KitchenMom

Mixed snack bowls are a big hit in our house too, especially for my son who can never decide what he wants and is delighted to have a bit of everything. My daughter, the picky eater, isn't as fond of mixes. Another variation that both kids love is the mixed snack/dessert bowl, which is our t.v. watching treat. It starts with the salty snacks, usually popcorn and/or pretzels, then adds in some mini-marshmallows, chocolate chips or m&m's, maybe a small cookie, etc. If you like the mixed snack bowl, you'll love the dessert bowl. (BTW, those TJ's crunchy curls are one of my favorite snacks ever).

I can definitely taste the difference between different brands. Of the ones I have sampled, I like the Trader Joe's the best.

Our Ikea kitchen is about 4 years old and doing great. Everything is holding up beautifully and the kitchen still looks new. I love the functionality and the sleek, modern look of our cabinets. The only complaint I ever hear is that, for some people, the size limitations pose a problem. Our kitchen was a complete gut, so we didn't have to worry about fitting cabinets into existing spaces. It is definitely worth lots of measuring, because the cost savings are significant. (We have that corner cabinet w/the wire shelves and, while they look a little flimsy, have held up perfectly even loaded down w/ heavy equipment like a crock pot, food processor, blender, ice cream maker, and heavy ceramic mixing bowls.)

Ok, I have to write in favor of my glass range hood. Our range is in an island, and the glass makes the hood less intrusive in the middle of the room. It is not particularly hard to keep clean, and there is NO maid in this house (admittedly I'm not the most fastidious housekeeper either). The biggest cleaning issue is dust on top, rather than splatter underneath, and it works like a dream.

If you wanted to switch things around, Distrito would be a great place to eat early with kids, as would Zahav (another non-byo). Both take reservations. I've seen kids at both, and both have food kids would like (except my unreasonably picky 5 y.o. who we can't take anywhere). If it must be a BYO, Kanella might work, though it is quite small. They will take reservations for larger groups if you call the restaurant directly. You might also think about Chinatown. Rangoon is always a family favorite. Though it isn't a byo, the prices are very reasonable and you should be able to just walk in.

Amazing! I'm truly impressed. I have also found recently that the sorbettos are appealing to me more than the gelato, though the pistachio is always incredible. I'd add "anything with herbs" to Katie's list. In spite of your impressively large list, you seem to have missed my current two favorite sorbettos--tomato and lemon opal basil.

I was there a few weeks ago. It's a pretty casual place and there were some kids when we were there. That said, I wouldn't go so far as to say it was kid-friendly, and would probably be more fun sans progeny (we left ours home that night). We were there with visiting relatives and really enjoyed the meal, though I can't say it wowed me. It was very good, fairly standard middle eastern fare, quite pricey for the amount of food, even at good quality. The highlights were the mezze--the fried haloumi was terrific. I thought the kebabs were good but nothing special.

I'm thinking of going to Benoit post-theater when we are up there next month. Many of the items mentioned (cassoulet, profiteroles, tarte tatin) are not on the on-line menu on the restaurant's website. Are they specials? reliably there but the website is incomplete? Any sense if there are things they run out of as the evening progresses? We'd likely be quite late and might just want apps and dessert, but I'd like the chicken to be an option.

Don't think I hadn't thought of that! I'm just not sure my increasingly middle-aged digestive system can take it. We'll definitely try to sqeeze Ssam in sometime, even if it means delaying our departure so we can have an early dinner Sunday.

How fortuitous to find this thread on top, as I was just coming to ask a question. We are coming in from out of town and I could only get a reservation for GT at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night (they'll call if anything earlier opens up). We have no problem eating that late, but around these parts, restaurants turn into ghost towns at this hour, if they are open at all. I just want to make sure that things will still be hopping at GT and we won't feel rushed to finish and get out. I'd appreciate any feedback. Our other option is to take a completely different tack and try Momofuku Ssam, which we are also dying to try. So many restaurants, so little time. . .

We have walnut allergies around here, so I use pecans. I also use a good kosher wine rather than sweet wine, hand chop and throw in some kind of dried fruit with the apples. It is always yummy and disappears quickly.

