KitchenMom

Great topic. We did a major kitchen renovation last year (small things still not done) in which we actually moved the kitchen to a different part of the house. When I have more time, I'll try and post pics and details. For now, I wanted to answer the Ikea question, since I've become somewhat of an expert on Ikea cabinets. In the U.S., you don't even have to buy the fronts in the first place. All of the cabinet components are sold separately - boxes, shelves, drawers, hinges, etc. You can get any combinations of these things. I love the fronts we got (natural birch, slab front), but it is easy to stubstitute. The guts of the cabinets are terrific. I've had many people with custom cabs express jealousy over all our cool fittings, and they were so much cheaper!

I don't think it is necessarily that people don't know any better. Some people actually like places like Olive Garden and Cheesecake factory. I have a friend who waxes eloquent about her latest meal at Olive Garden. She frequently mentions craving a particular dish from OG. I can't understand it at all. I went once out of curiosity, thinking "how bad could it be?" Well, I found out it could be horrendously bad. I don't know if it can be attributed to unsophisticated palates or just plain different taste, but for a lot of people, a meal at one of these chains is a positive culinary experience, not just stuffing food in their mouths because they don't care. Add this to the comfort factor and the fact that the vast majority of people are not adventurous eaters, and you've got a lot of folks who are willing to wait.

Well, I'm back from my trip and thought I'd post an update. I never managed to get out of downtown, so didn't have a chance to check out some of the more interesting options. I also didn't escape the conference as much as I had hoped, so ended up with the barely passable boxed lunches provided by GSU. Wednesday, the night I arrived, my friends and I convened at our hotel in the CNN Center (a truly bizarre place that made me feel like I was in the movie Blade Runner). It was late so we ended up at McCormick and Schmicks. It is what it is. I've been to others and this was the same. Fine, fresh fish with decent preparations if you stick to the simpler things. I had a seared ahi tuna nicoise salad that was quite nice, though nothing special. The next night my friends and I ended up at a little Thai place recommended by the hotel concierge. It is called Spoon, and is on Marietta about a mile west(?) of the CNN center. We had a really lovely meal there. They had a decent sake selection as well as some interesting mixed drinks. One of my friends really enjoyed his green tea martini. The menu was somewhat small, but quite interesting, with a mix of traditional Thai dishes and some more unusual things. I had a dungeness crab special that was terrific. It certainly seemed more interesting, and a little more upscale than the Thai restaurants here in Philly, which are generally not great. Friday night's dinner was catered at the aquarium. A fun place, and the food was ok, but not great. I'm not sure who catered it, though I heard Wolfgang Puck's name bandied about. All in all it was a nice trip and I had fun. It wasn't particularly memorable as a food trip, but everything was fine, and I would definitely go to Spoon again.

I hate to admit it, but Starbucks has my favorite - the iced Americano. It has great coffee flavor and isn't at all watery. Perfect with a little half and half. It's my go-to summer iced coffee.

LOL. Thanks for setting me straight Therese. I think I'll pass on McDonalds AND Nikolai's Roof. I think I'll skip Mary Mac's and Pittypat's Porch, and let you two duke it out amongst yourselves. Tryska, Fleur de Lis sounds like a perfect breakfast stop on my way in. Thanks for the rec. I'm all for taking MARTA to Midtown if I can get my friends to join me. I just learned that there is a Friday dinner event at the Aquarium, so I just need places for Wednesday and Thursday. Thanks for all your help!

Thanks for all the info so far! This is really helpful. At GSU, I'll be at the law school, which I believe is at Decatur and Piedmont. I'll keep a look out for that cafe...sounds perfect for an escape during the day. I like all types of food, and will probably be eating with a mix of adventurous and not-so-adventurous eaters. One of my likely companions is a vegetarian who eats fish/seafood. One fine-dining option is good, and it's nice to know the hotel restaurants are well regarded. Other nights, I'd prefer a more casual atmosphere, where it's easy for a lively group to sit and talk for a while. I'd love some Southern cuisine since we don't have anything great in Philly, but it's not essential. I'd like to avoid chains if possible. Thanks again!

