tommy

i think the fact that member 201 could easily spend 30 dollars at Fink's is more notable than me spending 500 at March.

well i suppose there are other elements of wine making than just the oaking. some might argue that california and other new world countries haven't yet figured that out and therefore suffer from a case of flabby oaky wines.

part or all? either way, since it's less than 150 (more like 90/100 after tax considerations?) and there is no tipping i'd imagine, it's not that much considering the cause, and considering you get to see nick's hair.

you didn't see that coming?

nice job. just as coffee and milk go together better than coffee and OJ, oak and lactic acids go together better than oak and malic acids. lactic acids (like milk) oddly enough to not go well with malic acids (OJ). yuck. milk and OJ are just not good together.

a rabbit, or squirrel, or the lawn guys took off with my tarragon.

what about dinardo's for crabs? i see no mention of this place, but hear it's pretty good. thoughts?

Trish, i must say that i simply do not drink california chardonnays. i know that they're coming around from the oaked syrup that they produced in the 90's, but by and large, they are still all the "same." although, i get out to napa/sonoma about once a year, and i've seen a big changes in some of the wineries' wine making style. whether those "experiments" are hitting the mass market remains to be seen. in time, i would imagine. the tides are clearing turning. maggie: you should see me when i get drunk. fat guy said i worked really hard on this one.

ok. so we're clear on that then. i just don't want you to mislead anyone. the last thing we need is some lurker going to Lugers and asking for a nice chardonnay, as it goes so well with food, at least "that's what the guy said on egullet."

oh c'mon.

craig, i think we were separated at birth. but you still said: and i don't think you were talking about chards from burgundy or NZ. or long island. or the finger lakes for that matter. i'm not taking issue with your tastes at all. i'm merely pointing out that people *think* this because they haven't had the chance to taste other wines. as you said, so many wine lists all across the US list 8 chards (all from the west coast), maybe a pinot grigio (a crappy one in my experience) and that's about it. a SB might show up, but hell, who can pronounce *that*. chards are the "default" for most consumers, and because of that, most restaurants and bars will stock just that. i recall a few short years ago, when mrs. tommy would always say that i made my "wine face" whenever i drank wine. i now know why i did: because i was drinking chardonnay from CA and other whites of its ilk, and kinda fruity tannic reds as well. i *still* make that face if i drink those wines (although i vomit when drinking oaky whites). i was happy to find out that there are wines that don't make me put on that face. although those with the bracing acidity, which i do adore, make me put on a puckering face. at least i enjoy *that* face though. edit: i appreciate the greater point of your article, which is "don't hate the grape."

Never paraphase Willie. page 47 of "The Wine Avenger": "[Chardonnay's] popularity with consumers is based on: - it's soft, unchallenging texture and consistent sameness of flavor - its easy availability and wide variety of price points - its easy-so-pronounce name?" you're right. he can speak for himself. *that* is what you wrote. we both "hate" the same thing.

"harsh" is subjective. my points are valid. and yes, even i love some steely chards. but that's not what i was saying.

a few points... to paraphrase willie gluckstern, and some other experts, if there is "a" reason why chardonnay is so popular (in the US) it's because it's easy to pronounce...and because it's sweet. it doesn't "taste good" unless you like the taste of it. "it" meaning the chardonnays that most are drinking. i've addressed the fact that it's generally accepted by even wine novices that new world chards do not "taste good," i'll also submit that they certainly do not match well with a "broad variety of food." c'mon. yer joshin'. "i hate chardonnay." i tell people that. i tell servers that when they're suggesting a wine if i happen to ask. however, i love a decent chablis or burgundy. i suppose i just hate overly-oaked wines. hell, even some steely chards from australia, south africa, and certianly NZ are decent enough food wines at 8 or 9 bucks a pop. they should just change the name. "chardonnay" is generally horrible. i'll drink the juice if it's called something else and if the stuff in the bottle isn't defined by the style, rather than by the character.

the tandoori shrimp is very good (not sure if that's what you had, though). whenever i've had it, it has been cooked perfectly. i'm not expert though, and i generally derail discussions. i usually get this in the mixed tandoori grill for an app. the shrimp has always stood out for both me and the experts with whom i was dining. 4 out of 5 in fact. so it must be true. it must be. i'll repeat it if necessary it must be true true. glad you had a decent meal.

dine-n-dash is so, like, yesterday. a new twist here. "Bar and restaurant owners say some customers are taking advantage of the new ban on smoking in city bars, grills and pubs by ordering, drinking, excusing themselves for an outdoor cigarette - and then skipping out without paying their bill." spliff and split? light and flight?

their list is so extensive that anything i brought they would have, or at least have an equivalent. oh well.

how's the mark-up on wine at Sonoma Grill? with so many BYOB options, i have a hard time getting over there.

in today's NYT, asimov mentions how silly it is to serve the clams on the clam pizza in their shells, noting that you have to shuck them before the crust cools and becomes rubbery. also mentioned in this "In Defense of Weird Food" article is the foie gras/dark chocolate combo at Lutece, which i found extremely appealing. here's the link.

ediot: wrong thread.

pnapoli, i actually ended up at "The Star" last night. it is indeed some of the thinnest pizza that i've ever seen. thinner than kinchley's. the place reminded me of kinchley's, but it was eerily quite. it wasn't very crowded at all, but the people who were there had a very hushed tone. my guess is that they were talking about egulleteers and didn't want anyone to hear. we started with the antipasto. chunks of iceburg with slices of pepperoni, salami, peppers, and about 3 lbs of cubed cheese. on to a plain pie. we wanted to sample a pure, you know, specimen before getting more adventurous. quite greasy and salty. wafer-thin crust. went well with Budweiser. we tore through the thing so quickly that i thought we'd have to order a 3rd. but then on to the "Everything" pie, minus anchovies. nicely loaded with all kindza stuff, but no overpowering. quite filling. the server was as you might expect. a woman who had been there for 28 years. the bartender was pleasant and went out of her way to say goodbye as we filed out. i think i'd return, but only if in the neighborhood. i still like Kinchley's a bit better.

you don't honestly think that smokers don't smoke at home but rather smoke elsewhere so as to not stink up their homes, do you?

less ashes in the snack bowl as well.

no, silly. i meant that the fact that the place looks like a dive is what attracted us. i don't like fights. that's why i stay on egullet.

we stopped in last week and had the same shrimp in garlic and the lion's head meatballs. mrs. tommy had never had the meatballs, and proclaimed them as "fluffy." they sure as hell are. and delicious. my impression of the shrimp was "butter" as well. but i don't think there's a stick of butter in the whole place. the sauce, as double 0 says, is just delicious. one of my favorite dishes. oddly enough, we cleaning out a closet in the living room, where i sometimes keep newpaper for the fireplace. for some reason, mrs. tommy glanced through the few papers that were there, and saw the china 46 review from the NYC from december 30 of 2001. just days after we had been there for the first time. we reminded ourselves that we need to return, as often as possible.