KatieLoeb

This is the very nice man I always greet as Mr. Wonka whenever I'm there. I think he finds it amusing. He was also nice enough to show me the chocolate vat in the back a few weeks ago. I'm still dreaming of a swim in it.

Ditto + Vientiane.

Biotank! :laugh: Too funny. Dinner was indeed quite delicious. The place was filled with lots of Koreans, which is always a good sign in my book. Service was friendly and efficient, and we were quite happy to be there after getting aced out of dinner both at GIWA around the corner and at Han Chon, my fave go to for Korean in Cherry Hill. The banchan offerings weren't quite as extensive as I would have liked (and one of my favorite things about Han Chon, since they serve about a dozen little dishes before dinner!), but they were well prepared and tasty. If we'd had enough presence of forethought instead of sheer ravenous hunger we also might have thought to stop and pick up some wine or beer. But no matter. We'll know for next time. My only real complaint about the dinner is that the shortribs in the Galbi were really stringy and tough. Way too much connective tissue and not the usual falling off the bone texture that I expect from shortribs. There's a reason that shortribs, no matter what cuisine the recipe is from, are always cooked long and slow in liquid. I fear these might not have had time in the broth for quite long enough. The broth itself was quite delicious and almost lightly gelatinous in texture. I had commented that I thought the broth had a similar texture to a Japanese Miso soup, and a "proteinaceousness" akin to miso as well. Well spiced too. The dumplings were very good and I'd go back just for those. I'd not had the crusty riced Dolsot BiBimBap prepared that way before and it might be my new favorite Korean dish. [Homer]Mmmmmmm...Crusty rice.[/Homer] All in all Miran is a fine alternative for Korean in Center City. I agree that a BBQ reconaissance mission needs to happen before I pass final judgement.

philadining and I tried to have dinner here tonight but sadly found it CLOSED at 7:45 PM. How do you close at 7:30 on SATURDAY night??!!?? We ended up having dinner at Miran instead and satified the kimchee jones nonetheless. I'll wait for the pictures and post to comment on that. We also had dessert at Naked Chocolate Cafe ( :wub: ) afterward and are both feeling a bit like Mr. & Ms. Creosote as a result. I'm going to bed soon to seesaw on my rice and chocolate stuffed belly....

Beat me to it. I was going to say the exact same thing. There's no other way to make coffee for that many folks at once without renting some sort of large capacity brewing/percolating device. Investing in good coffee and making certain that it's ground and measured properly for the device you're using should guarantee at least palatable coffee for the masses.

Let me know how it works for you. The key is really gingery simple syrup. I usually microplane the ginger into the hot syrup and let it cool. Strain and use ASAP. The kitchen at work makes ginger simple for us and slices the ginger thinly. That seems to work too, and is obviously a better solution when making big batches of it. The cassis and lime combo sounds intriguing. I'll have to give that one a try too!

Yeah OK. I can appreciate this too. But just because I understand it intellectually doesn't mean that I'm not emotionally devastated and unable to eat fish for weeks.

Stephen: Delighted you've made it here and are settling in. Glad the kitty made the trip unscathed as well. Save all your receipts since they do indeed count as "research" and should be deducted as such on your 2006 tax returns. Every little bit counts! Keep us in the loop on how it's going and let us know when the grand opening is! I'm sure the regional eGulleteers will be lined up outside your door on opening day!

Tonight's effort. A revisit to a former concept. The Thai-pirina half a lime, cored and sliced into small wedges .75 oz. Ginger simple syrup 6 large fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces 2.5 oz. cachaca ginger ale Muddle lime, simple syrup and basil in bottom of shaker. Fill with ice. Add cachaca and shake vigorously. Dump into a rocks glass and top with ginger ale. Stir gently. Sip. Rinse. Repeat.

Great article, Rich. I enjoyed reading about how those chefs are able to squeeze every last drop of utility from every square inch of space. I hope it does wonders for their businesses as well. There's something admirable in knowing that there was a noble struggle to get your plate to you.

Looks like the critter from Aliens. YIKES! That would have scared the crap out of me too. It's like a fish maggot. Ewwwwwww....

