KatieLoeb

I buy my teas from House of Tea, which is conveniently located all of about two blocks from my house. They have a great selection and high enough turnover that the teas are always fresh and fragrant. Owner Jessica Litt is very knowledgeable about tea and helpful with brewing advice and choosing flavors. My perennial favorites are the Earl Grey Imperial #2 with Violets and the Four Red Fruits for summer iced tea. Delicious stuff.

The only cure for this is to look the waiter right in the eye next time and apologize on your sister-in-law's behalf. Something along the lines of "You'd think she'd be more understanding having stood in your well worn shoes before, but apparently the experience so scarred her, she feels the need to take it out on every waiter she comes across in life. Don't worry about the tip. I'll take care of it personally and make sure she doesn't stiff you after running you ragged. Consider it Hazard Pay." Say this all in your sweetest and most patient voice, at a volume that nearby tables can overhear and then stare daggers at your SIL. Getting called out on it in public usuallly solves the problem once and for all. ← i disagree. people don't generally react well to being taught lessons, especially in public. if there is something in you that thinks you need to change someones ways, it's almost always best to attempt to do so in private, rather than by some obnoxious embarrassement tactic. people who try to teach me a lesson in public get told to go eff themselves in public. clearly not a "win-win", which is presumably the goal. ← I suppose Toliver is lucky to be the only one in his family that no one is mad at. If he chooses not to deal with said SIL then perhaps simply opting not to dine with her might be an option in the future. But I'd bet if he did say something, he wouldn't be the first one in his family that's been embarrassed by her. The closer family members that have to deal with her more frequently are probably just as embarrassed, or perhaps even more so by her high maintenance antics and bad tipping tendencies. I'd be willing to bet on it. Tommy, perhaps you're right. Maybe having the very same conversation I outlined would be better served in private. But I'd still say how surprised I was that she gives the servers such a hard time, having been one herself. Is the presumption that she was such a flawless waitress that her customers never had water spots on their silverware in her station? Did she religiously fill her guests water glasses herself so that no former customer of hers had ever found fault with her service? I have to wonder if she was such a superstar at it, why she's no longer in the business. If she's that good, she'd be in high demand and be making oodles of money. And then she wouldn't be stiffing the servers that are waiting on her.

My Cuban mom always added a splash of vinegar to the pot of black beans toward the end of cooking. That's just how it's done. Pineapple vinegar sweetness combined with black bean earthiness/smokiness sounds like a winner to me. YUM! Abra, do let us know how that turns out. I'm curious now that I'm having a Pavlovian moment just thinking about it. :drool:

The only cure for this is to look the waiter right in the eye next time and apologize on your sister-in-law's behalf. Something along the lines of "You'd think she'd be more understanding having stood in your well worn shoes before, but apparently the experience so scarred her, she feels the need to take it out on every waiter she comes across in life. Don't worry about the tip. I'll take care of it personally and make sure she doesn't stiff you after running you ragged. Consider it Hazard Pay." Say this all in your sweetest and most patient voice, at a volume that nearby tables can overhear and then stare daggers at your SIL. Getting called out on it in public usuallly solves the problem once and for all.

McGillin's wings are legendary. They used to be .10/each on Tuesday nights and the place would be packed to the gills with college students. I stopped going when my old fuddy-duddy kicked in and I was over the crowd scene. I'm a tad claustrophobic so the wings weren't worthy of triggering a panic attack. But they are quite good and if it isn't "Wing Night" and you're there early enough you shouldn't have to do battle to get some.

I cuncur. ← The Calissane is the current rose by the glass at M. Stop by. I haven't seen your smiling face(s) in a while. Why don't you gentlemen detour by one evening soon?

Omaka Springs Estates Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2006. $9.99. Real textbook New Zealand Sauv Blanc at a decent price. Seemingly made out of grapefruit peels with a bit of tropical guava in the background. 11% Semillon for a bit more body and way longer finish than most of the thin and weedy tasting trash that's passing for SB these days. Screwcap for easy access. I just wrote this wine up for an upcoming issue of the Ritz Filmbill. I suggested pairing it with shellfish, a lightly dressed goat cheese salad or Maryland crabs. Ironically, right after I'd finished writing about it and turning in my blurb yesterday, my gracious dinner host served this very same wine next to a delicious roast chicken and some swiss chard malfatti (virtually flourless ricotta gnocchi). It was pretty delicious with that as well.

I've not eaten there, but was told by management that they definitely serve outside in nice weather. There are actually two separate outdoor areas if I'm not mistaken. It certainly is very pretty there, and the pair of swans a-swimming in the pond are just the stuff of fairy tales.

This is actually a pretty damned good idea. I like the idea of giving guests the option of just buying a portion of the bottle, since it's been well thought out how to get rid of the rest of it. The cachet of enjoying just a glass or two of something fabulous that might not usually be available by the glass is enough incentive for some folks, I suppose. And I guess the idea of having the next table over suddenly have the Pavlovian reaction is a good idea too. It's like serving bringhtly colored or flaming cocktails. Once they see it, everyone wants one.

Glad you resurrected this thread for me. I'm seeing Steely Dan at the Tower next month and was thinking about where to eat with my concert going pals prior to the show. Now I just can't decide where to go!

