Rich Pawlak

Just got word from the GREY LODGE website that they have won for their incredible french fries! CONGRATS to owner Scoats, Exec Chef Pat MgGinley and their talented kitchen crew. I think they should also have won for their mussels and cheesesteak. So far, from the magazine's own website we know that Snack Bar's chef, Johhny Mac has won for Best New Chef. Any other noteworthy winners?

James, it's worth a trip for sure. I thought you said that you grew up in the area, have you ever been there? You may want to go via Newtown and get depressed when you drive by what used to be Goodnoe's. ← The Trenton Farmers Market is a true jewel in my neighborhood. It's a privilege to live just a mile away from this lively, year-round treasure. Great Polish deli, awesome fried chicken vendor, the outstanding Cartlidge's butcher shop, Terhune Orchard's spectacular pies and apple cider, and a branch of the Italian People's Bakery. And I recmmend Lillian Van Andel's Cedarbrook Farm for the market's finest corn.

Choc Basement Brew Pale Ale, from Krebs, OK, given to me as a 50th birfday present, along with some other Crc beers and homebrewed mead, courtesy of OKC's Bob Rescinito! A VERY niced beer! Good hop profile!, Nice malt balance. Great hoppy, viney aroma. I could quaff this one all day.

Michael Klein may know better, but last I heard was that Ken moved to Jim Thorpe to open an inn or B&B, something like that.

Specifically, it was rigatoni in carbonara sauce and it was a great dish.

I moved into that neighborhood just as Silveri's opened and it quickly became my favorite hangout. Their wings, the very first version of wings that I ever tried, were outstanding. The brothers Silveri did their hometown of Buffalo proud. Closest versions to the Silveri original recipe are the wings at McMenamin's Tavern in Mt Airy, followed closely by McGillin's version. Both are very close to the true Buffalo style.

I once participated in a buffalo wing rundown-search-panel-marathon eating of wings for a Philly Style article, and the best wings we had in Center City were at McGillin's Old Ale House, followed by Moriarty's. Best we sampled overall were at McMenamin's Tavern in Mt Airy, and the venerable Jughandle in Pennsauken, NJ.

I realkly dont think that they serve the best in town, but some of the best grub in town. I prefer their beef sammie to their pork myself, and still love the hot dog-fish cake combo. And the pepper hash!

I , too , became a big fan of Augsberer beer in the mid-80's when I discovered it at the Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis (before it morphed into a brewpub!). I bought it for years both in MD and in PA, and then--poof!--it disapperared! Is it still being made at all?

1. Lawrenceville Inn, just south on Rte 206 from Princeton proper 2. Mediterra, Hulfish St in Princeton 3. Carousel, Nassau St in Princeton

How in God's name did Yards ESA , or any of their beers for that matter, get ignored by the listmakers of this dubious list?

We buy all of our sausages at Cartlidge's of Trenton, in the Trenton Farmers Market, around since 1922. Their sausages have no nitrites, fillers, MSG or artificial anything. Superb lean quality to all of their sausages.

Opened during our latest beer chat on Friday night (starchat.net, Pirch/no_bull_inn, 11:30PM EDST): 1997 Old Dominion Millenium barleywine Still opened with a hiss, and poured reddish brown with a 1/2 in dark kahki head, that actually stayed around for a while! Lots of vanilla, leather and toffee aromas, and plenty of vanilla and mace and even peachy notes on the tongue. Sweet, sweet finish, a little sticky actually, but a kinda nice subdued BW, and anice compliment to a small cigar I was smoking at the time. [Moderator note: This topic continues in What Beers Did You Drink Today? Or Yesterday? (Part 2)]

Hell yes! I caqnt stand missing a place like this. It's of course my own fault.

Has anyone beside me noticed that Laban's Thurs afternoon Q&A has been removed from the Inquirer's website?

