Rail Paul

The menu is very simple: porterhouse lamb sirloin might have been other stuff creamed spinach very good fries (large, thick, crispy exterior, buttery center) mozz and tomato and onion salad might have been appies, we didn't order any. This is a manly place. Beef place. With rough wood tables, uncomfortable chairs, scuffed wood floors, draft Brooklyn beer, coat hooks on the walls. Almost evrybody ordered the double porterhouse, from what I could tell It didn't look like a Mafia place. No record of anybody gunned down in front of the joint, so I'd give that point of history to Sparks. (I think Dutch Schultz was gunned down in Newark inside what's now a Subway restaurant. It was a bar back then)

An organic dairy farmer mentioned recently that feeding calves whey remaindered from the making of cheese was a highly efficient way to avoid waste and medication. It was his impression that the calves grew rapidly, required no supplemental medications, and made wonderful veal at 2 - 3 months. He said there's a significant demand for milkfed, "organic" veal in NY restaurants. The problem is finding a slaughterhouse willing to do one-off or two-off killing.

i'd just as soon go to sparks. but then again i'd never liked the whole thing about sparks. but even more then again, i just dread going to brooklyn. after i try sparks, though, i would want to go to luger's. i mean to say, i wouldn't want to go to sparks twice and not luger's once. i mean to say, when? you'll only need to go a little bit into Brooklyn, about three blocks, to get to Peter Luger's. The neighborhood is quite eclectic, with Hasidim and Latino folks about. If you drive over the Williamsburg bridge, two right hand turn and 100 feet puts you into their private, attended and guarded parking lot. Dee and I took the train over on Sunday and found it delightful. You can even walk back via the Williamsburg Bridge if you wish. I found the porterhouse to be wonderful, with a salty butter crust and rare to medium rare center

The NY Times wine staff does twice monthly wine tastings, with three reporters and a professional wine person exploring about a dozen wines. It's highly unusual that all four agree on the tastes of any wine. For one wine, Hesser will find floral, Prial will smell pineapple, and the others will have their impressions. There are experienced people who perceive different tastes in the same wine, at the same time, with the same foods. If a person is a critic, eating regularly for analysis purposes, it seems reasonable that the person will be consistent in their reviewing, even allowing for smoking, or a cocktail before dinner, or a line of coke, as long as they're consistent in their uses. Probably holds true for a chef, too.

When you "decide to do something together" your lawyer should be in the room with a contract. That defines what you get paid, what you're expected to do, what he's expected to do. It may even define your intellectual property ownership (who owns what you create). Without that ticket, you are at their mercy not to F, F and F you. This is very common in the software industry, where you expect to hire skilled people, pay them top dollar, and get the integrated code you need and both of you go on your merry way. It really shouldn't be any different in pastry for top performers, either. Unless, as several people have suggested, YOU own the shop.

Does Quaker Steak have a Pittsburgh are location? That could be worth a detour...

Strip House if FANTASTIC - I highly recommend it! "Fantastic" would appear to put Strip House at most 12th on your list of NJ steak houses, based on your in-order listing of many other places.

Didn't somebody crown Strip House in Livingston as "best" also? I haven't been there yet.

Steven - back in 1920, exactly half the US population lived on farms. economists extrapolate that this half fed the half which lived in the cities and provided some export grains. After 1920, that balance has shifted until 5% of the US population now feeds the other 95% and exports huge crops of soybeans, corn, wheat, etc. Surely the Bobolinks of the world will not feed that 95%, but Jonathan's humane care for his cows and chickens provides a model for people who will pay $4.50 a dozen for eggs and $17 for cheese. I think we're on the same page in our belief that the provenance of foods is a consideration in the purchase and appreciation decision. Not the only one, and maybe not even the primary determinant, but definitely a consideration. Now, we should discuss Julia's views on genetic modifications... Paul

