rlibkind

I'd have to taste their product before making a definitive judgement, but $15 a pound for an excellent cheese (which is what they get for their cow's milk product) isn't excessive. Considering that English farmhouse cheddars go for $20+, and the best Vermont cheeses approach that number, $15 can be a fair price, depending on the quality and style of the cheese. I'm willing to pay $10-13 for a "rat" cheese (salty, sharp cheddar of mid-range quality, so I'll certainly go to $15 for a finer example.

As much as I enjoy Shapiro's CB and pastrami (I haven't had the experience others report on the pastrami) some of the hot platters off the steam table are pretty good. In particular, I enjoy the stuffed cabbage. And I agree with assessments of the matzoh ball soup and the latke. For dessert, I always go for the key lime pie: not the best I've ever had, but it just looks so damned good! Even on weekdays, when the crowds from Eli Lilly pharmaceuticals (whose HQ is nearby) arrive for lunch, the line moves fairly quickly. I discovered Shapiro's about a dozen years ago when I first started to visit Indianapollis on business; I saw an ad for it in the advertising magazine in my hotel room. My first thought was, "Jewish deli in India-noplace?" Nonetheless, I walked the three or four blocks from my hotel to Shapiro's and quickly had my East Coast bias skewered once again. As Fat Guy noted earlier in this thread, this deli may not be at the top of the class, but it's no embarassment, and far better than most of the delis I can find in Philadelphia. Of course, when I'm in the Midwest and I want a large, filling, satisfying meal, I go to a steakhosue. In Indianapolis, the place to go is St. Elmo. Like any good steakhouse, it's not cheap, but it is very, very, good. And save room for the chocolate cake.

I'm visiting Wisconsin (Madison), so with pizza tonight I enjoyed a bottle of New Glarus Brewing's Spotted Cow ale. An easy-to-like brew.

Ramps delicate? News to me. Hell, they could take a whole hog's worth if bacon and still permeate the world.

You can order the Sweetzel's on-line. A friend who operates the Pennsylvania General Store at the Reading Terminal Market (www.pageneralstore.com) offers them and other goodies online. And yes, they are like (but not identical to) gingersnaps.As for Frank's Wishniak, that's not even made in Philly these days, I understand, and, in any event, is hard to find. However, if you live anywhere near Chicago or anywhere there's a substantial Polish or Eastern European population, odds are you can find a similar black cherry soda available. "Wishniak" is Polish for a particular type of black cherry. Pork roll is more Trenton than Philadelphia, though Philadelphia does tend to be the southern boundary for the distributors. It, too, is available online: www.porkrollxpress.com. They sell Tastykakes, too. Do do the roast pork! Even a part of a fresh ham will work, since a whole ham will obviously be too much if a shoulder is. The loin is an excellent idea, too.

Tastycakes. Sweetzels wafers. Black cherry (Wisniak) soda

While you can probably find lobster that's $1 or $2 cheaper per pound, I don't think it's worth it. The RTM vendor has decent turnover compared to most other sellers of lobsters in these parts. However, it might be profitable to take a stroll through Chinatown as long as you're in the neighborhood.

I think what's missing at Goodman's is salt to excess. ← Now THAT's really curious that you'd say that. As I was eating the pastrami, that thought occurred to me as one possibility. However, for the rest of the day I was thirstier than I think I've ever been - I mean, thirsty enough (after several large bottles of water) that I kept thinking back to what I had eaten (well, momentarily one forgets, you know), and realized that even though it seemed not to taste of it, the pastrami must have been a lot saltier than I realized. ← Keep in mind that Goodman's is the pastrami of my youth, just as the late, lamented Mother Hubbard (Westfield & Elmora Ave., Elizabeth) was the hamburger of my youth. There may well be better examples of each, but they were the foods of my youth, and nothing will ever taste as good.

I think what's missing at Goodman's is salt to excess.

Goodman's of Elmora, Elmora Avenue. It's been at this location since the early 1950s (perhaps earlier) and, athough it's gone through two changes of ownership, brothers Irv and Julie Goodman long since retired, it's hardly changed (other than the prices, and reupholstering of the counter stools and a fresh paint job). For a real treat, order the No. 5 Jumbo Combo (pastrami, corned beef, slaw, russian on rye). Not too-much-to-eat sandwiches like Harold's, just good, always freshly made and trimmed sandwiches. The brisket is popular too. My only complaint (and it's a minor one) is that the owner trims too much of the fat off of the CB, pastrami and brisket after cooking, IMHO, but that's what 99% of the public wants. Added plus: directly across the street is an old-fashioned bagel place: water bagels, sized reasonably, not those overblown monstrosities you get at too many places today. I believe it's owned by the same family that owned the old Watson's Bagels of Newark and, later, Irvington, and that today owns another bagel bakery in South Orange and Sonny Amster's bakery at the Millburn Mall off Vauxhall Road in Union.

