KatieLoeb

Welcome to eGullet Glenn! I'll be happy to see you when you stop in. And Greg Ling - wished I'd known you were here so I could have introduced myself. I'm really enjoying having folks come in to say hello. I'm here every day but Saturdays at the moment, and am closing Sunday, Monday and Friday nights so I get in a bit later in the day on those days. But always ask if I'm in so I can say hi! I love having so many eGullet folks pop in to say hello, and I definitely value your feedback on the restaurant.

Whatever you serve, it should be a 3 oz. pour at the maximum. Too much sweet wine makes for ill guests and spoils the wonderful memory of having had just enough. I have to concur on the choice of riesling for the prawns. Maybe even a very restrained gewurtraminer (not too flowery and huge). Perhaps an Oregon or California Gewurztraminer? Foris Vineyards of OR or Lazy Creek in CA both make gorgeous gewurz that would pick up on those tropical fruit notes too. TBA = Trockenbeerenauslese. A designation for German and Austrian dessert wines that are left to hang on the vines until the grapes are virtually raisins. The concentrated juices make for incredibly viscous and sweet wine, but they tend to be expensive as the yields are so low. Trocken (dry) + Beeren (berries) + Auslese (picked when quite ripened).

Sure enough, Murray's Cheese has it. Never would have thought to look in a cheese shop. I'll finally get to taste it, yippee! ← Glenn: So how are the fig jam variations coming along?? Did you end up liking it or not? The curious want to know...

Overhyped, overpriced and underwhelming is the consistent read I get from folks whose palates I trust and whose wallets can pay the freight without even flinching, unlike myself. I went once and just had a few pieces of sushi that nearly bankrupted me and found it to be much like most of the Starr establishments - theatrical but lacking in real substance and utterly devoid of a soul. They just baked a couple of trays of Brown Betty this afternoon and my whole office smells like cinnamon and butter. The oven is right outside my office door. Quite distracting. The bread pudding smelled pretty good too. Saturday I should be traipsing through the wilds of Brooklyn eating lots of pizza with like minded and stalwart Pizza Club companions. However, we do still do Happy Hour (even on Saturday and Sunday!! ) so the $5/half dozen Blue Points and a fine pint of lager can still be had from 5-7PM, even if I'm not in to chat you up. Sit at the bar and the shuckers and bartenders will take good care of you.

It was really my pleasure. Enjoyed chatting with you and the hubby immensely. Thanks for stopping in. I'm still working on Chef for the "Fruits de Mer Americaine" idea... And I'm right there with you on the WA oysters. I've enjoyed those a lot too. I think the waters there must be cleaner and colder.

Daniel: A better version of Nobu, huh? Okaaaaayyyy...Here's to hoping you aren't disappointed. We do close at 10pm here at SSOH, but I will still be in all afternoon/evening on Sunday. We open at 3PM so if you stop in please ask for me and introduce yourself.

Daniel: Don't forget to have the Brink's truck pull around the back of Morimoto's before you get the bill. I'd be curious to see your opinion of the place after the fact. That's all I'm going to say about it. Italian Market AND Reading Terminal are both must see locales for local flavor and shopping. Don't miss Fisher's Pretzel's in the RTM. Don't miss Claudio's Caseficio, a relatively new mozzarella cheese factory in the Italian Market. The balls of cheese are still warm when you buy them. There are no words to describe how yummy they are. This Article may provide further insights into things to see and eat while you're here. If you're arriving Friday evening or staying through Sunday late afternoon you're welcome to come visit me at Sansom Street Oyster House and have a few choice bi-valves shucked on your behalf. I'll be in both nights. Let us know if you have any other questions and enjoy your visit!

As promised, here are the first photos of our crew winning for Best Presentation at the Philly Cooks event: That'd be me being Mrs. Howell in the plumage. Photos of the other winners can be viewed HERE Other winners included: Best Appetizer: Teikoku Best Entree: Twenty21 Best Dessert: Angelina Best Dish of the Year: Moshulu Remember - you're all laughing with me.

Basically when any trip to a new place requires a suitcase full of edible souveniers brought home of whatever the local delicacies/specialties are. I've come home with at least a case of wine, a bottle of Absinthe (just because I could and the idea of smuggling it in seemed so dangerous), jars of every flavor marmalade/preserve on earth, cans of foie gras pate, mild and hot paprika, chocolates, schnapps, chestnut paste, oils, vinegars, etc, etc. [twitch]But I'm really quite normal[twitch]...for a foodie

Thanks sweetie! That's really nice, but I was off in Elkins Park watching the playoff game and cheering on the Iggles. Some other time perhaps? I'll always bring the wine... 'Tis true that Graduate Hospital neighborhood is no longer the urban frontier that it once was. And having a great restaurant right in the 'hood is always welcome. Not to mention how great the upswing is for property values and such.

