emmapeel

If you ever decide to make your own mint julep or mojito, here is a tool you might need.

I'm curious about what I've seen lately when people are eating these days. I eat "American Style" using the "Zig-Zag" method. I transfer the fork to my right hand after I have cut the food. Call me a peasant, I don't care. It's acceptable in the states. I have dined with many Europeans who eat with the tines of the fork down, and never transfer utensils from hand to hand. Both styles are fine with me. What is not fine, and I see often, (even in fine dining establishments) is holding the fork vertically, with a fist in the right hand (tines up)! It concerns me because it is a common sight, and makes me wonder if this style is becoming acceptable. Another is chewing with the mouth open. In a movie theatre, it is so disconcerting, I'll move my seat. Recently, I treated an old high school friend and her son to dinner at a steakhouse (Keens) and her son's (age 15) table manners were lacking. I don't remember learning how to use utensils, so it must have been before 4 years of age. The mother ate American style and I wondered, if she knows how to wield a knife and fork, why doesn't her son? Then I began to wonder if younger people only eat fast food and rarely use utensils. If this is the case, then I'll get used to it. (And I'll keep remembering I didn't use chopsticks until I was 22.)

Chun Cha Foo. A place of many happy childhood memories for me. ← Thanks Michael, Was it as good as I remember?

I just had a Dark Chocolate Chocolate Almond Joy. It was really different than a Mounds bar, (which I prefer since it's dark chocolate) because the coconut is chocolate also.

Ironically, I was born in Flushing, and we moved from there in the mid-60s before it was a Chinatown. I don't believe I ate chinese food until I was about 11 or so, and it was a cuisine my siblings and I discovered sans parents. I think I remember King Yum, (was it on Union Turnpike?) We always ordered combinations and never had leftovers. What I do remember is, Chinese food was really good in Queens, and upon moving to Manhattan as a young adult, I found it often was hit and miss. There was one place I frequented which is the current location of Carmine's on the Upper West Side. It was so huge and often empty, with room after room of fabulous Chinese decor of silk walls, lacquered woods, and murals of China. The food was good, and it was at that time my then boyfriend and I learned the pleasures of over-ordering, which we did so we wouldn't have to hit the streets for a day or so.

But is the color dark?

Please tell us something... is the room nice (avec bouchons de le oreille)? I'm surprised it opened, because on Monday it was a work in progress that appeared to look as if it needed two more weeks before it would be finished. (It must have been a mad dash, like on that show, "Opening Soon," on Fine Living Network.) You comment on our neighborhood's notoriety for frugality (and I agree), so are you hinting it's priced unlike the other restaurants nearby?

If we could decide on what a NY Breakfast is , FG, I agree the criteria you use for the egg sandwich would make it a winner. It's what I order all the time and enjoy it. As you said, you can get it anywhere and at anytime, from diners to delis to carts on the street. I picked the Bagel/Lox meal for historical reasons. It seems unique to New York, originating through immigrants, and has now spread across the country.

Great News! bergerka, I'm so glad you did that. If they do re-open, I hearby make a solomn promise to support them as much as I can, just to keep them around.

You reminded me of Taco Bells' Double-Taco which was a soft taco, refried beans layered over a hard taco. It was pretty good.

I just finished my first Onion Confit. Equal parts butter and EVOO, 6 onions, a 1/4 cup sugar and a little salt. Stove top for 4 hours on the barest of flames, and in the oven at 200 for 14 hours. It is a dark marmalade color and tastes fine, but there is still some liquid at the bottom. Should I cook it out on the stove top? Thanks in advance.

Barney Greengrass is good for another reason. It is a quintessential Jewish New York institution, with authentic deli guys to entertain you. We have so few left in Manhattan these days. Also, I don't think it's been renovated since I'd first saw it 30 years ago. (Has it?) So, it has a good look about it. Ess-a-Bagel is such a good one I'd forgotten about. (Where I live we have Absolute Bagel, owned by a former employee of Ess-a Bagel, so we get pretty good clones.) What you've said about Juniors is so true and really funny. It's great that it survived so many neighborhood transitions; I haven't been in years and it's time for a visit. Yep, it's Jewish, Black and Puerto Rican and still has the best cheescake in town, IMHO. I think of American Breakfasts as southern, pretty much as you what you've described. Scrapple! I'd completely forgotten about it. I though it was delicious when I was growing up. I totally agree that Good Enough is a girly place -- A big, fat girly place, only for girls who are not afraid to eat. I also agree it is not worth waiting in line for, but so few places are. Still, I like it on weekdays. (The sausage used to be better, but they're still pretty good --did they get a new chef?) I don't wait on line for any restaurant. I would say the "New York Breakfast" would have to be bagel, lox or nova, eggs and creamcheese.

I'd be sorry to hear they closed also because I always found it charming and intimate, and I liked the Saucisse et saucisson. I've been worried that they wouldn't survive Henry's, Carne, but they did. Now with Picnic, and the newest, Cafe Le Soleille, (opening in Positively 104th Street's spot) I guess the competition is getting too difficult. Let's hope not.

