rlibkind

We'll have a tasting of Jewish Apple Cakes at the next meeting of the Saturday Morning Breakfast Club. Meeting will May 15, 9:30 a.m. at the Reading Terminal Market behind the Beer Garden. Anyone who eats is welcome to attend. If you'd like to bring or bake a cake for tasting, coordinate with Michael Holahan at michaelh@winstarmail.com.

If none of the above, where is the Danger in Dangerous Dining Club? All kidding aside Tim, looks like a great range of choices you're considering. My only regret is that I won't be able to make it.

Don't forget Jack's Firehouse. He goes out of his way to use meats, fish and produce from local farms/fishermen, etc. Not necessarily organic, but from family farms whenever possible.

About four years ago, Wiemer made a trockenbeerauslese. I've been hording my last remaining bottle. TBAs are very rare, conditions must be absolutely perfect, but when they are....

Picked up the $6.99/pound dry scallops and cooked them last night (sauteed with ginger, garlic, scallions, light soy/dry sherry. For $6.99, they were a good deal...but... Perhaps it's my local Shop Rite in Cherry Hill, but while the scallops certainly were not "off", they lacked the sweetness and complexity of flavor I usually find in dry scallops. My guess, and it's only a guess, is these may have been either (1) just a day or two off the boat longer than ideal, or (2) not optimally transported and/or refrigerated. Again, they were't "bad", and the taste was neither off-putting nor mediocre. They were good. They just weren't as good as I know dry scallops (and I'm not talking diver scallops here; just standard dragger dry scallops) can be. The Hoboken Shop Rite sounds like a good one. When I lived in hoboken (1975-79) the Shop Rite catty-corner from City Hall (or was in a Pathmark?) was pretty awful. At Cherry Hill, Shop Rite has a fairly good store, but it's going to have to get a lot better if it is going to compete with the Wegman's to be built on an adjacent tract where Garden State Race Track stood until earlier this year. The Wegman's is at least 18 months away from opening, maybe more. Others to be built in South Jersey will be located in Turnersville and Mount Laurel.

Comparing Capogiro and Bassets is like comparing Apples and Pears. Yes, they are both fruit and they both grow on trees. But they are different. Bassets is Fourthy of July, Labor Day and Apple Pie. Capogiro is suave and sophisticated. Both are great. But don't confuse the two. Now, if only Bassets would go back to the old recipe for Raspberry Truffle!

Absolutely. I only posted the RTM price because they ALWAYS have it at $9.99, and it's at least 20-30% less than you'd pay at most other places for dry scallops. If Shop Rite has that price for more than a time-limited "special", please let us know. Just checked the on-line circular for the Shop Rite I use in Cherry Hill and they also list the $6.99 special. I'll check it out on my weekly trip across the Delaware River for gas, booze and food. Though I've got to say, I've never been tempted by the fish offerings at this Shop Rite; perhaps I've been spoiled by the quality at the RTM.

Slightly off topic, but if you are in Center City Phila., Golden Seafood at the Reading Terminal Market always has dry scallops at $9.99/pound.

If you like Dr. Frank, you should also try Hermann J. Weimer. Either his Dry Johannisberg Riesling or the reserve version of the same wine (if you can find it; highly unlikely). When he makes a TBA (he hasn't for a few years) it's exceptional, but he's got an ice wine I plan to try that should be good.

Hey, but you can get Kringle and Brats and Butter Burgers and Real Custard in Wisconsin! Try to find those in Philadelphia!

I rely on HTCE as a basic reference. It's full of good, solid advice and hints and is an excellent starting point when you're trying something new. Yes, his approach is very simple and could be construed as "bland". But he offers lots of variations and encourages seasoning experimentation. I find Morda's apple pie example right on target. I used his simple technique last fall with Rhode Island Greenings and enjoyed the best apple pie I have ever tasted. It was all about the apple, not the ancillary ingredients. He's looking to uncover the natural flavor of the foods. When you have access to the highest quality ingredients, that's the way to go.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Looks like a stop on Oak Tree Road is in order nexst time I'm in the Iselin-Menlo Park area, which is a couple of times a year. As info, Gujarati is not South Indian. The state of Gujarat is basically on NW side of Indian, near Pakistan. It's South Asia, but not South India.

Update: It's Meadow Run farm. According to the weekly e-mail Ann Karel puts out of what's available at the Fair Food Farmstand, they'll have all cuts except shanks this weekend. Ann says she buys whole lamb cut up, so she has heart and liver available, if anyone's interested. But the shanks are gone 'til the next lamb arrives.

Was that the place where the prep people were walled off with just a small pass through at waist level. You placed your order and then moved down the line to the register? Same block, the original Onasis. Good basic greek food and totally authentic including the dancing and broken plates. The staff wasn't walled off at Steak City -- just a long counter separating customers and cooks. Another remembrance: George would simmer his only whole turkey on the stovetop for turkey breast sandwiches and turkey salad. Don't know about Onasis, but On Chestnut around the corner from Steak City was another Greek restaurant (perhaps it was called Parthenon?) I frequented for lunch. It was there I learned to enjoy grilled, marinated octopus. The owner of the restaurant leased the building, but he held out for a settlement from Rouse for early termination of his lease so Liberty Place could be built. He later operated a Greek restaurant at South & Second (where Mako is now located) and later bought New City Tavern on 20th and Ranstead; he was shot down by the neighbors when he tried to add sidewalk seating.

Bob: How does it compare with B&L Grassland Farms' lamb, which I understood was being sold at Fair Food? Can't really say, since I'm not even sure of the name of the lamb I bought -- I think it was Meadowbrook, but I'm far from certain. In any event, it's the only lamb I've purchased at Fair Food Farmstand, so I've got nothing with which to compare it. But in the name of science, I'll have to try both!

