phaelon56

Yeah - it's still there and I usually get there once a year or so. I didin't mention it because the original topic was targeted at the soul food influence in more upscale establishments. The Pink Tea Cup is just a real basic "meat 'n three" place transplanted to NYC - except you only get two sides. I guess their weekend breakfasts are still monstrously busy. I go for dinner when I'm on a budget. Small green salad, cup of soup, meat, two sides and bread pudding or jello. The whole shootin' match runs about $10 - $15 depending on what meat you pick - not bad for NYC. The real howl was the time I had a very inexperienced waiter. I order the sauteed chicken livers and out comes a big-ass hunk of calves liver with gravy (maybe even beef liver - it was big). I called him back over and pointed out that I ordered chicken livers. His response: "No.... you don't understand.... this is a soul food restaurant - every thing is big. We don't serve anything small here - our chicken livers aren't little like the ones you'd get somewhere else.". I sent them back and spotted the cook looking out at me - he rolled his eyes and smiled an exasperated smile as if to say "these kids - what're you gonna do?". The chicken livers were excellent as usual.

I should have weighed in sooner and perhaps I might have crossed paths with some of you. My GF and I were in DC over the weekend and had Saturday brunch at Cafe LaRuche on 31st Street in G'town. Nice place, decent food. Saturday night we went to the movies on Bethesda (it was close to where we were staying). She wanted soup afterwards and struck out at a few places - we weren't in the mood for $7 onion soup when all we wanted a quick bite and all Cosi's had was chicken noodle. We settled on Austin Grill when the hostesses, both of them, assured us that they had clam chowder. Uhhhh.... gee...."corn" starts with the letter 'c' but it sure ain't clam chowder and corn chowder was all they had on the menu. At that point we were tired and just settled for what they had - beef barbacoa enchilada and shrimp tacos. The food was okay - not wow but not bad. The fresh limeade rocks big time. According to the GF the sangria was bizarre - sort of on the bitter side. They replaced it cheerfully with a frozen raspberry daquiri that looked like a lime slushpuppie with raspberry syrup squirted into the bottom (I think, apart from the rum, that's exactly what it was). In their defense, the food was okay and the waitress did all the right things. She immediately and cheerfully replaced the sangria and also noticed that the daquiri hardly got touched. She promptly insisted that we get comped desserts but we declined only because we'd had enough to eat. That kind of proactive customer service goes a long way. I'll be back down there in a month or so and we plan to eat at Colorado Grill on a Saturday night if anyone's up to joining us.

My GF and I will be taking a long awaited trip to Paris for a week in January (let's call it five days due to travel time). She's very flexible on meal options and enjoys good food but is not picky. I'm a bit more discerning but generally enjoy good street food and inexpensive ethnic fare as much as more tony options. We plan on one really nice dinner out for our birthday - a shared occasion as we were born on the same day. It could be an upscale bistro - doesn't have to be haute cuisine. The remaining meals will be flexible - our only requirement is that it be fresh and honest food - we'd rather pay for the food than the ambiance. We plan on continental breakfast at the hotel or perhaps some days just having a late breakfast/early lunch on days when we sleep in. I plan to do my due diligence and research for specific places or areas in which to dine but am trying to establish some general idea of how much I should expect to spend. For one small meal and one larger meal each day is 100 Euros per day for two people a realistic budget? I'm not including alcohol or VAT (or GST - whatever they call it in France - I presume there is such a tax?). We don't tend to go for multi-course extravaganzas - e.g. if we get an appetizer we won't get soup or salad and dessert is more often that not shared if we order it at all. For the birthday dinner I can spend up to about 120 Euros for two without alcohol or tax - I'm not averaging that into the 100 Euros per day figure. We'll be staying on the Left Bank near the Montparnasse metro station. If anyone knows of specific "can't miss" places in that general area please advise. Thanks.

