Diner Girl

I just think it's amazing that with the geographic diversity in this thread, as well as the timespan during which all these potlucks took place, that Sandra Lee seemed to be at all of them.

You did a great job with the turkey! We grilled our turkey -- brined it for 12 hours with the Steven Raichlen brine recipe and then put it on the grill over indirect coals with a drip pan underneath for 2 hours and 45 minutes. Crispy skin. Juicy meat. And, it didn't taste smoked at all. Until we made the gravy. That's where the smoky flavor came out and it was a little slice of heaven. I have to admit that I was skeptical about doing our Thanksgiving bird (a 15 pounder) on the grill. So, we did a test run on Monday night. Had the neighbors over for a "clean out your fridge" dinner to make space in all our refrigerators for the upcoming dinner preparations that week. If anyone is ever interested in trying it, I highly recommend it. Happy holidays, everyone!

With all the smells, tastes and sounds I associate with the holidays, one of my favorite sounds is the old Folger's commercial where the little girl is coming down the stairs of her home late at night to get a drink of water and the front door opens to reveal her older brother in uniform, coming home from the military to surprise his family for the holidays. Shortly after, the mother comes in to see what's going on... and all she says is, "Peter, you're home" and I'm in tears. Every freakin' time. And, even though the taste of Folger's makes me gag, that commercial makes me crave coffee. Then, of course, the holiday season has officially kicked off. And, that means, I can fill my kitchen with the smell of satsumas from Louisiana and a Christmas tree from the farm back home, and all the foods I love. What sounds, tastes and smells "kick off" the holiday season for you all?

Just spoke with the guys at Central Grocery. They are re-opening on Thursday morning. They asked for a week's time to get up and running, to see how busy they are and what staff members stick around, and then they'll start UPS-ing the muffalettas. I know what we're having for Christmas Eve dinner. Oh, happy day.

OOoooooooooo, I'm salivating. I"ll keep calling there once a day to see if I can get someone on the line. Thanks for the update. And, glad you found another decent coffee shop that's open. There's one you might want to look into for great atmosphere -- Fair Grinds Cafe (near the Fairgrounds) just off Esplanade on Ponce deLeon. Great little place and really nice owners. I think they're re-opening soon. Thanks again for the Central Grocery update!

Love ya, mean it, but I agree with the others. It just ain't the same as eating it in the Quarter. Plus, I want to do what I can to help support local area businesses from afar to help them get back on their feet again until I can get down there again. p.s. - did you see Anthony and Gail Uglesich's website? They say the restaurant suffered minor damage, no flooding, and that they haven't ruled out re-opening. God, to have a muffaletta for breakfast and some Shrimp Uggie for lunch. That's heaven. Or maybe better than heaven.

Does anyone know when or if Central Grocery will re-open? I'd like to order some muffaletta(s) and have them shipped up here to DC. I'm happy to order and re-order and re-order them until they get back on their feet again. God, I miss that town.

Thanks for this. I've heard good things about this place and also Kay's (also in the Sellwood area, as I recall).

Malachi -- O'Rourke's is a little more "posh" than what I'm looking for. Instead of omelets with prosciutto, I'd prefer them with just plain ole ham. Does that make sense? A little more home-like. I don't want to necessarily be impressed by food. For me, it's more about the overall "local feeling" experience than just the food. I'm looking for something that's not a bistro, but a little more upscale than a truck stop, but not by much. I know Portland isn't chock full of 'em... but I'm hoping to find one or two. Somewhere where the grilled cheese comes on Wonder Bread and the tomato soup probably came from a can.

I'm headed to Portland to see friends in mid-October, and thought I'd work on my book while I'm there. That means, I need some good diner recommendations. No chains, no themes... just good old greasy spoons anywhere in Portland/Lake Oswego. Grilled cheese, pork chops, free refills, surly men at the counter... you get the picture. Many thanks, in advance.

I went to the Bonefish Grill in Biloxi, MS a few weeks ago. Sadly, it (and the mall is was in) no longer exists. The mussels were really good (shock!) but everything else was mediocre.

I have to admit that I was never really a fan of the restaurants in the CBD and other tourist-y areas. I never had a hankering to eat in any place a Brennan or a Legasse owned. It's just not my thing, and quite frankly, I'm a small-town girl who prefers low-key neighborhood delights. I will miss (at least for the next year or so, if not forever in some cases): -- Willie Mae's fried chicken, rice and butter beans -- Everything about Upperline (especially JoAnn) -- Crawfish cheesecake at Dick & Jenny's -- Gail Uglesich's Bloody Marys -- John Rea's booming voice announcing the food at Uglesich's -- Dooky Chase's Monday lunch buffet -- Everything about the Fair Grinds Coffee Shop (near City Park) -- Chocolate chip/banana pancakes and huevos rancheros at the Bluebird I'm glad I spent a week there in August soaking it all in. Who knows when we'll be able to get back, and certainly things will change. Memories are a wonderful thing, and for me, it's double the pleasure when memories involve good food, good conversation, and good collegiality with the folks who prepare and serve.

