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That's hilarious! Of course, I've got to ask... Did Ms. Client enjoy her meal? I do sympathize with her somewhat. I generally try to gauge the waitstaff's opinion of certain dishes and sometimes just put myself in their hands by saying something like, "I'd like something spicy using beef, but not onions." It's good to get recommendations, but you also need to know what your personal preferences are at the moment!

After reading Jason's post, I'd say that's a good assumption.

RE: Caruso's I'm glad that someone had a good experience at Caruso's. My own experience there was enough to dissuade me from going back. Granted, it was a long time ago, but the service seemed to be a little condescending (such as overly emphasizing the prices while reciting the specials as if to say "Hey guy, are you sure you have the money for this?") and the food was pretty forgettable. Actually, the only entree I remember (out of the four at the table) was a steak ordered medium and coming out charred to a crisp on the outside and extremely rare on the inside (I believe that's black-and-blue rather than medium, right?). The other aspect that I thought was amusing was how the waiter made a big deal of how large the portions are, but of course, my friends and I all left the restaurant still hungry. I'm sure that others have had much better meals there, but I guess we caught them on a night when they were particularly "off".

I had a brand of egg nog last night which was previously unknown to me. It was called something along the lines of Norman Rockwell's Classic Egg Nog and the carton was decorated appropriately with images by Rockwell. I really didn't like it. It was much too thin and had an odd flavor/aftertaste about it which I could only describe as vegetable in nature... it's very strange to think that one detects a hint of celery in one's egg nog!

Hank - I haven't been to this establishment myself, but "upscale" generally refers to the atmosphere and pricing moreso than the food. Meaning, it's supposed to attract the wealthier set of diners. Of course, an upscale restaurant can be quite mediocre on the food front and still be referred to as upscale. edit: typo

Marcus?

Great... now you've made me hungry! I guess I'll just have to stop off in New Haven on my way to Boston next weekend. As for why Sally's is the best pizza in North America, well, I don't think I can answer that as I haven't really sampled enough locations to be an expert on the matter. For thin crust pizza though, I will say that it beats what I've sampled in NYC and NJ (though I haven't tried this Di Fara's place yet). I also prefer Sally's to Frank Pepe's and The Spot, primarily because Sally's crust seems to have a better flavor and texture. For me, eating at Sally's for the first time was an understated experience... the pie didn't scream "I'm the best pizza in the world!", but with every bite I slowly came to the realization that I had a new benchmark for my favorite pizza. However, I will say that the ONLY aspect of Sally's pizza which I would change is the sauce. For my taste, the sauce seems to be "just there" while the crust, the cheese, and the toppings all very prominently display their excellent quality. If the sauce was just a little bolder, I would say that Sally's makes the perfect pie (for my taste, anyway). As it stands, that perfect pie exists only in my mind, but Sally's is right there on Wooster Street! PS - I think it's amazing that there are FOUR pizzerias on Wooster Street that are only open for dinner. Just something that travellers should keep in mind before they make plans to visit New Haven.

I don't think I've ever seen The Promised Land, but I'll keep an eye out!

Can you suggest any national brands that you enjoy (or any in the NY metro area)? I love egg nog as well, but I don't drink alcohol so the flavor has to come from just the nog and the nutmeg! I usually enjoy the Southern Comfort or Chipwich brands (whatever happened to Chipwich chocolate milk?), but I'm looking to broaden my search for the best store-bought egg nog. PS - Yes, I know, I know... I should make my own, but I'm just not at that level yet!

John - Any progress on this? Can I uncross my fingers for you yet?

Left to my own devices, I would never become a regular anywhere unless I really enjoyed the food. The menu must be strong (ideally with daily specials to keep things interesting) and its execution must be relatively consistent. If the food quality isn't there, then neither am I. Of course, once the quality of food is established, then the other issues come into play. Next on my list of importance would be friendly, knowledgeable service. I know it's difficult to find good help, but I really enjoy a restaurant more if the staff seems to care about what they're doing. I like to be able to elicit constructive criticism and suggestions about the menu from the waitstaff and/or chef. If they don't care about how the restaurant is perceived, that will color my own perceptions. With food and service at a good level, the next most important trait to me would be fulfilling a niche. For instance, I have a regular Thai place, a regular Vietnamese place, a regular Mexican place, and so on. I may not be as much of a regular at all of these places (one can only eat out so often!), but they all fulfill the need for a particular craving. I tend to lump atmosphere into niches as well. For instance, there might be my regular upscale Cuban restaurant and my regular down-and-dirty Cuban restaurant. Given all the above, location would be my next concern. If two restaurants of the same niche are equal in food and service, the closer one wins. It's that simple. Of course, various factors can give each of the above traits more significance. When pressed for time, a closer location beats out better food quality, but those are irregular circumstances and not pertinent to a discussion about what makes customers become regulars.

