Al_Dente

Was that lamb dish a special for our dinner? I was there a while back and didn't see anything resembling it on the menu. I could have eaten 10 lbs of that stuff, but it was served late in our meal and by then I could only sample a few morsels.

Imagine Ruby Tuesdays with a tapas bar. That's pretty much La Tasca. Okay, maybe not QUITE that bad.

For Valentine's Day this year I was given a red heart-shaped Le Creuset gratin. I've used it a couple of times already. I've never had one before but I can see myself using it often now. Is the "bottom rack/325degrees method" the way to go? From another thread, this is what I did: Shred the yukon golds using the big holes on a box grater. Rinse them a bit (to remove some of the starch), squeeze out the water and pat dry as best you can with paper towels. Add an egg to the grated potato and mix it up. Melt some butter in a pan, slap a handful of the potato in there, and flatten it out to about a 1/2 inch thick disk-- basically like a latke. Brown it on both sides. Make 2 of these things. Now you can make a little pie like thingy since you now have the upper and lower "crusts". Fill it as you like. I took a few strips of serrano ham ( ) and placed them in the bottom of a baking dish-- this way they crisped up a bit like bacon. Put one of the potato thingies on top. I sauteed a bunch of wild mushrooms and put this on top of the potato with some grated gruyere cheese. Now put the second potato thing over it. Sprinkle some more cheese, pour about 1/4 cup of cream for extra decadence over it, and pop it in the oven at 375 for 20 mins. Made for a good breakfast the next morning too.

The original link is a bit off. Until corrected, this is the right one. From the Slate.com article: "What are these creatures? As I say, they're called spongmonkeys. I don't know why and neither did Hall. In your mail to me, you've called them: gerbils with birth defects; Mr. Potato Rats; drug-addled, castrato hamsters; and "hell lemurs" (which, while catchy, is not really accurate, as the lemur body type is far more ectomorphic). Whatever they are, they're clearly Photoshopped, and if pressed I would say the base element is a pygmy marmoset." A Real Spongmonkey?

i don't think they're rats, mice, or hamsters. they look like tarsiers to me. still, i dig the commercials.

Nope. The one in Alexandria is called Fireflies-- haven't been yet myself, but I've heard mixed reviews.

I second this. Had it Saturday night. Perfectly crisped skin and the cabbage was delicious. Thanks John!

Think of the pork possibilities. Filet mignon stuffed with gorgoinkzola and wrapped in bacon!

You read my mind

To clarify, I didn't start that thread. I may be drunk, but I'm not stupid And if anyone gets rich off this idea, you better remember me!

I had the ventworm nut appetizer which i thought was quite tasty. Perhaps Mr Rocks had the entree. The nuts were extracted from the ventworm tableside-- I thought that was a nice touch.

You know, Phoenix. Pho-enix. Also, relatedly, Dallas and Nantucket.

Any. Also, Phoenix.

Portland

Not food related, but certainly a product we've all been waiting for: Towels

NONE You know, there might be a barbeque place or two out near Warrenton that could be worth working into a trip to Wegmans. That's what I was thinking......a good trip out for BBQ and stopping at Wegman's on the way home. Does this warrent an eGullet eVent?

See? I knew Pan ought to have done the response here!! Thanks for filling in the gaps in my memory! Told you it was far from p.c. And what does the warbonnet mean? ..Kosher for Passover ... it is affixed to foods which observant Jews buy for Passover ... and some not-so-observant Jews as well! That would be the Sosueme tribe, right? I bought the Claudia Roden book for a friend a while back. It really is an excellent read-- everytime I'm over there I thumb through it. Would it be bad form to borrow it?

I did a cool thing with some Yukons for part VDay dinner. Shred the potato using the big holes on a box grater. Rinse them a bit (to remove some of the starch), squeeze out the water and pat dry as best you can with paper towels. Add an egg to the grated potato and mix it up. Melt some butter in a pan, slap a handful of the potato in there, and flatten it out to about a 1/2 inch thick disk-- basically like a latke. Brown it on both sides. Make 2 of these things. Now you can make a little pie like thingy since you now have the upper and lower "crusts". Fill it as you like. I took a few strips of serrano ham ( ) and placed them in the bottom of a baking dish-- this way they crisped up a bit like bacon. Put one of the potato thingies on top. I sauteed a bunch of wild mushrooms and put this on top of the potato with some grated gruyere cheese. Now put the second potato thing over it. Sprinkle some more cheese, pour about 1/4 cup of cream for extra decadence over it, and pop it in the oven at 375 for 20 mins. Made for a good breakfast the next morning too.

I too was "at camp" for my first drunk when I was 15. My dad volunteered at this camp and brought me along for a weekend. There was a group of 20-something Canadian "advisors" who seemed to have a massive supply of Molson's on hand. I think I had 5 or 6 of them one night. It was an evening that included a sublime high-- a serious foolin around session with a much older and experienced woman, she was 17!!! And of course a pathetic low that seemed to go on forever as I yacked in the sink of the camp's institutional kitchen, my only comfort was pressing my face against the cold stainless steel cabinets and refrigerators. Those were the days.

must. keep. joke. to. self. Between this and the Royal Palace sub-thread in the "New Spots" thread, this forum is getting a whole lot more interesting. I wonder why Good Guys gets all the pub. Across the street, near Austin Grill, is JP's. No one ever mentions it... Actually, I've still never been to Good Guys. JP's on the other hand...

So conservative!

Rub that bird (spatchcocked, of course) with lemon juice, garlic, minced serranos, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and s&p. Mix some butter with plenty of cilantro and/or parsley and stuff that under the skin.

Il Radicchio has gone down hill BAD. Ain't what it used to be.

must. keep. joke. to. self.

Haven't been there in probably a couple of years, but I remember enjoying an espresso creme brulee.