Andrew Fenton

Bringing this topic back to ask if anybody else has tried Tostitos Gold chips? I bought a bag yesterday and have found them quite good. They're thicker than most chips, a little less salty, and are designed to dip without breaking. They're also a little more expensive than regular chips (same price, but for a 12-oz bag instead of a 14-oz bag). They definitely handled the guacamole I made for dinner last night. I like the thickness (more like deep-fried tortillas) and they have a nice corn flavor. I think they'll be my go-to chip, at least for now. I also note that the bag I bought is partly in Spanish; something I haven't seen on American chips before.

For my first go at tamales, I started with vengroff's excellent Two-Spice Chicken Tamale recipe from RecipeGullet. Obviously it's not vegetarian, but it'll give you the methodology involved. I've discovered that basically anything will taste good when wrapped up in a tamale. Try a spicy vegetable stew or ratatouille for starters. A hint is to use banana leaves instead of corn husks. While they're not as cute as husks, they're a lot easier to work with: you can cut them to the size you want and they fold easily. You can find banana leaves at Asian markets as well as at some Latin markets.

Sounds vague to me: "global ingredients" and "distinctive flavors" could mean just about anything. But I'll be interested to see what happens with it.

Now we're talking! But I wonder if a chicken salad with cayenne and hot sauce isn't a little assertive for a baby shower. I should ask if this is to be served on crustless white bread, or in a more rustic format.

Interesting. Does that mean that the new Starr joint will be Scandinavian? I suppose that that's a cuisine still left for him...

I would very much call the wonderfulness of Starr's restaurants into question. Not least, the wonderfulness of the original Buddakan (note spelling). Cf. this recent thread.

and Cath wrote: I've always been suspicious of non-fruit-flavored water ice. Can chocolate or pistachio be good without a dairy base? And what about cookies n' cream? Is that made with, well, cream? And if so, is it still water ice?

My wife is hosting a baby shower on Sunday, and I have been tasked with making chicken salad for sandwiches. Anybody have recommendations for such a salad?

Okay, I'll bite: who is this Pullman guy, and what do you want with his loaf?

I don't do pomegranate: too much work and too much mess, for too little reward. Other food (especially meaty food) that requires lots of effort-- shrimp, crab, Chinese duck soup with bones and chunks of fat-- are fine, however.

Hey, if you want a brunch partner, let me know. Now I'm all psyched for huevos...

Just made reservations (for four; gonna bring three friends along) for Sunday. Looking forward to it, and hope to see lots of eGulleteers there!

Exactly. I found myself elbowing aside people in line as I tried to get to the salad bar or the ketchup. Granted, it's a very small space, but I'd have hoped that they would have spent a little more time thinking out their layout.

You know, I've gotta try breakfast at LL one of these days. I loves me some huevos rancheros, and there's nothing better than beans at breakfast. The problem, of course, is getting my lazy ass down there in the morning...

So what you're saying is that he recognizes that eGullet would be a way for him to fix any number of his unsightly and unhealthy flaws?

Really? I've been there twice in the last month or two, and while the service isn't exactly licketly-split, it hasn't been slow, either: maybe a 10 or 15 minute wait for my food. Definitely nowhere near an hour. Both times were in the afternoon (one weekday, one weekend); don't know if that makes a difference. (For what it's worth, I've always found LL's service to be friendlier than Tacqueria Veracruzana: not that TV is rude, just not particularly warm, at least to a gringo like me. Doesn't stop me from going there.) One time I had a bowl of posole, which I hadn't had before, but was pretty damn good: big, lots of hominy (not as much meat as I'd like, alas), with a tostada on the side. I agree that each place has its strengths: I stick with the tacos at TV, and usually get the enchiladas at Plaza Garibaldi. It's LL for burritos, though.

As usual, I agree 100% on all of Katie's points. Get the roast pork: the sandwich of the people!

If you're interested in the best steaks (as opposed to the most historically important ones), skip those three and instead hit Tony Luke's, Steve's Prince of Steaks, and maybe Dalessandro's. Just a FYI, and opinions may vary (though mine is, of course, the absolute truth). As to Buddakan: I've been once, and was underwhelmed. In my opinion, while the decor is striking, the food is only so-so, and ditto the service. It's also pretty expensive: unless you're dead set on it, I'd go somewhere else. If you want to stay within the Starr organization, you'd probably be better off at Tangerine or Striped Bass (caveat: I haven't been to SB. It may also be more expensive than Buddakan). Here are my thoughts on Buddakan, from Feb 2002.

Ooh, roast pig and Yard's beer! Sounds fantastic. Man, I had a bottle of their Phila. Pale Ale the other night, sitting in the garden at sunset, and it was the greatest thing I'd ever tasted. Yow.

Yup, I've seen it carbonated and not, and fresh and bottled. Lots of spellings, thanks to transliteration. I guess it must be Afghan or Persian originally- it's at those places that I've seen it fresh- but I've also had it bottled by (if I remember correctly) a Lebanese company. Can't remember the brand name, alas.

Yeah, when I saw it I immediately thought "franchise". (And it looks so very, very... Euro...)

Good point. Because then the chocolate chips make the grits just too sweet.

I haven't been there too recently, but the cilantro-lime truly rocks. And you're right about the Mexican chocolate, which, like, totally blows my mind, dude. One second it's sweet, and then it's hot, and then it's, like, woooaaaaah.

Has anybody mentioned doog? Delicious, delicious doog, in all its salty carbonated yogurt goodness. Each bottle will set you back for like 30% of your daily sodium. Aw yeah.

So there's this Dutch falafel chain. And they've opened their first US branch at 3rd and South St. The falafel is pretty good, and it's really cheap. For less than $6, you get a falafel, hummus and fried eggplant sandwich with as many toppings as you can cram on board, plus frites (thick-cut: either you like that kind or not. I'm pretty neutral). Plus- and here's the kicker- a fresh-squeezed orange juice. It's the latter that really makes the deal, in my opinion. What I like about the place is that they have a very small menu. Pretty much just falafel, frites and a small salad bar (with lots of olives, slaws and so forth). Downside is that it's wicked disorganized: nobody there really seems to know what they're doing. Worth a try, though, and it's a nice alternative to other South St. junk food. They have a website, of course. "Trying to spread the vegetarian lifestyle worldwide"... well, whatever. It's no Soylent Green, naturally, but it's a good start.