abbeynormal

Free delivery on orders over โ (I think). Let's see, 3 apples, quart of milk, half dozen bagels...you could hit 50 bucks no problem. ;)

I agree, based on person experience, that the Home Depot's in NYC suck like a burnt weenie sandwich (had to get a food reference into the Home Depot comment). You know, VF validates parking at the David Garage across the street. Not that I'm advocating VF, even though we stopped there tonight on the way home to pick up some food. I've never been more conflicted about a store. You can't walk? I admit that the walk back UP 91st St is pretty daunting, but think of what it would do for your appetite. :)

We went to Stew Leonard's once, on the way back from Woodbury Common. Although they appeared to have quality product, I wasn't terribly impressed with either the selection (too limited) and the traffic pattern in the store (too fascist). Now that you have a car, did you know there is a Costco in Queens, just across from Roosevelt Island? Very convenient for us cliff dwellers, now if I only had a place to store those institutional sizes. In case you're wondering, I left the Peacock network to open my own practice, which is why I've been absent from the board. Bagel Mill has salt bagels. I think it's a little extreme to go up to Stew Leonard's for bagels. You guys freezing them? Adam

Steven: You can get salt bagels in Boston as well (at least the last time I was in Rosenfeld's in Newton Center). I like the little "taste surprise" of biting into a salt crystal on an everything bagel, but I don't know if I could make the leap to a salt bagel. Anyway, I'm back on Atkins (which I prepared for by having an eclair every morning for a week), so no bagels of any kind for a while. Have you tried the Bagel Mill at 88th & 1st yet? You didn't say where you obtain these sodium encrusted taste treats. I don't remember whether you succumbed fully to the brow beating you got for advocating VF bagels. Adam

My wife and I went to March in May for our anniversary, it was not more than 赨. mogsob, how many courses did you get? I quite agree that bars are good, that's where we got engaged.

Thanks, that was very helpful. Signed, Sarcastic

To each his own. I don't usually get mix-ins myself. I think Steve sold out before they went national. I don't know if Steve's is still available in stores. Steven: have you tried Emack & Bolio's? If you're looking for something special in ice cream in NYC, I think one has to stick with gelato. Of course, there's nothing like a Mr. Softee on a hot day.

I was suggesting a New York outpost of a Boston ice creamery. Now for the snob in me: I didn't know what the DQ served was ice cream. How about a brassiere burger? I think Baskin-Robbins does mix-ins now. There are (or were) a lot of ice cream parlors in Mass. that did mix-ins in Mass., I was under the impression this practice had spread round the country. Adam

I didn't say they should eat there as well. They could duck into the Plaza afterwards for a celebratory drink. I think a handsome cab would be a good place to get engaged.

I forgot Cafe Lalo. Good call, but agree it's better for pastry and coffee than strictly ice cream.

angelsfan: Maybe if would be helpful if Lemonice let us know how much is reasonable to spend and what kind of food he and his girlfriend like. It's very difficult to recommend anything without this info. In any case, he did ask for THE romantic place. Here's an idea, propose in a handsome cab in Central Park. That's romantic, all cuddled under a blanket. What is it, 50 bucks? clip clop, clip clop. Adam

I'm not sure, but I think this seating is more 'continental' - IMHO it's more romantic seating, and what's wrong with staring at other parties? Isn't this the reason we leave the house in the first place? Adam (Edited by abbeynormal at 10:53 pm on Oct. 27, 2001)

I think I spent less at March than I did at Daniel. But we don't drink. As I said, I don't think she'll care once he produces the ring and gets on bended knee. I think a proposal of marriage is romantic just about anywhere. This points up a problem I've been noticing here and on other boards, a person asks a question and then disappears. Not the usual suspects, but people who come around and ask legitimate questions about where to eat. It would be easier to recommend a place for Lemonice if he participated in the discussion. Of course, it might just be that these people actually have lives and don't spend all their time in online fora. (Edited by abbeynormal at 10:54 pm on Oct. 27, 2001)

Romantic? Try March. We went there for our anniversary. It was very intimate, good food and service. I proposed to my wife in the Penn Top bar on top at the Peninsula Hotel. Lemonice, hopefully once she sees the ring she won't care where she is. Good luck and let us know what you decide to do, Adam

Jason, What sort of ice cream parlor experience are you looking for? If you want good ice cream, the only place I would recommend is Boston transplant Emack & Bolio's. There are two in the city, 56 7th Avenue and 389 Amsterdam Avenue. Boston, whence I hail, is a real ice cream town. Premium and mix-ins have been there since the 70's at least. My parents used to take us the the original Steve's in Somerville, when Steve Herrell still owned it. The original Emack & Bolio's is in a brownstone on Newbury St. in Boston. There is also one near Harvard Sq. in Cambridge. I bought some ice cream at the one on Amsterdam a few years ago and it was very good. BTW, Emack and Bolio are the names of the founders' lawyers. If you're looking for a "traditional" ice cream parlor, I wouldn't know where in the city to send you. Other than Serendipity. Good luck and good licking, Adam P.S. They're called jimmies, not sprinkles.

