yvonne johnson

Last night a little group of us had an early dinner at Craftbar. Thanks Wilfrid for posting on it, as I’d read about its opening but then forget about it. It’s well worth going to. We started with an assortment of charcuterie (ภ) going by “salumi” on the menu. This included duck ham, mortadella (especially good, I agree), and prosciutto amongst other things. This was a generous portion for three people. The bread that had a texture resembling that of a light focaccia went fine with the meats, but this isn’t my favorite type of bread. My husband and I both opted for the calf’s liver (ภ). Three thin slices of sautéed liver, sprinkled with sage, atop collapsed onions. This was marvelous. Our friend had the lasagna (ฟ) that was nicely crunchy on top and meaty inside. He thought it needed salt and asked for some. (I tend to agree with others who say that restaurants are being a little presumptuous when they don't place salt and pepper on the table.) We shared a side of stewed potatoes (Ů) which were a let down. Mealy specimens. We shared a chocolate tart with pistachio ice cream. It wasn’t much to look at, but the ice cream was chunky with nuts and toned down the chocolate. My husband noted there wasn’t a cabernet sauvignon on the wine list for less than ้ which is a bit steep given the prices of the main courses. We had a Samur Champigny Cab Franc instead (low thirties). Here’s another example of the wine & spirits being out of synch price-wise with the moderately priced menu. The cheapest cognac is ม. All and all, however, I found most of the food to be excellent, and I liked the low key, though elegant (like Craft next door) atmosphere. And the service was top-notch. 47 East 19th Street 212/780-0880 Noon till 1AM (lunch, dinner, snacks, sandwiches--it really is the sort of place you could drop in for a quick bite.) 7 days a week No reservations (Edited by yvonne johnson at 11:19 am on Feb. 4, 2002)

Thanks for the details, Ruby. Of the places on your list that I've been to, I agree with you on Alley's End, Miracle Grill, El Cid, Les Halles, G-Sichuan being good. Posting on La Ripaille a couple of minutes ago made me think that within this mid-range price bracket there are some very uneven restaurants. I'm not sure if this is accurate, but is there more variation in quality found in the mid-range places than in the high end ones?

I passed by The Place the other night, and wondered whether to chance it. So, how is the food? As for dates, I’ve never been on one. Where I come from we spoke of "going out with someone" (euphemism for "staying in with someone" ). And besides the word "date" (sans pit) sends shudders down my spine, as does mention of St. Valentine's Day. But as we're on the topic, I hear http://www.opentable.com/ will try to get you a res at your favorite restaurant on 14th Feb. Opentable works very well. At least for me. Now there's a match.

I wasn't bowled over by Jarnac, but they host some special events, including this one with winemaker, Michael Hope, this Monday. http://www.jarnacny.com/myweb/events.html Andy Lynes' chum Bruce Poole is coming to cook there (as a visiting chef) I see, if "what's in the pipeline" is to be believed. Possible, as the owner of Jarnac used to work at Chez Bruce (in London).

I'm not a Rushdie fan, but I think Padma is a narrator in Rushdie's Midnight's Children, and there's another Padma (Lakshmi) in real life who is Rushdie's other half. I think it's the second that Steve is referring to. She's a model, and has a show on food "Padma’s Passport" (?) on tv in the US. I only know this because my other half goes gaga over Padma. She is pretty stunning.

D’Artagnan are selling fresh Scottish Wood Pigeons Oct-Feb and Scottish Red Leg Partridges Oct-Feb, and for both they say “Watch out for the shot”. www.dartagnan.com/item.asp?item=FSCPR002 www.dartagnan.com/item.asp?item=FSCWP002

Mark Kurlansky has written a new book, "Salt: A world history" which I've just started. He writes well. I attended a book reading at which Kurlansky told stories about the history of salt, how we use salt in language (e.g., salt has long been associated with fertility, hence the word 'salacious'). He's an entertaining fellow. The book is around ฤ, and, like his book on cod, is beautifully illustrated.