Oh well. Now we'll never get in. Holly and I tried valiantly to have dinner there last week and they were booked solid already. And it sounded really busy when I called. It was a cold night and we were going to stay close by. We did end up having a lovely dinner at Rx instead though. Definitely worth trekking into the Hinterlands of University City for such a great and graciously presented meal. The Gnocchi and the Short Ribs were real standouts. A diver scallop amuse was a lovely surprise too.

I made a head of Roasted Cauliflower last night with thinly sliced Vidalia onions and a rinsed and drained can of chick peas tossed on the baking sheet too. Good EVOO, a sprinkle of sea salt and a bit of Trader Joe's 21 Season Salute. I made a roast beef too and had both for dinner. Seemed like a really good idea on blizzardy night to turn on the oven for a few hours and hang out in the kitchen. Turned out fabulous and I think I'm going to toss the leftovers onto some pasta tomorrow evening.

Make fufu! They're like mashed potatoes, but sweeter. Eaten in Africa and other parts of the world where the slave culture brought it (Caribbean, Latin America), it's a very delicious carbohydrate alternative. There are recipes HERE and HERE

Check the link upthread to get a real idea of the sorts of products carried and the price range of offerings. The tasting notes are often quite helpful as well. This is where I got my background in frugal high quality wine purchasing - a skill that has served me quite well professionally and personally ever since! Coincidentally, I had a lunch customer today that had never visited my restaurant before. He was very excited to find a place with extensive raw bar offerings and as we got to chatting, I suggested he try one of my new by-the-glass wines along with his oysters. By the time his lunch was over he and his wife left with tasting notes for the wine and directions to Moore Brothers to go buy some on their way back to Burlington County, NJ where they were from.

If we get the All-Pennsylvania SuperBowl with the Eagles and the Steelers it'll have to be Cheesesteaks vs. Primanti's showdown. How I'll ship those Primanti's sandwiches here I still can't figure out. I usually make chili though. PA Governor "Fast Eddie" Rendell is having some issues with which team to root for. I think his loyalties lie with the City of Brotherly Love. He went to college here (U. Penn), was a District Attorney and Mayor of Phlly. And the man can belly up to a buffet with style. I've seen it with my own eyes. He's an elected official with a equal opportunity appetite. You have to love that, regardless of partisan leanings.

You obvioulsy have never been to Ray's the Steaks. Fred's Ribs were modeled after the Ray's signature Cowboy ribeye. ← You're right - I haven't. And it's a situation I have every intention of correcting the instant I'm in the District next.

Thanks for the lead in Herb. Corvus, you beat me to it! It was my full intention to post this information myself, but instead I will merely add my congratulations for the New Yorkers that will now have the opportunity to shop at my favorite retail wine shop. My former employers embody the high standard of customer service and graciousness to which I strive daily. The selection of products, dedication to impeccable temperature control both in transportation of products and in the retail environment, level of knowledge of the staff and integrated web access to each customer's individual purchase portfolio make this place second to none as wine shops go. Can't recall what that lovely Rhone blend you bought last time you were there is called? Look it up online. You can even keep notes on your favorite purchases and purge the "not-my-favorites" from your portfolio. You can rate the wines you've bought and those reviews will appear on the store website. Fully integrated on-line customer service. You guys don't even know how lucky you are. The desire for Moore Brothers to open a retail wine shop in New York goes back several years, as there was a deal that unfortunately did not work out for space in Chelsea Market when I still worked for the company back in 1999-2001. I am so delighted that this has finally come to fruition, and it's a total win-win for Moore Brothers Wine Company and the wine consumers of New York. Bravo!!!

There's always Samba on Girard Avenue for a Churrascaria experience. To my understanding, they have the true South American steakhouse vibe going with waiters walking around with huge swords of meat and carving to each plate to order. I had organized a group dinner there last summer that included a live Flamenco dance performance and alas, the performance was cancelled at the last minute due to illness of the lead dancer. I am on the mailing list for the Flamenco troupe and will reoganize this gathering as soon as the next date is booked. Or perhaps a smaller gathering at a different venue.

