tommy

both i'd say. the winemakers aren't trying to appeal to bordeaux drinkers, and the mountains of napa sure ain't bordeaux.

the same with just about every wine that was coming out of california, and most new world wine producing countries at that time, and even now. it's not poor old merlot's fault. have you had cab francs from california? they resemble zinfandel more than they do anything from Loire. it's just another casualty of the wine making process.

How can a "melange" of anything plus chocolate flavored oak be one-dimensional? You may not like the combination, but it sounds like it's got some depth to me. And that wouldn't even be my description. i'm thinking Willie was discussing the one-dimensional products that are often made from merlot. the quote was out of context obviously. his choice of the word "melange" may be questionable, but i think his point still stands.

some might argue that merlot plays an important part in bourdeaux, which some consider the greatest wines ever created. "merlot", however, generally conjures images of the horrible product mass produced in CA, as some have stated. if you like them, you like them. but people will point at you and giggle when you order a "glass of merlot, please."

i'm not sure anyone is suggesting that. people slip and fall on geese shit all of the time. that's just a fact. shoot 'em i say. kill 'em all! several studies that i've read suggest that their poop does in fact pose a health risk.

it's so far in the future! i suppose mrs. tommy and me are in.

i was just watching How to Boil Water. the guest chef guy pointed towards a tray that had tongs on it, and the host, who i suppose acts dumber than she really is, said "why are you pointing at the thongs, what do you want me to do." so, you see, i'm not alone in this.

posting with yourself is never quite as satisfying.

sandra, do you think it will be hard to get in? or do you think the quality will take a dive.

mario batali calls them "spoons" at Babbo, much to everyone's chagrin. i believe they're actually called "crumb scrapers" though.

it seems like the hunt will be a bit more organized than that. it's for a limited time, and limited to a certain area.

i look forward to this. i wonder how much they'll lose in tax revenue? i buy a lot of wine, but i can't imagine that i'd buy less in-state and have the balance delivered from out-of-state. the impact, for me, would be the ability to have wine shipped from CA, Long Island, or other wine-producing areas when on vacation and whatnot. if anything, that'll just mean i'll be buying more wine all-in-all. edited for speeling.

You can get one from eGullet, of course: I'm not sure how it'll work will with the pasta, however. ha! oh man, i was totally thinking to myself "don't type 'thongs', don't type 'thongs'". and so it went.

i've get some cheap tongs that work just fine for everything from pasta to on the grill. they're a perfect, and couldn't have cost more than a few bucks. in fact, if they ever break (and they're about 6 years old), i'll have no idea where to pick up such crap again.

much better drunk.

lemon zest is no substitute for kaffir. kaffir is edible. however, it comes out the same way it went in. *but*, chopped up, it's fine. i use fresh lemongrass on pork and beef all of the time. i put it in a spice grinder and it rips it to shreds. no problems. it's clear that we need a larburger-off.

jon, help everyone out and go get some ice. k? now.

try getting kaffir as well. it's so distinct. i think it will really make them pop. and fresh lemongrass too. why didn't you opt for fresh? a dressing of simple nuoc cham would probably serve it well as well. not much unlike the vietnamese sandwiches that are dressed with it. a samling of a few dressings/dippings sauces might be nice.

stick with pate. trust me. m'kay?

the hoi sin concerns me jason. concerns me greatly.

i'm guessing "no" if you are interested in making money.

absolutely. even at the "better" places. and even less know what to do when you tell them the wine is "corked." i think back to the time at L'Express, in NYC, when i refused a bottle of wine because it was corked. the waitress almost looked upset, so, just to quell her anger, i said that i was sorry. she said something like "oh, no problem, we'll just serve it by the glass at the bar." how do these people get hired and have jobs? how does management put up with such incompetence? clearly there aren't a lot of qualified people that are taking jobs in hoboken, and arguably NYC. but it seems like a gross mismanagement issue. in fact, i take back my statement about how these people get and keep jobs. my question is: how do these managers get and keep jobs. they should be rounded up and sent off to Houlighans.

i don't think the place is terribly unattractive. i know some do, though. i don't like taking food home, so that's not a big point for me. the service was pretty good. the runner was a nice guy, and didn't give me the old "who got the duck" routine. he always offered fresh pepper, and cleared the plates as necessary. sounds small, but that kind of thing goes a long way.

what's the word?

fascino, can you tell us a bit about it? there's an existing thread here.