jogoode

I assume that they have rescheduled cancelled reservations to fill tables for a few weeks, at least.

I finally tried db's choucroute ($29). It was excellent and came as a much larger portion than I had expected -- it alone was enough for dinner and might even be enough for two people if they each have an appetizer as well. Lots of fun pork on top of the nicely balanced kraut. There was smoked, stuffed shoulder, great bacon, crispy belly, wurst, and even a little pork croquette. Looked also to be some reduced pig jus around the kraut. It came with a little pot of sharp, sharp mustard. (I love mustard that gets in your nose!) The very nice, very tall bartender suggested I try the choucroute with a bottle of Ommegang, which went well and I thought reasonably priced ($7) for a place like db. Dessert was on the house: two delicious pots de creme, one salty, buttery caramel and one sweet chocolate. They were served with a tiny warm brioche, which I thought was awesome. It too was a little salty. The choucroute will be around for a while, but might disappear when the weather gets very warm, so try it soon. Oh, and it's not available Monday for lunch, only dinner.

I am! And my job ends Thursday!

That's good to know. Thanks, cornellrob.

Anyone think Masa will get four stars? If it does, then it will be a significant break from the tradition of only French restaurants getting the Times' highest mark. I have a feeling, though, that it's bound for three.

I've heard that JG is upset with the 3-star rating because he thinks it will make some diners less likely to visit Spice Market. I think this might be the case in the long run, when the buzz about the Hesser's review dies and the restaurant become just one of the 38 or so 3-star restaurants. If people aren't up for a 3-star dinner -- at Atelier, Oceana, Babbo etc. -- then they may turn down a Spice Market recommendation and opt for a place like Hearth.

Green curries are some of the hottest. But if you think that's bad, try the southern-style curry. If you tell them to make it Thai spicy, the waitress will give you a priceless look. The dish is pretty awesome, though. Snausages, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with the spice. I've also found it hard to recover from meals at Sri when I go for spicier dishes like green or southern-style curries. After almost all of my first five visits, my stomach needed a full day to recover. Also, once, the top of my mouth became inflamed while I was eating panang -- possibly an allergy. Kinsey, if you're reading this take note. You like heat; this is heat.

Not all of the sandwiches hit the mark, but the anchovy with egg and the tuna with lemon, fennel and olive are truly excellent, both on good bread. (I remember the service being great, too.) I haven't been in about 6 months, so, who knows, the place could have declined. But I doubt it. Generally, I was less impressed by the hot sandwiches and have therefore only tried a few.

I'm sold, Soba!

Robert Sietsema recommends Rinconito on 39th Street, btw 8th and 9th Ave. I've had their poblano and it was the best I've tasted. Finally, poblano that is not overly sweet and one-dimensional.

Welcome, daisy! I look forward to hearing about your meal.

You can also take the R or the G. I'm always impressed by how quickly their tiny kitchen get the food to you. I guess most of the stuff is made earlier (soups, some curries(?)) and all they have to do is throw in fresh herbs. And I guess the salads take only a minute or two to assemble. Maybe I'm no longer impressed, but I'm still happy to get started five minutes after I sit down.

I've had trouble in the past convincing the waitresses at Sri to trust my desire for "Thai spicy". But after about 30 trips and only a couple of dissappointments -- a mild panang is a terrible thing -- I think they trust me. I was there for dinner a few days ago and ordered a red curry -- an incredible red curry -- and it was nice and spicy, but not overly so. The waitress volunteered that red curries are not meant to be extremely spicy. Green curries are generally spicier. The spiciest dish I've had at Sri is the "Southern Style Curry," a searing dry curry with lots of pea-sized, bitter eggplants. Truly awesome. I'd really love to go with a group of eGullet people at some point because I'm getting tired of spending $30 at such an inexpensive place, to try a variety of dishes, every time I go.

The 7-train's unpredictable weekend service has killed many of my attempts at a great meal. I still love Sri with a passion and I'm glad this thread was ressurrected.

A birthday roast beef sandwich? Sounds good.

Are we talking real deal salumi or Boar's Head on that sandwich? And is the bread crusty?

Michel Guerard served chicken wings to Colman Andrews, editor in chief of Saveur Magazine, when Andrews visited Les Pres d'Eugenie. (See Saveur's June/July 2003 issue for the story, which sadly does not focus on 3-star chicken wings.)

She's being dealing with some pretty harsh criticism ever since Mr. Latte came to the pages of the Times Mag. I think she's used to it -- and perhaps bored by it at this point. (David Leite gets to the bottom of Hesser bashing.)

That's a very interesting take, Pan. I agree.

Jewel Bako is, somehow, a $25 and Under.

To me, a restaurant's menu reflects the "tapas craze" if it encourages diners to make a meal out of small plates. Sumile and Casa Mono don't offer entrees and the only way you can make a meal is by ordering 4 or 5 dishes. At Honmura, the main attractions are the noodle soups. I can see ordering a couple of small plates along with my soup, but I wouldn't have a meal composed only of their appetizers.

Right, I just remembered her out-of-nowhere praise of JG in her review of Asiate.

I haven't been to Lombardi's in a while, but it was my first taste of the famous New York pizza places and I loved it. But after Grimaldi's and DiFara's, my opinion of Lombardi's has sunk dramatically. But it deserves another visit -- I hope I can make it.

I wish I'd known I was supposed to dip!

Nice! What kind of bread do they use?