KatieLoeb

Sprague is a big shark all right. RTM must be pretty nervous to have called in the big bazookas right outa the gate.

This just in. Big sale on high end Antinori wines: You can still grab a few bargains from a limited number of Italian wines from super Tuscan producer, Antinori. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Deep savings on Premium Tuscan 750ml bottles, magnums and double magnums...Yes, double magnums! Place your order today. Don't hesitate. Product availability is limited to select Premium Collection Stores and our Online Store. Large format bottles are available for order at our Online Store only. The following wines are available for purchase in Premium Collection Stores: Code 24436 Antinori Guado al Tasso 2000 750ml Now $60.49 The Wine Enthusiast 89 points: "Probably not what you'd expect from this wine. It's a fair amount gamy, with caramel, warm earth and some bacon on the nose. There's sweet berry fruit and licorice notes, but also a dry, peppery, woody character. Shows a young, willing attitude, but it's not the best Guado of the past few vintages." QUOTED AT $80.00 PLCB Price $60.49 Code 23120 Antinori Solaia 2001 750ml Now $116.49 The Wine Spectator 93 points: "Masses of coffee and blackberry character in this youthful wine. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins, loads of fruit and excellent wood. Big and juicy, with a long, long finish. A fine wine. Needs time. Best after 2007." QUOTED AT $180.00 PLCB Price $116.49 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These are a little out of my budget, but might be worth looking at if you've got room to hold them for a little while.

Hi Kathy: I never did see your original post about the vodkas. I didn't know about them myself until my friend in Cape May contacted me in May about helping her plan this dinner. Here's my take on the different flavors: Celery-Peppercorn: Well balanced and perfect for bloody marys or other savory applications. The celery flavor is well pronounced and the perppercorn is just enough, not too much. Grapefruit-Honey: More citrusy than sweet, but with a definite honeyed flavor in the background. Purposefully kicked up those aspects in the mimosa so those flavors wouldn't get masked by the sparkling wine. I'd probably enjoy this one on the rocks or with soda as well. Pear-Lavender: The most subtle of all the flavors we used. A flavor combination I'd availed myself of previously in a cocktail, so definitely a favorite flavor duo of mine. However, because the flavors were so subtle in the vodka, I again chose to kick it up with the use of Belle de Brillet, Lavender simple syrup and a bit of pear nectar so the flavors would come through in the drink and stand up to the pork. Candied Ginger: Definitely the strongest flavored vodka of the bunch. A little of this went a long way. Almost like biting into a piece of candied ginger with a bit of the heat still remaining in the vodka. Tamed it with coconut rum, pineapple juice and a little mango syrup so it would compliment the flavors in the fish dish. This would likely have to be mixed with juice or soda to cut it back to palatable levels of flavor/heat. Chocolate-Orange: Bittersweet and a little bit like that old Israeli liqueur called Sabra with vodka. This would probably be good in a creamy drink a la White Russian as a dessert drink, maybe with a tiny splash of Godiva and some cream. I wanted to use the mist of smoky Islay scotch in the glass to echo the flavor of the grilled meat, and the chocolate and orange already go well with beef, so making a smoky French Martini seemed the best way to soften the vodka with a bit of Lillet and Three Tea: Really liked this one too. Another I could see myself sipping on the rocks. Very delicate balance of tea flavors without the harsh tannin I've always gotten from my own attempts at tea infused spirits. Seemed like a natural to pair with the Chai creme brulee. The other flavor that's available that we chose not to use was the Black Truffle. When we tried it we thought it was just a bit too funky to try and create a cocktail with, and we definitely wanted to do variations of classic cocktails for this dinner. I suspect this one might be good just chilled and served on the side of a cheese platter or maybe with a very simple complimentary protein. You can see what Modern Spirits recommends as the best food pairings with their products, HERE. I'm not holding my breath as to when these will be available in PA, since it's such a niche product, but the Modern Spirits website has a spot to find a distributor in a *ahem* neighboring state if you're feeling so inclined.

