KatieLoeb

Dan: Those are gorgeous! What is the actual liquid volume of the glass itself? Are they smaller (like pre-Prohibition era and soon thereafter) or over 6 oz.? Hard to tell from the photo...

If you find somewhere, I'd suggest calling ahead and confirming that there are some oysters other than the ubiquitous Gulf oysters available. Gulf oysters are delicious cooked, but taste more than a bit like mud when they're raw. With all due respects to NOLA and the cuisine there, I was sorely disappointed in the raw oysters. Wouldn't you rather enjoy some of the other cuisine that they're famous for and maybe have that seafood tower somewhere up north (on either coast) where there's colder waters and more selection? I'm clearly spoiled from working at an oyster bar, but last time I ordered the raw oysters at Acme was the last time I'll order raw oysters at Acme. Maybe some of the more upscale places have a better selection? I certainly didn't see the sort of variety I'm accustomed to seeing here in the Northeast, even at some of the other places around town. Seemed the answer to "what kind of oysters do you have today?" was always the same. "Gulf." I think Bourbon House had a few different kinds IIRC.

Mike: Canton ginger is a good product. It's got good heat and isn't too sweet. I've had good success swapping it into a standard Crusta in place of the Cointreau. Cantonese Crusta 2 oz. bourbon or cognac .5 oz. Canton liqueur .5 oz. Maraschino liqueur .5 oz. fresh lemon juice 2 dashes orange bitters Garnish with a flamed orange peel. I suspect it might stand up well in a Sidecar instead of the Cointreau as well. I might have to try that myself next time I have some at my disposal.

Kim: Those are just lovely!! I particularly like the elaborate stems and oh so delicate etching pattern on the second ones. Great find! I'd have a hunch that those and my set are from a similar time frame.

Only because other sets I've seen in antique shops or online start getting the larger capacity bowls (like these) at around that time. Or at least are so described. It could easily all be bullshit however, since I don't have a clue about either the providence of these glasses, nor whether the folks describing the other ones I'm comparing them to had a clue either. Most of the glasses prior to then seem to be of the much smaller sort. But if you think back to the 50's photos of the Rat Pack, it seems the larger capacity "birdbath" glasses were already in vogue...

Chris: I'll stand by my comments back HERE. I wouldn't call it "tricky" as much as I'd simply say it's a citrus forward gin, and predictably goes well in those applications. I love the Bluecoat. Not just because it's made right here in Philly. Not just because it's made and marketed by friends of mine. But because it's REALLY GOOD gin. Just not at all in the traditional London Dry mode. If you're feeling particularly ambitious and feel like making a small batch of lavender simple syrup, try some Bluecoat in my Provençal Martini (aka the Panty Drawer because it smells like lingerie sachet ) Provençal Martini 2.5 oz. Bluecoat gin 1 oz. Lillet .5 oz. fresh lemon juice .5 oz. Lavender simple syrup two dashes Fee Brothers Lemon bitters Lemon twist Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a fat lemon twist that has had the oils expressed over the cocktail. Lavender Simple Syrup 1/4 cup dried lavender 1 cup sugar 1 cups water Bruise the lavender in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. Add sugar to water and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add bruised lavender leaves and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Cool overnight and strain. This drink was a favorite amongst the judges at the Bluecoat Bartender Battle in April 2008, but I won for "People's Favorite" with the Front Stoop Lemonade, a Thai Basil and Lemon Cordial lemonade with Bluecoat and soda. Like I said. Bluecoat is a no brainer with other citrusy stuff in the glass. I think it might even be delicious in a Gin-Gin Mule, if far more subtle than a London dry. That might be worth a try too...

