nibor

I can't eat chili in any form, so this fad, layered on top of the naturally chili-infested native New Mexican cuisine we have here in Santa Fe, has made it almost impossible for me to go out to eat. I can't wait until a new fad takes over; hopefully one I can tolerate. Reminds me of when they put shoulder pads in every article of women's clothing, back whenever that was. I just wear what I've got, and wait till it's over...

We saw this movie last night and liked it a lot - the Julie parts as well as Julia. It was much funnier than I expected. I was afraid my husband was only going along to be nice, but he really enjoyed it. Of course this morning he asked whether I owned Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and if so, why wasn't I using it ....

I see you are in Seattle. Can you take a walk in a place where the blackberries are ripe and hot in the sunshine?

What is a "Gas-house", and why would such a house have these type of eggs?

Call it what you want. Since this thread appeared I have been having whatever-this-thing-is for breakfast every morning. With runny yolks, which I normally hate.

Looks like the tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera.

Welcome Lindsey. I would love to hear more about berries in Scotland. Some years back I stayed at a bed and breakfast near Fort William. At breakfast we shared our blueberry muffins with a pine marten named Millie. She came in the window, and took them home to her kittens.

Ate this as a kid in Michigan. My mom cooked most of the time, but my dad had his specialties. Mostly eastern European stuff, but also this toast/egg thing. We had no name for it but loved it.

OK, I'll say it: Trisket = nasty = ewwww

I am a HUGE Michael Mina detractor; having yet to have a good meal at any of his restaurants. I think his philosophy is over-wrought and over-done. More often than not, I have found the offerings ill-paired and poorly executed. ← Carolyn, I would love to have dinner with you!

A zillion times! That is where I shop. We call it town hall. I guess I just don't feel much of a need to go there to eat too, unless I already happen to be there shopping. Going to Laguna and getting a little ocean breeze in my hair is much preferable. Too bad that Woody's the old gay bar/restaurant in Laguna is gone. Now that was fun.My husband really likes Marche Moderne, but I have to admit I am not keen on it. I find the food overly sweet. ← Thanks, nibor. Admittedly, I found it amusing to hear SCP referred to as nothing more than a mall (albeit with places like Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany's, et al.). I didn't know whether syrah girl's group wanted a nearby excursion away from Laguna Beach, as well, thus the mention of Marche Moderne. Are there any restaurants in Dana Point? Or is that getting too far from Laguna Beach? ← Dana Point is about 8 miles from Laguna, a straight shot down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway, or Highway 1 for our guests). I think the Stonehill Tavern at the St. Regis Resort in Dana Point is one of the better restaurants in Orange County. It is expensive and not casual. However, it is almost worth the price just for the people-watching; the crowd approaches the television version of "OC" people: ageless, perfect hair, expensive skimpy clothes, oddly colored tans and teeth, lots of plastic parts. Incredible. But back to the food: This is one of our special-occasion restaurants. I just looked and see that they are offering a "Spring Value Menu" - a three course tasting menu - for $49. I would go for it, perhaps multiple times, but we are out of town till the end of the year.

Santa Fe is a very casual place. Here, not having a restaurant website up and running goes along with things like maybe the plumbing not working right, windows not closing tight, things not being particularly clean, and nobody caring very much. That is part of the charm. We have been alternating living here and in Irvine, CA, a planned community in Orange County where everything is efficiently buffed to a shine. (Like South Coast Plaza, focus of another thread right now) I take such a deep breath when I get back to SF, but do have to adjust to the pace, or lack thereof. The tequila helps!

A zillion times! That is where I shop. We call it town hall. I guess I just don't feel much of a need to go there to eat too, unless I already happen to be there shopping. Going to Laguna and getting a little ocean breeze in my hair is much preferable. Too bad that Woody's the old gay bar/restaurant in Laguna is gone. Now that was fun.My husband really likes Marche Moderne, but I have to admit I am not keen on it. I find the food overly sweet.

For a fun night out and good food try Cafe Zoolu, 60 Glenneyre St, in Laguna. Definitely not in a mall!

SF is tiny. If your hotel is in town, you can walk to Geronimo's. I have lived here before, and just moved back for six months. I thought that this time around I would write reviews for EG. But I can't eat chili in any form without getting really sick. So I simply can't give these places their due. I can give some info though. Tonight we ate at the Shed. Very popular with tourists - we walked in when they opened at 5:30, but any later and you will need a reservation. People were lined up outside when we left at 6:30. My husband liked his red and green sauced enchiladas, but he says that they weren't as good as at Maria's, which is where we frequently go to drink tequilla before grocery shopping at the nearby Whole Foods. Nobody beats Maria's for tequilla. OMG. What was better at the Shed was my fancy little salad, and both of our (non-New-Mexican) soups. My cold raspberry soup was delicious, as was his mushroom soup. At Maria's these types of sides don't exist. The side salad at Maria's is iceberg with some rock-like croutons and a couple of slices of cucumber. So basically, the Shed is more upscale and varied than La Choza and Maria's, but if you are looking for the best or most authentic New Mexican dishes the Shed may not be your first choice. I wish I could be of more help on the chili dishes, but alas. I also agree on No to Pasqual's for dinner - the food is just not prepared well. The Coyote Cafe wasn't anything special last time we went. People say to eat in their rooftop cantina instead. Haven't done that. I am a HUGE fan of La Boca and Trattoria Nostrani. Those are my favorite places in town. Geronimo's is very good too but we are just too lazy to get a bit dressed up to go there. A lot of people like El Farol on Canyon Road. They have music and an active bar scene. The only time we went there was to eat. Our tapas were obviously left-overs from lunch; they were stiff and gummy. Never went back. We had dinner at the Georgia O'Keefe Museum cafe last week, and it was super. Will definitely go back. Good food and wine, and lots of options for my poor old stomach. Hope this helps.

I just use white or whatever vinegar I have on hand....

I both under and overbowl, but I must: I don't have many bowls to choose from.

We live in a condo, and for lack of anywhere else to put it, keep our garbage can in our (attached) garage. In warm weather, which here in southern California is most of the time, our garbage is totally festering by the end of the week. We cope by freezing food waste, particularly meat, until garbage day, if it isn't ok for the disposal. Reading this thread made me laugh - the one stinky thing I haven't figured out how to deal with comes from the cat box. Hmmm - freezer, or down the disposal?

I don't know what they are, but I know what they look like.

I suspect that most of the people you wonder about had much less disposable income when they were 25. I certainly did.

Some eG threads develop a focus on human behavior. Like this one, those on taking photos in restaurants, servers asking diners about the tip is, etc. I find the wide range of opinions they provoke interesting. I wonder how much of that variation could be explained by a few demographic parameters, like age, sex, income and geographic location. For example, I am a middle aged woman who lives in California and am blessed with a fair amount of disposable income. I don't find anything odd about Alice Waters. But then, I wouldn't, would I? Well, maybe. I didn't always live here, and I can imagine that if I had stayed in rural Michigan with its decaying economy I might not see her in quite the same light. Similarly, my opinions on restaurant behavior were changed by the years I lived in Europe. Customs and behavior vary over time and space. Not everything works everywhere you go. Lastly, I wonder if people would cut Alice more slack if she was 90. Women are often not cherished for being strange and cranky unless they are really old. Fortunately for Alice she lives in Berkeley where weirdness is a birthright.

Did you feed Lance? Did he eat like a human?

Get a cat?

1hp Insinkerator

Some meat in the US has water added to it, and that water exudes when the meat is cooked. Could the ground beef you are buying be of that sort? If so I suppose this could happen even if you ground your own.