Kent Wang

I think it will difficult to make Chowhound profitable, and as a corporation that's exactly what CNet is going to try to do. I could definitely see their attempt to turn a profit wrecking the community. I agree that there is a lot rehashing of the same threads at Chowhound, the moderation there is also very passive which leads to the disorganization. Hopefully improved forum software and some policy changes will fix that problem. Judging from just the Texas forum there does seem to be a lot of posters that are willing to state definitively what is The Best Thai/Chinese/BBQ/etc. when they've only been to a fraction of the worthwhile restaurants in those genres. Lack of experience is fine but misrepresenting that and therefore giving out dubious advice is not. I had a great idea for a kickass Citysearch-like system that works without spending tons of money on editorial reviews: peer-moderation of user reviews. This is similar to how Digg works. Users that consistently post good reviews will get their reviews ranked higher and their ratings of restaurants will have greater weight. Another feature that can be added is similar to Netflix's recommendations, after you rate a few restaurants the system will compare your ratings with other users who have similar taste (and made similar ratings) and give you recommendations. I think it's a pretty good idea and if I lived in NY, SF or LA I'd totally start something like it myself.

On the one hand, I'd rather see Chowhound merge into eGullet but since that is unlikely to happen I hope CNet will give Chowhound a major software upgrade. Better forum software would be sufficient but if they were really ambitious, something like Citysearch would be best for catagorizing restaurants and ratings. The problem with Citysearch though is that the reviews are terrible, usually from shills or people with poor taste.

How do you usually make or receive the first contact? Walking up to someone and asking point blank is pretty bold. I think a good strategy is to offer to split a bottle of wine. I did this on a train from Berlin to The Hague with two Germans who were seated next to me because the dining car was pretty packed.

Remember, there are Western dragons -- the kind that fly by flapping their wings and breathe fire -- and Eastern dragons -- the kind that fly by levitation and are more benevolent. I hypothesize Eastern dragons would taste more like snake.

Rather Chinese isn't it?

Anyone try Oxiclean?

Sopprassata Zerto mild - Very salty, the saltiest of these three, so salty that it is unsuitable for eating by itself. Zerto hot - Very edible, not nearly as salty as the mild. A moderate amount of chili-based heat. Molinari - Superiour altenative to the Zerto mild. Proper degree of saltiness, fattier and richer than Zerto mild.

March 10, 2006 Austin Chronicle Good to Go. Taco Bell is for suckers. This town's taquerias are for SXSWers. by Mick Vann Primer on taco history and roundup of local taquerias. "The taco is the ideal consumable for SXSW. It's fast, inexpensive, highly representative of place, and packed with flavor. Tacos are available in breakfast, dinner, and late-night varieties, and there are even types considered to be hangover cures. Fillings are available to accommodate carnivores, fish-eaters, the chicken or egg crowd, and even the vegan set. Fancy dress isn't required, and they're available citywide at all hours." Austin-American Statesman Mesa Ranch. Taste of West Texas, just west of MoPac by Dale Rice Review of Texas ranch-house style restaurant. "My only regret: Mesa Ranch had run out of the fried cactus appetizer just before we were seated. It had been so highly recommended by several regulars while we were waiting in the bar that I've put the restaurant high on my "go-back" list. It should be on your "go-to" list as well. " This thread is for food media DIGEST entries. If you want to discuss one of these news items, please start a separate discussion thread.

From Austin Chronicle Opening: "Paciugo (241 W. Second, 474-7600), a new gelato and coffee shop that is part of a Dallas-based chain." Opening: "Mandola's Italian Market (4700 W. Guadalupe #12, 419-9700). The market belongs to longtime Houston chef/restaurateur Damian Mandola and his wife, Trina, who are recent transplants to the Austin area. The new venture will be part restaurant, part grocery and specialty store, and all Italian." Closing: Rocco's Grill Closing: Crescent City Beignets

Opening: Veranda. From Rob Balon. Opening: Taverna. From Rob Balon. Opening: Hoover's on Anderson Mill. From Rob Balon.

