tommy

I resemble that remark, Rachel! funny how you immediately came to mind when rachel said that. :p

loud and clear brutha, loud and clear. ???

that's just wrong. ???

seriously, don't go changing plans on account of me! considering mrs. tommy's travel plans, it is not definite that we or even i will be able to join y'all even at 6. the following friday mrs. tommy is out of town. so, giving it some thought, i'd *definitely* make it for that one. but i'd be alone, and as most will tell you, i'm not the draw in this relationship. leave it be. we're doing this again at some point, right? and if one more person spells Liza's name wrong again, i'm *never* coming out to play.

sir, would you like your filet grilled, or boiled.

i never heard of a kettle of fish until a few days ago on this thread. but last night, i'm talking to a friend about the brilliance of Pet Sounds, and it comes up that a kettle of fish is the first place he had ever heard it, when he was about 12 yrs old. i found it a strange coincidence. of course, as these things usually work, i've probably heard "kettle of fish" a hundred times in my life, but never made any connection. [/end boring anecdote]

sounds like a trend too. we'll see this disappear in a few years, if that.

a little of everything is great when you're discussing food. a little of everything is a hassle when you're talking wine. IMHO. you must tell us about your culinary (and other) experiences in hong kong! r u coming to this dinner?

i would love to go, and could normally make it any night. however, mrs. tommy is away next week, returning thursday. on saturday i have a social engagement sans-mrs. tommy. so friday is our only night for the whole week. so you see, it's just that, i'm whipped. ;) if it kicked off at like 6 or something, you know, right after work, we could both come by for a while. but that 8 o'rock jazz is just pushing it for us jersey folk. but, don't go changin on account of me. i'm just sayin' is all.

i wonder when/how going to the movies and eating became so intertwined? personally, i can go the 2 hours without having a snack. although, i used to sneak rum into the theater back in the day so i could get/continue to be drunk. i go with the popcorn, regardless of how bad it can be (it's usually pretty good) only because it's part of the going to the moviews "thing."

i will probably eat a bit beforehand. otherwise, i get light-headed and my body gives out. i'm pretty sure no one wants to see that. food during the evening is probably a good idea, especially if the session goes on for a while. the corner bistro, i'd imagine, will have a huge wait. at least it always did when i tried getting in. i'll try to give some thought to someplace good, but not overly popular (something like a los dos rancheros, which is cheap too, but closer to our likely destination). then again, i probably won't be going anyway! damn!

i'll bring me arrows for sure! actually, don't know if i can make that friday night. we see.

Restaurant Above, in the Times Square Hilton, has a "view". it isn't panoramic, but it is on the 20th floor or so, and overlooks 42nd street looking north. it's more of a view than you usually get, and i've heard reports that the food is decent. they have a decent selection of wines as well, which is why i generally stop there. might be worth considering, even if it's just for an after-dinner or before-dinner drink.

i could definitely go for a couple tonite, and hell, another couple in march! thursday this week is no good. it's some sort of holiday or something.

top of the tower is the top of the beekman tower, which is on 1st ave at about 49th. actually, as an aside, the hotel there (the beekman) has a restaurant on the first floor as well which happens to have a very good hamburger and fries.

you're killing me! ToT. nice view. not so nice food! old-school eighties horrible decor too. yuck. the Place sounds like something more reasonable, though i've never been.

chez josephine is a lovely lovely place. they always make you feel at home. quite an unknown gem in NYC imho. not really cheap though!

wilfrid, please stop typing what i'm thinking 20 seconds after i do. you're starting to scare me. regards, tommy

cite is reasonably priced. however, it's not a very, um, exciting place. i'd go with a neighborhood french bistro before i'd go to cite, if i were looking for french specifically. cite, to me, is a steakhouse. they do, however, have a prix fixe of 65 bucks for dinner and all the wine you can drink. one of the best deals in NYC. this applies to dinners after 8 pm. here is their website

as jeff suggested, les halles would be a good choice and fit your budget. however, be advised that it is a "bistro" more than an upscale french place. it's basic rustic french fare executed nicely in a loud and hopping room. the exec. chef, tony bourdain, is a celebrity, and an occasional contributor to egullet (when the subject is him )

i'd be interested in what percentage of these relatively well-fed egulletters have actually been to Rao's. i have to think it's somewhere around 1%, if that. it is probably going to be tough to get many first-hand thoughts on rao's here. that owner guy is a pretty cool actor though. love his soprano's character, and the way he pronounces "peninsula."

march 14 and 21 are both good for me as well. any other takers? fyi, yvonne was on the UK board complaining about how hard it is to get everyone together. i say we show her up. and we can even invite mr. shaw.

generally speaking, my *least* favorite cake is "birthday" cake. by a huge margin.

boy oh boy. let's just meet tomorrow night for cryin' out loud. jeesh.

a "regular"? do tell. a friend of mine went and said the food is nothing special. surely there are better pasta and sauce places around. seems like the payoff is saying you went, rather than the outstanding meal you receive. but, i've never been, so i speak only from second-hand information.