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Would this be a good time to mention Trouble Every Day from Claire Denis? That film made me lose my appetite rather quickly. While certainly not a very good film in my opinion, it did provide some good laughs ("Oh right... I forgot that we keep a chainsaw under the bed!"... that's not actual dialogue, but it's sort of implied) along with the mediocre horror. Of course, it rates an A for explicit images if you're into that sort of thing, but it's certainly not a good candidate for taste-o-vision. I did enjoy the pacing and the soundtrack though.

I hope the irony of this statement being a character argument is not lost on anyone. edit: Maggie, wasn't it about time to buy that shiny new keyboard anyway?

Helena - Vietnamese food is often (not always) dirt cheap. I agree with Tommy that the pho is critical, but I think the pork chops are as well. It's been my experience that many places give them a little char, but that doesn't sound like the case here. What sort of side dishes did they have?

Not a bad idea. Of course, we would need our own version of the serenity prayer: "Gully, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change... courage to change the things I can... and the wisdom to know that Plotnicki's mind rests forever in the first category."

What deli scene??? a-duh. like, that's what i mean. no good delis. Dude, I tooooootally knew what you were saying and I was, like, agreeing with you. And I know that "quantity" doesn't = "quality", but I'm not sure "Garbo's" = "current top contender" in that area either so I'm curious as to the timeframe.

What deli scene???

Really? How long ago was that? When I was a kid, Ridgewood must've had at least half a dozen pizzerias and I'm sure they've got more than that these days. Oh... and Welcome to eGullet!

I'm going to try some frogs' legs at a Thai restaurant this week and if all goes well, I'm sure I would order them at Chinese restaurants too. At this particular restaurant, the frogs' legs are prepared in four ways, but none of those ways are unique to the frog dishes (meaning that chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or squid versions of those dishes are also available). The Chinese dishes listed above seem to place the frog in a similar status as being yet another type of meat in a dish. Are there any Chinese dishes which specifically call for frogs as opposed to other types of meat? edit: took away one word, added a couple more, moved a couple of apostrophes... y'know, the usual.

I wanted to mention this, but I thought it better left to you. Apologies for my burst of laughter which detracted from the seriousness of your question!

After a fabulous dinner at Babbo the other night, I headed over to the Film Forum and viewed Rivers and Tides: Andy Goldsworthy Working with Time. This was actually one of three choices that I had lined up to coincide with whenever dinner would be finished; The other two were Russian Ark and Secretary. As it turns out though, Rivers and Tides was a perfect film for digestion. A look into the life and work of Scottish nature sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, this film is honest and direct. It made me crave a nice cup of hot tea to sip as I watched the beautiful transient works of art presented with great cinematic skill. Sure, there were some rough cuts and forced staging in the beginning that had me worried about the camera work, but I'd say 95% of the cinematography is terrific. It's the sort of cinematography that calls attention to itself only by its excellence in finding what must be the perfect framing for each shot without distracting you from the subject matter. And the subject matter is simply breathtaking. To see one man labor for hours on works which will be carried off by wind, sun, or water is awe-inspiring. In a way, I suppose it's similar to cooking in that the only remnants of the original object are the memories and photographs. Andy Goldsworthy himself is a terrific subject as well. He's naturally relaxed in front of the camera and rather charming as well. Sort of the perfect after-dinner conversationalist. Certainly much better than Emeril in my opinion (I can't stand watching Emeril). Unfortunately there was only one really noteable food scene (and one not much worth noting). Throughout his work, Mr. Goldsworthy has a line motif which is really quite wonderful in its simplicity. However, when pouring syrup on his frittata (just outside of Storm King sculpture park in NY), he didn't seem to apply the syrup in this motif. I was somewhat confused by this omission and the more I think about it, the more I think that perhaps that was not Mr. Goldsworthy's frittata at all! I'll have to watch the film again and see... or perhaps some eGulleteer will see it and pay attention to this critical scene? In any case, it was a thoroughly enjoyable documentary and I'm hoping it gets a DVD release in the future with a full commentary track to explain the syrup-pouring scene. edit: typo

$*%#!!! I still haven't gotten there yet and now it's going to be mobbed. Ah well... my fault entirely. From what I've read, they deserve the business.

