KatieLoeb

Zinfandel is delicious with turkey if fruity enough to stand up to the accompaniments like cranberry sauce, etc. Other possibilities are a good Cru Beaujolais (Morgon is quite tasty, as is Fleurie), or any other low tannin, soft fruity medium bodied (12-13% alcohol) red like a Dolcetto. I think the big assed Turley zins just blow the food off your plate and your palate. At 17% alcohol it's more akin to drinking port with your meal! For whites I always like wines of Alsace and Germany that balance a bit of residual sugar against a bracing backbone of acidity. Gewurztraminer if your bird has enough spice to stand up to it. Riesling and Pinot Gris are no brainers. I had a lovely Auslese Scheurebe from Weingut Weegmuller a couple of years ago that was an absolute knockout with roast turkey. This year I ordered and split a case of Edelswicker Sept Grains 2001 from Domaine Barmes-Buecher with the other managers here at Striped Bass. The wine is farmed biodynamically in Alsace and the blend is made from the free run juice of Muscat, Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Chasselas, Pinot Blanc, Sylvaner and Chardonnay. It's everyone's latest fave wine-by-the-glass here so it was easy to find others that wanted to have some too.

Holly - I believe you're at bat...

I had the pleasure of tasting this recently with Msr. Joly lecturing on the "joi de biodynamie". This wine is unbelievably delicious and definitely helps you to understand what Monsieur Joly speaks of when he discusses the local terroir. It smells of all things pleasant that you'd associate with the golden color - baked apples, caramel, pale yellow blossoms, sunshine, etc. The taste is even deeper and richer, with an earthiness I normally don't associate with white wines. I could drink this wine forever and never grow tired of it. <sigh>

Herb: London Grill used to do a righteous sweetbreads dish. Don't know if it's still on the menu, but you could easily find out with a quick phone call.

Yeah Holly! You tell 'em! We forum hosts are duty bound to defend our fair city and our native cuisine!

Jaymes: Great minds think alike. I make two different cranberry sauces for the holidays. One is basically the recipe off the back of the bag, but with the zest of one whole orange microplaned in, plus the orange segments (with pith sliced off) whirled around in the food processor. I will occasionally add a bit of unflavored gelatin just so I know it will set up nicely. And a healthy splash of Grand Marnier at the end is de rigeur . The other variety is a cranberry-jalapeno relish recipe that I swiped off of This Site and goes particularly well with the deep fried turkey that my friends serve every year. Alas, this year they have other familial obligations, so I'll be dining with other dear friends and not making any cranberry sauces/chutneys/relishes. I'm making a Pumpkin Flan for dessert instead.

I've tried to restrain from commenting on this thread, but NY Cheesesteaks as good as Philly??? Them's fightin' words! Cheesesteaks simply do not travel well. Neither does NY pizza or bagels. Yes - it's about the rolls, but it's about the water that makes the dough at a more fundamental level. I'm certain this is an excellent version, but I'll have to try one myself before I'll actually believe it. And I'd definitely NOT say this out loud on line at either of the places on Passyunk Avenue. That'd definitely get one into a whole mess of trouble!

Thanks, boys!

True 'dis. The man is the host with the most. So sorry I missed this - it looks phenomenal! Y'know - I was so curious what all the fuss was about with this infamous video that I looked it up on the net. Poor girl looks like she'd rather be getting a manicure, she's so bored. No surprise considering we never see her partner doing anything other than pleasing himself whilst using her as a receptacle. I'd say don't eat anything before watching - it's too depressing and reinforces too many stereotypes.

Sara: NEVER let a restaurant bully you into "disinviting" people to a dinner. If they don't want your business or can't at least explain their criteria for larger parties so you can see if it's still an option, then go elsewhere. I find this a whole lot more offensive than almost anything I've ever heard. How RUDE and ungracious can they get! You're a paying customer for chrissakes!

This is more or less what I was going to say. Truffles are a very sexy smell if that's what floats your boat. Some folks think sweaty is sexy, some folks just find it offensive. Depends which side of the fence you fall on in that argument. I find the scent of truffles very earthy and sensuous. Turnips smell a whole lot more like dirt to me than this does. But I also like mushrooms a LOT. I think if you aren't a fan of fungi, you'll find truffles to be very offensive. Truffle oil spinkled into mashed potatoes is a good "Truffles 101" experiment for the uninitiated. Quite delicious next to a medium rare steak of your favorite cut. The real thing shaved onto a dish is a bit jarring at first. I'd suggest easing into it gently if it's your first time. Not that dis-similar to other experiences that may have been initially distasteful, but sort of grew on you with more experience...

I find Tempranillo to be quite "food-friendly" and amiable to pairing with almost anything. Cheetos with Plugra isn't that far off from say, blinis with sour cream, is it? What is beanie-weenie casserole but cassoulet under a different and more plebeian guise? It's all in how you look at it, I say...

Kt: Glad you enjoyed Langostino. I think that's a place that gets overlooked a lot because it's so far off the beaten track. But the food is quite good and I'm glad you had a good experience there as well. My dinner at L'Angolo on Saturday evening was quite satisfactory as well. Since we were a larger party of 6 persons we had a rather early reservation at 5:00 PM. When we were all finally assembled, the waiter recited all the specials very professionally. Ended up sharing an antipasto mixto with the table, several spinach and portobello salads and I had a half order of the lobster ravioli with cream sauce. All very good to excellent. For dinner I ordered one of the specials, which was a veal brasciole with ricotta gnocchi. The gnocchi and the tomato sauce were both delicious, but I must confess that the three brasciole were a bit dry. My fellow diners had an excellent veal chop with wild mushrooms, a chicken dish with a caper and fresh chopped vegetable topping, another fish special that had grilled striped bass, grilled calamari and grilled shrimp. Everyone was very pleased with their entrees. For dessert we shared Pumpkin Gelato and a chocolate torte that was as rich as fudge. Truly outrageously delicious. Everyone agreed it was an excellent restaurant and that it was an exceptional value. Hopefully you'll be able to try L'Angolo some other time.

