Ruby

1) all roads lead to New Jersey e-Gullet dinners. 2) see 1)

From what I understand, Cioppino was developed in San Francisco by Italian fisherman who prepared what they had while on their fishing boats so they must have used local fish and seasoning. Zuppa di Pesce seems more to me like a generic name for fish stew from various Italian regions. To my palate, the taste and flavor in a Cioppino tastes much differently than what each New York/New Jersey restaurant serves as 'their version' of Zuppa di Pesce. Here's a good link I found that also has a Cioppino recipe: http://www.premiersystems.com/recipes/cioppino.html So can anyone recommend a restaurant? Thanks

Whenever I'm in San Francisco, I enjoy this delicious fish stew. I hardly ever see this dish offered in New York and would appreciate any suggestions. I understand this fish stew is related to various regional Italian fish soups and stews and Cioppino was introduced by Italian fishermen in the North Beach section of San Francisco. I've also had the dish in other parts of California but it just isn't as popular here.

http://www.yahooligans.com/referen....00.html [Message edited by eGullet Staff per Fair Use Policy]

Here's my list of most bistro-like restaurants in Manhattan/Brooklyn. My criteria is not the nicotine-stained mirrors on the wall but more like: 1) if I close my eyes, can I imagine I'm in Paris? Is the space warm and cozy with French music playing softly in the background? 2) Can I get standard dishes that I have come to love like Coq au Vin, Boeuf Bourguignon and mussels? 3) Do they serve a reasonably-priced red and white house wine? 4) Are most of the staff French-speaking or do I feel like I'm in Disneyland? 5) If the restaurant stops serving lunch after 2 or 2:30, it's a bistro. If it's open all day, it's considered a brasserie. When I was in France, this was one factor that I always found to be true - I couldn't get lunch to save my life after 2:30 in a bistro because the chef would start preparing dinner. The brasseries served all day with limited menus--I'd usually wind up with/get stuck with Croque Monsieur or Croque Madame in a brasserie. I got so sick of these 'ham & cheese' sandwiches because my spouse/friends in France couldn't get going for lunch until after 2. With this said, here's my list. I have omitted many West Side standard bistros that have been around since the 40s/50s because even though they may look the part of a bistro, I consider the food so mediocre that I won't list them. Here's my bistro list in no particular order or superiority of one bistro over anotherr: Jubilee, 347 E. 54 St. Le Tableau, E. 5th St. L'Absinthe, 227 E. 67 St. Pastis, 9 9th Ave. Balthazur, Spring St. Cave Deville, 103 3rd Ave. Cafe Un Deux Trois, 123 W. 44 St. Quatorze, 323 E. 79 St. Park Bistro, 414 Park Ave. So. DeMarchelier, 50 E. 86 St. L'Acajou, 53 W. 17 La Boullabaisse, 145 Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn La Goulue, 746 Madison Ave. Le Jardin Bistro, 25 Cleveland Place Le Gigot, 18 Cornelia Odeon, 145 W. Broadway Resto Leon, 351 E. 12 St Village, 62 W. 9th St. Le Singe Vert, 160 7th Ave. Le Jardin Bistro, 25 Cleveland Place (near Spring St.)

I agree with you--my taste hasn't changed but B&H has. Same cramped unkempt space but looks like different owners/staff. The vegetable soup is good and I'll usually take it out. The vibe is different now but so is everything else I guess from what is remembered in the 70s/80s. One nice addition is they have a serious juicer in the front and you can get fresh squeezed vegie juices to wash down the blintzes or pierogi.

Are all these posts a joke or what??? When I was a Chowhound regular, one guy named Peter wrote and said: "I'm going to have dinner at Grand Szechuan on such and such a date. Whoever wants to join me, please post." People jumped right in for that date and it was a terrific evening. So--why all this back and forth dilly-dallying around? Are all our lives that Busy that we can't come up with a date and time? Puhleeze! Get over yourself. Come on folks, let's get it together and get together.

I had a terrific burger today at B. Smith's on 46th Street between 8th & 9th Avenue-also known as Restaurant Row in the theater district. It was a juicy grilled black angus burger for $9 that came with the most delicious non-oily frites I've ever had. I'm not a French fry lover but these were so good. The fries were a little pre-salted and thin and non-oily. Mmmm. B. Smith is a former fashion model and the restaurant is a two-level affair that was previously a deco resto called Dorsay's. Anyway, the burger was delish and came with an 'onion jammy' that was perfect with the burger. I can't wait to have another one. The bun was sweet and not doughy or oversized and was easy to handle.

