lauderdale75

Wow, watching the Miami episode right now - I'm so excited that you went to one of my favorite haunts -- Garcia's -- particularly so since I recommended it to you over the summer. Thanks so much for sharing this fabulous place with your viewers!

Chris - Congratulations on your achievement -- it certainly culminates many years of food writing. If you're still open to suggestions for Miami, I recommend none other than Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish on the Miami river. It is one of the favorite haunts of police officers, politicians, and attorneys. You will find Prosecutors and Defense Attorneys sitting side by side with Judges and other folks on the deck overlooking the Miami river. They offer phenomenal grilled fish sandwiches for under $5.00 and each dish is accompanied by the homemade fish dip. Its fun to watch the barges float by with the stolen bicycles headed to some island in the caribbean. The place is certainly an institution and reminds you of the Miami from the days of Scarface or Miami Vice. Enjoy, Chirag

I was in NYC this weekend and stayed around the corner at the W-Court hotel. I passed by Wu Liang Ye walking back to the hotel and was dissappointed that the concierge recommended "ming's chinese" - a commonplace neighborhood chinese place instead of Wu Liang Ye. Having read the rave recommendations, I walked down to Wu Liang Ye (on Lexington/39th). The dining room was empty on Saturday night ~ 9:30 pm. Most of the staff were sharing "hot pot" type dishes in the back of the restaurant. I secretely desired to share what they were eating. My dining partner and I were overwhelmed by the menu -- it was nearly 10 pages offering well over 200 dishes. I retrieved my trusted Blackberry and navigated to the Egullet page to search for recommendations. We ordered a few beers each and then ordered: (1) Dan Dan Noodles (2) Poached Razor Clams (3) Sliced Beef Tendons (4) Tea Smoked Duck This was the first time I had tried Dan Dan Noodles. They were tossed tableside and when the hot/warm noodles were mixed in with the "vinaigrette" it released it salty/sweet/earthy aroma. We knew we were in for a treat. The noodles offered so many flavors dancing around in your mouth. To those who'd never had it before, I'd liken it to a "chinese bolognese" but even that phrase doesnt do the dish any justice. If I lived in NYC, this would certainly be a weekly treat for me. My only recommendation -- and Im sure this is a bastardization of the meal -- would be to add some extra spinach and perhaps some chopped green onion. The Poached Razor clams "special" was prominently displayed over the bar. I read about the recommendation on this site and ordered it. The dish was served cold accompanied by a scallion sauce. Again, the dish was infused with an abundance of flavor; my only regret was that I wish this dish was served before the noodles as I wouldve benefitted from a "cleaner" palatte to really enjoy the clams. Sliced Beef Tendons may have been the highlight of the evening. This dish was served cold and offered a salty/chewy/crunchy texture. It was served in a red sichuan oil "sauce" and this dish really challenged and highlighted what traditional "carry-out" chinese places cannot offer to the public at large. It really made me wish I lived in NYC (just for a moment so I could experience foods like this on a regular basis. The tea smoked duck arrived along with the Tendons. It was half a duck (at this point my dining partner and I were so full) and chopped into bite sized pieces. The first bite revealed a smoky/earthy and salty quality. The duck was not gamey and offered a crackly skin. It was perfect. We contemplated how they prepared the dish so quickly and agreed that it was likely prepared in advanced and kept in some type of oven that didnt dry out the meat while still maintaining a crisp skin. We finished the best pieces of the duck leaving behind some bones and large pieces of fat. I look forward to my next visit to NYC to try out Wu Liang Ye again. I only hope the next time I can go with a larger group (of egullet-eers?) so I can try a larger variety of dishes. PS - Sorry no pictures --

I've discovered several new restaurants I probably would've never ventured to. I've also discovered the wonders of the Pizza Stone and subsequently, how important it is to have a Peel to transfer the dough / crust to and from the stone.

Thanks for sharing the pictures - NJ has such a thriving Indian community - there are few other places in this country that you can get authentic Indian "street foods" in one place like that you've shown above. By the way, this is one of my favorite snacks: Its called Pani Puri - Pani means water - in this case, a seasoned water, and puri is the puff pastry shown. You fill it up with boiled potatoes, chick peas, and "chaat masala" which is a seasoning, then fill up the liquid (pani) into each puri and eat very carefully and quickly. Thanks again

If my pictures continue to turn out this crappy, I'm gonna quit posting altogether, especially after SusanFL just posted her images. Anyhow, I made a relatively simple (in preparation) but complex (in taste) shrimp "curry." I served it along with flour paratha (the bread dish). The shrimp pic is blurry and bluish (I was playing w/ the white balance). I promise better pics during next week's dinners. The shrimp: The shrimp & paratha bread:

Well... how was it?! It looks delicious. That skin looks mighty tempting. ←

Sorry, no food porn here; just some good eats. I made a roasted chicken last night. (By the way, this my first "whats for dinner" post, and hopefully, the first of many to come). Brining the chicken in water, soy, ginger, lemon, onion, garlic and dried herbs Preparing for skewering (note the poor trussing skills). I forced garlic slivers between the skin and the meat. Halfway through cooking: Finished Product: Plated: Enjoy and thanks for reading.

Thanks for the information. I'm sorry to say that I never had an opportunity to dine there. Best of luck to him & his family.

Thanks for sharing the pictures - the food looks delicious, and as you pointed out, so simply prepared, highlighting the flavor of the particular ingredient. Thanks, have a great journey thru Europe, and safe return back to NY.

Susan in FL - Fabulous looking dishes as always. However, the most striking part of your thread is highlighted above. I'm a new member of the Forum here, and was always fascinated by your beautiful food. I never would've imagined that you make all this food after working!! That is truly inspirational. Thanks and keep up the hard work.

Thanks for the welcome, Jennifer. I don't know if its out of the budget range for what you desire to put together here, but I would willingly participate in a field trip to Blue Hill @ Stone Barns. Taste of Hudson, suggested by Mark Bauman, above, also sounds like a neat idea where we'd have the opportunity to sample many different places.

Jennifer - Great thread and an equally great idea. I'm a recent transplant to "upstate NY" (Albany), by way of Miami, Florida. I've thoroughly enjoyed the bounties of the season, but am looking to venture to all the great eats this area has to offer. If you schedule any events during the weekend - please let me know - I'd love to join. Regards, Chirag

Thanks for the recommendations - if I ever find myself in New Bern, NC, I'll be sure to go by. Im equally fascinated as to what made you move from Bergen Cty, NJ, to New Bern NC. Care to share your story? Thanks, Chirag

If it troubles you so much, I don't think that Darren would mind if you cross-post to this thread. I can't really see the problem with this thread being located here, though: It's a Seattle-based merchant offering this opportunity to his Seattle-area patrons. ← Oops, I hope you didn't take my post as a criticism - I really meant for it to be complimentary. I'm not going to cross-link Darren's post to the other parts of the Forum - I was just intending to say that this is a really fabulous thread. Thanks,