angevin
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Posts posted by angevin
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Nice to see us getting some respect from those New Yorkers:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/01/23/travel/23choice-philadelphia.html?pagewanted=1&ref=travel
There are short reviews from a broad sampling of four restaurants:
Supper, Barbuzzo, JG Domestic and Fish.
I thought the article was a bit condescending, concluding that the sampling represents a "new breed of Philadelphia restaurant". We've had great restaurants for years now! And the mention of Steven Starr "of Morimoto and Buddakan fame" opening restaurants in Philedelphia implies that Starr started in NYC and is now expanding to Philly. Starr is OUR guy -that's just stealing!
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Undersized wine glasses at wine bars as an attempt to capture the French bistro experience. At $16 with tax and tip for 3 oz pour in a crappy glass...I see this as a failed attempt.
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Cheese Wiz -
Hey, I'm from Philly! Nothin' beats a cheesesteak with fried onions and Cheese Wiz, otherwise known as a "wiz wit".
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This is what frustrates me with the US system. Because the system operates on an expectation of a tip, If I had a remarkable experience, there's no way to compensate and reward the particular waiter.
Although it's more difficult to calculate and threaten to damage chemistry of the overall waitstaff, in the ideal world I would be able to just reward the people who were involved with my meal.
In countries where gratuity is not expected, workers are thrilled to receive a tip, and thrive to perform. A direct correlation of performance and pay, no more freeloaders.
The few times I've dined out in Europe (Paris and Rome), that had not been my experience. I found the service attentive and professional, without being overbearing. From what I hear, tips are not expected, so servers don't typically bend over backwards for the rare tip.
I honestly would prefer the European way where servers are considered professionals, are given proper training, provide the expected service and don't have to beg for a decent wage. Here, I find nothing more annoying than the incessant "How's everyone doing tonight?" "Is everything all right"? "How's is your steak?" etc... Trying desperately for that coveted big tip. All's I need is a server who communicates the specials, delivers my food, leaves me alone, pays attention, and is there when I actually need something.
But that's just me.
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I'm not seeing what the specific "rules" are in the article. Is it just that establishments are now required to document how tips are allocated, regardless of how they choose to do that?
My son is a server at a very high-end restaurant, where all tips are pooled (and all service is shared, which is another topic in itself - as a customer, how do you feel about not having your own designated server?). No cash is paid - salary and tips are given in the form of a paycheck, with all taxes taken out. I can see the need for some regulation here so that employees can be assured that everything is done fairly and accurately. As for a server pocketing a cash tip - that would be like stealing and it is simply not done.
Seems like this moves us a step towards the European system, which I think is a good thing.
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My second Christmas Prime Rib and successful both times. So I would consider this pretty much fool-proof:
A four rib aged roast weighing 11 lbs, seasoned with kosher salt and cracked pepper, cooked for 5 min a pound (55 min) at 500 F. Turned oven off and let it continue with door closed for two hours. Very even and perfectly medium rare throughout (much like ChefCrash's pictures), except for about 3/4 of an inch on the left outer side which was medium-well. OK since one of my 13 guests wanted it cooked more anyway. We didn't get to it until about and hour after removing it from the oven, but, thankfully, it was still hot.
There wasn't much drippings so I had to use my demi and red wine reduction for the jus. But with the fat and the cracklings it was really tasty.
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Corinna - I was also considering Yorkshire Pudding, but I'd never made it before and it seemed so cumbersome to squeeze in after the roast comes out of the oven; maybe when I have a smaller guest list. Do you do individual tart-like servings? Or one large souffle in the roasting pan?
The Fabrice Gasnier La Cravantineis is an estate-bottling from the Loire made from cab franc with the traditional champagne method. It's a rosé, quite dry but with a fruity (strawberry) mineral nose. It's not champagne of course, but at $22 it's a lovely elegant alternative (Had to pay for the prime rib!).
Wow - these menus are sounding fabulous! Alex - the roasted vegetables in grapevine sounds really intriguing.