No, "consumers" don't have any such need. Some people will want to consider provenance, others won't. It's not a question of "should". Cruel rearing practices are generally designed to produce an improvement in the meat, unless you believe that they are gratuitous. Foei gras and veal are the two meats most supposed to involve cruel practice, and in each case for the specific purpose of producing meat in a form which is considered desirable. So if we assume, for the moment, that milk feeding and penning of calves is cruel, and that form of rearing is what gives veal its desirable characteristics, then cruelty de facto does affect the dining experience. My reading of Ms Child's comments suggests that taste should be the only determinant. In my own view of dining, I think that is an element, but certainly not the only one. My sense is that some better-off purchasers will pay a premium for cruelty free or minimized products. Evidence of that trend has already emerged in the demand for kosher and halal (cruelty must be minimized) meats, line caught fish, and humane veal. Whether that trend works its way down into the thirty cents of meat in a quarter pounder is anyone's guess. I wouldn't expect it anytime soon. (And, after 50 years, Julia Child still draws strong reactions. She also favors genetically modified foods as a way to feed the earth's many people.) In follow-up to macrosan's usual, thoughtful comments, I'd suggest the consumer should consider the provenance of the food they eat. I see the penning up of veal and the administration of, for example, hormones as two sides of the same coin. If the intent is to produce a more flavorful meat, then anything which produces more flavor is appropriate (extending Julia Child's logic, not yours). That slippery slope leads us to any number of balance items (grain use for cattle, fertilizer pollution, pig lagoons, etc) with consequences beyond the plate's rim

Michael - I'd add a few comments to your excellent guidelines. 4) The wireservices for many papers (NY Times, Wash Post, Chicago Tribune) usually have a delay in distribution from when the original story ran. If your local paper reprints food articles from the Times a week later, you can prepare a local content paragraph or sidebar with your pitch and have it on the reporter's or editor's desk ready to be used. Check the source so you know what's on the way to your local editor. 5) Volunteering at food shows, food bank events, etc gets you in front of many chefs. There's always a need for people to work the line, help with plating, etc. Even if you're not the star, your get-it-done attitude will be noticed by potential employers. (one lucky eG member worked with Daniel Boulud at an event and even received a ride home from him) Paul

Your pao is excellent. Properly cooked, it's somewhere between a cheese puff and small, lighter quiche. You might want to consider how you could adapt it to a resto kitchen. I'm guessing it could be an impressive (and cheap to make) amuse item.

No, "consumers" don't have any such need. Some people will want to consider provenance, others won't. It's not a question of "should". Cruel rearing practices are generally designed to produce an improvement in the meat, unless you believe that they are gratuitous. Foei gras and veal are the two meats most supposed to involve cruel practice, and in each case for the specific purpose of producing meat in a form which is considered desirable. So if we assume, for the moment, that milk feeding and penning of calves is cruel, and that form of rearing is what gives veal its desirable characteristics, then cruelty de facto does affect the dining experience. My reading of Ms Child's comments suggests that taste should be the only determinant. In my own view of dining, I think that is an element, but certainly not the only one. My sense is that some better-off purchasers will pay a premium for cruelty free or minimized products. Evidence of that trend has already emerged in the demand for kosher and halal (cruelty must be minimized) meats, line caught fish, and humane veal. Whether that trend works its way down into the thirty cents of meat in a quarter pounder is anyone's guess. I wouldn't expect it anytime soon. (And, after 50 years, Julia Child still draws strong reactions. She also favors genetically modified foods as a way to feed the earth's many people.)

in an interview reported in September's Gourmet, Julia Child describes her likes and dislikes. Among the dislikes is "humanely raised veal." Ms Child doesn't find the tenderness or milk-fed taste in humanely raised veal. To a person schooled in taste and texture, hrv doesn't make the grade. So, what do you think? Do consumers have a need to consider the provenance of food before it hits their table? Should cruelty or its absence affect the dining experience?

Stoney Croft Farm is another artisan cheese maker in the bobolink general area. They're just off NJ 94, near the Lafayette Outlet Mall in Lafayette, perhaps 15 minutes from bobolink. They raise cows and produce good cheddar and colby. The latter is infused with fennel and rosemary. There are many farm stands on 94 and 206, with corn, squash and tomatoes in abundance

