KatieLoeb

Sorry I missed him too. I had a prior obligation or I would have stuck around. But I'm delighted he enjoyed the service and the oysters. I'll send his kudos to the staff from last night. It's always nice to know it's going well when I'm not around. Definitely convince him to bring you up here for a visit! There's lots to see and a whole mess of good eats. My fellow PA forum Philly Pholks and I would be happy to be your tour guides!

OK beer geeks! The nitrogen tank and slow pour tap have been installed and the Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout is now flowing at SSOH! Black & Tans too! I need to sell out of the Yeugling Lite (blech!) and then the Sly Fox Royal Weisse is in the house and on deck for tapping. Other recent additions are Stoudt's Abbey Triple, and Flying Fish E.S.B. The beer selection is officially upgraded and ready to roll with your oysters. Come on in!

Cool! I'll be in until around 7PM so I hope he makes it before then and has a chance to ask for me. I'd love to say hello and chat with him about other dining options.

Actually, Samuels & Sons is exactly who I was thinking of. The phone numbers and ordering information is on the link that Cinghiale provided. They should be able to give you their prices and minimums over the phone.

There's the wholesale fish purveyors down by the stadiums at the "Food Center" - the source of most wholesale food in the city. I'll ask my chef tomorrow which seafood vendors might be open to the public.

By "micro-vineyards" I presume you mean places like Chaddsford winery and such. We can deal directly with them, but only the ones IN PA. If a smaller winery doesn't have a purveyor that represents them in Pennsylvania, I cannot buy that product for the restaurant. Period. Could lose the liquor license for doing so, in fact. That Supreme Court case is about wineries shipping directly to consumers, not for "wholesale" customers such as restaurants. But if that loosens up (and I pray daily that it does, since the arguments against it made by the large purveyors are specious at best), hopefully it will ease restrictions on wholesale purchasing next. No reason a restaurant with a corporate credit card couldn't be a "consumer" - except for that pesky resale thing, of course...

Oh I don't know about this. Speaking as one who deals with the same system that Striped Bass does (and indeed did it for them a while back), the restaurant is somewhat at the mercy of deliveries to the local PLCB warehouse or store from which it picks up it's wine and liquor. There is no "instant inventory" in this state. Certain purveyors only deliver on certain days of the week. Some only deliver ONCE per week, so even if the restaurant runs out of a certain product on Tuesday night and orders it Wednesday AM, if the company only delivers on Wednesdays, then it will be a full week before that product comes in again. It might be a day or two before the entire wine list is reprinted to correct that (and presumably a few other) unavailable item(s) or it's like slaying an entire forest every day to keep up with the out of stock items. In an upscale restaurant that paper can be expensive and the process can be very time consuming with double sided copies and pages having to line up just so. Believe me - I've gotten a few gray hairs over it myself. A diner might have no problem changing the daily special sheet on Staples plain white copy paper - but it's much more of a production at the higher end. There was a rumor after the sale of Striped Bass that Stephen Starr was planning to motorize the giant fish sculpture and turn it into the world's largest "Big Mouth Billy Bass" that would turn it's head and belt out Take Me to the River periodically during dinner. For the record, I like the fish sculpture just as it is.

I do enjoy tea....and drink quite alot of it....thats already been established AND.... Thats NOT the question. I am considering buying a silver teapot....because.....i happen to LIKE silver TEAPOTS!!! I dont care that 90% of consumers dont think much about their teapot...I DO. I like tea...and i like teapots. I dont need a lesson about the joys of tea....nor do i happen to care about the tea habits of the rest of the world. If you have a problem with the fact that i happen to be interested in a silver teapot...i'm sorry but thats MY business. The question was about tea made in a silver pot....and THATS ALL ! You have given me your take on that...and i appreciate it. BUT...as to whether i should buy a silver teapot at all ... well.... thats up to me to decide then ......ISN'T IT !!!! ← I for one, would be interested in seeing a photo of the teapot you are coveting, once you have purchased it. Sometimes, it's nice to have something, just because. I have a lovely soup tureen that matches my china set. I use the "formal" china infrequently, the soup tureen even less. But once in a great while, I like to make something really special and use that soup tureen to "show off" for company, and to add a little elegance to my life. Go buy yourself that silver teapot, OnlyTheBest! It'll make you very happy.

