Nick

Or just plain with celery, onions, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and pickles.

"What's that on your plate?" "Dead fish." "Is it good?" "Excellent."

Bigwino, I've held off reporting on this cuz it's hard to find some good words for the Daily Catch. Everyone else in the family wanted to go to a different joint but Susie knew I had my heart set on the Daily Catch because of your recommendation - so we went there. Got to tell you, it was disappointing. Maybe you haven't been there in awhile. Maybe we should have gotten the fra diavolo, but they were out of shrimp. So, after looking at the reviews on the net, it seemed like they had the best calamari in Boston and I got the calamari plate. Mistake - big mistake. If this is the best calamari Boston can offer...... And it was supposed to be this family Italian place. The only Italian in there was washing dishes. The cooks were from SA, probably Ecuador. Sorry to be so down on this, but that's what happened.

I guess that would have to be Steven, Ellen, Rachel, Jason, Rail Paul, Suzanne, etc.,etc. Oh yeah, where's the firepatrolman? Edit: TB, didn't mean to leave you out. You too.

why not indeed. Should we start it here? I've been thinking about this since Robert started the thread and, so far, the most enjoyable dining companions I can think of were my Danish grandmother and grandfather when they would come to our house for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners when I was a child. My mother would get up around 4:30 in the morning to get things going. Around 11:00 in the morning my grandparents would arrive and then there would be some drinks. My grandmother would have two or three Manhattens and I remember one year after her second or third she exclaimed, "I'm so happy!" She really meant it. She always was a happy person (and the best cook in the family.) When we sat to eat my grandfather would be to to my father's left and I to the right. The "goosa rumpa" (turkey, goose tail) was always my grandfather's. I have come to appreciate why he wanted the tail.

Robert, that made me smile because you're right. It seems so much easier to criticize than to praise. Maybe it's just the Dalai Lama getting through to me.

Robert, this seems to follow a trend(?) I've noticed here lately - eg, the shitiest restaurant service you've encountered, etc. Why not a thread on the most enjoyable dining companions?

My mistake. I just noticed they cook the seafood there, so one wouldn't smell the fish because of the cooking. I was thinking of regular shops that just sell fish, etc.

Never had it. BTW Rachel and Jason, recently some threads have gone extra-wide, meaning you can't read them all the way from side to side, while others are just fine. This thread is an example of the extra wide.

A little bleach goes a long way. Didn't smell of cleaners. No smell but nice fresh air. The seafood counter was very busy they whole time we were there (mid-afternoon on a Friday), so they obviously have high turnover - another good point. I just got a PM from Rachel asking me to respond to this. When I made my comment, now nearly six months ago, it was made fairly late at night and so it would be safe to say that I had consumed a fair amount of beer. However, after reviewing the thread, I'll stand by my comment. If you go into a fish store and there is no smell of fish, something is wrong. At least to my mind. The place should not smell like a well-aged lobster bait barrel, but there should be that faint smell of good fresh fish. Good fresh fish smells good. If the fish has no smell, something is wrong. It may be your nose - or it may be the fish.

I agree with Melkor. They are a total pain in the ass to shell and I will never again attempt a chestnut stuffing for a turkey.

Thanks, bigwino. The Daily Catch and Fra Diavolo sounds good (I had to look it up to see what it was.) I'll have to pass on the Puttanesca if it's got anchovies. I've always tried to like the little suckers but haven't made it yet. Yeah, the Daily Catch and Fra Diavolo sounds good. Hope I can find the place and it's not too crowded. Thanks again.

That is subversive. Corporate America will NOT like that idea.

Got to head for Boston by train tomorrow for an overnight and will be staying in the North Station/Fleet area. Any recommendations for good places to eat? If places need reservations will need replies ASAP. Sorry to do this at the last moment. No choice, it just came up this morning. Thanks, Nick

No Maine shrimp are frozen at sea in our area. It's mostly 30-50' boats that go lobstering or fishing the rest of the year. No freezer facilities. Suzanne, the shrimp do migrate here, but they're nowhere near Maine right now as far as I know. Sometimes a few start arriving late Nov. But, who knows? With changes in water temp things are going to hell.

Fifi, it is the state of the nation and it's truly unfortunate whether you're a soccer mom with no time or a poor person that can't pick out good rice and beans from poor rice and beans. We're headed down the tubes.

It's a sad commentary on the state of the nation when there is not time to cook the simplest of foods.

Suzanne, trust me, you are not getting Maine shrimp fresh at this time of year.

There's not much better than a good Cuban sandwich - as far as sandwiches go. My father lived for many years near Key West and whenever I went to visit, we would at least once, maybe several times, head into town to pick up a sandwich or two. In the early years there was a place on Duvall, later on it was a place back where the white people (touristas) generally didn't go, then finally it was a place in a little strip mall. The Cuban sandwich reigns! My kingdom to know how that pork is done!

Holly, a decent sized Maine shrimp when shucked out - the tail - will be about two inches long.

As far as I know Maine shrimp season doesn't start until January. Sometimes it starts in December, but never this early. You got last year's shrimp and shrimp with heads on don't keep. If they were headless and shucked out they'd probably still be fine.

I'll take issue with that. I've lived through some pretty hard times and always managed to eat. If nothing else, there's always brown rice, beans, and squash (winter and summer.) It gets a little tiresome meal after meal, but it keeps you going. Maybe if all these people you're talking about would lay off the milk and sugar and find some real food they'd get along a little better. Just my two cents.

Fresh brats smoked with mesquite can be habit-forming.

A stroke of marketing genious if ever there was one.

Yes indeed, you'll find that bottle gone in no time - and you too. Great stuff.