It doesn't seem that new to me. NYC has had Soul Cafe for years. It's decidely upscale and the food's not bad but at $20 for fried chicken and $5 for a side dish of collard greens, they survive only by volume of the large population in NYC. Maroon's in Chelsea also has a soul food menu but it's balanced by Jamaican dishes (another cuisine not typically seen in white tablecloth upscale joints). They do very well and it's a nice mix - both the food and the clientele. In smaller cities people who know and love soul food by virtue of their upbringing or cultural experience are often less inclined to pay those prices for what is perceived as home-cooking. My African-American friends and acquaintances love to go out for dinner at "nice" places but prefer to do so for food other than what they grew up eating and still have at home on the holidays. Perhaps the situation is different in larger metro markets that have more folks with adequate discretionary income. When they don't feel like cooking and want "home style" food they'll get take-out from a soul food joint but "nice" dinners out (at least here in the Northeast) tend to be reserved for other types of cuisine. Syracuse NY, where I presently reside, had an upscale soul food restaurant for a year or so back in the early 90's. Despite moderately high prices, many in the local community made an active effort to support and patronize it regularly but they just didn't do a good enough job with the food or service and lasted less than a year.

Although my recenet trip to Seattle was far too compressed time-wise to fit in many restaurant visits, the local eGulleteers I met for dinner one evening all raved about Salumi, Mario Batali's father's place. It's a must-visit on my next trip. Music fans take note: the new jazz Club "The Triple Door" is owned by the owners of Wild Ginger. It has a very nice dinner menu with reasonable prices. I had only coffee and dessert when I went there but everyting from food quality and portion size to presentation and service were impeccable. It's the first time I've ever sensed the potential for really good food in a music venue. Also... although it's a more cerebral and aesthetically informed sort os place for music that I usually like, it does have fantastic sound and lights not to mention great line of sight to the stage from every seat in the house.

I'm with Tommy on this one. The reviewer stated in concise terms exactly what he did and didn't like about the place on repeat visits and in doing so justified the star rating he gave. Edited to add: IMHO repeat visits is the key. We've seen many, many detailed and glowing reviews here but consistency over is a critical factor in earngint he highest ratings, is it not? I don't know that any eGullet members who've posted here have dined there on multiple (i.e. more than two) occasions over time. The review gave me the impression that although he didn't care for the decor and ambiance, his assessment was based on their failure to deliver the stellar results on all dishs and all his visits that they managed to provide on some.

Is custom glassware for cocktails and wines also in the planning stages or under consideration?

I have been genetically blessed with the capability to tune out commercials completely. Can't think of a single one that irritates me 'cause I can't remember any of them. It is truly a blessing.

I've been spending most evenings lately (after my day job) either painting my parents house until dark or roasting coffee (a part time job in anticipation of a career shift - this is commercial roastign - not hoem roasting). Getting home at 9 PM provides plenty of cause for impromptu meals. I have a few smelly, creamy French cheeses in the fridge - dinners lately have often consisted of those spread on Carr's water crackers and accompanied by a piece of fruit or a small salad. Always followed by ice cream if I did another 13 hour day... a guy's got to treat himself once in awhile when in wage slave mode This is "let's clean out the freezer" week. I'll get back here with the result sbut so far it looks promising.... leftover paella, shrimp, porterhouse steak... a bit of a mix. I shold also have enough homegrown tomoatoes by late week to do a tomoato/mozarella salad entirely of my own ingredients (well at least the tomatoes basil and parsley - the rest I'll buy). True confession I could make only hear but keep it to yourselves: dinner last night after the stinky cheese was a bowl of Oriental flavored ramen noodle soup - the ones that are about 10 for $1. I can't say that it was all that tasty but it served the purpose at the time. Beginning in late September I'll go on a 12 - 15 hour per day work schedule that will last about 15 months - I'm thinking that lots of weekend prep of frozen and pre-portioned meals might be in order.

