TarteTatin

We just discovered The Brandy Library in Tribeca, (I posted recently about it). Great place, and I noticed lots of Calvados. Personally, I chose an eau de vie. Katie, we're thinking of going to the "Route de Calvados" this Xmas...(we go to a different wine region in France every Xmas)....I know its not wine, but close enough! Any recommendations, or should I wait for the article?

Hubby uses it for fish sauce, not sweet. It's delicious! He just cooks it down, not sure what else he adds, but its super!

You're right near Chinatown too....they love large parties. Also, The Smoked Joint isn't too far away.

My first solid food was Periwinkles in tomato sauce! Raw clams, steamed clams and oysters, fried clams, at 7 years old. TWO lobsters, eating every single little morsel out the whole lobsters. I was about 8 years old. In Groton, Connecticut. It was $7.95 for one, or $8.95 for two. (1968?) My Dad said I could order two if I ate them both, and I did, no problem. Spinach salads, I loved. It wasn't a "girl thing", worried about calories, I just loved them as a kid! ANY vegetables! I always loved them all! (But not overcooked like my mother made them. She would put asparagus in the pressure cooker for 20 minutes) Eating at restaurants on dates. Never understood my friends when they told me they didn't eat on dates as a late teenager. If the guy thought it was strange that I ate so much, well, no second date!... The nicer the restaurant my date took me to, the more likely it was we would kiss! No fast food for me, ever...

Oh, my, Cafe Sabarsky a few weeks ago was fantastic! Also, for simple Bagels, there's nothing like NY! It doesn't have to be fancy French pastries. Living in Philly----I have to say, there's nothing like NYC bagels! With butter! I'm sure people can recommend the best. My favorite because of location when I come in via Penn Station, is a block or two south of Penn Station on 7th. Can't remember the name. Bagels something....

My husband says Saison from Yards rocks.

Double Shot coffee, between 2nd and 3rd on Chestnut, just west of Phila Fish and Co. (used to be Painted Parrot cafe or something??) Great coffee, great atmosphere, very comfortable.

We've done our own "market tour of Paris". For a week, we bused/metro'd from one market to another, sometimes hitting three in one day. We've also done our own "bicycling trip of Paris". What does this have to do with food? Well, we bicycled from where we are staying, to where we're having lunch that day, and bicycle back, or around the Bois de Boulogne and nap, then bicycle out to dinner! Dressed nicely! (as the Parisians do....it amazes me to see women in dresses and heels and no helmet)

Went to Marigold Friday night for the first time; there were four of us. Really good. Service was a bit slow during, but that never bothers me because we are there to dine, not to rush in and out...We waited awhile for our table at the beginning...but when I suggested we stand at the entrance and pop our champagne, the maitre'd agreed and brought four flutes. Appetizers included that great grilled cheese for four of our party, I had the clam chowder risotto, delicious. Someone else had the vegetable salad, which looked small, but she said it was excellent. Two had a gorgeous rib-eye, two of us had great lamb shoulder, one had very pretty skate (I love it when they serve it fanned out), and hubby had the rabbit wrapped in chorizo. I think he was the most underwhelmed. He said these farm raised rabbits have no taste, so it definitely needed the chorizo to give it any taste! Desserts, two of us had a chocolate-cardomom pudding with mango lassi that was to die for (although I didn't taste the cardomom!), hubby had a coffee soaked tiramisu, (he doesn't usually go for that sort of stuff, but he liked it), someone else had something tapioca, which they didn't like....we also had a cheese plate in the middle of the table which was pretty small and kind of boring/typical. We brought some great wines...brought back from Vouvray last year a bottle of Poniatowski's Sap Nature Petillant, very nice, there was a 1998 Paullac, 3 California Pinots, and then we finished with a half bottle of Banyuls 1996. They have good wine glasses for a BYOB too. It was a fun evening, not too expensive, and we really enjoyed!

I got a quarter keg on Girard at 95 years ago when Poor Henry's was in business, Ortlieb's. I'm sure you can go to Yard's in Fishtown and get it, or they can tell you where to get it.

Our favorite is not in Paris. Bernard Castelain in Chateau-neuf-du-pape. Perhaps you can get their chocolates in Paris. There's nothing like their dark chocolate covered almonds. Or their dark chocolate covered ginger.

Silk City Diner, in our experience, seems filthy! We went there for years, and when they open the kitchen door and you look in, well... not to be the bearer of bad news, but.... Gross.

Hot Lime Mango Pickle. Doesn't sound bad. One expects that with Indian, as a condiment, it would be good. I can't even describe the taste. Horrible. Foul. Hubby eats it by the spoonful. (He also likes Marmite)

Standard Tap. Brilliant food. Standard Tap.

