KatieLoeb

How's this for some cool Celebrity Chef news. Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit in NYC has been named Executive Chef at the soon to open Washington Square eatery, the next opening in the Steven Starr empire. I've always been a big fan of Chef Samuelsson. He has respect for his ingredients, and although his style of cuisine at Aquavit could arguably be called "Swedish Fusion", it's true Fusion, not CON-fusion as most such attempts end up being. This should be an easier commute for him than going cross country to Minneapolis where his other outpost of Aquavit used to be. Maybe he and Alfred Portale can ride the train down together in the mornings.

That's exactly what I was thinking when I suggested thin sliced white bread. Was just having a memory seizure and couldn't think of the brand.

I admit that usually I'm pretty astute at this sort of thing, but the first time I saw The Brini Maxwell Show, I thought Ms. Sabrina Maxwell was merely a freakishly tall post-debutante from some upper-middle class outpost like Newport or the Hamptons. But something about those mannish hands and feet and that ever-so-slight shadow of an Adam's Apple led me to a Google search where the truth was revealed to me. As far as being a "real woman" is concerned, I'd say Brini has most everyone beat, including La Grande Doyenne - Miss Martha herself. When was the last time you saw Martha Stewart in a crinoline slip with shoes and a handbag that matched to perfection?

I'm with Dr. Fenton. What the heck is a Pullman loaf? The only thing I've ever seen tea sandwiches made from is good thin sliced bread with the crusts cut off so it looked posh. Or maybe those little square Germanic black bread slices you buy at the deli counter. If you want just a good loaf of unsliced bread, go to a good artisan bakery like Metropolitan or Le Bus and buy a loaf and tell them not to slice it. Any rustic un-evenness can be gently sliced off with a serrated knife. Brini Maxwell did a great retro loaf appetizer on the show the other day. Loaf of white bread with crusts removed, sliced longwise into about 4 layers. Spread each layer with different cold mayo-based salads like egg salad, salmon salad, chicken salad, etc. Frost with icing made of cream cheese thinned with heavy cream. Decorate with little bits of veggies like carrot flowers, etc. Refrigerate until set and slice into lovely layered pieces that any pearl wearing Donna Reed wannabe would be proud of. Even the drag queens.

Oh my - so many things in common with you all: Gin - it's just nasty. I can't get past that juniper smell. It smells like floor cleaner. Vegemite. WTF??? It's like the sludge off the bottom of a dirty beer fermenting tank mixed with copius amounts of salt. Spread it on toast??? You gotta be kiddin' me. Scotch - smells and tastes like peat moss. Very acrid aftertastes in things - bitter or hoppy beer, tonic water, regular grapefruit juice( I like the Ruby Red) Weird offal - I'll do liver in all it's forms, love sweetbreads, but I only like tripe in small doses and forget brains or intestines. The very first time I had Uni I spit it into my napkin. It was like a mouthful of wet sand. Then I tried truly fresh Uni from a sushi chef that I trust, served in a Chinese soup spoon with coconut milk and a dollop of caviar on top. That remains one of my favorite things.

