rlibkind

When you've got the RTM, Wegman's is hardly necessary. But lots of folks don't have the RTM or easy access to it. Let's face it, if you are used to the suburban life it's a pain to drive into the city and look for parking (even if the RTM does have a good $2 for two hour deal). When She Who Must Be Obeyed was running a small company in Ithaca and I was working in Philadelphia, Wegman's was a life-saver for her. And at the time (1998-01) I could find some items at Wegmans that were not carried by the RTM: dry scallops being a primary example. (Thankfully they are usually available at Golden Seafood now.) Although I'm about as committed an RTM shopper as you can find, I see myself making forays to Wegman's on a semi-regular basis. Where else can I get upstate NY style pork hot dogs around here?

Tokyo Sushi remains in business at the RTM. According to the "snot-nosed young MBA" (let's be a little less personally insulting here, please, Dorine; I welcome your participation and contributions but not the unnecessary invective) they agreed to make the changes to conform with their lease obligations. So unless the owner reneges, Tokyo Sushi will continue to occupy a very prime spot at the market.

I disagree about Braverman's. Its stuff was okay but nothing special. As for its replacement, Flying Monkey Patisserie, it needs work. But I'll give it more time before passing judgement. The owner is may be relatively new to retailing but shows fine talent as a baker. And the breakfast brioches are a nice addition to the RTM. She's already made some changes to try to respond to the market. No guarantees of success, either business-wise or culinarily, but she's only been open a little more than a month As far as Braverman's being "targeted," they weren't. They didn't meet the terms of their lease. Management had "targeted" other vendors, as well, and gave them chance to meet the lease terms (either pay back rent or make required improvements). Those that did are still in business. Others chose not to, among them, Braverman's.

Can you explain in more detail please? I'd like to try this. ← Here's one recipe. Mine is similar except I don't pour boiling water over the pickles. I combine salt and all but one cup of the water over heat, then pour into a bowl and add ice cubes to cool to room temp. Then I add the spices, garlic, dill, etc., and the pickles. You can leave the pickles whole, if they are small, or cut them longitudinally in halves or quarters. (The smaller the slice and quicker they pickle; I prefer to keep them whole if I can find small enough cukes.) Once done to your taste, refrigerate; they'll slowly continue to ferment even more.

I do them either on the gas grill (indirect heat) or the oven. Temp should be about 425. Wash, but do not trim or peel beets, other than leaves and excess stalk. Leave about one-half to one inch of leaf stalk; don't cut it off in its entirety. And be sure not to trim off the root, either. You can either wrap the beets individually or a meal's worth together. (Yesterday I used an aluminum foil pan and sealed it with foil.) Roast until just tender, which could be anywhere from 40-70 minutes, depending on the beets and the oven/grill. If I've wrapped them individually or in meal-sized packets, I just let them cool in the foil, then place them in storage bags (in case of leakage) and in the fridge, pulling them out as needed. Then just pull the peel off with a little help from cold running water and trim. You could, of course, also shock and peel them right after their cooked.

What! The Elysian is no longer a shot and beer bar! Hoboken continues to go downhill.

Only enough time for a quick trip to the RTM yesterday (Saturday, July 8), but here's what I spied: At Benuel Kaufman's, those long cylindrical beets are back at $2.49 a quart box. He also has a profusion of peaches, $1.99/pound or $3.95/quart box. Large red raspberries, $4.95/pint. Yellow plums, $2.75/pint. Smallish ears of corn. His tomatoes are still of the hothouse variety. Apricot, currants, blueberries still available, but no blackberries yet. I walked away with corn, beets, yellow wax beans, blueberries, sweet cherries (no more pie cherries) and plums. Over at Earl Livengood's there are plenty of local tomatoes, $3.95 pound, both organic and heirlooms. I picked up a meaty heirloom (I'm unsure of the variety) and paired it with Earl's leaf lettuce and bacon from Fair Food Project for a much welcome seasonal BLT. Earl also had both sweet and pie cherries along with his usually selection of greens, lettuces, and root vegetables. Scallions (green onions) were hard to find anywhere yesterday. Both Iovine's and OK Lee were sold out before noon, and the farm stand purveyors didn't have any either. Had to settle for overpriced $1.19/bunch organic ones I picked up at Whole Foods today. At Fair Foods local eggplant is in evidence, both black and purple at $3/pound. Also available, both red and black currants. OK Lee still had the cactus pears. Jersey peaches at Iovine's selling for 79 cents a pound. Jersey tomatoes 99-cents. The tangerines that last week went for 10/$1 are twice that price now. I invested in a good steak at Harry Ochs -- one of the long-aged rib steaks, on the bone ($16/pound, iirc). I sure hope I don't overcook it on the grill this afternoon! That would be a waste. May the gods of grilling be with me. Over at John Yi the Pacific sockeye priced at $11.99, king salmon at $12.99. The whole Jersey fluke looked very good.

