tommy

i'm not sure if this link will work. anyway, if it does, it is a version i made using the skillet/oven method. excuse the busy sauce. this was made with chilean sea bass about 1/2 inch thick sea bass with potato

rachel, also, please put everyone's avatar on their nametags. thanks. tommy

it sounds like the menu has changed considerably since my last visit. one of my top 10 favorite places to eat in NYC. and i love that all-american wine list. who knew virginia was a wine-producing state?!?!

well then matthew and i must be complete *and* total idiots. i did buy the dualit, and was hoping that someone would support that decision as matthew did. my primary rationalization: it will be the last dollar i ever spend on a toaster. i'll let you know in 5 years! oh yeah, and it does look pretty neat i think.

don't be too impressed. i mean, i don't want to lead you to believe that it's pretty and perfect every time!! :)

yes because i'm just, that, good. seriously though, i use a liberal amount of oil and they generally don't stick much. using a spatula it's then quite easy to flip it over. i also dump out most excess oil b4 putting it in the oven. as you suggested, you could skip the stovetop part and just use the broiler to brown the potato at the end of the cooking. my broiler has always sucked, so that's never been an option for me. had it been, i would have pursued it. (Edited by tommy at 5:20 pm on Jan. 23, 2002)

it's an asian place.

rachel is a bit like lycos i'd say. ;) thanks.

i'd say that Cafe Centro's version is acceptable. they've been it or miss as of late, but overall i find the place fun and a good value.

judging by the letters to the editor in today's Dining Out section of the times, more than a few people took exception to grimes's idiotic position on chatty servers.

what is so horrible about oliver's show? it's energetic and fun. hardly qualities to hate.

does anyone know about this place on rt 4 east in paramus? until recently, it only said "Bisque" on the outside of the windowless building. now it says "Bisque restaurant". dispite it's culinary name, i always thought it was a furniture store.

he keeps his pimp arm strong. seeing booby get smacked would be *much* more entertaining than seeing anyone else take a hit. i'd tune in for that one. i'd then like to see jackie slap all of those fake-friend women that show up at the shows. come to think of it, i think the entire cast, with the exception of jackie, should be slapped. maybe i'm being a bit over the top on this one.

alton was a film maker at one point, no? i think that's why he builds so many creative elements into the camera work. some annoy you, some don't. the naked chef is by far the worse offender when it comes to sweeping camera. plus that crappy english TV quality produces no less than a blurred smear if the camera moves just a little. forget about trying to read credits on Absolutely Fabulous, which has nothing to do with this thread, but which is very funny. (Edited by tommy at 2:47 pm on Jan. 23, 2002)

RE: Booby Flay - i couldn't have said it better. LOL!!! Alton - number 1. best show. Anthony Bourdain - gets props for wearing a "Bellevue Bar" t-shirt on last night's show. this is one of the seediest places left in NYC, and one of the only places with actual atmosphere. one of my favorite bars. i'll buy him a beer if i run into him there. you're pretty hard on mario though. us dumb people think he sounds smart! RE: are americans really that stupid - see above. gordon elliot rules. Door Knock Dinners was funny and spontaneous. you gotta love when the 6 foot 15 gordon would bump his head into stranger's chandeliers. who is the skinny short haired girl that i see cooking with people (calling all cooks?). she's by far my favorite. +2 points to you for admitting that you watched Survivor. ;)

what gives with those expensive, albeit pretty, Dualit toasters. they are about 300 bucks, and as far as i can tell only toast bread. does anyone actually have one of these things? and if so, was it worth it? (Edited by tommy at 12:15 pm on Jan. 23, 2002)

on my way back from China 46 tonite, i remembered the place at the 46 circle. stopped in. they are open til 9.30. wow! great place. some real good buys there. pork at 1.09 a lb???? "hello!?!??!", as annoying people used to say a few years back. i noticed that they didn't have sushi like matsubishi (or whatever it's called in edgewater), and they don't have ingredients that might be specifically thai or vietnames (kaffir lime leaf or lemongrass for example). but lots of other great stuff. thanks to all, once again!! i'll be spending lots of time here.

hmmm. i never got to sit at mesa grill, because both of the times i was there (with a reservation), the hostess pissed me off so much that i walked out. too much 'tude, not enough substance, imho. daniel, went once. in the middle of my order, a server walked up to ours and started talking to him. my server turned his head to listen to this fella, who obviously had something to say that was much important than my order. i'll never go back because of that. (yes, i'm petty, but there are too many places i haven't been to)

not to beat a dead horse, but i went back tonite. i'm a creature of habit. brought a friend who loved it. the host (not Cecil, the owner) was gracious and brought us some goodies to try. can't say enough good things about this place.

i first had this at Daniel. it was incredible. i think it's their signature dish. at any rate, i think it goes all the way around there too. the first time i made it, i tried this. it was a bit too difficult and not worth the frustration, although it did come out very pretty. now i just go for the top. screw em if they can't take a joke.

i'm glad you included zoe on your list. i don't see it in most top 50 or essential lists. IMO, it offers very good bang-for-the-buck. a very casual atmosphere with very good food and a cool and unpretentious atmosphere. as for the rest, well, there's little to debate!

i've had success with any thickness. from a 2 inch thick pantagonian toothfish (hehe, love that name), to a 1/2 red snapper filet. once the potato is brown, it really doesn't cook much more in the oven (potato side up in the oven). obviously it cooks a bit, but the fish shouldn't take more than 15 minutes to finish.

time to get some new friends. ;)

indeed. might it be a good idea to put the above people's usernames here, so that we can get a feel for who we are meeting? i suppose they would go on the name tags too, unless you've already made them up. just a thought.

so what's the final list? i need to start practicing names. i'm worse with names than i am with dispensing legal advice.