Blondie

Yes, the Porterhouse is great recommendation for Dublin. The Oyster Stout was my favorite. Do they still have a two-pint limit on An Brainblasta?

No beer. Stout. Try Murphy's and Beamish, especially when you're down in Kinsale. They're both made in Cork.

I've been dying to get back to China 46. I'm in.

The Harvest in Montauk does delicious grilled lamb ribs as an app.

Make Agua Fresca de Tamarindo. I make it from the tamarind pods, but this recipe calls for the block form. It's delicious and very refreshing. Maybe even try mixing some half and half with your iced tea.

Monica's experience is more recent than mine, so maybe Mela's not as good as it was. She's also in a better position to advise you as your standards for Indian food are undoubtedly higher than mine. So I defer to Monica's opinion, but personally I would consider stopping back on my next trip as I really enjoyed my meal there

Mela on Shaftesbury Avenue.

Ahh, La Isla I ate there hundreds of times in my years in Hoboken. It's one of the few places I love that has actually improved over the years. This cuban burger sounds delicious. I'm very sorry to have missed last night's festivities too. When's the next meeting?

From an interview with Charlie Trotter:

Ditto. Totally engaging from beginning to end, and the photos are stunning. Sincerest thanks for sharing it with us

The Cupcake Cafe. I think it's on 9th Ave at 39th. They're very tasty and absolutely gorgeous to behold. The funky little storefront is a cozy and relaxing place to hang out too. really? i thought the cupcakes there were absolutely ordinary. didn't taste creamy or good at all. they looked nice. I'm not a cake person at all, so take my opinion for what it's worth. In fact I only stopped the first time because the stuff is beautiful. I think the icing is nice, light and ungreasy, and the cake part was quite good. As I rarely have cake or cupcakes, I'll concede that they may not be the best in NY, but that wasn't the question

The Cupcake Cafe. I think it's on 9th Ave at 39th. They're very tasty and absolutely gorgeous to behold. The funky little storefront is a cozy and relaxing place to hang out too.

Looks very nice. Is Silestone better than granite? More expensive? It's similar in price to granite, but more uniform in look and coloration.

Those are some of my favorites that I wish more people would consider, but I think ActorDan is looking for light-colored stone.

Zodiaq is another brand of engineered stone, similar to Silestone. A newish material is Pyrolave. It's a volcanic rock that's enameled and fired. It's quite expensive because the tops are manufactured in Europe, but they are beautiful. Most of examples on the website are more modern settings than what you'll be doing. But if you do an ogee edge, or other more traditional profile, along with one of the lighter off-white or beige enamels, you'll have a gorgeous look. Call Jean, the US rep, and ask if he can send you some samples.

You might want to consider plastic slipcovers Edit: elyse beat me to it

Oh man, all of my Pig Pickin’ buddies from DC will be there! I’m dying to go :jealous:

I found a description of this magic elixir on the Chocolate Bar's website: I see from mjc's post that it basically is Torres'. They sell the mix on the website and at the shop (along with Torres and Garrison chocolates). It's pricy, but it's made with real chocolate not cocoa powder. When I moved back to the boonies after living above the Chocolate Bar for several months, it was the next best thing to being there.

The Chocolate Bar on 8th Avenue between Horatio and Jane. I'm addicted to that spicy hot chocolate. I liked the burger very much even though, like bergerka, I ordered medium rare and it arrived rare. The fries were outstanding. It was great to see so many new faces, and no matter how great the burgers were, the conversation was better. Thanks everyone

Is that just near the pedestrian entry to the bridge? I run from Manhattan to Williamsburg and back regularly, and caught myself briefly considering it as a mid-run snack. Not a good idea on second thought I'll try it soon. Thanks for the tip.

Soon Fatt Chinese Restaurant, County Kildare, Ireland.

I buy dried cranberries, cherries and blueberries all the time to use in muffins and scones, but they always seem to get scarfed down as snacks first.

That might be my favorite first post ever. Another larboholic is born I use jasmine rice also and thinks it works well. Careful grinding so you don't get rice dust is the key as you pointed out. Toasting then grinding the dried chilis really raised the level of my larb. In fact since I've been making larb at home I've been consistently let down by restaurant versions. Thanks, SEASianOutpost!