Eatmywords

Hmm, that's a pretty tight budget esp for Soho. How about the counter at La Esquina for tacos and beers? You can watch and rate the no-reservation-having-B-listers sweet talk (or try to) their way into the not-so-secret basement dining room

Went to Queen of Sheba last night and can concur it's one of the better of the bunch. We shared the Vegie and Beef combos. (Passed on apps and were happy we did as the combos are sizable and injera ((sponge bread)) can really fill you up) Our fav of of the veg combo was the Ater Kik Alicha; split peas w/onion, garlic, olive oil. and tumeric, -creamy with a sweet accent. The others were solid too, well seasoned varied renditions of greens and beans. The meat combo (lamb and beef tibs) also offered varied tasty stews with good qlty meats (not fatty or tough as can be the case in this cuisine). We esp liked the Bozena Shiro (beef simmered in chick pea gravy). There's a bit of heat throughout most of the dishes which should be mentioned as my friend had a tough time w/the lentils and a beef. (should be noted, she has little or no tollerance to spicy food). I can handle (and enjoy) a small amt so it was no problem. Service was considerably slow at first. Took about 10-15 min to place a drink order and another 10 before it arrived. After, all was fine. The staff was friendly if a bit frantic at times. It was all well worth it when considering the tab and qlty of the food. I dropped $60 (ttl w/tax/tip) and that was with a btl of (cheap but very drinkable) French sprklng ($22). I will def be back.

Tried the pig tails the other night. (I'm sure they exist in Chinatown but I haven't come across them anywhere) Interesting, crunchy texture but not very meaty, a bit too much fat and cartilage). I wouldn't try them again with all the winners I've prveviously sampled. If you want something funky go with the spicy tripe. Also, they recently added sweet breads.....can't wait to try them. I also like the assorted pickles (which really isn't pickles but marinated veggies and seaweed in a sweet rice vinegar sc).....refreshing and a nice way to start. Steamed buns are great too....(chicken was perfect but the pork is a notch above). If you do ramen the Momofuko combo w/pork is fab. I think it's shoulder and belly. So good! If you order this, you prob don't need any the other stuff but it's hard to fight the urge to sample everything.

The short answer is, no. ← The long answer (given the aspirations of the flagship) is no-way-in-hell-can-this-pub-vie-for-top-spot. Several defeaters come to mind, the likes of Bobby Vans, Delmonico's, Mark Joseph and Bayard to name a few. -Sure, these are pricey (somewhat boring) steak houses but they blow away the PJ's in all categories.

My bad, re the burgers; "plump and tender, though not exceptionally so". -such are the details we've come to accept. (Then again, this is pretty descriptive for the count). The TGIF and RL refs were obviously exaggerations but really, landmark or not, PJ's is barely glorified pub food. It doesn't merit to be 1 out 52 reviews per annum.

My thoughts exactly...before I even read the review this morning, I saw the headline and thought, "Why?" Why on earth would he review this restaurant? I don't get it. Sigh. ← Not to mention he didn't even detail the burgers which have (as long as I can remember) been their biggest claim to fame. Oak said it so well, whata waste o'space. I hope Friday's or Red Lobster doesn't open another branch.

This place sounds very interesting. Anyone know if they offer a lunch/brunch buffet? (I'll give them a hollar later).

I'm no Bruni fan but I thought the Blaue Gans review was more explanatory, interesting and less cliché-ish than usual. Though, I don't believe the 1 star bestowed was fitting. The review is glowing. He had far more negatives for Al Di La and a host of recent others yet they received 2. Why? Blaue has been on my list for a while so I hope to form my own opinion very soon.

I was also very impressed with Thor last wknd. The place was mobbed but we were sat right away in the lounge area. (I'll confess, we had a connection so we were spared what looked like an insane wait in the dining room with or w/out a res). We expected to wait a long time for our food. Our terrine arrived w/in 4 min of ordering and mid courses just long enough after. The food was on a level of Walse and as creative as say Bar Room at the Moderne (w/prices significantly lower esp if you stick to mid courses). Really enjoyed every dish and our waitress was a sweetheart not to mention pretty hot. It's definitely a scene but sans cliques. No one segment was overly represented by age, nationality or neighborhood which is very nice. But if you're looking for a quiet dinner this is not the place. Thor is a well executed party.