Well, this thread was sticking in my head when I went grocery shopping this morning, so I went down the soup aisle--something I rarely do. There, right next to each other, were Scotch Broth and Pepper Pot. And they were on sale! While still pretty pricey at $3.50 a can, I bought one of each. I'll report back as to how they match up to childhood memory.

We got a Waring Pro a couple months ago and absolutely love it. The waffles come out perfectly cooked and light, with a crispy exterior. I've never paid attention to how long it takes, but it isn'tlong--a couple of minutes. It definitely does not need to warm up in between uses. I take one out, pour in another measure of batter, and start it right up. I have done 6 or 7 in a row this way in a relatively short period of time.

For a lunch option in midtown, several people have recommended La Bonne Soupe. I haven't been there, but it looks like a nice lunch close to the conference site.

My 5 and 7 year olds enjoyed the lo mein (which looked pretty unremarkable to me) and the scallion pancake. My 20 month old ate the lo mein too, and also all the spicy food. She was born in Chongqing so perhaps it is in her blood. My 7 year old did try the ma po tofu, which is very spicy, and pronounced it the best tofu he ever ate. ← Excellent! You just made me and my husband very happy campers. I think we'll do Katz's for lunch, SG for dinner and have a very happy eating day indeed.

I'm in a similar boat--same hotel, probably same conference except I'm the attendee--being joined Friday by husband, 7 y.o. who will eat just about anything and extremely picky 4 y.o. I'm looking for a Saturday dinner option, preferably someplace we don't need reservations so we can be flexible on time, but also without too much of a wait. Fat Guy (or anyone else), can you suggest a good Chinese option where the 4 y.o. could get lo mein (the only Chinese she'll eat) and the rest of us can eat well? I'm dying to try Szechuan Gourmet based on reading the thread, but I worry we won't find anything for the kids there. Any Chinatown recs? Or non-Chinese recs? While I'm at it, I'll probably end up dining solo tomorrow evening. I was thinking about DB Bistro Moderne, but would love other suggestions for an early-ish solo meal. Thanks!

I had a similar question, if you dn't mind my piggybacking. I am getting my fresh turkey Wednesday evening before T-day. I was wondering if it was worth brining overnight and drying it off in the morning. Would you do it, or leave it as is? Thanks!

I have also been there and had the omakase while my companion ordered off the menu. It isn't a problem at all. Also, just the be clear, the omakase is not all sushi, it is a mix of dishes that includes some raw, but many cooked. It is most enjoyable, but if you want all, or even mostly, sushi, you should order from the menu as well.

Can a vegetarian (eats fish and seafood) eat a full meal at snackbar? I'm looking for a place for Saturday night, and one of our group is a veggie. I haven't had a chance to eat there yet and am dying to, but I want to make sure it will work for everyone. Thanks!

The take-out boxes all say Bon Chon, so I suspect it is the same or very similar, though I've never had it in NY.

I learned recently that Sports Bar is the same chicken as Soho, they just walk it across the street. I'm actually surprised to hear that Soho was open. About a week ago we tried to go but there was a big sign that the building was condemned and they sent us across the street. We've gotten the wings as take-out several times and they survive our short ride amazingly well. I've even had them a couple hours later and they are remarkably crispy. I really want to know how they do that.

Add me to the chorus lamenting a great place I never got a chance to try. We wanted to go for our anniversary a couple weeks ago but the babysitter cancelled. Last night some friends were going to give us their reservation but it didn't work out (ended up at Ansill instead--great meal, now I'm nervous b/c it was half empty...it better not close). Wishing speedy reemployment for the staff. Such a shame.

Sad news. So. . .would you eat there tonight if you had the chance?

That's great news! I got addicted to the cow pies this winter through the Winter Harvest buying club, and have been missing them since it ended. I'm headed straight for Whole Foods.

This is just one opinion, but this house had a two-year-old frigidaire dw when we moved in two and a half years ago. It was a piece of crap. It didn't clean well and was a pain to load (and this was compared to our builder's grade kenmore in our previous house). The new KA dw we put in is a thousand times better. I generally hear good things about frigidaire ranges, but not their dishwashers.