Glutamates activate the "fifth" taste: umami, which is usually associated with savory meaty-ness, so I think Scott123 is on the right track. I really wouldn't want to see it in my dessert chocolate, since what I want then is sweet, not savory. So the idea of adding msg to mole is not at all off-putting. But it would certainly not be a welcome flavor atop my ice cream sundae.

I've never seen mulberries in nearly 25 years of shopping at the RTM. I have seen plenty of blackberries, however, a similar, though by no means identical, fruit. Blackberries should start showing up very soon.

Don't forget their outpost at the Reading Terminal Market. (For some reason, I forget to mention them when people ask for RTM lunch recommendations; shame on me!) Of course, the RTM counter doesn't offer a wide-ranging menu, but what they have is choice. In particular, I like the roast pork or duck plates with green vegetable and white rice. I don't know the name of the vegetable, but it's a great all-around green veggie, with fresh-tasting leaf and stalk. This is not a stir fried dish. Basically they just warm it up in the microwave, but it's no less delicious for being gently nuked. Others go for the noodle soups with duck or pork. Whatever. They are all good, filling, inexpensive lunches. Makes me hungry. Thanks for the topic, philadining.

When the South Jersey corn is ready of picking, they'll have it. Probably fresh-picked three or four times a day (in other Wegman's stors I've seen "next delivery" clock facades).

Definitely add at least a couple of chicken feet to a stock pot. You do need at least some meatier portions, too. Mix 'n match, never worry!

← Looking at this excerpt in isolation, the author's use of the word "murky" is not only loaded, it's wrong. There's nothing "murky" about HFCS is made; one only has to do a minimum amount of research to learn how it's done. Use of the word "murky" suggests "sinister". After reading the entire aritlce, the word "murky" appears in no less than four out of 18 paragraphs. I'll not reject her argument that ADM's price-fixing may be sinister, the article as a whole fails to make the case of an HFCS manufacturers cabal. If anything is "murky" it's the writer's use of that word. Note: How many propaganda techniques can you identify in both the excerpt and my critique of it?

I think it is misleading and not at all useful to generalize. You have to look at the particulars of each product (natural as well as man-made) and study how they work in the body. If a synthetic and natural product are chemically identical (not similar, but identical), I find it difficult to understand how one can be superior to the other. If they are similar but not identical, well, well, viva la difference.

Haven't been to Top of the Hill since before it got that name. Went there once when it was known as the Happy Crab. At that point in time (lo, probably 15-18 years ago) it was your basic Mount Desert seafooder: the quality depended on how recently they changed the fryer oil or made the mornay.

In 35 years of visiting MDI I can only recall one bum room, and even that was tolerable. Most lodgings are just fine. Check out the various websites (search for Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce and Southwest Harbor Chamber) and you'll find extensive, though by no means complete, lists, many with links to full descriptions and photos. Depends what you like. Lots of plain, clean, no fuss cottages (mostly tiny one and two-room cabins, though some are considerably larger), B&B's, small inns and more upscale lodgings. Cottages and cabins usually rent for one-week minimums in July and August, Saturday-to-Saturday. A few old-fashioned motels, too.