I will second the recommendation made on the other thread for MOI (Middle of the Island). Definitely a locals spot and very down home (formica tables, paper napkins, plastic drink glasses etc.). I had a terrific meal there. My only other Wilminogton dining experience was at a place that is represented as Thai/Vietnamese - it's a mile or so out of downtown Wilmington on the main drag. I wasn't over impressed. It was basically just a Thai place with a couple Viet influenced items on the menu.

Consider it to be one of the more pleasant occupational hazards of eGulet blogging. The week that I blogged was one fo the best eating/cooking weeks I've ever had a very good thing. You're so kind to share this with us all - it's fascinainting cuisine and has prompted me, like so many others, to want to rush to the Asian market for some supplies and begin experimenting. Quite possibly the most classic phrase I've ever seen writtne in eGullet. It would make a nice tag line.

And not particularly good pasta at that. It's about on a par with Olive Garden but cheaper (yes cheaper) and kind of mediocre. That said, it's a huge fun space in an old warehouse building with some nifty things that kids like, e.g. a real train/subway car in the center of the main room with tables and chairs in to to eat at. You can generally expect overcooked pasta and mostly iceberg lettuce in the salad but they must be doing something right they're still there after many years in business. There is much better spaghetti and other red sauce dishes in Syracuse for about $2 more per dinner but with a more traditional and more subdued atmosphere (they do 1200 covers on a busy weekend night - that is not a typo). In support of what Mongo said - let's add any place with the word "Olde" in the name to that list of must avoids.

Th silk falls off with ease once the husk is charred and the corn is cooked. Realistically, once should expect to wear some gloves (leather or heavy cloth) to remove the hot, charred husks. Just hahve some wet/damp paper towels handy to wipe off any stray bit of silk or burnt husk from the ears ocne they're stripped. Soaking the whole ears really makes a difference only if you plan to roast them by tosing the ears directly into the embers of a wood fire. IN that case the ears should be soaked overnight. Some folks even dissolve a bti of sugar int he water - in theory it caramelizes with the heat and intensifies the sweetness. I have a grill but I just throw the whole ears in the microwave - works great - doesn't have the intensified flavor of the grilled corn but for a quick weeknight dinner it's easier than grilling.

I find it most intriguing to see mention of a new "microwave" oven that uses superheated steam and convection heat to cook. New Microwave thread The sellign point is supposed to be that it cooks the fat out of the food but I'd have to wonder if it could be adapted to home roasting of beans using the superheated steam and convection as well as condensation heat (it's not clear to me whether it also uses ordinary microwave rays as well). Obviously venting of smoke would be an issue.

Check your local Asian grocery. I just got a rockin' (literally - it is made from stone) big mortar and pestle for $10 marked down from $14 (the stotre is going out of business but even at $14 it would be a bargain). Way more functional than the ones I've seen in cooking stores and much cheaper.

This very topic has been covered in great detail on BondGirl's Blog: Starting a restaurant in NYC She's actually still in the throes of the planning and financing stages if I recall correctly. You'll find lots of discussio about her varied experiences with the financing issues - all of it quite fascinating and pertinent to restaurants in general (apart from the fact that it just costs so darn much to start a place in NYC).

What ever happened to the good old fashioned genteel forms of imbibing.... such as funneling? Shockingly, I am so old that I missed out on funneling but do recall punching a hole in the bottom of a 16 oz can of beer so the incoming air would expel the beer into ones throat faster when chugging the entire can straight through. Any way you slice it - drink enough to get drunk and sooner than later a hangover will ensue. I'm no longer even a drinker but sucking vapor from a machine seems entirely contradictory to what the charms and pleasures of imbibing alcohloic bevarages can entail.

