Rich Pawlak

I'll do my best

I'm not sure where the train station is in relation to Primanti's, but I'd skip it, actually. I went the last time I was in Pittsburgh (January) and it wasn't that great -- yes, they put fries and cole slaw on your sandwich, but both are utterly bland. And they use boring white bread and undistinguished deli meats. So all in all, it wasn't a very interesting sandwich. I think there's good food to be had on the South Side -- for example, Fatheads' burgers. And they have a bunch of beers on tap to tide you over until Cleveland ← There is nothing dull about fresh cut fries, fresh cole slaw and thick slabs of good Italian bread holding those sandwiches together. Primanti Bros is a classic not be missed.

Last night at the new Grey Lodge Kitchen, the upstairs restaurant at the Grey Lodge in Philly (www.greylodge.com): New Magic Mushroom Spinach wraps, with a Flying Fish Hopfish IPA; a silky smooth Troegs Dead Reckoning Porter; and a nice, crisp Victory Prima Pils. But not in that order.

Then why did she bother to write about Bookie's if it was so damn bad? I'm tellin' ya, there is an unfair agenda thing going on in that review; she did not describe the restaurant in which I dined, not once, but twice.

And HOW DID IT TASTE????

Last n ight it was smoked turkey wraps and Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale During our weekly beerchat on Starchat.net (StarPirch/channels/No Bull Inn), it was a Stegmaier Porter, from Wilkes-Barre, PA, a fine traditional porter , followed by a 1999 Old Dominion Millennium barleywine, a real ass-kicker. Tonight it was tuna salad over mixed greens in a balsamic vinaigrette with Otter Creek Alpine Ale. Yummy.

I managed to get to the new indoor digs for Sweet Lucy's on Wednesday, just in time to avoid the dinner rush, and I've got to say that the place looks great, with very clever yet simple decor, and the staff work like a well-oiled machine, impressive for a place only open a few weeks. Genuine pride of ownership and product and service, all too rare in most restaurants these days. The early dinner crowd reminded me of the early bird crowd that you encounter all around Florida at 4PM, older, crotchety and hard to please, but the Sweet Lucy's folks charmed every last one of them. My platter (the Triple Threat! LOL, chosen instead of the Quadruple Bypass!, the actual names of the platters), featured smoky, fall of the bone ribs, smoked turkey and pulled pork, sides of baked beans and macaroni salad and cole slaw, and an impressive slab of corn bread, almost enough for two, and 3 different takes on BBQ that all succeeded, especially the turkey, moist, almost sweet-smoky and some of the best turkey of any kind that I have had in years. My dining partner had a rib and chicken combo plate, with two enormous portions of chicken and 4 meaty ribs. The chicken, like the turkey was impressive, moist and full of both smoke AND chicken flavor. A side of collards was spicy and maybe too salty, but still pretty good, and the red skin potato salad was maybe a little too creamy, but these are small complaints. The overall quality and polish of the food overrode all of that. What an impressive place!

I've now eaten there twice, and McCutcheon couldn't be more off base. Both of my dinners there were terrific, with my only complaint being the not quite p;olished service. Couldn't fault the food at all; David Cunningham is a terrific chef, and he is performing well there. I've got to think there is more to her review than she is willing to reveal.

Shameless plug, and it's MONTHS away, but in the July issue of DC STYLE, writer Kara Baskin does a terrific rundown of seafood purveyors in DC, MD and VA, well researched and quite comprehensive.

My first thought would be to consult Lew Bryson's book, "New York Breweries", available in most decent bookstores and brewpubs in the Empire State, as well as contacting him through his website , www.lewbryson.com. Lots of information there, as well as from the writer himself.

I would also suggest SULTAN, in Lansdale, PA, as a very good suburban Indian place; it is some of the very best Indian I have ever had, made with care, preseneted beautifully, but people with real enthusiasm for their craft. I live but 3 blocks away from arguably the best Indian place in NJ, Taste of India in Lawrenceville. This is a very Indian dining-dense part of the country, and it's an embarassment of riches.

Recently I enjoyed a beer-cheese pairing involving 2 blue-veined cheeses (see "Beer Dinner" thread in the PA Forum) and a chevre, and the beer involved was Heavyweight Lunacy, a Belgian triple style. Glorious pairing!

You two REALLY know how to live.

Looks very much like the menu in place when I waited tables there in 1981. Jesus. They used to do a nice couple of fondues, when no one but the Chesse Cellar was doing them. Romantic, grotto-like room downstairs, ditzy Ukrainian owner. Cant believe it's still open; Ive never driven by and seen the place showing even a slight sign of life.

I would suggest a white pie with garlic; sausage and peppers; a plain red pie and absolutely that spinach tomato one; we enjoyed tghose very pies at the first ever gathering of the Pizza Club back in 2003.

