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Megan Blocker

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Everything posted by Megan Blocker

  1. This is how I deal with my family in general - how we deal with each other, really. Cocktail hour, man.
  2. Exactly! Believe me, if not ordering causes that much of a fuss, imagine the fuss around ordering and not eating! Suck it up is good, but I never apply it to food. MIL makes some nasty stuff and if she feels like my sons have to eat it in order to prove their love for grandma, well, grandma is going to have to suck it up, herself. ← Maybe the solution to this one is give Grandma some cooking lessons for her birthday? At a posh place? As an overly-polite person, I would mostly likely order and eat lightly (saying something about not being hungry or having had a big breakfast) in such a situation. I try to avoid conflict when possible, particularly when the conflict isn't likely to result in anything but hurt feelings for others and discomfort for me! Sometimes family is worth a mediocre salad.
  3. It's also worth noting that the attribution of the "Let them eat cake" quote to Marie Antoinette is an accident of history, a result of the campaign to malign her reputation during and after the Revolution. She was frivolous and overzealous in her spending, to be sure, but it was another, earlier royal who coined the phrase. Click here for more info...
  4. Laduree was the pastry consultant, so the macarons are hardly a surprise. Also, the movie was meant to be an interpretation, not a completely accurate historical retelling. Hence, liberties were taken with language, dress, set decoration, and most likely the pastries. It's worth nothing, however, that macarons date from the 18th century, do not traditionally include gelatin (though Laduree's sandwich-style macaron made its debut only about 100 years ago, fair point), and are therefore entirely appropriate! I for one really enjoyed the movie - I loved the stylized interpretation, though that may come from my familiarity with the source material, since I read the Fraser book a couple years ago. That said, if you like visually arresting material (and food) see it, see it, see it.
  5. Re: sweets - Lady M (try the fabulous Lady Grey tea with a slice of the mille crepes) and Chocolate Bar. As Lady M goes...it's not stuffy (have to differ with Tupac here), but is definitely elegant. The service can taper off toward the end...it sometimes takes a long time to flag someone if you want the check, so just assert yourself. If you're making an uptown afternoon of it, try the steak tartare at La Goulue...I love having lunch there. Yes, it's overpriced, but it's great people-watching (I have seen Ivana Trump - hilarious - and Renee Fleming - so neat - among others). Chocolate Bar is just a couple blocks south of Chelsea Market, so it should fit right in! Also about a block north of LiLac.
  6. I do have to agree with this...I have many friends around my age (which is 27) of whose incomes I am very jealous, and they are just as adventurous food-wise as I am, and will wait at the bar for a table in the same places. As oakapple says above, they are interested in a variety of dining experiences, not just high-end, not just low-end, and not just in-between. That said, Bruni's language in this review just echoes/emphasizes things we've all suspected or inferred up to this point. He prefers a more casual approach to fine dining. I don't take particular issue with that, but I can't help but think that such a seemingly strong bias (a slight bias in either direction seems natural to me, given that I appreciate people with an opinion) would be a liability, given his job.
  7. (There's nothing wrong with B&T. We were all B&T at one point.) I've never been to Tao, I've only hear from those who went that the scene is hip. (Then again, everyone has their own definition of hip). My coworker told me that Buddha Bar has a DJ that spins some good tunes. As for food there, I trailed there one night and was not impressed in the least. Nobu? Do celebs still go there? ← Um, I think so. Though I rarely do, so I could be mistaken. They definitely don't go to Tao anymore. Tao to me seems like a midtown watering hole more than anything else. Re: B&T...in my mind, it's a style, not really where you come from. There are plenty of people who live in Manhattan who fit the B&T mold and plenty from elsewhere that don't. That said, it's not an altogether unhelpful adjective. We all seem to have a good grasp of what it means in terms of scene... What about Mr. Chow's? Or even Elio's? Again, I'm wondering what kind of celebs qualify here...I see NY media types in there all the time (Barbara Walters was sitting in the window just the other night), but not younger celebs... Jim, as Nathan points out upthread, we need some more guidance! ETA: Maybe Buddakan? Don't know about celebs, but the overall vibe may be what's wanted...
  8. Degustation. Have a chat with Chloe, enjoy the food and the experience, ask the cooks about what they're making...
  9. Nobu? Depending on what kind of celeb you mean (old-school New York, or Hollywood), the new Le Cirque? I second Nathan's Spotted Pig rec for celeb-spotting, but am not sure it meets your other glamour requirements, being, essentially, a gastropub.
  10. 'Cept on my blog!!!
  11. Megan Blocker

    Oscars Party

    My friend Miles is so good at this...let me get his opinion and get back to you...
  12. I don't think mangosteens are banned any more in the States? ← Aha...mangosteens are not banned, but they are banned from being imported from certain countries... Click!
