Blondie

I spent nearly a month in Scotland several years ago. I traveled by rail, and the scenery is truly spectacular, especially, as you mentioned, the Fort William to Mallaig leg. I was traveling on the cheap and wouldn’t recommend any of the places I stayed or ate. The scenery and the people more than made up for it. I adored Glasgow. One of my favorite pubs in the world (after the Wenlock) is Uisge Beatha in the West End. Funky décor with loads of dead animals heads on the walls and kilt-wearing bartenders. Not touristy at all, it draws a very friendly local crowd and is said to have an amazing whiskey selection. (242 Woodlands Rd. (0141) 564 1596). If you decide to stay in Glasgow, Loch Lomond is fairly close and a nice day trip. If you head west by rail you can get the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale on Skye. We only spent a few days on Skye, but felt like we’d only scratched the surface. It’s the first place I’ll go on my return. This is the place for amazing coastal views and pure magic. My Mull experience is limited to a day trip from Oban that included Iona, but it may be more suitable for your shorter time frame. I would have liked to take a boat trip to Staffa (a spectacular island formed from columnar basalt). Although I found Fort William itself a bit grim, a day there for some walking would be nice. There’s a beautiful walk to the Upper Falls at Glen Nevis that was a highlight of my visit. We took a picnic lunch and lounged on the grass below the falls. The Ben Nevis distillery is just outside Fort William itself. Have a wonderful holiday Edit: The Scotia is another great pub in Glasgow.

larb

Thats the correct pronunciation, if you are referring to the former East German Secret Police, their equivalent to the KGB. A nefarious and frightening organization to say the least. Thanks for the history lesson, but I know who the Stasi were . To be clear, I have heard her called Linda Stah-zi, but now that I think about it Howard Stern was likely taking the piss pronouncing it that way. I met her years ago, when she invited herself to join a group I was with (my date was newsworthy and the target of her journalistic interest). I've long since forgotten how she pronounced her name.

She actually did like the food:

i can. when you're making a joke. happens all the time. and i assume that's what happened there. people who are laid back and bust balls are often misunderstood by those who are uptight or take life too seriously. not that topher is like that, but, you know. You beat me to it. I assumed Rocco knew they were Topher's friends and was trying to make light of the situation. Rocco seems to have an offbeat sense of humor, which was a welcome relief from the whining and problems. I have heard Stasi pronounced "stah-zi" before. Of course, I may have just heard Howard Stern mispronounce it

Ok, now that I've spoiled the surprise of Rocco reading Linda Stasi's "review" next week, here's her review of the show.

Linda Stasi is not a resturant critic. I think she's the Post TV critic, formerly a gossip reporter. Edit: Here's what Stasi wrote.

Just my opinion, but it's not cool to throw around accusations from behind a psuedonym. At least Uzay had the guts to post under his own name.

Kohler and Elkay, two very large manufacturers of mid-range stainless steel sinks, typically use 18/8. The higher-end firms, Franke, Blanco and KWC included, tend to use 18/10. As I said, I find the 18/10 more aesthetically pleasing. The two materials function identically as far as I can tell, so it's really a question of do you want to spend the money to get the look.

You'll need to choose a sink and disposal then check the specs to see if there's a problem. For instance, if you used the Franke sink above, and an Insinkerator Model 17 (Batch Feed) disposal, the locations of the drain centerline and disposal centerline should make it no problem. If you chose the Continuous feed model, which is wider, you may have a problem depending on the size of the cabinet in which the sink is installed.

If I'm not mistaken the standard for 304 stainless is between 8-10.5% nickel. So the Elkay sinks are 18/8, for example and described as 304. The Franke's increased nickel content (at 18/10) accounts for the higher price, and I believe the luster of 18/10 is more aesthetically pleasing than 18/8.

The Franke GNX 110-28 has an offset drain. It's 28" x 20" x 12" deep. They are expensive but excellent quality. You could also try Elkay, which should be less expensive than Franke.

Check out the Nicotini, a Florida nightclub owner's tobacco-infused concoction (via Gawker).

Welcome to eGullet, Uzay! I'm looking forward to your observations.

Gothamist talks to John, the kitchen manager. I find him much more interesting than the self-absorbed FOH staff they've been focusing on.

Unfortunately Corian is not really heat resistant. They say it can withstand up to 212F without damage, but I wouldn't take the chance. On the plus side the material is easily repairable if you get a gouge or other damage to the surface. My first choice for new countertops would be slate, with concrete running a close second.

it is strange, jinmyo. and i don't think anyone has really asked this question yet. UP is just so brilliant in every way. one would think that he'd want to at least match that in some way. unless, 1) it's really for his mom, 2) he didn't think he could or 3) a no-compete thing of somesort is in place. it boggles the mind. Which came first: the tv show or the concept for the restaurant? If the show came first, then it seems likely the concept was chosen as it would be easier to execute and have a wider appeal to Middle America than a more upscale UP-type place. Or maybe it really is for his mom Are people really surprised that Rocco is nervous? Just opening a new restaurant with 100 jobs on the line is enough to make anyone sweat, but the added pressure of providing six hours of compelling primetime television must be enormous. Maybe he chose to do it to raise his profile, or maybe he figured that if he didn’t do it someone else would. I’m with Savour Chef: it was a ballsy move to take the chance and I respect that. Not having made it to UP yet, I won’t be deterred now.

Considering most of my eating out is done in Manhattan or on the East End of Long Island, I don't think the prices are crazy.

One of the reviewers, self-identified as a foodie, called the prices astronomical. I thought they seemed very reasonable.

Welcome to eGullet, zenial. Now please tell us more I thought the show was very entertaining although I would have liked to see more on the transformation of the space. The staginess wasn't as distracting as I'd expected considering Mark Burnett (Survivor) produced the show.

Thai beef salad?

I could have sworn I posted about this last year, but I couldn’t find the post. Anyway, I was in Charleston for a trade conference last fall (aka “kitchen concentration camp”) and had a wonderful meal at Cypress Lowcountry Grill. The interior is stunning; the building is an old warehouse which retains the exposed brick and high ceilings. The right side wall is a multi-story glass enclosure housing 5,000 or so bottles of wine. Biomorphic recesses in the ceiling slowly change color through the use of fiberoptics. The open kitchen sits at the back. The food was fabulous, a selection of cooked oysters done a half dozen different ways, tuna tartare, benne seed shrimp and tea-smoked duck main were the standouts.The chef, Craig Deihl, had just gotten back from serving the aforementioned tea-smoked duck at Beard House. He was very friendly and personable, chatted with us, sent out a dessert and showed me around the gorgeous kitchen with a smoker big enough to smoke the 200+ duck breasts he used at Beard House *at the same time*. The waiter, Brian, was a complete pro. All in all, a standout dining experience. We ate at Magnolia’s as well. I had been there years ago when they first opened and thought it was very good. I wasn’t too impressed this time, although they did a good job with our large party. Gaulart and Maliclet Café, aka “Fast & French”, a French café/restaurant housed in skinny little historic space, is the place I’d love to have in New York. Cozy, casual, good food, charming service.

Varmint, can you make me +1 please?

Belated thanks to Lissome for her warm and generous hospitality. I had a fantastic time - what wonderful company! Thanks also to Andy for precipitating the evening. Enjoy the rest of your holiday

What time will the festivities begin on Friday?