We recently had a visitor from Paris who spotted our copy of French Women Don't Get Fat. She left us a note with the comment, 'Yes, some of them do, but we hide them.' She was, of course, being 'ironique'.

Sunday night, yesterday: apple/calvados -yum and refreshing campari/grapefruit-yum and refreshing orange/cardamom -YUUMMMM! Should have had a touch more Cardamom. We also had the Bitter Chocolate again. Although I love it, there are some flavors lately which definitely have a taste of corn starch in them. You can tell which do and which don't. The fruity, lighter sorbetto flavors don't seem to, just the gelatos. Anyone else notice this?

I searched for the thread that I thought I saw previously, but alas! 10 of us are going to a concert end of June at World Cafe Live. Wondering whether we should travel from Penne there, or just eat at the venue. We'll probably only have about an hour to eat, its a "school night" and most can't get to west Philly after work until 6:00/6:15. Concert starts at 7:30. Maybe Penne hanging around the bar and just having apps? Not really into La Terrasse, White Dog, Nan, etc. anymore. Rx means we have to park twice. Any suggestions? Any thoughts on World Cafe Food?

Hubby makes lavender meringues. Delicious. (From an extract bought in Provence)

Not sure if this topic has been covered before... Last weekend we were in NY and went to the Brandy Library in Tribeca after dinner, and really enjoyed it! I had a Marc D'alsace, the taste of which I haven't had since visiting there. Delicious, and not as firewater as it smells/sounds! $9, not bad! They also had a Marc D'Bourgogne on the list. Others in my party had a Calvados, and a 14 year old Armagnac... The list was great, and could be expensive or not, depending on what you order! We're mid 40's and up, it was nice seeing a lot of, how do I admit it, "younger" people in there enjoying brandy! It was a nice mix of age. Very comfortable place.

Last weekend Nice Matin was good. I wouldn't advise ordering it rare, however. Hangar steak is tough and medium rare is about right, or, "however the chef cooks it", I usually say.

We also went for the first time this week, Wed night. Super! $25 prix fixe mid week is a super deal for three courses. I had scallops with shrimp grits. Gorgeous scallops over lovely grits with large pieces of shrimp in it. Tasty. He had soft shell crap tempura with baby bok choy and coconut rice. Then I had crusted halibut topped with fiddlehead ferns which I thought I wouldn't like-they were good! -- with interesting corn cous cous, he had hangar steak with mash with ramps. Dessert was flourless chocolate for him and creme brulee made with molasses, topped with green tea something and a pomegrante sauce. The description sounds way too busy, but the tastes weren't. Drove around for awhile looking for parking. First timers should note that there is a parking lot, ask when you make your reservation. Byob, we brought two bottles and left a half bottle for the waiter. (Paris has a new rule that you can bring home unfinished wine, what's the rule in Philly? --Not that I mind, the staff seems to like it!)

We were just there in January. Had a private tasting at Prince Poniatowski's place, Clos Baudoin, Aigle D'or, it's really fantastic stuff! They aren't open to the general public, but the wine is super!!!! Maybe if you call a day in advance? Also, if you get to Chinon not very far away, Fabrice Gasnier is good.... We stayed in Saumur, great area... Near Poitier there is a great winery, but that's about 45 minutes south. Frederic Brochet is Poitiers/Haut Poitou = Marigny Neuf & Aranance B. Organic and delicious.

Oh, that white armagnac was deadly! I remember a magnificent dinner there, (with lots of wine and lots of those drinks), taking the slow NJ Transit train back to Philly, and moaning constantly, "Water, I need water!" Our dining companions and the other train riders were not amused.

I actually looked at the lobster tank today at Superfresh on Delaware Ave./Chris Columbus Blvd. They looked okay, but were 12.99 a lb, so didn't buy any. Whenever we go down to Cape May, we bring our cooler, stop at the Lobster House restaurant. They have a take out seafood store. We always buy lots of fresh seafood, lots of local stuff (just ask what's locally caught), and bring it home. Ask for enough ice to "bring it back to Philly", and they'll happily do so. ...and, we always purchase a couple of fresh lobsters. If I recall, its something like 6.99 a lb.

We miss D'artagnan. Right, we can still get their products, of course, but the restaurant! While nowhere near perfect, it was fun (and heavy) and we really liked it. Where else could you get perfectly wonderful French Kisses? (The ones I get in the store aren't nearly the same) Prunes soaked in Armagnac, stuffed with Foie Gras Mousse! Any similar places around NYC?