KatieLoeb

Matt: You and Karen remain two of my favorite people. I love living vicariously through you. You did a whole lot of livin', eatin' and drinkin' in a very short span of time. Good on ya' both! I'm duly impressed. You hit several of my fave places and a few I haven't gotten to yet, but will be all over next time. Thanks for the reconnaissance. Well done!

Just reacquainted myself with the Weeski cocktail earlier this week. A fine beverage it is. Thanks Dave. I might have to put this one on my fall cocktail menu (with all due credit of course), just because it's such a fine way to introduce folks to a more elegant employment of the Irish spirit. Most people (around here at least) drink Irish whiskey in celebratory shots, but never bother to sip it and really enjoy it. This might be the way to expand their horizons in a painless fashion.

Finally made it over to P & K tonight with a friend. I'd been jonesing for a good burger and the Windsor did not disappoint. Totally delicious and moist with awesome bacon and cheese on top. Good bun too. Tried the brussel sprouts and onion rings on the side. Oh my. My dining companion was floored by the sprouts. They were quite delicious. I thought the onion rings were great, although that big assed bucket of them was a bit too much, if such a thing is possible. I agree that they ought to do a small order of rings with an upcharge as a substitution for the fries, although I wonder if those would be a pain in the ass for the kitchen to pull off. Service was very pleasant and efficient. Enjoyed a couple of nice glasses of wine and a Blanton's on the rocks for dessert. Next time I'll save room for the bread pudding which sounded stellar from the description. Chef Johnny Mac was nice enough to stop by our table and say hello and chat about the place. Looks like it's going very well for them there and I can totally see why. Looks like GM Ed Hackett has everything well under control. Best wishes to them for continued success. They'll be seeing me again, probably sooner than they'd like...

I can throw a rock onto their front steps from mine. Yet everytime I've tried to go it's been a Monday and I've been disappointed that they were closed. I'll make a special effort on another day off soon, on Holly's recommendation. Maybe even this week...

:drool: I'm so there next trip...

Intelligent programming of the POS system and use of spreadsheets to estimate usage in "reciped" drinks (for specialty cocktails) as well as a weekly inventory should take care of most concerns. Having an "upcharge" button for "rocks" or "up" doesn't really fairly estimate your costs, since the extra ounce and a half of Belvedere or Grey Goose costs more than the ounce and a half of Absolut in a vodka martini. If every vodka and gin has a button for "mix" (vodka/tonic), one for "rocks" and one for "up" (martini) that are priced accordingly, then knowing you sold 300 Grey Goose drinks this week and what the breakdown for each sort was will give you a better idea of how many ounces/bottles should be gone vs. what your actual inventory reveals at the end of a sales week. If you just have a modifier that adds $1 for rocks and $2 for an up drink that doesn't tell you anything nor is it really reflecting your true costs. And usually the modifiers aren't broken down on the sales report as to which liquor they were attached to, so that tells you nothing. Program your POS system appropriately and then if at the end of the week you've sold 300 Grey Goose drinks (100 Goose/tonics @2oz.; 100 Goose Rocks @3oz. and 100 Goose martinis @3.5oz.) you now know you've sold 850 oz. or the equivalent of 34 bottles (750ml = 25 oz.). That's actually giving you some useful information. The sales reports are only as smart as the person that programmed the system. Think it through and see where you can account for things more clearly. Then use the system to do the math for you and compare to final inventories every week. Let me know if that makes sense....

I still haven't had a chance to check this place out, but both the burger and fish and 'taters (however one wishes to describe it) are high on my list of must try items. The tone of Rick Nichols article is odd. Why would a chef have to "atone" for anything? Seems more like Johnny Mac just decided to get involved in a project that has a less high-falutin' concept and tailored the menu to suit. Seems reasonable to me.

Gorgeous tiny jewel-like Fairy Tale eggplants and nice looking green and yellow zucchini at the Passyunk market this afternoon. The eggplants are pricey, but so cute and pretty. I'll be quartering and stir frying those with the zucchini and a lot of garlic before I drop a can of Ro-tel tomatoes in for a quick tricked out Mexican ratatouille. I'm trying so hard to eat my five servings a day... Bought some pretty plums too. Still sweet and juicy, the farmer said they'd been picked several weeks ago and kept in cold storage. They're the last gasp of summer except for the last heirloom tomatoes I saw. Cauliflower bigger than your head at one table. It was so big I doubted I could finish one alone. But more importantly I won't have time to cook it this week so I'll wait until next Tuesday and feast on a ginormous batch of Roasted Cauliflower for dinner. Other than the friends I've made here, that roasted cauliflower is my very favorite thing that eGullet has introduced me to.

