freshherbs

I made a drink last night and was wondering if anyone had thoughts on a) what cocktail family it belongs to and b) what i should call it 1.75 oz Bulleit Bourbon 1 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice 1 oz St Germain 6 drops Angostura build over ice, stir

I think of Mark Bittman as the Tom Friedman of food: he's a great explainer. Usually he does a public service by this approach, and there are few people in the world who can digest and synthesize information so effectively. But once in awhile he's so glib that he jumps right off the intellectual cliff. ← excuse my ignorance, but anyone know who Pete Confalone is? he was referenced in Bittman's response...

just because everybody has an equal chance to get in doesn't mean that it will turn out that way. flip a coin 10 times, it doesn't always turn out 5:5 head:tails. if someone gets a reservation and you don't, well, that's just luck. and luck is pretty egalitarian.

i'm sure this has been highly debated somewhere on this site, and yes, all recipes do point to rye as the spirit of choice, but i prefer it with a high rye content bourbon

i'll go with the blinker

fat guy, i am sure the charcuterie plate was delicious...but at least from the picture above the presentation leaves a bit to be desired. the whole draping of sausage on sausage thing doesn't quite do it for me. overall, were the presentations well-done?

if i were you i would go with a negroni. classic cocktail, can't go wrong.

hmmm, so is it fair to say that a city needs a fair amount of liberal-minded citizens in the 21-45 yr old age range? it seems that the cities described in this post with potential all fit the bill-- nyc, sf, portland, austin. and those that don't, ie dallas, well i won't say there aren't liberal-minded people there, but they certainly don't have as substantial of progressive communities as the other cities mentioned...

have to admit that the costco storebrand stuff is okay for everyday cooking

it seems like you have three options (excuse my poor spelling throughout): the stuff on Little Brazil street (46th) is in midtown-- a part of the city generally more crowded in the daytime and always with many tourists. the restaurants cater to match this--pretty straightforward, solid quality standard brasilian food (feijoada, moceuque). a safe, if potentially boring choice. you can pretty much pick any one on that street. churascarias: there are a couple upscale, pricey choices in manhattan already mentioned on this thread. i prefer porcao for the neighborhood. near union square-- you could always go to a bar called Coffee Shop (on union square) afterwards. they make good caipirinhas and it is a classic nyc experience for your Brasilian friend casa: in the west village--much smaller and homier. actually a similar menu to the stuff on 46th. great pao do quejo (sp?). a lot of character and authenticity. great neighborhood. for my money, the best choice in my experience the out borough stuff: unfortunately for me, i have never been so i can't weigh in on these

truffled egg toast at ino pretzel croissant at city bakery

a long shot here: i am looking for an artisanal russian honey-maker, in russia...any leads?

if it's in a glass, it's a cocktail. if it's in a bowl it's a soup. if you choose to serve me a cocktail as a soup (or vice versa0, that is your prerogative.

i recently learned that two items should go in the fridge once opened, rather than back on the shelf: vermouth red wine vinegar anyone have any others to add to this list?

i think you should go all in and just open your own place

nathan, i agree with both your posts... the only reason i posted was that i needed a place to vent! shall we never speak of it again...

for what its worth, i was forced to go to gin lane last week (a friend was having a bday party there). it was horrendous. i tried to order a Martinez. they had no idea. finally ordered a stork club...and they forgot the angostura. $14 bucks later i had a crappy drink

every year we go to anguilla and i pick up a bottle of Rockfield pepper sauce. it is locally made and has the best combination of flavor and heat i have ever tasted. definitely better as a condiment than as an ingredient in cooked food, though.

i'll throw kyotofu out there...

There are lots of things people don't need. That doesn't mean we go banning them. ← That's my point. If a case can be made that somehow we or our children or the animals or the planet would be better off if we did ban something then there are plenty of groups out there who will take action to get that something regulated or banned. Lot's of folks who are willing to make choices for you by eliminating or reducing your options. Count on it! ← hmm, well a lot of alcoholic beverages did start as medicines, so... but that is off-topic i really don't understand how anyone can hold a grudge about someone deciding to serve or not serve bottled water in their restaurant. seems ridiculous personally i applaud the spirit of it. seems like an easy way to try to make a difference. that is also why the line in the sand may have been drawn there--because it is easy. but, who cares? even pollan admits frequently in Ominivore that his experiment is unrealistic as a way of life. but, again, his point isn't that everyone should forage/kill/grow for themselves every meal. his point was to raise awareness so maybe people will start to move in the right direction. i think cutting out bottled water, if it is unnecessary is a great place to start. and, yeah, making change means making sacrifices. note: i have always refused to drink bottled water (other than sparkling) unless necessary because i think it is largely unnecessary.

most of this aging vodka discussion assumes that Oak is the wood of choice. anyone heard of vodka aged in wood other than oak? any ideas of what might work?

[warning: self-serving professional plug] any good buffalo wing is best washed down with a shot of Zwack, the National Shot of Hungary, now in test market in Buffalo. be most good, eat wings and drink Zwack!

my vote goes to Savoy

tom c was hilarious this week. he finally seems to be having some fun on the show

last night, i had a French 75 with Poire William instead of gin. it was good.