Il Gallo Nero, where now a shameless Buca di Beppo sits Of Time and The River, on Leithgow and South, where Marrakesh now sits Russell's, where La Baia now sits The origional H.A Winston at Front and Chestnut, which sadly sits empty and forlorn. It was great for a college student Saturday night out in the mid-70s. La Chaumiere, on Sansom, which, in its time was a lovely intimate French place Magyar, also on Sansom, which was a fun little taste of Hungary. Conversation, at 17th and Pine, previously mentioned, with a great Sunday brunch The Three Threes, an eccentric place on Smedley, that proved that liver and onions and sherry could make for an elegant entree. The last dinner destination of the first Dangerous Dining Club in October of 1992. The first wood-burning oven pizza joint in Philly, at 4040 Locust, and I CANT REMEMBER ITS NAME!!! The site of the very first Dangerous Dining Club get- together in 1988. La Cupole, Olivier de St. Martin's very first restaurant in Philly, on the 4th St side of the Bourse. He introduced skate with brown butter to Philly there, I think. Shippen's, at 4th and Bainbridge, one of the great, stylish pick-up bar-restaurants, which became several different places before its current reincarnation as Southwark.

There are people on this very board who are going to LOVE you for this, James. Jesus, that's a screamin deal.

It was a blast. James, I'm sorry I missed you, ya shoulda said hello! I was impressed (and , as always, fascinated) with beer/food pairings, moments of synergy that I live for: Standard Tap's puff pastry lamb stew pies with Nodding Head's Grog and/or BPA, two fabulous pairings. The Victory Prima Pils and London's bhan me slices. Oh my. Tria's inspired cheeses and Heavyweight's Lunacy, a truly stunning marriage of savory, salty and sweet. The pastrami and slaw and rye nibbles with Triumph's rye brew. I'd like to have blended the rauchbier with that rye beer. Think ham on rye. Really. Genl Lafayette's duck confit with thier Triple was an oustanding pairing. Thomas's Kobe beef and corn sprouts with Yards Saison. Inspired. the aforementioned pulled pork and eggplant salad from the Down Home Diner, paired with Appalachian's Scottish Ale, was the best pairing of the day. Rx's gingerbread with lemon sauce and Independence Brewpub's Imperial Stout was the runner up Chesse fondue and Troeg's Troegenator dopplebock was second runner up. Bumping into so many participants from past beer tours, eGulleteers (Chris Holst, Bob Linkind, Janet McBaker, Greg Salisbury!) and other friends and foodies: priceless.

I have to agree with you about Conti's. There's just such a dearth of good restaurants of any kind in Princeton, Conti's is a good choice and the beer makes it all the more palatable. I must, however, disagree with your inclusion of DeLorenzo's on Hamilton Ave as part of your Trenton trinity though. I like the pie only if the line on Hudson street is too long! I have found the pizza there inconsistant. Actually Joe's tomato pies (now closed) used to be my 2nd choice in the burg. ← I miss Joe's too, but the Hamilton Ave Delorenzo's has never failed to deliver an excellent tomato pie for me. Try the asparagus and red pepper pie in particular.

Wherever Chef Vince Alberici is, so too is a good veal chop. With the closing of the Adam's Mark, where he toiled for many years, he has moved his considerable expertise to Delmonico's at the Hilton City Ave. I would expect a flawless veal chop to be served there now.

Considering Gary uses a regular Bari pizza oven, it's amazing he gets the crisp, smoky, crackly crust he gets. I did forget about Conte's in Princeton, a very good pie, but not in the class of the trinity in Trenton. The city's tomato pies don't get enough respect, I agree, but I was heartened to see a piece in the Philadelphia Weekly about 2 montghs ago, when Lauren McCutcheon finally made her pilgrimage.

edit: for spelling ← Some beers age beautifully. Barleywines, imperial stouts, baltic porters, and other big, hoppy beers. There are many beer aficionados who will annually put away bottles of Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Anchor Our Special Ale, Sierra Nevada Celebration, B rooklyn Monster barleywine, Heavyweight Old Salty barleywine and the once-a-year-brewed Samichlaus. The fun of it is sampling the brews several years down the road to compare them to the current edition. A good dinner party activity after dessert; it can be very entertaining.

Chef Vola's. A most amazing and cult-favorite Italina place on a tiny alley near the Sands casino. No sign, no published phone number. BYOB. Very good Italina food, with a few wrinkles. Someone on this board should have the number, I'd bet. Zagat.com should have the number too. Have the concierge at the Borgata make a reservation for you. Take any time available. Bring a good bottle of something. It's a wacky, and incredible, dining experience. In the Borgata itself, NOW (Noodles of the World) isn't a bad place for a quick bite and some communal table eating is a hip atmosphere. Decent pad thai, as I recall.

I'll keep your recommendations in mind. Thanks! ← After conducting 18 beer tours during 9 years of the Book and The Cook, my best advice has worked almost flawlessly every year. Eat food when you enjoy beer, and try to drink as much water as beer. I really do personally follow this process: a glass of water for every glass of beer. You may need the restroom a bit more, but you will be quite level-headed after it's all over. Ans yes, no hangover the next day.