These are two of my favorite glasses in my collection. I have two of these crystal beveled hollow stemmed coupes that were gifted to me by a friend that had a very large set of them that had been given to her by someone she knew that had passed away. These were my thank you gift for helping to cater her wedding in 1996. I know nothing else about them. These others I found on eBay awhile back and they were a steal. I think I paid under $2/glass for them with the shipping included! They're delicate and pretty and the etched patterns on the sides look really lovely when there's a brightly colored cocktail in the glass. Again, no clues on their age, but I'm guessing they're from the 40's or so.

Chris: Is it possible that there were bourbon glasses but those all broke or didn't get sold because someone else (obviously a bourbon aficionado) kept them?? Do you have reason to believe they never existed?? Seems to me there's every reason to believe that they did but just didn't make it to you...

I recall having seen seafood sausage at D'Angelo's on 9th Street in the Italian Market. No clues on the casings though. Might be worth calling over there to see what it's made from.

Yeah, but.... I think the whole point of trying the same item both savory and spicy is to see how it changes and what's different about it in the different preparation styles. I really enjoyed trying the same items both ways. I thought it was quite instructional. There was a metric buttload of food/drinks at that table. And the shots of chili oil and <gasp> the shot of Szechuan Peppercorn oil were worth the cost of admission alone. Scary stuff. But the food and drink and comraderie were outstanding. Thanks to Uncle Phil and Han for making a fabulous feast for us. I'll be ready again soon, just not too soon. I'm still recovering. **burp**...

Lazy frozen Margaritas with Minute Maid Limeade as the main ingredient. Oh the shame. But they're so good. And so easy...

Three Cup Chicken is a non-spicy but still very savory dish. I thought I saw it on a menu there, but it doesn't seem to be listed on the Philly Han Dynasty online menu. West Lake Beef Soup is pretty mild. Needs red vinegar and white pepper to jazz it up, which I have at home for when I get it take out. The Scallion style, Crispy Rice style and Black Bean style dishes are listed with no spiciness score, as are several of the Vegetable dishes, so I presume they're not hot. I've had the Eggplant in Garlic sauce and sauteed Snow Pea shoots and both were delicious and not hot. Talk to Han. After he insults you for having no palate, he'll steer you right.

In addition to an atomizer of Noilly Prat behind the bar, I like to have one filled with absinthe and one filled with Laphroig for misting glasses and adding that Sazerac-like rinse or a bit of smokiness to a cocktail a la Audrey's Dreamy Dorini. Keeps from doing the In-and-Out and getting a puddle at the bottom of the drink. Just enough to coat the glass and no more. Brilliant.

I'm working on getting some Appleton white to replace the Bacardi (I know. Don't even say it...) we are currently carrying. Another possibility is the Brugal white which is available in PA. Don't forget I'm forced to deal with that state sponsored monopoly that is the PLCB, and that limits my choices immensely as well as allows the Commonwealth to line their pockets with revenue and taxes that would be prosecutable under the RICO statutes in virtually any other state... At a reaonable price point we could conceivably order the aforementioned Brugal or perhaps Flor de Cana 4 yr. old or Cruzan white but all of those require divining which purveyor is carrying it and whether the supply can be counted upon to be uninterrupted. And that's for "Special Order" products. Sometimes the Commonwealth simply decides that they need shelf space back and decides to stop carrying a more niche product that has lower sales than that which they wish to replace it with. I hate spending all that time to tweak a drink exactly as I wish it to be and then finding out that the PLCB has decided to "de-list" the main component and I simply can't get it anymore. I'm still getting over the fact that Chartreuse is just getting back into the rotation and that I still can't get plain Benedictine as opposed to B&B. These are the joys of living in a controlled state.

Another new drink hopeful for our menu: Say Goodnight Gracie 2 oz. white rum 3/4 oz. demerara simple syrup 1/3 oz. Creme de Violette 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice 1 dashes Fee Brothers Rhubarb bitters Shake over ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime twist. Basically a violet daiquiri. Hopefully something to get the Cosmo girlies on to something resembling a real adult cocktail.

Awesome. I guess mom's no longer concerned about you having made friends here in Philly, eh?