I love it.This a mouth watering thread. Mojitos remain my current favorite, but I'm entertaining several others and enjoying them immensely. Key lime Mojitos are a wonderful thing, and Katie has me just about ready to launch my mission for the perfect minted- (or other herbed- simple syrup) drink. Katie or anybody, have you done anything with rosemary? I have huge numbers of huge rosemary bushes. And, my Cosmo right now is 1 1/2 ounces Stoli Ohranj, 1/2 ounce Cointreau, 1/4 ounce lime juice, 1/4 ounce lemon juice, and 1 ounce of cranberry juice. As for the ice, I, too, like to shake vigorously. Usually I add a twist of lime or lemon, but please tell me... does anybody know what is meant by a flaming of orange oil over top of it? Susan: I made a batch of Rosemary simple syrup a few nights ago. As I explained upthread, I tried to create an Apple-Rosemary type drink with it last night, but the end result somehow smelled a whole lot better than it tasted. I mixed together: 2 oz. Players Extreme Green Apple Vodka (this is pretty good and has a good clean apple-ey flavor) 1 Tbs. Rosemary simple syrup 2 oz. Sprite a splash of Sour Mix to take the super sweet edge off The drink was tasty but after a few sips it was almost icky. I can't explain my distaste for it as it smelled wonderful. I think I need to work on a Rosemary-Grapefruit combination as JAZ suggested. Problem is I'm not terribly fond of grapefruit juice. I only like the Ruby Red, but that would probably be tasty. I'm thinking that maybe the Ocean Spray White Cranberry-Peach juice would be a good foil for either the Rosemary or the Minted simple syrup too. The other problem is that I think my rosemary syrup might just be too strong. It smells almost "piney" by itself. I definitely was pretty heavy handed with the rosemary leaves (the leaves from about four stalks into two cups of simple syrup) so perhaps I just need to tweak the syrup a bit before I give it another go-round. Going to try making Ginger syrup next for sure. My mind reels with the possibilities there. I probably won't have time until next week though. Right now I'm drinking a bourbon, mint syrup and ginger ale on the rocks. Very .

Welcome JennyJupiter! I just noticed you're a relatively new poster. Forgive my manners for not welcoming you before. Glad it all worked for you. It really is pretty simple, it just requires some patience. Other than that is about as easy as any recipe I could think of. Try a shot in your iced tea. Quite refreshing on a hot summer day.

Katie, mint syrup can work amazingly well with tequila. I use a mint and jalapeno infused syrup in what I call my "fire and ice" margarita -- tequila, lime juice, and the syrup, blended with ice. It's about the only drink I like slushy. And by the way, weren't you going to start a flavored syrup thread? JAZ: I need a few more successes under my belt to have enough ammunition to start the thread, I think. I tried a few drinks with the Rosemary simple syrup last night and have decided it needs to go with a "heavier" spirit than apple vodka. Maybe Bourbon? My attempt at an Apple-Rosemary cocktail smelled amazing, but was a bit clunky taste-wise. Delicious for the first couple of sips, then you just wanted it to go away... Next infusion will be Ginger simple syrup. Tons of possibilities there. In addition to house made ginger ale with club soda. Also think I'll try make cinnamon syrup. Although that might be a more "wintery" addition to cocktails. Mint and tequila sounds YUMMY!!!

I'm still playing with the minted simple syrup. Tonight's winner will end up being a brunch cocktail as soon as I can manage it. The Gilded Lily 1 oz. vodka 1.5 Tbs. Mint simple syrup 2 oz pineapple juice Splash of fresh lime juice Shake over ice and strain into a champagne flute. Fill with sparkling wine. Garnish with mint. The alternative is to add Sprite instead of sparkling wine, shake and serve on the rocks. Also quite refreshing. Anyone who read my latest adventures at the local gelato shop will see the influence and effect the Pineapple-Mint sorbetto has had on me.

Malarkey: You got a great gastronomic tour of the City of Brotherly Love. Awe inspiring. Hit a lot of my favorite places and I'm delighted you got your Tacconelli's fix in before getting on the plane! There is no pizza like it and none better. Glad you enjoyed your brunch at my humble place 'o employ. Those champagne cocktails are occasionally applied as an "attitude adjustment agent" after a long day, so I can totally relate. You couldn't have asked for a better beer crew than that bunch of hooligans you were with. What fun. And sorry I missed it. Come back soon! There are so many places that you missed...

