Rail Paul

I think there was a thread on eGullet a while back about driveup liquor stores. New Mexico still treasures the few remaining (grandfathered from 1965, or some such) stores. Someplace else, maybe Arizona, also has drive up stores. NJ had them in the 1960s, but only for warm beer by the case. No hard liquor, or singles of colt .45 or mickey big mouth.

The area around Chimayo has been gradually increasing in population as artists move in. Dee purchased several bowls and small copper sculptures from various merchants. There's a branch of the Turquoise Trail which covers several textile makers, sculptors, and jewelry producers. One byproduct of this activity is an increase in employment for an area still desperately poor by most material standards. We purchased several items at Terra Weaving in Ensenada (far, far northcentral NM) where 20 weavers now produce blankets, coats, shirts, etc at very reasonable prices.

"need to impress" them with what? If you're looking for food, any of the suggestions will prob be impressive. If you're looking for the "view", go with the Highlawn. Be aware, however, that the Highlawn's tables for 5+ are set back from the windows. With 10 people, they may offer you two tables. For 10 people, Serenade may give your group the fireplace room, depending on how booked they are. Their tasting menu with wine selection run about $110, IIRC

La Nina and Tommy have both offered good suggestions. We had dinner at Thalia two weeks ago, and enjoyed it. When Dee saw Movin' Out, she had dinner at La Noche (Bway at 49th) about two blocks north of the theater. Innovative, Latin American is how they describe themselves, and the tab ran about $40 a head. Becco and Firebird are a block west of the Richard Rogers, haven't been to either place.

Steve - I'm missing your drift here. You obviously want to make the point that Americans are isolationist buffoons who ignore the great culinary lessons of Europe. That point has made made regularly from Andrew Jackson to Sinclair Lewis to HL Mencken to Henry Cabot Lodge (I). Doesn't make it any more or less correct, though. We go through waves of enthusiasm, like hoop skirts, coonskin caps and fondue. I'd argue sushi is in a wave of enthusiasm which started in California in the early 1990s, and is now in every strip mall in Alabama and Montana. Other than Iron Chef (on the lightly viewed FoodTV), I can't think of a whole lot of Japanese influence on food in the US, other than some rot described as "soy sauce." Sushi and frozen food notwithstanding, perfectly valid American originals (chicken fried steak, mullet, 'possum stew, Cajun food, southern fried chicken, Maine / NH maple syrup pies) were in wide use during this period, and were favorably viewed by LaFayette and deTocqueville, among others. I'm pleased that some French techniques have made their way into US kitchens, and that we have returned the favor. Even most French, until very recently, saw McDonalds, sandwiches and beer as enhancing their culinary patrimony. Although a few anti-globalists occasionally burn a store or two, the vast majority of French people seem to enjoy Mickey D's and a beer now and then. If that wasn't true, McD wouldn't be opening even more stores in France, would they? (BTW, my mother added the Fannie Farmer Cookbook as another 1950s food reference. Standard wedding present 1945-1955)

I think there's a danger in assuming all of America was eating the same food, and had the same (isolationist) attitudes which some folks, perhaps, had. The food in America today is more homogeneous and national today than at any time in the past. Living in Paris, TX, or Athens, GA or Belgrade, MT or Potsdam, NY, in 1950, to select three examples, was probably more akin to 1900 than to 2000. You ate a diet similar to what your grandparents had eaten. Julia Child, James Beard (in Gourmet), and Craig Claiborne were never read or seen by more than a small segment of the population. Even Graham Kerr was a minor, bi-coastal phenom. The population they influenced (many of us) has implemented those changes and been able to take the influences to new levels of profit and accomplishment. Influential food figure of the 20th century? Ray Kroc.

