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Our household really likes that the show mostly goes to affordable, family run, off the tourist track restaurants. Also, given that we have relatives for whom chicken tikka would be rather unusual, we appreciate that you present "ethnic" restaurants in an approachable manner. We also like that you give user friendly tips for ordering in them. The Ham-B-Q and Fried Chicken in the Atlanta episode had me drooling.

And who had to clean the fryer afterwards?

Probably North Coast Brewing's Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout. Good stuff. At 8.9% ABV, a little strong for me, though. I usually stick with their Old No. 38 Stout, which is also tasty, but, has a more modest 5.6% ABV.

Actually, Carolyn gave them a good notice in a recent writeup in her "Discovering San Francisco" thread: Oct 16 2006 But, likewise, I haven't been there for years, and would probably go to any of the restaurants melkor lists, L'Osteria del Forno or Antica Trattoria, (on my list to try, haven't been there, yet,) before returning to Rose Pistola.

Ya know, I did find that page. I was confused, though, as they said their currant syrup comes from a species native to North America. No idea if it is similar to the European red currant. I was also a little leery, as it was on a page full of pancake syrups. In any case, I was pleased with my solution, as it didn't involve mail order or shipping, just a trip to a local gourmet grocery store. Also, I know d'Arbo products have really good, concentrated fruit flavor and no extraneous ingredients.

Artist's (Special) Cocktail 1/3 Whisky (3/4 oz Sazerac Junior Rye) 1/3 Sherry (3/4 oz Lustau Solera Reserva Dry Oloroso Sherry "Don Nuño") 1/6 Lemon Juice (1/3-1/2 oz lime juice) 1/6 Groseille Syrup (bar spoon D'Arbo Red Currant Preserves) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass Well, I've take quite a lot of liberties for this one. However, with such unspecific ingredients its hard to know where to start. First, the whisky is not specified. Second the type of Sherry is not specified. Third, I realized when I was looking through the refrigerator tonight, we were out of lemons. Fourth, I could find no Red Currant syrup. But, the description is so inspiring, I had to give it a try. The Saz Jr is my go-to rye for mixing, so I started there. Sometimes it is a little too assertive to play well with other ingredients. But there was enough going on here, I thought it might be interesting. I didn't particularly care for the fino sherry I'd recently tried in my cobbler experiment, so I thought I'd get something a little richer. Didn't want a cream, though. Given the fairly meager local selection of sherry, the Lustau Dry Oloroso seemed like a good choice. My wife has a cold and she used up all the lemons in her tea. Thank goodness, we still had regular limes. I don't think I could have lived with myself if I had been forced to substitute key limes or calamansi. Apparently, Groseille syrup is red currant syrup. I can find no trace of it in the modern world. Black currant, yes, Red currant, no. Fortunately, you can still buy red currant preserves. What are preserves, but, thickened fruit syrup? What's the verdict? It's quite a tasty cocktail and well worth all that pondering. Everything is there; but, none of the ingredients are fighting. Rye, currants, citrus, and sherry complement each other. Who knew?

Artillery Cocktail 1/3 Italian Vermouth (3/4 oz Carpano Antica Vermouth) 2/3 Dry Gin (1 1/2 oz Citadelle Gin) Shake (stir - eje) well and strain into cocktail glass Was trying to think of a way to raise this cocktail above average, so decided to open a couple bottles I've had sitting around. The Carpano Antica is nice. Subtle, complex, and not as sweet as the Cinzano. Can't wait to try it in a Manhattan. The Citadelle seemed like it had a stronger Juniper component than either of the gins I usually mix with (Beefeater or Plymouth). With interesting ingredients, it's not a bad cocktail. With cheap gin and generic vermouth, I doubt it would be very interesting.

More info about the Enrico's closure here: Enrico's cafe closes, and Broadway dims

kalypso, Looks great! Really enjoyed the detailed writeup on your blog, as well. Thanks for posting the link. Though, ack, the "Enchiladas Sencillas" entry reminded me I've been cooking from Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking" for 20 years. My, how time flies!

Kurt, I'm in a similar boat. The only Zuidam we get here is their London Dry, which I think is an OK dry gin. Very subtle and vodka-ish. The only Genevers I've tried are the Boomsmas. The Boomsmas seem like fine gins. Nothing to get terribly excited about, but, ok for the price. Wish I had something to compare them to! I did see a dusty row of DeKuyper Genever at a liquor store in Burlingame the other day, and am hoping to return and get a bottle some time soon. Unfortunately, there is the small matter of a certain newly released 2006 Antique Collection which is calling my name much more strongly...

Unfortunately, I've learned Enrico's closed last night (10-30-2006). From what I've read, their lease was up, and they were unable to negotiate a mutually agreeable new one with the landlord. Sad to see a San Francisco institution like Enrico's vanish.

Absolutely! I would love to see that.

George, I asked Robert about this. He said it was a mistake on the website he thought he had corrected. The bartenders at the Zig Zag were looking through Saucier's "Bottom's Up", not the "Jones' Complete BarGuide", when they discovered The Last Word. Whew, I'm glad I asked him before going through the gin recipes in "Jones`..." one by one! Reading through all those 70s era recipes was starting to make me think I really needed a bottle of Galliano for my home bar.

