Kent Wang

I feel the same way about honeycrisps. Oranges? Satsuma mandarins or nothing at all.

That is why I'm eating skate: it will be the new lobster in a few years!

Is a Monte Cristo any sandwich that is deep fried, or is it a specific kind of sandwich?

John Mueller's forced to close! From Rob Balon:

I agree. Waitstaff should never wear fragrances or have any detectable aroma.

From Austin Chronicle: I'm definitely going to try one soon and see what all the fuss is about.

February 17, 2006 Austin Chronicle Plated Safe. A young chef shines, but with a menu short on surprises by Virginia B. Wood Review of friendly neighborhood cafe. "It's a pleasant spot with an accomplished and professional staff, well deserving of its neighborhood popularity. I'm eager to monitor young chef Raiford's development. He's well-trained and talented: Who knows what he'll accomplish with some years of seasoning to develop his own personal culinary signature?" Austin Chronicle Liquid Assets. Little Brewery, Big Flavors by Wes Marshall Review of Austin-based Independence Brewery's offerings. This thread is for food media DIGEST entries. If you want to discuss one of these news items, please start a separate discussion thread.

Is it as popular with the masses?

This is my second favorite brewery after Unibroue (Fin du Monde, Trois Pistoles). If you are a fan of Belgian-style beers, and especially if you are also a Unibroue fan, you will enjoy Caracole's offerings. My favorites in order are: Nostradamus - Belgian brown ale, similar to Trois Pistoles Troublette - wheat ale, similar to Fin Du Monde Saxo I am actually not too fond of Caracole, the namesake beer.

What do you think about Shiner, especially the flagship Shiner Bock? Here in Texas, it is the lowest common denominator of beer; you'll always be welcome at a party if you bring a case of Shiner. If you bring Miller or Bud others might think you are either very poor or just have poor taste -- and this is not just from the beer snobs, most everyday people will ask "Why didn't you bring Shiner? It's only a few dollars more." Do you have a non-macrobrewery, lowest common denominator beer in your part of the country? The export of Shiner to the rest of the country and the elevation of its status is a bit strange to Texans. It's particularly frustrating to find that more and more bars are classifying Shiner as a fancy or import beer and charging import prices. The above questions are strictly about the perception and popularity of Shiner. As for its taste, I'm not really fond of lagers so I would never buy Shiner for myself, but I do buy it often to bring to parties.

What kinds of prices are these higher-end Western-style restaurants charging? I know that compared to US prices, the Chinese restaurants are dirt cheap.

P.G. Molinari & Sons (San Francisco). It should stay fresh indefinitely, at least a few months, since it's already cured.

Risotto is a good use too. Chop pancetta into cubes and fry in the olive oil for a few minutes, then add the rice and continue as you would for risotto. Risotto is an excellent blank canvas that absorbs whatever flavorful ingredients you put in it.

What do you think of North American charcuterie producers such as P.G. Molinari & Sons (San Francisco), Zerto, Citterio, Schaller & Weber (New York), Groezinger, Espanola. These are the major brands available in the finer delis Austin, TX. Some of the aforementioned brands are US-based, while some are European but sell their products in the US. For those that have had quality charcuterie in Italy, Germany or Spain how do these brands compare? Of these brands, which of their products do you like? Just off the top of my head, my favorites are the Molinari Toscano-style dry salame, Groezinger Moldavska sausage and Schaller & Weber summer sausage.

Thanks, I already read those Wikipedia articles and am not mistaking prosciutto for pancetta. I eat enough of both to know the difference.

What is the asparagus wrapped in?

How is pancetta usually served? Is it common to eat it raw? I've had shrimp and scallop wrapped in pancetta and also pancetta on a pizza. I once fried some strips of pancetta in bacon grease. The strip shrinks into a wavy ribbon and its thinness makes the taste experience very ephemeral. Is this a common preparation or is it too decadent for all but the most perverse minds to imagine?

Is it really considered "Ghetto" or impolite to use the bread to sop up sauce? I've done it a few times myself and did not really think much of it. Great review; I wish we had a restaurant like that in Austin. I would vow to check it out next time I'm in DFW but I already have a long to-do list of Dallas restaurants.

According to Rob Balon, the show "will air in Austin sometime in October."

Finely mince and then carmelize. Since you can get the shallots to a much finer mince, it's easy to carmelize each morsel into a tasty crisp.

From the films I've seen of drug smuggling techniques, perhaps you can put the cheese (or durian) in a bag, then coat that bag in petroleum jelly which traps any odors, then put that in another bag. Additionally, you can put that whole setup in a large can of coffee beans which should definitely cover up any smells.

If Grapevine Market does not have it, no one in Austin will.

Has anyone been to Grapevine Market in Austin and can compare it to Spec's in Houston? I visited the Spec's on Bay Area Blvd. and found the wine selection comparable to Grapevine but the beer selection to be about half the size. I understand the Spec's on Smith St. is the biggest but have never been. How are the prices at each of these stores? Costco often has very cheap prices on mainstream liquor, e.g. a 1.75L of Crown Royal is $42 vs. $48 at Grapevine and most liquor stores. I don't have a Sam's membership but I've been told that the Sam's Clubs in Houston carry some Texas wines at prices even lower than at the wineries themselves.

What is the Ruby Pork?

February 4, 2006 Austin Chronicle Crown Jewel. Bombay Bistro is the newest Indian venture in town. Is it already the best? by Mick Vann Review of Indian restaurant serving a variety of unique dishes. "Needless to say, our Indonesia-dwelling friends were suitably impressed, and offered a favorable judgment. Bombay Bistro is a restaurant that is sure to please anyone with any interest in the widely varied cuisines of the Indian subcontinent." This thread is for food media DIGEST entries. If you want to discuss one of these news items, please start a separate discussion thread.