September 2003 Theme is Television ((Blue cover, with cookies) Indian spiced shrimp (10 minute recipe) America's Kitchens - snips from the Honeymooners to the Sopranos, by way of the jetsons, Brady Bunch and Good Times. Reality Check - How do FoodNetwork chefs own places stack up? Gourmet sent reporters to sample the goods. Ming Tsai - - food seems almost outsourced, but when it works, it works beautifully Michelle Bernstein - food to applaud Robert Del Grande - Cafe Annie is more focused than ever Mario Batali (Babbo) - So compulsively good, you could eat it every day if you could get a reservation Bobby Flay (Mesa) - Not resting on its laurels, may have the city's best service Paula Deen - The Lady & Sons is soulless. As if it had been created for tourists. The locals are over at Nita's place, where the chicken is spicier and the mac and cheese has a glow Wolfgang Puck (Santa Monica) - Stick with the Austrian, the Asian may be heavy and sweet. Lidia Bastianich - Home to Barolos and mega-mergers, with clear and uncomplicated flavors. Gale Gand - Happy, whimsical, pleasures Emeril Lagasse - Service and wine is first class, food is bld and in your face. Morimoto - Edible sculptures of foie gras and oysters Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken - Border Grill is among the best mexican places in a city which has hundreds. Roadfood The Sterns hit the Billy Goat tavern in Chicago, believed to be the model for John Belushi's cheezbooga routine. Reached by a stairway from the Miracle Mile, this smoky and dark bar remains a model of its kind. Review: Lost Recipes by Marion Cunningham It's likely you'll find several of your family's treasured recipes here. These are classic recipes. Cruise Ship Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Like a new Mercedes 600, this luxury ship negotiates 27 foot swells and gale force winds with ease. Bourdain's kitchen pitches and heaves, as he prepares osso bucco. Carefully placed railings keep his pots in place on his AEG range. When Bourdain asked about cooking, he was told very few of the well heeled guests actually USE the kitchen in each suite. ResidenSea offers 1100 to 4800 sf condos for luxury cruising. The local sushi chef was spotted fishing off the deck. Guests are expected to dress formally in the evening. Best line: "I felt like Giligan crashing a party for the Howells." Cooking from TV modern interpretations Lucy's arroz con pollo Andy's panfried trout with pecan butter (my bet is Andy was cat-fishing) Brady Bunch pork chops Cosby's Ding Dong Chili Elaine's blueberry tops (from the classic episode) TV Nation Judith Crist describes the birth of the TV dinner (1953) and its evolution. The original meal was turkey, stuffing, gravy, peas, and sweet potatoes. Dessert was added in 1966. The genesis of the dinner was 200,000 pounds of turkey Swanson needed to get moving. Squeaky clean homes, with the newest year's current appliances. The newest car was in the garage, and mom always wore pearls. Best line - Ozzie Nelson describing how sponsors were always trying to do product placements: We had to convince them we do not eat Aunt Jemima pncakes for dinner. Accidental Purist Julia Child describes her early days in TV ($50 an episode) and she had to lug the pots and pans to the studio. At age 91 whe's still filled with opinions (likes: In-N-Out, and genetic modification for foods; dislikes: McD's fries and humanely raised veal. The old, inhumane stuff tastes better) Likes Nigella, Tyler Florence (even if he roasts a chicken at 425). Never wamed up to Martha Stewart or Ina Garten JC remains a strong supporter of public TV, always tithed a portion of her income to it. An updated 1968 recipe is offered. Among the changes: no buillion cubes, the chicken is different now, so cooking changes, there are more California wines today than "Mountain Red" Reese Schonfeld: FoodNetwork Founder Emeril's first 65 shows paid him $300 each but put FN on the map. RS never understood Two Fat Ladies, or Iron Cook, but liked their ratings. He doesn't cook, and takes most of his meals at Cafe des Artistes. Admires Ming Tsai's poise and grace on the air, Emeril's energy radiates, he might make $5mn a year from the current FN management. Sara Moulton on Oops: Live TV Cooking Live when your stage catches fire, or when a live caller asks you about "eggplant a la penis" and other adventures. Moulton writes with the same easy grace she conveys on her (now taped) show. Goodbye to All That Sandra Lee (Semi-Homemade) espouses a mix of 70% prepared foodstuffs mixed with 30% fresh. The big guys outsource, why don't you? Lee has become a media presence with QVC, book deals, and upcoming FN show. The Restaurant: Is it Real? Reality and truth change as TV cameras roll. Turn on a camera and people play to it. For the record, the couple filmed having sex say the producers asked them to do it, the producers deny that. Discussion of product placement Mitsubishi, Coors, AmEx, etc Dave Lieberman's Star Turn Spotted by Amanda Hesser while hosting a public access food show, Dave found himself in NYC, looking at book deals, Leno spots, tables at Citarella. My Life as a Hand Model A view of the difficulty in filming food commercials. Stylists rule the roost, followied by the lighting people. There's a wicked analysis of a Donato's Philly Cheese Steak commercial. The Virginian Thomas Jefferson's passions for food and wine. recipes for fig and goat cheese crostini, Virginia ham and melon apple chutney, Roasted-tomato soup, herb crusted rack of lamb, and wild mushroom soup VeraCruz - Mexican Outback A food tour from Tampico to Veracruz, a part of Mexico's east coast abounding in fish, flavored by Cuba and Africa, and abundant natural beauty. Serrano ham, black beans, cheese, crab and shrimp are integral parts of th elocal diet. This article seems to have the style Ruth Reichl is trying to hit: culturally sensitive, respect for food traditions, and an incentive to GO THERE. It's tough to read this and not say, Let's Go! A Taste of Honey A collection of recipes (honey lavender ice cream, seame seed candy, honey cake, lamb tagine, etc) using honey. I was disappointed that there were no references to the many different varieties of honey Dinner For One Oven fried chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, snap peas LINKS will follow