I thought "Garlic and Sapphires" was too Dr. Phil-ish for me. It was my least favorite of the three. I think "Comfort Me with Apples" was the best of the three. This latest one was too annoying in tone and writing style.

Brown's. Ah, now there's a memory. There's nothing like the smell of their freshly done donuts right next to the sand and ocean. Our cousins had a house on the ocean right around 2nd and Atlantic, and we'd go to their beach and head up to Brown's for donuts (and candy). Man, I'm reliving my childhood bigtime right now. Do you remember Bernie's and their barrels of pickles? I think it changed to the Gardens Market, and now is probably condos or something. Across from French Real Estate, as I recall. My brother and I used to ride our bikes to Bernie's for pickles and other deli items. And, they had soft-serve ice cream outside, I think. We always ate Kohr Bros. on the boardwalk since we grew up with that family in PA. Carol

I'm from the area and I have to say that unless you're willing to drive into the city, there's nothing great off I-95 in the Baltimore area. Just south of Baltimore (about 6 exits; and before you hit the DC Beltway), if you take the exit for Route 198 East toward Laurel, go about 2 miles, then turn left on Route 1 North and take your immediate left into a small shopping center, you will find one of the best Italian restaurants in the area. Pasta Plus. Their phone number is 301.498.7878 and the address is 209 Gorman Avenue. Amazing gnocchi and wonderful pasta and meat dishes. Decent wine selection, but the food there is great. Good luck!

Thanks for the welcome(s), all. Is the Chatterbox still open in OCNJ? I started salivating when someone mentioned Oves. We used to ride our bikes all the way in from the Gardens to have breakfast there. Then we'd ride up the B'walk to 12th, then back down and home again in the mornings. Then hit the beach all day. I'm headed to Stone Harbor for a few days of R&R next week and cannot WAIT to have Mack's pizza there. Their original store is on the border of Stone Harbor and Avalon, and I have been craving their pizza with a birch beer. There's no better combination.

I just proposed marriage to Willie Mae after eating her fried chicken. Oh. My. God. The beau and I are in NO enroute to a business event in Biloxi on Wednesday. Ate at Upperline last night, as we always do our first night in town. Overslept this morning, missed breakfast, and went straight to Willie Mae's at 11:30 for lunch. It's Monday, so it's Butter Bean day, and I couldn't have been happier. Brian had the smothered veal with the green beans (which he liked). The place was busy, but she came out to say hello, as she usually does. I love this woman, and if there was ever a reason to approve stem cell research legislation for cloning, this is it. Happy eating, Carol

I think they said they are staying open until Thanksgiving. I'm not sure, though. And, thanks for the welcome. I appreciate it!

I couldn't agree more. And, the last time I was there, they had racks and racks of Tastykakes, too. Ah, the cravings.....

Is Wonderland still on the OC boardwalk (with its frozen chocolate-covered bananas)? That's where I had my first kiss.

Bravo to the person who posted about dipping french fries in a chocolate shake. That reminded me of my mom driving us home from swimming lessons back in the 70s, and we'd stop at Hardee's to get that combination. Sigh. Those were the days. Here are some of my other favorite/odd combos: -- Watermelon slices with goat cheese and finely ground black pepper -- On sourdough, peanut butter, bacon, cheddar, and thin slices of a granny smith apple -- And, my favorite childhood afterschool snack: raw carrots slathered in mayonnaise

I went on an exchange trip to the Netherlands back in high school (in the oh-so-fashionable 80s) and my host family prepared what they told me was going to be the best meal of my lifetime. It was a fish. A raw fish. Scale-less, but head and eyeballs still intact. Staring at me pitifully from the brown pfaltzgraff-looking plate. I politely waited for my hosts to start so I'd know what to do with the thing. They smeared its head with mayonnaise and then cut off the head and ate it. Bones and all. Crunched away. The sound of it made my mouth water in that not-so-good way, so I excused myself and ran to the bathroom. After a round of dry heaves, I returned to the table, where they had all finished their fish and had store-bought chocolate mousse for dessert. I ate that and excused myself and went to bed. During one of our educational sessions the next day, I snuck out to their local version of McD's and ate about 14 metric tons of french fries. Funny... the rest of our meals during that stay were in local restaurants.