Mary Elaine's at the Phoenician is supposed to be very good. The menu is online at It'>http://www.thephoenician.com/dining/default.html It is a beautiful place and supposed to be a very good restaurant. I've only ever eaten room service there, but people who know say the food is excellent.Adam (Edited by abbeynormal at 9:35 pm on Sep. 27, 2001)

WARNING: the place I'm remembering is not Franklin Cafe. The name of the place I was recalling is Tim's Tavern (329 Columbus Ave. @ Dartmouth St.), it's just down the block from Copley Place so it's easy to find. This place is worth the trip. Supposedly this is one of the South End's best kept secrets, so don't tell anyone. Okay? The Blue Diner ain't what it used to be, if it ever was. We'll it might be again, I don't know. Long, long ago it was a hip place. I actually took a girlfriend there for New Year's Eve. That had to have been before 1988. In the mid-eighties it had a very novel mixture of diner food with fancier fare. I have no idea what it's like now. It wasn't that cheap either. If you'd like to see what The Blue Diner looked like right before it was renovated into yuppie heaven, check out the 1987 Jon Cryer epic "Hiding Out" the diner at the beginning of the film is the Blue Diner. Let's get our nomenclature straight: I'm going to assume that when you say Faneuil Hall, you mean Faneuil Hall Marketplace. This is also popularly referred to as Quincy Market. Quincy Market is actually the limestone building with the dome in the center with the grasshopper weathervane. The buildings on either side are the North and South Markets. Durgin-Park, as a point of reference is in the North Market building. Faneuil Hall is the Georgian Style red brick with the white steeple across from the west front of Quincy Market. For the rest of you the redelopment of Quincy Market was the prototype for all those downtown urban redevelopment areas so popular today, like South Street Squidport and that thing in Baltimore. That being said: most of the food in Quincy Market is just above food court level. Some stalls are better than others, but none stands out. What do you want, a cookie? Go over to the North End (go behind the North Market building, walk through the Haymarket there is (or was) an underpass to get to the North End. Do you drink? Go to the Hong Kong in (just outside of) Harvard Sq. Go directly upstairs, order a scorpian bowl or two, when you wake you'll have participated in a great Cambridge tradition. Oh, do not eat in this restaurant, it's gross. Adam

Franklin Cafe? Is that the one with the bar in front and the tiny dining room in back on Columbus Ave near Dartmouth St? Had the best ŭ steak I ever tasted. I forgot about Redbones. A very funky place, easily accessible on the T (take the Red Line to Davis Sq. in Somerville). Also, if it still exists, is Village Smokehouse on Washington St. in Brookline Village (take the Green Line - "D" Riverside Line streetcar to Brookline Village). (Edited by abbeynormal at 2:14 pm on Sep. 4, 2001)

Steven: Have you ever eaten an entire Sara Lee poundcake without taking it out of the freezer? Yum. We had a walnut cake from CupCake Cafe as our wedding cake. Everything there, if you can stand to go to ninth avenue, is delicious. Adam

CONGRADULATIONS, you're going to visit one of the most historically interesting cities in the world. Anyway, I think so and not just because Ben Franklin and I were born there. First off, your coming into South Station. If the stop is announced as South Street you've missed Boston altogether. Secondly, give me a better idea what you want to spend. One man's cheap is another man's very cheap. All the good cafeterias closed down years ago (there used to be a place on Brattle St. in Cambridge called Buddy's Charcoal Pit (or something-Pit), a steak cafeteria my friends and I used to frequent about 20 years ago). The only decent buffets are going to be expensive hotel brunches. These may in fact be the only buffets in Boston. Remember you asked for cheap eats: In the North End go to the ORIGINAL Pizzeria Regina (don't bother with the one in Quincy Market). And don't ask for Chicago style deep dish pizza. In Boston that's a tomato and cheese quiche. When in Boston one must eat seafood, the cheapest seafood place that will not kill you is the No Name Restaurant on the Fish Pier. If you can give me an idea how cheap were talking, I'll be able to help you further. Also bear in mind that most of the good cheap places require a car as Boston is a very expensive place to live (it ain't New York or London, but it's right up there).

The place is locked and the chairs are stacked on top of the tables and bar. Conclusion: the restaurant is only open for dinner. I didn't see that mentioned in the times article today.

I'm going down to see if this friggin place is actually open.

You and my soon to be former doorman? Remember Chumley: he who breaketh balls, so shall his balls be broken. Adam

I suppose anything tastes good at 3:03 am. In any case, I haven't had them in 20 years and have no intention of having them now. But keeping you up until 3 in the morning made it all worth while.

What, if anything, ever happend to Charles Chips. I have vague memories of these being tasty. Actually, we got potato chips so infequently that they could have sucked and still tasted like manna from heaven to my sister and me. Also, they sold the perfect size tin of chocolate chip cookies (oil drum size). And home delivery as well. Most important things in a chip to me are that I don't end up with half a bag of crumbs and chip dust, and that they're not too salty (are you listening Wise?). I like the burnt kettle style effect too. I haven't chipped since my pre-Atkins days so I don't know what's a good chip now. Also they don't sell UTZ (sounds like the call letters for a Bulgarian radio station) in the land of Bean and Cod, so I cannot comment on them. As God is my witness, one day I will have onion dip made with Lipton Soup Mix on potato chips again. Adam (Edited by abbeynormal at 4:44 pm on Aug. 28, 2001)