Rail Paul - You see I would argue this in the exact opposite way. The European sounding dishes like Sole Almondine were part of the isolationism that was going on in America. There is no need for sole almondine and shrimp diablo, pure American constructs, unless you weren't willing to accept sole meuniere and shrimp fra diavolo to begin with. That is exactly what Julia changed. She showed us that there was a better beef stew out there then the American version which was constructed as a result of isolationism which is why they didn't follow European recipes. It was called Boeuf Bourgignon, or daube, etc. and it was made from recipes that were hundreds of years old and dishes tasted of their point of origin. The timing of this thread is fortuitous. I just asked my mother about her cooking influences in the 1950s. BH&G, her friends, and frozen foods, which is what I recalled of my personal experience. "The girls," all of whom were college educated, stay at home moms, and cooks of modest skill levels, would often trade recipes which cranky 3 year olds (me and my sisters) might eat. According to her, Julia Child was invisible to that suburban dweller of the 1950s. She, and others, became visible in the 1960s. Chicken was expensive food in the US into the 1960s, when industrial farming came into being. Beef, especially ground beef, was cheap and widely used. "Everyone" knew somebody who had been sickened by bad fish. However, when we were at the shore, fish was usually purchased from the markets. re:autos Volkswagen made a splash by comparing its 1966 (?) price favorably with a pound of beef. The price was sixty cents, IIRC. Gasoline was about nineteen cents, and remained so until the 1970s.

I'd nominate the nameless 1950s writers of Better Homes & Gardens with their "international" meals and detailed recipes as a contributor to internationalization. For every green bean almondine and shrimp diablo, new spices would be introduced, new herbs explained. And, the rise of frozen foods. Spinach out of season, corn, beets, etc were first added to a new bride's repertoire via the magic of Seabrook or other frozen food makers.

The Ledger ran an article entitled "From Adega to Zafra, a very good year" on Friday. "The year 2002 was a stellar one for eating out. We look back with particular satisfaction on a bumper crop of mmorable meals."

I believe Budweiser varies its brewing process at each one of its breweries in order to eliminate the differences caused by different water sources so that its beer will taste the same all over the country. generally true. The article went into some depth explaining how the water in Florida, New Hampshire, Fort Collins, etc has to be brought within a baseline in order for the brewing tweaks to work properly. Alkalinity, suspended salts, various minerals, aquifer vs surface water, etc differ in the various water sources across the country. The science was way beyond me, but their filtering process sounded impressive.

Steve - You raise several excellent points, but I'd like to focus on just one. The expectations placed on restaurant reviewers by many customers are pretty low. Perhaps a least common denominator effect is in their writing? The NY Times, in its Chef columns, goes behind the review and describes much more about the chef's background, influences, ingredients. Perhaps this more closely addresses your needs? The Wall Street Journal has taken a broad approach to its wine writing, which anchors about 1.5 pages of ads. Breezy, consumer friendly, catholic in its choices, with accessible wines. Well read, and Dorothy / John have become a brand on their own. Contrast this with the estimable Frank Prial in the NY Times. Every column is an indepth look at the culture, terroir, personalities of the makers - exactly what you seek in the analysis. Paul

Yikes almighty, someone actually likes this grease joint that smells like the refineries of Elizabeth? "kitschy milieu and cuban classics tickle both taste buds and fancy" That's the story, folks! She liked the ropa vieja

The newark Star ledger has three restaurant reviewers. Sharon Gintzler does the Friday review, Cody Kendall handles the Sunday edition, and Pete Genovese does the diners, joints, and munch detail. Here are Gintzler's faves: Blue Danube in Trenton (goulash, etc) E&V in Paterson (abundant, more than overwhelming portions) Taste in Bloomfield Spargo's in Manalapan Eurasian Eatery in Red bank, mentioned the black bean mousaka Udupi Village in Montclair Hard Grove cafe in Jersey City for its Cuban classics. Have we discussed this one on eGullet? Zafra (301 Willow in Hoboken) with its masa turnover with mushroom jalapeno stuffing Fornos of Spain Vila Nova do sol mar in newark (263 ferry street) wowed her with the platters

Delightful place, rustic. We've never been disappointed. make sure you have good directions, it gets very dark out there. I've found that an extensive discussion with the server about the menu will often bring out madame. Once she's out, you can negotiate a tasting menu. Last time we visited, late 2001, they did not offer a tasting menu on the printed menu. Their wine list is impressive, but my experience is they only update it once a year. We ordered four consecutive wines (all out of stock) before they had one we liked and they had. The restaurant was begun in the 1950s as a place to train French kids for American service. They's put in six months working on language, serving, etc and move on to NYC.

