syoung68

More info. Leaving in 2 days. Still have not picked a place. GRRRRR. Turns out the friend of DW lives in Murphy. We were all leaning toward smoke then I realized how far of a drive it would be for them and I felt bad. So we have now been going back and forth. THey say they do not mind driving but have since pitched Urban Crust, Asian Mint, and La Duni. Thoughts? Based on menu I am leaning toward La Duni.

Based on my previous Dallas trips, I am fully aware of the lack of good Tex-Mex and Que. We usually wind up at Chuy's with the kids. Both Lucia and Nonna look good. I am not totally against Italian. Maybe I will have my DW send a short list to her friend to see what they would like. I am leaning toward Smoke though - casual , fun and good food.

Dinner on Saturday. Smoke looks interesting. The others look good, Stephen Pyles and Palmer have been on my short list on previous Dallas trips. I do not think Lucia, Tei An, and Samar are what I am looking for. They all look good, but I am visiting Texas and want something more local than Italian, India, or Sushi. One other issue, is that I am not sure what a comfortable cost point is for the folks we are going with. It is an old friend of my wife and I have never met these folks.

Thank you I will take them all into consideration. After looking at the menu for Hibiscus, that was my thought. DOn't get me wrong, I love a good steak, but I can cook them at home. Now off to Google...

We are going to Dallas to visit family and will have one night out with some friends sans kiddos. My aunt, who lives in Dallas has suggested Hibiscus. I trust her, she sent us to Abacus in the past, but I wanted to hear what my fellow egulleters had to say - both opinions on Hibiscus and other suggestions.

One of my good friends who currently owns a seafood joint in the Carolinas but has cooked serious fine dining in the past LOVES pizza rolls.

I think you have a typo. It takes about 1.5 hours to get from 5C to 55C (in a 56C bath). It takes about 45 to 50 minutes to get from 55C to 62C (in a 63C bath). So, it is just about half of the cooking time of going all the way from the refrigerator. Yes, it is definitely counterintuitive. That is why the cooking tables are important. Nathan, could you shorten total cooking time by dropping the second steak in, say the last 15-20 minutes of cooking at 62C and then drop the temp? I would imagine that the overshoot would be minimal that way and may cut some significant time off

That's it. Even though I have a half jar of Kary's in the fridge, I am making roux in the oven this weekend for some gumbo on Sunday. I will make some extra and throw it in a mason jar to see how it compares to store bought after a week or two in the fridge.

I feel that when traditionalists talk about the "soul of cooking", they really mean the human element. I get it. I turned my nose up at SV for years while lurking on eG. I thought it was crazy to cook that way. But then I actually tried it. Now I own an Sous Vide Supreme and use it pretty regularly. Yes, I can get similar results by just plain grilling a steak as opposed to dropping it into a water bath and then hitting it with a blowtorch, but I have overcooked many more steaks on a grill than I have using the "modern technique." That does not mean that I cook every steak this way. There will always be the running late, hit the grocery, get home and dinner on the table fast, nights that most modern techniques are not suited for. But if I know I am cooking steaks ahead of time, my SVS is coming out of the cabinet. I think one of the missing points is, that even with modern cooking there is always human element. It is very rare that I serve anything right "out of the bag." I have seasoned the protein, and frequently finished it with a sear, and there is always a sauce and accompanying side dishes. I am still cooking. Really when I braise something, it is in the oven for hours where I am imparting "zero" soul. I expect to use my copy of MC (when I can afford it) like I do other books, for ideas and inspiration.

Growing up in south Louisiana, I have made roux for years. Then I was at a friend's house and had some of the best gumbo I had ever had. He used roux in a jar. Since then, for a dark roux, I am a convert. I still make my own blond, but I usually do not have the patience to get that dark color I am looking for in gumbo. I use Kary's, but here are others that work fine (Richard's Savoie's). I am not sure what the general availability is outside of my area. When I lived in Massachusetts, I did not usually bother to look for it. That being said, I have not tried the oven method. It would actually be useful to make a big batch and then save some... in a jar.

Anything in the Alinea cookbook. Well maybe not anything, but certainly most recipes call for more than your average number of ingredients.

What does MC have in it for pate? I am sure Nathan and crew experimented with other emulsifiers.

Here in south east Louisiana, we fry almost all seafood in "fish fry" which is a blend of AP flour and corn flour. I can not imagine fried speckled trout or perch with anything else. On catfish and sometimes oysters, some folks blend in corn meal for an extra crunch, but I am not a fan.

smoked pig tails are pretty good in them too.

