EJRothman

In my opinion, it's not the New Yorkers who are rude, it's the rest of the country that is too goddamn nice. Any time I go to a restaurant outside of NY - FL, PA, OH most frequently - I get this sickly alien feeling produced by annoying and syruppy-sweet wait staffers. New Yorkers aren't rude, they are meerly respectful and honest people. The rest of the nation should use them as an example and cut the crap. -Eric

I think it's a clear case of jealousy. There are certain members of this board who work in the food industry and have a 'pre-cook's tour' Bourdainian mentality that a chef's life should be equated with WWI-style trench warfare. God forbid a chef should decide to make some money if he can. And if said chef does make it big then he must be: a) an asshole, b) an idiot, c) a terrible cook, or d) all of the above. Yes Emeril is annoying and over exposed. But congratulations to him for working hard and hitting the big time. I've never met Bobby Flay, but I think he's pretty good on TV, I like Mesa Grill, and I think Grimes is a good enough critic that if he gives Bolo 3 stars I'm apt to believe it. (Were I not so poor, I'd go there and judge for myself). -Eric

I just picked up a package of low carb pasta. It's made from soy flour and dried eggwhites - more protein per serving than a chicken breast. Have yet to try, but will report back. -Eric

I find spelt pasta to have quite a nice flavor - more robust than regular pasta. It works well with a ragu (not Ragu © ) or something hearty that can stands up to it's more powerful taste. -Eric

Morimoto's Wasabi Sorbet - good stuff

UPDATE: I have been informed by my parents that they will being going to Sonoma, not Napa. They also mentioned that they are most interested in restuarants in the Downtown San Fran area and Sonoma. As always you're suggestions are welcome and helpful. -Eric

To address a number of issues raised in this thread: By 'old' I mean that my Father is 60 and my mother is 56. However, when in a crabby mood - which tends to be more and more frequent these days - they seem to rank up there with the most crotchety 80 year-olds. All kidding aside, quiet is not necessarily a requirement although very noisy might be a problem. In terms of where they are staying - they will be there for one week. Part of it will be in San Fran, the other part will be touring wine country in a rented car. In terms of seedy neighborhoods - depends on how seedy. They're from New York and don't seem to have any problems exploring new neighborhoods. Don't know if this holds for a unfamiliar city, however. Final comment is that while I'll pass along ethnic restaurant recs, my father tends to dislike anything too unfamiliar. He "claims" that his stomach bothers him from all sorts of food types including garlic, any crunchy lettuce, spicy foods, and even water! When these ingredients are included in meals unbeknownst to him, however, he has no averse reaction. Anyway, the best types of recommendations include restaurants serving: American, Italian, Spanish, French, or mainstream fusion type things. Nothing too far 'out there.' Hope this information helps.

I know there was a previous thread similar to this, but it didn't get many responses, so I am trying again. My parents are going to San Fransisco this July. They're looking for some good restaurant recs. They didn't get around to making reservations at French Laundry - why I don't know - and they are looking for moderately priced places. Any and all recs are welcome and appreciated! Thanks! -Eric

Yes, salmon's fatty, but it's one of the most heart-healthy fats, Omega-3. I believe someone here is something of a "fat expert" (can't recall who -- is it Jim Dixon?); perhaps that person will see fit to chime in on the subject. I happen to adore salmon, but it must be fresh, fresh, fresh. We had first-of-the-season wild salmon last weekend. It was very fresh, and utterly sublime. I'm nothing close to a "fat expert," but omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon and other fish, etc. is very healthy and hard to OD. Unfortunately, the AHA and FDA decided that they would make fat enemy number 1 in America, while touting massive starch consumption. Of course, now both orgs are trying to cover their asses as they have been proven completely wrong by the likes of Walter Willet (Harvard nutritionist). Fat has been villified because it has more calories per gram than protein and carbs. (9 cal/gram compared to 4 cal/gram). Of course, many fats are healthy, and yes, some are not. But with fat, bottom line is watch the calories, not the fat. -Eric

What should one do if the quality of the food is perfectly fine, but there is some other problem - for instance if the food is not hot enough, etc.? -Eric

When I initially decided to lose weight, I started by running/walking on a treadmill three times a week and cutting out all sweets. Anything else was fair game. Since I'd take real food over dessert any day, this worked quite well. Although I have since make further changes to diet and excersize as I have leaned more about health and nutrition, this was a good initial start. -Eric

The real question is what is more revolting. This peanut butter in a tube, or the newly marketed Yoghurt in a tube. I am personally quite disgusted by the yoghurt. -Eric

Try adding some weight training to your exercise reoutine. Cardio may burn calories, but weight training builds muscle, and muscle boosts your metabolism. Also, all pasta dinners aren't very balanced, make sure to get your protein (esp. if lifting weights). And I second the no refined carbs suggestion. Complex carbs don't reek havoc with your glycemic levels, have more nutrients, and (in my opinion) generally taste better. -Eric

