tommy

some of the mystery of the grand sichuans is addressed into today's NYT. please to click apparently, they can't figure out the deal either. one thing seems for sure, however. just as has been suggested here, the one in clinton is *the* one to go to.

for the budget conscious, whole chickens are definitely the way to go. if you buy breasts, they charge you and arm and a leg, and you don't even get the arm or the leg.

Is this based on comparative taste tests? How does one get the mule to stand still? easy. you wait until the dead mule stops moving.

miss j, don't you find that oaky chardonnays are yucky to cook with? i've found that the taste is unpleasant in the dish as much as in the glass. unless, of course, it was just my cooking.

all due respect rachel, this was discussed a while back and if i recall some other coordinators felt the same way i do. once a thread gets too long it becomes, and oftentimes there is a very valid reason for starting a new one. if the first 10 posts are not about the restaurant, one could make an argument that a new one is in order.

you said you were bringing riesling!

i'm wondering if there's an overall approach. What's your concern? If you're concerned that I'm not up to the task of organizing this aspect of the evening, perhaps you'd like to do it? i can assure you that your organizational skills are not in question.

i'm wondering if there's an overall approach.

yup. plenty. hence this discussion. it really detracts from the experience.

cool. if i keep my mouth shut i'll get off cheap and easy.

Nina has volunteered to be coordinator for this task. yes, i see that. but what is the overall approach?

of course.

My personal waiter travels everywhere with me now. I get him to carry the Reidel in a leather case. I don't care if he looks like a dweeb. is that some sort of obscure music reference meant only to derail this perfectly reasonable discussion? how dare you. i'm through being cool.

foodman, that's purdy. did you cook the sauce? roasted another chicken with sage and potatoes and onions in the pan. roasted acorn squash on the side. so cheap, so easy, so good. tis the season for roasting?

yeah, but i think those studies are lofty and pretentious.

mogsob: ok, so is it clear yet that we're not talking about that situation in particular? and not to add fuel, but why would you care what people are doing at the next table as far as their wine glass go? basildog: bringing your own glasses doesn't add any work for the restaurant staff, especially at restaurants that don't serve wine to begin with (strictly BYO restaurants, which we have a lot of in NJ). that said, as a restaurant owner, why would it bother you? less glasses to bus and have washed. am i missing something? ron: to be clear, i'm talking about drinking a wine out of a glass that would be totally unacceptable under any circumstances. i'm sure you understand that, but i just want to be sure the rest of the class is clear. i bring *plastic* wine glasses when i go to local BYOs, as they are better than the tiny glasses i'm generally offered. methinks this thread should be split out into several: 1) people who want to impress those around them with their expensive stemware (which i really really don't think happens) 2) people who want to drink their 14 dollar zin out of a glass that they can at least swirl the wine in without making the table red.

heinekin? f*ck that shit...pabst blue ribbon!

i think it's up to the user to search on old threads, assuming that user is savvy enough. additionally, if the user then determines that a new thread should be started, i don't see a problem with it. in this case in particular, the old threads were largely conversational without much or any discussion on the restaurant (save rosie's review). i'm of the thought that users should use common sense, and everything wil be OK. as with anything.

beyond the issues that steve brings up (anything i want, for a price, should be accessable), i would say that following mogsob's and nesita's theories, one would never have a decent wine experience at sriprahai (sp?) thai in queens if one didn't bring their own glasses. this restaurant is generally accepted as being one of the best thai's in the city, and simply does not offer reasonable stemware. we're not talking strictly about drinking wine only out of the best crystal. we're talking largely about not drinking wine out of the shot glasses that many BYO restaurants offer. the distinction, to me, is very clear. and i'm not sure how anyone who appreciates wine can't appreciate the concept.

seems very limiting to me.

how are we orchestrating the byo aspect of this dinner?

oh man, i *love* mickey's!!! with that wide mouth and all! damn.

Yeah, but thats for a different restaurant, rockcentercafe. Brasserie 8 1/2 is better, right? yeah, i was in my own head at the time and used "their" as in "one of restaurant associates' restaurants." i wasn't going to bother clarifying, but thanks for doing it for me.

i guess i need to be more like you so i wouldn't have these problems. and a better solution than "hoping" is bringing your own stemware. as a visual aid: if you hope in one hand and crap in the other, which one do you think might fill up faster? edit to include lest anyone thing i'm actually angry with mobsob.

their beer dinner sounds like a decent enough deal.