Hi all: I've been meaning to post this thread for some time, but have been having trouble getting the photos needed until today. My apologies for the long delay. On Sunday June 26, 2006, I participated in a paired cocktails and dinner event hosted by Martini Beach restaurant in Cape May, NJ. The featured spirit of the evening was the new line of infused vodkas produced by Modern Spirits. Martini Beach is one of the first restaurants in NJ to feature the new vodkas, which are all created in small batches for maximal delicacy of flavor. We used six of the seven available flavors for the dinner - Celery-Peppercorn, Grapefruit-Honey, Pear-Lavender, Candied Ginger, Chocolate-Orange and Three Tea. Here is a pictorial of each of the six courses offered, as well as the cocktails created by myself and Karin Rickard, my good friend and the proprietress of Martini Beach. Cocktail Hour - Trio of appetizers - Chilled Cape May Salt Oysters, Shrimp Cocktail and Hand Cut Gazpacho. Served with a fresh Yellow Tomato Celery Peppercorn Bloody Mary. We made fresh yellow tomato juice, mixed it with the Celery-Peppercorn vodka, fresh lemon juice, the tiniest bit of worcesterhire and tabasco (so as not to change the lovely color) and rimmed the champagne flutes we served it in with a mixture of fresh dried lemon zest, celeery seed, a pinch of cayenne and kosher salt which we'd buzzed through the coffee grinder. The juice sadly began to separate after a few minutes, but it looked glorious when it first got into the glass. First course - Ruby Red Scallop Ceviche with Basil. Served with a Grapefruit Honey Mimosa. The scallops were about as fresh and delicious as I've ever had. Poached in fresh ruby red grapefruit juice and mixed with fresh basil. The cocktail included the Grapefruit-Honey vodka, a dab of honey syrup, a splash of ruby red grapefruit juice and a splash of X-Rated Fusion Liqueur as the base which was then topped with sparkling wine. Second Course - Smoked tenderloin of Kurabuta pork with roasted Bosc pears. Served with a Lavender-Pear Sidecar. The sidecar is a variant of a drink I've made in the past. This one contained the Modern Spirits Pear-Lavender vodka, Belle de Brillet pear cognac, lavender simple syrup, Cointreau, pear nectar and fresh lemon juice, garnished with a lemon twist. This one was the crowd favorite for the evening, I think. Third Course - Seared Opa with Sauteed Snow Peas, Mango Salsa and Pineapple Beurre Blanc. Served with a Candied Ginger Pina Colada with Mango syrup. The Pina Colada was the Candied Ginger vodka, a wee bit of Malibu rum, a splash of pineapple juice, fresh lime and mango syrup drizzled in for a Tequila Sunrise effect at the bottom of the glass. Garnished with a fresh pineapple wedge. Fourth Course - Grilled Kobe beef with Foie Gras Butter over Spring Onion White Polenta. Served with a Smoky French Martini made with Chcocolate-Orange vodka. This cocktail was a bit trickier to pull off. I wanted to riff on the Dreamy Dorini Smokin' Martini of Pegu Club fame, but rinsing the glass with Laphroaig scotch was still leaving too much of a whiskey taste in the drink. The eventual solution was to put the Laphroaig in a spray bottle with a couple of strips of orange zest and allow it to infuse for a couple of hours before the dinner. We then misted the glasses with the scotch and added the chilled Chocolate Orange vodka and Lillet afterward. Garnished with a fat orange twist. It's a shame you really can't see the drink, because we chose to serve them in pewter goblets that looked like the Holy Grail, but the choice of stemware seemed apropos for a big meat course. Everyone had fun swinging around their "grog" and clinking the big-assed glasses. Dessert - Chai infused Creme Brulee. Served with a Three Tea Vodka Old Fashioned. This was really delicious. I love creme brulee and this was a very delicately spiced version that complimented the Three Tea vodka very well. For the cocktail, we muddled cherries and orange segments with a splash of grenadine and orange bitters then filled the glass with crushed ice. We topped it off with the Three Tea vodka and added a tiny float of Grand Marnier on the top. I have to thank Chefs John Siuta and Dan Winkler of Martini Beach, as well as the entire FOH staff for making this dinner seem so effortless. I actually had the pleasure of sitting down and acting like a guest as the kitchen, waitstaff and bartenders did all the heavy lifting. After having a near nervous breakdown that afternoon while doing the last minute shopping and batching up all the drinks, this all came together by the appointed hour with even a tiny bit of time to spare. Whew! I must also thank my friend Dino Galanti of Party Rental Ltd. for donating all of the beautiful tableware, glasses and linens to help make everything look as appealing as it did, and of course my good friend Karin at Martini Beach for asking me to participate in this great event and acting as the other half of my brain when coming up with the drink recipes. This was really challenging and a lot of fun to pull off. The Modern Spirits vodkas are interesting products. Probably not for everyone, but I think that's fine with them. Some are better than others for solo sipping, at least to my taste, but they're certainly an interesting entry into the flavored/infused vodka portfolio. I'll be interested to read about the other cocktail dinners around the country that are featuring these and see what those chefs and mixologists come up with!

