VivreManger

Bit by bit I am going through the last of the purchases from last summer's visit to isle d'Orleans. Just opened is a jar of confiture de cerise de terre et sucre. I had tasted them raw last summer and thought they were simpy exceptionally sweet cherry tomatoes. Boiled and sweetened with sugar to make a jam, they now taste like and have the color of mirabelle plums, my favorite, particularly on the delicate crust of a French tarte. Can anyone inform us more about this product of the Quebec terroire?

Eating burgers at Elsie's is like eating bagels at Dunkin Donuts. Bartleys BC rules there. While the BCC burgers were much better, I did enjoy the burger with Swiss cheese and grilled onion at Elsie's, a great greasy treat. No fries there. The best to order at Elsie's were the roast beef special and king of the sandwiches, the landsman special, a sandwich filled with thick greasy Rumanina pastrami cut into huge chunks. The potato salad was good. And where else could you get a C tripled -- caviar and cream cheese -- sandwich? When exactly were you in the Square? I arrived in the sixties when Henry & Elsie Bauman still ran the place. In the seventies they sold it to their manager -- Phil Markel (????) and he managed to run the place into the ground. He dropped the landsman special and much else declined. I wonder if your dispeptic memories date from that period.

We never got the report!!!!

Thanks for the suggestions. No time to cook so I tried the fresh figs with two different cheeses. I found the gogonzola too strong and overpowering so the fig was lost. In that sense manchego was better, but ultimately I decided that fresh figs were best on their own. Still enjoying the four pounds I bought.

Sorry for the mistakes, which Rozrapp corrected. Looking over one Cesca thread, it seems the place was great for hearty winter food. Has anybody been recently enough to see what its summer menu is like?

What cheese goes well with ripe figs? And is cooking the best place to put this question? I just found some wonderful figs and wonder what could go well with them. I already have some manchego and some gorgonzola. I plan to serve the figs uncooked.

I have had great success smoking ducks in a covered Weber with indirect heat, the duck over drip pans and the heat banked on the side. I use a combination of hardwood charcoal and hickory wood chunks. The result is the best duck one could ever eat. The whole thing tastes like bacon. Whatever leftovers get warmed up in a regular oven suffuse the kitchen with barbecued essence all over again.

BTW, a few months ago I tried the duck confit at La Maison du Rôti. I had not great expectations given Carswell's review and I was not disappointed. It is undistinguished, but it happened to be close to where I was staying so it was worth the little effort made. I also tried their confit of turkey, which was as tasteless as the duck. I had hoped to spot some confit of sweetbreads, but no such luck. Slightly off the topic, in general La Maison du Rôti looks better than it tastes. I tried several of their quiches and meat pies. They have an admirable selection, while adequate none were outstanding. I wonder if anyone has formed a contrary judgment. I plan to be in Montreal next month and hope to try the cryovaced confit at Anjou-Québec. By the way La Girondine is located very close to the Pinnacle Ciderie. In the spirit of terroire, they recomend that local foie gras to go with their ice cider.

Food in and around BC is not very good. Most students prefer a liquid diet, particularly on the weekends which tend to begin on Thursday. The best quick cheap food I have found in the area is La Rotisserie in the Chestnut Hill Mall, a small hole in the wall largely take-out with a few tables for eating in. They claim to be French, but still the spit-roasted chicken, roast lamb, roast potatoes, beans, mashed sweet potato and so forth are edible. I don't care for the spare ribs and the roast beef and turkey tend to be dry and over cooked. Nothing great, but better than BC Dining Services. One of the best sushi places in the Boston area is also nearby: Oishii, on Hammond St. near the corner of Boyslton St./Route 9. I find their toro superb. Legal Seafood produces corporate standardized food of a consistent and acceptable quality -- certainly better than HoJo's when it was in business. Generally the food in the Chestnut Hill Mall area is better than that in the Cleveland Circle student ghetto. In general I don't find Boston pizza as good as Providence or New Haven.

Plans changed and I have had to cancel my dinner at Shanghai Pavillion so I won't be adding any comment soon.

Perhaps you can take the crustaceans caught in the filter and cook them up as a cajun fish fry, though you might have to wait awhile to get enough.

Since beggar's chicken is not something normally found in my neighborhood and since I won't be around Chinatown this trip, I decided to call and reserve the beggar's chicken for a meal this weekend. After all beggar's chicken-eaters can't be choosers. Despite mascarpone's experience I was able to book the chicken less than a week in advance. I asked about the May difficulties and the reservation clerk claimed there had been no problem with getting it during this past month. Perhaps the problem is lunch as opposed to dinner?? I will report upon my return.

