tommy

slow isn't strong enough a word! i forgot all about that place. thought it was quite good the 2 times i went there, but i couldn't forgive the cramped quarters and sluggish service.

in thailand, cuisine is regional. just as in most places is suspect. more fish near the ocean, whatever. but i think just about every thai place i've been to in the US and abroad has had a generic mix. anyway, a new thai place opened in clifton near that big supermarket complex (with the family name...ah! corrado's). it's called, i think, thai lemongrass or something like that. i'll get checking it out soon. as far as NJ thai, i've only been to a few, missing some very notable places. the ones i've been to are: thai chef. montclair. used to be great. now it's a madhouse. thai with a french flair. byob. sri thai. hoboken. i practically lived here for 4 or 6 years. standard menu. byob. bangkok city. hoboken. good stuff, but pricer than sri thai. standard menu. bangkok garden. hackensack. standard stuff really. wondee's. hackensack. byob. standard menu. by far the best experience of the lot. kailish. ridgewood. byob. it's actually an indian and a thai restaurant in one. they do a wonderful crispy duck. standard thai menu. i'm guessing i'll think of more later.

awesome. i just added it to my amazon wish list. hair growing out of ears: always disgusting.

i would suggest that maybe all of those gobs weren't these buds. it must have been mixed with gobs of other stuff as well, unless they were old crappy like b edulis'.

cecil, the owner of chia 46 and the guy who gave these 2 me, explained that when they first got a hold of these things, they weren't very strong. then they found a different supplier and they were super strong. so what you say makes sense. it seems they can have different levels.

although i've tried, that rationalization has never worked for me.

good, maybe. but can you say that 5 times fast?

the ones that i have to seem to be "split open" for the most part, leaving the reddish husk and not the black seed. i suppose they probably sell them that way?

that's funny...i was going to actually mention that every time i drive by the thai place it's usually on the way back from the windsor diner. actually, it's a pretty decent diner!

crap, i'm at home but i just had a sandwich. maybe i'll purge and see you there. that would make 3 nights in a row. i think they are growing sick of me.

it is called szechuan peppercorn. it's part of the classic chinese 5 spice, in addition to star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and fennel. it does in fact have a clove-like flavor. i got the following from a website: "Szechwan peppercorn = Sichuan peppercorn = Szechuan peppercorn = anise pepper = brown peppercorn = Chinese aromatic pepper = Chinese pepper = flower pepper = sancho = Japanese pepper = Japan pepper = wild pepper = fagara pepper Notes: These aren't true peppercorns, but rather dried flower buds." it is one of the most intense flavors i've ever experienced. it actually numbs your tongue and lips. cecil, the host of china 46, was kind enough to give me some of these little suckers to take home. i have no idea what i'm going to do with them. for the record, mrs. tommy was not with me last night. it was just the boys. which turned into "boys night out shooting pool til 3 am", which turned into a stop at McDonalds this morning at 8 am.

i found that interesting, so i did some quick research. if the results in this link are accurate, it seems that lots of stuff might have MSG. click here for someone's opinion

no way man. i'm thinking more like 1.9 grams per cup.

what did you have?!?!?! i've passed that place a million times, back in the old days when it was actually a diner, then as a chinese place, and now this. i've always wondered what it was like.

i'm pretty sure that can be arranged. would you prefer popeye's, or the colonel.

ckbklady, sadly, hoboken books (i think), and just about all other cool remnants of hoboken are long gone. :( but yes, the restaurant was at the corner of 14th and washington, which is uptown. back in 1990, it *might* have been called Madison Sports Bistro. although, 1990 might have been a tad before that.

restaurant was filmed in my hometown of Hoboken NJ (if you think people make fun of canada, you should see what kind of fun they have with hoboken!!). it was written by a guy (or 2) from jersey city, which is the next town over. the restaurant you see in the movie was a real restaurant/bar, although it was totally remodeled for the film. this restaurant was also featured in the blockbuster bruce willis film "hudson hawk". i don't think the kitchen scenes were filmed here though. restaurant is a pretty good movie actually.

flavor tents? you're joking, right? does Folgers make this grill? of *course* it's a load of crap. home despot, or specifically their offshoot, home expot, has the cast iron as standard. i believe it's probably an option of some sort, depending on where you go (small hardware stores might not carry both). for a grill you need: grates, heat, flare-up control, and durability. little more, nothing less...and all of which the weber provides, imho. oh, and whatever it is, pay to have it delivered and put together.

i was about to say that you should be paying no more than 450 for the weber. where are you looking? home despot has them for 450. i would do some research at epinions (which are just like e-a-holes). char-broil is considered by some to be a disposable product. a weber should last practically forever. also, don't get too caught up on BTUs, as this number can actually have very little to do with cooking capacity or ability. porcelian grates are standard on any decent grill, and webers are probably better than most. again, i have cast iron, which i'm very happy with, save the required special care). the genenis b has a foldout prep tray as well. the new ones are not made out of wood, and are supposed to last practically forever. last thought: you get what you pay for.

home: tap filtered through a pur or brita or something like that. (not the kind that connects to the tap, but rather the jug with the filter in the fridge) driving, walking, etc: poland spring or something similar restaurants: generally tap. otherwise sparkling. boy, that sure sounded boring.

my point was, people don't dress up to go to plays anymore. the opera is not far behind. "right" or "wrong", times change. they have, and they will continue to.

in my experience, you're either a "weber person", or a "ducane person". and that line is drawn thickly in the sand. people will defend their preferred brand with as much fever as they do their home town football team. as for me, i'm a weber person. i recently purchased the model of which you speak. i'm very happy with it. you may want to consider cast iron grates instead of the other options. in my mind at least, they get good and hot, and do a nice job. touch to keep from rusting though. oh, and, side burners get in the way and take up space. i rarely find a need for one. edit: it must have been late as i speeled "weber" wrong twice. ugh.

good point, and one that i was going to bring up. someone above mentioned "unshaven", presumably to paint the picture of someone who was clearly not "dressed the part". since when does a beard, mustache, or five o'clock shadow make a man look unkempt across the board? don johnson put an end to this mindset (if it ever existed) back in 1982 or so. i'm guessing that this is a generational issue for the most part. younger people don't buy into dressing up. hell, even most businesses don't require jackets in NYC. and trust me, i ain't going home after work to change into a suit to go out to eat. i'm suprised no one has mentioned broadway plays. oh how my 80 year old mother in law pines for the days when people would "dress snazzy and go out on the town". yawn.

but you can't deny the combination of fried chicken and champagne. well, you could i suppose, but i would feel the need to pelt you with rocks and garbage.

generally speaking.