bilrus

THat might have been the best laugh I have gotten from the Gullet in a while.

Brown Sugar - don't know what it has to do with this thread, but I really like that song and it is food related (kinda).

I would be up for it, but I am out of town next week. The following week I am home alone and would be completley free to do as I please.

I agree that deep frying a turkey is no more dangerous than deep frying a 14-pound shrimp, a 14-pound french fry, or a large bowling ball. That made me laugh out loud. That would be a bad way to be "outed" on my eGullet habit to my boss.

You just haven't been to enough places or had enough experiences. Don't worry though it'll come with time.

I was going to recommend the oysters and the lamb but I see that you have already picked up on that. The steak frites was also very good and I really liked the onion and chorizo tart appetizer. I am going back tomorrow for the first time since our on-a-whim evening (isn't anyone feeling whimsical lately?). Is that lamb steak still on the menu in some form or another? Not that I won't be able to find something else on the menu but I 've got my mouth set for that.

Dr. Pepper

But is his bully pulpit really big enough to reach the people that need to be reached? I've mentioned this several times among the previous thousand posts on this thread, but I don't understand the whole idea of BK using a chef that 99% of BK's target customers don't know from the chef at their corner cafe. The same holds true for him trying to do the right thing. Is his celebrity among the people he is trying to reach great enough that your proposed 100% pure efforts whould make a bit of difference. It may be cynical but I wonder if it's better to do the 100% pure thing and accomplish little or do something slightly tainted and accomplish more?

Finally made it tonight. After re-reading all these posts I have little to add that hasn't already been said. Great burgers, good pizza. We also split the chopped salad which seemed like it was equal parts romaine, bacon and a ring pasta with a good dressing. Good stuff all around.

I love that stuff. And the sour cherry might be even better.

What are the lingering food influences from the 1492 - 1868 era that are still relevant to American cooking today?

Hot sauce works well with a lot of soups.

I wasn't necessarily thinking about fusion in its current state - I was thinking more about the fact that because the US is so new (relatively) and so diverse and essentially comprised of recent immigrants from every other culture, our cuisine is mostly adapted from other places. There are some distinctly American items but for the most part I think our cuisine is defined by its diversity. But that is looking at things from a 'Foodie-centric' point of view. We here on eGullet are aware of all the variety that is out there. But there are a lot of people (and not just from the midwest, we don't need to go there) whose concept of American food (and food in general) is not very broad. The "meat and Potatoes, shrimp on a special occasion" crowd.

I think I would go with a hamburger first, but only a good one and only because it is my guess that that would be the first thing someone from another country would know about American cooking. Show them that it is not necessarily just what you get from McDonald's.

The first three things I think of are hamburgers, fried chicken and then the concept of cooking from all over the world coming together here.

A restaurant in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico called Dragonfly which is carribean/asian fusion. Fused to the point of things on the menu like Ropa Vieja MooShu. But it actually works pretty well. Not so well on the other hand was Cajun Bangkok in Old Town Alexandria Virginia. Didn't like that at all. But these are all from regions grouped around the equator, so they still don't fulfill the North South thing. Are there any fusions of African cooking out there that might qualify?

I use the mini-bowl quite a bit, but I am cooking for just two. The big bowl takes up a lot of space in the dishwasher - most of the time I just hand wash the mini-bowl as soon as I am done with it.

Sounds good to me. This gives us something to look forward to.

I have been to a location in DC several times. The food is just OK with the most enormous portions you have ever seen. Haven't been to Buca di Beppo, but from what I understand they are pretty similar places.

Great review. Anything that could make me want to drive 6 hours up I-95 from DC to have clam chowder and a BLT has got to be pretty good. I do have one question though. You say: What don't you like about the room? This is a topic that comes up frequently in Tom Seitsema's online chats. Nearly every week someone criticizes him for including information and descriptions of the restaurant and its decor, etc. I for one find this helpful because I think that all the elements of a restaurant go into the dining experience. Is there a differnence between being a "Food" reviewer or a "Restaurant" reviwer?

The people on the "eGullet" of design and/or furnishings are probably having this same type of thread bashing Crate and Barrel for making middle-brow products that the masses love. Is Crate and Barrel the Cheescake Factory of the furniture world? Or is that Pottery Barn? That said, about a third of my furniture at home comes from Crate and Barrel and another third comes from Pottery Barn. Maybe I should give the Cheescake Factory the benefit of the doubt? Nah.

I just made a white bean soup out of the Inn at Little Washington cookbook that had you add heavy cream at the end (I used Half and Half). It did make it much more luxuirous. When I have made Tuscan style recipe I have, the Red Wine Vinegar is a must. Parm on top at the end adds a lot. Also if it is too thin, how about just adding more beans?

There were threads about both of these topics a few months ago, but there's no reason not to start new ones here.

I once had one show up in a Gyro Platter at a place near my office - in my LAST bite!!! I thought - "Gee, this is a big piece of spice" but it was pretty clear when I pulled it from my mouth what it was. Needless to say that meal was free. Although I am embarrassed to admit I have been back since. The Gyros are actually pretty good.

I've been in plenty of restuarants where I have seen staff using the restroom and that have had signs saying that staff must wash hands after using the restroom. Maybe its not an issue other than perception, but it still seems like an issue. A lot of dining out is a matter of perception.