I agree with skipping Buddakan. Of course, I also understand appeasing friends. What about steering your friend towards another Starr place, maybe Alma de Cuba or Angelina? If I had to go to one of his places, those would be my choices. About Tony Luke's, my favorite sandwich there alternates between the chicken cutlet or the roast pork, either one with broccoli rabe. But that's taking you off your cheesesteak hunt. Ah yes! Herbacidal is right on with the chicken cutlet sammiches as well. The cutlet sandwiches at Tony Luke's are only surpassed by the cutlet sandwiches at Shank & Evelyn's. But that's a whole 'nother trip... DO NOT come all the way to Philly and eat 8 cheesesteaks. Eat 6 cheesesteaks if you must but at least squeeze in two Roast Pork with Rabe and Prov. You'll hate me now for confounding your trip, but I promise you'll thank me later. You'll thank us all later for talking you out of Buddakhan as well.

Sorry I missed y'all on Memorial Day. I was getting rained on down the shore. How was your rainy lunch? If I'd know you were coming I'd have sent you a round on me!

If you're going to Tony Luke's already, I highly recommend at least one of you getting a Roast Pork, Broccoli Rabe and Provolone sandwich. It isn't touted as the "national dish" of Philadelphia the way the cheesesteak is, but IMHO is even better. Buddakhan is loud, the service is mediocre and so is the food. Absolutely every dish has a sugary sauce on it. Blech. Unless your host is picking up the tab as well, try and convince him to go elsewhere. If you simply must do a Starr eatery, go to Tangerine - at least the food is half decent there. There are at least a dozen BYOBs and half of Chinatown that I'd recommend ahead of Buddkhan.

Mrbigjas and I did indeed make it over to Tria last week and it's a terrific little spot. And an excellent addition to the dining scene in Philly. Excellent selection of beers, wines by the glass and a short but well thought out menu of panini sandwiches, little "snacks" like house made olive oil and rosemary potato chips, a bowl of olives, cured meats or various bruschetta in the $3-8 range. And an awe inspiring cheese selection, of course. A great place for light bite on the way home, before a movie or a show, or after the movie or show. It's really the perfect place for couples where he's a beer guy and she only drinks wine. Something for everyone. I tried a glass of Austrian Gruner Veltliner and a glass of Oregon Pinot Noir, both of which were delicious. I seem to recall mrbigjas having a glass of Riesling to start and then a glass of Gamay. Staff was kind enough to send us a couple of samples of bruscetta - one with mushrooms and Fontina and the other with a Romesco sauce. Both were outstanding. Service was friendly, knowledgeable and efficient and we had a nice chat with Chef Chris since we were sitting right near his prep area. The whole vibe of the place is quite laid back. All in all a very pleasant visit and certainly someplace I'll be visiting again with some frequency.

Just returned from having some gelato for dessert at Capogiro. They had some really interesting flavors today including Papaya sorbetto, Pineapple-Mint, Star Fruit, Cilantro-Lime and Honeysuckle. The Pineapple-Mint was the most refreshing and delicious thing I think I've ever tasted. I had a cup with one scoop of Pineapple-Mint and one scoop of Papaya sorbetto. The papya was kind of subtle, but still very tasty. They were good as they melted together as well. Gary had a cup with Pistachio and Mexican Chocolate which is dense chocolate with cinnamon and a bit of chile in it. The heat sneaks up on you after you swallow it. But the combination of the Pistachio and Mexican Chocolate was AWESOME! One little spoon with a bit of each flavor on it was just amazing. The Pistachio kind of tamed the heat of the chile in the chocolate just enough. Yummmmmm.... Anyone else have some amazing combinations of flavors at Capogiro lately? I think we should keep this thread running all summer and just report back to each other as we try all the flavors and combinations. What do you all think?

Very sweet, very lemony and pretty strong is the usual balance.

Whilst I am still smarting *ahem* from Smarty's loss, I'm still delighted that the horse from Philly got so many people interested in the race and the sport in general. Smarty is a great champion and we'll definitely be seeing more of him. The Pennsylvania Derby is over Labor Day weekend. I made up a batch of minted simple syrup with race companion and was sipping some Eagle Rare 10 yr. old bourbon on the rocks with a little splash of that in it. Sort of a non-icy julep. Very tasty stuff. Then switched to mint syrup, Evan Williams 7 year old and Bitter Lemon soda. Also quite refreshing and a bit less deadly than the faux Juleps.