I think there was an idea that Babbo (and a few others) were revolutionizing many aspects of American fine Italian dining with gamey Tuscan creativity. The reward for this was, and still is "passes" in other areas of execution. I expected something much more refined, interesting and less "comforting" in my Babbo experience. -One of the best Italian restaurants in NYC? Maybe. One of the best in NYC? No way. Whatever the label, upscale Italian food has bored me for sometime esp compared to French, American (nouveau), Asian, etc. I'm not the least bit excited to get to Del Posto not just because of what's been reported but the apparent uninspiring menu.

Or if you really want to get opulent-tacky-oldschool-Russian, the multi-level "Firebird" could be fun (food is hit or miss but it's tough to go wrong with a couple healthy spoon-fulls of beluga on black bread). I've never been to Orso or Rene Pujol but have heard good things repeatedly.

I wrote to Andrea Strong today to see if she had an opinion as to how her review was being discussed. This was her reply: hi xx thanks for your note and for defending me. as far as getting online and dealing with all the fall out from the review, i dont really want to get involved with what people are saying about me -- if my credibility is on the line, i am sorry to hear that, but i know what i ate and it was pathetic, and very expensive. i was with a very well respected chef that night and she felt the same way. i realize that i made a math error in my review -- i am admittedly not the brightest bulb in that area -- so that has been corrected. anyone who wants to write to me and tell me what they think is welcome to, but i have a day job writing for magazines and newspapers and if i responded to every remark made about me, i'd never get any work done. you are welcome to post the above as my reply. thanks again for your help andrea She later added: hi again so, i saw the thread -- there are very nasty people on that site, wow. i am not a member so i cannot post a reply...but you can add this to the last email i sent if you dont mind i think my credentials speak for themselves and my review did critique each dish based on taste, technique and presentation. i am not sure what the problem is with my review at all. it was an honest expression of a very disappointing meal. i am not the final arbiter of the restaurant world -- what i wrote was one person's experience and one person's opinion and in this world we have many opinions -- that is what makes the world go round. i think it's unfortunate that people have to bash my credibility because they don't agree with what i have said in a review. that just doesn't make any sense to me. i have worked in this business (i ran restaurants for two years) and i am in this business. i write about food for a living -- this writing thing that i do is what pays the rent. obviously there are people out there who agree that i am credible. The New York Times, New York Magazine, New York Post and Knopf publishing among them. But I welcome the dissent. It's part of the process. Some people like overpriced food that tastes bad. I am not one of them. Happy eating. andrea andrea strong food writer, reviewer, eater andrea@andreastrong.com the strong buzz: read it and eat http://www.thestrongbuzz.com On Feb 21, 2006, at 11:42 AM,

Ditto, very nice! Thanks for sharing. ← And yet another big ditto! Did you take those pics? Amazing! Now, was that 7 or 8 (sharable) dessert courses? (I lost count after the hedgehog)

Admin: Posts on Andrea Strong merged in from the thread on Morimoto's in Manhattan. I don't recall Andrea Strong's reviews other than the posts on her site but I would find some credibility (whether she hands out few negative reviews or not) based on her credentials w/include (from her site): "The New York Times, New York Magazine, Time Out New York, The New York Post, Real Simple, Conde Nast Traveler, Crave, Paper, Food & Wine, Gourmet, Drinks, Organic Style, and a slew of other local and national magazines and newspapers." Does anyone on this thread or this site for that matter (bar Reichel and a couple others) rival her published experience? That said, of course, I agree we should all get down there and see for ourselves.

Fantastic pics and review Daniel! The bursting poached egg is the first "food-in-motion" shot I've seen on egullet! Amazing!