Fat-Guy "the maximum temperature of coffee that is possible to achieve in the physcial universe (at sea level) is the temperature of boiling water." I'm not a scientist, but I think it is true that water can be superheated (in microwave) and it will reach a temp that is higher than its regular boiling point.

Adam, I thought I was fluent in Doric but this is opaque. But generally isn't it about girls wandering about in the twilight and lamenting the absence of agile young men (swankies) with whom they can play hide and seek (nudge, nudge say no more) ("bogle about the stacks"=playing hide and seek, is new to me. Bogle also means ghost. I had to consult my Scots dictionary on this one). And what else? Everyone sits by themselves, down in the dumps, grieving their beloved...........and who knows about the flowers of the forest. So like a lot of poetry, and songs, it's probably about sex.

That http://www.aBalic.com/index.html home page is quite pretty. Unlike the Beatles. What's all this talk about the Beatles? Apart from a few George Harrison tunes, I think the Beatles suck, 22/100 on my table. (And. let's be clear, my table is more objective than Parker's.) Stones: 24/100. Now, who's good? The Verve: 95/100. Even U2, 94/100, are better (in terms of complexity, depth, intelligence. I kid. Let's not take pop too seriously) than the Beatles. I agree, the light in Scotland is special and I think it's been well documented in art, literature and songs (e.g., songs about the gloaming). The light in New York can be exquisite also, especially twilight. Around 5PM in winter, the burnt orange rays streaming down the avenues. Yours sincerely, Messrs Shaw and Johnson* *Beyond me too. Ask Wifrid...Oh, you mean ron? I thought you meant me even though my gender doesn't agree with Messrs. OK, I admit it, I just wanted to get close to Shaw.

Thanks for the tip, stefanyb. I don't go in for cookies much and I'd have walked passed the mountains of white and yellow boxes if they'd not been mentioned. Frozen Mallowmars are good. And the chocolate on them is pretty decent in comparison to what's on most cookies.

And skunnered is a terrific Scots word. It means as it sounds=fed up, sickened. And many happy returns of the day. I guess we should include Andy...wasn't he hinting a couple of days ago it was his birthday?

What a hoot. Tea bags, Brillo pads. What's the diff? But wait, don't some folk use tea leaves to clean their drains? Much of this over my head too. Swiffer? What on earth? What can I add? I'm a Bounty person. The other paper towels I've tried have either turned to sludge or been non-absorbant cardboard. But I will try Scott just to see what Fat Guy is raving about. (Scott loo roll isn't bad, so maybe he's on to something.) Cleaning products: I like Clorox spray with bleach and Lysol spary with bleach. They remove turmeric stains from the countertops. I find Fantastik less able on that front. Blue heron: for tile floors I use Mr Clean Top Job Dishwasher detergent. I'm not sure there's much between them. The last one I got is called Cascade Complete powder. If the packet is to be believed, you no longer need Rinse Aid.

For people who can't access http://www.michelin.co.uk, there is another Michelin site http://www.ViaMichelin.com where you can find up-dated starred listings.

Transference and counter-transference seen in diner-server relationship? Oh, better...didn't Melanie Klein argue that the 50 minute analytic hour originated in the view that that's how long the infant's ideal breast feeding session should last? It's all about food when you think about it. I did some training at the Tavistock Clinic in London. It was wonderful. There's so much to study here, I think, as most psycho-analytic writing looks at food and infancy; not so much written on food and adults. All the best for your thesis.

