La Niña

Count me in for two, whenever/wherever Ed decides...

Yes, Lichtmann's was the place. We got babka and other things from them on a regular basis when I was a kid. The Green's babka at Zabar's is nothing like it, unfortunately.

I believe wholeheartedly in eating pickles with chopped liver, but mixed in? Nevah hoid of it.

Ellen, what about The Spot? And what do you like about Sally's vs. Pepe's? (I grew up in New Haven - The Spot was our favorite...) Have you had a calzone at Tony & Lucille's?

Good ricotta salata (one of my favorites) should not be a grate-able texture. The roquefort comparison is about right.

True, true - but for that I have to go to *very special* cigar bars.

I second the vote for sherry. Also, I like a white cinzano.

What about cigar bars? Now that really pisses me off. If a place is *called* a cigar bar, f'chrissakes, then let it stay a cigar bar. Nobody's forcing the people to to work there...I mean - where am I gonna go to have a drink and a cigar? Oy.

Tim, are you talking about Green's babka, which is packaged for Zabar's, and comes in chocolate (blue packaging) and apple cinnamon (green packaging)?

I hate that complicated lid thing. My mother has that. I'm all for the simple lid.

I do have a Cuisinart mini food processor which I use all the time for garlic, ginger, an onion - it's great.

My Krups is dying. My mother bought me a Cuisinart at a tag sale but I think the bowl is on the small size, plus it has only one blade - a plastic one. I suppose I could buy other blades/attachments for it, but I'm inclined to get a new one. Any model numbers would be appreciated. And I'd like to hear about the Kitchenaid varieties, too. I've always had bad luck with the beater attachments - they're so fragile - is it true across the board? Also, I need various sizes of holes in the grating blades... While we're at it, I"d like to discuss mixmasters, too.

I think I'd attempt a challah. Oy. Or maybe I could get away with a kugelhupf or babka...? The beau could bring butter, cheese, wine... Beware of Schonfeld.

Well since Cathy's is the only one I've tried so far, I dub her CHUTNEY QUEEN. (See, Suvir, I didn't try yours...remember your promise?)

Yes, Laura, I love that dish. But my favorite is the pork shin with the rose glaze. Oooh.

Lupa, Lupa, I love Lupa. Been several times for dinner - looking forward to my first lunch there next week...

Oh god, me too. Baba au rhum, and all that too. In my family we make a yeast babka or kugelhupf and inject it with rum syrup. I often mix some rum into a white glaze and dribble it on top.

Although I thought the wine service was just fine, we didn't really ask for much sommelier help. Wilfrid and I pretty much knew what we wanted to order and we ordered it. We just asked the sommelier if he thought our choice was a good one, given what we were eating, and he said yes. At the bar, I had asked the bartender for some suggestions for what to drink with the foie gras ravioli, and he pointed me toward a glass of moscato d'asti, which was delightful. I think Wilfrid and Beloved may have gotten a glass of it, too. Oh yes - one bad thing was that they don't chill several of their sherries which should be - and when I asked the bartender why that was so, he shrugged his shoulders at me. Had no idea what I was even talking about.

Thanks, FG! Jayask - usually when a thread comes back to the top, people know that there's something new in the thread, right?

Let's add tolerance of difficult diner behavior, too.

Okay, we've got two threads about the smoking ban now, because Jayask started a new one today. Could we merge them into the original thread and get rid of this new one?

I can't even remember the last time I went to a gathering where the beer choices were limited to Bud and Milwaukee's Beast, etc. I don't even know anybody who drinks that stuff.

Well, it looks like the smoking ban is actually going to be a reality. VERY few exceptions will be made...article in today's NY Times...

Stella, I'm with Jason on this one. Corona is awful.

Yes, the lousy coffee I find so frequently in restaurants that otherwise do very well makes me nuts. I don't get it.