DTBarton

I'd second the rib recommendation for more authentic barbecue flavor. You can make good ribs by rubbing them with a barbecue spice mixture and cooking them covered with foil in a slow (225 - 250) oven for 5 - 8 hours depending on the size of the rack. I like to add a little seasoned vinegar under the rack from time to time. Don't get the smoke, but still good eating.

We are going to be arriving by boat in Baltimore for the fourth of July and would like to try a nice restaurant near our marina (Inner Harbor East). We've eaten in Little Italy several times so we were looking for something else. I noticed that Cindy Wolf has 3 restaurants in the neighborhood of the marina and wondered in any Baltimoreans might have a preference between them, or any other nearby recommendation. http://charlestonrestaurant.com/ http://www.cinghiale-osteria.com/ http://www.pazorestaurant.com/ Thanks in advance.

The food at my local 5 guys in Edgewater, MD has been pretty good consistently based on only 3 visits I think in a year and a half or something. Decent materials served hot and fresh. A little greasy, but that's the nature of the beast. I wish you could get them cooked a little less.

recent Savannah thread http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=114184

Warm the brie up just a bit and you can spread it on the bread.

I'm not the best one to reply on family friendly as I'm kidless, but we have had a couple good meals at Out of the Fire in Easton. http://outofthefire.com/ They make good pizza in a wood oven, kids usually can get into pizza. And other good things for the grownups as well.

I think you could dice it up and salt it and put it in a jar in the fridge covered with olive oil and then use it gradually.

I haven't been to Pete's myself yet, but I had dinner last night with friends whom I consider to be serious devotees of New Haven style pizza. Dan grew up near new Haven and waxes poetic about the great pizzerias there (He's a Sally's person, although he acknowledges that Pepe's is good too). They were very happy with Pete's, so it got a New Haven stamp of approval. Said they talked to the owners and they said it had been hectic when they first opened, but they're getting settled in now. I look forward to trying it. I also like that they sell slices.

There are many good Asian beers that pair well with food. Japan's Sapporo, Vietnam's 33 (Asian + French influence), Thailand's Sing-Ha. They are somewhat similar with a touch of sweetness and all work well with the flavors of Asian cuisines.

Those are some tough hosts. Pinot Noir/Burgundy with the duck crepes, I think. I'll stick with the Rhone for the pork shoulder unless it was smoked somewhat and then I'd think zinfandel. The others are tough. Citrus (blood oranges, lemon gelee) is hard on reds. Let's hear it for Asian beer.

I'd go with some good Alsace whites, Riesling and/or pinot gris for the lesser spiced dishes and Gewürztraminer for the heavier spiced ones. Some good quality cold sake would be nice as well. A really peppery Rhone red might work with the pork shoulder.

I went to Laurel Meat market today for the first time in a while and got 4 lbs of Kunzler half smokes (2 hot, 2 mild 5 to a lb.). Good to know the cow's still there: http://krakatoa.blogspot.com/2004/07/laure...stands-for.html Nice place to shop for good meat at good prices (got beautiful delmonico steaks on sale today for $7.99/lb), very old school, but it reminded me of this recent thread that got into half smokes. Some questions had been posed in the thread about their origin. A quick search turned up this dissertation on half smoke history from the City Paper. Forgive me if it's linked earlier in the thread: http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=561

Thanks for the tour, very enjoyable. We did Lexington #1 and Wilber's on our last tour and enjoyed both very much. Planning another soon.

Here is another source for excellent Kentucky country ham: http://www.scotthams.com/

Having hosted several Derby day parties over the years, we have asked the same question. The only Kentucky signature dish we came up with was burgoo. It's a stew type thing with as many variations in recipes as there are people who make it, I think. Here's a good source of basic burgoo information. http://www.burgoo.info/ A web search will find many recipes. Since it's a big one pot dish, it's great for a party.

Fresh fish is more expensive than frozen because of the expense required to ship it quickly, usually by air. Commercial frozen fish is mostly cut, wrapped and frozen on board the ship. After that, it can be shipped at their leisure in larger quantities by truck. Living on the east coast, we have some decent seafood available. With a little practice, you can get good at recognizing what fresh fish looks like in a fishmonger's case. It should be firm and moist with good, consistent vibrant color (usually white or pinkish red). I also try to stay in the habit of not making my mind up what kind of fish I have to have ahead of time, I pretty much always buy what looks best in the case and work with it. We have some very decent frozen products available. I like to make sure that the frozen fish I buy are vacuum packed. The local Whole Foods has a store brand that is called Whole Catch. Two 6 ounce portions of fish vacuum packed and sold for $6 - $8, very reasonable. I've had good luck with the mahi, salmon, and swordfish, less so with the tuna. Trader Joe's also has vacuum packed frozen fish. I've found it to be OK, but not as good as Whole Catch.

