Bobby 2 Shakes

How about Jones, another Philly favorite from the superponymous Starr Restaurant Organization?

Once, I made shortbread cookies, but substituted rice flour for wheat and followed the wheat flour recipe. This made for the most virulent vertigo vomiting I can remember. Another time, I drank way too much "Annie Green Springs" wine at my cousin's house. Deja VVV all over again. To this day I can't stand apple juice but love apple cider. Yet another time, I made fried cookies with a chickpea filling. Only after making a whole batch did I realize I had bought a can of chickpeas with garlic. This time, add the words "vivid vortex of."

In Philly, there's the DownHome Diner in the Reading Terminal Market.

Great idea! They can call it Coke Cane (glad I read about the 3 month 2 liter limit)

A long, long time ago I remember not being able to read about wine in Philadelphia without seeing the cellar at La Terrasse mentioned. Back when we ate Rachel's Brownies and Hillary's Ice Cream.

Maybe the folks at Dietz & Watson will kick in a few bucks and get a copy of Charcuterie. Edited to add: Sandy, "Hoagicide" unfolds to reveal yet another layer of your mastery of the English language. Kudos.

If he's looking for kindred spirits, he should check out Narberth. Le Petit Mitron's Isabelle & Patrick Rurange share his work ethic and are cut from the same "national treasure" material. Also, there are plenty of Japanese expatriates and admirers of all things Japanese shopping at Maido around the corner. Not to mention it's easily accessible by public transit. Edited to slap myself for saying in an earlier post that I had an "omakase" dinner at Fuji, when in fact I had a "kaiseki" dinner with my family.

After reading the Fuji thread, I think maybe that would be the best place to try king salmon.

If I die without having ever eaten at Le Bec Fin or any of Thomas Keller's restaurants, I will still be happy with the memory of an omakase dinner with my wife, daughter and brother (visiting from California) at Fuji in February 2003. I'm not sure I would have bought the French Laundry Cookbook had I not eaten at Chef Itoh's oasis. If he did decide to move to Philadelphia, an oasis is exactly what it would be. I would challenge anyone to be distracted while his food is performing for their tastebuds.

I'm sure the NRA would love to pony up a few bucks to stop these same people who would deny them their right to hunt.

It would appear that the animal rights folks are shooting themselves in both feet here. Putting the small operators out of business plays right into the agri-combines hands. When the only folks they have left to attack are the Monsantos and Con Agras they will have zero power to stop cruelty and ALL animals will be mistreated. To anyone who doesn't like it, lumping privileges will be granted.

Hope they don't run out of ancestorshire sauce. It's like a starter... once you run out you have to start over.

The answers to my original query went even beyond my already high expectaions. Thanks, everybody, and I have to agree with Vadouvan on UE's Flickr photos. Top shelf.

I keep looking for a picture of Jamaica's founding fathers... Sir Walter Marleigh and the Inhalers.

I'll bet it's the best damn hot dog you ever ate. Would fries count as the second course or are they included with the first?

Re: Puerto Rico - Lucky for Tony, Jacinto seems to be hard of hearing. He kept asking for la vaca and getting el puerco. Didn't seem to mind, though. I think a good subtitle for No Reservations would be "Makeover for the Ugly American." Even folks like little old me who thought I was "enlightened" about other cultures learn about little leftover ideas that are still in the back of our minds. And I say "Ugly American" not as an indictment but as a recognition of a way of thinking that's automatic unless you're confronted with it. Tony's easygoing style makes it easier to swallow the gentle corrections as they come.

Fois gras is created by force feeding the fowl. The debate is between those who say that the force feeding is not harmful to the birds and those who do. Those who say the feeding is not harmful--or painful cite the fact that the geese or ducks actually come running to the feeder--if there was discomfort or pain involved the geese would run away. I have seen no evidence to support the other side. ← If you go to http://www.stopforcefeeding.com and click on "What is Foie Gras," then "Debunking the Myths," they present evidence. However, the reputation of these groups for their extreme methods of persuasion leaves a lot of room for skepticism.

Timely question. Just a few hours ago (2 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time, 6 p.m. EDT) the Alaska Department of Fish & Game's Commercial Fisheries Division announced that the season will open May 15; duration has not been announced yet. In any event, Copper River Salmon is not always seen at the RTM. But King salmon of various provenances should start appearing in a few weeks, with sockeye to follow. ← Thanks, Bob. Every year I seem to just miss the season. Maybe this will be the year I get to try it.

BTW, here's a great book on the subject of coffee (or tea). The Book of Coffee and Tea Look up "approved coffee measure" in the index as a guideline for measuring portions.

Copper River King Salmon (in season)?

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give him a copy of Charcuterie, and he eats like royalty for life.

Spawning season for the Legendary Alaskan Copper River Kings is just around the corner. Does anyone know where they'll be available (restaurant or market)? I have an old Rick Nichols column from May 1998 that I keep forgetting about every year until it's too late. This year I'm determined not to miss the opportunity.

Not bad, but it's no Modern Drunkard, though.

If, after clicking on the link provided, you delete everything from pdf/ to the end of the URL, you can go to their website and see the arguments against foie gras. If the evidence they give is true, I don't see any way we can let this practice continue without modification. Unfortunately, the legacy of the "eco" and "animal rights" terrorists and their "by any means necessary including deception" approach casts automatic doubt on anyone promoting legitimate animal cruelty awareness. That being said, if it turns out after investigation that the allegations are true, the argument that it has been done since antiquity and is "culturally indicated" does not hold up any more than it does for allowing slavery. The government representatives of those who produce foie would do well to provide help to make the process less unsavory if it is found to be objectionable. We then debate the most reasonable approach, taking care to maximize the opportunity for those whose livelihoods depend on this industry. There are many ways to provide legitimate pleasure, and these workers can provide the infrastructure for a new or modified industry.

Soul Food Oliver - Please sir, I want more. Moooooore !?! Ping Pong (1986) Bronx Tale (doesn't that Frankie Coffeecake make you hungry?)