BigboyDan

Stay away from the starred restaurants - you should be eating plainly and from a varied diet. Try ethnic spots, "home-style" places, any restaurant with the word mere in it. And of course, as mentioned elsewhere on this forum, patronise locally owned bistros and cafes...

I ate at Bastide three times - it seemed that the kitchen tried so hard to be tricky, for tricky's sake, that it lost sight of what was supposed to be their mandate, make food edible. Now, I have ridiculed those whack-jobs in Spain for their attemps at the same thing... so... good luck with what comes next.

Uh... what?

More avant-garde? Freak show as it was...

Yes, well, was the food any good?

Dirty's is the same, just cleaner! My Dad ate there in 1957 when a student at UT, I did in 1975, and my daughter had her high school graduation party there in 2005... Also, very few Austin restaurants remain the same as they were prior to 1980... I can name 50 restaurants that were Austin favorites that existed in 1975, that are no more...

Ha! Touche, John. Summed it up in four sentences!

If a sane person read this thread, he'd laugh his ass off. Walk out in a huff because one couldn't take a picture without buying something? Hello, Oprah? Buy a candy bar and take the picture... sheesh!

Classic Club Sandwich on croissant: thin sliced ham, roast beef, turkey, bacon, swiss cheese, with vine-picked tomato slices, bib lettuce, and Hellman's mayonnaise - 19th Hole, Pebble Beach Golf Course.

CA-CHINNNG!!!! Well worth it when he hits it. Stunning.

Please tell me it's not fashionable to frequent "unfashionable" areas. I was thinking more about the distance between my flat and the restaurant's location - I don't own a car when living in Paris. I fully agree with your sentiment to patronize local (one owner) bistros.

You do? -------------------------------- As for, "Where not to eat in Paris"... hmmm... Well, for me, I don't go to certain Paris restaurants simply because of location.

You should have seen the area in the late 60s. Just go during the day, be polite, and after a couple of visits the regulars will get to know you. that mutton is worth it.

No one understands women, but a little knowledge helps... BBQ is a very aquired taste. The more that you eat it, and the more that you undestand about how pit barbeque is done, the better that will enjoy it. Ask a pit boss sometime to allow you to watch what they do, from the kitchen side, make a day of it. You will learn a lot about meats in general, as well as the history of how and why Central Texas BBQ is so good...

Ken said Ruby's not Rudy's. Ruby's is on Guadalupe at 29th. Also, Rudy's does infact use wood, they just use a rotisserie unit instead of a pit. And, yes, the more that you know about a subject the better that you can enjoy it. Take women for example...

"An off night" just doesn't happen. More likely, an off patron.

Dan's Wine & Spirits - two stores: 1600 Lavaca St (512) 478-5423 5716 Burnet Rd (512) 451-2100

There is no "fine dining" in Austin - yoohoo! - it's Austin. Go to Le Reve in San Antonio.

The main thing for us here in Central Texas is that the uniqueness of the sausage product that came from the mixing of the German, Czech, Mexican, and Southern Black (something that could only happen in Central Texas) is so good... everything else seems second-best. (Well, until you get to Louisiana...)

Heaven's to Betsy: talk of sides and sauce?!?! Meat. Pickles or Jalapenos. Onion slices. And, beer or soda or iced-tea. That's it. Don't waste belly space...

A lean cut on a brisket is drier than a moist cut, but lean has, like, one-tenth the fat content of moist. Here's what I say, "Gimmie' half-a-pound of brisket, mid-cut, no black." Stay away from end cuts unless you like either end-part; the difference in the cuts are remarkable. Remember, in the old days, the man behind the counter would give the least desireable part to an inexperienced customer if he could get away with it. Thus, the tradition of allowing the customer to choose his/her part of the brisket (and other meats) at the counter; a sacred right in a Cen-Tex BBQ joint. ----------------- The only reason to go to the Magnolia Cafe is for breakfast migas, cheap and good, hence the crowds. There are better places to eat sandwiches, Tex-Mex and pastas. ----------------- I'm going to throw out a place that you might like: Cafe Josie on West 6th; try it for lunch, http://www.cafejosie.com/pages/1/

Bux, Out here in the Provinces we read the NYT on the internet, I do every morning. One recent article noted that there is an estimated 11 million rats in Manhattan. Wow! As for reviews, the whole point of Jules' satirical blog is that Bruni is not only offering a review of a restaurant, he's pretentious about it - fine line that, between sophistication and pretentiousness, and all.

The whole idea that NYers read NYT restaurant reviews to have their choosings made, silly to us Provincials.

Thanks for the outright belly laugh.

This talk only reinforces the importance of the Michelin Guide to France restaurants; debating their reviews methodology/value is academic.