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KatieLoeb

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Everything posted by KatieLoeb

  1. Though I know that many of you New Yorkers look down on Empire Szechuan with disdain, I had some very tasty Crispy Orange Beef at the one on the 200 block of West 72nd Street on Christmas. My friend (who lived in the building right above the restaurant for years and had them on speed dial ) tells me it's the Crispy Orange Beef, not the regular Beef with Orange Flavor (and gloppy sauce) that is so good. I thought it was one of the best renderings of that dish I'd ever had.
  2. Excellent!!! I'm so pleased it came out well. I feel like I have a stake in all these batches of limoncello everyone is making. I feel responsible because I think I tipped over the first domino in the chain of Limoncello Madness on eGullet! Might I suggest the following approach for your Limoncello's Coming Out party:
  3. Ben: Michael is right. It's definitely Austrian wine, not German. Sudtyrol indicates the wine is from way way southern Austria, just over the Italian border. If it were Italian wine it would have to have Alto Adige listed as the denomination of origin by law. And whether that part of the world is Italy or Austria depends on whether you ask an Italian or an Austrian to answer the question. It is, however, a stunningly wonderful place for wines. I'm sure if you explore more wines from those areas you'll find many things you like. I'm pea green with envy over this wonderful meal and wine pairing experience you've described so lovingly. Dang dude! Sommelier hooked you and lovely bride up! Awesome. The sausages and tubas thing is not so far off for Austria either. In the small heuringer, or local winery bars, there are often Oompah bands playing folk tunes (usually accompanied by an accordian too) and lots of drunken Austrians singing along. A common scene throughout from my experience.
  4. Part of the draw of being talked into joining Claire for this festival is that I haven't been a hippie chick in so long I want to make sure I remember how.
  5. If I had to make one complaint about our visit to Morimoto, it would probably be the "canned" speech that we given to us by our waiter. It's one thing to be the recipient of a recital of the daily specials, which is fine and appreciated, but it's quite another thing to be instructed as to the proper way to eat something. Food was amazing, regardless of the order in which I put things into my mouth. Morimoto suggests opening your mouth, depositing the food, and chewing it for exactly 30 seconds. Derek http://www.threateningletters.com (When a kind word just isn't enough) The canned speeches are one of the things about the Starr restaurants that really bug me. It turns the wait staff into little Stepford Waitrons that are completely devoid of their own personalities, and more often than not the subject of the canned speeches is to upsell overpriced (and sometime really heinous) specialty cocktails. Telling me how to eat is even more offensive than that.
  6. Katie I stand corrected. The last time I was in there and tasted, the only sparklers were the older Cordeneu Napa labels. I was (incorrectly) under the impression that they were not producing anymore sparkling wine under the Artessa label after the change over. Here's the actual quote from the FAQ's on their website. It's confusing at best. It seems we may both be correct to some extent. If indeed the prestige cuvée was released a year ago, it might be time to update their website with its price, availability and the new name under which it is bottled, dontcha think? On a separate note, I definitely agree with the suggestion of S. Anderson. Also there are a boatload of great small producers on or around Silverado Trail including Sinskey (ethereal Pinot Noirs), Goosecross Cellars (love their Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier), Vincent Arroyo and Chateau Montelena at the northern end which has a lovely Japanese garden and pond on the grounds and wonderful wines as well (particularly the Chardonnay).
  7. Bombdog: According to Artesa's FAQ page, they are still producing 5000 cases or less of new sparkling every year. Indeed their Pinot Noirs are delicious. The Chardonnay was very good as I recall as well. I bought several bottles of their wines to bring home and they disappeared quickly. To anyone intersted in checking the place out, the virtual tour on the website is tremendous. The building is so cool - it looks like it was dropped into the side of a hill by an alien architect's space ship. The fountains and sculpture gardens are incrdible and the small museum is also quite interesting. The photo of the Terrace is the lovely deck and view I was referrring to.
  8. I've been to the bar for drinks. The new chandeliers are dazzling, but the floor to ceiling heavy dove grey velvet curtains that are never opened really make that soaring room seem claustrophobic and closed down. The lack of natural light and covering up that gorgeous metal work on the outsides of the windows is puzzling to me. New decor is nice otherwise. The by the glass wines offer a nice choice of a 3 oz., 5 oz. or 7 oz. pour served to the guest in a small carafe. I think that's a great concept. I met Chef Portale and Chef de Cuisine Christopher Lee and they were very pleasant and professional. I invited them to stop by Rouge, which they did, but unfortunately I missed them. I understand they enjoyed everything though. The menu looks interesting, and it's not all-fish-all-the-time as it was during the prior regime. More diversity of choices which is definitely a good thing. I hear from my former co-workers that are back there that they are expected to do the "canned speeches" and phrases that the Starr staffs are known for. Definitely cramps their style with the old regulars that they wish to greet with a little more enthusiasm and genuine personality. I'll have commentary on the food after I eat there for the first time. Should happen sometime soon and I'll report back.
  9. CMN: Don't know where to buy them, but they're usually on the menu at Buon Appetito restaurant and they're version is quite tasty.
  10. Artesa Winery is one of the coolest places I've ever visited. The most radical architecture, sculpture gardens, and gorgeous setting. Although not a large sparkling wine house along the lines of Mumm or Ferrer, sitting on their lovely deck in the sunshine, sipping a glass of their sparkling (or any of the spectacular still) wine overlooking the glorious views of Carneros can't be beat. It's one of those "perfect moments" that can't be replicated anywhere else in that area. If you want to visit a "sparkling winery" to learn about the whole process then definitely visit one of the larger producers previously mentioned. If you just want to try and/or buy some delicious domestic sparkling wine and have a lovely afternoon, then don't miss Artesa.
  11. KatieLoeb