Here is an eG review of Next. And another one. I was underwhelmed; but I ought to give them another try one of these days. ← Yeah, the wild disparity of impressions everywhere was the reason I qualified my rec. It's strange, because all my half-dozen meals were very good. Makes me wonder if I'm missing a defect somewhere. Still, if our esteemed Ms. Loeb is in my corner I can't be *that* far off Unless she's just being nice again... ← You're being too kind to me, and giving me far too much credit. I will qualify by saying that the owner of Next is a former co-worker and buddy of mine. I've had several (three or four) very nice meals at Next. I don't think the service I received was different because I'm an "in-the-biz" pal of the establishment, but I'll never really know the answer to that. Indeed I would have found the food I had very good and the service quite pleasant whether I were friends of the house or not. There have been any number of excellent suggestions on this thread. Dmitri's is a great choice too, although the wait on a Saturday night can be tedious, as Behemoth suggested, the New Wave bar across the street is an excellent "waiting room" where a few beers or cocktails can be had prior to your fabulous dinner at Dmitri's. Dmitri's is always a place I take out of town guests because it's so comfortable, affordable and the food is spot on consistent. Evan's suggestion of Pif is also a good one!

I like the Benjamin Tawny Port. Inexpensive, good depth of flavor and a "middle-of-the-road" enough style for pairing with different cheeses or just sipping solo. An astonishing bargain as well.

Thanks for the plug Melissa! And for saving me the search through the PA forum. I actually have to go back and look through there at the recipes myself!

Ohmigawd! I love the Rosemary-Honey Goatmilk gelato at Capogiro! They only have that flavor once in a while, but it's soooooo good!

Thanks to the organizational talents of Andrew Fenton, a group of us were able to enjoy StudioKitchen last Thursday evening. The menu was a Shola tour de force, as usual, and I think Chef was inspired by having an adventurous bunch of eGulleteers at his dosposal, to dazzle with inpsired culinary creations such as the following (wine parings in italics): Amuse Bouche: Sweet Corn custard Onion, Maple, Sherry Vinegar Caramel Smoked Duck Pearl Onion garnish Domaine Barmes-Buecher Cremant d'Alsace Brut, 2001 Red Lentil Soup Smoked Duck and Truffled Artichoke Salad Pistachio Oil Bodega San Vidal La Cosecha Amontillado Superior Roasted Scallops with Sansho Fennel Powder Warm Wheatberry Salad Rabbit Confit and Maui Onion Dumplings Anise Hyssop Jus Villa Sparina Gavi, 2003 Foie Gras Custard Black Truffle Glaze Porcini – Tallegio "Panini" Le Clos Baudoin Vouvray "Les Argiles", 2003 Salt Baked Lamb Loin Mirepoix of Eggplant, Pistachio and pickled Golden Raisins Pistachio Praline Celeriac Apple Cream Curry Leaf Jus Saintsbury Reserve Pinot Noir 2000 Vanilla and Ginger Scented Peaches Almond Orange "Nougatine" Mandarin Syrup Peach Cider Lemon Yoghurt Sorbet Tokaji Desswffy Kastély Fordítás 1999 Sadly, everyone forgot their cameras, so there's no photographic evidence of this amazing feast. My personal favorite was the Foie Gras Custard with the Panini on the side. Regular grilled cheese has been ruined for me forever now. Nothing else will ever compare to that with a smear of the foie gras custard on it. Really inspired. Great food, wonderful wines, gracious host, fabulous company and a great time was had by all. Much laughter ensued by the end of a wine soaked and food sated evening.

We do this as well, during lunch time (because folks generally have to be in and out in an hour), and during prime time at dinner. We have a lot of elderly customers that insist on sitting while waiting for the rest of their party, but since most of them dine so early it usually isn't an issue that effects anyone else.

David: My thanks for the vote of confidence. Slowly but surely I've been able to adjust the wine list, beer selection, Happy Hour choices, etc. I hope to see you on your next visit and would appreciate your feedback.

It helps immesnely if you move the "leftovers" to a smaller container with less oxygen in it. A half bottle of leftover wine does quite well in a well rinsed Snapple bottle with tight screwtop, or an empty 375 ml bottle from a half bottle of wine long past. The fridge helps retard oxidation somewhat. I wouldn't keep an open bottle or the leftovers from it for more than a few days. I don't seem to have this problem too often...

D'oh! There's already a Belmont Cocktail (1.5 oz gin, 1 oz cream, 0.25 oz raspberry syrup). One of the great dangers of naming a cocktail. Cool idea you have there, though. Kind of like a dry martini with Amontillado sherry filling in for dry vermouth. Maybe a Belmont Street Cocktail? ← Sam: Had a lovely Amontillado sherry last night that I hadn't tried before. It was Bodega San Vidal La Cosecha Amontillado Superior. I chose it to pair with a Red Lentil Soup with Smoked Duck, Truffled Artichoke Salad and Pistchio Oil (yes - this was a quite challenging menu that will be reported in full in the PA Forum under StudioKitchen) It was absolutely delicious and very nutty and dry. It would probably work really well in your cocktail where the sherry has to play that role of a "taming garnish", as it were. Don't know where you might find it in New York currently, but when the new Moore Brothers shop opens they will undoubtedly have it, since that's where I purchased it down here.

