byron

Colossal crab meat @ $20 + a pound wholesale, may make four jumbos, not hard to figure why they are expensive. Delicate and regional, mostly misunderstood by the public, crab cakes are elegant in delivery and simplistic and pure by nature, especially when kissed by lemon & old style butter. Sauces and chutneys on the side please and pass the champagne!

Since you are in town try one of the most copied dishes on earth, whipped herb butter sauce with steak and french fries at The Café de Paris! Make sure to check out the area first for cigar smokers, unless you are one yourself! Have fun! byron

Congrats Chris, nice to see that intelligent "new blood" is being injected into The FN and best of luck to you! I've always enjoyed reading your observations. Melrose,Florida awaits you.

I am always amazed how regional/romatic raclette is in Switzerland and yet when I melt it in Florida it smells like old gym shoes. I've finally resigned myself to do it outside.

We serve 5 different styles of "fried" rolls that are rotated out every two months based on popularity. They all represent different textures with different types of fish/crawfish/shrimp for every pallet and they are fun. It's been a great "starter" for people that would never try sushi and some of the rolls have really taken on a personality of their own -fried jalapeno strips & fried select oysters wrapped in fresh avocado are addictive. Too much Toro is not good for you!

Give Melrose a shot - two art galleries and Blue Water Bay 5 miles east of 301.(wwwthebluewaterbay.com) In Gainesville try The Soverign, a Euro Classic!!

Our growing friends from Idaho say foil is used after cooking, if at all. I have found that using large potatoes, 40 count to a box, around one pound each, seems to work out best texture and flavor.

Are these available in PA? ← I'm in Florida but will be happy to share!

The Henschke selections are OUTSTANDING!!

To MY TASTE, The Vasse Felix 01 Cabernet is a good wine, not the strength of the 02 or 03 vintage, but reasonable. Your pice range would include one of my favorite shiraz producers, Hazyblur Cabernet 2002 a blockbuster!!! Another possibly less expensive, but great drinking Aussie Cabernet would be the Marquis Philips S2 for 2001-2002, the 2003 have just been released. Compare these to some California Cabernets at twice the price. Happy hunting and tasting

Good instincts Neil!! When big boys like Ridge show up discounted it pays to be well read and make sure you like the taste. The reason these "labels" show up in different stores is that the wine was probably not strong enough to sell out in the wine stores and restaurants. The trade is well aware when a $50 bottle of wine that tastes like a $15 bottle and sometimes the consumer will remember the name and not be quite so informed about the vintage. My personal "find" of the week - Three Rings Shiraz 2004, versatile and reasonable for under $25. Should hold well and will please many different palates with a big Australian fruit bomb taste. I constantly find value and huge flavor from the aussie factor. Anyone else with recomendations under $25? Saint Paul, the Apostle " Drink no longer Water but use a little Wine for thy Stomach's sake and thine often Infirmities..."

This reminds me of the 500lb gorilla at the end of the bar drinking his double single malt neat - we are well aware of intelligence but the apprehension factor spreads like a underlying virus. Children evoke a wide array of feelings and responsibilites, all of which may not be conducive to the "atmosphere" of the business. Consideration is everything - the establishment or patrons should not have to adjust to the child. We welcome children under these conditions. W.C.Fields (I recall once seeing a dog chew on a little kid,which is not itself a bad idea but it does show the dog's intention. Well,sir,a dog lover witnessing the demonstration was heard to remark,"My,My,that poor dog must have been terribly hungry.")

Spent some 40 years fishing with Eclipse/Coke/Lime and still remember the "tight lines" when I smell the scent. These days a glass out of the freezer and some chilled Ron Zacapa Centenario on a hot Florida day does the trick. Seems like I see quite a bit of Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva on boats these days.

I like the value and bang for the buck (all twenty of them)in an Australian Shiraz-Torbreck Woodcutters/Marquis Philips Shiraz or Sarah's Blend/Yalumba "Y" Series/Black Chook. These all drink extremely well and offer excellent quality for reasonable dollars. I'm a big fan of the whole Marquis Phillips line, every annual release is like a Christmas Day. Best of Luck and Have Fun!!!!!

I'm with Mayhaw Man, contact Poche's and give them a try. I really like their chicken andouille and their smoke gator sausage, both very high quality and authenic products from great people. These products are well worth the money and rise above anything that I've come across in stores. Good Luck! http://www.pochesmarket.com/