birder53

That's okay. they already spit in your food too. ←

No touching and no kneeling. It's blatantly manipulative! No tip for you!

I usually pass on cake. I've had more than my share of letdowns from beautiful cakes that were dry or just didn't taste very good. If I order dessert in a restaurant I want to be pleased with my selection. I'll stick to espresso with a side of sambuca to satisfy the need to end a meal on a sweet note.

Impressive! After the Champino, what was the favorite/most requested drink of the night? Were the guests adventurous or did they really just want a Cosmo?

I really like a Stilleto! Great combination of flavors here. We're using Makers Mark for our mixed drinks. We received a bottle of Blantons as a gift last week. After looking up some bourbon threadsf here I informed my husband that this was not meant to be used as a mixer. We tried a bit straight up and then on the rocks. Very nice. I guess you could use it for mixing, but I wouldn't go any further than a Manhattan. A drink like the Stilleto would be a waste IMHO for Blantons.

From what I understand, Dinic's at the Terminal doesn't offer rabe as an option because most of their crowd doesn't know / like broccoli rabe and they were wasting their money keeping it on hand. ← I ate at Dinic's a few weeks ago at the Terminal and they did have rabe. Awesome sandwich!

Nursing a cold so will be staying at home. I hope to feel up to having a bit of bubbly before turning in that night.

My choice is sugar-free wintergreen Breathmints. I find sugar to leave an aftertaste of its own, but the sugar-free mints do the trick.

I received a gift certificate for Wine.Com last Christmas. After seeking guidance on how to spend my $50 from the eGullet community, I was urged to just order wine accessories. I finally did manage to buy one bottle of wine and one bottle opener without going over the $50. Even though the web site says that someone over 21 must sign for the deliveries in NJ, they were both left at my door. The wine came from somewhere in NJ and the bottle opener came from CA. The wine selection was limited due to whatever arrangements they have within NJ. I don't think it's a good deal for anyone who has access to a large number of liquor stores in their area. Just my opinion.

Just drink the sidecar followed by the tea - with the extra shot of brandy, if needed!

They had grits, which I didn't try. They actually do a decent job there. Scrambled eggs, sausage patties, oatmeal, bagels, rolls, bread/toast, cut up fresh fruit, yogurt, coffee, juices, cereal and a waffle station - make it yourself. The waffles smelled wonderful as we entered the dining room and the diners were lined up to cook one to their exacting specifications. We really didn't want to spend too much time on breakfasts and we were also trying to save room for the serious foods you had all suggested. I did have a notion to try the Down Home Diner and Carmen's for breakfasts, but it was more than we could handle. I used to be able to eat as much as I could see. No more! I get full a lot quicker than I want to. I was always good for dessert, no matter what I had already eaten. I don't know what happened, besides age, but I just can't put it all away like I used to. We saw the scrapple for sale at one of the Amish stands in RTM. It certainly wasn't tempting!

Christmas Eve will be the traditional fish dinner at sister-in-law's in Brooklyn. Christmas Day will be at our house. We're having a chipotle chicken stew from Fine Cooking that is a great meal to make ahead for a crowd. Mashed potatoes and something green will round out the main course. Relatives are in charge of appetizers and desserts, so I will be surprised. Cocktails will include a Kir Royale, Bourbon Crusta and a Chocolate Martini for those who need their sweets! Wines will be whatver my brother-in-law decides to pull from our stash. It will all be wonderful.

We didn't check out the restrooms at Fork, so I can't say which restaurant has the foggy doors. How bizarre is that!

Well, we tried to eat Philly. We gave it a good try, but we'll have to go back again soon. We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn at Center City. There are some good weekend deals to be had by going to www.gophila.com. The package included fee parking and a reduced room rate. Just about all the Philly hotels are listed on this site. We checked in around noon on Friday and headed straight to the Reading Terminal Market. After cruising around and getting our bearings, we lined up for a pork sandwich with provolone and greens and Dinic's. Awesome! We were trying to pace ourselves, so we split one sandwich. The toughest part was trying to get pork, cheese and greens in each and every bite. Next, a pretzel, with butter, at Fishers. Warm and delicious! We strolled by Old City Roasters and I remembered someone at sometime saying they prefered it to La Colombe, so I got a cup of Nicauragan bean coffee. Very good! Right next door was the cookie place. What great cookies! The Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin was warm and to die for. It was just what my cup of coffee needed. We then walked around Center City a bit, in spite of the rainy weather. Took in the Christmas light show at Lord & Taylor's. The buiding is gorgeous! We then walked along Market Street and enjoyed the sights. Another remarkable building was the Union League. The rain and wind finally caught up with us and we decided to check out the bar at the Ritz Carlton. What an incredible lobby. We had extremely generously poured Bookers and Makers Mark Manhattans and sat enjoying the people watching in the lobby. Dinner was at Fork. Not bad but not memorable either. We split a fried calamari appetizer then had duck and chicken entrees. Sorry for the lack of details, but it just wasn't memorable. There was no room for dessert, so we left and went walking again. We headed towards Rittenhouse Square and enjoyed the lights hanging in the park. The cold and rain finally got to us so we headed back to the hotel. Saturday - breakfast at the hotel (free!) and then off to the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. We headed to the RTM from there and had lunch at Delilah's - fried chicken and fried catfish! Good stuff! Lou got an icecream cone at Bassett's while I headed back to Old City Roasters and the cookie place. We then tried to walk off all our sins. Delancey Place was lovely and so was Rittenhouse Square in the daylight and actually a bit of sun. Got a cup of java at La Colombe - interesting crowd but Old City Roasters was the favorite brew. Dinner at Sansom Oyster House. One dozen beautiful fresh oysters. All wonderful except for the Kachemak(sp?) from Alaska. That was a taste I couldn't get rid of fast enough! We weren't that interested in their dinner menu, so we went with snapper soup, lobster bisque (a bit too salty) and an order of fried ipswisch clams. We wanted the stone crab claws, but they were all gone. Service was slow but pleasant. They even discounted our bill 15% because they had to move our seats to accomodate a large group that arrived after us. Sunday - lunch at Pat's and Geno's. My first Philly cheesesteaks! It was cold and windy but we braved the elements by eating at Geno's first. Whiz and onions. Excellent. Then across the street to Pat's for another whiz and onions. Good but not as good as Geno's. Pat's had more whiz but Geno's had larger pieces of onion. Pat's was a bit dry compared to Geno's. We headed out of town after that and enjoyed some of our cookies on the ride home. Nice town. Incredible architecture. We'll have to come back and be prepared for some upscale dining, even if it means wearing a jacket. Thanks to all who gave suggestions. It gave our visit some focus and made it a bit of a treasure hunt.