Any South Asian restaurants in immediate Phila./SNJ area specializing in Gujarati cuisine?

Soon after I moved to Phila. in 1979 I began frequenting Steak City, a steak and hoagie and breakfast luncheonette on 17th, roughly where the entrance to the Westin now stands at Liberty Place. The owner, George, had just bought the building when Rouse announced plans to top Billy Penn's chapeau. George held out for the bucks and went into the real estate business; at last report, he had retired to his native Greece. What astounded me was not the quality of the steaks and hoagies (they were okay, nothing special but competent). Rather, it was breakfast: there would be a line 20 people long, but you never had to give your order if you were a regular. By the time you reached the head of the line at the cash register, your order would be ready. One of his former employees carries on the tradition from a food cart at 20th & Market outside Sovereign Bank. Note to Holly: I know you're a hot dog maven, but I never understood the attractions of Levis. Admittedly, I didn't try it until I moved to town and by that time they were in economic decline. It's probably on the order of: the best hamburger you ever had was the hamburger of your youth; same thing for hot dogs.

Lamb that tastes like lamb! I got the boneless leg at the Fair Food Farmstand at the Reading Terminal Market Friday, let it defrost in the fridge for two days, then used one of Mark Bittman's (How to Cook Everything) roast lamb recipies using a rub of crushed coriander seeds, black pepper, salt and pulverized garlic. This grassfed lamb was produced, I believe, by Meadowook Farms. Wherever it's from, you can get it at the Fair Food Farmstand on Fridays and Saturdays at the RTM. They have a fairly decent selection of other cuts, too. All frozen. While not excessively gamey, you won't mistake it for any other meat. What was really nice was that the boneless leg, weighing in at about two pounds, was perfectly sized for three or four servings. Edited to add price: $7 a pound for the boneless leg, which is pretty competitive with large producer grain-finished lambs.

It's not what I call a martini (I'm strictly a Tanqueryand Noilly Prat kinda guy, with a twist) but it is a nice change of pace.

Partridge's of Sloan Street, just north of Sloan Square, is a tad pricey but offers a little bit of everything. Avoid the produce, but the salamis, hams, etc., are fine. The one restaurant in the immediately vicinity I enjoyed has, I believe, closed. That was Creeler's, a branch of the Scottish seafood restaurants on Arran and in Edinburgh. At least last time I stayed in the neighborhood, four years ago, I found slim pickings. I'll vouch for the Waitrose on Kings Road.

Let's leave the Dionysian to Johnny Apple. Now that's a big, hungry boy.

Forgot to mention Blue Points with mignonette on the fish table!

Set price + drinks + tax. The "hot buffet" was priced at about $48 per. You could also order entrees rather than the hot buffet, with prices ranging from low 40s to low 50s, if I recall correctly. The two cold tables, desserts and coffee are included with all options.

For a special occasion, I took She Who Must Be Obeyed to brunch this past Sunday at Lacroix at the Rittenhouse Hotel. What a treat, even if the tab did reach $117 before tip for the two of us (just one drink apiece). The fish table was superb. Among the delicacies: House-smoked salmon, trio of American caviars (paddlefish, salmon and American white sturgeon, I believe), gigantic shrimp (I normally avoid "cocktail" sauce, but Lacroix's version zings with fresh tomatoes), smoked trout, whitefish salad, and peppered and plain smoked mackeral. The hor d'oeurve table was even more impressive. A variety of salads (beet, potato, string bean with feta, etc.), Asian-inspired rolls, meatballs impaled on lemongrass spears, tiny savory fried vegetables cakes, savory frittata, mini ham and cheese in pastry, etc, etc., and so forth. Many of these treats were quite labor intensive, including the eggshell filled with scrambled egg, or a canape with incredibly thin layers of a creamy spinach spread between eight or nine sheets of even thiner wrapper. We ordered the hot buffet rather than individual entrees. This meant a trip to the kitchen! Amid the immaculate stainless steel work stations and white-clad staff we had our choice of, among other items: bacon, a delicate breakfast sausage served in sauerkraut as if it were a minimalist choucroute, pain perdu, boneless quail with couscous, beef wellington, a cassoulet made with a particularly meaty French broad bean whose name I do not recall, veal ragout, rack of lamb, creamed leaks, various potatoes, assorted veggies. My favorite among the kitchen offerings: porc salé (braised pork belly) with a fruited stuffing. And then there was the dessert table. Mocha opera cake. Coconut cream mousse. Lemon meringue, raspberry and ganache tartlets. Pistachio swirl cheesecake. Chocolate Irish coffee terrine. Chocolate and vanilla ice cream and mango sorbet, with whipped cream and raspberry sauces on the side, as well as fresh raspberries and blackberries. Oh, did I mention the croissants and pastries in the bread basket placed on the table soon after you are seated? Yes, there was lots of food. But its goodness did not rely on quantity (you can go to Old Country Buffet for that). The skill, subtlety and creativity of preparation is what sets Lacroix apart, and Sunday brunch is no exception. For example, the pastry chef found a way to infuse raspberry essence into the pâte brisée. The breakfast sausage was incredibly refined, but clearly still a breakfast sausage (is "delicate breakfast sausage" an oxymoron?). The combination of onion and grapefruit in the beet salad exceedingly well-executed. Everywhere, essential flavors were enhanced, not obliterated. I shall return! Not too frequently (my budget can stand only so much extravagance), but I shall return.

I've found that when a long line causes the problem mrbigjas describes, just pull over to the office on your way out (it's right there by the final exit gates, and you can drive up to it) and they'll refund the difference. But usually when there's a problem with a machine or otherwise long lines (for instance, because of the flower show) they post an employee in the 12th street lobby to help move things along and jump start things.