as though they've given the place a shake-up.

I'm in a similar situation with daily caffiene intake. It's self imposed for good reasons - too much caffiene gets me jittery and then I crash later in the day. I typically have one 12 oz latte with two short doubles at about 9 or 10 AM and nothing else for the balance of the day. When I used to work from a home office and had my espresso machine nearby all day I used a blend that was half decaf and half regular beans. That was a good solution for me - allowed me twice the amount of espresso and the flavor profile/body was still very close to regular beans.

Yes - we have a sandwich board sign that's right out by the traffic light everyday. There are actually two entrances to our parking lot - one is just past the light that's in front of the store but to folks driving by it looks like an exit only. An additional issue (a hunch on my part) is the fact that "coffee" is not part of our name or our signage. I can't being to tell you how many people have walked in on my shift and asked "Can I get just a cup of regular coffee here - not the fancy stuff?". We also need a better selection of morning items - some fresh fruit, additional pastry items that we lack... the list goes on. The new Starbucks put in a small concrete patio that has three or four small umbrella tables with chairs. It's in back corner of their parking lot - adjacent to the building but away from the road and with nothing to look at but blacktop and cars - but those tables seem to be filled all the time. I'm told that we have plans to add some tables and chairs - there's a nice space directly in front where they could go but it's cover with landscaping. The plan is to just pull out two small shrubs and a short section of wall to make a single step up but the tables will sit directly on a flat mulch and dirt landscaping area - I think that will be less than appealing to our clientele. Check out the map link here - we're just to the right of the red star on Limestone Drive. 30,000 cars per day pass by in total but we're getting a fraction of a fraction of those to stop in. Link to Yahoo map of our location

Thanks for asking. It's not my business - I just work for the owners part time as their espresso machine technician, coffee roaster and as a barista four early morning shifts each week. It does make for long days sometimes as I still have my "day job" as a sales engineer in the network technology field. I wish I could tell you that business is booming at the new store but thus far it is not. There were unexpected cost overruns on construction - not unusual but these were larger than expected. That fact, coupled with a location that is on a very busy road but oddly lacking visibility and a bit tough to access, has made it a challenge to get sales the requisite level for real success. The other two stores continue to do very well but the new one, pictured earlier in this thread, has not yet kicked into gear as it should. IMHO it's a marketing issue as much as anything. There are other factors as well but all of them including marketing are out of my purview and it may take awhile before things are resolved. Starbucks opened about two weeks ago less than a block from the store seen in this thread. They're on the wrong side of the road for morning drive traffic but have far more visibility and a better location for afternoon and evening business. At the moment we haven't seen a big dent in our sales but I think it's the growth potential that they'll siphon off unless more action is taken. During the summer months they have a far better frozen blended drinks selection than we do and that may prove to be a factor. They also opened across from our downtown Syracuse store this past Friday but it's far to soon to know if there will be impact there.

You're not alone in finding it difficult to get the same consistency from a single shot as you do from a double. I've often wondered if the stepped shoulder inside the single basket vs the more or less straight wall of a double basket somehow creates different dispersion patterns and a different type of extraction. I do know that I never bother with singles. I just grind a bit finer, try to keep my tamp consistent and shoot for about a 1 1/2 oz double in 25 - 28 seconds. That's technically a ristretto but some folks restrict their double pulls way down to the point where they get only an ounce or so and most if is crema. That's a bit extreme for me - I'm happy with 1.5 oz to 2 oz as long as the crema and the flavor are there.