Sarah: A bit of searching of the PLCB website prior to heading to the store might help you from being disappointed. Just search for the grape varietal or name of wine, then sort by price or product name (I think they come up alphabetically initially) and then check if your local store has it. If you go to one of the bigger stores like 12th & Chestnut, you're likely to find a much wider selection. Looking forward to sharing dinner on Thursday! edited to add: I forgot to mention that Oregon and Washington State also produce some rocking good examples of Alsace varietal whites like riesling, gewurztraminer and pinot blanc, as well as some lovely Chenin Blancs that come from South Africa. I'm going to try hunt down a bottle or two of the South African myself, just because I met one of the premier winemakers from there several months ago and was blown away by how delicious the wines were. I suspect if I'm able to find the bottling I enjoyed it'll be close to making angels weep with the food at Han Dynasty.

I've been enjoying the 2008 La Yunta Torrontes my last few visits. A bargain at $7.99! Torrontes is from Argentina and is a slightly sweet and aromatic wine with good acidity to balance it (much like good riesling). Spot on perfect for this sort of food. Any Torrontes would be fine, too. Doesn't vary as wildly as riesling in residual sugars. Sparkling wine that isn't too dry (Cava, Prosecco or demi-sec) or other aromatic and slightly off dry whites like Gewurztraminer, Vouvray, Viognier, etc. would work well too. Those of us there on New Years Eve shared a nice Pierre Sparr 2007 Reserve gewurztraminer from Alsace that was also ideal with the cuisine and was purchased right around the corner at the store on 2nd Street above Chestnut in the middle of our dinner. Red wines are a tough call with spicy foods. Problem is the alcohol content of reds can be up to 14.5-15% which quite literally throws fuel on the fires inside your mouth. Something lighter with low tannins and acidity like dolcetto could work, but I personally prefer to stick to the sorts of wines described above or beer. YMMV.

The House Martini at Amada at one point had Spanish olives and a boquerone (fresh anchovy in olive oil) on the skewer. Not sure if the herring really goes with the Scandopolitan in the same way that olives and anchovies might go with a martini, though. Perhaps a lime wedge or lime twist would be fine, or if you wanted to be different, a lemon wedge. I'll bet Lingonberry and lemon are delicious together...

Here's the best quote from the Washington Post article: How long have we all been saying this? Nice to know someone finally heard us!!

How about dried cranberries (Craisins) instead of raisins?? I bet that might be delicious.

Make it happen, Uncle Phil. I'm in if it's on a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Keep us posted. If we get the big group together again I know it'll be just as much fun as Royersford was. Bring it on!!

First off, welcome to eGullet!! Working in restaurants for as long as I have, I can assure you that there's definitely stuff you're better off not knowing. And yes, NO ONE wants the EMTs in the dining room during service, no less the hysterical screaming mom. Your attitude is commendable. If approached that way, most restaurants will go quite far out of their way to be accommodating. You are most certainly welcome to visit my restaurant any time! I'll personally make sure that your son's meal is dairy free. Luckily, dairy and seafood (other than New England clam chowder) don't usually go together, so that would make it a bit easier.

Aw shucks! Thanks Mike! I do love me those WBA bitters too. They smell like the best Christmas potpourri ever. A little goes a long way too, so doling them out with a dropper really is the way to go. Let me know how you like the Newton's Law revised version. I'd welcome the feedback. On a side note, the 2009 WBA bitters are SOLD OUT!! Heard it from Joe Fee himself when I called to inquire about getting some more. My manager found some online, but we're SOL here in Philly at the usual retail outlets. Stock up if you see them because the 2010 WBA bitters won't be released until some time in March, I'm told.

I agree about the WBA bitters. When that next bottle comes in I'm transferring some to a dropper bottle. Much easier to deal with them that way. And far less wasteful, too. I think a dash of Peychaud and 2-3 drops of WBA and this will be ready for public consumption.