rich

Your right on the money. When my father ran a small restaurant in Long Island City, he worked too many hours and too many days.

Actually, it solidifies my position.

Peter Luger has been over-rated for years. The other places you mention are better, as is Sparks. PL should have closed years ago, but the name and former reputation has carried them. Talk about living on past laurels - PL defines the cliche But be thankful you didn't go to the LI venue, it's worse.

I'll bet you could if you had a sous chef. Timing is key. I've eaten at home where the food is put out at the same time and I've eaten in some very upscale restaurants where it wasn't. Cooking for seven and getting it out on time is a major accomplishmen.

Maybe that's the biggest difference!!!!

Thankfully, I'm not a serious home cook, but I've been clueless since 1973.

Of course it does! Experience is a key in any profession. But you may be right about that lawyer thing.

That might depend on how much Jo is willing to pay.

Suzanne - I wasn't expressing an opinion at all - I know better. I'm just asking for members' thoughts on differences. I hope no one throws tomatoes - I just put on a clean shirt.

Eventually restaurants will ask for patrons to electronically order so their food will be ready as they enter - just think how that will improve the turnover rate.

Aside from space and therefore some equipment, what is the major difference between a professional chef and a serious home cook? Since access to commercial quality ingredients is now possible, I don't believe that's a major factor anymore.

I always keep a bottle of tomato sauce on hand for use with pizza. Since I make my own pizza dough, I always have one or two frozen that can be thawed in a half-hour or so. (They make great appetizers before dinner.) I don't use my homemade gravy (sauce) for pizza since the necessary high temperature tends to alter the taste. Therefore, after many experiments I have found the best to be Classico - mostly the roasted pepper variety. Of course, I only use the stuff when the pizza has a tomato base.

FG - Where is it available? Do they have their own store? Thanks.

Nesita - There were 9 bottles in the cache when I bought it, but alas only one is left. I plan on serving it with a curried apple soup this fall. The last one I had (about a year ago) tasted of pears and green apples and was still bright gold and crisp. I don't mind if you find the Dolce cloying - "vive la differance." Differences of opinion make people interesting - it also allows the great sport of Thoroughbred racing to exist. (And horses don't go on strike either.)

Ron - do you mind if I add a word or two? - very, very expensive. I was able to get 8 bottles of the '89 Dolce from a restaurant near Saratoga that was going out of business. I bought the entire cellar, which was worth about $8,000 retail for $1,200. Otherwise, I probably would never have had any Dolce or the 1990 Kistler Dutton Ranch Chardonnay. Alas, since I bought these in August of 1995, there's little left from my once in a lifetime "cache."

There's a late harvest Gewurztraminer produced by Pugliese Vineyards from the North Fork of Long Island that's no quite as sweet as most desserts, yet it's nicely made. At less than $10 a half-bottle, it's quite a bargain.

I've had the '89 in 95, 96, 97 and last year - never found them cloying at all. Can't speak for the more recent vintages, but since only two vintages (it's not produced every year) have been around 10+ years, it's hard to determine what will happen after a decade.

Rich, "dolce" just means sweet. So dolce what? Dolce is made by Far Niente in Napa. It's a late harvest - made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. It sells for about $60-75 a half bottle. It's very good. I have one bottle of an '89 left (first commercial release) - waiting for a special occasion.

Any of the meals I've prepared.

DOLCE

Contrary to popular belief, no passport is necessary to travel to Staten Island. Just wanted to clear that up. Nina - even if SA can't make it, you're more than welcome. We'll all have a crab cake discussion. SA - My grandmother did put the crab back in the shell and top it with seasoned crumbs- but I don't anymore and neither did Bocca - I guess we're all "Americanized."

Very true and maybe that's a big part of the issue. My family was probably made up of vagabonds. They were all over the place. SA - so now that we're friends again, does that mean you're coming to Staten Island and Bocca? I'll even make you Italian Crab Cakes as a bribe (my grandma's recipe).

I've had is tomato sauce twice - once at Po and once at Babbo. It was a pasta special ordered by a friend of his- not sure of the name. Both times I was disappointed. I enjoy his sausages. But I believe he over sauces his meat/fish dishes at times. I never said I didn't enjoy Babbo...it's just the "A" word. I never had any intention of staying away. I'm sure his style of cooking is "A" to him and his family. Heck, Joe Torre said on TV, he can make a "gravy" in one hour that tastes like it's been cooking for eight. I don't doubt his claim, but I would need to be persuaded a little. P.S. - I think he Americanized it.

I wish I was 80% authentic, that would be an improvemnet of about 78%.

I knew I shouldn't have posted this topic. I would only get myself in trouble. Okay, I'll try to answer that, but remember it's an opinion based on growing up with an Italian Grandmother who lived in Italy until she was 28. Athentic to me is a style of cooking. Nothing tastes like Italian "gravy" except for a brew that has been slow cooking for eight hours. The melding of the flavors takes that long. When cooking meats and fish, the use of fresh herbs and olive oils in essential - garlic is used in most everything. The cheeses should be fresh and freshly grated and the dried sausages should all be made with red wine. Fish is mostly broiled or grilled - rarely cooked on a stove top and always served with EVOO and lemon. If you ask two things most Italian restaurants do that I don't enjoy (including Mario) it's the tomato sauce (gravy), which always tastes undercooked and underspiced. The second is fish - most of the time filet is used. In my experience (again my family) this was very rare. Most fish was served whole and the eyes (as with a lamb) were served to the guest of honor. As far as other non-tomato based sauces, I think the Italian restaurants do two things that were not common in my household (both here and Italy). The sauces tend to be too thick and too much is used. Sometimes it appears its trying to hide the natural taste of the food and herbs. Please, don't yell at me. These are just opinions and it's quite likely my family wasn't deft about cooking - it's just what they did. I think I'm going to the Olive Garden tonight.