??? Say what? My primary question for this topic was "what foods do you eat when you have the blues?" Relaxing and falling asleep is an example I gave with eating bananas before bedtime. Since that post, this thread has taken on different twists and turns.

When I'm energetic, I believe it's because my blood sugar is not low. I feel differently, am more energized and see things in a clearer perspective. I notice when I'm very busy and don't eat, my blood sugar sinks and I get blue when I have no reason to feel down in any way. I then realize 'hey, eat something.' Sure enough, I bounce back and feel good again. IMO, there's definitely a major link between foods and mood and it's biological as well as our having association with so-called 'comfort' foods. I've never heard anyone say a celery stalk made them feel good but mention mashed potatoes, buffalo wings, fried chicken....umm, I feel better already!

i think my list is fairly typical, and therefore probably not very interesting: - a good cheeseburger. - buffalo wings are fun. hadn't thought of them. they are festive by nature i think, and usually imply beer. - mashed potatoes make me smile. Oh yeah, Tommy! Mashed potatoes are the Ultimate comfort food. I've never met anyone who doesn't like them. I can eat the whole thing right from the bowl. A big bowl of ice cream also cheers me. It brings back memories of those wonderful sundaes with the gooey nuts, whipped cream and cherry on top. Ya can't be in the dumps when you eat ice cream.

Some problems can't be solved. I mean, if grandpa dies, what can you do about that? You can't reanimate him, which would be the direct solution. So you make do with secondary solutions, like mourning his loss, celebrating his life, and eating buffalo wings because buffalo wings are good and they make you feel good. And when you feel bad, feeling good has a higher apparent value than when you're already feeling good. Jynmyo, I agree with Fat Guy about foods helping moods. His example about funerals reinforces my opinion that food does comfort. In the Jewish religion, whenever I've been to a funeral we eat afterwards-usually at someone's house. When I'm mourning, the last thing I personally want to do is eat yet this tradition makes sense to me. And the food served is usually hearty-no petite tea sandwiches. Food is primal and comforts and nurtures-it goes back to caveman days when people sat around the fire and broke bread. It is not a problem or a solution-it just IS. Okay, other than buffalo wings, what other foods do people on these boards like to eat when they're in the dumps?

Jynmyo, certain foods produce tryptophan which is used by the brain to produce Serotonin, an essential neurotransmitter that elevates moods, appetite and general well being. Also, I notice when my serotonin levels are low, I get migraine headaches. I'm not an expert on serotonin but have been very interested in the relationship between foods and mood for a long time. I know that when I eat certain foods like pasta, turkey, bananas and beans, my general mood and energy goes up. Listed are some websites that are interesting and might answer your question. http://www.dummies.com/Health....01.html http://www.therapyworld.com/mood-foods.cfm http://www.goaskalice.columbia.edu/0515.html There may also be a psychological connection with 'comfort' foods that brings back happy memories. On a lighter note, other foods, like ribs, buffalo wings, fried chicken, go great with a cold beer and that's always a mood lifter!

Lots of people eat chocolate for a lift. I've found that a banana about a half-hour before bedtime helps me get sleepy. I've read this is because bananas contain tryptophan, a natural amino acid that makes you sleepy (turkey has it too). What foods lift your spirits? (Booze doesn't count!)

The word 'drizzled' has been overused to describe anything from salad dressing to a sauce 'drizzled with a hint of' ....fill-in. Other overused words: organic (even when it's not) molten, velvety, creamy, succulent, luscious, and the word 'wild' which makes everything sound better: wild strawberries, wild salmon....

Hi Berg Man, yes I always wind up eating two burgers at Prime Burger but I like the vibe there. I always feel like I'm in some kind of 1950s time warp. Those tables that resemble children's high chairs. The wait staff is cool too - they look straight out of a Warner Bros. movie where you'd be served by these fellas in a diner car on a cross country train trip. They always remember me even if I only go once a month. I've been told all the pies are homemade (peach, sweet potato, apple) and they also have good baked apples. On Fridays only they serve fresh crabmeat salad sandwiches (not the sea legs imitation) but you also need to eat two of those. Remember, this is a 1950s time warp and portions weren't huge like now.

So very true. I'm amazed by what and how much I learn here, and more than including just "including" from you, Ruby. I learn lots of stuff too. An interesting stimulating website like eGullet doesn't happen in a vacuum. It takes many voices, perspectives and opinions-never just one. Didn't an earlier post of yours say something about making grilled cheese sandwiches?

