jonnymikes

Thanks for all the tips guys. As a follow-up, we are very interested in the front cuts and not planning on wasting a thing. The cows will be grass-fed and finished, but we've had cuts from the farmers before and are happy with the product. Your advice did make us do a re-evaluation, and when we contacted the farmer again to ask about some other options, we were lucky enough to find out that another couple was looking at the same situation, so we are now going to buy a half of a half but not front or back. I have already called dibs on the Flank, since it is my favorite cut, and cannot bear to see it ground. My wife loves Brisket and this is our first attempt to make it.

Hey everyone, I am a long-time lurker on the board, and could use some tips if anyone can help. My wife and I are thinking of buying a 1/2-cow from a local farm. They are willing to cut to request, age and deliver. We have the freezer space, so the basic need is covered. To anyone who has done this before, any tips? What cuts would be best to ask for or is there a special style we should have in mind? What kind of list should we be submitting, if any? We are looking at doing 21-day aging, any feelings on that? A lot of this will obviously have to do with the farm's flexibility, but I wanted to have a basic framework in mind before sounding like a fool.

Toby made his feelings clear about American frustrations with his judging and his amazing British wit: http://www.spectator.co.uk/print/the-magaz...s-anxiety.thtml Essentially, if you don't enjoy his amazing observations, it's because you have never heard someone who can form full thoughts.

It sounds funny, but there is a BBQ place in Winston, Prissy Polly's, that is fantastic. It is a total dive joint, nothing fancy at all, but the food is just plain good BBQ.

I've seen the raves for JKWB, any thoughts on his other location @ The Gardiner? I am also visiting Toronto for about (or aboot) a week after staying with my relatives nearby. I'm checking on a lot of the places listed here, but didn't see that one thrown around. Did I miss it?

Thanks for the tip bryan. I went back and read the article, and you touched briefly on Chef Royal's background being a little more complex than just the straightforward Angus Barn approach. Do you know what other kind of stuff has he done?

My "plan" was a 5-pound butt at around 250 for 10 hours or so. It's in the brine already, so for this shot, the best I can do is improve the rub-type thing. I would love to get into a real smoking deal, but this one is sadly down the river too far to be brought back. I will message about a future plan rich.

I should add, I am going for a pulled pork-type product.

So I've got a pork butt in a brine in the fridge now, used a tupperware pitcher, thought it worked well. Anyway, gonna slap a rub on it in the am for a nice slow roast. I've heard the usual ideas (cumin, pepper, thyme, fennel). Anyone got any other ideas? When you do a roast butt like this, do you used a liquid? If so, what?

My wife and I went yesterday actually. We know we are going twice more in the next few weeks, so we started slow. We really enjoyed the Spanokopita and its wine pairing and the pierogie wasn't too bad. The escargot were pretty gummy, but it was out of a cart, so how much can you expect. The goat cheese tart, also from the French area, was nice. The dough was very sweet, and it paired up with the cheese very well. We watched a cooking demo in Turkey, but it was for a cold olive salad (didn't know ahead of time). Basically just tossed ingredients together. The recipe sounded decent, but the "demo" was kind of a waste of time. The presenter was very nice though, and did try to weave in a few stories from her homeland.

Right now, I am kinda leaning toward Delmonico's, from what I have seen on here.

Since we're all gonna be off doing our own thing, steak and conversation will do fine. If we want to see the water, we can go do it after/before/another day. I'm more looking for impressive food, not the side acts. After all, I want to end up happy too .

Read your post and story RJ. Thanks for the heads up, first of all. And 2 questions about the restaurant, if you would be so kind. 1) In your first photo, I saw a guy in a tank top and shorts walking out of the place. Is that sort of attire standard in Vegas? I ask not because I mind, just wondering what to pack/wear. I live in Orlando now (but only for two more months, thank God), so I am used to that kind of casual attire in even higher-end places, but is that the Vegas standard as well? 2) I understand that the ordering at Bartolotta is done by the whole fish. Is that correct? And just to get a handle on the price, what would an average bill run there, in your experience? Did you find that style of menu to be a hurdle at all? Would people who are not as into food be turned off? Just curious. Again, thanks for your help. Jon

Well, I guess it depends on whether you think food is art, or simply dinner. I used to be a huge Who fan, but since they've been whoring themselves out on the open market lately, they have less appeal to me. You have to have a little bit of pride in what you do, in my opinion. ← Sometimes food is art, and sometimes food is food. And sometimes art is a photo of a crucifix submerged in urine or a model of the Statue of Liberty made out of gum wrappers. It's all relative. If you don't like it, fast forward over it and don't eat at Applebee's. Sometimes I can't understand how people will debate the relative merits of mayo vs. Miracle Whip for 10 pages on this board, and then get outraged because some guy with a nice face who hosts a cooking show on TV tries to make some endorsement dollars off his name. The people he's pitching to are not going to be eating in your 3-star restaurants -- all they want is some mozzarella sticks, a 1/3 pound burger, and a margarita. They have chosen food, not art, and that is their choice to make. ← Well, I've only been on this board a short period of time, and just shared my opinion on something and then got sniped at for it. They aren't MY three-star restaurants, and I don't deny anyone's right to eat wherever they want. I was just saying that, to me, it's sad, and I am less likely to listen to anything he has to say because of it.

Well, I guess it depends on whether you think food is art, or simply dinner. I used to be a huge Who fan, but since they've been whoring themselves out on the open market lately, they have less appeal to me. You have to have a little bit of pride in what you do, in my opinion.