rich

Nina - I agree with you. That's why I said I shouldn't review Italian restaurants. And I agree about your Bacco stance with so limited a sampling. But the three dishes were closer to what I consider "authentic," then most others I've tasted. I'll try more and hopefully you can be there. However, Mario Batali's places don't come up to authentic for me. Again, just an opinion. I think they're fine restaurants and I think he's a great chef - I thought Po was excellent and his best - but the word authentic bothers me. Robert - you may be right about that, but when I visited relatives in Italy, the cooking wasn't much different. Naturally, local ingredients make a difference, but the style was close.

My mother and grandmother made all three. The potatoes were made with heavy cream, garlic, Italian parsley and butter. She roasted the broccoli with garlic and oregano. She made crab cakes with bread crumbs mixed with fresh garden herbs and the Italians use lemon sauce on many dishes. At least my relatives in Naples and Sicily do. The first time I visited my realtives in Italy, they served gnocchi with a Bolognese (actually tasted similar to Bacco's) - if it's made properly, it's not heavy or overbearing at all. As far as wine, the Italians realize other places make wine. In fact, American wine sells quite well in Italy. I have eaten at Babbo (without anyone daring me) and their tripe isn't nearly as good as my mom's. In fact, their version is totally Americanized in my opinion. Bacco's had tripe as an off-menu special that night - I choose not to order it.

Extremely happy. Cain is one of the California producers that are food friendly. This bottle had 23% Franc and lesser amounts of three other grapes (CS was the dominate one). It was full, hint of tobacco and an extremely long finish. Outstanding wine. And since it was from a drought year, very intense.

I'll take it step further - the country's best overall restaurant, just my opinion. I fly down at least twice a year to eat there.

Nina - I guess I just compare Italian resturants to my mom's and grandmother's cooking. Maybe I shouldn't review Italian restaurants in general groups because I'm very hard on them when it comes to their "authentic Italian" claims. Just my background, I guess. So, are you coming to Staten Island? Robert - Parkside is in Corona, Queens (just down the block from the Corona Ice King). In my opinion, it's the best authentic Italian in the city. The ingredients are as close to home as I remember. I know Steve P doesn't agree with me and he likes Don Pepe, but they use butter in their tomato sauce, which would be heresy in my family. Again, I guess it's just what you've grown up with. Bern's in Tampa, Florida is a Steak House. It has the most comprehensive wine list in the world. If you have never been there it's a total dining experience and I urge you to try it. The vegetables are home grown, the cattle is raised on the family's farm and the fish is fresh in large tanks in the kitchen - all the fish. There is a special dessert room upstairs where guests sit in private "wine barrells." It's worth the airfare. Nesita - I think the Harlans were 1995, 96, 97, 98. I'll call and confirm later.

Haven't tried Lupa, but have been to Babbo. It's fine, but I think it leans toward the Italian-American end of things - similar to Felidia or Po when Mario owned it. Transportation - I have a little two-seater and the top is always down. If you have no problem with wind in your hair, then I'll provide the transportation. Gee... I hope it's not raining that day.

Hi Nina - Yes, I've been to Manducati's (Long Island City). It my opinion, they're not in the same league. The wine lists are worlds apart. Manducati's has a very good Italian list, but not much else. Manducati's food is good, but more Italian-American. This is more authentic Italian, or at least as close as it gets in America. As far as atmosphere and service - Manducati's is fine, Bocca is top flight. Nina - why don't you come to Staten Island - you enjoy going to all the boroughs. If you get here - my treat.

This was so good, it could be the second best "real" NYC Italian after Parkside. Bocca is located on Hylan Blvd., Staten Island. It just underwent a $1 million renovation and inventory update and it re-opened about 2 months ago. I went Tuesday for the first time. I had eaten in the place once before and it was just okay (about 18 months ago). The wine list is probably the best in New York City, and possibly the best in the country after Bern's. The emphasis is on American and Italian, though they have some excellent French choices, including most of the first-growths. If it's lacking something - it's the the Red Burgundy area - just a few listed. Several cult wines on the list as well - $1800 for Screaming Eagle, but most of the Harlans were in the $200-300 range - very reasonable for those. The food was bordering on outstanding. We started by sharing Gnocchi Bolognese. The gnocchi was silky and the Bolognese sauce was rich, but not overly filling. My wife had crab cakes with a lemon sauce. The crabs were moist, fresh and the coating was a light bread crumb, lemon zest that wasn't oily. I had a grilled whole grouper that was skinned and de-boned at the table. It was served with a lemon-oil sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly and the vegetables (masked potatoes and roasted broccoli) were prepared properly. I ordered a 1995 Cain Five from Napa and at $55 it was a bargain (released at $30-35). The wine was decanted and served in large-bowl light stemware. The restaurant looks great. Downstairs in for smoking and upstairs for non-smoking. One large upstairs wall is a wine cellar with temperture contolled units built into the wall. This place is worth the trip to Staten Island. It's a world-class restaurant. And I never thought that was possible on the Island.

Never heard of this one. Is it a Sauvignon Blanc?

I was using the electric grill on my terrace. It gets very hot (700 degrees), I probably undercooked them. Maybe I should have sprayed the grill some more.

I used fillets about 1 1/2 inch thick. If I use steaks, wouldn't they break up as I cut from the bones?

Now you tell me. Where were you two months ago??????

Tried salmon twice - it fell apart both times. Any advice?

Maybe high-end restaurants aren't supposed to make money. The just exist to make sure we don't either.

That would be very interesting. As long as the pieces are the same size, the cooking time should be the same. I've had good luck with buying Tuna in Chinatown - no specific place, just went from store to store until I found a piece I liked.

Then if I read the list correctly, Tuna is kosher. FG - try the tuna instead of the bass, it's great on the grill.

What makes some fish kosher and others not? Since I'm not Jewish, this is probably wrong, but I thought it meant slaughtered or produced under rabinical supervision.

I've used Tuna and got excellent results. Charred on the outside and rare in the middle. Usually marinate for 2-3 hours in the coldest part of the frig with lemon, day-old coffee, a hint a maple syrup and as of two weeks ago some Chipotle Tobasco. Like my veggies very crunchy so I don't par boil - I've used plum tomatoes, yellow zucchini, mushrooms, red/orange/purple/yellow bell peppers and vidalias.

The brand name is Ultra. I'm not sure where else it's available.

Great price - what's the airfare to Toronto?

Jumbo and $10 a pound translate into 21-25 shrimp per pound (most likely). Don't worry, you don't have 4-6 per pound. They would look like one-armed small lobsters.

True, but at that size and at $25 a pound who would dare call them "shrimp" to their face.

I always thought they should put fois gras in a squeeze tube.

Forget opaque - think pink! Yes, it apllies to shelled shrimp.

FG - Congratulations, sounds like you had a great day. What is the eighth - paper, wood, tile? I never knew that stuff.