The NY Times has an article about Martha Stewart in Sat's biz section. General conclusions: She's still got her finger on the pulse of American women's needs. Stock has doubled in the past three months. K-Mart's the biggest risk to the financials right now. Advertising is down (whose isn't?) but relatively OK. I'm surprised the Feds haven't brought charges. Gotta believe they are having trouble getting enough to support an indictment, since she got a "target letter" four months ago, if you believe the leaks.

I've dined at High Lawn Pavilion in a "stylish" turtleneck, sans jacket without difficulty. Perhaps they confused me with Leonardo di Caprio or Tony Soprano... I've been intrigued that many establishments request or require jackets for men, but allow women in any state of undress. Jeans -OK, guinea T - sure, tank top - as long as you've got the goods.....

"Wife Beater", or "Guinea Tee", Paul? I can understand the upset at "Guinea Tee". The "wife beater" thing (I assume) is an extrapolation from Stanley Kowalski in Streetcar Named Desire (I never heard that particular term until today). Wife beater? I don't get the upset, but as my wife says, "Nick, you're *such* a man!" Should I get offended at the use of the word "man" as a pejorative? Nick "wife-beater" Made its way past a reporter and editor without comment, and into print. Then the S$%^ hit the fan. I suspect many fashionistas, like foodies, politicians, military strategists, and Catholic bishops, live in worlds that are so self contained nobody considers how their internal vocabulary and reference points sound to the outside world. Like Trent Lott or Cardinal Law, for example.

That's the most offensive thing I've ever heard. Nick I'm personally offended by the use of "tank top." There's enough militarism in the world today that we don't need to introduce those terms into fashion...

What’s with the Guinness site? France has an antarctic territory? Visions of penguins skinned and broiled, cases of vin rouge airfreighted to the poilus marooned there.

Good link. The Irish brewed product uses water from the Wicklow mountains. I wonder if there are noticeable differences in the brews using water from the other 150 countries where Guinness is distributed? Budweiser required a two week transition period when they switched their water source for the Newark NJ brewery from North Jersey Water company to Elizabethtown Water. Different mix of water elements, salts, etc so the water people tuned the mix of filtering agents for the new source. The brewery went on producing America's best selling beer.

Not really Rosie (most expensive). But it is kind of a "joint" (in the best sense of the word), much as Smoke's Chophouse and Solaia, and Grissini are "joints". They serve as hangouts for the well-heeled locals. Jamie Milkman has successfully moved his clientle from Jamie's over to 90 Grand Grill. Licolns and Caddies (as well as BMWs and Mercedes with a DB7 and Ferrari thrown in for spice) yes, but consider the location also. NE Bergen County. Nick I believe the establishment is directly across the street from the newish Jaguar dealership, too. Bergen County is often in the top few counties in wealth in the US, along with Fairfield. At one point, maybe still, Alpine had the highest per capita income of any municipality in the US.

Actually, Steve Plotnicki mentioned several NJ restaurants his advisors found worthy a few months ago. It was in the context of Montclair BYO locations, as I recall. I wonder what prompted his change of attitude?

The NY Times used the term without comment in a Style section article over the Summer. The following edition had a trifecta: --editor's note apologizing to irate victims, --fashion editor's note that the term was in widespread use among fashionistas who were unaware that anyone would take exception, and --letters from several victims who felt personally violated by the casual use of the term and would review the issue when their therapists returned from vacation

My Irish relatives in the US have maintained the tradition. Although the flask usually stays outside the funeral home, a retreat to the nearest public house is expected following (or during) the viewing. In the time of my uncles, this was a male only trip. It is now a co-educational effort.

On my September, 2002 visit to St James's Gate, I was also surprised at the cool serving temperature for the regular Guinness. It wasn't quick pour, there was a 60 second pause to settle the head, but the brew was no more than 45-48 degrees F. Question on the kegs - Is the US stuff kegged in the US from much larger containers shipped here? I saw several tanker trucks (10,000 gal?) of Guinness, so I'm guessing they load up a ship with a few large containers, then fill the 32 gal kegs here in the US