shacke

Lightning fast response from John Reitano: Hi Evan, Which store did you visit? Was the cup plastic or paper? I am really curious to know which cup you were served in. I am sorry that you walked away disapopinted. Everyone is trained to pour the same size portion regardless of the cup that is used, so there has not been any change-up in the offering. In fact, you can always ask them to weigh it if you are afraid that you have been short-changed. It is important to us that the same size serving be offered consistently. We ran out of our logo'd cups and we have been waiting for all of our new cups to arrive. Thanks for letting me know about your concern. Best, John PhilaD, looks like you got the goldmine and I got the shaft with the smaller cups Glad to know portion size change is not the issue and this is all temporary, just individual servers not compensating for the smaller cups with a heavier hand. Phew.

Was it the "new" ridgy cup? Perhaps the 20th st staff missed the "heap it up" missive with the new containers from the boss. Do I sense a mission here, philad? (insert MI theme here) Evan

Could it be? A negative comment in the Capogiro thread? Yup. I was there tonight and they changed their cups. It appears that the piccolo is now more piccolo. I called them on it and they told me that while the container has changed, the amount has not. I must say that I don't believe it. I go there frequently enough that I think I can tell the difference. I would venture that the small size is now 25% smaller but that is a guess. My wife agreed. For the first time, she didn't feel like it was "enough" for her and I concur. Frequent flyers know the drill. Scoop up the gelato with the spatula and slide it onto the side of the cup, rotate 180 and do the same thing. You can't fit the spatula edge into these cups. The new "medio" appears to be nearer to the old "piccolo". Anyway, it ticks me off a bit because 1. It is messing with a good thing and 2. $4.25 is a healthy price to pay in the first place and now this? Does Capogiro have to go the way of the smaller devil dogs, ring dings and suzy Q's? I hope its a temporary problem. I am not fooled. I have emailed them to make my voice heard. Having said that, I plan on being there again tomorrow with a few fellow gulleteers if all goes well and they can confirm or dispel my theory. Evan

For vietnamese coffee, I have always gone into Ba Le on, is it 8th? It's on Washington.

I did and if you, like me, are a fan of quality sangiovese (only a token of merlot in there), it's a winner. Great drinking now, it will certainly soften some of its tannic grip in the next year or so. I too am itching to try the Oreno.

The 99 was available last year Neil and I thought it was pretty good for the price although I didn't stock up on it. I have not had the 98. If you try any of these, post your thoughts. Evan

I am full just looking at those pictures, gorgeous as they are. Great post. Evan

The sette ponti crognolo 03, little brother of the Oreno, is all of a sudden all over the place..... $19.99 is a great price. Best stock in CC seems to be 19th and chestnut. I have not tried this yet but hope to tomorrow.

Went to Narberth as the site said there was a bottle left. I got there and they didn't know where it could be. I have said it up thread and I will say it again - NARBERTH staff is totally clueless and Newman would plotz if he were a fly on the wall there for a day. There are under construction getting a temp controlled room. Good luck with that unless they get some people who have an iota of wine knowledge. A remnant of the good old days is that store. On a lighter note, JeffL and mrbigjas, all you need to do is show up at my place and I will open any bottle you want! la Mia bottiglila e la tua bottiglia

Tried to get one little teeny weeny bottle of the Kalkan Malbec and stocks were good 2 days ago in City Ave and Narberth. Now there are none. Man. Someone is busy hogging them up. Maybe if someone has one, I will trade with them for something when we see each other next. Evan

The 2006 winemaker dinner schedule is now available. I will be at the Feudi Di San Gregorio dinner at Penne. Evan

The 2003 Cakebread Cabernet has now made it into the area. Not a chairman selection but ...you know.. like... just in case you were wondering. Evan

I heard today it has already closed. That was fast.

I do not believe that this dinner was "horrible". Some things are out of the control of the chef and management such as: other customers, design of room etc. Service and food are the things that can be affected on a daily basis. Clearly KimWB had great food and great service. Incedently, I ate a Lacroix recently and I do know the table that KimWB is referring to and sat right near it in fact. It is right at the window (coveted seats) and it has a view. This table sat guests all evening with no problems during the time I was there. Also, did anyone at Lacroix actually recieve the fax? Was it faxed to the proper dept? Hotels are big and things tend to get lost. It is interesting to note also that this is the ONLY negative thing I have read in regards to one of our best restaurants in Philly. Baby crying and "I didn't like the table" is not waited very heavy in terms of valid complaints in my book. Personally, I do not think there is a bad table in the room from what I can tell. I was restaurant manager at The Four Seasons so I am especially sensitive to this type of criticism. ← Was the post by bigboss from the "Big Boss?" If not, it appears the message itself was received by someone who matters/ed.