While not a fan of Taco Bell except for when necessary (sustenance of a sort in a hurry), I was in there the other day and noticed that they were offering some of their standard items prepared "fresco". Mangled mixing of the romantic languages aside (although this is common in Tex Mex land), this is a good idea. What it seems to be is a mixture of diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. When added to the iceberg lettuce on top of a cheap taco, it really adds a dash of freshness, texture, and flavor. Makes the thing much more edible. I was also impressed that they had a sign advertising that they'd be happy to make stuff meatless for people during Lent, even this far post Easter. Good marketing and a nice touch.

Had a meal at Soby's about 16 months ago when we stayed in downtown Greenville for the weekend of a Clemson football game. My assessment is pretty much the same as the one here, solid food, good service. I was surprised by the happening vibe on Main street. Hadn't been to Greenville in years. It's not your granddad's Greenville! Soby's was jumping on Friday night. Want to get back and hit 33 Liberty.

Having eaten shrimp and grits at several places in South Carolina (and making them myself), it seems to me that "shrimp and grits" is kind of a generic term like gumbo or jambalaya that is open to many interpretations and variations depending on who's cooking. Hard to claim that one's more authentic than another. If you search for shrimp and grits recipes, they're all over the map with respect to ingredients and methods.

Homemade ravioli usually doesn't last long enough around my house to have this problem. However, it does freeze very nicely. I will say that I've never had it frozen for very long (see above).

Well, Holly, most of us have never had our names mentioned in the same sentence with God, so you're doing well. Being a demigod helps keep you humble, I suppose......... This should be a great time for oysters. A good friend was here (central Maryland) last week and he brought up 2 bushels of Bull's bay oysters from McClellanville, SC. They were fantastic, as always. Small to medium in size and exquisitely salty. Same sort of thing should be available in Savannah, I would think. Try to get local product. If not from right there, if they have SC oysters from Bull's bay (30 miles north of Charleston) or the Folly River (separates James Island from Folly island in the Bowen's island neighborhood just south of Charleston), I think you'll be pleased. Right now is not quite shrimping season. Shrimping is more of a warm weather fishery. They should have local shrimp, but they most likely will have been frozen, but shrimp freeze very well. The blessing of the shrimp fleet in McClellanville is the first weekend of May, sort of the ceremonial start of the season that runs well into autumn.

I like to mix softened butter with flour in a small bowl with a whisk. Pick up some of the mixture on the whisk and stir it into the simmering sauce. Adds a little richness in addition to thickening.

A cheesesteak without fried onions is like a day without sunshine. And a little raw onion on an Italian hoagie (or sub where I came from) is a wonderful thing. Onion bashing! What's this world coming to?

Thanks for the report! Have not been to Waterman's (I'm a Cantler's guy, it's close). I always like cream of crab better than Maryland crab, the crab usually gets lost with all those veggies (especially the tomatoes) and spices. Demand definitely exceeds supply in these parts for crabs to pick. Maryland doesn't allow dredging of crabs in the winter, which is good. Virginia does, but dredged crabs can be muddy. Many crabs are shipped to Maryland to meet the demand both in and out of season with the bulk coming from Louisiana. Johnny Boy's is definitely hit or miss in my opinion. We stop there sometimes when traveling that way. I've had very good ribs and ribs that were obviously reheated from the day before (or further back, really dry and overcooked), so it's a bit of a crap shoot. Glad you got some good ones!

While some products have changed their recipes some, (and corn syrup has emerged as the villain du jour, justified? I don't know) I think it really is that tastes change as you mature. Just as those really tooth achingly sweet things you loved as a child don't appeal any more, as an adult, you've probably learned to love many things you hated as a child. Veggies of all sorts usually lead these lists, along with other more challenging foods like organ meats. I've read that there are actual physiological differences in many people that lead to these changes in taste. The bottom line is that in many children, the taste buds that pick up bitter flavors can be very sensitive and they become less so as we age. When that kid says the broccoli tastes terrible, he means it, he's not just rejecting the vegetable. The opposite happens with the taste buds that pick up sweet flavors, they can become more sensitive as you age so that the sweet childhood stuff doesn't appeal any more. There is also the peer pressure of childhood. Anyone who's been on a playground knows that vegetables are yucky and cookies are good!