The Carpano Antica and the Punt e Mes are both made by Carpano. The Punt e Mes is a "vermouth amaro" that has its own applications and the Antica formula is just the best vermouth you'll ever try. It's magical stuff that can be had on its own on the rocks with a twist and be as complex and interesting (or even more so) than the best wine you've ever drunk. Try both if you have access and the budget which allows.

My pleasure Matt. And I completely understand that problem with the bourbon. It's one I have as well. As for the Carpano Antica, I'd say if you treated it like open wine and kept it refrigerated and transferred it to smaller empty bottles so there was less surface exposure to oxygen it ought to last just fine. It's most definitely worth the cost of admission.

In this particular instance it might be best to stick with a very mild bourbon (more of a "blank slate") rather than rye, to let the pumpkin spirit spices shine through rather than get thrown in the shade by the spiciness of the rye. Try it again with Maker's Mark, a nicer sweet vermouth if you have access (I like the Noilly Prat sweet or in a perfect world, Carpano Antica) and Fee Brothers Aromatic bitters or Whiskey Barrel Aged bitters, although the latter are heavy on the Christmas spices and might be a tad too much in this application for the same reason as the rye. Another possibility would be to skip the bitters entirely and use a judicious amount of Punt e Mes for a different take on the drink.

Praline bacon?? Duck hash?? Holy Mother. I know where I'm having breakfast next time I'm in NOLA. Thanks for that rec Sarabeth. That sounds awesome.

The smoked brisket gumbo is one of the most delicious things ever. I am hoarding the last bit of it that was delivered to my sweaty little palms by a kind Gumbo Fairy. My coworkers were mightily jealous, and didn't get to try any by virtue of going home before me. More for me. YAY! Damn I wish this place was open earlier in the week! I'd totally be there on my days off. Any chance they'll move to larger and more convenient (read: open more often) quarters now that the word is out and they're getting some press? To the kind Gumbo Fairy (and you know who you are): Have I told you lately that I you?

James: Congrats! That's awesome news. And it sounds like a very tasty drink. It's the light at the end of my tunnel tonight when I finish a bit of work I have to do. I'm really looking forward to trying it... edited to add: I couldn't wait until I was finished typing and needed some "inspiration" of the liquid sort. The Velo is delightful! I made one with Bluecoat gin and some Fee Brothers Passionfruit cordial and it's absolutely one of my new favorites. Great work James!

Maggie: What can I say? I only hope this means you'll have more time to post along with the rest of us mere mortals. eGullet just wouldn't be the same without your own special brand of wit, wisdom and smarts. Not the same at all... Best wishes to you and I hope we've not heard the last from you. And I still hope to break bread and raise a glass again some time in the not too distant future. It was a distinct pleasure meeting you.

I know that many of you were aware of the Hendrick's Medicine Show that took place at Apothecary Bar on Tuesday September 30, 2008. Drew Lazor of City Paper was one of the three judges for the event and has posted his take on the event as well as some great photos in the Clog this week. My drink was the tall fizzy Filomena's Panacea, a Hendricks, lime cordial, St. Germain and cucumber-cilantro Collins. That's me in the bright pink saloon girl dress pouring a couple before the judges. The YouTube video of Christian's limerick recital is fantastic as well. Looking forward to having Christian represent Philly at the finals in L.A. Fun seeing what other bartenders are doing with the Hendrick's.

Blackberry Beret! I like it! I like the idea of it being purple too, but an addition of creme de mure would make the drink too sweet and probably wouldn't work since the grapefruit juice is the primary color. It's a yellow drink in the glass... Actually, to make the syrup I blanched 1/2 cup of packed sage leaves in 1/2 cup of honey for about 2 minutes. I added 1 cup of water and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, adding one more 1/2 cup of water as it evaporated. I then buzzed that through the blender and let it sit overnight to cool. Strained it and it was REALLY sage-ey. I then diluted it with 1 cup of premixed 1:1 honey syrup and 1/2 cup of Fee Brothers Falernum. I didn't want to cook the falernum for fear of changing the flavor of it or messing with the aromatics. The end result is a syrup with enough sweetening power and delicious aromatics that I can just measure into the drink on a busy night and not fuss with muddling as well as it always being consistent. It's strong enough that a little goes a long way, in a good way, if you know what I mean. I will undoubtedly make my own falernum someday, but for now the Fee Bros. is wha't's available to me in PA. No Velvet Falernum here yet. Again, it's consistent and I like that. I was inspired to combine these flavors because I know that sage and grapefruit work together and I know that sage and blackberry work together. I just decided to see if it was transitive...