[bump]Just wanted to note that I completed my post above.[/bump]

Well, if you're eating alone then wouldn't you technically be ordering for the entire table? I was originally going to post about this meal tomorrow, but I've got a little extra time right now so I'll see how much typing I can get done: Let me begin by saying that Italian food has never been high on my list of preferred cuisines. Aside from my pizza cravings, I could go for months or years without really feeling the need to dine in an Italian restaurant. I always attributed this largely to my previously held notion that pasta wears out its welcome on my palate rather quickly. Babbo brought a welcome change of heart on those matters. The pasta tasting menu requires the participation of the whole table. My motivation for going along with it was in fact along the lines of the mission Suzanne described. I really didn't expect that the pasta tasting menu would keep my interest for the entire meal, but I was very wrong. I was also mildly concerned about the progression of butter sauces, but again, I was wrong. The truth is that I could probably have sat through another four or five courses of pasta (and yet, I was completely satiated with what was presented). The progression of the butter-based sauces only made me appreciate the differences that were so pronounced in the other aspects. I found the courses to be progressively more interesting and hit my personal favorite with the Garganelli with Funghi Trifolati. I was lucky enough to have extra(?) mushrooms on my plate and I wonder if that might have unduly influenced my decision that this dish was my favorite. ...continuation edited in below... As Jason stated above, the flight of pastas really is an ideal presentation. It completely focuses one's senses on the subtleties of texture and feel from one dish to the next. For instance, the Pappardelle Bolognese seemed to me to be denser than the other pastas (in a good way) and this affected everything from how it sat on the plate to the way it played with my teeth. The Black Tagliatelle on the other hand had more pull to it as well as a smoother texture which complimented the pancetta perfectly. The bread, as others have stated, was terrific with a wonderful char on the outside. I lost track of how many pieces I tore through, but they were always diligently replaced (until desert), so there was no real need to maintain a running count. I felt the stand out dessert was the Apple-Walnut Torta. I was rather attentively following some piece of conversation as I put the first bite in my mouth and then... I was transported somewhere else by the sheer richness of this dessert! It reminded me of some beautiful forest in Canada (even though I've NEVER BEEN to Canada), but I suppose that was the influence of the maple cream. I'm generally not a fan of walnuts, but there was nothing about the walnut presentation in this dish which distracted me from my bliss. I guess that was Babbo's third victory... overcoming my general disinterest in Italian cuisine, overcoming my pasta ennui, and overcoming my walnut aversion. Pretty good for one meal, no? A close match to the torta was the explosively-flavored (in the best possible sense of demolitions) sorbetto and it would certainly be my favorite during the summer. What can I say? I'm seasonal with my desserts! Given that I tend to eat as much as two average diners, I expected at the beginning of meal that I would probably make a stop at NY Noodletown or such later that night. However, by the end of the meal I was very content. Even after the walk over to the Film Forum and watching Rivers and Tides (an excellent film for digestion, but that's for another thread), I still had that warm comforting glow from within that told me everything would be okay. I walked past Lupa for the umpteen-hundreth time and for the first time I actually stopped for a moment to look inside. I'm very glad that Babbo has opened my eyes to Italian food! Many thanks to Soba, the Perlows, Suzanne, and of course He Who Only Eats for a truly wonderful evening!

Well, by all means... begin the argument in the China and Chinese Cuisine Forum!! Better yet, start up a thread on this forum about Shanghai Park. This place sounds good, so I don't want to see it get buried in an Eastern European thread!

RE: Hard Grove Café I've only eaten there a couple of times, but I wasn't very impressed. I'm trying to remember what I ordered... I know that on one occassion I got a Cuban sandwich which turned out to be disappointing. It was too dry and I seem to recall that the roast pork was either swapped out for something else or possibly just overpowered by the sliced ham. And yes, the decor is tacky to the nth degree, but that generally doesn't bother me if the food's good. Considering how close the place is to the PATH station, I'd rather go into the city and eat at Havana Chelsea.

Do they have a similar section for blowfish-related deaths? What is the number one killer food in Japan?

I really should try this Black Forest Inn. It's rather hard to find German food done really well in this area. The last German place I visited in Jersey was Helmer's Cafe in Hoboken. It was alright, but not good enough to make me rush back. I had a similar experience at Triangle Hofbrau on Route 23 a few years ago. I just don't think that German food is popular enough in the States to encourage a German restaurant to be its best. I fear that maybe the attitude is that there are so few German restaurants with which to compete, so why bother making better German food (since most people don't have a good benchmark by which to judge)? Unfortunately, of course, that creates a self-fulfilling prophecy which results in me being unable to get really good meals like I've had in Germany and Austria.

So maybe Tommy should ask for it on his salad pie then?

I got a couple of slices from Garbo's today. I wouldn't list this place in the best slices thread, but I think I will try one of their pies sometime. My eggplant slice wasn't much to speak of... large slices of eggplant (not breaded... a plus in my book) probably contributed to the soggy bottom. I'd pass on these since the eggplant seemed overcooked to the point that it didn't add much flavor or texture. I also got a slice of fresh mozzarella though and this one showed more promise. The crust was a little on the tough side, but the cheese and sauce seemed much better (possibly due to the seasonings sprinkled over top). Of course, the slice was obviously not an appropriate way to judge what this pie would be like fresh out of the oven, but that just means a fresh pie could only be better. Also, one of the specialty pizzas looks interesting(?)... "Gourmet Pizza" - Tomato & Romano Cheese with Gorgonzola Cheese Vinegrette Can anyone explain to this poor-guy-trying-to-learn-how-to-cook if cheese actually works in a vinaigrette?

