elfin

I'm with Tommy-I am huge fan of W.C's onion rings. Big juicy rings of onion in a crunchy not too greasy coating. But some stores are serving the crappy onion mush variety. I hope it is not a portend of things to come. There is just something wrong by going to WC and eating chicken and not the burgers. Won't eat any chicken finger, nugget or ring. Too much grease and fat without the yum factor-gotta go for the burger.

Has the New Le Frances closed yet?

Ding Dongs and Hostess chocolate cupcakes are also Hostess products (and more tasty than Twinkies IMHO). I do not think that the bankruptcy is due to the low carb craze-people who eat Twinkies etc. frankly don't care about carbs. I also do not think that it is in response to a more nutritionally conscience culture-everyday more super sugar cereals and sweet snacks are on the market. The stuff has been on the shelves for 40 plus years. I do not recall seeing Twinkies etc. go the route of product tie-ins such as Shrek or some other Madison Ave. creation de jour. My kids see a box of anything with Shrek on it and they want it. I do not recall seeing any TV ads either. Old products such as Jello and Kool-aid still try and stay current with the times.

Don't know how to edit prior post. The place was called the Crab Cooker. The other recs were Auberge, Sage and Five Crowns. I was in the Newport Beach area at the time.

Living in Chicago, I crave seafood when I am coastal. So while I was in OC, my favorite spot was a very informal fish "shack" in Newport Beach on an island or causeway. The kitchen is in full view, they only served wine and beer and I ate a few grilled lobster tails with drawn butter. Just the perfect place for a non-local dining solo. I went back twice! The other recs were more upscale and their good reputation was affirmed by my local colleagues. I will check my notes for the names of the other places. `I love all kinds of asian food (except raw fish) and Mexican is yummy too. Chicago has great Mex. food due to the large Mexican population and a comparison is always fun. I am tempted to rent a car to hit some spots outside of the downtown area but I may be holed up at night prepping for the next day's work. I really appreciate the input. Thanks!

This forum recommended awesome eats for my visit to Orange County last Spring. I leave Chicago in the first week of October for downtown LA for three days and four nights. I will be in the 300 S. Grand area. Will be restricted to one hour lunches but dinners should be open. Will try anything and everything but sashimi/sushi. Would love some recs in and around the area-favorite holes in the walls, ethnic, great cuisine, good cocktails, etc. It does not have to be trendy-just great food that e-gulleteers love. Fresh Sea Food is a plus but I love my red meat too. No dietary restrictions. I will be on an expense account-but love to eat cheap too. Anything goes!. Thanks!

The cake cones were called "safety cones" during my youth in the Chicago area. Why I do not know. They tasted like communion wafers. I prefer the sugar cone over the waffle-the latter is too sweet and competes with the ice cream.

Musical chairs with the same folks who did not keep an eye on the ball? Mere reshuffling the board demonstrates they don't want change. I can not believe that there is no library? I thought that a library was a given!

Mitsuwa is good rec! But whenever we go (late morning weekends) the food court is only a half operation. But you can always suppplement with the sashimi/sushi sold on premises.

I make my own meat sauce in a large stock pan and slow cook overnight. I freeze dinner portions for later use. Did all kinds and sizes of meatballs until I observed the family seeking the larger pieces of the ground beef in the sauce that did not cook down or break up. (I brown my beef with the onions and garlic and herbs before the tomatos and tomato paste and wine go in.) So I skip making meatballs and just try to keep many pieces of the ground beef whole. Dried pasta-no angel hair or linguini- we try to find new shapes for the kids. We mix the sauce with the pasta for the kids but ladel ontop with parm or romano grated as the topper for our plates. Served with homade garlic bread (pan melted butter with minced garlic drizzled over slices of italian bread and sprinkled with dried italian seasonings, wrapped in foil and placed in oven. A hearty red for me and cold beer for hubby.

Not embarrassed but wonder why I don't like these global favorites: flan, creme brulee, polenta, puddings, meringue pies, egg plant, beer, white wine and champagneand sashimi.

