menton1

I am looking for a broiler pan to use in the oven for broiling. Most of the stuff out there is either for roasting (in the oven) or sautéing (on top of the stove). I was using a stainless steel pan, but the high heat of the broiler causes the pan to warp and then snap back. Hoping for suggestions for a good pan that can withstand the high heat of the waist-high oven broiler (gas). If it has a broiling rack that would be great as well. Thanks!

Please try to get us some info-- I think this is a topic of interest to many of us. Thanks!! (Or better yet, have your friend post a report here!!)

My best guess is that the VAT drop will not lower prices at all in France. In Europe, the tax is already included in the price. (As are the tips!) Many consumers say they like this, psychologically; I guess it feels a little better because there is no math to do and you don't realize what the tax actually is. In the US, this is mostly forbidden. All pricing must show the base price, the tax, and the total. This doesn't feel as good because you can actually see the taxes, feel badly about it, and yet it also makes for a more informed consumer. What a dilemma!! Interesting about the restaurant workers' hours-- I remember how the French complained when the office workers' work week hours were shortened!! Robert, do you know if the restaurants will have to pay an overtime-type wage to the workers over the 39 hours? I didn't think that France thought that they had to "move up" in the restaurant ratings-- don't they feel that they are already at or near the top? One last point-- It is one thing to rate the top genre of the restaurant field-- however, in the middle grouping, the non-Michelins, the un-acclaimed middle-of-the road bistros, neighborhood places, the family operations-- France has no equal. At any moment, unexpectedly, in a little place in a little town, you can get a superior, most memorable meal.

Rosie, where did you wind up going?

Last year we had the pleasure, thanks to Robert Brown, of joining him at La Petite Maison. It was an exquisite meal. From the artisan bread laid right on the tablecloth like a place setting, to the "as good as Bresse" roasted chickens, the place was wonderful. Always packed with locals as well. Make sure to make a res. La Merenda is quirky and fun, if a little uncomfortable. Daube Provençal is the dish to order here. (Beef stew). Le Safari is a fun place to eat late right on the Cours Saleya, and if you take a 10 minute walk east on the Quai to the Vieux Port, you can try La Zucca Magica, another quirky place with no menu, they just keep bringing out courses. Quite good, with cute "citrouilles" adorning the walls. (Naturally). If you will have a car, I can also recommend a place up in the hills of Rimiez that I discovered thanks to Jonathan Day... Don't miss the street food: Socca, Pan Bagnat, Pissaladière. Unique to Nice! (I also stayed 2 years ago at the Beau Rivage, hope your experience is better than ours!) Another great internet source for you is the Guide Gantié: http://www.guidegantie.com

I guess I prefer that vibe to Body-piercing; but it's all a matter of personal taste, that's what makes horse races... As far as restaurants in Manayunk, there are several: Grasshopper (already discussed) Le Bus (Breakfast or Lunch, I don't consider it a real chain, too small) Thomas' Sonoma Jake's Bourbon Blue (Great oysters) Il Tartufo (above average Italian) Kansas City Prime (pricey) I think the predictions of Manayunk's demise are a bit premature. And it is quite a different world from South Street! (IMHO)

I don't agree with the analogy to South Street... No tattoo parlors and body-piercing salons in Manayunk (yet) And South Street has Zero decent restaurants (save Django on a side street) while Manayunk still has a few... Manayunk still has a bit of a Bohemian feel to it, while South Street looks like a teeming mass of graffiti....

Interesting that they are so secretive about this... if they really wanted to prove their veracity, they would have the polling results verified by an outside auditor. Plus, Zagat freely admits that he gets a lot of patronage and comps from many of the restaurants around town. One year a restaurant name is printed on the survey, the next year it's off. Others prominent restaurants are conspicuous by their absence. SMARMY!!!

Didn't Jonathan Schwartz announce his retirement? Also, I don't think Arthur would be good at Dj-ing thos 40s and 50s records.... The good part of that scenario is that they would only have to change the 1st name on the Marquee!!

Because most of these awful places are cash cows. There is one on almost every corner, and people line up to get in, just like every Charlie Brown's I pass always has a line. (Some of the WORST food in creation)

Further research leads me to Grasshopper, on Main Street. It's not Vietnamese, but Chinese/French fusion. Heard a lot of good things about it, and it's been open for a long, long time. Anybody have a first-hand report on the place? Worth the trip? P.S. Holly-- so it's really REALLY close to you, those traffic cones? (Some people use folding chairs... ) Someone from Channel 6 should do an undercover report, seeing what happens if somebody moves those chairs!!

There used to be a good Vietnamese/Fusion place over there, the name excapes me. Heard that that place had great food. Anybody know if it'still there? Le Bus is nice for breakfast, lunch, or....bread! As far as parking, I love the residents that block off their personal spots with red traffic cones... Try to move them, and you risk your life, and your car. Surely illegal for them to do that, but there's no enforcement...

