rlibkind

Brussels mussels, with beer, chocolate and frites tied for second place. Bergen Fish Soup (that its name) Copenhagen: Danish open faced sandwiches

Before heading to the Philadelphia Orchestra's opening concert in its Mahler's World series tonight, I stopped by Sansom Street Oyster House for their happy hour. Blue Points for $5 a half dozen! Fresh, cold, bracingly good. What a deal. I got a full dozen. Downed 'em with some Stoudt's winter ale; they also had Yards Philadelphia Pale on tap, as well as a few other brews. Still hungry, so I got a plate of simple fried calamari. Whoever is handling the deep-frying duties there is a master. Light, crisp, not greasy, essence of calamari. As good if not better than any I've had anywhere in South Phila. SSOH isn't fancy, and its fish will never be cutting edge (though they did have bronzino about two years before anyone else in town). But Cary Neff knows what works and hasn't messed with the tradition he inherited from David Mink. It's a classic quality fish house, one of the under-appreciated gems of Philadelphia. Now if only they'd improve the french fries.... (PS: Mahler's Third was superb.)

Color is a meaningless criteria. But freshness is everything. Use the same criteria you would for any other fresh fish. For whole fish, check the eyes, the gills, the flesh. For fillets, eyeball them to make sure the flesh hasn't started to separate, a dead giveaway that you've got old fish. Best, of course, is to get to know your local fishmonger. Praise him/her when it's good, let them know when it isn't. As to which variety, you are no doubt aware of the health, environmental and other concerns many have with farmed salmon. Whether or not you concur with these is a matter of personal choice. Although farmed salmon does not have the same taste as wild, it has its place, even, occasionally, on my dinner table. It offers excellent value for quality and tasty protein. Farm-raised salmon offers the other benefit of being available year-round in its fresh state and of unifolrmly good quality. Here in Philadelphia most of the farmed salmon comes from Canada (Maritimes), Norway, Maine and Chile, though you will also find some from Iceland. I generally find the Chilean product inferior. Ironically, there is also a substantial industry raising farmed salmon in British Columbia. That said, i do prefer wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest, and when it's available (usually from late spring into the fall) I'll regularly purchase King (a.k.a. "chinook") or sockeye (a.k.a. "red" or "blueback"). These are the two salmon with the highest fat content; in other words, they are the richest tasting salmons, with King a bit fattier than sockeye. Coho salmon is another PNW variety worth buying, though it's a bit leaner still. When they are not in season (like today), they can be bought as frozen fillets and steaks. They freeze very well, so long as care is taken by the processor in the freezing and in the transport to market. They also offer excellent value, priced competitively with Atlantic farm-raised salmon. My eye-opening experience with salmon took place during a 1988 visit to the Pacific Northwest. It was late May and a friend took us out to dinner at Ray's Boathouse in Seattle. One of the specials that night was Copper River King, which my host insisted I try. Incredible! It was the finest tasting fish I had ever consumed, and remains way up on my last of favorite foods. The salmon, native to Alaska's Copper River, is usually available from mid-May to early June, though the exact season varies each year. You will pay a premium for this fish. It is worth it. There's also Copper River Sockeye (which is in season longer), but if you're going to spend the extra bucks, hold out for the King. Make sure you buy it, however, from a reputable source. With the increasing popularity of Copper River salmon, some vendors have played loosey-goosey with the nomenclature.

Oops. Just found the article on the restaurant's web site. Obviously, this chef doesn't know his rump steak from his navel plate.

Carlovsky, Where did the article appear? Was a reputable publication or just a puff piece promotional brochure?

I'd recommend hiring a full-fledged caterer rather than going the route of ordering plates from purveyors. Not that their food won't be good; DiBruno will provide incredibly tasty food, for example. Money can be saved if your friend wants to do it that way, but then he'd have to worry about all the little details, like transporting the plates, clean-up, napkins, implements, tables and settings, etc. I think it worthwhile to pay a small premium and deal with a professional, rather than put on an amateur hour show . . . especially since your friend is trying to do all this long-distance from Massachusetts. I'd recommend Jack Kramer's. In addition to doing a good job, he's in the U of P neighborhood: 4217 Chestnut Street, (215) 662-5300, and I suspect they are familiar with the venue of the event, making planning that much easier. They catered a reception in my home (admittedly, a dozen years ago, so I don't know what he's been doing lately) and did a superb job. Jack Kramer's is used by a number of companies, including large Center City law firms, for their some of their catered affairs. FWIW, Jack Kramer's is an approved supplier of Penn's purchasing department.

