sammy

Had ravioil stuffed with smoked filet mignon and ricotta when I was last there. Unbelievably good. The ravioli tasted like it was made just minutes before. Spoke with the chef about it and he said the most difficult part is getting the meat into the ravioli before the cooks eat it. The spaghetti with lobster dish at Esca is great. The lobster may be a bit small for what they charge but it adds a great taste to the dish.

Braised Bacon-The single greatest bacon dish I have ever had. I challenge anyone not to continually pick at it right from the pot. While delicious in its own right, it makes so many other dishes taste better (salmon with lentils, carbonara, amitriciana, soup, etc.) Make sure not to dump the stock that is produced. Onion Jam or compote or whatever they call it in the book- now a staple in my house. Double or triple the recipe and keep it in the fridge. Throw it on some good crusty bread or serve it with the chicken liver recipe in the book. Also great with cheese, believe it or not. Just about any fish dish-mostly simple and delicious. So many of the salads Roasted potatoes Mashed potatoes Of course the roast chicken Another bonus are all of the leftover ideas: panades, breakfast dishes etc. Too many others that I just can't think of right now.

How exactly did they "scoop" her? It is the Times normal practice to give a new restaurant some time before publishing a review. I'm almost positive they mentioned the restaurant previously in either Diner's Journal or Food Stuff.

Note that she thought it important enough to disclose that she's known two of the owners for years and is not dining there as a regular patron.

I have not yet been to Mix but was wondering how you might compare it to WD-50, if you've been there yet.

Don Peppe's for terrific family style souther italian. Located no more than 5 minutes from JFK near Aqueduct Race Track. The address is 13558 Lefferts Blvd. Phone number is (718) 845-7587. Just a heads up, I think it is cash only.

This can be said of just about every restaurant. Most of us don't go to new restaurants with an open mind. We end up comparing the experience with our expectations. What does this have to do with the review? I think that any restaurant that has a $72 price fixed menu changes the expectations. It needs to provide more than food that tastes good in a "fun environment." No more unfair than reviewing a new restaurant and publishing it immediately. A lousy review published immediately usually spells immediate doom as most potential diners steer clear from the get-go. At least with Gourmet, enough people have been able to experience the restaurant to know whether Gourmet's review is accurate or not. Tommy, please clue us in on how you determined that?

I believe they do this regularly at Babbo. But what do they know?

No doubt; but the phrase is definitely singular: "President's", not "Presidents'". Have you ever been there? From the looks of the place, I wouldn't rely on the expectation of proper punctuation.

I think that just about every President elected since Bryant's opened has at least tasted the food, either at the restaurant or at an event.

So if I understand you correctly, the wine in question goes by the name Pinot Grigio in only Italy and the Americas.

Is this "outsourcing" or "abdicating"? It is both. The restaurant puts a positive spin on it saying that a wine professional from an outside company is exposed to so many different wines on a regular basis and is better equipped to source appropriate wines at fair prices than the restaurant can do on it's own.

I understand that Pinot Grigio in Italy uses the same grape as Pinot Gris in France and other countries. From another thread, a discussion started as to whether or not wines using the same grape as Pinot Gris are referred to as Pinot Grigio in countries other than Italy. I do know there are several American Pinot Grigios. Is there such a wine as an Austrian or German Pinot Grigio? Any other countries? Please chime in.

Increasingly, I see a number of moderate to upper/moderate restaurants outsourcing their wine program to a distributor/retailer/consultant. My guess is that the restaurant feels they end up with a decent wine program but don't have the expense of actually having an employee do it. From an accounting perspective, I believe it turns fixed costs into variable costs.

I just did a few searches on Sherry-Lehman's site and only American and Italian wines show up as Pinot Grigio's.

So you can order a German or Austrian Pinot Grigio?

Isn't Pinot Grigio specifically Italian? I understand the grape is the same as a French Pinot Gris.

Edit for ignorance.

Look out, here come the "High Horse Police."

I don't see the point in more than one list. What's wrong with simply passing it around if someone else would like to see it? Giving a 650 bottle wine list to each person at the table is a bit ridiculous. Mark would need to keep them on a rolling cart. Tables (which seem to be getting smaller and smaller) are crowded enough already. Each person gets a menu because each person orders their food. Only one person orders the wine. As for tasting, the person that usually orders it tastes it but I've been to a few restaurants where the waiter asked who would like to taste it. Even though I typically order the wine when I'm out with my wife, sometimes I ask her to taste it.

Keep this beer stuff coming. It's great. I've never been one to appreciate the finer tasting points of beer, I either liked it or I didn't but this thread is definitely helping me distinguish the characteristics of beer I enjoy from those that I don't particularly care for.

Doesn't everyone have a Vacu Vin Wine Saver? It seems to work if you remember to pump it every other day or so. See it on amazon.

Terrace in the Sky, right? Did it go out of business? Cellar in the Sky was a restaurant on top of the WTC.

That is an amazingly low price. How thick are they sliced? Enough for 2? We've found that a single thick cut steak for 2 is preferable to 2 thinner steaks. Will they cut them to order?

I haven't but their supposed specialty is the aged ribeye.