    Glassware

    Riedel also makes a "Restaurant Series" that while still thin lipped and capable of "pinging" nicely, are far less fragile and less breakable than any of the lead crystal series. They're meant to take the sort of abuse that commercial glassware takes in a restaurant. You can actually drum them on the edge of the table and they are none the worse for wear. I ordered a set of 12 for myself from my local distributor when I was buying a half a pallet full for Striped Bass last summer. They're awesome, come in many (although not ALL) of the standard Riedel shapes and sizes. I have no idea where you'd order these whereever it is that you live, but if you call the best restaurant in town (that you know has Riedel stemware) and ask the manager or sommelier who the local purveyor of Riedel is, that would be a good place to start. As far as registering goes, I'd open a new checking account and provide that number as your registry. You can get whatever you want, start a downpayment for a house fund, kick up your honeymoon fund or whatever. You can also shop around for the best deal on things and make the gift money go further.
  12. Mike: Sorry it's taken me so long to reply. I just saw the thread again and realized the discussion had continued... Honestly the super high end bourbon is no different than super high end single malt scotch or super high end cognac. It's very smooth and refined, and most certainly meant for sipping neat or perhaps on the rocks at most. Definitely would be a travesty to mix it into a cocktail. Much like a chef friend of mine that once killed a bottle of Remy Extra making stingers out of it Sacre Bleu! It's still about corn and barrel but much classier. Believe me if you've tasted one of these, you'd see the difference in quality from the extra aging and blending that goes into the upper echelon products. And heck - it's still cheaper than the high end single malts and Cognacs are! Last time I checked a bottle of Louis XIII was over $1100!!!
  13. Thanks for that Sam. I thought this was a very interesting story when you first posted it and I'm glad the outcome is such a win-win for everyone. Hopefully the former manager has changed industries. I can't imagine being the subject of a "Shame on You" segment did much to raise his stock in the restaurant industry, at least locally in NYC. God, I hope he hasn't moved to Philly!
  14. KatieLoeb