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The paté is actually leftover from an event here at work, where our chefs did a whole pig - a hoof to tail kind of thing. I'm not sure of the recipe but I remember it having pistachio nuts.
One less thing I have to make, and it goes really nice with the sparkling cab franc I have planned.
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My Christmas DAY menu so far:
Pork Paté with French Mustard and Toasts
NV Domaine Fabrice Gasnier La Cravantine
Wild Mushroom Soup Drizzled with Truffle Oil and Crème Fraiche
2009 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Azaya Ranch Vineyard Marin County
Scalloped Oysters
2007 Domaine Andre Bonhomme Vire-Clesse
Salad of Endive, Blood Orange and Pomegranate
2002 Ratzenberger Bacharacher Posten Riesling Spatlese Halbtrocken
Prime Rib with Au Jus
Cauliflower Potato Gratin
Green Beans Sautéed in Brown Butter
2003 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT
Cheese Course (TBD)
Wine TBD
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English Trifle
Cake and Christmas Jam, Layered with Custard, Fresh Berries and Crème
2009 G.D. Vajra Moscato D'Asti
There will be several additions/replacements to the wines as my guests choose from cellars of their own. Mine end up just being place holders at this point.
Can't wait!
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We also do Wigilia and my brother and I make the pierogi; yes, mushroom and saurkraut but we've added potato over the years for the "picky" eaters. Do you use the imported Polish dried mushrooms?
The rest of our menu is similar to the Italian fishes - gravlox, shrimp, sledzie (marinated herring - I call it Polish sushi), borscht (meatless of course, made with beets and mushrooms) fried smelts, fried flounder, beet salad, cabbage salad...all washed down with copious amounts of sparkling wine.
I also made the compote this year: dried cherries, apricots, pears, cranberries, peaches, currants and figs, simmered in OJ with orange peel, cinnamon, clove and allspice, honey, maple syrup and sugar. Preserved with a generous pour of brandy. And my duaghter makes a rustic Polish honey cake made with buckwheat honey and almonds.
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I am doing the Christmas Eve dinner for friends, and going to their house for Christmas Brunch.
Christmas Eve for the Poles is the big holiday, called Wiglia, and I will be doing a semi-traditional meal. Pierogies, of course, but only the ones stuffed with mushrooms and sauerkraut. I'll make some stuffed with hamburger and 'kraut and potatoes and bacon, but they won't get eaten until after Wiglia, which for the Catholic Poles is a meat-free fast day.
So.....
Appetizers, probably crostini with sundried tomato jam and goat cheese and maybe a baked brie or something else meat-free...
Roast salmon with herbs
Potato gratin of some sort (possibly Bourdain's Gratin a'la Dauphenoise)
Pierogies (meat free), with caramelized onions and toasted bread crumbs
Vegetables of some ilk (maybe roasted asparagus or roasted Brussels sprouts)
Cranberries
Christmas cookies for dessert.
For the brunch, I am thinking of bringing either homemade cinnamon rolls or a Swedish Twist.
For my own Christmas dinner, after the big brunch, I'll probably just do apps and bubbly. At some point during the holiday week, I'll bake a small, 1/4-ham for me, maybe with roasted potatoes or sweets. And I have a lovely beef rib roast tucked away in the freezer for maybe NY Eve. It was on sale locally a couple of weeks ago, and I snapped one up.
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Thanks for the report and fabulous pictures - sorry I missed it.
I WANT THOSE SWEETBREADS!!
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I'm with MunchyMom. The secret to maintaining a healthy weight is to listen to your appetite, eat only when hungry and stop when full. People are brainwashed into thinking they HAVE to eat breakfast.
I tend to eat two meals a day (after coffee in the morning) - one around 11:00am and the other around 7:30pm. This works for me.
FatGuy - as for the issue of regularity, coffee does it for me. All's I have to do is smell it.
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Fig demiglace sauce. Peel a few and then mash through a medium seive. Add to demiglace and reduced red wine. Season very judiciously with sugar and balsamic to taste.