Shrimp & scallops in mushroom cream sauce is hardly adventurous. The varenyky appetizer may fit that category, but I find it difficult to understand how caviar can enhance an potato dumpling with onions. And mussels in puff pastry just sounds plain wrong. Based only on a review of the on-line menu, I think there may be a reason why you never hear anyone praising the food.

lChicken backs are also great chinese style. Get out your Chinese cleaver and chop them into one-inch pieces. Coat in an eggwhite/cornstarch marinade/batter, deep fry 'til done, remove and drain. Then prepare a black bean sauce with garlic and ginger like you'd put on crab, stir the backs back into the sauce to coat and reheat, remove to platter and top with fresh scallion. Yum.

Here's another Salmon Pastrami recipe, a whole lot closer to gravlax in preparation, but with a clear emphasis on the coriander seeds. 4 lbs. center-cut salmon, filet but w/skin 4 tbs salt 1/2 cup sugar 4 tbs whole black peppercorns (1 + 3 tbs) 7 tbs whole coriander seed (1 + 6 tbs) 4 tbs whole mustard seeds Wash and wipe skin of fish. Combine salt, sugar, 1 tbs peppercorns and 1 tbs coriander, sprinkle over flesh side. Place two halves' flesh sides together. Place in enamel or glass container, cover tightly. Place brick or other heavy weight on salmon. Refrigerate for 3-4 days, turning occassionally. Coarsely grind remaining 3 tbs peppercorns, 6 tbs coriander seeds and 4 tbs mustard seeds. Scrape salt/sugar mixture off fish, sprinkle with new ground mixture., lightly pressing into flesh. Salmon can be refrigerated at this point. To serve, slice thinly, serve with lemon wedges and light toast, if desired

Thanks, everyone, for your swift and thoughtful responses. We're a bit antsy about making connections, and we've got a double-connection for our ANC-PHL itinerary (why is another story, but let's just say that when I cashed in my frequent flyer miles for the Business Class flights the likelihood of my home carrier, US, being around six months later was remote, so going via a Star Alliance carrier other than US or UN seemed the better course). So, given this paranoia about missing connections, I don't think we'll venture to Richmond. Assuming we're not too pooped from our three-week Alaska holiday, however, Globe@YVR sounds very attractive. If not there, well, my wife has a passion for chocolate frosted donuts, and she hears Tim Horton calling her. We definitely intend to make a return trip to Vancouver in the next few years; our last visit in 1999, a five-day holiday for me as accompanying spouse and three-day working trip for her, left us with the clear impression that Your Fair City is a delightful place to live and eat.

the confit was from a different restaurant--they had a duck confit, caramelized fennel and something else on a bruschetta. ← Oops. That means I missed the duck breast. Drat!

Your assumptions are correct. Although we won't have to pre-clear US customs and immigration at YVR (we will have that lovely experience at YYZ), we will have to re-check our baggage at YVR. Since dining at Globe@YVR entails leaving the security area, going to Richmond would only add travel time.Does anyone know if there are decent places to eat and relax WITHIN the security zones at YVR? Or will I, of necessity, have to exit/re-enter security when I clear customs?

"I don't want a pickle. Just want to ride on my mo-tor-cicle." -- Arlo Guthrie

What a feast! I didn't take notes and, because I was too busy drinking and eating, can't recite which beer accompanied which food from which restaurant. But among the extraordinary vittles and vettles (vettles?) were . . . Down Home Diner's pulled pork and sesame-flavored eggplant/zucchini salad (oddly enough, a combination that worked. Or was I already too drunk to discriminate by the time I worked my way around to this table?) Milk Stout from Lancaster Brewing. Unfortunately, I waited too late for the dessert, the accompanying chocolate mousse, which was all gone by the time I was ready for it. Pastrami and slaw on grilled rye to go with Triumph's Jewish Rye (which I missed!!@*%&). The aforementioned duck breast (though I think it was really a confit). The crabcakes were worth waiting for, since they were cooked before your eyes (hence the short wait, less than five minutes). Someone's triple Belgian ale. Appalachian's Scottish Ale. The Victory Pils with London's Vietnamese hoagie. The aforementioned lamb and mushroom pie. Lotsa good IPAs -- never met one I didn't like. Paul Steinke, the RTM's general manager, told me the event was a sellout. Ann Karlen, who manages the Fair Food Project's stand at the RTM, was a happy camper. In fact, EVERYONE at this event was a happy camper.