Sorry, please disregard...

I think this belongs in General Food Topics.....

Speaking of Montclair, I was there last night at Taro (report on separate thread). It was disturbing to see that at the end of lovely Church Street, where they spent a fortune beautifying the street with fancy paving stones and a wide sidewalk, benches, and plantings, that the corner of the street is still plagued with that eyesore, that old abandoned department store just rotting away. I believe someone mentioned a year ago on Eg that by now this place would have either been razed or made into modern offices. It is a shame that this building is still there, it is a blight on an otherwise terrific town. Why can't the city fathers get something in motion with this building? If I lived in Montclair, I would be at every town meeting!!

The restaurant was full on a Sunday night in late August, even with many folks on vacation.

Ate at Taro last night, was wonderful, can't understand why it doesn't get more play here. A beautiful interior, lots of wood, and bamboo branches separating the dining area from the open kitchen. Very high ceilings, very airy feeling inside. Large, large tables, we were 4 at a round table that could have easily seated 6 or 7. Real linen tablecloths changed every sitting. Service was friendly and attentive. Very interesting Asian fusion choices on the menu, makes it hard to choose! A nice list of specials as well. Our starters included a crispy soft shell crab, cooked perfectly, with a wonderful sesame-ginger dipping sauce. The Asian pear salad was quite large, with goat cheese, baby lettuces, and a very interesting lemon vinaigrette. Main courses were a wonderful; Chilean Sea Bass, served in a thick slice place vertically on the plate (don't know how they make it stand up!) with a terrific black bean sauce and steamed broccoli. The Fliet Mignon was cooked perfectly, with a great stir-fry of veggies and a really interesting taro (of course) preparation in a wasabi sauce. The tangerine duck was super-crispy yet moist, with a terrific sauce, and the Pan-seared Pork in 5 spice powder was wonderful served with sauteed spinach wrapped around a scoop of rice. We were all too full for dessert, but we lingered over coffee in the pretty environment. Will certainly be returning, so many other dishes that sound wonderful, must try them. In the meantime, I highly recommend this restaurant to the other NJ ites who love Asian food with a difference! (P.S. to Rosie-- It's a BYOB...) Oh, and here's the Web Site

Not likely. After Gambling is Rush Limbaugh (No political comments allowed here) and he is supposedly the most listened to show in the US.... Arthur would be good in a venue like WNYC.

The one that says that "pollsters" should NEVER express their own opinions, if they deign to be professionals. Zagat claims that they never make any editorial decisions, the "survey" is strictly a report from their survey participants. Except that they control which restaurants are printed on the survey, and who knows what other patronage goes into their book. As I said, smarmy.

We have this discussion quite often on Eg; usually when the guides come out in the spring-- perhaps you either disagree or have not seen our long topic discussions about Zagat. I think it would be fair to say that the majority of Eg-ers have much disdain for Zagat. Especially our restaurant proprietors who are conspicuous by their absence in the guides for no apparent reason. A bad "review" in Zagat is much better than a good review elsewhere, because people use it as a telephone book. And the politics of Zagat have been shown to be, well, smarmy. Here is one of our long discussions:Egullet Zagat Discussion We have also discussed this at great length in New Jersey, with similar disgust.

It's amazing, Tim Zagat has always described himself as a "pollster" without publicly expressing personal opinions about restaurants. I guess he forgot that mantra. Shows you what an insult the Zagat Survey is to serious foodies... (and shame on the NY Times)

This reminds me of the Mario Batali in Italy show on FN; after seeing all the authentic foods and restaurants in Italy, they tell you that the show is sponsored by the Olive Garden. That's like having an all-natural foods show sponsored by Monsanto! Maybe next week she can tout Boston Market....

Iberia has an ad in the NJ section of the Sunday NY times today, advertising 4-12 pound lobsters. And they then say "NO SHARING" I agree, and I wouldn't go to MM either, but this person has this craving for giant lobster, so I thought of MM. I also think smaller lobsters taste much better, and a seafood place is probably a better choice than a Spanish resto for that.

This is a bit of a ways from Philadelphia but I think this is what you are looking for. It's really in an actual shack, right on the water, and they can only squeeze 30 people in here. I ate lunch here a year ago, and it is very, very good! Red's Lobster Pot 57 Inlet Drive Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 732-295-6622 Check out the Web Site

About a 30-minute ride from you is Meson Madrid, in Palisades Park, just about a mile from the GW bridge. They have 3- pound lobsters and 3- pound steaks. (And an ambulance waiting outside! ) My only hesitation about this size lobster is that I believe in general the smaller lobsters tend to be much moister and tastier than the giant size ones; you might do better with 2 or three 1 pounders... Check their Web Site Meson Madrid 343 Bergen Blvd Palisades Park 201-947-1038