    Teeny Tiny Wines

    Wow - great question! Here are a few of my faves from my trip to Napa and Sonoma in 2000: Havens Wine Cellars makes some of the most luscious Merlot and Syrah I've ever tasted. Very small production artisan winemaking at its best. Franus Wine Company, which shares facilities with Havens, also makes amazing and complex wines on a small scale. I met Peter Franus when I was touring the facility and was impressed with his passion and dedication. Also talked to him a bit about some of the more "mad scientist" type winemaking practices that he was experimenting with at the time. Very cool stuff. Very tasty wines. Goosecross Cellars white wines were what really impressed me on my visit there. The Sauvignon Blanc and the Viognier were both exquisite. Quite reasonably priced for the quality as well. Vincent Arroyo Winery in Calistoga makes a signature Petite Syrah that's absolutely one of the best domestic examples of this varietal I've had. In fact, when I was there, they were selling futures on the next vintage because it had sold out so quickly. I also tried the Zinfandel and it was very delicious. Walking along a creek on the property I stopped to chat with a gentleman who was running his dogs and playing fetch with them. Looked as though he might have been a caretaker or worker on the property. After speaking with him for about ten minutes, he finally revealed that he was Vincent Arroyo, the winemaker. What a nice and unassuming gentleman he was! I really enjoyed chatting with him more about his winemaking philosophies which are very Old World. Not a lot of manipulation of the wine, just do the best you can with whatever that year has given you to work with. Pretty cool and it definitely shows in the end results. Unti Vineyards in Sonoma is also a personal fave of mine. Their Petit Frere Syrah is a perennial by-the-glass option at my restaurant and it is absolutely delicious. It has a very lovely Rhone-like quality and is very deep and intense in flavor, yet still very soft and easy to drink. I also love their Grenache Rosé, which is really hard to find, but well worth the effort. Seriously ballsy pink wine. Their Zinfandel, Syrahs and the Sangiovese are all excellent as well. Pezzi King Winery also makes small production wines in both red and white varietals that are all consistently of high quality. The big reds like the Zinfandel and Cabernet are particularly noteworthy. For imported wines lately since it's warmed up and I'm more into white wine I've really been enjoying the Chenin Blancs from Francois Chidaine. His various Montlouis bottlings (think blue-collar Vouvray from the other side of the river) and his Vouvray Le Bouchet (which I'm also serving by the glass at Rouge) are really amazing wines for the price. They taste a whole lot more expensive than they are and have all the lovely complex minerality and honey that one would expect from wines from that area. I think I'll have to go get some of that for my own wine rack!
  15. Malarkey: <Sigh> Does this mean then that we won't get to have Taconelli's on Tuesday? Oh well. You should have plenty of fun over the weekend. And there's loads of places to eat and imbibe well. I'll be back sometime late Monday afternoon/early evening. If you're still hanging around downtown shoot a PM and I'll gladly come meet you for a cocktail. We'll all be watching the Belmont! Smarty Jones is the best thing to happen to Philadelphia sports-wise in quite some time. Should be a piece of cake if he runs anywhere close to how he ran the Derby or the Preakness. That horse has another gear that the other horses didn't have installed at the factory. DAMN! The literal picture of "eat my dust"! Didn't even look like he was working too hard. Head down and ears erect right over the finish line, lengths ahead of his stunned competition. Gotta love it!
  16. Hello and welcome ewindels! M suggestions would be either Lacroix or the Four Seasons for fine hotel dining, or my personal fave of the upper crust possibilities - Deux Cheminees. Old World like Le Bec, yet not as stuffy, impeccable service and a glorious antique filled townhouse in which to enjoy your dinner. Chef Fritz Blank sets a very high standard for food, service and ambiance. I believe the Prix Fixe is $80/person and well worth it. Really a perfectly elegant restaurant that is often overlooked (and I really can't explain why) but most certainly in the same league as Le Bec Fin. As an aside, Chef Blank is a reknowned food historian and has one of the largest cookbook libraries in the world (about 15,000 books last I read) which if you ask nicely you might get the privilege of a tour following your dinner. It is housed in the apartment that Chef keeps above the restaurant and is truly a remarkable collection. Chef Blank also owns a kitchen table that was custom built for him by a carpenter friend and is made of the sides of wooden wine cases, with the winery names and logos emblazoned upon the patchwork of wooden pieces that are put together like a beautiful quilt. I covet that table. I hope this is helpful. Feel free to write back if you have any other questions. A brief Google search on any of these suggestions should provide you with enough information to make a choice that you think would be most suitable to your occasion and dining companion.
  17. KatieLoeb

