La Niña

More or less. I didn't do real cheese to cheese comparisons with the downtown Murray's, but the prices didn't strike me as way out of line.

Yes, Sandy - I've been several times to the Murray's in GCT. Bought some terrific things each time. Knowledgeable, helpful staff.

During my conversations with members of the Otto staff, they confirmed that they could have put in standard pizza ovens, but not another kind (wood, coal, brick, whatever). And they were not interested in competing with other standard-oven pizza in NYC. They wanted to do something entirely different and unique in NYC, so they chose to do the pizza alla piastra. What puzzles me is that they didn't test and "perfect" this thing - or at least finalize their version - before they opened. It's bizarre, and suggests a level of unpreparedness that is shocking, especially from a group that has opened restaurants successfully in the past. And that they're *still* tweaking it? I find that absurd. Didn't they taste it? Didn't they have people taste it? How long are they going to tweak? Ridiculous. If Stone ate something that was substantially different than it was a few weeks ago, then obviously his review is not a review of the same food many of us ate. I'll go back when I've determined that they've opened the show, and are no longer in previews. Until such time, the reviews of the "pizza" are meaningless, since it keeps changing, unless someone is interested in their progression. I, for one, am not interested in paying full ticket price for rehearsals, or helping them figure out how to put one foot in front of the other. They should be giving those pizzas away, or at least charging half price or some such thing, if they're still soliciting customer criticism and are openly acknowledging that it's a work in progress.

I use Madhur Jaffrey's recipe for basmati finished in the oven, from "An Invitation to Indian Cooking." Basically, you parboil it for 5 minutes, drain, and put in a pot with a heavy lid (with foil under the lid) and bake it - it finishes in the steam. Never fails. I love that cookbook so much.

I called at 11pm on Monday night and we got a reservation for Tuesday (the next day) at 12:30 - on the corner, right in front of Yasuda. I was even asked on the phone if I had a preference for sushi chef, and I said Yasuda, if possible, and they said no problem. Times are rough in the upscale lunch biz these days - anybody see the article about this a few days ago in the NYT?

I'm the sushi-mate in question. A pleasure to eat with jaybee, as always. The fish was extraordinary, and I have plenty to say about it, and I will, tomorrow. I will say that we did *not* eat a huge quantity of food. Each kind of fish is a small portion - the pieces are small. And since we started with sashimi, I didn't fill up on rice early on, as I sometimes do with meals like this. A little hint - the uni was perhaps the most incredible mouthful of food I've ever had.

Oh yes. And what were those chicken ball things - an appetizer? So good, and with such a good dipping sauce. I loved the fish with black bean sauce, too. And the cauliflower.

We had the Manchurian goat, I believe.

Still there, but not so good.

I think Les Halles is lousy, no matter who's paying for it. There are plenty of French bistros that are far better - and plenty that are cheaper, even. But...chacun a son gout, of course.

I forgot! A great, great cheesecake place is Helen's Cheesecake, on Union St. right near the BQE. Same block as Ferdinando's Focacceria (and the late, lamented Latticini Barese). I guess it's Cobble Hill - but on the edge of Red Hook. Helen's has a lovely garden, and a decent cup of coffee. Savory food isn't bad, either - it's a casual place. Loft-like inside. Open kitchen, which is fun to watch.

He compared Le Bernardin to Les Halles???

The rest of the food there is....eh. Old school lotsa red sauce...but nothing interesting. Not bad. But the vibe in there is right outta da movies. Big red leatherette banquettes, murals of Venice on the walls... You'd take the R train to Union St., and then it's only 4 blocks away. A quick ride.

Okay, FWIW, cheesecake is not a Viennese thing. Now a good cheese strudel, that's a horse of a different color. I love the ricotta cheesecake at Monte's Venetian Room, near the oh so lovely Gowanus Canal - it's on Carroll St., between Nevins - 3rd Ave. It's the oldest Italian restaurant in Brookly, or something like that?

Went to Tangra Masala this evening - mixed eG and CH crowd! Food was quite good, as usual. Toby asked about the word "Tangra," and turns out she was absolutely right. It is in fact a neighborhood in Calcutta, where the ethnic Chinese whose cuisine this is, settled. It's really worth the trek out there - actually it's only a couple of blocks from the Grand Ave. stop on the V and the R.

Yes, the scotch was really, really good. It was like walking through a pine forest.

Pizzle.

I rubbed Simon's head - does that count? We brought an Argentinian malbec - Cavas de Valle. The lamb tongue was a modification of the dish I prepared when I did a mini-stage with Ali and Mustafa a few months ago. It does indeed have preserved lemon, and olives, turmeric, olive oil, potatoes...it's based on a Libyan recipe that's made during Passover in Tripoli. I found it originally in Copeland Marks' "Sephardic Cooking." His recipe is very simple, and quite good.

Eddie (and everybody), if you were creating a "dumpling crawl," what would you put on the list? (Limited to Manhattan Chinatown)

That sandwich sounds a little banh-mi-ish, no?

You talking about Yeah Shanghai Deluxe? On the opposite side of the St. from NGB?

I love the steamed and roasted buns at Mei Lei Wah, on Bayard St. - just a couple of doors from New Green Bo, actually. And the coffee is some of the best in the city.

Not yet. But it's high on my list.

We had the fried dumplings and the fried pork buns at Fried Dumpling. The dumplings were very good, but I agree that the NGB dumplings are better. The fried pork buns, however, were unusual and terrific. Where's this Number One Dumpling place - I mean, is it on Allen St? North or south of CV, and which side of Allen? I'm dumpling obsessed. I want to do a Day of Dumplings. Just go from place to place eating dumplings.

Speaking of which...I went to Fried Dumpling - across the street from Congee Village (FG had recommended it). Yum. Double Yum.