Blondie

I use endive as a larb delivery implement. Normally I like anything Monty Python-related, but that larb song is pure genius

Another favorite of mine, from Oregon: Dead Guy Ale.

They have a limit on how many they will sell you, but it doesn't seem to be enforced very well. The Porter House makes some very fine beers that are often overlooked by travelers who comment, " It's right over by St James Gate. They make beer there too, why do we want micro beer when we can have a Guinness?". I know, it breaks my heart. I was a regular when they first opened, and found it a wonderful friendly pub. The other sacrilege is neglecting to try Beamish and Murphy's, especially when travelling in Cork.

The Porter House in Dublin makes a 7% ABV ale called An Brainblasta. I believe they only sell it by the glass (half pint).

Thanks for the link, fifi. Tiles are a great way to go if the budget doesn't allow for slab countertops. Granite, marble and slate come in 12 x 12 x 1/2" (and sometimes smaller) tiles also.

Sam is right on about soapstone. I would have a hard time choosing between that and slate if I were redoing my own kitchen. Kirkstone, an English slate, is beautiful too. And as long as we're at it, Liscannor stone would be my first choice for stone flooring. It's a riven sandstone from County Clare in the west of Ireland, and has beautiful swirling patterns formed by fossilized marine life. If you've ever been to the Cliffs of Moher you may have noticed the Liscannor flagstones on the pathway up to the overlook.

I hate to be cynical and point this out, but your dealer's economics could influence which material he's trying to sell you. You might want to ask the dealer who fabricates his countertops. If they produce the Corian tops themselves, then his markup will make him quite a bit more money than if he has to purchase it from a fabricator and add his markup onto that. Even if he doesn't produce it himself, there are also many more fabricators of Corian than Silestone, thus more competition, so his profit potential is probably much higher with the Corian. FWIW even in the NY metro area it took us *months* to schedule service to repair a client's Corian countertop because there was only one authorized technician available.

The main reasons I've heard for choosing engineered stone over granite are the color choices and the regularity of the pattern or figuring. I remember one wacky client who wanted granite, but was freaked out by the irregularity of the patterning in the stone. She couldn't understand why we couldn't get granite that looked totally uniform. Zodiaq was a perfect choice for her. I like the look of granite better myself.

I agree: granite or Silestone is the way to go. Zodiaq is another brand of engineered stone. I have a beautiful 30 x 15 slab of Carrara marble. It was meant to be a countertop for a client but my colleague ordered the wrong size. It's 1 1/4" thick and very heavy, so I put it atop a chrome metro shelving cart with casters that I roll into the pantry when its not needed. I put the canisters of flour, sugar, and other baking items on the shelf below, and have myself a mobile baking center.

This is the place in Montclair, right? I have a friend out there that I never get the chance to see. Count me in +1.

I would try and keep the minimum clearance to 36" if at all possible. 30" is probably better than what you have now, but NKBA guidlines really make a lot of sense for both design and safety. I forget what ADA guidlines call for, but I think it's a good practice to assume someone in a wheelchair might need to navigate your kitchen one day, and 30" won't be wide enough. The NKBA guidelines are here.

I'm always amused by the fact that the people who are the least self-aware are often the most self-absorbed.

I like it, Varmint. Considering you don't want to move any walls or do major demolition, I think it solves the major problems without creating any new ones.

As someone who has worked in the kitchen design field for several years, I can safely say that $20,000 won't even start to cover what you've outlined, especially with the inclusion of new cabinetry. Can you price out the cabinets assuming you're talking about medium level Home Depot/Lowe's stuff? I know a bit about kitchen cabinets. My current kitchen is 10 x 14 and has $25,000 worth of cabinets. But they're Poggenpohl. Suspect I could have done the same area for 1/3 or less the price at Home Depot. By the way - what cabinets brands do you normally work with? Robyn Just as an example, the smallest kitchen we did in the last few years was about 8 x 12, mid-priced cabinets with thermofoil doors, corian countertops, AO tile floor and mid-line appliances and the total cost (including labor and all subcontractors) was almost $40,000. Labor costs would be somehwat lower in Varmint's location, but taking that into consideration I think you're off by at least $15-20,000 even using price point materials. Having spent some quality time in Varmint's kitchen, I really like the interim idea that he got from the designer. It would be a very realistic and workable solution. When he's ready for the major overhaul I think moving the kitchen to the living room would be perfect. The room is underutilized right now, but it's a wonderful space with vaulted wood plank ceiling that just begs to be the center of activity.

As someone who has worked in the kitchen design field for several years, I can safely say that $20,000 won't even start to cover what you've outlined, especially with the inclusion of new cabinetry.

Hafele is a good source for this type of hardware.

You could use a worktable instead of an island. Boos has some nice ones. I like the Cucina Laforza, with the simple stainless steel base, or the Cucina Grande, which incorporates drawers, with or without the pot rack. The Flex model would even make up for the fact that you'd have less storage than a traditional island, but any of them would probably cost substantially less than cabinetry. You could re-use it when you do the full renovation, and I think the modern look would work well with what you've got. My brother has been using a Boos table as an island for several years and it still looks great.

I've been there a zillion times over the years - it's the restaurant above the Comedy Cellar - but I can't remember ever trying the burger. I usually go for the falafel, hummus or beef borscht (wasn't as good on my last visit) and turkish coffee. I think they sometimes give free admission to the comedy shows on weeknights if you buy dinner, and it's not unusual to see Dave Attell, Colin Quinn or the other comics having a beer at the bar. It's hardly changed at all in the 15 or more years that I've been going, and still packs them in on weekends.

You go, girl! Pretty soon we'll need a new thread just to keep up with your media appearances

For the record, Elyse looks lovely in the photo Another great BC outing and my favorite burger thusfar. Blue Smoke rolled out the red carpet with the mini shakes, birthday cake and menu greeting, but really delivered where it counted - on the plate.

Great interview, Rachel. I think this was discussed in an Ad Age article a few months ago (available for a fee now). As I recall a major consideration of the wine choice was wide availabilty. Keep in mind that viewers as food- and wine-savvy as eGulleters probably make up a very small percentage of the Queer Eye audience. By giving the non-wine drinker a brand they can find in their local wine shop, even if it's not up to your standards, Ted may be emboldening a whole new group of people to learn more about wine.

Found it.

An absolutely fascinating site, picaman. Thank you. I was going to recommend the Tenement Museum too, but my "don't miss" recommendation across the street is Il Laboratorio del Gelato. While you're in the neighborhood you could do the cellphone Walking Tour mentioned on another thread (by Bloviatrix, I believe). 'inoteca, on the corner of Ludlow and Rivington a block north of Delancey, is my favorite place in Manhattan for a casual bite, and any Moby fans in your group might like to stop at his tea shop nearby, Teany. If anyone in the group is interested in design, there are some great shops specializing in mid-century modern (and later) furniture and accessories, like Las Venus (on Ludlow) and Siglo XX.

I'll make sure 1/3 works for me, especially if Dave the Cook will be there

I can't do Sunday