Yea, I agree w/Dryden, everything more or less can be found in C-Town. I don't know if it's still there, but I remember a small store next to Fried Dumpling on Mosco St. http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/11647403 that had all sorts of sc's, noodles, spices etc for Thai and Vietnamese cooking. I w/chk that one too.

I know it's been discussed but I'm still miffed by these supposed "dining companions" -who appear to be confused at anything more elaborate than meatloaf. - "By the time the appetizers were explicated, my companions began to look less dazzled than dazed" or "Another friend could remember little but the bread" - Are you kidding me? Is it safe to assume these companions have yet to hit puberty? I understand he/the powers that be are ever wanting to reach more readers but with all due respect, shouldn't the (supposedly) most respected food critic in the country be surrounded by "friends" who, at the very least, have a culinary inclination, patience and curiosity? I think he needs new friends. Drop this crew of simpletons off at Red Lobster. (I hope they don't get too confused and bored with the multiple renditions of shrimp…….."folks, will that be fried, grilled, cajun or cocktail?"....."hunh?"....."what?".....zzzzzz)

I was talking by the slice. (Ironically, when I posted, I was thinking how much I generally prefer a reheated slice over that of a fresh pie......crispier crust that holds the cheese and toppings together, more flavorful and less wet all around). Another I love is the (real) original Ray's on Mott & Prince. Perfect white and regular slices. I brought my cousins from SF and they professed it was the very best they've ever had.

I live in the hood too. Have you ever had a plain slice of Mariella's on 8th Ave btwn56th/57th? I highly recommend it. Great crust and sc (slightly sweet w/the right amt of basil/oregano) Def worth a try. I also like 9th Ave Pizza's ricotta/spinach or eggplant slice. (-Even better is their chicken sorrentino but that's another story/thread)

HeyJ, a similar request was discussed just last week; "First timer NY..." http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=82131 .......the starter, Magic168 had some nice reviews and pics. Also try the "Best of NY" threads http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=69849 Enjoy

I've never been when it wasn't packed (at night, during the wk or wknd) and I've never been disapointed by the anti's esp the caponata, brussel sprts and cauliflower and any pizza esp the nightly specials (-finished w/a sunnyside egg ofcourse). Though, I've only ever dined at the bar, I'd say it's the best place to be should you want to sample (all the) wines or grappas before choosing. The bartenders are awesome.

Some of Platt's comments remind me of the early criticisms of Ducasse. For every patron who finds the imitation Michelin style "stagy," there may be five others who love it. The reviews I've seen suggest that the food bears considerable similarities to Babbo, a restaurant for which there remains considerable demand. Bearing that in mind, I think Del Posto is going to do just fine. ← Did Ducasse already have a restaurant (or in this case several) in the same city serving (somewhat) similar fare that was easier to get to and less expensive? My idea doesn't stem from Platt, just reaffirmed by him. It's because of Babbo and the empire that the mystique of Posto may be effected and that's only because those places are so good and this place doesn't seem to exceed (other than in grandeur). Also, it is in the middle of nowhere, meaning far from corporate America. -Having worked for many Fortune 500's (in NYC), and being a part of many a business dinner, I can attest that location and proximity often go hand in hand. For the numbers they need to do, this could be a factor. Time will tell. I hope I'm wrong. I don't want to see anyone fail (no matter how previously successful)

I have yet to try it and after reading Platt's and other reviews, have little desire. It seems like a pretty expensive "been there done that". This may be a crazy notion (esp considering the players and the pockets backing it) but for the scale, concept and location I wouldn't be surprised if doesn't last.

Great Pics Daniel! I loved Pampa when I went some yrs ago. The skirt steak was perfect and the prices are right. I'm going to make a rtn visit asap. thx! Damn, those sweetbreads look good!

Yep. I found the same. This will come off as a negative and I don't mean it as such, but the chocolate layer between the bread and the chorizo tasted just like Nutella to me. It was a sweetened chocolate, which I am not used to tasting with savory. ← I had it last week and found no semblance to Nutella. If anything more semi-sweet dark baking chocolate. It was odd and yummy.