It's not difficult to eat the way you wish on MDI. For breakfast and lunch there's a pita/lunch restaurant on SWH's main drag, Cafe 2 / Eat-a-Pita, that probably will fit the bill. Although I'm not a fan, I suspect you might enjoy The Burning Tree in Otter Creek which emphasizes non-fried seafood and vegetarian fare. Lots of places offer salads of various sorts. I won't pretend that XYZ has "healthy" food if you consider cheese and pork unhealthy. (I don't.) But it is among the most flavorful food you will find on MDI. the Queso fundida is basically Mexican fondue: melted cheese, frequently mixed with Mexican chorizo, which you scoop up with tortillas or chips, etc. They have a lengua (tongue) appetizer that is to die for. Simple it is not. Delicious, yes. As far as I've been able to determine, they haven't put up a new website yet that I can link to. But expect some adventurous menu items (like the lengua) along with very well-executed standards, like chicken mole, roast pork, chile rellenos (XYZ's is baked, not fried), etc. This is not a cookie-cutter Mexican restaurant; more like Chicago's Frontera Grill or Scottsdale's Los Sombreros than your local Chi Chi's or Baja Fresh. Any of the basic fish house restaurants should be able to prepare a simple broiled fish. Just ask them to go easy on the butter/oil and avoid sauce in its entirety. Although they certainly have a fair amount of red meat and fried seafood, you should be able to find healthier fare at Rupununi. George's has a cafe menu that is considerably less expensive and I think comes closer to your desire for simple cooking. I've generally just struck with pizza at Little Notch. Too bad about that chicken. You can always do picnic lunches and/or dinners. There's an organic farm on Beech Hill Road which is a project of the College of the Atlantic: Beech Hill Farm. It's farmstand is open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Rather lengthy discussions about Bar Harbor/Mount Desert Island restaurants can be found here, here, here and, most recently, here.

Wrong! Excuse this extreme evaluation, but it only matches your extreme assertion. It's been said earlier in this thread: you don't have to a conductor to critique an interpretation, nor a master of brushstroke to offer an intelligent opinion on a painting. You do need intelligience, reasonable technical and historical knowledge, and an ability to express your opinion in a way which holds the reader's attention. Experience is certainly welcome, and not to be dismissed, but it is not required. The usefulness of my opinion to readers depends on how I combine these skills and talents, not my misguided attempts to make Dobosh torte.