I went to the new Casdeluna tonight, and I have to say it was incredibly good. Portions are a little larger, service is very attentive, and, to my taste buds, the flavors are a little heartier and brighter. The food is served with tremendous enthusiasm. There has been some minor decor changes, there is background music (which plays a bit too loud), but the food song remains the same. New owner Mirna Castellanos knew a good menu concept when she saw it, and thankfully she hasnt messed with it all, except to make some subtle improvements. There is still no menu, and dinner now is $23 per person. The opening plate of bruschetta hasnt changed at all, nice baguette rounds topped with garlicky chopped tomatoes studded with mozzarella, a great opener. The cold antipasto came next, slightly larger than I remember, but still the same flawless romaine leaves, thick slabs of provalone, mortadella, capicola and salami, roasted red peppers, cukes, black olives and that unusual addition of sweet cantelope. The pasta course is definitely a larger plate of spaghetti, with a choice of marinara, meat sauce, white or red clam sauce, and tonight, 2 special sauces, broccoli and mushroom. The twins split a plate of meat sauced spaghetti, and my adult dinin g companions chose white clam, while I opted for the broccoli sauce. The broccoli sauce is mostly stems rather than florets, but no matter, it was terrific, and just plain different. the white clam pastas definitely were better than I remember them, with more clams, and a more cohesive sauce. We chose entrees of roast chicken, veal and peppers, chicken parmegana and roast pork. The entrees were larger prortions too, with 3 thick slabs of herby roast pork, beautifully turned out, a hefty cutlet of chicken parm, and a big oval plate of veal and peppers. But the table winner was the crispy-skinned, moist chicken. The kids loved it, and so did the adults , when we could snag a bite of it. It made me realize how satisfying a simply roated chicken could be. Witn the entrees came a large bowl of garlicky green beans, replacing the escarole and white beans previously served at Tattoni's, but the owner said that they also make that too some days. Desserts offered were several pre-made sorbets (coconut, peach, orange), tartufo and raspberry tartufo, tira misu and a special of homemade rice pudding. The rice pudding was great, lightly cinnamoned. And the coconut sorbet was a bit too large and rich to finish. I also had an excellent cup of espresso. So a dinner of 4 entrees, with a coupla Becks beers, and a coupla iced teas and 2 desserts was $116 before tip. A screamin, honkin, beat-the-doors-down deal for the priceless homemade quality of what we ate. And we had a decent sized doggy bag to take home too. Run, dont walk to support a wonderful restaurant like this, and thank God the Tattoni's flame is being kept alive at Casdeluna. Casdeluna 800 Chestnut St. Trenton

Use the name "Laban" when you make your reservation; it should get you a great table!

Youre confusing mags, Vad. Ours looks like a brochure for overpriced Main Line homes! Now get your glorified brochure jabs right! Harumph! Now I need another gin and tonic, old boy.....

Why ? Because you no longer work for them and are working for a competing publication ..... ← Because the have virtually no serious food writing in the magazine. And I dont think MAINLINE is in any kind of competition with that mag.

The issue of editorial and advertising isnt at all the issue, it's about content. Both are under the same banner of newspaper. It has a uniform voice which is the amalgalm of it's contents. Edited to add: Philly Mag and STYLE also have good food writers. ←

It OBVIOUSLY isnt hard to break into print as a food critic excluding Laban, Henri, Keyser,Nichols,Motoyama who moved to France, the rest is fluff. ←

even though the room seats 40 and the party is for 70? ← 70 was a number referred to regarding the size of Tangerine's private room, not the size of the rehearsal dinner party.

I think FORK would be your best bet, period.

The interferences of advertising with editorial is a reality at a lot of magazines, unfortunately. At a previous food editor gig, I was constantly barraged by the sales folk to cover places they pitched, with some actually promising the restaurants a write-up. I ususally ignored them, but sometimes got pressure from upper management to in fact comply with sales. In my current position at MAINLINE Magazine I have been solicited by sales folk to "consider" covering certain restaurants that are advertisers or potential advertisers, but I'm fortunate to have an editor who rips the salesfolk a new one if they ever contact me. So far I remain free to write about places of my choosing. But I know that my situation is the exception, not the rule.

I should think we might be able to find it at old school diners like the Oregon Diner, Melrose Diner, Broad Street diner, Penrose Diner, and Mayfair Diner in Philly. I seem to recall it on the menu at the terrific Gateway Diner on Ridge Pike in West Norriton, PA. I might also check out Big George's Stop N' Dine in West Philly or the Llanerch Diner on City Ave and West Chester Pike. Gotta be an old school place, no question about it. I bet Rick Nichols at the Inky could track some down.