Not exactly but I've seen something to this effect done in a cafe. The coffee/espresso granitas sold in the US typically have a dairy component (milk). I have seen cafes that use some extra strong coffee or espresso, add milk and then use the espresso ice cubes (or extra strong coffee ice cubes). This is mixed in a commercial iced drink blender such as a Vita-Mix or Blend-Tec (which is probably a Vita-Mix with a paint job!). The best coffee granitas I have have ever had int he US were from real granita machiens. These are typically an Italian made mcahine that looks like a slushy machine but apparently works a bit differently. The folks I spoke to who deployed them said they consumed large amounts of electricity and were ver finicky, often needing repair. The relatively short season we have for blended ice drinks here in the Northeast and Midwest may be one of the reasons these machines are no longer widely used. I've tried frozen coffee drinks from US made machiens that look similar but the texture of the drink is different and noweher near as good. The standard solution now seems ot be to add a powdered base mix to some espresso, add some ice and then blend on a per drink basis. Starbucks uses a liquid mix to add to the ice for their Frappuccino drinks but I'm advised that they simply premix a powdered base with milk or water to get the liquid mix. The biggest problem with making these at home is stability - keeping the separate compenents (ice, milk and coffee) from separating. I've been experimenting with food grade carageenan (there is one specific variety of it that is compatible with cold liquids) as a stabilizer. It's a natural product derived from seaweed and I feel good about that aspect but it's very difficult to get the right ratio - too little and there's no effect.... too much and the drink gets too fluffy.

Several months ago I made a guava cheese flan and it was remarkably good. There were six adults and two kids present - none of us had previously tried that dish and only one of us had ever even tasted guava. Feedback was uniformly positive. Perhaps having less cream cheese in relation to the guava paste and the complementary aspects of the flan made it more appealing than it would be with cheesecake?

Not to kill the mood of the thread, but isn't that sort of one-off of saying "Electric Kool-aid worked for Jim Jones"? Uhhhh.... I think that was grape (purple) Kool-Aid that Jim Jones served up. One might consider bringing "Electric Kool-Aid" to a rendezvous but amorous activities would likely digress into mutual staring at blades of grass and pondering the nature of the universe a short while after quaffing a cup (read "The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Tests" by Tom Wolfe if the reference is still unclear)

Definitely available free of charge through most public library systems (it may take an inter-library loan request to get it). Problem? It's on microfiche. We'll someone with really good eyes not to mention plenty of patience and loads of time to spare. That's not me. At least my eyes are good.

That was the case when they first opened and I believe it still is. Not that there's anything wrong with that

That's easy. My shared birthday dinner at La Cocay on Islas Cozumel Mexico - January 2003. My GF and I have the same birthday and it was the first one we'd had together. The meal was exceptionally good but apart from remembering that the main dish was pork, I have no idea what I ate. It was the atmosphere and the company that made it so memorable.

I'm glad to see this thread surface again as I just made another pie over the weekend and the crsut was amazingly flaky. It remained flaky on the bottom after baking and even a few days later after being refrigerated and reheated. I blind baked the bottom crust for about 6 or 7 minutes and then did an egg white wash on it. Allowed to cool, then added my filling of sliced firm peaches with a splash of cognac, splash of vanilla, fresh nutmeg, fresh cinnamon and 1/4 cup Splenda to accomodate a diabetic friend). Rolled out and added the top crust, froze for a few hours and baked. It was a hit and oddly enough I think it was actually better the following day than it was the first night. I used many of the tips here and relied on primarily butter (1 1/4 stick) with 1/4 cup Crisco. About the question of lard vs shortening (e.g. Crisco). I rpobably read it here but have been advised that supermarket lard is hydrogenated just liek Crisco and lacks the advantages of traditional lard. if you can find an Amish market in your area they may have the non-hydrogenated type. By the way.... the design on the top crust was supposed to be a peach (note the stem) but my GF was immediately convinced that it was a heart done just for her. Uhhhh.... come to think of it.... that was a heart. Where in the hell did that stem thign come from?

And how might one make ice cream that tastes like a Vietnamese iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk? That prospect (if it's feasible) is enough to make me buy an ice cream maker.