menton1

Won't it be dark at dinner?

His place in Budapest (Gundel) is just oh, so so much better than CdA!!

Actually, It's Greek to Me has 8 locations: Englewood, Fort Lee, Cliffside Park, Hoboken, Westwood, Ridgewood, Holmdel, and Long Branch. These are all a bit different as this is a franchise operation with different owners. Where is the It's Greek to Me in Maywood? ←

Well, can't see Bill Gates being a chick magnet!! I've also heard that when he is home, Bill goes to Starbucks once a day. Sounds like a good reason to camp out there!!

Anyone remember the more-obscure Rappaport's?

I've heard that Bill Clinton is a regular at this place. Any sightings?

The ultimate French bakery in New Jersey is Balthazar Bakery in Englewood. Awesome breads, and pastries to die for. It is also aesthetically beautiful, and the pastries are absolute works of art and perfect in every way. (No lopsided cakes, or messy icings here). If you can emulate Balthazar in any way, you would be assured of success. P.S. The Baker's Wife, in Tappan, has genuine Balthazar breads and pastries, but at prices 20% lower than if bought at Balthazar!!

There are fabulous street markets 3x/week in Aix, the biggest one being Saturdays. The location is Place de Verdun, by the Hotel de Ville. There are a couple of hundred local producers here, with everything from fresh veggies to cheese to fresh meats and fish. You should find some of the best of everything you need here, except for the wine. There is a giant Carrefour in one of the commercial zones for your supermarket needs... One of my favorite little discoveries for wine is a cooperative just outside of La Tour d'Aigues called Cellier de Marrenon. This is well off the beaten path, but it is a little gem. The whites there are sublime. About a 1/2 hr from Aix.

Wow, quite a day-- seems a little rough on the digestive tract, but... I did notice, however, that you put the mustard on TOP of the sauerkraut--- other than being quite messy, any benefit to this as opposed to the more common mustard under the toppings?

They were on the LES, not the UWS, but they fit right in with this topic. Anybody have fond memories of Ratner's and the lesser known, but just as good, Rappaport's?

Faguais, mentioned above, is very close to you.

I would never use Frommer as a guide; much too commercial, and there have been rumblings as to just how impartial their resto recs are... For a terrific source, get the Pudlo; terrific descriptions of not only the food, but the ambience and the chefs as well. You can really get a feel for the restaurant. Alas, only sold in France or on amazon.fr

There are certainly a lot of places in Paris to buy good coffee; you have not mentioned what quartier you will be near... One easy choice is La Grande Epicerie, the fabulous food store connected with Bon Marché. this is on rue de Sèvres, in the far reaches of the 7th. Then, of course, there is a good selection in Hédiard, and a little less so Fauchon; But the top store for coffee in Paris is a little place in the 8th, Faguais. The original wood floors and the aroma of the coffee will captivate you. All the coffee here is personally selected by the family. Faguais 30, rue de la Trémoille (8th Arr.)

Tim Horton's is owned by Wendy's. It seems that Tim Horton was a well-known pro hockey player in Canada, and the chain used to be called "Bess Eatons". TH does have over 2,000 stores in Canada. I suppose Bess Eaton had no stores in NH or VT when the chain was sold to TH. TH does seem to be holding their own in RI with Dunkin Donuts and other coffee shops, according to their AR.

Is this one related to the Cinco de Mayo on Washington Ave in Bergenfield?

Forget the Emerson Hotel!! It was past its prime in 1975. A real time warp, both customers and food. Forgettable. I suppose the loyal bluehair trade keeps it going...

A/ Unless you have done a scientific survey, you would have no real way of knowing what "most" Rhode Islanders prefer; B/ 12 oz coffee at Dunkin Donuts: $1.53 12 oz coffee at Starbucks: $1.50 Obviously, price is not an issue...

No, it's hardly just a colloquial adjective. It's all about writing a big check. There are tons of "Official" products for the Olympics. Texaco is the "Official" oil co, Visa is the official Credit Card, and Coke is the official beverage of the Olympics. Means zero. Advertising hype. And big payoffs. Nothing to do with quality or popularity. DD has written a lot of checks in Rhode Island, starting with the stadium in downtown Providence. But, as I mentioned, DD is in 36 states and hardly a RI phenomenon. And there are more DDs per capita in New Jersey than in RI, and, although popular, they are more of a place that you see and stop impulsively at rather than a destination. Starbucks is after a different customer, and part of the Starbucks MO is that their customers intentionally seek their locations. Those doctor's offices would make a far better impression on their patients if they served Starbucks, believe me.