Yeah, the kitchen notebook is a good idea as well. I've tried making things like lemonade before, but by the time I'm done with it, I can't remember exactly how much of each ingredient went into the mix. Consequently, each batch is VERY different (and usually not very good), but if I DID take notes I could avoid that problem. Of course, I'm not sure I'm going to be any more disciplined than Grant on this one!

Of course not, which is why I was defending the original question's status as a rhetorical one!

They do have an online menu. http://sakagura.com/ Many thanks, Khao! (though it still doesn't answer the rhetorical question... )

I said... I'm SURE we'll see again just what a wonderful community eGullet is! Got it?!?

Jinmyo, I'm getting at least one Pepin book! I think the idea of preparing the same dish multiple times with slight variations is a good idea. It'll really help me to understand the nuances of how flavors develop. I'll definitely take that advice. For the next couple of weeks I'm mostly going to be reading and mentally preparing myself for this new stage of life. After that, I'll start a thread to share my experiences/accomplishments/mishaps/frustrations/discoveries and I'm sure we'll see again just what a wonderful community eGullet is!

So which Mexican cookbook would you recommend for me, Jaymes?

It is a VERY gracious offer, but you do realize that I live in the wilds of New Jersey, right? Unfortunately, it really wouldn't be practical due to some other factors that I can't disclose, but I thank you very much for the offer. Who knows... after a couple of months of going it alone, I might try to work out a way to take you up on it!

But the internet's so cold and impersonal!

Well, I got some tips from a Slovak friend. He said the name of what you're making is probably makovnik. He said it was streudel-like with poppy seeds folded in (or something along those lines). He also talked about a Christmas Eve bread for which he couldn't give an English transliteration. However, he recommended one of the Polish stores that I was thinking about as a possibility, as well as a Hungarian store which is supposedly much better. He said that the poppy seeds are already "prepared" and ready to be combined with sugar and other ingredients. I don't know the names of either of these stores (and I know a couple of other Polish stores too), but I know where they all are and it's only a short drive for me to find out the details. I'll be back with more info later...

There's a large Slovak/Polish/Ukrainian population in and around the towns of Clifton, Passaic, and Wallington. Off the top of my head, I can't remember any names, but I'll get back to you.

If it makes you feel even better, I don't know what a mandoline is! That would be one of those things I hope to learn about in my reading.

Well, after reading through everyone's suggestions thus far, I'm leaning towards the Joy of Cooking, the Pepin technique book, and probably a couple of others. I guess I really need the equivalent of cooking theory in the beginning. Sort of like color theory... hot flavors come forward, cool flavors recede, primary-secondary-tertiary flavors? I also really need to learn the basic equipment and prep-work guidelines. It's going to be a long process, but I'm glad that (as always) eGullet is the fantastic place that it is. Once I get the basics down pretty well, I'll venture off to try more particular recipes. Most likely, I'll concentrate on Mexican/Spanish/Cuban/Latin-style cuisine first, but there are plenty of other cuisines that I'd like to learn. I guess the last great hurdle will be that Thai cookbook that everyone seems to like around here! Thank you all for the suggestions and I'll be sure to post about my experiences (once I've read enough, of course).

I've been in the restaurant, but haven't eaten there. It's right across the street from Little Saigon (a Vietnamese place with great pho!), so I walked in one time to check out the menu. I remember it looking decidedly boring (the menu, that is), but I guess that the food's probably moot when it comes to New Year's festivities. From the little I saw of the interior, it looked like a pretty standard banquet hall, but ultimately, it's the people (and I suppose alcohol) that make for good New Year's Eve parties. If there IS a large Russian clientelle at Peter the Great, I'm sure you'll have a great time! I'll ask around a little bit and see if I can get more info.

That's okay with me if it's okay with Awbrig.