bpearis

I got to attend a battle featuring Wylie Dufresne and the ingredient seemed lame to me (I shant reveal it here but I'll say it's a boring variety of fish), the judges even commented on how boring it was. But it seems exotic compared to pizza dough and hamburgers. Of course when Wylie breaks out the xantham gum and powdered acids, the familar can become freaky.

I always thought the corn had mayo and cheese. well i've never been to Cafe Habana, but the other places that have corn like that use mayo.

Banh Mi are okay held for a while, but nowhere near as good right when they're made when the bread is still warm and crunchy. Also, having had a few of their sandwiches, the No. 1, Dac Biet, is the one to get. It's sort of The Works... pork, Vietnamese pate, etc. The Dac Biet is the only sandwich Saigon Banh Mi offers, as far as I know. Dumpling House on Eldridge makes a sandwich out of their awesome scallion pancakes that is filled with some kind of grilled meat, shredded carrots, cilantro and maybe mayo. It's fairly big... especially as I think it costs $1.50.

That looks like John Daly in the cast picture -- he was Sam on Freaks and Geeks (he's grown a little).

When you sit at the sushi bar, do they give you everything at once or is it piece by piece?

I've heard they're open till nine presently, with plans to go till 11 once the Summer really warms up.

It's gas now, but our meal was still very good. They even gave us a freebie dish, steamed egg, that was really nice. Nice assortment of pan chan too. Apart from it having an Avenue address but being on a street, I also really don't understand why people have such a hard time finding this place. I mean... it's right there! Thanks for the help.

Do you mean Broadway instead of 6th Ave? (The address is 1250 Broadway)

I'm going to meet some out-of-town friends here for dinner tonight before the New Order show at Hammerstein. I've been here before but it's been a while and I am fuzzy on it. What are the accurate directions for this place? It's an upstairs place, right?

Plus... Albert Brooks!

great, food-centric episode tonight where sookie is ordered to get bedrest until after she has the baby -- lorelei calls luke to take over the kitchen, which he does with more flair than sookie was expecting. she freaks out, calling him constantly to make sure he double-strains the duck sauce. his lamb chops mystify her... in a good way. meanwhile we also get a phrase i never thought i'd hear on GG: "rhinestone penis"

I agree. There's too much on them. The ones at Matamoros Puebla in Williamsburg are my favorite that I've had in the city. Tehuitzingo also has a bunch of daily specials (plates, as opposed to the street food items on the chalkboard) but I think you have to ask the ladies what they are -- which is a problem for some of us who don't know Spanish. Sometimes the owner's son (usually in a heavy metal t-shirt) is working the counter which makes things problem-free. I haven't been there since they renovated so maybe they've changed things around. Gotta get back.

The squash blossom quesadillas are better, which they seem to have year-round so I guess they're frozen? But they're good.

Tom Zap -- I've had it a couple times and you're right it's just great. The waiter actually reccomended it and he wasn't wrong.

They weren't at NY Noodletown when I was there this weekend. Maybe just a tad early. Mary's Fish Camp does a mean soft shell crab sandwich.

Hey Pan, Going there this evening for an early dinner. You have any recommendations from the Hunan portion of the menu? Or anything else that is a must-order? Though I've been there a bunch I'm always looking for something new.

This should be called A Tour of Chelsea Market -- it's where all these places are. While I wouldn't call it a scam, I think you could do just as well walking around inside Chelsea Market on your own. It's certainly not worth $38, if you ask me.

It was a pre-set menu. My friend whose birthday it was is Chinese-American and she arranged the whole thing with the chef, set the price, etc. I really liked this way as we got all sorts of things I might never have ordered. All the cold appetizers were sort of a revelation -- when I normally go, we don't get that many (even though I know that's a big part of Szechaun food) so to have ten or so to try was amazing. There was also a pork belly dish that was awesome, though some at the table had problems eating what was basically pure fat. The braised pork dish was somewhat similar to the red cooking pork w/chesnuts from the mao menu, but it was in some kind of chili sauce with a vegetable that I don't remember. There was so much food I can't recall the details.

The Saint Marks branch has become my go-to GS location, mainly because of location, but having been to both 9th ave locations recently I think it's maybe the best overall right now. I went to a birthday dinner there two weeks ago and we had a full-on banquet, about 20 dishes in all. Half cold appetizers, half hot mains, everything was great. I can't remember everything now, but a cold dish of tripe in chili oil stood out, as did a baked whole fish in chili sauce and a not-on-the-menu braised pork dish. There were ten of us and the whole meal was $25 a person. The only thing I didn't like was they included soup dumplings, which are okay there but not anything as special as the sichuan dishes.

are you talking about the cinder block building structure going up nearby?? if so, i think that's the new artwork for the summertime. ← i was. that's disappointing. they need bathrooms there.

The shack burgers are really, really good. The only thing bad about them is one isn't enough but two are probably two much. Solution: get a shack burger and a chicago dog. I went yesterday. The line to order took no time -- it was the pickup line that was backed-up -- i think we ordered around 2 and got our food in about 20 minutes. When the weather is as nice as it was yesterday, it was like playing hookie from work (okay, it was hookie from work). Besides the initial rush of the first week, the other thing making it so crowded is the limited hours. I think when people know they can go after work (starting in May) lines will dissapate somewhat. It looks like they are building bathrooms nearby as well.

Both those places roll/fold up their tacos into that little horn shape which, for some reason, annoys me. I also find them both to be a little dry, fillings-wise. But not bad... but not Tehuitzingo. I like Mercadito but always feel kinda ripped off. Their tacos are so tiny it's more like an hors d'oeuvre. But they are good.

Tehuitzingo's are hands down the best in Manhattan (and best I've personally had in NYC). I used to work (somewhat) near there and would go there about once a week. I think the best fillings are the enchilada (shredded spicy pork), suadero (pork belly though sometimes it's listed as beef), and the papas con rajas (potatoes and jalapenos). I find the barbacoa (goat) to be a bit dry. But nothing is bad there. The tacos at Tulcingo del Valle (right down the street) are good, but nowhere in Tehuitzingo's league. They also put a watery guacamole on them which I don't like. But they make al pastor tacos, which Tehuitzingo does not do. I also like the ones at Matamoros Puebla in Williamsburg -- they do good al pastor, enchilada, carnitas, and bistec tacos, with about six more varieties available. It's my neighborhood, so I eat there a lot, but not sure it's worth a special trip.

Just in time for the dvd release on Tuesday, it's the inevitable Sideways Wine Club.

what the hell are the Italian Fries? A friend and I were there on friday getting sandwiches and wondered, but not enough to ask the counterperson.