861728: I think you bring up interesting points, for examples, that the customer should lead and the server follow (you draw positive overlaps with therapy whereas Grimes sees negative links), and that Grimes is asking “to be understood on his level”. I’m not sure I agree with your assertions that Grimes is unwilling “to do any work himself in terms of the communication” and that Grimes “takes such a passive victimized position”. I wouldn’t consider myself unassertive, but once some waiters start their spiel about the menu, their own lives, their interrogatory questions, I’m at a loss for words, especially if I’m in a group. Who wants to spoil the evening by telling the waiter to just be quiet. You seem to be a sensitive sort picking up what kind of help the customer demands (though I’m not sure why you have to be untrue to yourself in doing so), but many waiters are not. They go on automatic pilot and having to remember all the specials probably reduces the number of brain cells that are free to pick up cues from the customer. Why can’t they read them off? Or better still give us a print out of the specials? I agree with Andy, too, in that hearing about every ingredient in the dishes is just plain DULL and pointless. Again, no one can remember them, except maybe for the first and last things uttered. Also, why don’t servers write down our orders and wine selections? I don’t think extra points/tips are given on the basis of good memory. Indeed, when in a large group, and the waiter relies on memory, I get a bit panicky. They’re going to forget something….and sometimes they do. Lastly, one of the best waiters of late was a man at Craft. His talk was minimal, he took our orders writing them in a little black book and seeing us eat was sufficient evidence for him that we were enjoying the meal. We felt is presence and we could have easily caught his eye at any point, but in this case neither he nor we needed to utter a word. That’s the kind of waiter for me.

Thanks for the tips. Given what you both say, I think we might split our time between Kauai and Maui.

Is there a full list of starred and deleted somewhere other than the michelin.co.uk site. The Michelin home page seems inaccessible (at least from US). I've searched the Guardian, Times,Telegraph, Independent all to no avail. All I can find are great long articles about Nahm. I was wondering, too, about Altnaharrie. I thought it was deserveing of a star. Mind, that was in 1999. I read Gunn Eriksen recently put her back out, or something similar. Gleneagles is the only starred place in the whole of Scotland?

In a few months, my husband and I are going to Hawaii. My husband's conference is in Honolulu, and after that we are thinking of spending a week or so in Maui (though that's not definite. I was drawn to Maui as some friends have raved about this island's beauty). I have a couple of guides, but before I go ahead and book things, I thought I'd ask for suggestions from fellow egulletarians. So, which restaurants are the real stand-outs? Fish, fish, fish. Can't wait. Open to all that's on offer: Korean, Japanese and, of course Hawaiian. Chime in with hotels too--I favor the smaller-scale where one can swim and snorkel)--though we are all set for Honolulu. Also, if an island other than Maui is your favorite please say why. Thanks.

My husband needs to take a colleague out for dinner near Penn Station. Quickish service (person needs to make connections), and walking distance important. I know this area isn't known for its restaurants, but any suggestions welcome. PS: What's the low down on Metro Grill?

That wisnae bad. And the more I learn about this case the more I side with Hollihead.

Rachel, Faggot/fagot (acc. to my Chambers dictionary) comes from the French word "fagot" meaning a bundle of sticks, and is used in English to refer to same (tho' I've never used this meaning). Secondly, faggot refers to a "roll of internal organs…of pig mixed with bread and savory herbs.” This seems to be more an English dish in my experience as in northern Scotland it is not common, and I don't think I've ever tasted faggots. Indeed, maybe it's a Welsh dish originally. I see Jane Grigson puts the recipe in the Welsh section of her book "British Cookery" and she describes them as humble pate, and emphasizes pigs liver as well as caul fat. Anyway, the faggots I've seen in supermarkerts look like meatballs. Used in the derogatory sense, faggot refers to an old woman as well as homosexual. Fag (etymology unclear) as verb=to weary, noun=schoolboy forced to do menial jobs for another; originally an inferior cigarette (fag-end), hence slang for cigarette and stump of cigarette/cigar.

Tony: I'm glad it's not just me. This ordering "off the menu" business smacks of self-importance to me. That doesn't thereby exclude your interpretation, that is, a need to compensate for insecurity. The "laddie's pasta" made me giggle. Imagine one's claim to fame being the "laddie who didnae get his pasta"?

I don’t have much sympathy for little Christopher in Rayner's Observer piece that Andy links us to. At 13, he should have had something from the menu. If the food is faultless, shouldn’t the wise parent encourage the adolescent giving it a try rather than asking the chef to make something especially for him. (I think it's irrelevant that the pasta the kid wanted accompanied another dish on the menu--the parent was still asking for a special dish.) Bourdain’s parents had the right approach. Lock the moaning kids in the car until they can eat what everyone else is having.

Damian: Thanks for the information. All is now clear :).