joiei

While reading Ms. Chapins descriptions of Room 39 in todays paper, I almost missed this because it was below all the ratings stuff. Is she taking lessions from the Dan Rather School of Exemplary Descriptives? how is a wine as dusky as an English fog? When did a Rhone with a bit of polish remind one of Eliza Doolittle? She just cracks me up. I have no idea of what she is describing or she means.

That is a really interesting point. In my limited experience with grits on a regular rotation on our menu (less than 1 yr) the real beauty of the stuff is the versatility. They are really a blank parchment waiting to be dressed up. Salt, butter, bacon bits, gravy, the kids like grape jelly in them...whatever is on hand or tickles your fancy, the options are unlimited. ← Grits are like Couscous, other pastas or rice, until you do something with it, it isn't all that appealing. Noodles by themselves are blah, but when you add some butter and garlic, now were talking.

If you were looking for expensive chocolates, none of the ones you have mentioned can compare lb for lb with Noka Chocolates of Plano, Texas With the Vintages collection running you $2,080 per lb, it will be hard to top that pricing. AS to the flavor, it was deduced that Noka was using Bonnat chocolate to create their masterpieces. It is interesting to note that the less you buy, you do pay the penalty for the same chocolate.

One of my favorite chocolatiers is Christopher Elbow in Kansas City.

your report makes me so homesick. I used to love going to Silver Sands when it was its on place on the beach on the east side of Destin with each table having its own toaster on the table. Another place I used to love for breakfast was June's Dunes, but it has been replaced by a highrise. sighhhhhhhhhhh, the old days in Destin. I would recommend that for next year, check out Gravel Road for lunch, I had an excellent grouper sandwich there when I was down between Christmas and New Years.

Grits are not a regular breakfast item here either. Grits are definitely a regional dish, unless you realize that polenta is Italian grits and served at a lot of fancy schmancy restaurants all over the place. I make them at home all the time.

Jasper's is on the southeast corner of 103rd and State Line Road (Missouri side), roughly I-435 and State Line. ← I know where that is and will definitely put this place on my itinerary for my next trip up, which will be soon. I need a break from this place.

Hello and Welcome to Heyjb. What is on that sandwich and where is Jaspers so that i will know the next time I am up to KC. I am always looking for new experiences when I go up that way.

what about Ortanique? (not sure of the spelling - it has been a while since I have eaten Cindy's food and loved it then)

I would recommend going over to Ft Worth to Lanny's Alta Cucina Mexicana, it isn't tex-mex by a long shot. Here is the web site

How true this statement is. Don't knock the cook until you have a chance to taste the food and then place judgements. Price is subjective and to some a ripoff and to others, they gladly pay the price.

I stand corrected. We have too much ice around right now to deal with the real world, and they are saying accumulating snow this coming weekend. UGH>

When I get to town, in no particular order Artisian Francais - for breakfast and a pain au chocolate Jones BBQ over in KCK several other places on u.e.'s list to try Pachamama's - the menu looked very interesting and it isn't really all that far

Fausto's, it is owned by the mayor. A friend of mine worked there for a season and said it was for real.

I just got home from 5 days visiting family and friends between Panama City and Pensacola. This is where I dined and my impressions. Saltwater Grill, Panama City Beach - chosen by my b-i-l, not very good, mostly chain type food offerings and overpriced for what it is. I had the Grouper Ponchatrain, the fish was mushy, the sauce tasted like it was from a mix. The salad was boring. Andy's Flour Power Bakery and Cafe, on Thomas Drive in PCB, excellent. It was crowded with more locals than snowbirds, I guess the prices were too high for them. The food was excellent, I had three different things on three different mornings. The chocolate croissants are a great substitute for toast at breakfast. Gravel Road, in Uptown Grayton Beach center in Grayton Beach, excellent. I met a friend there for lunch and the grouper sandwich was worth every bite. The salads were also interesting, I had the arugula and beet salad, delicious. The Great Southern Cafe, on the circle in Seaside. Affordable, fun and very good food. This is where Shades used to be. And enjoyed a stroll to Ruskin Place to see the shops afterwards. The Modica's still have the market, didn't get anything this time. McGuire's, Pensacola - took my brother to lunch and the food is still good as I remembered it, I especially liked the Senate Bean Soup at 49cents a bowl. I had thought about having a root beer float, they make their own root beer, but I was too full. My loss. The amount of new restaurants along the beaches is incredible. It would take too long to try them all. I did get to see Fish Out of Water at Watercolors, but we didn't eat there, beautiful room and very pricey menu. Off all of these, I would definitely go back to Gravel Road, and McGuire's of course, where else can you Kiss the Moose?

Yes, Bern's is still open. Here is their web site. It does not say if they locally source their beef. You might email them and ask.

I can name a few more, Chef Gerard Maras in New Orleans started his own farm to supply his restaurant with things he couldn't get from suppliers. And the classic is Bern's Steakhouse in Tampa, they were doing organic farming in the mid-70s to supply the restaurant with the produce they wanted.

I would disagree with this statement. I have worked with the local farmers here in the Tulsa and until they know that there is a market for something they tend to not venture to grow it. It is ecomomics for them, they need to sell what they grow for it to be worth their time and effort. For example, when I first moved here, the choices in locally grown tomatoes was limited, now in the summer time, we have growers who are known for the varitey of tomatos they have available. The same with other produce. There has to be a market before the demand can be met. The growers are more than glad to try something new if they know they can sell that produce. The market for local meats is also growing. I was living in San Francisco when Alice Waters was first starting and she had to develope her growers, they didn't just already exist. At the time I lived there, there was no farmers market in the city, and that was in the late 70s. Not all that long ago.

When I was in Lawrence this past weekend, I enjoyed an excellent burger at Local Burger. They were using local suppliers as much as possible from reading the menu. It is not everyday that you get to pick your burger according to the meat producer.

On my drive home yesterday, I have decided that Treza Mare is like an upscale Bonefish Grill. It is a shame they didn't take better use of the view like what I saw from the parking lot. The lights of Kansas City were very pretty. Why is it that people who build restaurants do not take advantage of site location? To have a window wall on that side of the restaurant would of been killer and a selling point.

I had lunch with a fellow foodie and Mr. Moos at Local Burger today. I thought it was a darn decent burger. I had the Amy's beef burger with the potatos. Nice, and next time I go to Lawrence, I will try to have lunch at Pacha-whatever, the menu looked very good.

Has anyone tried the Pastry Lady place in Briarcliffe yet?

upscale Italian fish house, I was not able to find a web site for the place. Here is the body of an email I sent to a couple of friends I will try to post more coherently in the morning.

what is the address?

I am loving the conversation that is happening here. A culinary history lesson. My roommate in college was from North Miami Beach and he introduced me to the Bagel Faire on 163rd. His mom also made me my first knish.