According to starbucks.com, there are locations in Waterville, Me and Bangor, Me, both well north of Freeport. But yes, Starbucks is very fussy about opening a location and has careful demographic requirements for their stores. In the very rural areas of Maine, it's doubtful that they would ever open a Starbucks. As far as being the "Official" coffee of Boston, that sounds like there was money involved. Thats about all the word "official" usually means in those cases.

That's interesting, thanks, Schnitzel. But the plot is thicker: Olneyville spells it with the I before the e. "Wieners" And Harry's spells it the other way: "Weiners" So which one of them is "right"?

The Austrian (German) word for Vienna is "Wein". There is various discussion over who actually "invented" the hot dog in the US, but it was about at the turn of the last century; Originally Americans of German origin brought in Weinerwurst, or "Vienna Sausage". And the 1920s brought on the famous "Weinie Roasts". So it could never be spelled with the "i" before the "e". Don't know why you think it was "transposed"... As far as pronunciation, think "Weinerschnitzel".

Amazing the power of those TV ads... Popeil is quite a salesman! However, since Daniel is in Manhattan it's UNBELIEVABLE that he would consider those pieces of junk. Starting with upstairs at Zabar's, Macy's, Bridge, even Wiliams Sonoma, you can do better for just about the same price!! Any name brand, Henckels, Sabatier, or the like. Of course, you can spend upwards of $100 per knife on some brands, other decent quality will give you a full set for $100. DO NOT BUY THOSE TV AD KNIVES!! THEY ARE GARBAGE!!

It seems that a previous thread (now locked) was playing up the conjoinment of Dunkin Donuts and Rhode Island-- I know there is a stadium that bears the name in Providence (Mainly a result of a large outlay of cash) and that these DD stands are ubiquitous throughout the state; However, Dunkin Donuts were started in Boston, Mass in the early 1950s... there are actually more DD per capita in New Jersey than in RI. And lastly, a corporate name on a stadium means little other than advertising-- Continental Airlines, a Houston-based carrier, has an arena in New Jersey... So the DD and RI connection is mostly a myth, I feel. Being in 36 states (according to their AR), indulging in DD is hardly a RI experience... I do not agree. i have almost never had a decent cup of coffee in any DD; it is very, very weak. Their whole bean coffee is fairly tasteless as well. I prefer the Starbucks ilk of coffee. I know lots of folks swear by the coffee at DD, but they just like very weak coffee, in my opinion. No gusto, little flavor. (Their bagels suck, too!)

Right next to Jean-Louis on Lewis Street is Penang, one of the best Pan-Asian places anywhere in the Tri-State, inculding Manhattan, IMHO. The place is quite spiffy, brick walls and wood tables, and apparently local codes don't allow them to seat more than 40 patrons at one time, even though they have room to seat a lot more. The place is super-immaculate and efficient. The dishes are fresh and creative. On the SouthEast Asia section of the menu are the best preparations. YOu order by the sauce and the meat of fish you want, and then they decide on the appropriate vegetables to add. Served in mini-woks. A real treat if you are in the Greenwich area and enjoy Asian. Penang 55 Lewis Street Website: http://www.chingsrestaurant.com/penanggrill.htm

A recent weekend in RI led to the discovery of the NY System Hot Weiners. These little beauties are small-ish dogs, with an orangy tint. The key is the way they are served. The counterman lays out the dogs and buns on his forearm, while adding mustard, special meat sauce, raw onions, and the coup de grace, celery salt! The first bite is strange, but after that it becomes very addicting. There are only maybe a dozen places left serving these, but, after all, RI is small! I suppose the name of these is similar to a midwest phenomenon, "Coney Island dogs". Probably the originators of these hot dog stands wanted to emulate the supposed standard, the New York dog. But they really did better than that, creating their own version unique to this area. The key is the meat sauce, whose recipes are a closely guarded secret. The sauce is slow cooked, and results in its unique flavor. We went to Harry's in Warwick, but supposedly the oldest place left is Olneyville. Any good NY Weiner stories from the RI natives here?