mrbigjas

you got screwed on the parking -- if you spend more than $10 in the market, parking is $3 for up to 2 hours at the lot across the street, if you get it validated at any merchant.

i have to admit that i did know this, and in fact made this exact discovery a few years ago when i was looking for this very ingredient. but i don't think you're dense -- despite the fact that they have the stuff stacked up and available for sale, it doesn't SEEM like a market so much as a lunch stand.

tonight my parents came down for dinner and brought fastnachts with them, made as always from edna ruth byler's potato dough recipe. i always assumed this was someone my mom knew growing up in upstate PA, but tonight i found out the truth -- it turns out the recipe is from the more with less cookbook, and not only was she NOT just someone my mom knew, she's kinda famous as the founder of that organization ten thousand villages. huh.

you dipped sausage in cheese fondue? i thought i was being hardcore last week in dallas when i put chili con queso on a piece of cheese quesadilla, but i think you took things a step further.

like frozen white castle: inferior, yet strangely satisfying? and therefore definitely worth producing? i agree. the real question is how many more shops is tony luke's going to open and have to close before he realizes that setup just isn't going to work for him?

nah it's a regular store thing, not anything special. i feel like i should clarify one thing: this isn't a small producer or a special LCB deal or anything. it's just a bourbon that i've found i like more than most others.

interesting, carole. i always forget to consider what this one is like in cocktails, because i just, uh.... well i drink it. a lot.

there's a recipe for black kale that hasn't been mentioned yet in this thread, and that's bruschetta. recipe is here. i'm telling you that this dish has absolutely no business being as ridiculously good as it is. it's just boiled kale on grilled bread after all. but i'm serious, it rocks the house like very few other vegetable dishes do. it's insanely satisfying. p.s. you might be tempted to grate cheese on it, but taste it before you do. it's one of the few dishes that really isn't improved by cheese, as far as i can tell.

in my experience, which granted is only three or four times, only once did we have a reservation; the other times i've never had trouble getting a seat at the bar. and it was mostly happy hour time when we went, because we're on such an early schedule these days. so i'd tentatively say you should be fine, serpentine.

it's in a strip mall on bustleton ave way up in the northeast. like nearly at pennypack park. septa directions are your bailiwick, so i'll leave that to you and google.

tell us more. ok actually nevermind, i know how you taste things, i'll check them out.

yep. political douchebaggery can take the fun out of most anything. edited to add: i mean, the chairman's selection program wasn't perfect, but it was fun. and it was also cool to know that the person in charge really dug what he was doing. and sure they're continuing the program, and who knows, there might even be a deal or three, but really the joy has been sucked out of it. for a moment there it was possible to actually LIKE our draconian state store system, but no more.

i haven't taken mandarin since college, but assuming the pinyin is correct, basically yeah.

dennis, you should check out the bulleit bourbon when you have a chance. it's made with a high percentage of rye, so it's somehwere between the eagle rare (mostly corn) and the wild turkey rye (mostly rye). it's in between them in alcohol content too, at 90 proof. it's my favorite everyday bourbon.

for a while i thought the food was all consistently good but the desserts kicked so much ass that i had to order them even though i don't usually bother with dessert. good to hear/see that other stuff has come up to that level as well. man i wish i coulda made it on tuesday.

of course you may reply! and i agree with your zento opinion. i'm just trying to gauge the extent of hyperbole in 'no excuse to eat sushi anywhere else in a 30 mile radius' -- really, give up on anywhere else, or what?

so you've soured on zento then? i mean the dinner i had there didn't compare to the omakase at fuji, but i enjoyed it, and there are times when you just can't head out of town for dinner...

today's question: the last few times i was in dibrunos, they appeared to be no longer carrying morcilla. i mean, if i go in once and it's not there, maybe they're just out. but i stop by several times a week and couldn't tell you the last time i did see it. anyone seen it anywhere else around town? or should i just take advantage of tienda's 2 for 1 sale and get a couple of pounds of it?

it's basically directly north of the city -- the places you're talking about are even further out. i live downtown, hence the mt. airy/chestnut hill focus.

thanks chowfun! i admit i was just kidding about mcnally's, that's definitely an option if i'm feeling tavern-y. i've never even heard of several of the places you've mentioned! the family lives in dresher. we had a great time at yalda grill in horsham, but that's out their way -- my goal is to meet somewhere in between our houses. this does, of course, leave open several areas, some of which we've tried: for instance, tierra colombiana, the korean places in cheltenham are on the list, etc. but i figured chestnut hill/mt. airy would be fun too.

if you buy the bone-in ham, the price drops to $96/lb. look at the savings -- you can't afford NOT to buy one!

dibruno's sign also says ILBERICO JAMON - labeling is not their strong point; getting good product is. but still, you can't have what isn't available, and bellota just isn't. mmmm tienda. i'm about to do a big order from them. thank god for the internets.

This brings to mind the great Simpsons quote, when Marge comes across a spice rack: "Look at this adorable spice rack. Eight spices! Some must be doubles." (emphasis mine) ← the other story brings to mind another one: Homer: You know what you should serve Marge? More of these lamb chops. These are the best ever. Marge: Why, thank you Homey! You might say the secret ingredient is... salt.

thanks rich, good thoughts! I was leaning towards a tavern type of place myself, but i know for a fact the boy won't touch a schmitter so mcnally's was out... and i was trying to remember what the new place where rollers was.

i feel like chestnut hill/mt. airy/germantown is an untapped dining market for me. i can't remember the last time i ate up there. but i'm interested in checking it out, because of the day care situation we currently find ourselves in -- it's a nice halfway point between our house downtown and my parents in the northern suburbs, and we can meet for an early dinner and a handoff of the boy. he's not bad, but he's 1.3 years old, and most of you know what that entails. not a screaming infant, but not really old enough to be forced to sit down and be quiet -- although a recent enjoyable dinner at a nice-ish afghan place in bethesda gave me great hope for his dining future. so anyway, any of you have thoughts on my options up there? somewhere that's chaotic enough that it won't be a problem having him there, but that isn't the melting pot or quizno's or something? BTW this would be early -- probably 6 p.m. or so.