The difference between a well-done steak and a medium rare steak (unless it's a Flintstones-style Brontosaurus Standing Rib Roast or it's being cooked over a single lit match) should not be long enough to significantly extend a dining experience to beyond the already adequate 90 minutes. The problem is that the extra twenty to thirty minutes the customers extend the dining experience is inevitably after dinner. If the restaurant screws up and takes too long to get the food to the table then they can't very well expect the customer to be rushed out. THAT would be wrong. Clearly this isn't the case at Ray's. This is a professional operation at every level. The food and service are perfectly paced to stay within their own preferences to maximize their seating capacity. Michael's thoughtful response is further proof that Ray's is operating at the highest level of professionalism. The problem remains that many customers are utterly oblivious to the business needs of the restaurant, and frankly don't care. Restaurants aren't "businesses" - they are places to gather, eat, drink and be merry, regardless of whether it's adversely effecting the business or the other customers. And unfortunately, the adverse effect on the business is two-fold. They'll lose the second seating customer that night and for all eternity as well. Just so folks could linger over dessert.

We were on the Channel 10 news at 11 o'clock last night for a nanosecond. My purple BIG hat with much plumage garnered a great deal of attention last night. In fact, my hat got more attention than the naked girl at the next booth who was being used as a serving vessel for Red Sky's Tuna Tartare. The festivities turned out to be slightly longer than a "THREE hour tour", but we were rescued by the end of the evening.

We WON!! Sansom Street Oyster House won the Best Presentation Award at this evening's Philly Cooks event! Woo-hoo! Our Gilligan's Island crew costumes, creative booth decoration and Southern Fried Oysters with Tropical Fruit Salsa were all a big hit. There will definitely be photos in Philadelphia Magazine, as well as some that we took ourselves. I'll post some as soon as I can. Other winners included Moshulu for Best Entree (sorry - didn't get to see what it was) and Teikoku for Best Dessert (I think). All winners will be reported in the magazine. The event was a surprising success despite absolutely horrible weather this evening. I didn't get to walk around too much but tasted some delicious pasta (a Butternot Squash Tortelloni with Sage/Brown Butter sauce) from Ravenna Restaurant, a yummy Sea Bass with Tamarind sauce from Siam Lotus, a yummy Grilled Octopus and White Bean Brandade from London Grill, Tuna Tartare from Red Sky and a very tasty Olive Oil poached Scallop with Star Anise Tomato compote from Savona. Wished I gotten to try a few more things because all of the food looked great.

TarteTatin: I just put the Armance B on my list by the glass this week to have with the oysters! How awesome that you visited the winery. My understanding is that the locals in Marigny eat a lot of oysters and that the local wines (made with the Folle Blanche grape in addition to Chardonnay and/or Sauvignon Blanc) are all quite well suited to the cuisine. Did you find that to be true? If you have photos of Ampelidae and e-mail them to me to show my staff, there's a round of Armance and some oysters waiting for you!

Okay, I've read several recipes with fig jam but never tasted it nor have I been able to find it. Is this something that's sold in stores? Thanks for the comments on the site - credit belongs to Phil Marzo of PM Designs. ← Glenn: Fig jam is usually available in more "upscale" markets and groceries. Williams-Sonoma would undoubtedly have it, as would many gourmet shops or cheese shops. If one of your local cheese chops carries it perhaps you can work a deal to purchase some stuff from them and get them to tell you which purveyor they get it from. Or look through your catalogs from your current purveyors of dry goods and see who might have it. I'm beyond certain it's available to you somewhere.

I find it hard to believe that thinking beings can't understand why sitting and having multiple cups of coffee is the rude behavior while others are waiting for their table. Same people are bitching when they are the 7:30 reservation and the 6:00 folks won't stop camping out. You've been fed without being rushed or treated rudely. The service has been excellent by your own admission. That table is a limited resource for the restaurant and you're DONE. It's time to go. If you wish to sit and chat go to the bar if the restaurant has one, or go to another bar or your home to catch up with your friends. Or better yet, go out later in the evening so this isn't an issue. Would anyone consider napping in their doctor's examination room and tying up his/her resources that way??? Having a coffee clatch in the only dressing room at your favorite upscale boutique??? Just asking. This all seems self evident to me.

Go to THIS thread. That ought to get rid of at least some of your excess crop. Makes for lovely gifts as well. And welcome to the Landed Gentry.