Asimov has a very positive review of a modest Cajun cafe on Columbus near 107th St. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/26/dining/26UNDE.html He recommends the jambalaya and the rice and beans. Sounds like a good place at least until it gets overrun. Anybody know it?

Bartley's is just about the only 60s classic that has survived. Elsie's, and the inferior hangouts Tommy's Lunch, Wursthaus, and Tasteee have all disappeared. As has Cronin's a beer and steak place near the Loeb Drama Center that made its own brew. The owner's son went to Brandeis and got a PhD in history, how have the mighty fallen. J&M diasppeared decades ago in the aftermath of a nasty divorce. I loved their so-called triple-decker deli creations, even though they were really only double.

Here is a range of recommendations from around $10 to $75 per person, all within about 25 minutes from Harvard Square on foot. In Harvard Square on Mass Ave. Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage. Excellent burgers with an aroma that grabs you off the street and pulls you in for a nosh, irresistible. And the smell of grease and meat will last on your clothing for days afterwards. The french fries are nothing special, but the thin and light onions rings are worth ordering along with a lime rickey. Good value. Around the corner from the Burger Cottage is the Pamplona Cafe at the corner of Bow & Arrow Streets, across from Adams House. For lunch they offer an excellent garlic soup, tamales and salad, and a variety of well-made Basque inspired sandwiches as well as schlagged fruit, chocolate, and coffee drinks. When the weather is good the cafe moves outside. Toscannini's ice cream, a local purveyor has a branch on Mass Ave. Their burnt caramel is one of the great ice cream flavors in the world. Herrel's around the corner on Holyoke St. is the local branch of the original Steve's that established the high-end smoosh-in ice cream craze of the 70s. It is one of three locations extant. I am not a great fan of Harvest, but it has been years since I ate there. There are two Indian restaurants in the Square which I have tried. One is the Bombay Club (I think) on the second floor of the Boylston Galleria on JFK St. (formerly Boylston St.) It is located in a two-story glass building, on the right hand side heading toward the river. Their buffet lunch is dull and generic, but they have some interesting south Indian dishes, that are worth trying. The other place offers a buffet that is better, but the rest of the menu is not as unusual. This place whose name I can't remember is on the left hand side of Brattle Street (walking away from the square) close to the very fine chocolate shop Burdick's which prepares excellent cocoa and hot chocolate. It is also close to High-Rise, a local baker whose Harvard Sq. branch has a full-line of sandwiches to go. My preference for more up-scale food in the square is Casabalanca, located in the basement of the Brattle Theatre on /Brattle Street near High Rise. East Coast Grille does excellent fish, better than their bbq. Cheaper and further down Cambridge St. is Moqueca, specializing in Brazilian fish dishes in a simple store front cafe, unfortunately no licence. Both are located in Inman Square which is about a 15 -20 minute walk from Harvard Sq. Bus connections from Harvard Square are available. For an upscale place, you might try Dali and EVOO. The first is Spanish with a good tapas menu. The second does an upscale multicourse tasting menu at $50 a person, with wine for $75, a good value, though the cooking is uneven. Some of the courses I had there a month ago were excellent, others just okay. However for the price, it is definitely worth a splurge evening. Both are located at opposite corners of Kirkland and Beacon Streets near the Somerville-Cambridge line, about 5 to ten minutes from Inman Square. By the way the best foodie delight in Cambridge is Formaggio on Huron Ave, about 15 to 20 minutes from Harvard Sq. on foot. They stock a superb range of well-stored cheeses, domestic and imported. Their Caswell stilton is exceptional. Their baked goods are superb. I particularly like the bread pudding. The charcuterie is good, but not as striking as the cheese. On Thursday they get their weekly shipment of Poilane bread. And if you are hungry, but want to save some money, you can get a good sampling of the three or four cheeses they they leave out for tasting every day.

For cheap good crepes I have had good lunch luck at Crêperie de Sophie, 48 rue Saint-Paul, Vieux Port de Québec, 418-694-9595 They have buckwheat (sarassins -- galettes) pancakes that are savory and tasty. Another simple quick place for a bite is lunch at the Museum of Civlization cafeteria, steak with sauce forestiere, baked potato (not wrapped in foil, but kept warm over grill) and mixed vegetables for under $7 Canadian. Options to eat in ground floor terrace which in good weather is delightful. Neither is a gourmet experience, but both serve reasonable food in a pleasant setting. Across the street from Sophie is Restaurant le Brigantine, 97 rue Sault au Matelot, Vieux Port. I had a respectable lamb shank, a decent bowl of soup, and some good draught beer. The sandwiches were well-made as well. The market in the old port offers a variety of good cheeses. The general bakery, however, is not very good. But there is a shop that specializes (at least in the summer) in freshly made tartes -- I think of cranberry. They were superb. You can also sample a variety of fruited ciders and cider wines.