They're sold at the bar, that new thingie they built in the middle of the store about 9 months ago. Dunno if they'll shuck and bag the oysters for you, I believe they're meant to be consumed right away.

My mother has a very strange reaction to beef and anything acidic. She has rheumatoid arthritis and if she eats any of those things her joints will become sore and ache painfully. This includes all beef products including tripe, tongue and tendon. Acidic foods she can't eat include vinegar, tomatoes and nearly every fruit except watermelon. It's a very unusual condition and took her nearly a decade to figure out the food culprits.

Does Spec's have a decent selection of bitters and vermouth?

Ugh, picky eaters. If they're acquaintances you can just ignore them but if they're close friends or family that you would like to dine with often then I would attempt to convert them or ditch them entirely. I've ditched a number of friends for being picky eaters, I guess I'm cold-hearted like that -- though lack of adventurousness re: food tends to go hand in hand with lack of adventurousness with other things in life.

Absolutely not. But eG is about learning and discussion, right? Everyone has a finite budget (not just in terms of money but also time, stomach-space and dietary goals) so why not try to maximize your bang for your buck?

After checking with my mother and the Hong Kong supermarket they are indeed one and the same. And periwinkles are indeed a kind of conch. I still want to find where to buy them pre-shelled.

I've often wondered what dragon would taste like, probably similar to crocodile. Unicorn, probably similar to horse. Would you eat them if you had the oppurtunity? I know I would. What about angels? They're not humans so it's not cannibalism and they'd certainly be disease free. There is a joke told by a Frenchman in Apocalypse Now (Redux) that goes: Frenchman 1: "What's that flying in the air?" Frenchman 2: "An angel." Frenchman 1: "Let's eat it!" I'd also love to go back in time and try some dinosaurs, especially the brontosaurus ribs from The Flintstones.

Where are Austinites going now that John Mueller's is temporarily closed? I'm thinking Ruby's which still uses wood. Anywhere else that hasn't switched to gas yet? When I asked him at the Texas BBQ Festival, Art of Artz said he's on wood. Places to not get BBQ in Austin that nevertheless are endlessly hyped by the less knowledgeable: County Line, Pokejo's, Green Mesquite. Not to sound elitist, but BBQ and Tex-Mex are two cuisines that everybody in Austin has an opinion about. I think partly it's because BBQ is so Texas that they think it would be unpatriotic of them to admit that they don't know much about the subject so they convince themselves that the one they know has got to be the best. Rudy's is another popular "number one" joint. One of these days I'll try it for comparison's sake.

This astounded me: the Costco liquor store is not operated by Costco and does not require a Costco membership. The one in Austin is operated by Western Beverages. I got the Costo membership just for the liquor store and now I learn it was a waste!

My American friend is currently living in Beijing. What all-vegetarian restaurants can I recommend her? I'm thinking in particular of restaurants that use soy and gluten to make all kinds of meat-imitation dishes.

Do they warp in the dishwasher at all? My plastic ones do a little bit. Are there higher quality plastic boards that won't warp at all or must I upgrade to the Epicurean?

Me too. It's a lot less salty than salt so definitely drinkable.

Uchi, here in Austin, makes a tako pop, baby octopus (the size of your thumb) marinated in sesame oil on a stick and grilled. One of my absolute favorite dishes.

Maybe shrimp paste for the glue. What are shrimp balls (no, not testicles, just balls of ground shrimp) made out of? Do they use a binding agent?

The best are the Fisher Scientific ones that I used to order through a laboratory supply catalog. It makes you feel like a scientist! I have one that has a digital keypad, two timers (count-up or down) and a clock. I used to have one with four timers but no digital keypad. I think multiple timers are key for cooking. The true timer aficianados (ok, nerds) are speech and debate competitors who have to time their speeches. It has to be light, fits nicely in your hand, have lots of features. Ask any debater (I was one in high school) and he'll tell you exactly which make and model he's got. He can probably even identify different models from the chimes.