LilianNY

Thought I would get this out there: Some of the best pancakes I have ever had may be history if Fairway pushes through with plans to replace the cafe w more room for organic food. Some cafe fans have started a website to try and stop this. There has been no official announcement to my knowledge but an employee there strongly believes this is in the works.

does anyone have details? i LOVE this place. will they try another resturant here? oops--sorry about the caps. don't know how to edit that

that is definitely guava candy. my in laws have it in their house and i think they buy it in china.

just saw this on AP The New York Times has named one of its own editors to be the new chief restaurant critic. Culture Editor Sam Sifton will replace Frank Bruni, who announced earlier this year that he was leaving the high-profile post. Executive Editor Bill Keller said in an e-mail to staff Wednesday that Sifton will move into the critic's chair in October. Keller said the paper had a list of impressive candidates, but decided to throw out the list and draft Sifton for the job. Sifton has written occasional essays on food for the New York Times magazine. Keller called him "a writer of discernment and wit and erudition." (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV 08-05-09 1257EDT

I'm placing an order for my usual sour cherry juice (which is AMAZING) and cherry jam (penguen is v good) from a turkish website and would love some recs on what else I should try this time. TIA

Need a place that consitently sends ripe, amazing fruit for mother's day. TIA.

I bought a 2.75 qt bean pot w lid because I loved the way it looks but don't know the first thing about the best dishes to cook in it. I know how to "season" it and all but what dishes would take advantage of the properties of terra cotta? This is fine to put on a flame

I have fresh pineapple which is just not that sweet or juicy. Any recipes out there where I can use it in a dish or a pastry where it would still taste good?

SOMEHOW I got a table at a decent hr at Picholine. So good food for me and not trendy but sort of new (refurbished) for my friend. It will cost more than $70 pp pre liquor if we get the tasting menu, but the posts all seem to say it is worth it. There is also a 2-dish option that is less. Anything I MUST order here? TIA

I stumbled on this site for Ramen lovers: http://www.worldramen.net/

Thanks for all the great suggestions... unfortunately all these places are BOOKED for Saturday! Unless we want to eat at 10pm which is not gonna happen. Unfortunately I got charged with finding a table just this week so I probably didn't stand a chance. If anyone can think of a place (pref not lower east side... just too far for the few hrs we have) where the food is good and the atmosphere decent (I am not even going to try for the trendy now) AND I can book a table for Sat pls let me know.

thanks. really tryng for a reservation because of babysitter issues. i'm surprised that the food at suba is good. i had read so many negative reviews about that aspect of the restaurant.

Menkuitei 60 west 56th street between 5th and 6th (closer to 6th) is terrific. My whole family loves it. But the special add-on (friend rice) is not worth it.

Dining with another couple really into trying new, cool places. I care more about food. ie They were into Mainland, I was more into NY Noodle Town. They wanted Suba. I, Telepan or Gari. So now we are trying to find a place we can all be happy. Trying to keep it at around $70 before copious drinking. Also should be a place we can actually get a res without jumping thru hoops. Thanks!

If anyone comes across any especially interesting characters or stories or trends at the show which would work for a feature story, please let me know. Thanks. I'll be there but it seems so huge I could use help from extra pairs of eyes (and mouths).

Four of us went to Soto last weekend and frankly, I was not too impressed. First of all, they completely ran out of hamachi by 7pm... not because the so many guests were ordering it (in fact the room was half empty then) but because they just didn't have their act together. I ordered sushi omakase. The uni I had was fine but nothing to swoon over. Everything else I had was good but not blow me away good. The best app we had was a cod, i think, with miso. We also ordered chawan mushi, a not too memorable vinegary crab dish, and tempura. Staff was really nice ...altho some seemed a bit inexperienced. It's still byob. I would stop in if I was in the area but as an upper west sider, I don't find it is worth the trip at this point.

They won't be getting my dollars any more. I feel the owner made it very clear that he values making the most bang per head over customer loyalty or experience. Monday night around 6:30 my husband and I showed up with my parents and our 4 year old and 11 year old. We told them we needed a table for 6 and because the inside of the restaurant was so crowded most of our party waited outside. The maitre'd said it would not be very long. After 15 minutes he asked if our party was all there and I said yes. He said OK and we all started filing through (including my parents who are in their 70's). When he saw we had kids he stopped dead in his tracks and said Well if you have kids I have a table for 5 that would fit all of you but it will be AT LEAST another 30 minutes. in a v discouraging fashion. Then he said he had a party ahead of us (w/one more adult than us) but they weren't all here yet and that is why he WAS going to give us the table. My son orders his own entree and appetizer, BUT he does not drink liquor and my younger child would be only doing a half order (the four other adults all eat and drink.) But having had my whole family file halfway through his restaurant and then to have him kick us out because he wanted every single seat to be ordering a full entree and then some left a very bad taste in my mouth. As it is we always over order and would have been glad to order an extra entree to share if that was the case. But the way he handled it left a very bad taste in my mouth. We specifically went early and on an off night ... a night our entire family typically eats out. And felt we were treated very badly. This is an uws restaurant so he ought to rethink things if he thinks a 4 year old will be dining on his/her mother's lap.

thanks so much for the recipe. I've never tried making it w the chicken broth and with the heating of the ingredients so that's probably what i did wrong! Also, I added lime juice.

I guess I should amend my question then... any suggestions for great salsa verde in Manhattan or is there a favorite prepared one out there? TIA

I've been on a salsa verde kick and want to get a few cans. I know they have it at Mexgrocer online but don't have enough for an order so if anyone knows where I can get some in Manhattan, pref the uws, I would appreciate it!

On Nov 9th, the NYT's Peter Meehan did an article about Goodburger. "New Patty In Town Draws a Line"... I think he calls it the best in NYC. Anyone actually eat there?

Turkish Kitchen on 3rd ave has a great all you can eat brunch on Sundays. There are two seatings and reservations are recommended. There must be other decent restaurants out there with deals too.

The NY Times food section about a month back wrote you can get it at Balducci's. My friend stopped in at the one near Lincoln center just last week and they were sold out but keep checking.

thanks for all the tips--i definitely had the meat on very very low heat. so i'll try a different cut next time. like short ribs a lot... whole foods has really good boneless short ribs. or i'll try the stew meat at one of the butchers recommended. btw--if anyone has the recipe for the peruvian cilantro beef stew like the one at flor de mayo, i'd love it. i think i have it pretty close but would like to hear what others have.

i didn't add a lot of onions. i don't think the flor de mayo dish had that many either or i would have noticed. the stew flavor itself was fine. just the meat was not the firm yummy way it should taste in a stew.