I've always been happy with the frozen products I've purchased at Trader Joes. I'm particularly fond of the burritos. Any of their own label stuff has been good whether frozen, dried boxed or jarred. Stouffer's Spinach Souffle is a complete addiction of mine. The red box stuffed peppers or stuffed cabbage are really good too. Smart Ones 2 grams of fat Mac 'n Cheese is my substitute addiction for the Stouffers red box stuff. It's like methadone, but it works.

Deux Cheminees (under Fritz Blank) won't be an option for much longer. Might be worth going so you don't miss it if you've never been. It's really the most gorgeous building and decor I can think of in town. The food on my last visit (far too long ago, I confess) was excellent, and surpassed only by the seamless service. Definitely a "big boy" restaurant.

In some cases credit card tips are put on a servers paycheck, so they have to wait for them in addition to paying the processing fees. The obvious answer to not punishing the service staff is to pay with a credit card and always tip in cash. Servers and bartenders will love you all the more since they get immediate gratification that they'll see every penny of. They'll remember you fondly, and take even better care of you next time, I assure you.

Maoz Felafel seems to be open pretty late. Lorenzo's Pizza is always open. The pizza is pretty bad, and LARGE, but it really isn't that good. In Chinatown, David's Mai Lai Wah and House of Chen are usually open pretty late. I often get take out from the South Street Diner and bring it home since it's so close by.

Lauren: Happy to help you celebrate your big day! Sounds like it was fun from start to finish. It was good to have to work a little for your crowd of cocktail enthusiasts. Keeps me on my toes! I hope the boys were feeling OK after all those Adios Mothers. It's basically a blue LI Iced Tea and can pack a whallop if not consumed judiciously.

That's. Interesting. I've never been in a restaurant where the patrons have come to blows before. Bars, absolutely. (Instant Asshole - Just Add Alcohol comes to mind as the instructions for that scenario) But Szechuan Tasty House would have been pretty far down my list as a likely candidate for that sort of melee. Wow. Who knew?

Had my first couple of Diablos this evening. Very tasty beverage! The tequila and cassis play well together. This might be my new fave warm weather tequila delivery system.

And at the exact moment I was trying to read your blog and got down to the adorable photo of Piccolo the Kittie, his troublemaking doppleganger Turbo was standing in front of my monitor and poking me in the chest with his paw because I was far more interested in Piccolo than him. Great star to the blog Jennifer! Looking forward to seeing your new kitchen, your work and some cooking. Blog on sister...

Mike, that sounds great! Bourbon, Champagne and bitters - three of my favorite things all at once! What could be bad about that?

This is what I'll be using as my mimosa recipe at M Restaurant this summer. It's a variation on the Flaming Orange Gully, but with Grapefruit vodka and topped with sparkling wine. "M"-mosa 2 oz. Absolut Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka 1 oz. fresh lime juice 4 dashes Angostura bitters 1 oz. Falernum Syrup (I use Fee Bros.) 2 oz. fresh orange juice Mix together above ingredients and divide between four Champagne flutes. Top each with 3-4 oz. of sparkling wine.

wow...I've got to try one of those!! I do know that it takes an incredible amount of blossoms to get enough flavor. I always thought a sherbet would be the perfect frozen treat: the fat from the milk/cream would carry flavor yet not be over powered by the custard from an ice cream base. ← Here's what they look like when finished: The subtle floral notes in the wine perfectly mirror the perfume of the gelato. The season for the honeysuckle gelato is short - but this may be one of my favorite applications. I don't know how Capogiro does it, but their honeysuckle gelato is just glorious.

they didn't explain it from a chemists perspective.... they basically said you can use it to align the perceived acidities of food and wine. it may only be a perceived acidity relative to the tongue and therefore a flavor trick.... someday i will play with it and figure out some practical ratios of sugar / salt / acid... ← Aren't salt and acid at opposite ends of the pH scale - salt being a base? Don't know if the actual pH is lowered by the addition of salt, but this is definitely the basic chemistry of food and wine pairing. Think of how a screechingly acidic Loire Sauvignon Blanc becomes the perfect foil for a briny oyster on the half shell and you get the idea. Try salting your hand (like doing a shot of tequila) and taste a little salt before an acidic wine and you'll definitely see the perceived effect if not an actual one.

If you guys will convince Raul to open a shop in Philly, I'll see what I can do to get a decent cheesesteak/roast pork shop for you. Deal??

They are well-dressed, aren't they? We went back last week, and I was struck that all the guys waiting around to deliver orders were wearing ties. Not something you see very often. ← Definitely. I noticed all the drivers were wearing jackets and ties and looked like someone had left the gates open on a fine English boys prep school. It was rather charming, actually.

I got takeout from Tiffin today after bumping into a mention of the place and getting a serious jones for some good Indian food. I definitely wasn't disappointed. The place is cheery and clean and the staff was very pleasant and helpful. I ordered the Saag Paneer and the Lamb Chettinad and thought both were some of the best I've had. Generous servings of both dishes, gigantic container of Basmati rice, a small side of Lentil Dal, and a Diet Pepsi all for $19! Awesome. I just finished eating a big plate of everything and am feeling very full and satisfied with enough leftovers for at least two more meals. Rockin' good! I was told by one of their well dressed delivery drivers that I definitely have to try the Chicken Korma next time. It won't be long before I do. I may not cook again for weeks!