Thoroughly charming, utterly adorable and unflinchingly realistic with the restaurant and food scenes. The various personalities in the kitchen were just perfect. I loved Colette's little lecture about how each of them came to work in the restaurant. This hit really close to home for me, having worked in so many restaurants. I was crying laughing (literally) toward the end when the rats have taken over the kitchen. This is one of the cutest movies ever. Can't wait until I can own it. I absolutely loved it. Best foodie movie in ages.

You might be experienceing the same phenomenon I did in Philly not too long ago. Apparently a lot of the bigger chain restaurants (Capital Grille, for example) have recently decided to include Luxardo Maraschino on their bars, so basically the entire supply in the city got snapped up by the bigger players, leaving the small independent restaurants and bars hung out to dry in terms of getting any. It was backordered for weeks the last time I tried to order it in May. We got three bottles at that time, after waiting several weeks for the new container to arrive from Italy. The upside to all this is that when my restaurant closed a few weeks ago I was able to purchase the two unopened bottles from the cellar and they're now sitting in my bar at home.

I had the pleasure of finally making it to AHD for lunch earlier this week when making my way back to Philly from Rockland County, NY last weekend. Curlz was kind enough to join me for lunch and Eric was expertly manning the counter. After some chit-chat we got down to business. Here's what we ordered: From left to right: Jersey Breakfast, Asian Dog, an Amazing with spicy mustard and hot relish and a Classic with Cheese Whiz, cooked onions and Chili. Small fries in the back. Every last one of these was good (I'll take Curlz word on the Jersey breakfast since that's the only one I didn't try). The Asian Dog was the big surprise - who would've thunk that peanut butter and sambal would be good on a hot dog? But it's a little like beef satay with some sweetness and spicy all going on at once. The chili is really good too. I loves me a good chili dog and it had been awhile since I'd had one. This one really hit the spot. And the fries are just perfect - thin enough to get crisp on the outside and still have a little potatoey-ness in the center. Amazing Hot Dog totally lives up to its name. I wish Eric and Matt the best of luck with their next location. I can hardly wait for my next trip up that way for another AHD run!

I got the lowdown on PDT from a friend in the trade when I was in NYC for the bar show early last month. You could have knocked my two friends and I over with a feather when the wall opened up behind the phone booth. I mean, how cool is that? Very early Bat Cave and definitely adding to the overall effect of being somewhere slightly naughty and off the beaten path. Had the pleasure of seeing Donbert briefly and really enjoyed all of the cocktails we had amongst us. Sorry to have missed Jim Himself, but hopefully he got my message that I thought the place was the Cat's Meow. If it weren't such a commute I'd be all over applying for a bartending position at PDT. Definitely my kind of place.

Bourbon/whiskey and ginger is almost fool proof. Vodka and juice of your choosing. Do they have bitter lemon as a mixer Down Under? I like Bourbon and Bitter Lemon quite a bit.