You can add Bouligny Tavern to the list. I went last week and had a pretty good time. Decent drinks if not as creative as Cure. Overall, I have to agree with Kent. Cure is MUCH better than the rest. However, I prefer it early and on a weeknight when I can sit at the bar and talk to my bartender. It can get busy and really crowded. While I am happy for their success, I would rather not spend top dollar on drinks if I am in a large crowd, and I can order a Chivas on the rocks anywhere.

How is Sylvain? I had not even heard of it. We will be staying in the quarter the night of Muses. I will have to check it out. We went to Capedeville one afternoon and it was ok. The folks there were great, and the drinks and food were not bad. It was a Satuday that LSU was playing, so it was giving off a more Sports Bar vibe that day. I have not been at night when it is busy.

We do?

I am literally Laughing Out Loud. I have been to South Philly, and I stand corrected. Main line, it ain't.

Come on guys, attitude is not an ingredient. At least with Italian beef, the Giardiniera is pretty proprietary. An while I cringe when I see anything that is "New Orleans' Style", a cheesesteak outside of Philly is a Philly Cheesesteak. Yes they are better in Philiadelphia, but you can get a decent one (not great) elsewhere. I am not talking about the one they serve at Applebees, but a joint that actually grills the beef to order and does not simply dump it out of a bag onto a bun. There are a ton of places in and around New Orleans that serve a "Philly CheeseSteak" and most are not worth eating. But there is a place on the west bank of the Mississippi river, in a really crappy strip mall, named... Philly's Steakhouse ... I know, I know, but they put our a really good product. I am sure that someone, somewhere outside of southeast Louisiana is making a decent roast beef po-boy, but I bet they are shipping in the bread.

I have had a cheesesteak in Philly (wiz with), in fact I have done the Geno's v Pat's one evening. Yeah, that's right one from each. I am in the Pat camp. I have also had from other places around town. I have to tell you, you can get a decent Philly outside of PA. It is rare, but it happens. I think it is MUCH harder getting a Chicago beef out side of Chicago, and it is INFINITELY harder to get a great roast beef po-boy out side of New Orleans. The hard part about the po-boy is the bread. I have NEVER found real po-boy bread outside if New Orleans. The Leidenheimer baking company makes the best. It is light and airy with a perfectly crispy crust. In fact, it took them a while to get back up and running post Katrina and the po-boys around town were not the same.

I'm confused as to how pastrami and corned beef might not qualify as actual beef sandwiches. I can't speak for JAZ, but I think the original intent was a "beef sandwich" thin sliced on bread with accompaniments. Otherwise we get into BBQ, any deli sandwich, etc. Yes, pastrami and corned beef, are beef, but I would not though a Reuben on this list. I do not think of pastrami on rye (as much as I love it) when I think of beef. That being said, I think it would smart to include a pit beef sandwich from Baltimore. I do not really consider that BBQ, even though many in MD. do.

The New Orleans roast beef po-boy (or poor boy depending on your camp) is must to include. I am certainly a little biased, but I think it beats the philly and the chicago. On the subject of Arby's, having lived in New England for 7 years the beef joints up there put Arby's and the like to shame. The original Kelly's on the beach in Revere, MA., Nick's in Beverly, any of the Bill and Bob's, and countless other places all have that perfectly rare beef on a bun with a thin tangy BBQ sauce. I can eat like 5 of them. It is funny, that those beef sandwiches are one of things that I most miss from living in MA. and a roast beef po-boy was the one thing I would have killed for when I was there.

Like others, we use "plate" quite a bit. Same situation... "Are we serving ourselves, or are you plating". I never say "mise", but I do say "my prep". I have also been know to say "86" or "all day" but that is pretty rare, like at parties when I am cooking for a crowd. In my defense, I did work in the restaurant business (front and back of house) for years in my youth. However, I think I would die laughing if I ever heard someone say "fire that hot dog, dad."

I was lucky enough to grab a demi last year when they ran the $199 special (red or white only). I love it and it is big enough for small dinner parties. I also figured that at $199, I could have bought 2 for less than the SVS and then been able to do varied temps along with bigger capacity. Alas, I only bought one, but I COULD have bought two. An immersion circulator may be in my future as it does give the mos flexibilty in a convenient package, but I will wait until they are $400 instead of $800.

Not sure if was mentioned or not, but I just got my latest copy of Art Culinaire and there is an interview with Nathan in it discussing the book. Just an FYI