Maldon (England), as in Maldon salt, though the salt is named after the town rather than the town after the salt.

What! No photo of chicken feet on the AOL page!

Don't boil a Maine lobster -- it will be water-logged. Steam it. Simply put a couple of inches of water in a big pot, add a two or three tablespoons of salt (I like to simulate ocean water), bring it to a boil, pop in the lobsters, cover, and wait 'til their done (12-15 minutes, for a small 1-1/4 pounder when your steaming it, 20 minutes or so for a two-pounder).

PHILADELPHIA I was going to reluctantly relent to the cheesesteak/soft pretzel recommendation until I read Katie's ice cream missive. Absolutely! But for the record, another possibility is pepper pot soup, once ubiquitous, now exceedingly rare. Basically, it's tripe. NEWARK (NJ) Way to go, Randi! Italian Hot Dogs! They are (usually) beef hot dogs deep fried with onions (raw and not breaded) and frying peppers, put on a ciabatta-like, Italian bread. I know I've crossed the border of the Philadelphia and Newark spheres of influence when the menu switches from cheesesteaks to Italian hot dogs, and hoagies to subs. TRENTON (NJ) Pork Roll, a.k.a. Taylor's Ham. MILWAUKEE The signature food for Milwaukee isn't brats. It's beer. Or perhaps a butter burger. CHICAGO I don't like 'em, but they're real: Chicago hot dogs. The Italian beef sandwich is derivative and can be found in any city with a large Italian population, it's just that they make a big deal about it in Chicago, though I'll be the first to admit the addition of giardeneria (spelling?) is a stroke of genius. In fact, it's the additions that make a Chicago hot dog unique, rather than the hot dog itself. Let's face it, despite wanting to be known for meat, the stockyards are gone and Chicago is a city of frills! (Just kidding, I love that burg.) ST LOUS It's awful, but toasted ravioli is the hands-down winner. ITHACA NY Alfalfa sprouts BUFFALO & WESTERN NY Beef on weck. A roast beef on a kummelweck, a version of kaiser roll topped with caraway seeds and salt.

B A C O N

Just used helenjp's boning technique, and it works like a charm. I went the simplest route possible: oiled and broiled with salt and pepper. Yummy. One of the most pleasantly intense uncured fishes it has been my pleasure to consume. From now on I'm going to be on the lookout for them whenever they're in season (which is right now in the Northeast).

Is the cherimoya anything like the Paw Paw?

I haven't been to Indianapolis in a couple of years, but.... It hardly fits in the category of fine dining, but Shapiro's is a trip for the tastebuds and the eyes. Best pastrami west of the Raritan River. I haven't been there since the fire, but I would suspect nothing's changed. St. Elmo's is a quality steakhouse, and I'd rather have my beef there than at a chain, even a high-end chain. Killer chocolate cake. It's part of a Pacific NW chain, but if it's still around and has kept up its standards, Palomino is a fine establishment, especially in late May when the Copper River salmon is available.

This is like asking which of your children you love the most! Okay, I'll pick one: Bergere Bleu, produced by Northland Sheep Dairy in Marathon NY. It's sold at the Ithaca Farmer's Market. Their website doesn't have much about the cheese, but alot about Karl and Jane's philosophy of workng the land.

Actually, "to frog" isn't far off. According to an ancient (1980s) NY Times food section article in my clip file, what the British call spatchcock the French call a la crapaudine, or toad style. The way the bird's legs are tucked in under it after spatchcocking do suggest a toad or frog.

Benny's? Is that Benny Tudino's. I moved out of Hoboken in 1980 and have hardly been back since, but is Benny Tudino's still in business. Up Washington somewhere around 11th or 12th? Best Albanian pizza I hever had!

Why would you WANT to get the last drop of fat out? If you're making gravy for a turkey dinner, I would think you'd want to retain one tablespoon of fat. Otherwise, you've just got colored water.

The Pennsylvania state fruit has got to be the domestic white mushroom. The part you eat is called a fruiting body, after all.