I'll be in Atlanta for the first time next week, and I'm having a bit of trouble figuring out the food scene in terms of what is where and what will be convenient to where I'm staying. I've read most of the Atlanta threads, and I gather most of the good restaurants are in midtown and Buckhead. I believe I'll be staying downtown (?). I'll be at the Omni CNN Center, and attending meetings at GSU. I'll be looking to eat with small groups of people, none of whom will probably have cars. So, is there anything decent within walking/easy transportation distance from the CNN center? Where are midtown and Buckhead in relation to this area? What's a chowhound to do? Thanks for any help!

I have the GE Profile flourescents, and I am very happy with them. They are very low profile (not all the GE undercab lights are so slim, so you have to check), don't flicker at all, and give off a nice light, not at all bluish, as flourescents can be. I looked into xenon lights, but they were much more expensive and also got fairly warm, though not as hot as halogens.

Chiming in late here with a resounding CAKE I checked with my husband, who said "that's easy - cake," and my kids much prefer cake, so we are unanimous around here. Now, if only I could get a nice big Wedge of german chocolate cake with a glass of milk. . .

I have friends who have it and love it. It's been in their kitchen for about a year, and looks pretty beat up, so it really depends if you like "patina." My friends are both doctors and it reminds them of their days in the lab. I really like the feel of it, but I wouldn't want my counters looking quite that worn (my friends are also not the neatest people in the world).

I'm having a lot of fun learning about parts of my adopted region that I wasn't familiar with. Thanks, especially for the H-Mart review and pics. I've been wondering about it and how it is different from the Han Ah Rheum on Cheltenham Avenue (which I'm very near). From your pics, it looks extremely similar - same array of prepared foods, similar fish selection, same variety of packaged products. It may have more American stuff than Han Ah Rheum, which has only one small isle, but I don't get that stuff there anyway. Now I don't need to make the trip.

Melissa, great thread. Kitchen reno is so obsessive, but so much fun. I recently completed a major kitchen renovation with Ikea cabinets. I did the design myself and, so far, it is working out wonderfully. One of these days I'll have some pictures. Anyway, if you are going the Ikea route, I highly recommend you check out IkeaFans.com. It is a fantastic site full of knowledgeable people. You can see pictures of finished kitchens, get info on long-distance ordering, assembling, and all kinds of clever modfications. The folks on the forum are super-nice and helpful. Also, while my kitchen is new, I know a few people with Ikea kitchens that are over 10 years, and they are holding up just fine. For sinks, if budget is an issue, you might want to check out Kindred sinks. They are very similar to Blanco, just as nice, and cheaper. I have the Kindred Big Single, which is similar in dimension to the Blanco you linked (I think it's 9" deep, but I'm not sure). I have it in the Ikea 36" sink base, with a laminate counter and it is great. I love that Blanco faucet. I have the Blanco Purus II, which looks like the faucet you linked, but without the restaurant syle sprayer attachement. It is a very nice, heavy faucet and so far is working beautifully. Have fun!

Okay, RTM experts, I'm heading in from the 'burbs tomorrow and I'm wondering if I can get good osso bucco anywhere in the market. Does Harry Ochs have it? Any other recommendations? I particularly want ones that aren't too thick. While I'm at it, does anyone know anyplace to get preserved lemons? I usually make my own, but I'd like to use them before I have time to preserve another batch. TIA for any help.

Hooray! I've been dying to check out Amada, and we've been having a real babysitter problem, so haven't been able to get out at all in ages (ack! how did I become a stuck-in-the-burbs mom in a mini-van ). Our next free day, hubby and I will definitely be there. Katie, you just made my night!

I have to say, my family's traditional T-giving jello mold is one of my favorite comfort foods. I think my grandma did it with lemon jello, but it's also good with cherry - add fresh cranberries ground w/oranges, chopped walnuts, chopped apple, and pomegranite seeds. It's labor intensive, but oh so yummy and pretty too.

Interesting. To me, the green bean casserole is much more "white" than the tuna noodle casserole. In my second-generation Jewish-American family, tuna noodle casserole (or mac-a-tuna as we used to call it) was a regular staple, while I never even heard of green bean casserole until I was an adult. My mother never made those classic Betty Crocker Cookbook 1950's recipes that were popular in so many families, and I was frequently teased in my small mid-western town for eating "Jewish" food, though in fact what we had most of the time was just food made with fresh, healthy ingredients, most often with a mediterranean influence, but right there in the mix was tuna casserole.

Unfortunately, Ashbourne Market has been closed for a couple of years now. They did have great fish. I didn't think of it when you first posted because it hasn't been around for a while.

