tommy

bilrus brings up parking, which is something i was hoping to hear some comments on.

Slime also had a bit of a salty flavor. or was that just a chemical flavor.

i'm convinced. there's little doubt i'll leave hungry, especially if i have beer. and ain't no one sharing my burger. thanks everyone.

"and when there was no crawdad to be found, we ate sand." "you ate *sand*?!?' "we ate sand." i used to eat Captain Crunch. *shudder* and who here didn't at least try play-dough once.

wild noodles opened this week.

so should i order steak for 4 and a burger? sounds like steak for 2 and a burger won't be a whole lot, and steak for 3 might consist of scraps. this is more difficult than i ever imagined. i hope parking is easier.

i've read reports that the only steak to order is the steak for 2, but i assume they have a steak for 3 as well. would it be a mistake to order the steak for 3 (and a burger), or just stick with the steak for 2 under the assumption that it's always a better choice (for cooking reasons or whatever).

so rather than screw the burger, sounds like i should screw the wines. i'll probably just get a bottle of bud and martinis to start, and a simple bottle of zinfandel (assuming they have a simple bottle of zinfandel. they must. i hope). i saw some show on TVFN, or maybe PBS, about lugers, or steakhouses or something. they made quite a big deal about how great the tomatoes are, and how they get the best, etc. but i tend to agree that "the best" rarely seem good, so i'll only order them if the other people want them. and then i'll have a piece, of course. and then i'll say "yeah, great, tomatoes". thanks for the speedy responses.

after countless steaks at steakhouses in NY that probably aren't quite lugers, i've planned my first trip out to brooklyn. any suggestions for "the" meal? it's going to be a late lunch with 3 people, and i'm quite keen on trying the burger, assuming that's possible. i suppose it's going to be porterhouse for 2 and a burger. thoughts on sides? apps? i guess bacon? and that tomato salad? is there anything i should know about the wine list? screw the burger? this, for me, has been the most anticipated meal in recent memory, although i won't let my expectations get in the way of enjoying it or giving it a fair shake.

not particularly. this was early, about 7 o'clock. i suppose when i left at 8.15 or so the place was going pretty well. the outdoor patio will no doubt be a big draw. especially if they get a bar set up out there. i could see myself spending a few hours out there for sure. there are few better views of NYC (although this is a bit uptown).

oh dear. what a mediocre place. great view, though. i've been wanting to get here since i first heard of it. after canceling 3 reservations, i finally got there last night. quite a disappointment. we had the assorted shellfish for 2. oysters were served too warm for my taste. one was sans liquor, and liquor is my favorite thing. the shrimp were not as large and crisp as i might expect from a high-end place. they were a bit flaccid. the prawn tail, or whatever it was, was obviously frozen and tasted the same. i should have known going in. the lump crabmeat served in the martini glass (with the shrimp served on it) was quite good. the cocktail sauce was pretty good, with grated fresh horseradish. a nice touch. for 14 pp, i guess i shouldn't have expected much. i had no choice but to compare the ahi tuna tasting to a similar offering a chakra. chakra wins hands down. the seared tuna was great. aggressively peppered. the tuna tartare didn't have much flavor and didn't seem all that fresh. i expect sushimi quality tuna in a completely raw dish, and i'm not convinced this was it. the small "roll" was pretty horrible. the rice was all mushed and packed too tightly, and there was no way of eating it as it was too big. after digging out the piece of tuna i realized that i just didn't care anymore. seared dry scallops were excellent. as good a scallop dish as i've ever had. a rich dish for sure, as there was obviously a compontent of butter in the sauce. really super though. the last course was the softshell crabs special. they came out with creamy guac and seaweed salad of all things. i really don't think the guac and the seaweed salad had any business being on the same plate, least of all if they were mixing together. the soft shell crabs were battered in what seemed to be pancake mix...with syrup. the batter was so sweet that it almost rendered the crabs inedible. i likened the batter to a beignet. beignets are good, but on on softshell crabs. service was friendly, fun, and laid-back. with a bottle of wine this meal was about 130 before tip. i don't see myself returning, although it might be nice for drinks and a snack if you're not too concerned with eating well.

there's probably little difference, assuming that you'd still refuse the bottle if it wasn't the right vintage, it was off, etc. if that's standard at this restaurant then i tend to agree that there's no big deal. when it happens at a restaurant where that practice *isn't* standard, it would seem to be a misstep, or it might lead me to believe that something's fishy. did another diner send back an open bottle and now i'm getting?, etc.

it seems to be effective. i'm not sure what's gross about it, though.

on or about nov 11, you said the burger was worth a trip. you were right.

See, I told you. Sexy. this *clearly* depends on the owner of the tongue. we're talking two extremes here, at least as far as i'm concerned. i cannot stress this enough.

i'm on board ant-nee. as far as the tunes go, i suppose it's a bonus not only for us, but for the rest of the 10 table restaurant as well! cool. his website says he plays weekly, or did at some point, at cafe panache. so he's no stranger to restaurants.

i just kind of assumed we'd have a semi-special one planned, if the restaurant would work with us. i think that's my preference, but we'll certainly go with the majority, or just go with a regular menu if anyone feels strongly about it. that said, a semi-special menu might very well run a few dollars more, depending on the choices. that might be a factor to consider. ant-nee, what are your thoughts on this business?

i have a terrible allergy to not having foie gras. no, but really, if you could "build" a menu with linda, that would be great. perhaps you could post it for feedback. it would also be nice to know ahead of time so that wines/whatever can be paired appropriately. thanks for putting this together.

we really can't get there any earlier than 7.30.

depending on the shot and the requirements, either might work. along with BJ's on right 17 at route 4, which doesn't require a membership to walk around. hell, even wegman's doesn't look like a "supermarket". the traditional supermarket seems to be becoming a thing of the past.

2 for me, boss. i'll bring prosecco because i know amy melts when she sees it. and i'll probably bring a white as well.

i've been wanting to try the burger here and finally made it recently. the bar in front is obviously a meat market catering to wall-street types. although there was nary a girl to be seen. once you get to the back dining room, it's much more quiet and pleasant. the room seemed a bit "corporate" to me. a bit contrived. but, it was comfortable enough. MJ Grill certainly has one of the most pleasant hostesses that i've ever come across. i mean, this girl was just really lovely. as i was dining alone that evening, she really made a difference with jokes, stopping by to pour my wine and chat, and more importantly to give me something to look at. at any rate, the burger was pretty damned good. i wouldn't put it up there with S&W, but it's certainly good. i was afraid the bread would chewy and tough, but it was soft and supple and perfect for the burger. and the fries were good as well. regarding their steak offerings, to me, it makes sense that they're offering steak at that price. i have to assume they're serving the same steak as MarkJoseph, and at the same price. i don't see why they'd serve an inferior product at a lesser price. that said, the menu did seem a bit schizophrenic. certainly a good stop for a burger and some red, although my plan of sitting at the bar for that meal was certainly silly given the afterwork crowd.

the prices, if they haven't changed, are $45 for the 5 course, and $65 for the 7 course. as i suggested, i'd prefer the 5 course, but i'll go with the majority. and since it's BYO, it's pretty easy to figure out the cost for a group.

we laugh, only because we love. lou expressed some interest in a thursday. maybe he'll pipe in again. and fatcatbrew did as well. curlz? that would be a group of 6 or 8 or so, which seems appropriate. short of a dinner here, we can just go over to MacMurphy's and have a coupla pints.

rosie, there's just no comparison in my mind.