God help me, I think I like this one better than High Priestess of Hooch!

Hi David! Why thank you!! I would be much happier if I got to see you though! It's been far too long. You and the Mrs. were missed at Turkish dinner this week Why don't you fetch up a babysitter and bring that lovely wife of yours down to visit me at the Bass? Soon - whilst I still have management privileges ! I'll take you on a tour of the by-the-glass wines. There's a few new ones I think you'll love including a Spanish rueda and a gorgeous new Cotes de Provence Rose. Call me and let me know when to expect you...

Lucky Dog!!!! How'd you get so fortunate? (by being in Lyon, not specifically drinking the DeBoeuf...) As in "very fruit forward and weighty"?

As soon as the avatars are working again, I promise I'll post my hat wearing pic. For now I'll go by this: Of course, dearest Fress. You get your very own kissy face...

I would only change this to be: Domaine Saint Vincent, Samur Blanc “La Papareille”, 2002 (producer) (appellation) (vineyard) (vintage) And Sam, can I join you too? Nice menu and wine selections! I'm jealous.

Well aw shucks and golly, y'all. I'm flattered by the attention I can't speak for everyone, but certainly if I have any say then alcohol consumption will definitely go up - at least in my immediate presence! Jaymes - thanks for reminding me. Indeed the circumstances are quite different now than they were when I was a lonely refugee here at eGullet. And after being uncermoniously banned from Chowhound and being called a Trojan Shill to boot! I think I definitely have the last laugh, don't you? Thanks for the kudos and congrats everyone . I hope to inspire and instigate as best I can!

KT: Another vote here for L'Angolo. I'm having dinner there tomorrow evening myself. The food, level of service, etc. is far beyond what I normally expect for a little corner BYOB. I've been there about three or four times already and haven't had a bad meal yet. Another suggestion not on your list would be Langostino at Front & Morris. Cute place, reasonable prices and very good food in generous portions.

I tried the Geo. DeBoeuf this evening. It was a gift from one of my wine purveyors today, as it was "Beaujolais Day". I definitely get the slight "artificial banana flavoring" scent on the nose that many winemakers bitch about with the Nouveau. Not evident in the flavor, but definitely in the bouquet. Mostly smells of dark blue fruits and bubblegum, but tastes of strawberries and a hint of earth. I'm with Rich in that it is a far more substantial Nouveau than it's been in past vintages. Much more weighty on the palate, and much more "Gamay-flavored" (e.g. closer to the Cru Beaujolais) than I've recalled in quite some time from Nouveau. An excellent pairing with the Turkey Meatloaf I made for dinner! Rich - I'm sorry I missed you. I tried to call you late but I guess you were already out and about. We'll have to do it next year. I actually blew off attending the "Savor the Reds" fete at the Loews Hotel tonight, although it would have been fun just to try other Nouveau for comparison sake. I still can't shake the vision I have of Georges DeBoeuf dancing through the streets of Villefranche singing "We're going to be RICH!! We will unload OCEANS of mediocre wine on those Stew-peed Americans and we will be RICH!!! Bwahahahaha!"

Monsieur Joly spoke quite a bit about the yeasts used during his lecture. He claims that the "canned and added" yeasts that are used in Beujolais, for example, are what are contributing to the banana scent on the nose and the "artificial grape bubblegum" flavor that is what turns a lot of folks off to Beaujolais the last few years. He's all about using the natural yeasts that already exist on that particular type of grapes, in that particular place, to help preserve the sense of terroir with the native yeasts as well. Certainly it works for him. Having never actually MADE wine I can't even begin to presume to answer that question, but certainly what he's saying makes a degree of sense. I didn't know about the dead bunnies That might be a bit much.

*sigh* It's OK Sara. You're unfortunately not the only one that feels that way. It's just a shame for the hard working staffs at the restaurants that they end up being the ones that actually feel the punishment in their pockets meant for the true object of your derision. It probably doesn't even hit the radar screen where it's meant to... My suggestions given your criteria would be Adriatica, which has a smaller private area in the back where I was a recent guest at a wine dinner. Food is good, they mix a mean cocktail (the Bar Manager Albert is an old friend) and it's a fun and not too casual place. I'd also consider Novelty on 3rd Street. Also good food, good bar, etc. And how about Pigalle in Northern Liberties? That' a "nice" restaurant that could probably accomodate your group. Unfortunately you're going to run into a problem with a large group on a busy night. It's not about not wanting your business, but more about having to stop EVERYTHING to plate up dinner for ten while all the various tables for two and four wind up waiting for their food. Some customers will always suffer when there's a big group during "prime time" and I suspect that's the impetus behind either seating your group early or later.

Aw shucks, Dean! You're so sweet and I surely wish that I could! The menu looks sumptuous - I do love good Mexican food! Let me give a little thought and I'll post a couple of wine suggestions for you. On the Margaritas - I make flavored 'Ritas all summer with half a can of frozen Minute Maid limeade, a good healthy splash of tequila, a splash of Gran Gala or Triple sec, juice of one fresh lime and half a can of any of those flavored Goya or Jumex juices like Mango, Passion Fruit, Guava, etc. A few ice cubes and a whirl in the blender and your margaritas are happenin'! You can make whatever flavor suits your mood. I even made Asian Pear Margaritas once with Asian Pear cider. They were quite tasty!