*ahem* There are still a few of us that are 26 with 20 years experience at that age doing exactly that... I get this part too. Anyone that wants me to get off my barking feet and consult for them is welcome to e-mail me.

Erik: IMO the Bluecoat works best in drinks with a citrus component - martini with a twist not olives, a french martini with a big orange twist (it plays very well with Lillet), a Vesper with a dash of Orange Flower water, a Tom Collins, or a Corpse Reviver #2. Also plays well with (good) Cassis and soda with a fat lemon twist. It won't replace more juniper-ey gins on a 1:1 basis. It needs to be used to showcase the more citrus forward aromatics best. I'm surprised you found it rough. I've always found it pretty smooth myself.

Wanting something quick and easy to sip while working on my computer tonight, I mixed myself up a tall fizzy pear drink. Absolut Pear vodka, a big splash of Looza pear nectar and filled with bitter lemon soda to dial back the sweetness. Pretty good and real easy to drink. I do love Bitter Lemon as a mixer. I think it's so underutilized and underappreciated.

Thank you Dayne! I hadn't seen or heard of that one before. I'll have to try it. Sounds quite refreshing.

Pink gin? What do you mean by this? There used to be a bottle of Pink Diamond Gin behind the bar at my last gig, and it was hideous stuff. Smelled like a grandmothers drawing room that hadn't had the windows opened in three decades.