We are always happy with the fish from Ben & Irv's in Huntington Valley. It's a bit of a hike, but they put together lovely platters if you call ahead. I wouldn't recommend any of the places in Jenkintown. You are probably thinking of Murray's in the Baederwood plaza, but I don't think it's too good. If you have a chance, I second Bell's Market as well. I haven't actually bought fish there, but what they have in the case looks amazing. There is a huge variety - lox, whitefish, sturgeon, different herrings, and other stuff I've never heard of. If you go there, be warned that they speak virtually no english, so ordering can be a bit of a challenge. I also highly recommend their home-made peirogies, which are by far the best I've ever had.

Speaking of which, I happened to walk by Tony Jr.'s yesterday and noticed right on the sign: Famous "Philly" Cheesesteaks. I guess whoever runs it now figures no true Philadelphian will go, so they are trying to pull in the tourists.

I was just signing on to say that Saigon Cafe is my favorite spot for bahn mi, and I see that SG has done it for me. We live not too far from there, and frequently run over for a quick lunch. A bahn mi and mango bubble tea sets me back only $5 (the tea is more than the sandwich) and keeps me going all afternoon. Their other food is decent too.

Another option, if you don't want strictly Chinese, is Rangoon. We go there a lot with our 2 and 4-year-olds, both of whom are quite picky (how I ended up with picky eaters continues to mystify me). They have a number of fried things - fried taro (kind of french fry-ish), crispy tofu, and things like chicken satay and noodle dishes that the kids are always happy to eat. their salads and entrees also have plenty to offer the more adventurous eater. There have been lots of descriptions on this forum if you do a search. Vietnamese is also popular with my kids. The appetizer sampler plate at Vietnam has something for everyone and is enough for a meal for the kids plus apps for the parents. Have fun.

Melissa- FYI, the Ikea cabinet prices don't seem to have gone up at all so far. They are all the same. There are some new door styles that are a bit pricier than some of the others, but the older styles are all the same. An Ikea kitchen designer told me that it is generally a good rule of thumb to add 25% to the dollar amount in the planner to account for all of the necessary trim and filler, taxes, etc. that the planner doesn't include. DO NOT uninstall the 2005 planner for the 2006. It is full of bugs, doesn't have all of the styles in all of the sizes of cabinets, and automatically includes countertops, making it impossible to guage the price. My DH changed mine thinking he was doing me a favor - grrr. Fortunately, I still have the 2005 planner on my office computer.

jogoode - I don't know if it's too late, but I can tell you about the trucks around Temple U. in Philly. I think the trucks there represent the diversity of the school, so in that way they are all fitting. Within a four block radius, right in the center of campus, here are the trucks I can think of - numerous generic "greasy" trucks serving cheese steaks, buffalo chicken steaks and cold sandwiches; a halal truck featuring home-roasted turkey in various forms (sandwich, salad, etc.); a couple of hot-dog trucks; a Chinese/Vietnamese; at least two other straight-up Chinese; an extremely popular Korean truck; a crepe truck; pizza; middle-eastern; a truck featuring various grilled chicken sandwiches called "Chicken Heaven" (they also do the best salads on campus); a truck that makes grilled wrap sandwiches; a couple of fruit salad trucks; there used to be an indian truck, but I haven't seen it in a while...hmm...there are probably more, but I can't think of them at the moment. This doesn't even count the semi-fixed storefront places that are almost trucks and include a bagel place, more vietnamese, middle-eastern, a salad place and a few others. Many of the trucks are run by Greeks, especially the generic ones, though in the last couple of years, more and more of the trucks have been bought by Vietnamese families. So, with all this, why is it that I always have such a hard time finding something for lunch?

I'll put in a word for the Trader Joe's dark chocolate bars that come in a three-pack. They have a really creamy, rich mouth feel and nice chocolate taste, and are very reasonably priced. They are what is most often in my cupboard. TJ's also has a good selection of other dark chocolate bars including Vahlrona (a couple different degrees of darkness) and Scharffen-Berger. I like them all, but the TJ's brand is my favorite.

If you want to head north, rather than west, there is a Golden Krust on N. Broad, somewher around Olney. I'm not sure of the exact address, but I drive by all the time on my commute to work. I've often been curious to try it, but haven't made it there yet.