Allow me to fittingly recall the post on my first SK dinner.... Still, a gut slap to hear the news. say it aint so.... Evan

Thanks for the update Kevin. The inventory is beginning to trickle out and should reach the eastern shore soon enough. I was psyched to grab some of these but I think I may wait and break my piggy bank open for the sette pontis instead.

I am happy to report that I had a great meal at Django this weekend and, having been so accustomed to Jeff being around to take photographs, I forgot to bring my camera to document what were some visually exciting plates. I would like first to dispense with the elephant in the room by firmly and unshakingly stating that Laban’s recent review of Django was a flat out hose job. If it has an impact now, it will fade. The food rules and the kingdom is safe. Let’s dismiss and move on from this unfortunate blip…… I had been to Django once way way back when they first opened and was one of the few who were not impressed by the hype. Looking back, it could be that at that time I was still seasoning my own palate. Come to think of it, it may have been the first BYO visit of mine ever (!). Regardless of this past experience, I am enamored with Django after this past Friday and I have plans to retry Vetri for the same reason. The service was top notch and the servers were all very knowledgeable about what was in each dish – surprisingly so. How they remember all those cheeses deserves kudos in its own right. After an amuse of deviled quail egg, we opened our wine and ordered for starters: Goat Cheese Gnocchi, House Smoked Salmon, First Crop Peas, Oven Dried tomatoes, Vermont Crème Fraiche Really an early taste of spring or a nod to the warm winter, this was a light pleasing dish with nice flavor combinations. Not very cheesy but with pleasant goat-y notes. Our server knew what kind of cheese was in it upon prodding. Impressive. Venison Carpaccio, Tangy Tartare, Reggiano Fingerling Crisps, Whole Grain Mustard Aioli I ordered this being a sucker for all things deer-y. Small portion of beautifully presented thin slices of venison served with a more hearty heap of diced spicey chunks reminiscent of the dish I had at Ansill recently. Butter Poached Escargot, Oley Valley Shitakes, Sweet Garlic, Pancetta, Puff pastry Buttons There's escargot and then there's ESCARGOT. Buttery, smokey, melt in your mouth texture. Crikey these were terrific! There was an extra pot of bread requested to finish up the sauce. Crispy Veal Sweetbreads, Truffled Potatoes, Asparagus, Peas and Spring Onions, Truffle Vinaigrette I had fleeting moments of commiting patricide as my father smartly ordered this winner. Luckily he shared. These were just perfectly cooked and in this case there was enough on the plate to raise your LDL noticeably. Damn good fare. Despite my attempt to diversify the entrée choices among the crowd, three out of four folks ordered: Wild Striped Bass, Dungeness Crab Salad, “Hay and Straw” Fettucine, Artichokes, Roasted Peppers While this was well received by two of the three who ordered it, both myself and my wife thought that the menagerie of well conceived ingredients in the bowl of pasta was overshadowed by the dominance of tarragon. This would depend on your like of the herb so just beware if you have a chance to order it. The bass was so perfectly cooked and delicious. I just can’t imagine being able to cook like this at home. I had the Meadow Run Farm Lamb Chops, Lamb Arancini, Spicy Broccoli Rabe Gratinee, Lamb Demi Glace. I will happily take home the medal for best entrée here. My plate was beautiful and outstanding. If not the tender lamb, then the glorious arancini filled with ground lamb. When was the last time you had arancini in the US without making it yourself, slaving away for days? If you’re like me the answer is never. Maybe if you know a Sicilian grandma perhaps. Not to be ignored, a cheesy peppery side of broccoli rabe lay close by – not too bitter but not shy either. This also was a perfect accompaniment to one of the wines we brought which made it even better. One thing on the menu I was hoping someone would order was the smoked paprika pork loin, chorizo-shrimp paella and saffron clam broth. Alas, you can’t have everything. For Dessert came the…… Artisanal Cheese Plate with House Made Madeleines, Croustades and Pistachio Brittle. In reading about Django, it seems that every time someone mentions the name of the place, “cheese plate” inevitably follows and so I ordered it. A great variety of small pieces, lined with a sample for every hour on the clockface, ranging from all over the globe, raw v pasteurized, sheep v cow v goat, mild tasting v “harpies”. I couldn’t keep up with the descriptions but one of our many servers was glad to repeat once I had tasted the ones I liked. (St Maure goat – now that was really my favorite). “Banana Split”: Chocolate Brownie, Banana Ice Cream, Dried Cherry Compote, Chocolate Sauce, Wet Walnuts Although it sounded fairly ordinary in description, it was a delight. Surprisingly, dinner was reasonable too. About $200 complete. In closing, I will add that I really enjoying Ross Essner’s cooking at the Chairman’s Selections dinner at Rx last fall. Both my wife and I agreed that his cooking at Django was clearly trumped up a few notches in the interim. Rest easy Greg, the kids are alright.