At The Farmstand Tuesday – Saturday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sunday 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Reading Terminal Market – Arch St. side across from Metropolitan Bakery 12th & Arch Street (www.readingterminalmarket.org) 215-627-2029 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Next Stop, Pick-Your-Own! More in the 2007 Fair Food Farm Tour Series: Saturday, July 14 | 9:30-2:30 U-Pick Berries & Flowers for Buy Fresh Buy Local Week Overbrook Herb Farm (Lansdale) & Willow Creek Orchards (Collegeville) Take home some of Southeastern PA's bounty, fresh from the farm to your table. After visiting Paul Tsakos' specialty herb and produce farm, stock up on pick-your-own berries and flowers at Willow Creek Orchards. Farmer Drew Smith will tour us around their Certified Organic orchards and fields. Ticket price includes a deliciously fresh and local picnic, and a donation to Fair Food. Prices: $25 adult, $12 child (6-13); Kids under 6 are free. Discounts may be available for groups of 5 or more. FMNP (WIC or Seniors) participants receive a 50% discount. We do not want the cost of the tours to deter you from connecting with your local farms and farmers; grants to cover the cost of attending the farm tour may be available on a case-by-case basis. Please inquire below. Contact Rachael for more information or reservations at (215)386-5211 x104 or fairfoodfarmtours@gmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NEW THIS WEEK: BLACK RASPBERRIES from Cedar Meadow Farm. ORANGE, RAINBOW, and PURPLE HAZE CARROTS from Gottschell Farm. ORGANIC LEMON CUCUMBERS from Lancaster Farm Fresh. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FRUIT, VEGETABLES & HERBS CEDAR MEADOWS FARM www.cedarmeadowfarm.com Chemical Free Red Raspberries Chemical Free Black Raspberries AT BUZBY FARM www.buzbyfarm.com Sugar Baby Watermelon Cantaloupe Gottschell Farm www.gottschellfarm.com Salad Mix Carrots—Orange, Rainbow, and Purple Haze KAUFFMAN’S FRUIT FARM – WEDNESDAY AM www.kauffmansfruitfarm.com Apple Snitz LANCASTER FARM FRESH - WEDNESDAY AM & FRIDAY MID-DAY www.lancasterfarmfresh.com Low Spray Cherries- dark red Summit and golden Ranieer Organic Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes Organic Detroit Dark Red Beets Organic Green Cabbage Organic Cucumbers Organic Yellow Wax Beans Organic French Green Beans Organic Rainbow Swiss Chard Organic Sugar Snap Peas Organic Patty Pan Squash Organic Zucchini Organic Zucchini Blossoms Organic Lemon Cucumbers LANDISDALE FARM – SATURDAY AM Organic "Walla Walla" Sweet Onions Organic Dandelion Greens Organic Specialty Squashes- Eight Ball, Flying Saucer, Floridor, Starship and Geode Organic Garlic Scapes Organic Sugar Snap Peas Organic Lacinato Kale Organic Collard Greens Organic Parsley Organic Scallions—Red and White MOTHER EARTH MUSHROOMS – WEDNESDAY AM www.organicmushrooms.com Organic White Button Mushrooms Organic Cremini Mushrooms Organic Portobello Mushrooms OVERBROOK HERB FARM – FRIDAY AM Herbs – Rosemary, Spearmint, Dill Purslane PARADISE HILL FARM Chemical Free Blueberries PARADISE ORGANICS- WEDNESDAY AM Organic Bok Choi- baby Organic Baby Arugula Organic Asian Greens Mix Organic Beets Organic Broccoli—both crowns and full heads Organic Cabbage –Red and Green Organic Carrots Organic Collard Greens Organic Cauliflower—white, Cheddar (orange), Graffiti (purple) and Romanesco Organic Fava Beans Organic Fennel Bulbs (with foliage!) Organic Italian Eggplant Organic Green Peppers Organic Garlic heads, fresh Organic Lettuce heads—green and red Organic Potatoes—new Red and new Yukon Gold Organic Tomatoes—red hothouse, red cherry, yellow grape and red roma Organic Scallions – red and white Organic Herbs—cilantro, flat-leaf parsley and basil Organic Escarole Organic Indigo Radicchio Organic Romaine Organic Sweet Onions RINEER FAMILY FARMS—TUESDAY AM Pickling Cucumbers Hull Peas—whole and shelled Rhubarb Zucchini—green and yellow Heirloom Tomatoes Green and Wax Beans Cucumbers SUNNY ACRES Corn Tomatoes WEAVERS WAY FARM--WEDNESDAY Kohlrabi—purple and white Green Sorrel WOODLAND PRODUCE Conventional Blueberries MEAT, POULTRY & FISH All animal products are humanely-raised without the use of sub-therapeutic hormones and antibiotics. BUCK RUN FARM www.buckrunfarm.com Angusburger CL BISON FARM Bison Burgers (4 4-oz patties) COUNTRY TIME FARM www.countrytimefarm.com Scrapple Pork Butt Roast Pork Cutlets Pork Loin Roast Pork Tenderloin Smoked Ham Slices Baby Back Ribs Country Ribs Chorizo Sausage Mild Italian Sausage Hotdogs DIAMOND SEAFOODS Wild Alaskan Salmon filets GREEN