Pan

No, I don't think so. Michelin is a foreign tire brand, and their New York Guide is pretty new. It would be unrealistic for them to expect to become the go-to restaurant guide for New Yorkers. Edit: Like oakapple said.

And yet Jewel Bako retains its star. I'm not surprised the devi lost its star, though Babbo's loss does surprise me. ← Devi has deteriorated? That would be strange, since Suvir Saran and Hemant Mathur are still co-owners.

Check Open Table. There are many open restaurants on Jan. 1. Oh, I almost missed the "convenient from Central Park." That would include essentially the entire island of Manhattan, because most subways stop near the park.

Diana, in Manhattan, the best place for South Indian food is Saravanaas (or whatever it's called now - Saravanaa Bhavan or something?). 81 Lexington Av., right on the northeast corner of 26 St.

Why are they trying to figure that out? So that they don't cut off the waiting list too early? All they have to do is say "You can leave your name, but I'm not sure whether you'll get in tonight (or `I think you won't get in tonight.')." They did that to me and my girlfriend the other week and told us we'd know by 11:15; if they hadn't called by then, we wouldn't get in.

I really miss Leshko's, which was a mainstay for super-cheap, excellent pierogies in those days. Shortly after I moved down here in 1996, they closed (maybe 2 years later or so) and were replaced by an upscale Leshko's that I refused to patronize. I miss the old Ukrainian coffeeshop with the really tough-looking Ukrainian men and cheap pierogies, although I surely don't miss the level of crime and menace that used to exist on Avenue A. Steve, I think the meat quality may have been higher at the East Village Teresa's location. Do you have an opinion about that? Otherwise, the food is the same at the Brooklyn location.

I guess I should say that I decided to go to Veselka one late night a couple of months ago or so. I had I think a cup of hot borsht and an order of raspberry blintzes (which is what I meant in the thread-starting post, not knishes, of course). The meal was perfectly OK, though I still think Ukrainian East Village a few doors down is way better. Teresa's, sadly, is gone from the East Village.

In other words, I need to show up by around 9 to get on the list. Thanks, kathryn.

Did you make this yourself and dislike the result? Based on my memory of what it looked like in the vats in Terengganu, it seems too bright (should be grayer and uglier) and too viscous (it should be unformed and halfway between solid and liquid). The stuff looked bad but tasted fantastic, as I remember! It should have quite a bit of cardamom taste. Did it?

Adam, there was a Kapitan Cina, but also a Kapitan Keling (Indian community leader) in any of several places, definitely including Penang (if you do a Google search for "Kapitan Keling," you'll get pages of results for "Masjid Kapitan Keling"/"Kapitan Keling Mosque" in Penang), and I believe Malacca. That might or might not help with derivational issues.

Hey, you were in Terengganu? When, where did you go, and what else did you eat? I haven't been on eGullet much for quite some time, so if I missed a trip report, please post a link.

Lemons, if you're willing to go west to 9th Av., that would open up a whole bunch of moderately-priced restaurants that are undoubtedly mentioned in the Pre-Theater thread.

How early do you have to show up on a weekend or a weekday to ensure that you'll get in before closing time?

I found their website, and here is what they say: Ergo, it would appear that jackets are not required.

I do think the lunch prix fixe is a good deal, and the experience is likely to be pleasant. I merely mean to lower your expectations a bit. Are you going to Babbo on this trip?

My brother and I got plain slices at Sal & Carmine's today, and our experience was weird. Everything seemed good about the slice, except that it was WAY TOO SALTY! Seems they put too much salt into that pie's crust. I hope it's just a one-off mistake, but man was it disappointing! Fellow pizza lovers, please tell me whether you've noticed anything off about Sal & Carmine's lately, so that I can know whether to go there again.

I actually meant the filling was slightly chalky, not the crust. I'm really talking about a slightly sub-optimal level of viscosity.

My brother and I had lunch at J-G a couple of months ago and were kind of underwhelmed. Sure, the ingredients are all excellent, as one would expect and hope, but as some others have mentioned, it seems like, when J-G does heavily Asian-influenced stuff, one of the ingredients (such as soy sauce, for example) is too heavy-handed and drowns out the other flavors. We didn't think our meal was close to 4 stars, more like a good 1 1/2-star meal and fair value. My recommendation, for whatever it's worth based on one meal, is to steer clear of any dish that smacks of fusion and go with dishes that sound more classic. Also, don't pay the supplement for the scallop dish; it's merely good and not worth the extra money. My general feeling is that Vongerichten was a better chef when he was at Jo Jo in the 1980s, making non-fusion food that used reductions of fruits and vegetables in season brilliantly.

Thanks for the recommendation, Fat Guy. I used to have a favorite place in Harlem, Better Krusts, Inc., on 138th St. and 7th Av., but I think someone in the family may have died (I hope not), because they just closed up shop one day, and that was that.

For the record, Two Little Red Hens' apple pie was a big hit, and I liked their pecan pie, too, but my brother correctly pointed out that its texture was slightly - I'm trying to find the word for it. Chalky? I mean, it tasted good, but it could have been better. One thing is, Hens doesn't make sweet potato pie. Does Little Pie Company? They're somewhere on the West Side, I seem to recall?

Serving rotten salad is worse than a consistency problem. It means that all the layers of attention to detail fell down on the job or didn't give a damn.

When you mention "cheap" and "dumplings," I immediately think of Fried Dumpling, 4 (used to be 5) dumplings for $1. There are several other dumpling houses that are cheap and good like that. Have a look here: Five-for-a-dollar dumpling update

Severe downhill alert on Luzzo's! I have previously found Luzzo's pizza great and their appetizers and salads creditable. I was in for a bad shock when I went there for lunch with a friend on Saturday. Our salad was literally rotten! I mean, all the lettuce was brown-edged. Needless to say, we didn't eat it and sent it back. As for the pizza, it was good but should have come hotter with more melty cheese. I will never return unless the management changes, and my guess is that's the problem: The management must have been replaced by people who don't give a damn.

A friend highly recommends Two Little Red Hens. I love their stuff but haven't gotten any pies from them so far. Any comments?

I went back to Jane about a month and a half ago for dinner with two friends, and it was really sort of anonymous upscale food - competent but not especially tasty. If you can't get into Lupa, I don't recommend Jane as an alternate place to get dinner. Their brunch was much more interesting, for whatever reason.