weinoo

I'm pretty sure I remember buying beans at a Starbucks on Bascom Avenue, in San Jose, CA, back in the late 1970s - early 1980s. It was, as the early Starbucks were, only a store to buy beans and coffee-making related equipment; they sold no coffee drinks. How far we've come in the bean game.

Lots of dead horses in food writing these days. Of course, Duke's! In Philly, we were lucky enough to score a Tommy DiNic's roast pork and broccoli rabe hero for lunch at the Reading Terminal Market (which was a friggin' zoo). It was great.

What happens to the oysters, which appear to be unshucked? Do they get shucked a la minute?

While in Philadelphia last weekend, we had a couple of nice dinners. Pre-show, early at a.Kitchen + Bar. RAW SEA SCALLOP cherries, sugar snap pea, garlic scape + makrut lime brown butter CHICKPEA PANISSE burnt eggplant tahini, shiso vinaigrette (and some roasted veg) Mains were a cheeseburger for Significant Eater, and some lovely pork spareribs for me (with a sour cherry sauce that was great). All good enough for an early, pre-show dinner. The following night we were able to eat at a more civilized time (for us), as nothing was scheduled other than dinner. So based on a recommend from @gfweb, we hit Vernick Food and Drink. Arriving about 30 minutes early for an 8 o'clock reservation, started off downstairs at the bar, and had a couple of nicely made cocktails - Martini for me (3:1, twist, olives on the side) and a cocktail recommended by our bartender, a Water Lily for SE. I'd have the Martini again. Vernick is an a la carte menu (though a separate tasting menu can be reserved for up to 4 guests). In any event, they started us off with an amuse: Apricot "gazpacjo" and a mini corn muffin. Very good. Blue crab toast. What could be bad? Cucumber panzanella. This dish didn't work for me, as I found it too soupy. Also shared a pasta... Fettuccine w/ dayboat scallops, in a tomato/white wine sauce. Really perfectly cooked pasta, great sauce (and not too much of it). Moving on to main courses...Significant Eater: Fantastic pork chop Milanese. Which we could eat basically 1/2 of. It was huge. Seafood for me: A lovely piece of Atlantic halibut, in a light crab broth with fresh corn, herbs. Fantastic. Drank this with dinner: A couple of scoops for dessert: The one on the right - blueberry, and I have no idea about the other one. This is a fabulous place.

I always felt they start out coming from warmer California and as the season progresses, we see WA cherries. Either way, I've had some outstanding cherries - via Fresh Direct! I'm pretty sure that the ones I'm eating now , from Ranier Fruit, are Washington grown.

Some British friends came to town last week, to see a few shows. They brought these for us... Quite tasty.

That lamb looks fabulous...and fabulously cooked.

Makes sense - but where do I then put the wine?

Beautiful (hardneck) garlic...how long does it last for you, and how do you cure it to make sure it lasts?

Such a fun restaurant, @johnnyd! They def know how to cook the seafoods.

I tend to grate ginger on a dedicated ginger grater, pour boiling water over, add honey or sugar, steep, and go with that - sans straining. If it's a cold I'm treating, a shot of bourbon doesn't hurt.

1840s?

When I first saw the title of this thread, I believed it to be referencing a product known as "rolled beef." I'm guessing not too many people have tried "rolled beef." From the classic Sarge's!

I went to this very interesting place today, having read about it a while ago, and finally having a reason to get there. Okume, at 50 Norman, is where I'd previously encountered a Nordic restaurant/shop called, yes...Norman. Okume is actually one of 3 shops sharing one address. Citone is a "lifestyle" shop, or what I call housewares/kitchenware. Fancy stuff. Designer stuff. $75 soy sauce dipping bowl stuff. House Brooklyn - a small, intimate little restaurant, serving a 9-course tasting menu. The third shop is Okume. It is where I had this for lunch: This is what lunch looked like... (AND HERE'S THE MENU). The salmon was from Japan, cooked perfectly and delicious. The rice was insane - as good as mine! And then I saw it being sold at like $40 for a kilo bag, and I'm glad I have my own supplier. Really a lovely lunch. But the rest of Okume is like nothing I've seen before. In addition to half a dozen types of instant dashi (the kind that looks like a tea bag and gets brewed - like a tea bag), sold already prepackaged (and with samples of each style in kettles for tasting), the have a display of close to 30 different dried ingredients, from which you may pick and choose however many you decide; then they blend and bag it for you on the spot! There are plenty of other Japanese imported fancy-food stuffs. All high-end - I refrained, other than buying two 15-pack bags of dashi. I'm already plotting a return visit.

That brisket only saw Passover. And it's the last time I buy that big a brisket!

I (unfortunately) didn't get to smoke this, but it's a whole prime brisket from DeBragga meats. Weighed between 11 and 12 lbs. Lotsa fat.

Soba supper... Soba supper. Zaru soba w/mentsuyu. Tsukemono, cole slaw ( I guess a type of tsukemono), avocado, poached shrimp.

Dude - you need to stay in NYC where the germs are healthy.

Glad you're feeling better. This is so incongruous.

What did everyone else have?

Or, alternatively, maybe I'm misremembering, and thinking of the insides of the chicken spring rolls.

Are the shrimp ones noticeably better than the chicken ones? Because I've tried the chicken ones, and didn't think too highly of them - like the inside was mush after steaming them per the package directions. Then again, maybe I bought the chicken ones because they had a lot less sodium than the shrimp?

I can't tell you how much kitchen stuff I've given away to Housing Works over the years. It's sorta how I rationalize buying a lot of stuff I don't necessarily need. And at least I think (hope) it's going to a good cause.

I was thinking what might become of yours if it sucks.

Carb-based dinner (but meatless!). Started with pa de tomàquet amb anxoves (Grilled bread with tomatoes and anchovies). Into the pasta dish (as a main)... \ Pesto pasta with potatoes and green beans.