ACRES FARM T-Bone Steak Sirloin Steak Ground Veal Veal Chops Veal Round Roast JAMISON FARM www.jamisonfarm.com Lamb Legs Kebab Meat- from the leg Stew Meat- from the shoulder Lamb Shoulder- boneless, bone-in Ground Lamb Plain Lamb Sausage Spinach & Feta Sausage Merguez Sausage MEADOW RUN FARM Lamb – all cuts available Whole Chickens—Fresh and Frozen Breakfast Links with Sage Smoked Sausage Ground Pork NATURAL ACRES FARM www.naturalacres.com Organic Hamburger Organic Delmonico Ribeye Steaks Organic Porterhouse Steaks Organic Shank Bones Organic Beef Cubes Organic Marrow Bones Organic Backs, Necks, Feet and Gizzards SHADY ACRES FARMS Chicken Breasts (both bone-in and boneless/skinless) and Legs EGGS, CHEESE & DAIRY All products come from pastured animals. We are proud to carry artisanal cheeses from local farms. Please ask for a sample. APPLE TREE FARM Garlic Herb Chevre Plain Chevre BIRCH RUN HILLS FARM Blue Cheese GREEN MEADOW FARM Raw Milk Cheddar – very sharp and crumbly Cultured Butter –both sweet and salted Heavy Cream HIGHFIELD DAIRY Feta- cow and goat milk Yogurt- cow and goat milk KINGFISHER DAIRY Raw Whole Milk Raw Milk Colby Raw Milk Colby Dill Raw Milk Herbal Jack LERAYSVILLE CHEESE FACTORY Sommelier – A semi-soft cow milk cheese Smokey Delight – A smoked version of the Sommelier Horseradish Cheddar MAPLEHOFE DAIRY Skim Milk 2% Milk Chocolate Milk Buttermilk MEADOW RUN FARM Pasture Raised Brown Eggs Blue Eggs NATURAL ACRES www.naturalacres.com Organic Pasture Raised Eggs OAK SHADE FARM Smoked Cheddar Horseradish Cheddar Pepper Jack Cheese Otterbein Acres Romano Cheese NATURAL BY NATURE www.natural-by-nature.com Organic Half-and-Half Organic Whipped Butter, sweet and salty Organic Non-homogenized Whole Milk, in glass bottles Organic Sour Cream Organic Ricotta Organic Whipped Cream PEQUEA VALLEY DAIRY Yogurt – plain and flavored, in both quart and 6oz sizes SEVEN STARS FARM www.sevenstarsfarm.com Biodynamic Maple Yogurt Biodynamic Vanilla Yogurt Biodynamic Lowfat Maple Yogurt Biodynamic Lowfat Plain Yogurt SHELBARK HOLLOW FARM www.shellbarkhollowfarm.com Dry Sharp Goat Cheese Plain Chevre Chive Chevre Hot and Sweet Chevre Peppercorn Chevre Goat Yogurt Goat Kefir SWISS VILLA DAIRY Raw Whole Milk, in returnable glass bottles TWIN MAPLE GOAT DAIRY Raw Goat Milk VALLEY SHEPHERD FARM www.valleyshepherd.com Oldwick Shepherd – A mold ripened raw sheep's milk cheese cave-aged 3-4 months Tomme – a mild cheese made with cow and sheep milk PREPARED FOODS, BAKED GOODS & OTHER From small local farms and food companies using local and/or organic ingredients. BETT'Y'S TASTY BUTTONS www.bettysfudge.com Fudge! CAPOGIRO GELATO www.capogirogelato.com Chocolate Lemon Yogurt Mango Mojito Rhubarb Wildflower Honey CHILLY PHILLY ICE CREAM www.chillyphilly.com Vanilla Vanilla Malt Chip FRESH TOFU www.freshtofu.com Organic Tofu HELEN’S PURE FOODS Hummus – Plain, Garlic Lovers, Sun-Dried Tomato, Jalapeno and Roasted Red Pepper Baba Ghannouj Carrot Tofu Tahini Spread Vegetarian Chicken Spread LANCASTER FARM FRESH www.lancasterfarmfresh.com Homemade Spelt Noodles MAINE SEA SALT www.maineseasalt.com McGEARY GRAIN – DAISY BRAND FLOUR www.mcgearygrain.com White Pastry Flour Whole Wheat Pastry Flour Spelt Flour- Pastry and Bread Molto Bene Baking at Joe Coffee Apple Oat Bars (spelt-based) PARADISE HILL FARM Frozen Cranberries PATTERSON FARMS Maple Sugar RAY’S SEITAN Seitan, frozen ROSS'S ESPRESSO BARS SLOW RISE BAKERY Organic Oat Bread Spelt Bread Organic Sprouted Wheat Organic Walnut Raisin Bread Four Seed Cookies Maple Walnut Granola Honey Oat Crisps (like a granola bar) Lavosh SPIRAL PATH www.spiralpathfarm.com Organic Hot Salsa SPRING HILLS FARM Grade A Maple Syrup – pints and quarts Grade B Maple Syrup – quarts only Grade C maple Syrup – quarts only STARBARS, Organic power bars, wheat-free and dairy-free Chocolate Cherry Carrot Papaya Cherry Lemon Sundrop Maple Walnut Campfire S’More SUBARASHII KUDAMONO www.wonderfulfruit.com Dried asian pears WILLS VALLEY FARM www.willsvalley.com Organic Preserves – Blueberry, Blackberry, Ground Cherry, Peach, Raspberry, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Strawberry Rhubarb Organic Raw Sauerkraut Organic Raw Red Sauerkraut Organic Horseradish Organic Kim Chee Organic Ketchup Organic Fermented Red Beets Organic Fermented Ginger Carrots S&C GOURMET FOODS www.scgourmetfoods.com Mild Pickles Hot & Spicy Pickles BUY FRESH BUY LOCAL! The Fair Food Farmstand sells products that have been grown and produced by small family farms and independent food companies in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey

OK - I'm unemployed since my restaurant closed last weekend and suddenly find myself with enough time off to attend the Tales of the Cocktail week in NOLA in two weeks. I'm beside myself with excitement, both because I've never been to New Orleans and because I haven't had a vacation in six years!! I've managed to book four nights and a flight from Philly for a pittance, but still have to be careful with my cash since I'm still job hunting. What are the best cheap breakfasts, lunches and dinners in NOLA for this frugal girl to enjoy, while not getting herself into strangling debt doing so? I'm arriving 7/18 and leaving 7/22 so I have a lot of meals to fill on a budget. I'll probably spring for one big dinner out on Thursday 7/19, but otherwise am seeking the places the natives inhabit that aren't tourist traps or rip-offs. Where to go?? My thanks in advance for your sound advice... Any of you that are attending Tales of the Cocktail feel free to PM me so we can arrange to meet and have a drink. I have a big cocktail budget.

Really? Are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse sitting at the bar, by any chance? Doesn't sound like they're off to a good start this season. I can't imagine any reason not to open two months ago and miss half of an already short season in which to make one's annual receipts. Having worked a restaurant through a bankruptcy, I recognize the harbingers of insolvency when I see them. I wish them the best of luck. Perhaps I'll finally get a chance to check the place out on my next trip down.

<sniff> I guess my invitation to this tasting got lost in the mail... Sounds great, though. And of course I'm pea green with envy that you had this opportunity. The Van Winkle stuff is some of my very favorite.

I second this idea. I had the culinary students at a local university cater my wedding and it was better and far less expensive than any of the other options. Passed hors d'oeuvres for cocktail hour, five course sit down dinner with paired wines and dessert. Incredibly elegant and well done and affordable. The guests thought it was the best wedding food they'd ever had.

Mr. LaBan's legal woes have made it all the way to coverage on CNN. Lawsuit Could Unmask Food Critic

Holy Cow, Batman! That has to be just about the coolest thing I've ever seen. Amazing that the cows seem to take to the robot moreso than the farmer. I guess they're more afeared of us than we are of them...

I can only echo what others here have said. It's hard to believe that one can feel so close to someone they've never met in person. Linda was a incredibly generous soul with her wisdom. My interactions with her were always pleasant and cheerful and left me better for having consulted her. I loved reading her well crafted posts. She'll be sorely missed, both here on eGullet and undoubtedly by those that had the pleasure of knowing her in the flesh. My deepest condolences to her family and friends. Take comfort in knowing she left a wide wake in her path. Many of us will miss her as well. There's no better measure of a person than that.

The impromptu eGullet party at my bar was the best part of the night. That and juggling the chainsaws and flaming bottles all at once. Whew! Thanks to all of you that ever stopped in for libation and good cheer. It was truly a pleasure to have you and I hope to extend the same hospitality somewhere else soon. I'll keep y'all posted.

Yowza. Many thanks to all of you that were kind enough to grace my bar this evening. Once I turned off the weed whacker I think a remember seeing a few of your faces over there on the other side. Aside from having my arse handed to me, it was all in all a fun evening and a rousing send off for M. There was a significant dent made in the bar tonight, but it was for a good cause.

A former employer of mine is allergic to lobster and shrimp so he wears gloves when he prepares them. Hasn't slowed him down one bit.