How about coconut syrup? We first had it on "Plantation Pancakes" in a restaurant in Honolulu. They added chopped macadamia nuts and chopped bananas to the pancake batter. They were served with warm coconut syrup. We made sure to come back from that trip with several bottles of the syrup and cans of the unsalted nuts. Mmmmm...

Well, we have reservations for dinners at Fork and the Sansom Street Oyster House. We plan to hit the RTM on Friday for lunch at DiNic's and Saturday for breakfast at the Down Home Diner. There is a cheese steak in our future on Saturday - hmmm - Pat's or Geno's??? One of each? Still looking into drink spots - might stop by the Ritz Carlton just because I want to see the inside. I have to look up the addresses of the other spots recommended for drinks. I better pick places far from each other as we'll have to do a lot of walking if we are to fit into our clothes come Sunday! What a way to go.

Drinks at the Continental were suggested. Are there any bars in Philly with the likes of a de Groff or other cocktail aficianados? I'm interested in great drinks more than a hip bar scene. It seems that Drink Boy hasn't been to town, no writeups on PA on his site. What has he missed that I shouldn't?

What are the best holiday sights in Philly? In NYC you head to Rockefeller Center to see the tree and stroll along 5th Avenue. In Philly you...? As far as dining suggestions, other than a cheesesteak and a hoagie, what would you say are the "regional" specialities of Philly? Coming from my neck of NJ, most of the restaurants are Italian, Indian, Thai and Chinese. We've got great seafood at the shore. When I vacationed in Seattle and environs this year I knew the specialities were salmon, crab and oysters. I want to do Philly justice! I have three lunches, two breakfasts and two dinners to plan. Plain or not too fancy is just fine. The only requirement is no jackets. We're not oppossed to enjoying good Italian, Indian, Thai or Chinese also. Hey - good food is good food. Where is it??

Hubby and I will be spending December 10 - 12 in Philly. It's been over 25 years since my last visit, so things have changed. I'm turning to all you Philly egulleteers for help with dinner recommendations for Friday and Saturday night. We're interested in great food without "jackets required". We're staying at Penn Center and have a car if we need to drive. I've been browsing the threads and I see Fork and Django as favorites. Any suggestions? I'm sure I need to make reservations as soon as possible since the holiday dining/party season is upon us. Also, where to go for great cocktails? Thanks!

My father was famous for stopping at Friendly's for a bite when we were headed to visit some Long Island relatives. His biggest beef was that they took too long to put out any food. My husband and I now also grab a snack when we are not sure how quickly or how well we will be fed at someone's home. Better safe than hungry!

That's definitely one way to make good use of vodka. I'm heading out tonight to do some shopping. I'll look for the olives. Thanks!

Thank you, Christopher. I was so focused on all the vodka I almost forgot about the gin. He has one bottle of Plymouth, so the drinks might end up being okay.

I'm in charge of the cocktails for Thanksgiving this year. My brother is hosting and asked that I run the bar using what he has in stock. He has four bottles of assorted vodkas, gin, triple sec, dry vermouth and sambuca. He also asked that I not knock everyone out with a too strong drink. I'm not a vodka fan. Now that I have discovered gin and bourbon, I find vodka to be a waste of time. However, I must work with the cards I have been dealt. I have three drinks in mind - the ever popluar Cosmopolitan, a French Martini (vodka, chambord and pineapple juice) and someother concoction I found using pineapple juice and vodka. Any suggestions given the parameters?? Anything that some peach or orange bitters would add interest to? I'd love to serve Brandy Crustas, but bro doesn't want to stock the bar with items he will not use.

I enjoyed dinner at Chez Piggie several years ago during my only trip to Kingston. The only problem we had was that we had to sit in the smoking section. We were the only table of non-smokers and it seemed that everyone else was a chain smoker. We ate quickly so we could get outside and breathe again. I would definitely go back, the food was very good, but only if I could reserve a table in the non-smoking section.