Goes great with duck.
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I shudder to think of the selection in these things. "Best Selling" wines to go with steak and seafood. Probably geared towards the AppleBee and Red Lobster crowd.
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Went to Villa last night - myself, my three kids and my son's girlfriend. We had a fantastic time!
Yes, the meatballs were killer, the mussels fabulous, especially the red. I thought the fried asparagus appetizer was a little strange, served on top of a watery cheese sauce. But loaded up with the grated parm on the table, we scarfed them down pretty quickly, so they couldn't have been that bad.
The brown sauce on the Chicken Livers Romano was especially noteworthy - flavorful, rich, lots of impact and loaded with bell peppers. The tomato sauce was the best I ever had, both on the spaghetti with meatballs and the eggplant parm. Chunky, rich and savory, but with a fresh brightness in both color and flavor; difficult to achieve both elements at the same time. I don't know how they do it.
On the downside, the pasta was no better than Barilla out of the box and the gnocchi were disappointingly chewy. Lobster Francese was ok - two succulent pieces of lobster tail, pounded and breaded, but the sauce was a bit starchy and bland.
The service was rude and quirky, but with a wink and a smile, and I loved how when I ordered a carafe of wine, tumblers were brought out for everyone, no questions asked. For a Tuesday, it was pleasantly busy and boisterous, relaxing and homey - no need to use our "indoor voices".
All-in-all, I'd go back if I had a craving for red gravy cuisine, but I wouldn't plan it as a destination place.
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FoH is a sales position and sales often makes the most money in any organization. If your pizza maker wants to be a bartender or server because of the pay, he should pursue that line of work. But it ain't easy. I was a server years ago and absolutely hated it. Dealing with the public can be incredibly stressful and many aren't cut out for it. Those who do it well deserve every penny. IMHO.
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As tempting as those scowling waiters are, sounds like Villa Di Roma is the place.
Thanks for the rec's!
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Per my son's birthday request, where's the best place to get traditional South Philly Italian?
Villa di Roma?
Dante and Luigi's?
Ralph's?
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It sounds like others have been pretty convincing. But I'll also add that you should about what you'll be doing at age 30, 40...50. I work at a large food company that employs chefs; many come here having had it with the long odd hours and backbreaking work, maybe they want to start families, etc. Experience and culinary degrees are required.
I realize at this exciting stage in your life, that option might sound pretty distasteful, but you never know. A degree you'll always have...it leaves your options open as you move through the stages in life.
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Fantastic report and the pictures have me salivating.
What's a crawfish sack?
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I probably take way more than average person with regards to share of food safety risks, but I still think the whole thing has gone overboard. In an effort to minimize the number of incidents, we're losing an appreciation of what it means to eat well, and taking the joy out of dining.
But although most on eGullet might agree, the majority out there would rather their food be risk-free rather than delicious.
BTW - I'm not sure I understand the reasoning behind cutting up the whole roasted pig. The only "safe" temperatures for storing food are under 40 F or over 160 F. So unless refrigerated, merely cutting up the meat wouldn't put it within those ranges.
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Anyone know what's going on with Little Fish? I had a reservation for the tasting dinner on the 25th and they'd tranferred it to fish. on Lombard. Apparently Little Fish is closed, hopefully only temporarily.
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"Now we limit our restaurant outings to Thai and Vietnamese."
I don't want to stop going to French bistros. For me, I adore butter, rich cheeses, offal... and "healthy eating" was more a matter of preferring small protions.
Nothing kills my appetite more than a plate set in front of me, overflowing with a portion fit to feed my entire family.
Dish Names That Make You Run in the Opposite Direction
in Food Traditions & Culture
Posted
Anything with "foam".
I realize that molecular gastronomy is THE thing right now and all the top resturants are using this technique to deliver flavor in a lighter-than-air medium. But when I see it on the plate I can't help but think of what my cat vomits up after eating fresh grass.