Grimaldi's (while excellent) is down under the Brooklyn Bridge, not the Manhattan Bridge (overpass). Is this areas considered DUMBO now? I always thought it was still part of B'klyn Heights. Also, what exactly is the 'overpass'? Although I have only been resident in this city for a year this type of remark leaves me befuddled. Grimaldis must be all of 15 minutes walk from the furthest reaches of DUMBO. It is maybe 5 minutes walk from the St Annes Warehouse, the probable venue you are going to. Even though it is located it is in Brooklyn Heights, does that really matter? Honestly I don't know which theater this show is at, I'm not the one making the plans. While, yes, it doesn't matter exactly where Ghrimaldi's is in terms of neighborhoods, that wasn't really the point of my post. I truly do appreciate the suggestion of going to Ghrimaldi's, as I welcome any and all suggestions. I guess I should have made myself clearer in the first place... I opened this thread to try to find out about places spicifically in DUMBO because I live in the Heights and know all the places in my neighborhood, but really never get over to DUMBO, and thus was hoping to find out about some new places in that neighborhood. I apologize for not making myself more clear in the first place. -Eric

Grimaldi's (while excellent) is down under the Brooklyn Bridge, not the Manhattan Bridge (overpass). Is this areas considered DUMBO now? I always thought it was still part of B'klyn Heights. Also, what exactly is the 'overpass'?

Hi, I'm going to see a show at a theater in DUMBO. Anyone have any suggestions for a place to eat beforehand? -Eric

Sahadi's on Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn, NY has the big jars of Maile. They sell it for like $3.50 or some rediculously low price like that. -Eric

Unlike Nickn, I was, in fact, referring to her looks. That being said, I was reading (and enjoying) her Blog when I pictured her as someone, um, not as attractive shall we say. I think my preconceived notions were due to the fact that she must be eating quite a high calorie count due to the decadent Julia Child recipies that Julie cooks. But hey, if she can pull it off, more power to her. -Eric

Wow, Julie's a lot hotter than I would have guessed. Just thought I'd share , Eric

I'm actually going home to New York on Saturday (parents coming to pick me up) so drinking the day away might be a bit difficult. It's not called May Day - the last week of school is just finals and some people finish their exams early (anywhere from May 2nd-May 9th). Upon finishing the year, people don't really stick around, they get the hell away from school as fast as possible. Unfortunately I'm stuck here until the bitter end. We do have a thing called "Hey Day" here at Penn. It's a celebration for all Juniors (rising seniors). The idea is that all Juniors wear the same red "Hey Day" shirt, get drunk by noon, gather at one end of campus for a brunch, then at 3:00 we march up campus with wearing styrofoam hats and carrying canes - which are used to beat College Hall. Fun for all involved! (This was quite off-topic, but oh well)

Eric: Do you have a car or know anyone that could give you a lift 8 minutes into NJ? Head over to Moore Brothers Click HERE and bring them a copy of your menu. Every single salesperson is a trained sommelier and will be delighted to assist you in your quest for a fabulous dining and wine experience. And they have lots of wines for the budget conscious. If you really are stuck with only PLCB choices and you already know what you're ordering, PM me in advance and I'll give you my best suggestions for what I know is available at 12th & Chestnut. Enjoy and good luck with finals! I may be able to get someone to give me a lift to Jersey. I'll work on that - thanks for the tip. I'm not sure of what I'm ordering yet as this dinner is three weeks away. Can I somehow get a copy of Django's menu this far in advance to select my dinner? As I will be celebrating the end of Junior year as well as spending my last day in Philly for a few months, I hope this meal lives up to expectations and runs on all cylinders. Thanks for the help! -Eric

Friday, May 9th is the last day of finals and the last day of my Junior year of college. I don't intent to do anything on Saturday. Holly: I like the idea of calling ahead that afternoon and reserving my food. I do hope the chef will still be there. I guess there's a better chance on a Friday night than a weekday night. My next task is to figure out the proper wine to accompany this meal. Said wine must be both A) within a College student's budget; and B) available for purchase at the oh-so-wonderful PLCB. Suggestions? -Eric

I just scored a reservation at Django for may 9th. The only times they had available were 5:30 and 10:00. 5:30 is really early for me, so I took the 10:00. Is there any downside to such a late reservation.? I.e. running out of something, or some other problem I can't forsee. I want this experience to be as good as it can be, so let me know what you guys think. -Eric

Being that I have no coordination, I don't flip my food when sauteeing. I just use a spoon to stir and turn. I also use cast iron on all heat ranges, depending on what I'm cooking. Basically, my reason for starting this thread was to get some opinions on the benefits of stainless steel to determine if I should invest in a stainless steel skillet, or if cast-iron is fine for me. -Eric

After reading through the newly revived chefmate cookware thread, I began to contemplate a purchase of the 8 piece set. I then began to wonder, however, if the included skillets would do me any good. I have a couple cast-iron skillets which I use for anything that requires skillet work. I braise things, i sear things, I make paella, caramelized onions, etc. Basically I see no need to use any other type of skillet than cast-iron. So, to get to my question: When is a cast-iron skillet not a good choice. What makes a stainless steel skillet (such as the chefmate, an all-clad, etc.) better for certain tasks, and what are those tasks? -Eric