I'm tweaking a new cocktail for my fall menu. I finished the Sage/Honey/Falernum syrup today and made one for the staff. Everyone loved it. It needs a clever name. If anyone has an idea let me know... 1.75 oz. Stoli Blakberi vodka .75 oz. Sage/Honey/Falernum syrup .5 oz. fresh lime juice 1.25 oz. grapefruit juice Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Float a sage leaf on top. Basic flavor profile is Blackberry, Sage and Grapefruit with a hint of honey in the background and a wee bit of savory-ness from the falernum. Delicious combination of flavors. I can't for the life of me think of a cool name for it.

Matt: NewOrleansOnline is a very helpful website I've availed myself of many times. As for the breakfast at Brennan's, I had breakfast there on my last Sunday visiting in July, and while it was good, I'd never bother with it again, or necessarily recommend it to anyone over so many other fantastic places to eat in NOLA. I found that while the restaurant itself is lovely and the service impeccable, watching 18 varieties of Eggs Benedict go by me made me think of the place as an expensive and high class version of IHOP, with nicer surroundings and much better service. The prix fixe brunch is heavy and pricey. I'd never spend $50 for a small appetizer, eggs and dessert again when I could budget that toward so many other more impressive possibilities while in NOLA. And the Bananas Foster are delicious, but also not world changing, at least to me. I don't know. I'm not one with a sweet tooth, and dessert isn't necessarily my favorite course, so perhaps I'm not the best judge, but I've seen things flambeed before and Bananas Foster just isn't that hard to make. I'll bet you could make them at home and use better quality spirits, throw them over some vanilla ice cream (Capogiro gelato, perhaps?) and enjoy it almost as much. YMMV. Perhaps everyone has to do breakfast at Brennan's once to decide if it's worth it to them. Have a blast! You really must send Chris my best and raise a glass (or ten) in my absence. I'll be thinking of you and Karen jealously next week!

It's looking more like Philly beer in Milwaukee than vice versa right now... To remain OT I'd like to add: I've tried to work with pumpkin in the past for seasonal cocktails, but the canned Libby's pumpkin (which I realize isn't fresh, but it is consistent) is so fibrous and nasty it's hard to incorporate into a drink. Even with a paint shaker and a double straining it seems to leave a trail like a slug around the glass that is quite gelatinous and unattractive. I think the only way to incorporate pumpkin into a cocktail is either to "imply" it with pumpkin pie spices or to find some sort of pumpkin flavored delivery system like a liqueur or pumpkin "spirit" like this one that will incorporate completely into the drink. Pumpkin isn't something you want to muddle or shake. It just doesn't work like that...

jneu: Glad that worked out. Often, it's better in my head than it is in the glass, believe me. But some things seem somehow meant to be together. Pumpkin flavor and pumpkin spices seem a natural match with rye to me. I worked on a Membrillo Manhattan with quince before, so the pumpkin is even less of a leap...

This is amusing to me only because my bar (in Philadelphia) currently has the Lakefront Pumpkin Lager on draught. I didn't know about the cross-beer wager with Lakefront Brewery. That's awesome. I hope they'll be serving some Sly Fox or Philadelphia Brewing Company beers in Milwaukee... As for a cocktail idea, I'd try a pumpkin scented Manhattan perhaps, either rye (for spicier) or bourbon based. Or maybe a Pumpkin Sidecar variant...

The PLCB retail cost is about $25, so the restaurant selling it for $58 is really quite reasonable, for Philly standards. I'd be pretty surprised if the whole list had markups that low, but then, maybe I'm just a cynic too! ← Ahh. OK. I misunderstood Capaneus saying that was "roughly what the restaurant paid for it..." I thought he meant they were selling the bottle at cost. 43% cost is high but still a reasonable profit and close to the two and half times markup that used to be the norm. That makes a whole lot more sense.

Not to be a cynic, but is it possible that the wine bottle price on the comp check was the restaurant's cost rather than retail just for their inventory and cost purposes?? I'd pretty much fall over if any restaurant were serving wines at cost. Even Friday, Saturday, Sunday does their famous $10 above cost wine deal that's pretty awesome, but they're still making something on it. :shrug: I guess I really am a cynic....

I had never considered the combination of brisket and bacon before, but it works beautifully. I'm cooking a brisket right now and I keep thinking how much better it would be with bacon. Oh sure: think of all the beef-based stews that have a little bacon in them. A great combination, but not one that would really fly during Rosh Hashana... ← Eating bacon during Rosh Hashanah is no more of a sin than eating it any other time if you aren't one that's inclined to keep kosher. Eating bacon on Yom Kippur when you should be fasting is an entirely 'nother matter. edited to add: Sorry I missed you, Steve. Would've been nice to see you. I wished you'd had time to stop by Chick's for a post-prandial cocktail, but I'm guessing you had a small guest with you whose ID wouldn't have passed muster?