Here's some info gleaned from some of my previous posts. LOBSTER POUNDS I’ve yet to visit a lobster pound restaurant in Mount Desert or anywhere in Hancock or Washington counties that didn’t do a great job cooking crustaceans. Just steam them so many minutes per pound and you’ve got a perfect seaside meal. Same goes for the clams (soft belly clams, the true clam, not the quahog pretender). So, as for the debate of who does a better job, Beal’s in Southwest Harbor or Thurston’s in Bernard (on Bass Harbor), the quality of the food is not an issue. Both use fresh-hauled, minimally impounded lobsters. Both know how to cook them. Both charge about the same price. What does make the difference is ambiance, and here Thurston’s is the clear winner. Beal’s seems hemmed in and does not offer a wide view of its harbor. Thurston’s dining area is at the end of the wharf with an expansive view of the harbor. Another edge for Thurston’s is that you can order the steamed seafood and all other offerings (dessert, burgers and hot dogs, etc.) at the same window. At Beal’s you have to walk halfway up the wharf. Last time I was on MDI I was going to try Head of the Harbor in Southwest, but when I saw the prices for clams (I eat more pounds of clams during a week on MDI than lobster by a 4:1 ratio) my penurious personality got the best of me and I drove to Beal’s instead. Nice view, though. Keep in mind that the prices are less expensive at the pounds in Trenton just before you cross the bridge onto MDI. I've found that Lunt's in particular is quite reliable. SEAFOOD KETCH, Bass Harbor This staple seafooder on the southernmost part of MDI (Probably a 35-45 minute drive from Bar Harbor) offers reliable, tasty and fairly priced fare. When you want basic fried or broiled fish or seafood, come here. WEST STREET CAFE, Bar Harbor I haven't been here in a few years, but similar to Seafood Ketch, though I think they also do a lot of pasta, here. EPI'S, Bar Harbor Freshly made Italian-style sandwiches. Maybe not like a South Philly hoagie or a Ninth Avenue sub, but filling and good. Great to take along on hikes (hold the mayo). LITTLE NOTCH BAKERY & PIZZERIA, Southwest Harbor Great Italian style breads (of the rustic variety) and very, very, very good pizza and hot sandwiches. The retail restaurant is on the main drag, the actual bakery out near the wharf, though you can buy the bread at a number of stores in the area. RIVERSIDE CAFÉ, Ellsworth When we're traveling to MDI, we try to stop in Ellsworth for lunch at the Riverside Café. You may have known it as “Dick’s” when it was located at State & Main; for at least a few years, it’s been up Main Street closer to the Grand and across the street from Maidee’s. It’s a great place for breakfast or lunch, but be prepared to wait during the peak summer season, unless there is room at the counter. She Who Must Be Obeyed (SWMBO) highly recommends the excellent bacon to accompany your eggs in the morning (or at lunch). Homemade onion rings were generous, sweet and took up just the right amount of grease. I thought the clam chowder was too thick and had a higher potato/clam ratio than necessary. The fried haddock (I had it as a sandwich, but it’s also available as a platter) was excellent: very lightly battered, perfectly deep-fried with no trace of residual oil. JORDON POND HOUSE, Acadia National Park Operated by the company which holds the franchise for food and shops within Acadia National Park, the Jordon Pond House, while offering okay but overpriced food for lunch and dinner, is essential for afternoon "tea and popovers". The setting, with a view of The Bubbles up the pond, is delicious, the popovers hot and eggy. Reservations are a must for tea (and even then you'll probably wait 10 or 15 minutes). BAR HARBOR INN, Bar Harbor If you enjoy buffet brunches, especially ones with outstanding views, plan on a visit. The food is mostly what you expect for a Sunday buffet brunch – carving station, omelets and Belgian waffles to order, pastas, salads, breakfast meats – with a moderate emphasis on seafood. How many places offer Finan Haddie on a buffet table, or at all? Decent smoked salmon. The bagels were pre-sliced and divided into eighths, so it would be impossible to make a sandwich, but in this instance I considered that a plus, because it helped to prevent me from overindulging in carbohydrates. Also a nice selection smoked mussels, shrimp and scallops. What was missed from previous years, however, were the crepes with strawberry sauce. DOWN EAST HOUSE OF DOGS, Southwest Harbor This eatery occupies the former space of the Deacon Seat in Southwest Harbor. Based on how the Deacon Seat had declined in recent years, this is a welcome change. An awesome selection of dogs. One wonders how they can possibly maintain such a variety of stock. A freezer must help. I opted for the Best quarter-pounder when I visited last September; their menu identifies it as a NYC dog, but that's another case of the Big Apple trying to tap the barrel known as NJ: Best comes from Newark. I've never seen a Best quarter pounder before -- I'm used to the 5/pound served by Syd's, which, after tasting the quarter pounder, I prefer. Nonetheless this establishment is very welcome. XYZ, Southwest Harbor/Manset I hadn't been to XYZ since it moved from the waterfront at Manset to the new location off Rt. 102A. It's gotten even better, based on my visit in September 2005. A delightful room, with many of the same posters/art on the wall and old favorites on the menu. And they still make killer margaritas. A few years back Janet took lengua off the menu, apparently because of supplier issues. Well, she's got a new supplier and put it back on the menu, but in an entirely different form. Instead of braised and served hot as an entree, it's now one of the appetizer choices, served "pickled" in a vinaigrette. Absolutely fabulous! The acidity was in great balance to the paté-like richness of the tongue. I made a meal of appetizer and also enjoyed the tamales (can you say delicate and tamale in the same sentence? These were and, oddly enough, quite nice) and the queso fundido. And the lime bombe pie for the desert. THRUMCAP, Bar Harbor I had enjoyed Porcupine Grill on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor in past visits, but a number of years ago the owner changed the menu and renamed the establishment Thrumcap. This report is based on a visit I made in the summer of 2003, so the current incarnation may be quite different. It offers quality ingredients, imaginatively prepared (perhaps too imaginatively) and well executed. The menu is prix fixe $39. This buys you a soup or salad course, a “next” course, a small mains plate, and dessert. Wine, of course, is additional. But be warned: this is a restaurant with a single serious problem, based on our visit there last August. The problem with Thrumcap was its presumptuousness. We were told repeatedly how good every dish was and why, and how we should eat it. The implied message: “We know what’s trendy and good, and you don’t.” I found this attitude most telling in the wine list. I have difficulty understanding how a restaurant that prides itself on wine and prominently displays Wine Spectator “Award of Excellence” certificates does not offer a single riesling. It’s all a matter of taste, of course, but there is no finer all-around wine for food than riesling. Yes, the Alsatian pinot gris offered instead was fine, but it wasn’t riesling! When I asked the a functionary in the front room (he may have been the owner, or perhaps just a barkeep – by my measure, if not his, he was no wine steward) his explanation was that they used to offer a riesling, but he doesn’t like German rieslings so he removed it from the list. This alone demonstrates the true value of Wine Spectator’s “Award of Excellence”. (A few other wine observations. Each dish on the menu comes with one or two wine recommendations, yet some of them do not appear on the wine list. Hard to know if they have them or not. SWMBO requested the chardonnay from the wine list with one of her dishes; they did not have it and replaced it with another without checking.) Again, it’s not that any of the dishes or wines were bad or even mediocre. All were good, some excellent. It’s just that the place has an irredeemable attitude problem. GEORGE’S, Bar Harbor In three decades of visiting MDI, I have yet to find another restaurant that offers the combination of food, service, and gracious surroundings of George’s. It remains my favorite destination dining room on the island. I was concerned a few years ago when I learned George had retired and sold his establishment after some 20+ years of operation. But both three years ago and last year, when I was last there, prove that while there have been natural and evolutionary changes, the high standards (as well as a few of George’s standard dishes) remain in place. BURNING TREE, Otter Cove A "nearly" vegetarian outpost, which many swear by. Not me. CHASE'S, Winter Harbor Across Frenchman's Bay from Bar Harbor (you can drive or take a passenger ferry) is this diner-like restaurant in beautiful downtown Winter Harbor. Incredible fish stews and chowders. Excellent fried clams. Non-Bar Harbor prices. RUPUNUNI and HAVANA, Bar Harbor A new stop for me last year was Rupununi where I indulged in Maine's Spinney Creek Oysters. a burger, and a Dogfish Head IPA. The oysters were fresh and perfectly shucked, not a single drop of liquor spilled in the shucking or in delivering the plate to me. The burger was above average, and the IPA, well, I'm a sucker for IPA and this is one of the best of the breed. The overall menu is pretty wide ranging, with something for everyone. Not a destination restaurant, but a good place to enjoy well-cooked meals and a great beer selection. Mike Boland and his wife, Deidre are the restaurant conglamateurs of Bar Harbor. While Mike runs Rupununi (including expediting in the kitchen during peak hours), Deidre manages Havana, which has higher culinary aspirations and prices more in line with George's than Rupununi. Again, I went for a meal of appetizers: a thick, spicy tomato soup with goat-cheese encrusted crouton, a scallop with more ingredients than I can remember, also well-seasoned, and, the hit of the evening to me, mushroom spring rolls served with a delicate sauce. The soup and scallops were intensively seasoned, and if the kitchen has a fault, it is this; the natural goodness of the prime ingredient is challenged by both the intensity of the seasoning and the use of too many accompaniments to a dish. I'm not against spice and heat, but particularly with the scallop dish (which arrived a tad overcooked) the seasoning and variety of flavors nearly overwhelmed the native flavor. A little restraint would actually take Havana up a notch.