On Friday, June 24 my wife and I will have a four-hour, 25-minute (6:20p-10:45p) layover enroute from Anchorage back home to Philadelphia. Alas, we will not have time to enjoy Your Fair City as we did six or seven years ago during a more lengthy visit. In the meantime, does anyone think it possible for us to exit the airport premises and take in some nearby worthwhile food? Keep in mind that being foreign nationals, the border bureaucracies will undoubtedly trim our usable time. The Globe@YVR (Fairmount Airport restaurant) has already been recommended by Jaime, and remains a strong possibility, but I welcome other suggestions for the immediate vicinity of YVR.

Hey, broccoli rabe is a cruciferous vegetable, just like cabbage, from whence sauerkraut derives. Therefore . . .

Fantastick recommendations for Norway from Grub. I've only spent a brief time in Oslo and Bergen, but I can tell you that the food can be wonderful, though also very expensive. If you are staying in hotels, don't miss breakfast. At least in Norway (and I suspect in the other Scandinavian nations as well), hotels that serve breakfast put out quite a spread of cheese, herring, flat breads, etc. Some offer make-your-own waffles with butter and jam in mid/late afternoon. One other omission by Grub: Bergen fish soup. You can get it in Oslo, but it's what made Bergen famous (after the Hanseatic League, that is). Not at all like an overly-rich New England Chowder, though still rich enough, just not stand-a-spoon-in-it gloppy thick. And definitely go for the dockside shrimp (rekke) as Grub recommends. As for the Norwegian sausages, there's also a hot dog made from lamb that you should try. I've yet to get to Denmark, but it's only my list if only to satisfy my cravings for Danish open-faced sandwiches, røllepølse (a brined and pressed cold cut, made from any combination of lesser pork, lamb and/or beef cuts) and kringle (a wonderful form of Danish pastry). For Danish sandwiches, Restaurant Ida Davidsen is renowned, though I suspect there are any number of other establishments that serve these open-faced works of art that are at least as good. And anywhere you go in Scandinavia, you should acquire a taste for Akavit. An excellent accompaniment to herring, cured salmon, etc.

Sounds and looks delicious, though a bit of a carbo overload with rice and french fries. Where is it located in Elizabeth?

I think philadining nailed it: There are certainly good pizzas in town, but I find the idea that a "Philadelphia" pie with a distinctive style exists beyond my comprehension. (Your taste is far too subtle for me, Katie; I just don't perceive the water thing.) Pizza in Philadelphia is all over the map. And although there are outposts of tomato pie in town, to claim it as Philadelphia's own is stretching it: Trenton makes, Philadelphia takes. I, for one, enjoy orange grease dripping down my arm. When I was working around 20th & Market, that's why frequently found myself at Dolce Carini. Very tasty pie; also suitably greasy. If Holly rated pizzerias strictly on grease, this joint would earn six stains -- especially when you ask them to add canned anchovies to your slice! I found the most interesting reference in the article to Pizza By George at the Reading Terminal Market. I, too, have long thought they've offered the best by-the-slice pizza you can find in Center City, as anyone who's read my posts about the RTM knows. (For that matter, their slices are better than 95% of the whole pies I've had in town.) I've also indulged in their pretty good eggplant parm for lunch.

Thanks for the background. That explains a lot.

Thanks to the tip in the other Savvy Somelier topic, I stopped by the new store down by Ikea today. When I dropped by at 11 a.m. there were more than half a dozen folks still busy stocking the shelves. But based on what I saw, not nearly as extensive a selection as I had hoped, though far better than my local shop (Fairmount Ave. & 20th). Predictably, I was disappointed by paucity of selections among Alsatian and German rieslings, and absolutely no Finger Lakes rieslings. There seemed to be more West Coast rieslings than Alsation and German combined. That said, I'll give them time to develop their stock based on what sells and customer requests.