Thanks for the plug boys! Yes - I've decided that it's time to kick up the beer a notch too. We only have 8 taps, but I figure with a brewpub right upstairs it's probably a good idea to start playing hardball with the beer menu. Besides - it guarantees me more frequent visits from all of you! My next mission is to have the appropriate parts installed for a nitrogen powered line for some Sly Fox Stout! Since we now serve Bass Ale we'll be able to pour Black & Tans as well.

It's likelier that we can get them in May than now, I'm told, so definitely give me a heads up with your dates about a week ahead. I was told there's an 80-90% chance we can get them for your Gram around then. I'll do my best!

This is exactly what happened to me. (Well, it was the bathroom doors.) I suppose I could have bribed the maitre d' to get a decent table. But the whole point of living in Philadelphia is that you don't have to bother with that kind of nonsense. I actually disagree slightly with the concept vs. food description of Starr restaurants. Certainly Buddakan is probably at the top of the heap in that regard. They show just how hard it is to do fusion well: my experience was that the Asian dishes (Singapore noodles, dumplings) were not nearly as good as what you'd get at a good restaurant in Chinatown. And the genuine fusion dishes were generally disappointing: ponzu chicken with brown butter, for example, was a greasy mess. (But I did like the eel dice.) On the other hand, some of the other Starr restaurants are pretty good. I liked Blue Angel. And Tangerine has excellent food. It's expensive, maybe too expensive, but it's good; maybe because Moroccan fusion is easier to pull off. ← Andrew: This is precisely what I was talking about. Buddakan is three times the cost and one third as good a meal as almost any Chinese restaurant 6 blocks away in Chinatown. And at those prices I hardly expect the same 2 or 3 greasy gloppy sauces on every dish. Plus the place is a meat market, which is a vibe I really don't like mixing with a pleasant meal. It's loud as hell, it's crowded as hell and I'm sorry, but just because Buddhists are generally a peaceful non-confrontational group of people doesn't give someone the right to appropriate their religious icon and turn it into DECOR. It's just offensive. What's next? Jesuskan with a giant bleeding crucified man in the center of the dining room? Let's see how that goes over... I agree that the food at Tangerine is excellent - as is the wine service. Now there's a place in the Starr Resto Group that combines the theme park ambiance with a kitchen that can back it up. I also enjoyed the long lamented Blue Angel. I haven't had the pleasure of dining at Angelina's yet, but have heard good reports. Overall though, it's definitely about the concept and not the food, and at exhorbitant prices to boot.

Billybob's. ← That'd be it. And yeah. A classic dive.

A very succinct summary of the majority of the Starr establishments.

Dapper Dawgz. Your logo can be a Dachshund in a tuxedo. You can even give him a monacle like Mr. Peanut.

After a seemingly never ending day at the restaurant, I've come home and decided to crack open a bottle of wine and have a glass. I'd almost forgotten about this bottle of 1999 Hanna Bismarck Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon I purchased a short while ago. This is some incredibly rich Cabernet. I'd forgotten the price but the PLCB website tells me I paid $19.99 for it (yes - sometimes I do treat myself on an odd Monday ) and it was well worth the cost of admission. Dense color and intense flavors of black cherry, mocha, cigar box and a hint of herbs and vegetal in the background. Tannins definitely softened around the edges from some time in oak. Finish goes on for a full half minute or so. Having looked up the tasting notes on the winery website, I suspect I detected the green bell pepper flavor from the 9% Cab Franc in the blend. There's also a wee bit of Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot as well. Apparently the vines for this wine are grown at the highest altitudes in Sonoma (1400-2600 feet) and are on slopes that have very shallow soil. Wine is historically better from places where the vines are just ekeing out an existence and struggling to put down roots, get enough water and sunshine, etc. It makes the plants work harder and concentrate the juices in the fruit. End result is better wine. This is a fine example of that. I'm going to have to save half this bottle and have a big honking slab of meat for dinner tomorrow with it, just because. This wine makes me crave a steak that will still scream when I cut into it. Yowza! There seems to be a little bit of this wine still sprinkled about, so go jump on some if you can find it in a store you can get to. There seems to be a boatload of it in Lackawanna County. And the same wine purchased by a restaurant as an SLO item is going for $64!!! Damn!

Ahh, Katie can talk her into an Oyster PoBoy and she'll never go back to the clams! ← I'd be willing to try anyway. Or a Shrimp 'Po Boy which might be more similar to the way smaller crisper fried clams would be. Works for me. Bring on the dedicated clam fans and I'll give it my best shot.