Well, well well.... way to harsh on the newbie-poster but long-time lurker. Jeez, guys.... cut me some slack. (except for the "she's cute" comments... you can always keep those coming). Nothing like posting something I felt passionate about, going away for a few days on a business trip, and coming back to the guillotine. Man. Here's the deal. I am not a restaurant PR person. I am in no way affiliated with Sea Salt. I found out about it when I got to the beach that weekend and heard one of the local bookstore owners talking about this place. I went there over the Fourth of July weekend on the Friday night (Argentinian hanger steak) then I went back with other friends again on the Wednesday night before I left the beach. I mentioned to the waitress that I wish I had time to try everything on the menu and she suggested doing a tasting menu. It was over-the-top, and for $60, well worth all the food we got. When the chef came out to see how we liked everything, he introduced himself, as well as his wife, who manages the place, and they told us their story. I asked for their menu and business card because I thought for my first post here, I actually wanted to talk about a place I hope does well and survives more than one season. And, I also posted a lot of their menu items because I can't stand it when someone writes about a restaurant and just says "they have great Tex-Mex." Tell me why it's great. Tell me what they have. Tell me if it's worth the money or the driving time. Don't make me post and ask nine hundred questions. Give me the info upfront. That's just me. I welcome any of you who live in or around the area to try it out and see what you think. So, bigtime apologies to anyone who may have been offended or thought it sounded like an ad. It's not. It's a huge thumbs up, a galaxy of stars and a crock full of whisks to a restaurant in southern Jersey that finally provides an alternative to spagehtti and meatballs or fried flounder with Heinz tartar sauce. Again, apologies all around.

Mack & Manco's for lunch Johnson's popcorn, Kohr Bros. (I like the chocolate/mint twist) ice cream and boardwalk fries for a mid afternoon snack Mack & Manco's for dinner Johnson's popcorn, Kohr Bros. (I like the chocolate/mint twist) ice cream and boardwalk fries for an evening snack. Oh my God, will you marry me? :) You are describing the daily diet of my childhood! For really great pizza, go to the original Mack's Pizza at 83rd Street and Third Avenue in Stone Harbor, NJ. Joe Mack still works there every now and then, and the pies are just incredible. Another great pizza joint is Peace a Pizza in Stone Harbor. Great selection of more "gourmet" pies (my favorite is their macaroni and cheese pizza). I think they also have locations in the Philly area.

For those of you who are familiar with the Southern Jersey Shore (Cape May, Wildwood, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle City, Strathmere, Ocean City), there is an INCREDIBLE new restaurant in Stone Harbor. It's called Sea Salt. The restaurant is run by a young couple in their late 20s. She is from southern NJ (and worked at Claude's if you're familiar with the area) and he is Argentinian. They spent many years in NY honing their kitchen and management skills, and have now opened their own place. It puts every other restaurant in the area to shame -- mostly because the towns are overrun with really awful "Italian" restaurants. If any of you are familiar with Stone Harbor and Avalon and remember the restaurant 9820, then this is comparable, if not better. Everything is delivered to the kitchen fresh; they don't accept any goods that are or have been frozen. The kitchen staff is amazing, and the front of house staff couldn't be better. Polite, friendly, attentive, without being too much. The decor of the place is warm, clean, and absolutely perfect. Great music, perfect lighting. Not the place to take kids, which means you can actually enjoy a dinner at the beach with no rugrats running around knocking things over and having meltdowns. Love that! Here's a sample of their menu (which can change based on availability): Starters: Spicy Fluke Ceviche Arctic Char Tartare Oysters Malpec Pan-roasted Soft Shell Crab (with a red curry coconut emulsion) Tuna Bruschetta (with a peach-basil chutney) Lobster Mac and Cheese Entrees: Skate Wing (brown butter, capers, butternut squash puree, braised baby bok choy) Argentinian Hanger Steak (chimichurri sauce, provencal fries, tomatoes, homemade sausage) Scallop-encrusted Striped Bass (oyster mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, tomato confit) Mar Y Terra (Roasted langostinos, grilled organic veal breast, lentil salad, roasted avocado) You can also request a tasting menu -- which is over-the-top and a great value for the $. As with most restaurants in the area, it's BYOB, but they have an affiliation with a local wine shop that delivers for free. The prices are really reasonable (starters range from $7-13; entrees in the mid-$20s). Sea Salt is located at: 8307 Third Avenue (83rd Street and Third Avenue) Stone Harbor, NJ phone: 609.368.3302 They only have 40 seats, so reservations are probably a good thing to make. If you live within an hour of this place -- it's worth the drive. Even if you're going to Atlantic City (a little more than an hour up the Garden State Parkway), it's worth the trip. The meals we have had there are unforgettable, and I've made plans to host my birthday dinner there in August with a group of friends who are all driving in from DC. Enjoy!!