It's interesting that this thread should come up today. I just found out that an old acquaintance of mine is a partner at Ocean Star Seafood & Grill in San Antonio and I was meaning to post an inquiry. Any opinions on this place? The reviews I've managed to find online have been mostly quite positive. I might be helping my old buddy with some wine list suggestions since I have experience with doing the list for a seafood house. I'm just waiting for him to e-mail me the menu so I have a better idea about the cuisine. If anyone has any feedback about the restaurant or the wine list I'd love to hear about it. Hopefully so will LonghornGal.

Had lunch/dinner at Carman's on Saturday afternoon with buddy Claire. She's never been before and it had been too long since I'd gone to visit Carman myself. I had a spinach, blue and parmesan cheese omelet that was absolutely delicious, with some pancetta on the side that was a glory of porky goodness. Claire opted for the braised roast beef that absolutely melted. Yum. Everything was so good, but the portions were gargantuan and we ended up both taking home about half of it. Carman had some drunken photos of me that I was unable to secure the negative of. Fortunately I did get the next to last copy of the damning evidence. Good thing I wasn't planning on running for public office any time in the future. Between the pictures Carman has of me and the FBI file on my subversive activities as a freshman at Penn, I'm doomed!

Got a bit nostalgic for the Mint Juleps I missed on Derby Day, so last night friend/pro bartender Claire and I set out to make some bourbon drinks to sip while we watched Smarty get beaten on the home stretch in the Belmont (). Riffing on the herbal simple syrup idea I mentioned above, I'd bought an incredibly fragrant bunch of Pineapple Mint at the Farmer's market (for $1!!!) Saturday morning. We boiled up 4 cups water and added about 1.75 cups of sugar. Finely chopped the mint and added it to the still hot simple syrup. Let it cool. Strained about 1.5 Tbs. minted syrup into ice filled glasses, added a healthy splash of bourbon and topped with the aforementioned Bitter Lemon soda. YUM! Very refreshing and a less sweet and strong deconstructed Julep. This would undoubtedly be delicious with white rum as well, and that will be my reward when I get home this evening! I'm thinking that a shot of mint simple syrup and a shot of Limoncello in iced tea would be incredibly refreshing too. I think I'm going to experiment some more with the flavored simple syrup concept and start a separate thread about it. I think I'm on to something with this because it's so easy and inexpensive to make and expands your bar and cocktail possibilities exponentially.

If Rocco had a self-reflective bone in his body he'd have realized that getting offered $200,000 to just "go away" was about as good an offer as he'd ever get, and in fact an extremely generous offer. Probably would have allowed him to save some face by citing "creative differences" or some such bullshit, even though it was on National Television for all the world to see that it was really his colossal ego and utter inability/indifference to tend to the business side (no less the kitchen side) of his responsibilities. He forgets that he was hired to be a chef, not a rock star. Or maybe that was the first mistake. He actually thought he was being hired to be a rock star. Big money investor to back his vanity restaurant with "MY NAME on the awning!!!" Fool. This guy has a sense of self importance that would upstage even Narcissus himself. I don't think years of therapy will undo the damage. Even if he can cook (although it seems he's developed an allergy to being behind the line), as some of his defenders have said, he's revealed himself for the pompous playboy and petulant little boy that he really is. No investor with a grain of sense would back him now, unless the agreement boxed him in so tight he couldn't scratch an itch when he had one. Perhaps that would be both the answer and his penance.

Yeah - that filtering smoke through water thing is brilliant. I seem to recall having similarly excellent results with that method in college Great pics, great blog! I'm going to miss this blog alot when the next person gets tagged. You've set the bar quite high Nessa.