The Stern's Roadfood site suggests a place called Mastori's in Bordentown, NJ. Describes it as a bakery diner, huge, convenient to the Turnpike. Haven't there myself, but it seems to fit your basic parameters (near Camden, convenient to the Pike at exit 7). Mastori's

Rouge has a fine wine list, I was there about three weeks ago. Striped Bass has one of the best lists in the city. Rouge has a wall of large French doors which open up onto the sidewalk cafe. Since you're a few feet up so you have a good view of the crowd on the street, activity in Rittenhouse square. Menu has interesting choices, wine list is good, desserts are good, bar scene is impressive and upscale. Ms Shill, does rouge have a website? I didn't find one in my quick search

i refuse to watch it. i'm offended already and will continue to be offended regardless of the content. Ya gotta find a different shtick, tommy. Somebody else already has a lock on being offended by stuff he hasn't seen. One is enough. How about you being offended on behalf of the mullet fish who are offended by mullet wearers? Is there another name for mullet fish? I don't recall ever seeing them on a menu or a review of mullet preparations...

Late summer is always a tough time for restaurants, with customers on vacation, at the shore for weekends, etc. Sometimes a little goosing helps move things along. Montrachet in NY fills the house with its "no corkage charges" policy on Mondays in summer, other places offer deals, or price fixe at lower than typical prices.

We've had an ongoing thread on the NJ boards on this very topic. Several well ranked restaurants disappeared from the NJ Zagat when a new editor took over. Other fine places, with well reviewed offerings, deep wine cellars, and customers who nominated them, still aren't listed. An American Grill in Randolph is a good example of the latter. Zagat's NJ editor, Andrea Clurfeld, has declined to respond to invitations to discuss the Zagat criteria on eG, which leaves us guessing

That outside agency, whether it's NOFA or Tilth, etc, exists to replace the traditional bond between grower and consumer. I've seen Jonathan's farm, understand his logic, and trust his track record. So, I buy his cheese and bread regularly. I'll buy some groceries at Trader Joe's because I trust their vetting procedure. In the July Gourmet magazine, Andrew Griffin and Julia Wiley explained why Mariquita Farm hasn't sought organic certification for their crops: it's too expensive. Their customers know them, trust them, and accept that Griffin and Wiley eat the same food. Ultimately, Alice Waters is in the same role, deciding whom she trusts for the supply of food served to her customers. (Thanks to tanabutler for her comments on Mariquita Farm) Mariquita Farm

A problem in a cooked food place is one thing, a problem in a sushi joint is something else entirely. Wonder what it was? And, I wonder if inspectors are more inquisitive in a sushi place than in a cooked food place?

I had the opportunity to try Kunzler hot dogs this afternoon with friends in the Philipsburg area. I'd agree with John they were a little less spicy or peppery than I like, but they seemed a bit wider than many dogs. (Box of 48, two 24 packs for food service use) I played around with them on the grill, and created a ripper. Didn't get a chance to skillet cook them in oil, but they grilled up nicely. Kunzler is based in Lancaster PA. I noticed dextose and corn meal in the ingredients, which is consistent with the expansion and ripping

I'd be surprised if staging is acceptable in US restaurants affiliated with US chains (hotel or restaurant). Allowing somebody into your kitchen who isn't covered on your worker's comp, liability and bonding is a huge risk. For an independent place, it's the owner's or chef's call, I'd suppose. Many things which used to be OK, aren't any more. A major NY chef-owner and maitre were terminated earlier this year after a botched sexual harassment complaint. Ten years ago, that might have been considered very "European." I'd also suspect staging might be a problem in union represented restaurants. Crafts do not want people performing jobs for which they are not authorized