zEli173

Mmmmm ... I dig Katsuhama. One of the best lunches in midtown.

Giving a bump to see if anyone has an answer to my question about the chef's pass.

I think Luger does have mashed potatoes. I have a memory of being there with a friend who was intent on getting them. But certainly the idea is to get the German fried potatoes (and I was able to convince my friend of that). Doesn't anyone have opinions on the Peter Luger spin-offs Ben & Jack's and Wolfgangs?

Wondering if the chef's pass is a good place for a party of four or if conversation will be difficult.

Nice photos. Made a reservation for next week!

Margon Ho Yip (Chinese Okra with Beef) Hing Won Hallo Berlin cart

FINALLY went to BLT Burger for the first time last night. I think the burger preparations have changed somewhat since most of the discussion in this thread. I went with the Classic Burger with American Cheese and BLT Sauce instead of the default mayo, mustard, and ketchup. I also had an order of fries. I was thoroughly impressed with the burger. I love a big juicy "restaurant" style burger, but I have a particular affection for fast food style burgers and this was an outstanding example. The patty is just thin enough to be in the fast food style, in harmony with the fixings rather than hogging the spotlight as a "restaurant" style burger should. It was cooked right to medium rare as I requested and had good beefy flavor. The lettuce and tomato are high quality as is to be expected given the price tag and BLT moniker; the red onion is thinly shaved, on the mark; and the BLT Sauce is a very good thousand island like spread. To my tastes, a fast food style burger typically cannot approach perfection without some sort of thousand island like special sauce so my requested substitution scored major points. The fries, however, are a big problem. They are neither good nor as advertised. Although the menu claims them to be hand cut it is impossible for me to believe this is so. They are instead the variety that have coating on the outside, like you'd find at Burger King. Coated fries are a huge, huge pet peeve of mine. I simply hate them and (maybe I'm being closed minded about this) cannot understand why anyone likes them. To me, a french fry is all about the crisp golden exterior (and a fluffy interior) of the POTATO , not the crisp exterior of some other starchy substance. I think it is extremely misguided to serve this type of fry and it reeks of shortcuts (I'm guessing that they require less attention). I'm appalled that a place with LT's name would resort to this; heck, I'm appalled when a diner does. And this is leaving aside the fact that the menu advertises hand cut fries. Glancing at some older photos on Flickr, it appears that they once served truly hand cut fries but have since changed. I have no problem if they want to serve frozen fries or something else, but coated fries are simply criminal.

Yeah, this thing is a joke. Reading through the list I was puzzled that some of the places at the very top ranked as high as they did, then I saw Tomoe and it was clear there is no credibility to this list.

Houston and Orchard, a couple doors down from Bereket. It is a real deal falafel joint. They also have baba, malawach, and good Belgian style fries. This is an excellent spot, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned it. The falafel balls are very good, the toppings and pitas are terrific. The falafel is fried fresh. I give it good marks for flavor and internal texture. I wish the outside had a little more crunch. By default falafels come with a lettuce salad and hummus and you can put on other toppings at a self serve bar of homemade salads and pickles. The pitas are also homemade and fluffy. I always get mine plain (I don't believe in lettuce on falafel and I don't really care for hummus) and dress the sandwich with the items at the bar. I usually go for the pink turnips, cabbage salad, onion salad, Israeli salad, pickles, amba and garlic sauce. They have good hot sauce at the tables. The garlic sauce instead of Tahini is a little unconventional, but I'm crazy like that. Truth be told, I would put Taim up there with Azuri and and Ashkara. In terms of just plain falafel balls, it might be the best. Same for the pita. But I knock it down a notch because they don't offer a few toppings I'd really like to see (especially the pink turnips) and because their prices are a bit of a turnoff.

Azuri and Ashkara ... my two clear favorites.

This might have been covered elsewhere, but I'm wondering how the economics of this event work. Do the vendors make a profit? Are they paid a flat fee for their appearance or do they get revenue based on sales? In the latter case, is it cumulative sales or only sales made by the individual vendor? How is the cost of supplies handled?

IMO (which I'm obviously not alone in), most bbq benefits from the contrast of a small amount of spicy, sweet and/or tangy sauce. For me, hot links are no different from other meats. It's not a question of what's necessary but what's optimal. ----- I was definitely referring to the Southside sauce. It's by no means relish, but it has a relish like quality that I don't care for.

Shouldn't be a problem.

Hit four places on day one. I echo all the sentiments about the strides the event has made. All the fast pass lines were reasonable and the layout was smartly done. Started out with a plate of Mitchell's that we ate while online for the Salt Lick. Each year I grow to love Mitchell's even more. The chopped pork is just sublime. And I got a huge bonus. After grabbing my plate I circled back to the guy pulling the meat and asked for a little rib meat. He proceeded to tear me off four enormous ribs from the carcass, skin and all. With those things sitting on top of my carton I felt a little Flintstone-esq making my way up the block to the Salt Lick line. The Mitchell's slaw was imo very good. I also love that Mitchell's is the best eye candy. From the sight of the whole hogs on the pits to the guys pulling and chopping the meat right in front of the line, they get you in the mood. The Salt Lick was in fine form. The twenty minute wait from 12:00 went by quickly with that Mitchell's 'cue. I wanted to ask for deckle but I got the feeling the register people would look at me like I was crazy. Based on other reports, it seems like I should have asked. But they were putting out an entire tray of cartons from which you could take your choice so I just grabbed the two with the fattiest looking brisket and most generous portion of sausage. The brisket was indeed super juicy and had good smoke. The sausage was, as alway, killer. The sauce is a perfect match for those two meats. I really like the touch of mustard seed, but their slaw needed more time to marinade. Our third stop was 17th street. I am routinely disappointed by this place. I guess I keep going back because the event lacks an exciting alternative for ribs, be it baby back or (preferably) spare. I just don't understand the appeal here. The meat is mush and the rub turns into a gloppy mess. However, the beans rock. Finally, we hit Southside Market where I split a plate of exclusively sausage. As compared to Salk Lick, I like the peppery bite of the Elgin link, but I prefer the slightly larger diameter of Salt Lick's sausage. The big difference for me is the sauce. Not only do I think a mustard based sauce is in general a better compliment for these sausages, but as tomato based sauces go, I just don't care for Southside's. Their sauce is almost relish like; not my thing. The pickles, onion, and cheese didn't do anything for me. Bob Gibson's is first up today. Followed by a return to Mitchell's and then perhaps Ubons.