    Wine Blog

    Eeeeeeewwwww.... If that ain't nasty enough to skeeve me off ordering rabbit for awhile, nothing is!
  18. Yeah it does! Mags beat me to exactly what I was going to say! Seth - I'm thinking there's a career change option if you were feeling so inclined.
  19. Hi Alton: Thanks for joining us for this Q & A. I'm a big fan and have always thought of you as "The Thinking Woman's Celebrity Chef" . Since it's my particular area of expertise as a professional Booze Muse, I wonder if you've ever considered doing a show that focused on the more chemical aspects of food and wine pairing, e.g. Fat counters Tannin, Salt counters Acid, etc. Seems that the approach might be right up your alley and certainly a topic that would interest your viewers. I'd be happy to help if you need a research drone... Looking forward to your response. Katie
  20. Am in agreement with Ali about how great Lolita was. Nice place for a celebratory dinner, and just a nice place in general. Enjoyed everything I tried, and my only complaint would be similar - the food lacks salt. But that's easily remedied, you just have to ask for a salt shaker since they aren't readily on the table. And that's far better than the usual heavy handed alternative in my opinion. Perhaps having some hot sauce of some sort on the table would be a good thing too (I love the Chouloula sauce they have at Qdoba) but might be a tad too downscale or tacky for them, and I'd understand that. Maybe some form of housemade alternative that wasn't as thick as the delicious salsas that Ali mentioned? Just an idea... The margarita mixes were delicious and a brilliant idea for a Mexican-themed BYOT. I particularly found the Watermelon-Wild Mint quite refreshing. I found the food while not "authentic" Mexican in the way that Tequila's is upscale or La Lupe/Veracruzana are downscale, certainly had the appropriate respect for the very fresh ingredients and techniques. Not so out there that (con)Fusion cuisine would be a word I'd apply either. They got it just right. I will most certainly be back at Lolita some time in the near future. It's definitely on my new favorite BYOB places short list.
  21. Thanks Mikey! I've had Dr. Frank's wines and are quite fond of them. Just so happens one of my wines reps was in today and he knows that area really well. He'll be sending me a list of wineries and restaurants for that weekend. But by all means keep the suggestions coming folks!
  22. vigna: I can't really take credit for that observation. It came up in conversation the other night with Ali and I've heard same from some acquaintances that work the bar at LSC. Typical Yuppie hypocrisy though, n'est ce pas? NIMBY. I've only been a frequent guest at LSC. I was never flush enough to fork out the membership fees and since I haven't lived in that neighborhood in the last few years, it's not really worth looking into at this point when I could. But it's a club, and people go there to relax. Providing a bar is no different than providing the snack bar IMO. As long as the patrons of the bar aren't eligible for a "disturbing the peace" citation, it's OK. Or have the membership vote on it. I presume the hefty dues allow one the opportunity to be part of the democracy.
  23. Oh, I don't about this. Perhaps you'll want to feed them, yes, but I certainly didn't starve to death having a mom that wouldn't cook a special meal just for me. In fact, I didn't even get the PB&J option. It was, "This is what we are having for dinner this evening. You may eat only what you like of it, or you may forage in the back yard with the squirrels. But you sure as hell aren't getting a whole spearate dinner cooked just for you." My cousins, for whom my aunt would make TWO separate meals if they didn't like what was for dinner, are still two of the fussiest and most difficult adult eaters I know. There are definite repurcussions to spoiling/overindulging children. Be it with dinner or anything else.
  24. Hey Seth! Great blog so far. And thanks for sharing your last week of freedom with us in glorious and gory detail. Something I've always wanted to ask you...Is your avatar a smiling chayote? Is that pic from the Play With Your Food book by Joost Elffers? I've always loved that book... If not a full scale boulliabase, perhaps a big pot of steamers or mussels to dip the bread into the leftover sauce? Yummy! That sounds like a perfect summer meal with a lovely bottle of wine and a crunchy salad on the side. Bake on and blog on oh great one! Looking forward to hearing more about it.
  25. i walked by yesterday, and i must say i disagree with this assessment of the menu. the menu's theme is definitely "classic European" in nature, yet i think the ingredients and their combinations seemed fairly modern, eclectic and interesting. the prices are indeed high (entrées in high twenties and thirties) but who knows, maybe that is the formula for success. i think, like everything else in life, it's a matter of execution. if the place is putting out truly outstanding food, it can overcome it's neighborhood limitations of little old ladies and impoverished Penn students. can someone remind me who the owners are, and why i'm supposed to hate them? thanks Yannii: No one hates the owners of the new Meritage. They are Taylor Barnebey and James Colabelli. The only hate mongering on this thread has been dealt with and should no longer be an issue. I am looking forward to seeing the wine selection that will be put together by sommelier Mr. Colabelli. I'd be very excited to have a nice neighborhoody kind of place to go have a nice glass of wine or two at the bar. I hope their concept is functional for them. Although I personally have my doubts about a high priced country club/cruise ship classics menu, who's to say whether it will be a success or not. Olive Garden is filled every night, as is Le Bec Fin. There's a niche for everyone and plenty of potential customers to go around. By the way, those Penn students are hardly impoverished if they can afford the rents in that area! And there's quite the population of Young Urban Professionals buying those little old ladies out of their homes in that area as well. If the membership of the Lombard Swim Club is any indice of the "neighborhood", there's a whole lot of young couples thereabouts. In fact, the very folks that used to pack the bar at the swim club are now petitioning to close down the bar because they don't want that "element" making noise and disturbing them and their new babies in their homes that overlook the pool club. They forget that a few short years ago THEY were that very "element".
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