rich

An article this evening on the Times website builds on this: ← I guess it's time to close the lights and go home. I hope they don't cancel Christmas because of the transit strike, I already began thawing out my goose. Just for curiosity when New York City closes, who has the keys and locks up? I certainly feel sorry for all those people at Penn Station last night, they thought the city was crowded. Little did they know, they were all alone. Just for the record, restaurants around Penn Station reported a brisk business as did bars and deli's.

Until after the strike or the holidays?

Absolutely. But since pork tenderloin has no fat at all, a few precautions must be taken. First, quickly sear the meat to give it a crust, but that's it. Don't place in the oven. And secondly, wrap a piece of muenster cheese around it to keep it moist. The cheese will melt away and leave no taste. I've also made venison the same way and have used different chutneys in place of the fois gras and duxelle on occasion. Worked out fine with both meats. Good luck and enjoy.

I remember the 1980 strike very well - I worked on 49th and 6 Ave. Walked from the Staten Island Ferry both ways. Yes, that was very bad for restaurants specificallly because it was an 11-day strike. And I think if this strike goes beyond a few days, it too will have a negative impact, but in the short term it could prove beneficial to some restaurants. I don't have any data to support that, I'm throwing it out as a possibility based on the human nature aspect. Right now, especially those who don't remember 1980, a number of people are treating this as an adventure. And getting around has become a challenge. So there is a possibility, albeit unlikely, that some restaurants may benefit for the first few days. When the adventure gets tiresome, and it will in a hurry, that's when the major impact will occur. At least that's my take on it.

I doubt many restaurants will do any such thing. What kinds of businesses were you hearing this about? I can see it being part of the contingency plan at Morgan Stanley for executives and their assistants, but are restaurants seriously talking about putting their bussers up in hotels? ← Sorry, I wasn't clear enough. Some upscale restaurants may consider taking rooms for mulitple key emloyees, but I was talking about other major businesses in NYC. Yes, the Morgan Stanleys of the world et al. That's why more people may be staying in Manhattan than normal and they need to eat somewhere. A good friend is an executive for Con Ed and he, along with 15 other employees in his department, have rented some rooms in lower Manhattan. The plan has been in place for the last six weeks.

Well Steve, there is another possibility. Businesses are talking about putting key employees in apartments and hotel rooms if the strike has any legs. It's just possible that with more people staying in Manhattan, restaurant business will improve. Deliveries can be scheduled at off hours to beat the ban - Hunts Point is being very cooperative. I heard a report this morning that some restaurants are having deliveries sent down from the Bronx by boat.

True, but I was told that restaurant delivery trucks are getting below 96th Street before 5am and once there, they're safe for the day.

Here goes: Devi (July) Annisa (July) Landmarc (October) Sapori d'Ischia (November/Truffle Menu) Wine Bar (Saratoga Springs/July) Cru (February) Tasting Room (March) Mesa Grill (June) Henry's End (November/Game Menu) Park Side (May)

The NYC transit strike will certainly affect business, but will the restaurant industry be immune to the situation or will it hurt them more? For people who live in Manhattan, I don't think it will have much of an affect for dinner. The city will be open and travel by cab or foot should be okay. However lunch will be hurt to some degree (though not major) because middle of the day traffic is greater so people will eat at places where they can walk. The real impact will be weeknight dinner for places that rely on an outer borough and suburban clientele. The other major problem will be employees. It may be very difficult for employees who don't live in Manhattan to get back and forth to work. Restaurants may need to find inexpensive hotel rooms. The strike won't have an affect on outer borough restaurants at all as very few Manhattanites venture into the other boroughs for food. And if they do it's a rare occasion.

Jacques Pepin has a Roast Goose recipe in the December issue of Food and Wine. It calls for separating the skin from the bird, steaming it for 45 minutes, letting it dry uncovered, overnight in the fridge. It's roasted the next day. He claims it's a variation of a Chinese technique that helps the bird baste in its own fat and ensures crispy skin.