It is indeed... as well as the one in Englewood. Kanami delivers to my neck of the woods and I ordered from them once, but I can't seem to recall much of what I ate. Looking at the menu in front of me, I remember now that one dish was Mango and Pineapple Chicken... which was essentially just what the menu describes "Lightly breaded chicken breast in a tropical sauce with mango and pineapple". It came as a thin cutlet divided into strips with the too-gloppy-too-sweet sauce on the side. Of course, I expected it to be sweet, but it was that "over the edge, into the sugar, and then put in a jar for mass market consumption" type of sweetness. I'll probably try Kanami again for delivery at some point, but I wouldn't order that dish again. One thing I found curious about the review was the phrase, "We decided to go mainstream on the appetizers..." Which of these appetizers seems NON-mainstream (granted, they're from an old menu): Vegetable Spring Roll with seaweed salad Chicken, Shrimp, and Calamari Roll with steamed and salted edamame Shrimp and Vegetable Dumplings steamed or fried with broccoli salad Vegetable Dumplings with broccoli salad Shumai steamed or deep fried shrimp dumplings Dim Sum open faced dumplings filled with chicken and fresh waterchestnuts Warm or Cold Sesame Noodles BBQ Baby Back Spare Ribs Chicken and Pine Nuts with Lettuce Leaves Sauteed Spinach with Garlic Scallion Pancakes with light soy dipping sauce Edamame steamed and salted Japanese soy bean in shell Sizzle Duck Crepe shredded duck breast with scallion wrapped in tofu skin Spicy Chicken Wonton w. Sesame Dressing Crispy Fried Calamari with fried sweet potato and ginger sauce Sushi 5 pieces of assorted fish Sashimi 8 pieces of assorted fish Tako Su Octopus with sliced cucumber and seaweed in ponzu sauce Mixed Sunomono white fish, crab meat, and shell fish I'd say maybe the duck crepe and the tako su? I think the language of the reviewer made it seem as though there were a variety of non-mainstream appetizers to choose from, yet none were mentioned. I've resolved to nitpick more in the New Year and I think I'm off to a good start.

I just got home from seeing Devils on the Doorstep. It's a very interesting film dealing with the Japanese occupation of China at the end of World War II. Alternately funny and tragic, it tells the story of a small group of Chinese villagers who quite unwillingly become the captors of a Japanese soldier and his translator. It's been a while since I felt quite so invested in a film's characters. Evidently the Chinese government tried to ban the film and prevent it from being shown, but despite that it still was entered and well-received at Cannes. The US version was edited down by 20 minutes, but I'm not sure exactly what was cut. I suspect it might have had something to do with the way in which Americans were portrayed in the film, but that's really just a guess out of left field. Definitely keep your eye out for this film and its multiple food scenes: - Dumplings are shown being made from scratch - Grain is featured prominently as an important plot element - A freshly killed chicken is shown being cooked - Candy is mentioned on more than one occassion - And much more

I was just thinking the same thing! A quick search only turned up this thread.

There's a Shop Rite on River Road in Fair Lawn where I go to find some specific things. I can grab Mexican soda and Polish apple juice in the same aisle... which is pretty nice. How does one tell the "Glass" stores from the "Inserra" stores? On their website, Shoprite lists some Partners in Caring. Anybody have any idea what that's all about? Funny anecdote: I like to call the Shoprite in Lincoln Park the "Communist Shoprite" because the entire stripmall it's in is painted a battleship grey with a red trim. Inside there are catwalks and spotlights and one can just imagine that armed guards aren't too far away! It takes a little imagination to see it that way, but it's fun for me.

After Life is indeed another beautiful film, but after a completely different fashion. It's a wonderful discussion starter as well... makes me wonder how many eGulleteers would have incorporated food into their memories. There's a Chinese restaurant located next to the Blockbuster where I rented After Life. It's called Oriental Restaurant and I refuse to eat in an establishment that so clearly doesn't put any effort into their restaurant. I'm very interested in seeing Kore-eda's Distance as well, but I missed probably the only screening in New York. If it does play again in New York, I will see it and then eat at Kastuhana. Otherwise, I will hope for a DVD release and some wasabi peas. Speaking of DVDs (and finger food)... is the UK DVD version of Maboroshi no hikari better than the US version? The US version released by New Yorker Video isn't a very good print and the subtitles are burned-in. I'm reminded of that everytime I eat well-done French fries. edit: mistakenly used an apostrophe in order to create the plural of DVD

Well, a quick look at some upcoming programming at The Screening Room turns out to be a little too much on topic! Actually, I've never seen the film or read the novel so I'm not sure how much breakfast is actually incorporated.