Do yourself a favor and look into sending them to Blair, the knife guy. I heard about him here on egullet (I think he is a member). Really easy and you can cut yourself just looking at them. Rapid turnaround time. I had gone to Fante's for while but it just didnt cut it. I tried to find local places but failed. www.theknifeguy.com Hope it helps. Evan

Oh the cruelty. Both bottles actually. I am interested in hearing how that apple icewine was. I was able to get a couple of the cryoextracted "neige" from la cache de la pomme but still await the "frimas" which is produced from naturally frozen apples. It is not sold in the US but is easily purchased in Canada. (Anyone going to Quebec- ever? PM me for lord's sake and we'll talk!!) Next time I go to SK (or west), I will bring some. I was hoping to stop by, say goodbye to Shola and meet docsconz but with my folks in town it was a bit difficult to maneuver. The meal looks fabulous and the crowd sounds like it was a winner group. I'd have only dragged y'all down if I were there - sniff sniff. Evan

I finally got to Carman's. It was happenstance that I was crossing the bridge with my folks, who are visiting, and my mother said she wanted pancakes. A light when on in my undersized cranium and thought "What day is it?". I called Carman and we went right over. I had the special, appropriate for St Patty's day. Corned beef topped with a horseradish mustard sauce on a heap of rutabega, carrots and cabbage cooked in beer and cider. Two damn good eggs, toast and potatoes as well. I got a side of terrific applewood smoked bacon, worthy of mrbigjas pride. We also had the pancakes which were layered with almonds and sugar, topped with baked pinapple and a lemon stilton crumble. Stilton in name only - not a hint of blueness really. The french toast challah was particularly good. Stuffed with lekvah (pruney goodness indeed) and orange rinds and topped with poppyseed coated orange slices. The place is really fun looking and Daniel behind (and in front of) the counter was really helpful and nice. Of course, Carman was her wonderful self. My father and she got along particularly well. An off color gent who never missed the opportunity to embarrass me as a kid (and adult at times), my dad loved talking to her about "stuff". I will leave it at that. Thanks Carman for a great breakfast! My parents actually finished theirs which is no small feat considering the portion size. I am sure they will insist we return when they are back in the area. Evan

yeah..... you.

Hell, eat the fried stuff in the cab and bring everything else home..... just thinking like a foodie is all.....

That is really a good deal on the Sette Ponti. A quick check on winesearcher pro shows the cheapest to be 65 and the rest begin at 75 dollars. the average is clearly $100 a bottle. This confirms Doviakw's suspicion that it is a great bargain. This is also Wine Spectator's #5 of the top 100 for 2005. This also points out a good example of when the Chairman selections can really benefit, giving someone who doesn't normally have the opportunity to taste higher end wines exactly that chance. Often this is at the expense of an "off" vintage but not in this case. Many wines, touted as x dollars below retail are not as good a deal when comparing to the marketplace pricing. This is one excellent offer that I will be making room for. $45 is not chump change but it's worth considering folks. Thanks for the heads up. Evan

Percy, I assume you saw me post on this on another thread but I was shocked how good Hana sushi is in Wayne. BYO too.

We at long last got a group over to Kuk-il, an all you can eat korean BBQ restaurant off Roosevelt Blvd. A good time was had by all. Sadly, Philadining was ill and we just couldn't capture the same photographic magic without him. Nonetheless, picture the experience - meat meat meat meat and more meat cooked over smoky real chacoal grills. Some really good variety. Having Mrbigjas and Capaneus beside me, I ventured into tripe and pork belly territory. I will save the gizzard experience for another round although they seemed to go over pretty big at our end of the long table. Lets see, at the buffet table were choices of straight short rib, marinated short rib, marinated pork, chicken, squid, tripe, gizzard and pork belly. Between that, the soup, rice and dipping into mrbigjas' very own bottle of soju, I bowed out early on amidst quiet heckles- of course rebounding for a trek over to Capogiro. How can you not? I would risk excommunication from the club over that. Once again, a grand old time with the gulleteers. I got to meet new people too and that's always a plus. Not to mention it's pretty good cheap eats. $12.50 plus tax and tip. Evan