I am not in Quebec often enough to deal regularly with the problem of consistency but of the cheeses on Lesley's list I have tried some in the summer and in the early spring and found two in particular -- Migneron, Caprices de Saisons remarkably good both times. The Caprice des saisons made by Fromagerie La Germaine is an excellent raw milk Camembert, certainly superior both times to a simialr cheese sold by the famous Paris purveyor, Barthelemey. Migneron is one of my favorite cheeses. Unfortunately I don't have my notes handy but the cheddars I have tried from l'île des Greux cooperative have been reliable, nothing spectacular, but a good everyday cheese. I liked the Alegretto, but I have tried it only once. I have found the St Benoit du Lac cheeses not worth tasting. I suspect however that they are remarkably consistent. Now that I think about I, I have not been thrilled by any Quebec blue cheeeses and I am not a fan of oka, perish the thought.

I agree.

In fact there have been a number of recent posts addressing the issue of New England Q. Check out: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=41559 BTW, although I am an RI native and regularly return, I have never heard of good Q in little Rhody.

I've only know grains of paradise in Sam Adams' summer ale. I am curious to know what it actually is. I doubt that you will find that particular spice there, but another reliable source is Arax on Mt. Auburn St. in Watertown. They sell mostly Middle Eastern & some Indian spices in failry substantial plastic bags. In Western Mass. Whole Foods in Hadley does sell bulk spices, but I don't know if any of the other branches do so. I for one have not seen them elsewhere.

Thanks Lesley. At this point the best thing is probably for me to contact Ian Picard directly by phone and follow this up with a letter. By the way, this does address the lait cru question the thread raised. "l'Époisses Berthault est fabriqué avec du lait pasteurisé alors que l'époisses Gaugry est au lait cru." I have Hamel's coordinates so I will contact them directly. Again many thanks to you and to Ian Picard.

Depending on the route you are taking from Boston, Chez Noeser should be on your way. When I drive into Montreal, I take I-89 across Vermont to Philippsburg and then the 133 to to the 35 to the 10. Chez Noeser is located in the area where the 133 turns into the 35. In all the times I have driven through St Jean sur Richelieu, I had no idea there was a reason to stop.

For the record I have gathered reports from other independent Q-hounds who have found favor in Holy Smokes, though there is a consensus that $15 is too much for two short ribs & two sides. I am eager to learn if any eGulleteers have made their way to Hatfield yet. It definitely is worth the trip, particularly if you live within an hour of the town, a distance that stretches from Vermont to Connecticut, along I-91 in the Connecticut River Valley and west to the Berkshires and east to Worcester, along the Mass Pike. This definitely is worth a trip if you are off to Tanglewood in the summer. Rest assured that I have no personal or financial interest in this restaurant, but I do have an interest in keeping decent bbq in business. The last attempt at good Q in the neighborhood was a place called City Grille (or something like that) in downtown Northampton. It folded within less than a year. They did smoke a very good duck. Previously their owner??-chef had worked at another place in Hatfield on Route 9 called Hunter's Lodge/Inn ?? which was fancier and more expensive -- a very elegant dining space that also featured some slow cooked barbecue, similar to East Coast Grill in Cambridge, but a warmer and more refined ambience. That also folded. So the past of carnivorestos in Tofu Valley has not been encouraging. And I wish to change its future.

I very much enjoyed Jonathan's company that day. It was a pleasure to meet him. One slight correction. He ordered the cheese plate and I had the sweet desserts. Otherwise we had the same meal.

I did the tasting menu for lunch in October 2003. The courses were -- to the best of my memory: amuse bouche truffled consomme, not terribly rich or exciting -- I have had better at Brunoise in Montreal for a third the price of their table d'hote and the broth was better at Leon, a cheap Mexican Chicago resto First foie gras, very well prepared Second capered turbot, excellent perhaps the best dish of the meal Third pig's trotters stuffed with sweetbreads et al. sweet bread ingredient , too modest, oversalted, though tasty -- Pied a terre did a better version of this Fourth Scottish highland venison with juniper berries, okay, but seemed to be farm-raised and not gamey enough for my taste. Fifth et cet. At this point the desserts started to arrive and my memory grows hazey, but I had around four of them. Apple with yogurt, not my favorite. Creme broule, OK, but nothing outstanding Prunes with armagnac, very good. Would have had more of these and less of the others. Bite-sized chocolate covered ice cream treats -- great fun. I might have missed a course or two or confused some of the dishes. I will check with my dining companion -- who had dined there before -- to see what else there was. I should add that the service was outstanding, certainly three star. I don't think the food is as good. The portions by gargantuan US standards are modest so I did not emerge sated and stuffed.