Megan Blocker

Wow. Vosges just opened a shop on Madison...maybe I'll have to check it out this weekend. I pass it constantly but haven't been in yet. Bacon Bar, you say?

So, this is kind of neat! Slow Food NYC has created the "Snail of Approval," a program that recognizes local restaurants, bars, artisans and the like for their devotion to the principles of the Slow Food movement. Kind of a nifty idea; wonder if it will become a deciding factor for people in where they choose to eat? Here's a link to the website; restaurants recognized this time around include Lupa, Prune, Cookshop, Telepan and Pearl's Oyster Bar (Pegu made the list of bars and taverns). Is there anyone missing who seems like a glaring oversight? Any Slow Food members who'd care to weigh in on the choices?

Oh. My. Goodness. I LOVE your cabinetry. We may be style soulmates, Fabby. "Mission creep" - love it! In project management, we call that "scope creep." Genny, here's a link to a Domino slideshow about countertops...I just love Domino (wish I had a kitchen that I owned so I could use some of these ideas for reals), and I think they're a great place to get inspired.

According to the New York Times, the National Labor Relations Board has filed charges against the owners of Saigon Grill for firing the 22 employees who organized the strike. I wonder if the charges will stick, and, if so, what the repercussions might be around the city?

I agree with Dave! You have to check out Strasbourg, my new favorite spot in France. Ooooh, I'm so jealous!

san, it sounds like you're looking for books that talk about providing strong service, rather than memoirs or even novels that focus on FOH workers?

I ate at Kasadela last night for the first time. I enjoyed it very much. The room and the music are great. The staff is fun. The food is good -- although nothing near blow-away great, as at Yakitori Totto. Just good. (Compare the skewered beef tongue at the two places. At Totto, it's sublime. Here, it's slightly overspiced, and maybe slightly overcooked as well.) But all in all very enjoyable. Prices may be a little on the high side for an East Village izakaya, but still are gentle. And you get a great atmosphere in return. The sake selection is extremely well-curated, especially the specials. Now raji can tell me I don't know what I'm talking about. ← Ooooh, Kasadela is great. It's a hike to the east boonies (even for me, and I live on 2nd Avenue), but it's really good. Though, like Sneakeater, I must bow to Raji's superior knowledge and familiarity with these things. Japanese is the new French. Kneel before Zod!!! I've actually never been there. I HAVE been introduced many times to the owner of Umi no iie, and any time I've even intended to go to Kasadela I give up and go to uminoiie which is a great place and as far as I can tell every bit as good as Kasadela without perhaps the cool name and I assume hip interior... Kasadela is way out where you used to go to buy.... wait, which board is this? ←

Oh, wow, Owen...that coffee photo extravaganza has me craving an espresso. I'm off caffeine (coming down with a cold), and now it's all I can think about!

Ooooh, Byrne Dairy! I went to college with two of the Byrnes...small, small world! Excellent blog thus far, folks.

Dropped in on Death & Co. on Friday night for a couple of quick cocktails before dinner...I hadn't been in a while, so I was excited to try a couple of the newer things on the menu. I started with the Elder Fashion (Plymouth Gin, St. Germain elderflower liqueur, bitters and grapefruit), which I absolutely loved. It's a perfect summer drink, really refreshing and just a little sweet. Next up, the Maple Julep, which was rye with maple syrup, served with crushed ice and what seemed like a whole bush of mint. This was great, too - not only did I get to drink out of a julep cup (), but the mint perfumed each sip without getting all in my teeth (like it does with, say, a mojito). All in all, an excellent visit!

That wall of windows is going to be a gorgeous backdrop for cooking Thanksgiving dinner...oh, wow. Looks great!

Love my Batali measuring prep bowls - very durable, have some weight to them, but not breakable at all. I've also heard good things about his cast-iron cookware...

I have heard excellent things about the Laura Shapiro book, and am now trying to remember where...a magazine somewhere...could it have been Entertainment Weekly? That seems unlikely...

Oh. My. Goodness. What a wonderful report, Nishla. If my mother ever gets it together, we are using this as a guide to Florence and the surrounding area. I Latini looks amazing...and those berries are seductive.

I haven't eaten in the restaurant for about a year, but I'm still a big fan of the Bar. I go at least once a month, usually for dinner - occasionally, I'll just pop in for a glass of port and the date cake (which is fantastic, and accompanied by hand-whipped cream). The bar still has a great atmosphere, and it's mesmerizing to watch the cook work his magic in that tiny little space. I'm particularly fond of the lobster club salad, the guacamole, and the macaroni and cheese. And they make a pretty good cocktail.

Carts on 6th, or a sandwich at Dean and Deluca...

Oh my goodness, Judith - what an amazing space! The photo of the guys working up near the ceiling reminds me of one of my favorite books, I Capture the Castle, specifically the scene where Rose makes a pact with the devil if he'll just send her some excitement (a man, more exactly). You mention that the style will be Italian-slow cuisine-fusion - given some of the discussions we've had in the forum about the regionality (for lack of a better word) of Italian cooking, I'm curious as to whether this will be a new paradigm in your area. And, again - congrats!

Do their stints on the Today Show qualify the Scottos? Are they even really chefs, any of them?

Klary, what did you have at Pierre Herme? I'm very curious, as I still fantasize about my tarte au cafe. Two days in Paris...sigh...so jealous...

Roast chicken - the leftovers aren't really leftovers, since you can do so many things with them, including making stock from the carcass. Save some of the skin to cover the carved meat before wrapping in tinfoil, and it will stay moister in the fridge. This is actually the only way I will eat breast meat - cold from the fridge, when it's had a chance to hang out with the juicy dark meat. Also, pasta - obviously very easy to expand or shrink to meet demand. As a shameless plug, here are a couple of recipes from my blog that use pasta in not-too-unhealthy ways... - Chicken and Orzo Salad - Wild Asparagus with Spaghetti and Chives (also good with skinny domesticated asparagus, or with snow peas)

That's 80th, isn't it? There's also one on 65th St. between Broadway and Central Park West. ← 84th, actually - oops!

Are you going to be in East 70's, West 70's, or both? There's a Pain Quotidien at Madison and 8th. Might be a good place for a sandwich...

Sadly, Saigon Grill's UES location has been shuttered since last August, and doesn't look to be re-opening any time soon...most likely due to the delivery strike at their other locations. Or, at least, that's my theory.

I have only eaten once at Les Halles (during choucroute month), but it's pretty close (up on John, just east of Broadway).

Ivo and Lulu? Click!