H. du Bois

Er, I'm a total ignoramus. What is the whacking of the avocado seed technique? What's it for?

You're right - my bad. The young or the fit don't seem to mind, but I have tortured others by dragging them there (not intentionally, of course!). It's a 20 minute brisk walk from my part of the slope (5th Avenue) to the museum or the botanic gardens, but for the purposes of pleasure, there's absolutely no point in walking briskly. One can meander one's way there very pleasantly, and that would be at least a half hour walk. There's also a bus that goes from the museum area down Union Street, but I don't do buses, so I have no idea how regularly they run. So never mind those suggestions, unless you don't mind the hike. But if you want to experience some of Brooklyn's best, it may be worth the journey. (IMHO, of course!)

I enthusiastically endorse Tom's near the Brooklyn Botanic Garden - it hasn't changed in decades, and it's genuine old New York. But it isn't open 7 days per week - is it Sunday that it's closed? If you choose to go to the BBG, you're within walking distance of Park Slope (I walk from Park Slope to and from the gardens all the time - you can take a tour of some beautiful brownstone architecture, while you're at it). That puts you in the realm of Tempo and Al Di La, which have terrific Italian food. Or Blue Ribbon, Blue Ribbon Sushi, or Stone Park Cafe. Stop and have a drink or coffee at Tea Lounge on your way down. I don't know anything about the Russian restaurants in Brighton Beach, but I used to go every year to Coney Island to ride the Cyclone and eat a hot dog at Nathan's. Those are a couple of old New York experiences, too, and cheap to boot. Also, the Brooklyn Museum has a great Egyptian collection, if that's something that resonates with you.

The book I have of Hazan's is The Classic Italian Cook Book, which is out of print. She combined it with her second book, More Classic Italian Cooking, and the updated, melded version is Essentials of Italian Cooking, which Shrek mentions above. I don't yet have Essentials, but I would say with certainty that I do believe her cookbooks to be terrific resources.

I think the latter, but I'm attracted to simpler foods. My happiest meals have been more peasant in origin - I'd rather eat honest food made with love than the most cerebral of haute cuisine. To that end, I endlessly tinker with bettering my roast chicken, as I can think of no better meal on earth than a delicious roast chicken served with salad, good bread and red wine.

When I chose this neighborhood, it was derelict and I had to step over piles of empty crack vials every morning. How my little stretch of Fifth Avenue became a gastronomic heaven is one of those strange mysteries of evolution. Guess the gods of cuisine smiled upon me! Batali - well, you chose a wonderful influence! Have you ever read Marcella Hazan? I like it that you looked to the garden and market for inspiration.

This is going to sound utterly pathetic, but it was butter (the gross stuff we grew up calling "butter" was actually margarine - or worse yet, imitation margarine). My grandmother had brought back salted butter from Canada that was hand-churned and sold at a farmstand. She spread it on a piece of real bread - warm, crusty French bread, and my first taste of the real thing (spread upon the real thing, too) was sublime.

Tupac, I'm loving this blog! So funny to have it be both of a different world (Texas) and a very familiar one, too (I reside conveniently near Blue Ribbon and Tempo in Brooklyn). How'd you get to be such a good cook? Reading the right books? Practice, practice, practice? Were there any particular influences in your life that headed you there?

Oh, and in response to the initial question .... It only happened once, but it was ugly - a friend took me to lunch, insisted ferociously on paying (although he was dead broke), then proceeded to stiff the waitress big-time - after giving her a hard time, too. I was so horrified by his behavior that I "forgot" my jacket, had to go back for it, and left her the tip she well-deserved.

I always leave 20%. My husband once accidentally stiffed a waitress in Massachusetts when doing the "double the tax and round up" trick, which worked like a charm in New York State. Alas, he didn't consider that the tax in MA might be less that that of NY (which it is, significantly). We didn't realize until afterward what he'd done, and we were utterly mortified. I may have accidentally rectified the tipping karma in Rome, when I absent-mindedly gave a waiter the NYC standard tip of 20%, which is unheard of there. He was so grateful he brought a free round of grappa to the table (I'd thought for a moment there he was going to kiss me).

Tim, I wish you well. Do let us know about your new job - I know that all of us would love to hear how it goes. And I'm sure it will go well - I can tell just from reading this thread how good you are at what you do.

Oh, lord, the garbage plate! Actually, the best eats in Rochester was Smitty's Birdland Number One, which alas, is no more. It's the one place of all places I wish still existed - I'd walk from New York for a plate of that extra spicy chicken. And the incomparable ambience! So what's this sushi place - Satoshi. Is it good & where is it? Sushi's the big itch I can't scratch when I come back to visit.

I agree about the cobb salad! First time I went there, I intended to order a sandwich, but somehow the words "cobb salad" came out when I placed my order. Didn't regret them at all.

I grew up in this town, but moved away long ago, so most of my references are seriously out of date! Funny to see some old stalwarts mentioned at the beginning of this thread. However, I can vouch for Restaurant 2 Vine, on Winthrop Street near the Little Theater. Very good food, very good decor, very good wine list. I was impressed, quite frankly - it showed that restaurant dining up there had come a long way. And I've heard very good things about Veneto, a wood-fired pizza place on East Avenue. Will catch that on my next visit up.

It's always been my experience that dessert chefs make amazing breakfast fare, so I don't see where the stretch is. (Baked goods. Hello!) If I lived in this neighborhood, I'd be thrilled to hear they were serving breakfast.

Okay, where's that higher income I'm supposed to be having? I do love salad, and that's no lie.

No advice to offer, I just wanted to wish you well - it sounds like an incredibly fun adventure! Please do let us know how it goes.

I used to work in a field where I was on my feet all day long, and someone I met there once gave me invaluable advice - no matter what kind of shoe you wear, they'll hurt if you're standing in them for significant periods of time. He said to bring two different pairs of shoes, and to switch halfway through. Worked like a charm.

Hmm, really? I always thought it did. Interesting. Taken quite literally, it does, but it's a cultural distinction far more than a geographic one. Think of movies like Working Girl or Saturday Night Fever, in which crossing the water was seen as spanning a great cultural divide. Calling someone B&T was a slur aimed by Manhattanites toward anyone outer borough-ish in behavior or appearance. There was/is a lot of solipsism in NYC - in the 80s, some of my downtown artist friends used to disdainfully refer to going above 14th Street as "going upstate," and that's an attitude just within Manhattan alone. Things have changed drastically in the past few years though, in that there are some vibrant neighborhoods over the water in which some of the most interesting art, culture, cuisine, and residents are to be found - not that Manhattanites would ever deign to acknowledge that! Sneakeater brings up an interesting POV above, when he refers to the new B&Ters as being from Manhattan. It's a difficult distinction to define to non New Yorkers, especially as urban hipness or sophistication aren't confined to one side of the river or the other anymore.

That "zest of bottled scallop" thing scares the shit out of me (scallop allergy sufferer here). If its presence is unidentifiable and unacknowledged, how will I avoid the disaster that follows ingesting it? Never eat out?

Jimmy Choo ...

That the MD would treat any customer in this manner is unconscionable. We can only speculate as to what his motives were. Regardless of why he did what he did, he did it - and Gallaghers has to live with the consequences of his actions. I would blackball this place to anyone who asked.

Do fill us in! I do get to the region from time to time, and would love to try some new places. And Owen (phaelon56), thank you for all your suggestions and guidance in this thread - I'll be using this as a resource next time I'm up there.

Ditch the Belgian shoes?

It was a baked potato at a B&B in Cornwall. Don't know what kind it was, but they baked it in an AGA, and it was heaven on earth.