The great song-writing team of Howard Dietz and Athur Schwarz (Dancing in the Dark, among other memorable tunes) commemorated New Jersey's blueberries in "Rhode Island Is Famous For You". The song is essentially a list of the then-extant 48 states and what each is famous for. Specifically, "New Jersey gives us blue" Among the more memorable lines of the lyric: Pencils come from Pennsylvania Vests from West Virginia And tents from Tent-a-see They know mink where they grow mink in Wyomink And minnows come from Minnesota, etc., etc., etc. Blossom Dearie does a great version of the song. Now, as for Holly's statement about the superiority of Maine blueberries... Whenever I'm in Maine in August, I devour them. And here in Phiiladelphia I buy the frozen berries at Whole Foods (well, they're really Canadian berries, but the same variety as is grown in Maine's blueberry barrens) for adding to my morning yogurt. They are the best possible blueberry for pies and tarts and other baking purposes. But I wouldn't automatically rank them ahead of New Jersey's berries. While the Jersey blue's flavor is not as intense as the Maine berries, I find they are a superior berry for eating fresh out of hand or as an addition to cereal. The taste is a slightly different, but every bit as good. Someone else remarked they thought NJ was the state with the biggest blueberry crop. For highbush berries (they type New Jersey grows), Michigan is the leader, with almost twice the tonnage as No. 2 New Jersey. Maine leads among the states in lowbush berries (commonly referred to as the "wild" berry).

Two advantages, from my point of view: My oven doesn't get hotter than 500 F At any temp higher than 425, I get a lot of smoke from my oven So, by using the grill, I can cook my pizza about 100 degrees hotter to produce that beautiful crust, and any smoke contributes to outdoor air pollution rather than indoor air pollution.

I should stick my own regular oven temp gauge in my Weber Silver B, but the built-in scale tops out at 550 -- and when I've got all three burners up high, after about 15 minutes it tops out, so I'm guessing it's at least 550 and more likely higher. That's why I said 600 in my original post. As for ambient temperatures, when it's cold out it may take a slightly longer time to reach temperature. But when you think about it, it's hardly more difficult to go from 25F to 550F than is from 90F to 550F. Strong winds, however, might have a more damping effect. My backyard, such as it is, is behind a three-story Philadelphia rowhouse with a six-foot wood fence on two sides, and brick houses on the other two sides, plus I tend to place the grill partially under my row house's rear shed roof in fouler weather. So it's fairly well protected from the weather. In a more open situation, it's conceivable it would be slower to come to temperature if the winds were brisk. The Weber Silver B has three full burners, no warming burners. As for gas vs. charcoal, both have their place. Yes, the charcoal will get to a higher temperature than the gas, but it takes at least a little more work. (It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it.) I find that, certainly for pizza, the level of heat attained by a gas grill is sufficient -- and it sure beats my indoor electric oven. I pull out my Weber kettle and use lump charcoal (not briquets) for some items (really good USDA prime steaks, for example), but find that more often than not, when getting a meal on the table with a minimum of fuss but a maximum of taste is the goal, I turn to the gas grill.

The idea of spending such sums on steak knives seems ridiculous to me. I'd rather make the investment in the steak. Hey, I just got a dozen triple-riveted, full-tang cheapo stamped serrated jobs for $18. They cut meat, they don't tear it. Decent ergonomics and balance. They may not impress, but they work. And when they stop working, I'll buy new set for $18 + inflation.

Re: Philadelphia Inquirer I think the individual writers (Nichols, Klein, LaBan, Marter -- did I miss anyone?) do a better-than-average job. What's disappointing is the lack of space. Most weeks (this time of year is the exception), the Thursday food section is all of four pages, including the ads, with photos taking up one-third of the news hole. And there's too much wire/syndicated copy.

While I concur with your evaluation of The Star Ledger's food coverage, it is hardly a "small-time" newspaper as you describe. It ranks 16th in U.S. weekday circulation -- ahead of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Detroit Free Press, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Cleveland Plain Dealer and other papers. The 15 papers with larger circulations include the nation's two behemoths, USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. What the Ledger lacked (and, to some extent, still does) is a reputation. Other than its sports pages (I'm biased about this, but the sports section has long been a home to some great writing and much better coverage than its NYC counterparts), the Ledger had little to commend it. The Newhouse family, however, took advantage of the retirement of long-time editor Mort Pye (who did a yeoman's job with the limited resources he had) to improve the paper's reputation by bringing in top-flight outsiders to revamp the paper and its editorial page. I miss some of the character and characters of the old Ledger, but no doubt about it, the Ledger is a better paper today than it was (other than the sports section, which was always top notch). My guess is, at least on a profitability per circulation unit basis, the Star Ledger is the most profitable daily newspaper in the country, but Donald and Si Newhouse aren't telling me their financial secrets.