tommy

i can only hope that the cheesecake factory knows me, acknowledges me, and loves me. that was pretty funny.

i was just askin a question for cryin out loud! although, i haven't seen many "wet" indian curries. when i make an indian influenced dish, i generally try to create the curry on my own. generally i include some mixture of coriander seed, mustard seed, cumin seed, powdered tumeric, powdered ginger, fennel seed, black pepper, funugreek, heated and then ground in a spice grinder. often times i'll mix with coconut milk or yogurt and marinate meat in this. grill and squirt some fresh lime on it. any other suggestions?

steven, as you probably know, thai curry paste and indian influenced curry powders have little in common aside from their name. the thai version is made from fresh, ground ingredients like galangal, garlic, peppers, herbs, ginger, etc. whereas the indian influenced version, well, i'm no expert, but they are made from dried spices. and that was merely a segue into... i had a discussion the other day with a friend on why this is. is it because historically, people of that area didn't have access to fresh ingredients, or perhaps those ingredients didn't travel well and therefore they used dried ingredients? any insight on this would be helpful.

la isla in hoboken is cuban.

if they're consistently packed, the answer is obvious. legal seafoods will put you on the "list" if you call ahead. that helps.

ah ha! this is right in line with my new sig line. i'm glad someone has seen me for who i really am.

i make sure i don't go there when it's crowded. i wouldn't wait for it.

legal is pretty effing good. :) for oysters at least.

i should probably try to find my comments on this place, which are probably on egullet somewhere. i can only suggest that your friends admitting that they want to get to the place before 6.30 or run the risk of a dimished experience is very telling. edgewater: long waits. steak just not as good as it should be at those prices. fairlawn: valet parking when it's completely unnecessary. clueless staff from the coatcheck girl on up to the waiter. food just isn't as good as it should be at that price point. i have the "luxury" (well, the opportunity might be a better word) of eating at steakhouses in NYC, and RPT just pales in comparison on just about every level. however, if one doesn't get to NYC often, i can see the appeal.

after giving some further thought to this, and reading others' thoughts on artisanal, i've come to a conclusion: artisanal just ain't so good. fair enough. i'll go back for wine at the bar. short of that, i can make it better at home. i'm right. you're wrong. move along, nothing to see here.

dude, i was in there tuesday. note that it was about 100 degrees that day. well, it was about 120 at finks!! i walked outside and actually felt *cool*. it was dry heat though, so although it was hot, i wasn't sweating. the guy told me the AC would be there today. all i can say is, thank goodness. and that's a big burger.

i'll be in houston in a few weeks. i can image that it's lovely there this time of year. anyway, are there any notable places for "BBQ"? or do i need to travel east for that. thanks for any help.

Is there a reason you insist on misspelling wilfrid's name? I am formally asking you to stop. i slay me.

indeed. for the record, i've never called suzanne f a name as far as she knows.

huh?

i was under the impression that this isn't about getting "permission" from the restaurant, but rather it's a "what should i do" question. maybe i've missed something. edit: looks as if someone retracted her statement.

hehe.

strong words. chilling almost.

I REFUSE to sit around a let this restaurant get bullied against its wishes.

when do we get to the part when i can say "i'm right, you're all wrong. so there."?

And, he's never tossed a soup wonton at me... Paul c'mon. you caught it. no ham, no fowl.

good. an upscale steakhouse in the area. hopefully without the incompetence that i've found comes with the well-respected river palm chain.

for those of you who might not know, plots is just as frustrating to talk to in person. but he does smile, and seems to subtly acknowledge that he's a pain in the ass, which makes it all a bit more palatable. not much, but a bit.

what would you say, you *do* here. [+2 points for the reference.]

glenn, i was merely speaking to the (valid) point that one could argue the validity of the markups because of the wine program and associated expense. however, ted and jo's and baja probably don't spend all too much on their "wine program." no, they just order the kendall jackson, pay 6 a bottle, charge 9 a glass and 30 a bottle, and keep it in the closet. that was my point. nothing more, nothing less.