malarkey

man, this thread has revealed all kinds of peeves I have. The story about the guy who acted like the spring rolls were dog doo set this one off: Having one picky eater amongst a group of people. So, the MAJORITY of us are normal eaters, and one is abnormal. WE have to accomodate THIS PERSON and go somewhere THEY like. FORGET what we like!! arghggghhhh!!! So, we miss out on a chance to have a fabulous meal. This is most definitely a HUGE peeve of mine.

ok, here's one. the other night I had dinner with my class project partner. We're merrily eating away and at the bottom of her salad she finds a hair. Literally she had a small leaf of lettuce left, she'd eaten the whole salad. She picks up the hair, looks at it, puts it back in the bowl and then proceeds to attempt to spear the last remaining leaf of lettuce in an attempt to eat it. It slides across the bottom of the bowl, ending up on top of the hair. At this point she gives up on that last piece of lettuce. So, she tells me she's going to ask the waitress about the hair, and asks me what I do in that kind of circumstance. well I can tell you that when I pick the hair out, you can be damn sure I'm not going to put it back in!!! (I didn't say this though) I just told her that in reality I just let it go. Unless its something horrid like a bandaid or something truly gross I just don't care. She shows it to the waitress, saying "well I was going to finish my salad but then I found this hair..." The waitress apologized profusely. After the waitress leaves, she says "I just like to see how they react". hmmmm.

LOL Sherri I've dined with someone like that and oh my god. She sent back her spaghetti to the kitchen because it had black pepper on it. She said she doesn't eat pepper. salt, but NO pepper, ever. I had visions of Big Night going through my head when that dish went back to the kitchen.

here's the Etta's menu: Starter choices: Smoked Coho Salmon with Organic Potatoes Wedge of Iceberg with Oregon Blue Cheese Entrée choices: Rub-with-love Salmon, Cornbread Pudding Idaho Rainbow Trout with Potato Cake Dessert choices: Triple Coconut Cream Pie << Chocolate Tart with Hazelnut Anglaise

I think the Etta's menu sounds great... but I think my first try needs to be Nell's. here's their menu: Starter choices: Sweet Onion Tart with Artichoke Chips Red Beet Salad with Green Apples Entrée choices: Pan Seared Steelhead with Parsnips Duck Confit with White Beans Saffron and Leek Risotto Dessert choices: Apple Tart with Brown Sugar Ice Cream Chocolate Pot de Crème

Awesome!! Keep us posted Amir!

well I have a REAL beer to try this friday... and I guess REAL means not sour... I'm quite anxious to try this one.. ya'll will be lucky if I can hold out till friday...

hey I was drinkin' an IPA. I just mentioned gueuze. GEEZ! I've got a special one picked out for next time. Will there be a tasting this friday? It is hallowe'en and all...

I make giblet gravy. you simmer the neck, gizzard, heart & liver in water till you have broth (which supplements any pan drippings) take these items out and make a gravy from the broth, (you can reduce the broth a bit to intensify flavors), use some demi-glace and some booze of your choosing (I like sherry) and I then cut up the heart and take the neck meat off the bones and throw them back into the gravy. I don't use the liver or gizzard in the final gravy. but the neck meat and the heart meat are lovely. The gravy does not taste livery at all. I supplement with Pacific or Kitchen Basics chicken stock if I don't have any homemade. This year I have some homemade duck stock so I think I'll use that for the gravy.

;-) oh yeah.. hey WAIT. I didn't say that, Rich said it when describing how a gueuze tastes LOL

Yes, and hopefully my demeanor of the evening hasn't excluded me from a return invitation ;-)

I'll put Diamond Knot IPA, brewed in Mukilteo WA up to your Victory Hop Devil anyday It IS the shit. OK, so at this very minute I'm finishing off a Victory Hop Devil, since it makes it all the way out to the west coast. considering that something is probably lost in traveling, and just in bottling, I'm going to state my opinion ;-) not even close Local is always better, eh?? So next time I'm back east, I'll try it there. I put Bridgeport IPA over this one, they do bottle. I'm not sure how far they distribute, so I don't know if its available to east coasters. It can't even begin to touch Diamond Knot. (which doesn't bottle)

hmm its been awhile, but I remember loving the brunch at Palisades, of all places. They do a buffet and you can get hot off the griddle banana macadamia nut sourdough pancakes with apricot butter and real maple syrup. and its an all-you-can-eat affair. really tasty. Lowell's also might fit the bill for what you are looking for, and nothing is more soothing that looking out over the sound when eating that recuperative breakfast. but for me, the creme de la creme would be Cafe Campagne, possibly the oeufs meurette w/foie gras sauce because it comes with pommes frites ;-)

Girl Chow- are you aware that the promotion is only good Sundays through Thursdays? :-/

I had a hell of a time finding non-smoked ham hock in Seattle. Even the local butcher shop said "nope". Finally a local grocery store came to my aid. They had to order it special, but they got it for me. Finding a good garlic sausage was a challenge too, I just couldn't face using kielbasa as a substitute. but I think this time around I have some good sources, and I just might make my own. Its time I remade this dish. I love a project dish like this, and I adore the flavors in a good cassoulet. Great winter time fare.

I'll see if I can find some of the beers from the Fest. I ain't doin' Mickey's though LOL.

hey, this sounds fun. I just might have to check it out!

LOVE belgian wit style. One of my faves is LaChouffe Golden. YUM. I thought Blue Moon was always a Coors product. ??

I was just saying to Mr. S. that that would be a fabulous location for a Mont's type little grocery store. Wish I had the dough to start it because I think it would be a winner in that neighborhood.

well surely everyone has at some point had bananas foster prepared table side. Its always impressive not to mention extremely delicious. But that's old school. Impressive: at a restaurant in Rome: frozen fruit brought to the table in a large bowl. opened to reveal they are filled with sorbet made from the fruit. Very beautiful dessert presentation. And tasty. Baked Alaska: also old school, but with a twist (sherribabee will like this) Also flambeed, not table side, but on the table, liquor drizzled directly on the table top, so whole dish/presentation is surrounded by a ring of flames. No, it didn't burn the table up LOL.

oh whaaa! its only open for lunch! well... let me see. I think I can still do this. Their menu sounds great...

I'll go. I'm with you on the classic French food fetish.

Union: So are they open? What's the scoop with this place? who's the chef?? TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!

Oh I gotta check this out. I didn't know there was an indian market in there. I've eaten at Udupi. Its all vegetarian. I thought it was pretty good, but I haven't eaten a lot of indian that I thought was fabulous around here either. I've been on a quest to find good butter chicken ever since I had some at some little joint on Greenwood Ave. that was pretty damn good. The one time I ate at Cedars I had the same reaction, I thought it was fairly bad. boring flat flavors. I have eaten at the place by Trader Joe's, and it is good. (or at least I liked it) They do a lunch time buffet that has a lot of dishes so you can sample.

I think I'd be ready to die after a tasting like that.