KatieLoeb

Went through the checkout line at the CVS yesterday with a box of tampons, a bottle of Aleve, a jar of Super Chunk Skippy and a box of baked Cheese Crackers. Think I gave myself away?

True 'dis.

I'm with Percy. As infrequently as I've made it to Cheesecake Factory, I stolidly refuse to wait. Either they can seat me in the bar right away, and I'm happy to eat at the bar, or not. Not all places (let's call our example Dmitri's) have the luxury of having the de facto "waiting room" with a full service bar right across the street. But it does work well when it works.

I usually work on Tuesday evenings, so I might have to miss this one. If it were moved to Wed. or Thursday evening or a weekend I'd be totally in, though. But don't worry none about 'lil 'ol me. There's plenty of future pizza for me to partake in...

Sorry I missed this! Looks like good eats. Hopefully today was but a reconaissance mission and Sunday Goatalicious Brunch will become a regular get together. I'm still awaiting Andrew's posting of our feast at Jose's last week. That was some good eatin'. Cheap as dirt and unbelievable homemade food. I can't wait to go back. Andrew. Did you have to go there with the picture of the cute baby goat???

Not sure if this is an actual Chairman's Selection or not, but I broke open a bottle of Yalumba "Y" Series Viognier 2005 this evening. I purchased this earlier this week at the Delaware Avenue store for $10.99. A very pleasant and refreshing summer white. Lovely honeysuckle floral hints in the nose as well as some tropical fruits and good dose of citrus to it. Great mouthfeel and a luciousness and weight that I wouldn't expect at that price point. Nice acidity too. I had a glass with some leftover roast chicken for dinner and it was quite nice. I suspect it would be delicious with fish and seafood as well. A great example of Australian Viognier. This will join the rotation of go to summer whites.

I believe Goya sells a basic orange mojo marinade in most supermarkets with a decent Hispanic grocery section. I know I've seen it and bought it at my local Pathmark.

Thanks Bob! Those are the very ones I was thinking of when I mentioned seeing commercially packaged shrubs. I just couldn't remember the name! I've tried the Tait Farms shrubs and they are indeed delicious. I bet the ginger would be awesome in rum or tequila based cocktails. I wonder if I can dig up a recipe to make my own ginger shrub....

Abra: Your limoncello looks perfect! And the Nocino looks pretty tasty too. You must let us know if it passes the taste test though. I usually pour mine into tall thin bottles (former shnapps or fancy vinegar receptacles usually) and keep it in the freezer so it gets really cold and viscous. A wee glass after dinner makes for a wonderful digestif. A nice pour of limoncello went in with my pink lemonade in the cooler I brought with me to the outdoor (in the humid July Philly heat) Bonnie Raitt concert I attended this evening. Most refreshing!

Note to self: Never design a restaurant with an open kitchen unless: a) There's an ass kicking ventilation/smoke eater sytem in place. b) The AC system is powerful enough to make the dining room as cold as a meat locker before all the bodies pile in...

I believe the colonists called these fruit/vinegar/sugar based drinks a "shrub'. I've seen commercially packaged raspberry and blueberry shrub and they are incredibly refreshing, particularly if made with ice cold sparkling or mineral water. A quick Google search reveals a myriad recipes for either Raspberry Shrub or Blueberry or Grapefruit Shrub

Actually if they insist on having a host hired for their looks, they've hit the goldmine with Padma Lakshmi. She's not only stunning, but intelligent, articulate and knows about food. I've always liked her and enjoyed her segments on FTV. More on her hiring and a photo HERE She would've been one of my suggestions. As for replacing the other two, I think Drew Nieporent would be an interesting replacement for Colicchio. Loads of experience and actual working knowledge of the business and an eye for what works.

Jeff: Open kitchens are notorious for heating up the room. Add to that the excessive number of "lemmings" coming out because we just got some good press, the usual insane number of Friday night reservations because of the Flamenco show and the fact that it's 95 and humid as hell outside and it's a recipe for disaster. There's a guindilla pepper plant in the front window of the bar area that one of the bartenders bought as a gift for Jose. About 8 weeks ago it was a 6" tall sprout. Now it's two and half feet tall and has mulitple peppers on it that are literally doubling in size overnight! I realized it's because it thinks it's in a greenhouse. The restaurant can get really warm on a crowded hot summer night. My apologies for that. They are constantly tweaking the AC units for better/more efficient output. Next time ask to be moved. If it's feasible I'm sure they'll make it happen for you.

The Chicken Ginger Lime soup at Jose's Grocery on North 10th (just below Spring Garden) is rockin'! And owner Jose was nice enough to make it for us to order last week. What an awesome little bodega serving amazing Mexican food! Andrew, where are those photos anyway?? Jose's deserves it's own thread!

I finally heard back from the Mikasa folks. The Kwarx unbreakable "Open Up" series won't be available until 2007.

Sooooooo... Has anyone been yet? What's the word? I can't wait to go see their wine list and compare it to Amada's. I'd like to see what their prices are like for by-the-glass wines.

A couple of bites of the best warm apple pie with French Vanilla ice cream and Caramel sauce I've ever tasted at my night job. The garde manger accidentally overbrowned the top of a big honking slab of pie meant for a customer and had to start over. The staff were the recipients of his mistake. The chef said he'd marry our pastry chef just for her apple pie. I told him I was certain he wasn't the first man to say that!

have you tried these? i considered buying one last week but when i picked it up it had a super floral almost papaya-ish smell to it, and sometimes papaya smells like cat pee to me, so i put it back down. what do you do with those spearling? i saw them last week and was intrigued--any idea? just flour and fry, like smelt but snackier? do they need cleaning or do you just eat them as is? ← I love Galia melons! Try them the way they are eaten in Portugal. Halve, remove seeds and fill the cavity with port wine. ← Yeah Baby! I like the way you think! Welcome to the PA forum. Keep those great suggestions coming!

I guess the frog's legs worked their magic! Congrats to all the Italia fans!

ledervin: Find a nice ballon shaped (usually called "pinot Noir" glasses in some lines) or a nice teardrop shaped large bowl glass for the reds. That ought to do you fine. Congratulations on the new addition!

Isn't L'Angolo supposedly Pugliese (heel of the boot) cuisine?

Howzabout checking your local Asian grocery store?

Just for sandwiches: You skipped Chickie's Deli for hoagies. That's a definite must see. John's Roast Pork. The Schmitter sandwich. The grilled felafel or the Angelo Cataldi sandwiches at Bitar's. I'd skip the cheesesteak thing altogether. It's had far too much coverage already. The story angle is that there's so many better sandwiches in Philly than cheesesteaks. For quintessential "only in Philly" type places: Carman's for breakfast. Shank & Evelyn's for lunch.

Ok folks - the cocktails are in RecipeGullet. Blue-jito and Blueberry Caipirinha.

When all else fails - get a Jack and Coke.