  13. I don't think mangosteens are banned any more in the States?
  14. Hey, Kim! The gastric bypass issue is an interesting one...I would still suggest Degustation. The portions are pretty small (particularly in the first and second sections of the menu), and they're not overly fatty, so digestion shouldn't be a huge issue. You could even do a couple first courses and then a small plancha (a grilled shrimp or two?). It's a wonderful experience, and you could really enjoy it even with small portions. Dinner for two, with wine, will probably put you in the $150 range. Another good, smaller-plate spot is the Bar Room at The Modern. You could just do one plate, or two small ones, and you'd be fine and well within your gustatory and budgetary limits. Snacking at the bar at Pegu or D&Co is a good idea...avoid Pegu at prime weekend times (go on a Sunday night, earlier, for instance) - you can't even get to the bar on Saturday night. It's ridiculous - they just aren't controlling the door the way they should. D&Co, on the other hand, has a well-controlled door, which may make it difficult to get in. But at least once you're in you can actually get a drink. Hotel-wise, I'm not too savvy, having grown up in Connecticut. I've stayed in hotel rooms in the city probably fewer than 10 times, and my mom stays at the Harvard Club (cheap if you have a friend/relative who's a member - ditto for Yale Club, Princeton, NYC Yacht, etc. - exploit a connection if you have one). That said, if I had my pick, I'd probably stay somewhere more boutiquey and avoid Times Square like the plague. If you're willing to be a bit out of the thick of things, Hotel Wales on Madison in the '90's is lovely. How about dim sum? You can control the amount you eat, but still have the fun Chinatown experience?
  15. Thanks, guys! I'm glad you've enjoyed it...next time may be cooking only...I'm exhausted! Lunch today was something else...I met up with Emma (luckylies), Phil (eatmywords), Nathan (um, nathan), Phil's girlfriend Michelle, Larry (larrylee), and his wife, Yumi at New Yeah Shanghai Deluxe on Bayard Street in Chinatown. Chinatown is always busy, particularly on the weekends, but with the New Year starting tomorrow, things were even more crowded than usual. Walking east on Canal Street was a bit of a nightmarish obstacle course - though, obvs. totally worth it. Nathan was a bit late, so the rest of us ordered some appetizers to get the blood flowing - TsingTao was the beverage of choice, along with some water, Diet Coke and tea. First up, soup dumplings...juicy and rich, one order of crab and one order of pork... Second, some spicy oxtail and tripe, alongside some scallion pancakes, piping hot from the fryer. The oxtail was really good...spicy and meaty, served cold. Next, because, after all, this IS the year of the pig we're celebrating here, we had some fried pork dumplings... Served with black vinegar and ginger sauce, these were rich and hot, and the wrappers were tender and not too chewy - very good dumplings. In between the two courses, we did these...eight jewels (God forgive me, I don't remember everything in there, but there was chicken, bean curd, peppers, peanuts...) and some excellent spicy cabbage, served cold. Just this side of fermentation, it had an excellent fizzy bite to it. Finally, the mains! We got one noodle dish, pan-fried noodles with beef, shrimp, pork and vegetables. Good, but nothing out of this world. We also ordered these teeny tiny eels with scallions...I liked this dish, but I wasn't in love...maybe it was a texture thing - the sauce made the whole thing just slippery. Finally, the tamp po pork - pork belly in a five-spice sauce, with baby bok choy and served with steamed buns. Soooo good and rich, though I've definitely hit my slow-roasted, falling-apart pork limit. I think we did a pretty good job, don't you? (P.S. - Emma REALLY likes soup dumplings...)
  16. And how could I forget one of the cooler pics from last night? Daniel took this of the two of us (the two on the left...) reflected in the pans on the wall at Room4Dessert... ETA: Let me just state, for the record, what an excellent time we had last night! The night went from totally civilized to completely crazy when Daniel's friends showed up at Room 4 Dessert, which was kind of a neat twist...much more exciting than just going to dinner. Other fun things that happened...while we were waiting for our table at Degustation, another two people were waiting for theirs. One of those two people turned out to be someone I went to high school with in New Hampshire, who I haven't seen for 10 years. CRAZY! Such a fun, New York night.
  17. After dinner at Degustation, we decided to hit Room 4 Dessert for (what elese) dessert! We were seated in the middle of the bar, and Mia and Will took good care of us. I started with the whisky coca glass, which had a vanilla cream, whisky caviar, caramel popcorn/crackerjack and cola sorbet...so tasty, and such neat texture combinations. Alicia had the chocububbles, with warm chocolate mousse, apricot, and some cocoa crispies. Dan had the white chocolate margarita, with tarragon yogurt... For our tastings, Alicia had the voyage to India (!), which I somehow managed to miss out on photographing! Dan had the infance, which was so much fun...cotton candy, sponge cookie, marshmallows... I had the plat du jour, a nutella-themed dessert, with homemade chocolate hazelnut spread, brioche, a lemon cloud with crispies, and a ridiculously tasty ice cream, all boozy and good. We had some cocktails, too...the La Fleur (gin, rose water, and maybe lemon?) was really good...it tasted like drinking roses, but in a good, gentler way. After that, we headed to Pravda for some vodka, but it was so crowded that we couldn't even stomach getting past the coat check. We turned tail and popped into Temple Bar for a quick one with some of Dan's friends, and ended up with saketinis...look at all the cucumber! One long ribbon of cuke in each glass (sort of - some were stubbier than others). Some popcorn on the side... All in all, a good, long night...I'm still recovering! Lunch today helped a lot...am preparing a full report as the blog's grand finale...I think lunch in Chinatown is a good segue into our other ongoing blog!
