ScoopKW

Based on your list of "done thats:" Il Mulino (Caesar's Forum Shops) Hofbrauhaus (Kitty-corner from the Hard Rock) Andre's (Monte Carlo) Hamada (Flamingo near the strip) And if you're here on a Sunday -- Bally's Sterling Brunch. (Yeah, I know I sound like a cheerleader for Sterling Brunch, but it really is "all that."

How about Charlie Trotter's new place at the Palazzo? dee-dee-dee -- didn't notice it was already reserved. Bother.

True, but Jasmine isn't going to serve BBQ spare ribs. Ever. $200 portions of Geoduck, and shark fin soup are more their style. (I'll add that Jasmine is the most drop-dead gorgeous restaurant I've visited. If I was taking Audrey Hepburn* out for dinner, I'd take her to Jasmine.) * None of today's actresses really do much for me.

Texas Station is miles from your other nine choices. Is Austin's that good? I haven't heard anything about the place. How would you rate the place against, say, Binion's? Speaking of Station casinos, I missed one -- Main Street Station. They have what I consider to be the best microbrew in Las Vegas. (OK, "Best brew in LV" is like saying "Best Downhill Skiier in Libya." The pale ale certainly refreshes, and is a bargain at $4 per 22oz.

1) Bally's Sterling Brunch (Sunday only, sadly. Endless champagne and Maine lobster, and Key West shrimp, and sushi, and rack of lamb and truffle-stuffed ravioli, and... well, everything you could possibly want.) 2) Andre's (Monte Carlo - It's like dining in a drawing room at Versailles. The cigar & cognac lounge upstairs is a treasure.) 3) Bouchon (Venetian - This is my "go-to" restaurant if friends drop in unexpectedly.) 4) Spago (Caesar's Forum Shops - Chef Eric Klein has merged Alsace with California with wonderful results.) 5) Il Mulino (Caesar's Forum Shops - Order the entire dessert

I think it boils down to: 1) Always be honest about your wants/needs/desires with your server (as if he or she was your doctor or attorney.) 2) It's easier to care than it is to pretend to care. 3) Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.

I live in Key West. All the best seafood and good produce can be found at Waterfront Market on Caroline Street. I go with Faustos on Fleming Street for produce and meat. Best bakery: Cole's Peace on Eaton Street. (Can also be found at Waterfront if you're early.) I always always always start at Waterfront and go from there.

Not savory, but I add a teaspoon of orange blossom water to margaritas. (And, of course, to Turkish coffee.) Try it sometime, it's amazing.

Well, how old are most of those reports... the first few results that Google presents are vintage 1993. Did your predecessor use the bricks, or the sachets? I could see the bricks presenting contamination issues if they weren't used all at once... But the sachets and the bricks are very different things. I'd always thought the Chloraseptic flavor was an artifact of chlorinated water, not bad yeast... and Band-Aid flavor comes from Brett., which would be quite a surprise in a dry yeast sachet... but one I've never heard a report of that happening. ← The brewery used one brick per batch. Y

Sure, dry yeast is easy. But the new "XL" smack packs are perfect for a 5-gallon batch, and only require that you pop that bubble when starting the mash -- all will be ready by pitching time. In a pinch, I have pitched 2 XL packs in a 200-gallon batch without problems. It's all about wort oxygenation. As far as dry yeast quality, I can only speak for the 200-gallon batches that I make. The brewer I replaced used Safale S-04 and his beer lasted *maybe* a week. Then it started to go south quickly -- occasionally, wild yeast reared its ugly head, and Kelly's ended up with a batch that tasted like

I read the guide -- fairly solid information. Some additions from a commercial brewer: 1) Yeast. Yeast is the most important ingredient in beer. Brewers make wort (unfermented barley sugar water with hops). Yeast makes beer. If you're serious about beer, try this experiment -- make a five gallon batch, and ferment in five one-gallon containers. Use five different yeasts. You'll end up with five markedly different beers. Dry yeast, particularly the Safale brand mentioned in the guide, is not that good. All yeast powders contain some bacteria and wild yeasts. So long as you get liquid yeast fro

Pat Croce's Rum Barrel in Key West, Florida. He claims to have the most complete rum collection available on earth. A link: http://www.piratesoul.com/press_detail.aspx?id=30 ScoopKW Key West, Florida PS -- First post.