zeffer81

Vietnam and l'Angolo. Yum and YUM!!!

My mother, brother and I are all left-handed. When we go to restaurants with chopsticks, my father must inquire "do you have left-handed chopsticks?" This usually occurs before he makes the "hankie/napkin squirrel."

sigh We're cleaning up the following: sausage and peppers in the crock pot white turkey chili Dad's (aka Mark Bittman's) no-knead bread and my cornmuffins crudites with helluva good onion dip (storebought) 7 layer dip (homemade) roasted peppers and cauliflower 3 kinds of olives deviled eggs in the retro deviled egg plate from grandmom shrimp cocktail canned foie, straight outta France cheese plate with mixed charcuterie homemade brownies. Hmmm...did I forget anything? I forgot to put out the goat cheese and fruit plate. Shucks, more for us tomorrow!

How often are you in Philly? I saw some at Di Bruno brothers' this weekend.

I have to agree with this statement. ← an affluent nation with a notoriously cheap food policy......... watch how things change this coming year..... food prices are going to go through the roof... ← You're right on that!! I see it already when I go over to MI. Milk is 1.00 more a gallon that in was in October. The cottage cheese I like is .50 more. Eggs are .75 more , etc, etc. I don't eat red meat( I havent for 20 years) but I do eat fish, chicken and pork. I'm actually weaning pork out of my diet, lately the smell of bacon does nothing for me. I think its the fatty bits that are grossing me out. Additionally, since moving to the country, I see Pigs and Cows in feedlots and trucks making their way to the States on almost a daily basis. I know those animals know they're on their way to slaughter. You can see it in their eyes!! ← I was just reading in Harper's that poor American children eat more meat than affluent ones, on a weekly basis.

People really think that's gross? Sounds like a regular ole sandwich to me...that's coming from a Philadelphian though

Mejillones Gratinadoes (Mussels Stuffed with Mushrooms) 1 lb. mussels, scrubbed and debearded 1 cup water 2 lemon slices plus more for garnish 1 tbs. olive oil 1/2 cup mushroom diced fine 1 tbs minced onion 2 tbs flour 1/4 cup milk 1 tbs lemon juice pinch of saffron s & p to taste 1 egg yolk 2 tbs grated hard cheese i.e. manchego 1. Preheat oven to 450' F. Place mussels in deep pan with water and lemon slices. Cover pan and put over high heat, shaking the pan, until mussels open (approx. 3 minutes.) Remove from heat and discard any that are unopened. Strain cooking liquid and reserve 1/2 cup. 2. Remove and discard the empty half shells. Loosen mussel from the bottom shell and arrange them in their shells on a baking sheet in a single layer (it can help to have a layer of salt on the bottom of the pan if they seem tipsy. 3. Saute mushrooms and onions in oil until soft. Stir in flour and cook for one minute. Gradually whisk in reserved cooking liquid, milk, lemon juice, saffron and salt and pepper. 4. Lightly beat egg and gradually add to sauce, being careful not to cook it. 5. Place a spoonful of sauce on top of each mussel. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake for approx. 8 minutes or until top is bubbly and lightly browned. I'm not a huge mussels fan but really enjoye this recipe. It's definitely more labor intensive than your standby of good steamed mussels, but it's also a new twist on a staple. Enjoy!

Well, geeez, I wish I had your son with me!

I did try "La Cantina", as I've heard it called, for free margaritas after Thanksgiving. Devil's Den is right by me, and I'll make it to POPE at some point. Thanks for the tips! ← Try the Pope on a weekday; it's really not that bad. Also, I haven't eaten there yet, but I understand that they've recently upgraded their offerings. The menu looks tasty and I hear they have a killer grilled cheese (three cheeses!)

I make broccoli soup by simply boiling it and blending it with a bit of the cooking liquid (cook it in stock or water; either one is fine.) Add a hefty splash of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste and call it a day. I add some parm as well and find that a little goes a long way. As usual, it's even better for lunch the next day!

mmm...my grandmom called it "chicken soup," my brother and I called it "carrot soup." Basically just shredded carrots in canned chicken broth. There was something about it, however, that was just incredible. My mom tried to replicate it once (which shouldn't be that hard. Step One: Shred carrots. Step Two: Open can and dump contents in pot. Step Three: Heat.) and it just didn't taste the same. I guess there's just something about a grandma's love. My 90-year old great aunt (grandmom's sister) is still an incredible baker. She makes the best jewish desserts which I would list here if I had any idea how to spell them! However, she's unfortunately past her apple cake making days, which is quite unfortunate. I'm salivating as I remember the extremem MOISTNESS of this cake. And besides, it had fruit to it was good for you, right???

Agreed on the soup front. You could also do a twist on the meal by going with a heartier minestrone with some yummy crusty bread. Start with a salad and that's a rustic yet tasty meal. If you are looking for something more substantial, however, I think you don't need BOTH the eggplant parm and the pasta. If you want to work with the cauliflower, you could serve that as a side with the parm. or...I invented a delicious pasta dish that incorporates sun-dried tomatoes and baby arugula in a mix of broth/white wine/tomato soaking liquid. It's light yet delicious with some parm and cracked black pepper. **You may not need this reminder but, as a vegetarian, I just can't help myself! Be sure the soup doesn't have any chicken/meat stock in it

FYI - you can search the thread using the “search topic” box in the lower left corner of the screen. Thank you very much. ← Thanks for the info! I actually looked through the entire thread today(!) but that was all I found. I was hoping for some additional info. I'll go ahead with the braise this week and will hopefully share my successful results. In the meantime, it's back to the market for some shallots. Yum!

Has anyone made the braised halibut with creamed leeks? I'm thinking of trying it but have never worked with bone-in fish and am a little scared. Bruce, that looks INCREDIBLE!