You flatter me. I'm hardly in the position to be avoiding my adoring autograph seeking public and the papparazzi in the bushes. But I just love the delusion, even for a brief moment. Certainly I know a fair number of the other wine professionals in the city, and of course I know that I'd be recognized by them, but if they're as good at their jobs as I know them to be, the level of service I'd receive shouldn't be any different than that of another customer with the exception of the professional courtesy of a glass of wine on the house perhaps. Actually, I know how excited I get when there are customers that wish to be engaging about the wine selections, and I love talking to interested folks for as long as they'll listen. Since Rouge is so small and so high turnover, there's hardly the need for a formal on-the-floor sommelier, but when the servers can't answer the questions themselves or just have someone that clearly wants that sort of guidance I will emerge from my office and go chat. It's one of my favorite things to do. I suspect a group of sincerely wine interested ladies like us would be refreshing and a delight for any of the professionals that I know, provided they weren't in the weeds at the time. I actually just had a very odd service (wine was only part of the problem) experience earlier this week that I'll be posting about probably tomorrow. You'll all have to tell me if I'm being over sensitive or if I have justification for feeling that all was not right. I really do like the idea of writing an article about women and wine service, or perhaps (unfortunately) expanded to the service women receive in restaurants and bars in general. Much like that scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts walks in with thousands of dollars of shopping bags dripping off her well cotured arms and tells off the snarky sales clerks that wouldn't look at her twice earlier, ("You work on commission don't you? BIG mistake!") I'd just LOVE to call some jackass on the chauvanist approach and remind them that not only do I tip, but I tip well, simply because I've been in their well worn shoes before. And I probably know at least as much about the wine list, if not more. Please do not condescend to me. I respond rather poorly to it.

Jon: I think I got the impression you meant that some "festival food" was mediocre or bad and some was awesome. At least that's what I took away from your "huge difference in quality" remark. I've always found the festival food to be at least a 6.5 on a scale of one to ten, most usually closer to the top. There was never any doubt that Greek food as a complete cuisine is GOOD. Hell, I'd even go so far as to say it's GREAT! It's one of my favorites, but since I don't have Chef Thedore's here in Philly anymore (the only GREAT Greek restaurant I've been to here) and I don't have the embarrassment of riches that the New Yorkers do (I love Molyvos), I have to hunt out the festivals and satisfy my jones there. There are always a few great Greek fests in Philly and environs every year. The one in Elkins Park was over Memorial Day weekend and alas I was out of town. There's always the one at St. George's on 8th Street here in town that I attended with several eGulleteers last year. There was a whole thread in the PA forum HERE, but it's mostly just me sobbing about having to wait for the festivals. There are some good photos in there of our outing at St. George's.

Jon: While I agree with the spirit of your comment, I can only say that if you live in a city that doesn't have the best selection of Greek restaurants, the Greek Church Ladies have it all over most of the other options. I've found that the pastries are better at some festivals, whereas the cooked food is better at others. But it's always GOOD. The other alternative is to learn how to make it yourself and then make enough to feed an army. I've done that with moussaka. The recipe I used came from THIS cookbook, which I think is absolutely brilliant and my go to resource for any and all things Greek. Secrets of Fat Free Greek Cooking is also a favorite book of mine when trying to replicate these things at home. There's a great deal at that link to purchase it with Sandra Woodruff's Secrets of Fat Free Italian Cooking as a pair. That's another one of my more dog-eared and well used cookbooks. The Turkey-Mushroom Bolognese sauce is awesome. There's a website HERE that lists festivals all over the country, however, I'm noticing that the very festival in this thread is not listed. So obviously the list is not comprehensive. But it's a start. I suppose another approach would be to look in your local phone directory and see if there's a Greek Orthodox church or Cathedral in your area and call and inquire if/when they have a festival. I believe these are usually the biggest fundraisers for the communities involved and although I usually avoid sweeping generalizations, virtually every Greek Orthodox church I've ever seen has one of these annually. Meanwhile I now have to walk over to the Greek restaurant a few blocks form my house and order something. Predictably, I'm totally jonesing for a souvlaki right now.