Huh, funny. I haven't read the whole Jones' Complete; but, I went through all the cross indexed Green Chartreuse, Yellow Chartreuse, and Maraschino cocktails last weekend and found no trace of the Last Word or anything similar. I didn't go through all the Gin cocktail; but, that just seems too painful. I get eye strain just thinking about it. There are a few similar drinks; but, nothing that contains all four of the listed ingredients in equal parts. Does anyone have a version of the Jones' Complete that contains it? Might have to drop a note to Mr. Hess and ask if he remembers the incident in question.

It's interesting that the NY Times chose to publish a recipe that was closer to the Thomas' recipe than the one from Killer Cocktails. Wonder if it was Dave's choice or the editors?

Well, these aren't really all that frightful. But, they are amazingly tasty and it's really too bad you can't smell them. I look forward to fall for the brief period when local guavas are at their peak. If only they didn't have those little rock-like seeds...

OK, this isn't the world's prettiest picture. Jacqueline Higuera McMahon's article, "Pumpkin seeds morph from jack-o'-lantern to mole" inspired me to give a Pipian a try. I ended up half way between McMahon's recipe and the Oaxacan Pipian in Diana Kennedy's "The Art of Mexican Cooking". I did wimp out and not press it through sieve. The side dish is kabocha squash braised with Rainbow Chard. In any case, these flavors, combined with warm, fragrant corn tortillas, have got to be some of the most magical I can think of. Definitely worth the trouble.

Apricot Coctail 1/4 Lemon Juice (3/4 oz Lemon Juice) 1/4 Orange Juice (3/4 oz Orange Juice) 1/2 Apricot Brandy (1 1/2 oz Vedrenne Liqueur de Abricot) 1 Dash Dry Gin (Beefeater's) Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. I was afraid this mild proto-Fuzzy Navel would be too sweet. However, the lemon balances out the sweetness of the Apricot liqueur nicely and it ends up more sweet tart. Again, as in the Apple Jack Rabbit, the aromatic zing of fresh citrus juice makes this cocktail for me.

Apricot Cocktail (Sweet). (6 People) Dilute a teaspoon of apricot jam (1/2 teaspoon Bonne Maman Apricot preserves) in a glass of Abricotine (1 oz Vedrenne liqueur de Abricot). Add a teaspoonful of Peach Bitters (1/2 teaspoon Fee's Peach Bitters), slightly less than two glasses of Gin (2 oz Beefeater Gin) and 2 1/2 glasses French Vermouth (2 1/2 oz Noilly Prat Dry). Place this mixture in a shaker and put it on the ice (in the freezer) to cool. When quite cold pour in two or three glasses of crushed ice and shake well. Strain into cocktail glass. Odd instructions, I must say. The end result is a pleasant enough after dinner cocktail. Especially highlights the nutty flavors of the Apricot liqueur.

Cheers, Peter! Glad you enjoy it. Dipsophilia is a new word for me! Approve Cocktail 3/4 Wineglass Rye or Canadian Club Whisky (2 oz Sazerac 6 yr. Rye) 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters (8 drops) 2 Dashes Curacao (1 barspoon Marie Brizard Orange Curacao) Shake (stir - eje) and strain into wine-glass. Squeeze lemon and orange peel on top. Basically a big glass of cold citrus scented rye. Possibly, I should have used a milder flavored whisk(e)y. Honestly, I think I would have preferred straight rye.

Cross checked all the receipts indexed to Green Chartreuse in my Jones Complete BarGuide. Nothing involving equal parts Green Chartreuse, gin, lime, and Maraschino. I also skimmed most of the text and didn't see anything promising. I'll check the Yellow Chartreuse and Maraschino receipts; but, there are a lot more of them, and I need to start making dinner. The Jones bar guide is a little oddly organized. All the receipts are organized alphabetically, and then the index is done based on ingredient(s). While there is a lot of introductory text, the recipe section is quite terse. Example: Lovum' and Leavem' Cocktail Glass - Shake 3/4 oz lime juice 1 egg white 1 oz gin 1/2 oz triple sec 1/4 oz grenadine

Is it under a different name in "Jones Complete BarGuide"? I don't find it under "Last Word" or "The Last Word" in my copy (1977).

Oh, sorry, I shouldn't credit him with it. My mistake. Wondrich doesn't take credit for the Improved Holland Gin Cock-Tail in "Killer Cocktails", just sez, "In 'Gangs of New York' era Gotham, if there was one drink the sporty gents in the top hats were partial to, it was a Gin Cock-Tail. This 'improved' version dates to 1876."

Pam, North Coast's PranQster is a strong Belgian Style Ale. ABV is 7.6%. It's not a particularly extreme version of Belgian Style Ale, compared to those from Ommegang, Allagash, Russian River, or Unibroue. However, it is very easy drinking for its alcohol content. Care must be exercised.