I knew I was going to like it when I LOVED the introduction--the introduction! What a holiday treat!

Although not up to par with some of the incredible experiences here... My now departed grandmother who used to tell waiters, customer service reps, anyone else who was helping us, that they were cute and then turn to me in the height of my adolescence and say "isn't he cute, Zoe?" while the gentlman was still standing there. I always mumbled a quick "yes" or "uh, sure" and hoped he went away as quickly as possible. or... My father is not a gambling man. However, every year around Triple Crown time he puts a minimal (and when I'm talking minimal I mean about 5 bucks) amount on one or more of the races. No problem, let the guy do his thing. It seems as if the entire country, or at least Philadelphia, was horse-crazy over Smarty Jones that year and my dad had whole-heartedly jumped on the Smarty bandwagon. This all occurs in and around May. My birthday is in mid-May and each year my parents take me and my boyfriend out to the restaurant of my choice for my birthday, usually a small BYOB. The details are a bit fuzzy as this was a few years back but I selected the recquisite small, quiet BYOB for my birthday dinner. To my father's dismay, our reservation fell exactly at the the time of the race (I don't remember which one, specifically.) For a guy who is not into sports (I'm the sports fan in the family, believe it or not,) Dad was crestfallen that he would not be able to see the race. He asked if he could run across the street to the sports bar to watch the damn 2 minute thing. After much whining I was starting to get annoyed and stopped really listening to him. Well, my birthday arrives and my parents pick us up to head over to the restaurant. My dad is strangely quiet about Smarty. As we're walking into the restaurant I notice something in his hand. What is it? What could it be? Is it...no... My dad had brough a portable RADIO to the fine restaurant to listen to the race. Not just any radio but a nicely yellowed one straight out of the 1950s. I was MORTIFIED. Throughout our appetizers, he kept checking his watch and turned the radio on to a whisper despite my opposition. As the race started, he turned the ancient monstrosity to FULL VOLUME and started cheering! "Go Smarty, go Smarty, gosmartygosmartygosmarty!!!!!!!!" It gets progressively louder until the end when he shouts--at full volume "I WONNNNNN!!!!" Apparently he won the trifecta which awarded him I don't know, fifty bucks? I think that's my most mortifying restaurant experience.

It shouldn't be too difficult, especially if you walk a block down to Spring Garden. Enjoy your meal!

Point taken. However, these gentlemen were obnoxious. There was borderline offensive conversation (discriminatory language, which I would have addressed had it continued.) However, I think my favorite was their demand to see the waitress "at least once every five minutes" to make sure their needs were being met...and then asking her if she was married... In the grand scheme of thing, the chair in my back was actually the least of my worries. In response to Holly--I didn't think the 12 top was too outrageous at this given restaurant whose name I don't want to reveal because you'll definitely know it. Overall, a wonderful woman, not our waitress, who we later realized was the owner, saved the evening with her gracious friendliness. I don't think we'll return, but that is due to a variety of other reasons including, but not limited to, the vast number of other INCREDIBLE restaurants in our great city!

the other issue to take into account is the likelihood that a table of twelve will probably (hopefully!) leave a significantly larger tip than a table of two. also, i forgot to mention that another table nearby asked to move. i may have done the same but we we were nearly finished by the time it really started to get under my skin.

My boyfriend and I ate at a small(ish) BYOB here in Philadelphia last weekend. While it isn't a big place, the accoustics are horrible and the sound tends to carry. When we were seated, I noticed an empty table set for approximately 12 people directly behind my seat. A warning bell went off in my head but I promptly ignored it and set to exploring the menu. Fast forward about 30 minutes... The table of men entered the restaurant and immediately demanded the attention of everyone in the room. How could they not, they were extremely loud. In addition, the man sitting behind me had his chair pushed out so far that I was practically stuck in my seat. Although I tried to ignore it, they were really, REALLY loud and occasionally ventured towards offensive language/conversations. There were times that I could not even hear what my boyfriend was saying--and he was sitting right across from me! My question for you, my fellow gulleteers, is this: does it ever get to a point where the manager or owner should intervene for the sake of the other customers?

I thought the kid was his nephew???

Anyone been lately? We're thinking of making Salento the destination of our annual Christmas season date. Thoughts???

...and he was at the Ritz this weekend exploring Philly. Ate at Brasserie, I believe.

I love how real he is. He talks not just about food but politics and issues of international importance. He extols the virtue of not just eating at but visiting some of the lesser-known countries (mostly Asian) and does so with an enviable passion. On a side note, the line for the book signing went down two hallways, out the door and all the way down Wood Street. WOW!

I visited a few weeks and enjoyed a satisfying meal there (albeit no beautiful pictures to share!) We started with what I think they called carpaccio & crudo which was comprised of salmon, tuna and swordfish crudo sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil with a side of greens, tomatoes and olives. Light and tasty. My boyfriend got the ragu--I think it was veal--with fresh papardelle. I don't eat meat so I had to take his word that it was fresh and delicious. I got the gnocchi with pesto cream. It was an interesting take on gnocchi that I've never seen. Rather than a heap of small gnocchi, I got four larger ones, about the size of an egg. I'll take it however I can get it, they were still light and fluffy and I scraped the last bit of sauce from my plate. We had a cheese plate for dessert. Eh, I've had better. Surprisingly, the cheese was cold and kind of boring. I forget what it was, maybe a camembert, parmiggiano and some sort of blue? It came with a fruit preserves (it's been a few weeks so my memory is lacking.) We had to ask for a knife and bread. Wine list was impressive and very reasonably priced. Of course I forget what I drank but it was mighty tasty! Oh yeah, the fried dough was a great twist on your normal bread plate. Overall, I think they're still working out some kinks but the food was solid and service pleasant.