Field-ripened tomatoes are making their way to the RTM. Earl Livengood was selling them today at $3.95/pound. We're still two or three weeks away from larger numbers and better quality, however. Among Earl's other products this week, just in time for Independence Day: boxes of "Red, White & Blue" potatoes (photo below): $1.25/half-pint, $1.95/pint, $3.75/quart. When the corn begins peaking the Livengood family will hold their annual corn roast and pot luck dinner. It's scheduled for July 30. More info by visiting the Livengoods when they open their stall in the city: Tuesday 2-7 p.m. at the South & Passyunk market, Thursdays 3-7 p.m. at Fairmount & 22nd, and Saturdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m. at the RTM. No more of the sweet, long red beets at Benuel Kaufmans, though he does have quart boxes of round ones at $2. Fruits at Kaufman's (photo below): peaches $3.95/quart, black raspberries $3.95/half-pint, red raspberries $4.95 ("no spray"), blueberries, red currants and two varieties of sweet cherries $3.95/pint; apricots $2.95/pint. Over at Fair Food Project similar prices on berries and fruit (and as at Kaufman's, lower prices for the conventional raspberries vs. organic or no-sprays), with the addition of gooseberries at $3.50/half-pint. Out of season citrus fruit is on sale at Iovine's. I bought tangerines to section and serve in a beet salad with walnuts, red onion, goat cheese and raspberry shrub dressing. They are also selling raspberries from the Iovine's contract farm. Bell pepper survey: greens 99-cents, reds $2.99, oranges, yellows, browns and purples $3.99. We're still some weeks away from seeing local peppers. For those who enjoy prickly bear (cactus pear) margaritas, you can obtain this delightful fruit at OK Lee. No price on the bin, so they must be free. (More likely $1 apiece, and you should figure one per serving.) On the protein beat, the wild salmon pricing at John Yi's, which last week saw sockeye more expensive than king, has evened off: both were $12.95/pound today. Wegmans is charging about $27/pound for prime dry aged beef steaks. Over at Harry Ochs, you can buy a nicely-trimmed, on-the-bone prime dry aged steak (minimum four weeks aging; six for porterhouse) for $16/pound.