  18. Well, it looks like the Chinatown wish is coming true! I'm about to walk out of the house to head down to Bayard Street, where I'll be meeting a few other eGulleters at Yeah Shanghai...full report this afternoon, along with the end of last night's festivities (and D&Co. commentary, Ms. Foodie!)
  19. Last night, I went to Degustation with Daniel and Alicia...we met up at 8:00 for our 8:00 reservation, and waited about 10 or 15 minutes to be seated. This happened the last time I was at Degustation (toward August, I think), and I'm disappointed that they haven't worked the kinks out yet. That said, they were very gracious about the whole thing. Chloe works the whole 16-seat bar, and knows everything there is to know about the food and the wines that work best with it. She told us about the specials, took our drink order, and left us to debate the menu. Daniel and I started with Black Velvets, Guinness with Cava - I really liked them, sort of the flavor of Guinness without the heaviness. Alicia went with a classic Kir Royale. For our first course, we shared the croquetas, which remain one of my favorite things on the menu. Corn, bacon, creaminess...the mayo they're served with is quite onion-y, as Daniel pointed out, and is a nice, sharp counterpoint to the rich croquettes. I had the tortillas, which are soft and wrapped around a quail egg and some shallot confit, topped with a slice pickled jalapeno...these, too, play nicely on the contrast of rich flavors with the pungent, tangy pepper. Alicia had the long-poached egg (45 minutes at 63 Celsius, according to Chloe), served with smoked cheese foam, ham, and a crispy asparagus stalk. The play of textures here is great...everyone I know who's tried this one has loved it. Daniel, being a wild and crazy guy, went for the salad - beets with arugula, I believe! For the middle course, Alicia and I both had the sweetbreads, served crispy with dill yogurt sauce...these were really fresh, with a bit of cilantro on the plate, too. Daniel had the squid, and I tried it for the first time. Loved it! It's rich and meaty, and it brings life to the lentils... Finally, course three. I had the crispy pork belly, another perennial favorite...it's served with more of the pickled jalapeno, a sherry vinegar reduction, and some pickled scallions....ooooh, I love the balance of fatty and pungent here... Alicia had the suckling pig special, which was rich, tender and oh-so-porky. Daniel went for the other special, a lamb loin with beet sauce, and a hash brown with a poached quail egg. This was wonderful - it tasted of lamb mixed with essence of bacon... It was a fabulous meal, and when it was over, we headed out, into a cab, and over to Room4Dessert!
  20. So, just back from a fabulous evening...Degustation, Room4Dessert, and Temple Bar, all with Daniel and the lovely Alicia. I will post more in the morning, once my coffee is brewing. For now, bonne nuit, mes amis.
  21. As far as I know, Sandy, the Pommery's of the mustard are separate from the Pommery's of the champagne...though I could certainly be wrong. I know the famed Louise Pommery married into the name and convinced the family to stay in the wine business after her husband's death... Clueless: best film adaptation of Emma in existence - true to the themes and characters of the original, and you actually like the central character, as opposed to in the Gwyneth Paltrow version. Plus, you know, lots of interesting food at the drive for the hurricane victims (gotta keep it food-related, folks. ).
  22. Yeah!!!! ETA: Oops that was me (Henry). Someone keeps logging in from my computer ← I did it for you, Henry. ← You're awesome Megan! Having experienced Momofuku with the Donbert myself, I know what an incredible experience you must have had. Thanks for sharing it with us. Was it crowded? Having read the New York Mag article, I was a bit worried about the demise of Momofuku Ssam. But I feel that the cream always rises to the top and was not overly concerened. What were your favorites. I still contend that the 3 terrine bahn mi is the best sandwich I have ever had. How juicy was the Bershire Pork Butt? Did you ask how they cooked it? How many hours? thanks Megan! ← It was not too crowded...plenty of spaces at the bar all night (we left around 9:30 or 10:00). The butt was super-tender, though I don't know if I'd call it juicy, per se. It was falling apart and flavorful, but not oozing. That said, there was a nice pool of fat on the bottom of the plate by the time we were done. Oh, my.
  23. Hey, Abra! Check out my most recent post in reply to Snowangel...I think it's definitely at least somewhat replicable...the oysters we had were awfully salty and briny...slightly rounder flavor would not be a bad thing, IMO.
  24. We-ell, if I had to put bets on it, I'd say the rub was pepper, salt, some star anise, and maybe some cloves...Don may have more insights. It also seemed to be crisped slightly and then roasted/braised for a long time on low heat...I think they use convection/steam ovens, so they can probably do it in half the time it would take me in my little conventional oven. Blueberry cocktail...John's recipe calls for some ingredients that are not readily available in the Blocker household...I might modify it to Bourbon instead of rye, a bit more lemon, and a touch of cinnamon. Perhaps not as sophisticated, but mighty good. With fresh blueberries, the added sweet smokiness of the bourbon would be welcome, I think!
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