I would love to offer advice, but I don't know quite what you mean by "mythical." My English acquaintances tell me our bacon is awful, "mostly fat" they say, but I think we do have great things at breakfast. So tell me what you have in mind, or what you've heard and I'll try to give you some pointers. The most over the top breakfasts are had at Sunday brunch here. One place that wins awards, but many don't like is Norma's at the Parker Meridian Hotel. I mention this first because it gets so much buzz. Its detractors say it's like eating dessert. I like Good Enough to Eat but would never go on the weekend because it's too busy. They have these patty sausages that are really good, and biscuits with strawberry butter. Their pancakes are good also. I think they serve breakfast until 4 pm in the afternoon, which is just right for some of us. Sarabeth's is three blocks south. It's very popular also. Then we have bistros, but that is not American fare, but if you're feeling for French food, try Brasserie Les Halles Downtown. The website has a menu. After brunch you can stroll Lower Manhattan and see where the city began. I equate American Breakfasts with the south, so a Soul Food breakfast would be in order, with grits, eggs, fried tomatoes, bacon, sausage, biscuits and such. I don't know where you would find it except in Harlem, perhaps Amy Ruth's. I know you are on a Diner Road Trip, but I don't have any recommendations for breakfast in Diners in New York. Pan's recommendation for Teresa's is certainly a popular one. A diner you might like to visit is Empire Diner, for the architecture and a cocktail. Their egg dishes are good too. You can see their menu at Menu Pages. I would not recommend it as a food destination.

Yeah, they stink but they're The Taste you Crave!

Another nod to White Castle--The Taste you Crave and the "chicken ring." I'll never eat one, but now they make sandwiches with them.

Yes, I'm guilty...really guilty. In London, with a friend who loves Indian food as much as I, went to Bombay Palace together. Our order had been worked out to a science in New York restaurants over several meals we'd shared. We began...These appetizers, this chicken, that curry, oh and chutney, that rice, this bread and that bread and, "That will be more than enough, ladies," the waiter said. We were stunned. And too embarrased to continue. We ate our dinner and it was good. But because our order had been aborted, we went to another Indian restaurant and orderd take-away! I don't think we regretted it at all. We were young and I could not eat like that today. That I do regret. Oh, to be young...

An interesting article on Roast Chickens was in the Post-Gazette mid-April. It mentions Judy Rodger's chicken and Thomas Keller's. It continues to say that Keller does not use butter on the skin because the water content creates steam. Perhaps I'll clarify some butter and try that.

I went once for take out. Saw a roll on the menu for $17.00 and selected it even though I thought it was expensive, I thought it must be a very large roll. No, it wasn't, but it was damn good. I just can't justify the prices at Neo, so I haven't returned.

I'm sure that restaurant and catering pros will have advice, but I'm not one, so here is my suggestion. Mikasa has clearance items of simple white china, and I recently had to do some replacements and found them cheap on their website. I bought Tivoli, and it's listed as china. The dinner plates are $4.99 but I think their are too large for your needs, as mine are as large as chargers. The salad plates are $2.99. But if you go the website and search "white" there is so much inexpensive china to choose among the discontinued items.

I don't live on Staten Island, but I am aware of these two restaurants, and I'm not sure if they are near the Ferry or not. Bocca Italian 1435 Hylan Boulevard (Staten Island) 718-980-4470 Bocca, Excellent Italian American Grill American 420 Forest Avenue, Between Bard Avenue & Hart Blvd. (Staten Island) 718-442-4742 http://www.americangrill.org American Grill, Mayor's Favorite Your tour sounds like fun. How about City Island in the Bronx for seafood. There is some road house spot at the end of the Avenue on the water. Or Arthur Avenue for good Italian. In Manhattan you might try Tony Luke's Old Philly Style Sandwiches 576 Ninth Ave. near 41st St. 212-967-3055 I'm sure you'll get lots of advice.

This is a sad state for servers and I sympathize. However, I cannot be concerned about the relationship servers have with their employers. I feel, as you have done by keeping a record, that servers owe it to themselves to take care of this issue. Furthermore, this is the same reason I would not want to move to an auto-service charge, because I'm sure most Restaurateurs would take advantage of it. Some people feel that the restaurant should add the service into the price of the meal. In that case, servers should get, let's say for argument sake, 15% of the check. I am afraid that they would wind up with 10-12%, with the restaurant explaining that the meal cost went up that week. Then the server is not getting 20%, they are paying cc fees, and payment is delayed. I would rather stay in control of the tip as a diner. Regardless, if I pay cash, I'll tip in cash. If I charge it, I'll charge the tip.

Yes, I hate them too, but a little brush with bon ami or barkeeper's friend and they're clean again.

I love it too, and have been using it about 9 or 10 years. I have burned them beyond recognition, and they clean up beautifully. One thing I don't like is, (and I've done it twice) if I let water boil out of a pot leaving it empty, the stainless turns a funny brown, never to recover. If anyone has a solution for that, please let me know. But my favorite story about the product is this: In a three qt. pot, I made risotto. My guest arrived, we ate, had seconds and then left for the opera. I returned home 3 1/2 hours later to find I'd left the burner on warm. The risotto was black like coal, but dumped out like it was non-stick and the pot was untouched. That incident made me purchase the 10pc. and many other pieces after that.

Of course there's plenty. Beans, Onions, and other root vegtables are the basis of many dishes. Also, Bermuda although quite British, is a tourist destination, and you'll have anything you want.