I've always imagined what it would be like to read one of the posts in this thread and realize the writer was referring to you. That could prove interesting.

Something strange has happened. As most of you know I had dinner at Per Se on the second night it was open (2/17/04) and started the first thread on the restaurant. The report I gave was totally positive. However, as time passes, the meal doesn't seem quite as special as it did. Sure I remember the oysters and pearls as a great dish, but nothing else is memorable except for the kitchen tour. I don't know why this is happening because I can clearly recall other terrific meals I've had over the years. Has this happened to anyone else? It's to the point now where I don't have a desire to return - even for a special occasion.

OA, did you dine alone? Only reason I'm asking is - did your companion (if any) have the same meal or try something else? I haven't been to Keens in about 20 years, but the lamb was always my favorite (thought is was the best in NYC). Didn't think the steak was great, but that was a long time ago, things change. I alwys managed to try a new scotch when I went. Maybe time to make a special visit.

Doc, great photos and report. I was deciding where to take my wife for our upcoming anniversary (2/17) and the choices narrowed to WD-50 or Cafe Gray. You (and the report and photos) convinced me to choose WD-50. I'll post a report. Is WD-50 a two-month place? If so, I've got to call tomorrow.

Not only is Paul opening Gilt tonight, but Bob is opening Innocence next Thursday.

I haven't tried it, but a good friend has and swears it works quite well. He complained about the oder, but baking soda cured that. I've tried some of his home dried meats and there is a noticeable difference - it does have a positive affect.

tommy, you should know better - the NY times doesn't allow its critics to review or even mention sides. That would give them additional bad writing to edit. On a personal note - nice to see you back posting. I was getting to be the only wise-ass cynic here.

The first few paragraphs were Bruni at his worst: The review also has the obligatory references in a steakhouse review to "artery-clogging proof" and "testosterone cuisine," as well as an homage to Bruni's former career as a movie critic ("surprisingly effective cameos"). All we needed was a quote from one of his friends, and this would have been a Bruni classic. On the other hand, I did get a good appreciation for what the restaurant is about—Bruni's tortured and cliché-ridden prose notwithstanding. By my count, four steakhouses have received rated reviews in the last two years (BLT Steak, Wolfgang's, Ben & Jack's, Keens). All of them received two stars. ← The NY Times critic's recently installed verbiage editor was off this week, so no one was there to monitor the writing - thus you get what you get.

Everyone but the sheep.

The last time I dined there was Oct. 23, 1912. The topic of discussion was how long it would take to build the Titanic (the announcemnet was made the week before). I had fabulous mutton - medium rare. The bottle of 1898 Mouton was enjoyable, but the talk of the table was the 1908 BV Burgundy from someplace called Napa in California.

So I guess you didn't enjoy the restaurant and wouldn't give it three stars as mentioned in an earlier post?

Terrific quesadillas too.

Because our life style is changing, we're busy and have less time and energy to entertain, we are eating out more often. As a result, we find ourselves in need of more affordable places. I might seriously suggest we might appreciate one great meal far more than three medicore ones, the need, or at least desire, to meet several friends for dinner in one week makes it sometime more important to find good food at reasonable prices, than to find that one great meal. ← This an an excellent point. I also think it's the reason why people have decided to "cook" with the spare time they have. I entertain on an average of once a week. It's my relaxation. For example, yesterday I did a brunch for 10 from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and then a "tasting/grazing menu" for seven from 4:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. Yes, it was work, but I totally enjoyed every minute. Most of my friends could have afforded the couple of hundred dollars a couple this would have cost, but it was a welcome change and allowed then to spend their money on other holiday dinners/gatherings they would for sure be attending during the next few weeks.

It isn't, but there was no hard rock music to rail against.

Hey, let's not forget one of the biggest winner's of the Prohibtion era was the Kennedy Family. Then when it was repealed they still received $1 for every bottle of White Label sold (through the old Chicago Mart) - and that money eventually purchased a presidency (re: Illinois). See what a bottle of Scotch can do to your mind and body.