Right you are! And I was expressing my perspective. Anyway, since I made my point, I don't want this thread to turn bitchy so I'll move on to other posts. That's what's so nice about e-Gullet - there's something for everyone. Thanks also to Wilfrid and Cabrales for your responses.

Steven, it was not my intent to insult any person or group on this thread since I was one of the first to participate in this thread after Suvir Saran responded to Lord Lewis. I actually said "what started out as a simple, straightforward post has IMHO turned into a complicated pompous high-sounding thread" yet you use the only the 'pompous' word which I guess you see as insulting. I don't. I'm glad to know that only the opinions of those that choose to participate are the ones that interest you. Well, I participated and have what I believe are interesting opinions to share. Maybe others who lurk on the boards want to also share but are a bit intimidated or turned off by high falutin threads. Who knows? I'm not telepathic either just very intuitive and street smart. The wine example I gave was to exaggerate a point about how technocrats and 'experts' in any area can intimidate a novice and take out the pleasure of a basic simple enjoyment like wine. I guess you perceived my example in the most literal sense. Again, if anyone is insulted by my post, I'm sorry. Since I participated, I guess I'm pompous too!

Wow, what started out as a simple, straightforward post has IMHO turned into a complicated pompous high-sounding thread. Sorry to say, when I have to read something a few times in order to follow it, (and I have a good attention span) then I lose it. I'm not singling out any one particular person on this thread--the thread has gotten complicated in a collective manner. I remember when I first started to enjoy drinking wine but became intimidated by all the knowledge out there that I didn't know about. Finally, with all thise information overload I decided the hell with it. It didn't matter if I didn't know a Chablis from a Chardonnay. I drank what I liked and kept it simple. Hope this is taken in the spirit it's given - let's keep it simple. Of course this is only my opinion but I would be interested to hear what others think-especially those who may have not posted yet.

I've read that for health benefits one daily glass of wine for women is good for the heart and preventing osteoporosis and that more detracts from health benefits. The guidelines put forth jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services define 'moderate drinking' as no more than one drink a day for most women, and no more than two drinks a day for most men. A standard drink is generally considered to be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits. Each of these drinks contains roughly the same amount of absolute alcohol--approximately 0.5 ounce or 12 grams. Well, I know that once I have a glass of wine, no way does it stop at 5 ounces. Probably more like two or three glasses when out with friends at dinner. Am I in the minority or do most people drink ONLY five ounces of wine or only one 12 oz. bottle of beer? This really seems like a low amount to reap the health benefits of wine and yet if you go over the 'moderate' scale, you lose the benefits. Can anyone clarify?

Wow, I totally agree. if two of us are dining out, one bottle of wine adds more than a third to the total bill. I try not to let it bug me but I do resent paying 3-4 times more for a so-so bottle and won't pay top dollar for a wine that's perhaps $15-25 in the wine store and is priced between $50-75 in the resto. A wine dealer told me that when wine is sold by the glass in a restaurant, it's priced so that the first glass sold pays for the total cost of the wine and the rest is profit so that if a glass is, say, $9, that's what they paid for the bottle. Not bad.

I do agree with you that Chef Samuelsson's quote is a bit pretentious. However, why clump everybody into one pot? I do not consider myself 'affluent middle-class, middle-aged and middle-educated.' (What's so wrong with that anyway?) One thing I do know: I work very hard for the money and if I decide I'm going to a restaurant--whether it's a splurge on an expensive dinner or a burger in a diner-- there's no reason for anyone else to get judgmental about it. I also figure I'm helping the New York economy which is hurting badly now. Additionally, I never got the impression that e-Gullet is a complaint board for the affluent or otherwise. People do share good and bad dining experiences so that perhaps others won't go someplace that's mediocre. We're serious about food and it's also fun to write about it. So, Lord Nelson, what say we all relax and have fun?

At this stage of my life, I really do enjoy eating out more than cooking at home unless my One and Only is being Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee. After a hard day at work, I just don't want to shop, clean, cook, clean up some more. It's been said that New Yorkers eat out so much with their friends because their apartments and kitchens are so small. I also see it as a way to relax, with nice ambiance, and entertainment in the form of how all these new restos and bistros are decorated. It seems every trendy restaurant is coming up with new ideas such as the 'water room' on the Lower East Side. My water room is the bathroom where you'll also find a kitty litter box. Aww, let's eat out.