Ate there last week. Dining solo, got the last seat at the bar-right at the corner nearest the door. Did not know about the 'quartino" portion-just assumed that the bartender was doing his best to make sure the wine lasted during the meal. Can't remember what I drank first- a red that was yummy and was only $12 or $13--very light and fruity. Had the lamb's tongue and it was good but the morels were crisp so I did not get the flavor. Changed wine to the sangiovese ($17) which held up to the richness of the beef cheek ravioli. That dish was so rich I could not finish so I befriended my neighbors who gladly shared my left overs. They then shared their heirloom tomato/ mozzerella salad and procutte appetizers. The rabbit was wild salmon were tasty too. Two quartinos later -too buzzed for dessert- but was served 4 beautiful tiny cookies presented with my check. Perfect. What was the best thing I ate there-the wonderful bread sticks (I'm from Chicago-gotta have my bread)! Could have munched on them all night.

"I'm there".

I like to present gifts that are unusual and that will remind the recipient of our friendship. A magazine subscription tailored to their likes/hobbies/interest that comes once a month for example. If they get it already they can always contact the publisher and get a credit for the next years subscription. I also buy interesting serving plates/bowls when I travel abroad. A cook can never have too many serving plates/platters. The same holds true for funky or exotic napkins or other table linens. I guess I am cheap... a 50-100 dollar hostess gift for a dinner seems awfully high. Unless you are staying for the weekend or longer, I thought that hostess gifts were really just a token of appreciation. What does everyone else spend on a hostess gift for a dinner invite?

I was thinking the same thing yesterday as broccoli was $1.49 and had huge trunks. The florets were only .89 a pound last week. One chain has asparagus for $3.49 while another has it for $1.99. And the size of the produce-huge peaches that exceed a normal serving and bolster the weight make it more costly to put a peach in a few lunches. Onions seem to be on steroids too. Unless I am cooking up a storm, the typical onion is too large and its remainder sits in my fridge until it dries out and I throw it away. One chain had 'buy 1 pint of mushrooms get two free'-I really did not need so many mushrooms. Why not just give me the $ off one package! I try to shop the smaller produce shops, ethnic stores and farmer markets but a busy schedule prevents shopping at 6 places for the week's groceries!

Had bubble juices/sodas in Japan in 1990-could not read the can and thought it was peach juice. Was I surprised when I took that last swig and got a mucous-like glob -I thought it had gone bad or a foreighn substance. It was a clear, flavorless and gelatinous. Never ever thought the trend would make it to the states-(also thought canned coffee would never make it here either).

The higher the sugar content of the syrup the colder your freezer must be to get the syrups to freeze. I would not recommend ice cube trays for long storage unless you wrap them so the syrup is not exposed to the freezer air-it will pick up a nasty taste. If you want to use the syrup cubes now, say in a sparkling punch, go ahead and use the trays. I swear by good ole freezer bags with all o the air taken out.

We always had Nabisco saltines in the house. They would accompany ginger ale when we were sick, float atop a bowl of Campbell's tomato soup (made with milk), or smeared with butter or peanut butter when there was no other snack food. Mom had a Nabisco tin that had to be 20 years old and the powder blue lid never fit right after years of dents. After she died I took it home but the lid was inconvenient so I finally threw it out. I think Nabisco has peridoically come out with the tins.

While in Vermont I picked up a bottle of maple syrup vinager. Haven't tried it but it seems like it would have a lot of applications.

An office mate ate there this weekend and said WOW! He only lives 3 minutes away. I swear I am going to get there soon.

I was at a Polish deli and bought a large jar of dark red cherries (with pits). They are not sweet and seem to be packed in water (red of course) that is neither sweet nor syrupy. Other than tossing them on ice cream any dessert suggestions?

Smores staples-grahm crackers, Hershey bars and marshmallows. It's light and be eaten as 'energy' food (sugar) along the way. Gotta have Smores!

I was on a second date and eating Indian for the first time. The cook/waiter/buser came out with a apron that had not been washed for weeks and looked like he had just slaughtered a goat. As the food was being served I saw a large cockroach scurring across the wall. I did not know what to say and to whom. The food was fantastic and I married the guy. Now we travel all over the world and have eaten at far dirtier places-I guess he was just testing me!

No ketchup or mayo. Raw onion, dill pickle, yellow or brown mustard, iceberg lettuce-crunchy and tomato. Grilled bun. Cheese gets lost if there is a good char.

FAKE FRIED ONION RINGS-RATHER THAN A NICE RING FROM A REAL ONION, THE IMPOSTER IS A GOOEY-GREASY ONION MASH COATED IN A SOGGY BREADING.