Sadly, I fear you are completely correct about this. But just because I acknowledge it doesn't mean I have to accept it. Or at least any more than I accept the ageism or hiring on looks bullshit. I've been passed over for enough jobs for either men or the size two Twinkies that look cute behind the bar or in the pornographic "uniforms". I'm over it. I only want to work for someone that hires me based on my professionalism, work ethic and skill set. And thanks for the compliment! I'm in good company with those other ladies. There really are quite a few "vixens of vino" here in Philly and I for one, think that's a very good thing. Here is where I respectfully disagree. The staff at Amada is trained by tasting all the wines and the food. Pairing suggestions are given in the notes but all are encouraged to find their own favorite pairings and actually learn a little bit about the mechanics/chemistry of food and wine pairing and be able to apply it in a customer service setting. It's not about the canned speech. It's about guiding the guest experience. When the staff can do that there's no need for a formal on the floor sommelier.

That Domaine Serene is freakin' delicious! The Dierberg 2004 Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir I tasted today might be a good match too.

This is sad but true. And it sucks for me in a really big way. The other problem is that several of those eight people in Philly are young Frenchmen who were specifically imported here from other cities to do that job, rather than letting myself or some of the other qualified WOMEN in town have a shot at the position.

A really fruity Pinot Noir might work too, although I like Craig's suggestion of a dolcetto a lot. Domaine Serene Yamhill Cuvee could be a worthy contender.

Palomas are mighty tasty and refreshing. Cherry and citrus flavors go together well so I spent a good part of the summer drinking a Paloma variant of tequila, sour cherry syrup and Fresca with a squeeze of lime.

Sheila: Your report on spotty service has been echoed by others I've heard from regarding Nineteen. I haven't heard that the food was bad, just sort of overpriced and disappointing. The room is gorgeous, however, and is a great place for drinks and the view. Do you think they need a savvy sommelier??

Depends what state you live in whether or not refilling the smaller bottles is legal or not. On the books it might be illegal, for fear that unscrupulous bar owners might put Popov into the Belvedere bottles, but I suspect if you're displaying what you're actually selling, it's a fairly unenforceable law and unprosecutable offense.

Martini & Rossi Bianco vermouth makes a very fine dry martini. And yes - I agree that if there's no vermouth or if one bows in the direction of France with the gin bottle or any number of other silly ways to avoid putting the vermouth into the glass or shaker, you're just drinking gin up. The same room full of monkeys that are typing all the collected works of Shakespeare could mix that drink for you too. No skill involved whatsoever.

As mentioned in my initial post. ← At times I am selectively illiterate...

Stop encouranging the madness!!! All of you need to stop looking up specific gravity tables and start realizing what we bartenders really mean when we say the blender is broken.

Sarcone's anyone? Anyone? Bueller??? There's also a place in Manayunk that's uphill from Main Street that has (supposedly) killer tomato pie as well as really awesome Pepperoni bread that I have loved in the past. edited to add: Marciano's Bakery

I was thinking more something along the lines of a Black & White Peppermint Patty dessert type drink, myself.

Ohhh fun! I'll join in: 1 oz. Godiva dark chocolate liqueur

Biggest problems are: 1) Just because a chef can cook doesn't mean they understand squat about running a business or even anything that happens on the other side of the swinging doors. If fact, more often than not they don't. 2) A lot of non-chefs think that just because they eat they can run a restaurant. Like a hobby. As if any of us would take up brain surgery or criminal litigation or whatever as a hobby. 3) Good food needs good management on the other side of those swinging doors to make the guests feel welcome, handle the reservations and seating, babysit the staff, babysit the customers, interview hire and train staff, schedule the staff, act as liason between the staff and the kitchen, watch the payroll and liquor costs, keep the physical plant clean and safe, etc. etc., etc. ad nauseum. 4) There have to be three dozen things no one thought of I could name just off the top of my head that are either recurring expenses or occasional expenses that no one budgeted for. And then there's the expensive crisis du jour that will rear it's ugly head with some frequency like the AC system blowing out during the hottest week in July or the dishwasher backing up or a shelf falling down and breaking lots of expensive china or stemware. And that's just the tip of the iceberg...