Margerum is a familiar name to anyone whose memory of the Reading Terminal Market goes back more than four years. From the day the market opened in 1892 until 2001, a member of the Margerum family sold foodstuffs there. That tradition continues at some of the city's farmers markets through Noelle Margerum and her sister Carole. The Margerums have been at the Clark Park Farmers Market for the past few years, and this summer added the Fairmount & 22nd Street market. Carole was there today with fresh produce (beets, greens, bing cherries, etc.) as well as the Margerums flavored vinegars, which take on a colorful glint in the afternoon sun. Noelle comes in from South Jersey, Carole, in photo with the sisters' infused vinegars, hails from near York. At today's Fairmount market Earl Livengood and his neighbor Sam Consylman urged buyers to take advantage of any cherries they see, because the recent rains have played havoc with the crop. The torrential downpours have caused many cherries to split, which ruins them for the fresh market. The bing cherries I found at Margerums were in fine shape, though, as were Earl's pie cherries. Earl doesn't expect the rains have caused damage to the other stone fruits. As long as they get some sun as they ripe the apricots and peaches should be just fine. I finally tasted the apricots I bought Wednesday from Benuel Kaufman at the RTM, and although they were juicy they lacked flavor: the rains have diluted the fruit's subtle flavor. Sam Consylman thinks that will be cured with a few days of sun.

It's not even July, Katie. A peach is a late summer fruit, despite the best efforts of commercial botanists. I generally stay clear of peaches until mid to late July, at the earliest. They really don't come into their own until August. I just don't think it's possible to find a good local peach before you can find a good local tomato.

I'll let you know when I taste the apricots I bought today at Kaufman's. Based on the pie and sweet cherries, all indications are "go", at least for quality. Last year excellent apricots seemed to be around all summer.

And a hearty welcome back from me, too, Andrew. As for that turtle, Sam Consylman has been threatening to bring in a snapper - sorry I didn't get down to South Street today to see it. A week or so ago Sam brought some chicken-fried groundhog (I think it was Gus, Pennsylvania's Second Most Famous Groundhog) for favored customers to try. Not bad at all, though sparse in the meat-to-bone ratio. "Farmer Duane" (Earl's son) has been selling beef and, iirc, pork, since last fall. Another vendor at South Street, Tom Forrester, is usually there selling pork and lamb. The pork is a Berkshire-Tamworth cross. I picked up the lamb pepperoni a couple of weeks go. Because the casing is so tough, it's not pleasant to eat it out of hand, but when sliced and put on pizza, it crisps up beautifully and tastes great. I also tried the pork chops and they were very good, but I prefer the Country Time pork sold at the Fair Food Farmstand at the RTM. Please correct my Latin if I'm wrong, but: Vesco ergo sum

Famous Fourth Street is way ahead of any other Jewish style deli I know of in town and nearby burbs, including Hymie's. As good as the pastrami is (it may not be Katz's but it is still very good) I think their dinner platters take the cake (be prepared to take a lot home, including most of the humongous slab of blackout cake, should you order it . . . and you should, you should).