Pan

I haven't checked them out, but I have the feeling that Red Hook and Jackson Heights are better neighborhoods for Mexican food than anyplace in Manhattan. Can someone confirm or deny, and perhaps offer specific suggestions for delicious Mexican food in the Outer Boroughs? (By the way, the Grand Sichuan branch you mentioned is on the corner of 24th and 9th, not 25th.)

We call "sub sandwiches" hero(e)s, but I really don't know where the best ones are. You might check under the "THE BEST: Sandwiches" thread linked from the thread Curlz linked to above. (Holy run-on sentence, Batman!)

Shame on anyplace that gives people the bum's rush.

I was there again tonight, with my cousin and her son. We did order all our savory items at the same time, but we never felt rushed. I'm sorry they rushed you.

Would you consider dim sum at Dim Sum Go Go? Show up before noon, and you shouldn't have to wait (before 11:30 is an even better bet).

Mitch, given the rapid changes in the character of the Lower East Side, I would never bet against anyplace based on the current decrepitude of the location.

Thanks for making that point. I totally agree, and not because my meal at 11 Madison Park since Chef Humm took over was disappointing in both service and from a standpoint of interesting food, but simply because of my experience in dining in France and being able to compare.

My dinner at Crispo was actually way better than my last -- and probably final -- meal at Lupa. I experienced a downward trajectory in three meals at Lupa, from great to good to mediocre.

Yeah, but their plain pizza didn't impress me, either. Like I said, as far as I was concerned, it was acceptable. Period.

I think I've posted about this before somewhere, but I remember going to the Ray's in question in 1978, finding the pizza acceptable but nothing amazing (I went there many times and was NEVER impressed with it or the hype surrounding it), not liking their use of canned mushrooms for toppings, and being told by patrons that I missed out, because it USED to be really great years earlier.

Ah yes. My cousin had the carbonara. Having just come back from a month in Italy, she found it a bit dry but tasty. I liked it.

It's amazing that there have been no posts to this thread since 2003! Chowhound's Manhattan board is bursting with praise for this restaurant, and now that I've finally gone, I am joining in the praise! I was there Sunday night for dinner, as part of a party of 5. Based on our experience, Crispo is excellent, and a great value! For appetizers, several of us shared the following: Citrus Cured Anchovies (very good) Fresh Ricotta Tartufi, if I'm not mistaken (delicious and very creamy, almost a bit mascarpone-like) Duck Liver Crostini, 2 orders (large portions, very rich, with a good mixture of capers and various other things) Zucchini Flowers stuffed with cheese, etc., with a tomato-based relish, 2 orders (also delicious) There was another appetizer I can't remember right now. For primi, three of us got half-portions of Spaghetti "Shrimp Fra Diavola" [sic], which was an extremely tasty fra diavolo (I again noticed a welcome though subtle overtaste of capers) though not especially peppery. One got a half-portion of the Trofie al Prosciutto "San Daniele," which was very tasty. I'm forgetting what the other primo was. For secondi, three of us got the Seared Duck Breast "Figs & Port," which was extremely good! I got my duck breast medium rare and it was near-perfect, slightly salty and nicely seared. Slices of onion were cooked in the port wine reduction, which was still noticeably a bit alcoholic. One order of Grilled Hanger Steak "Tuscana" was brought out, with a substitution of roast beets instead of the usual potatoes, because of a potassium-restricted diet (there may have been a supplement for the substitution). I didn't try the steak, which my father was extremely happy with, but the caramelized onions and roast beets were delicious! Instead of a real secondo, my brother ordered the "Ricotta Gnocchi" Duck & Fontina. The gnocchi were nice, but the duck and onion slaw with some cheese was outstanding. A contorno of cauliflower al burro e parmigiano was also ordered and was superior to similar contorni in most Italian restaurants I've been to. One thing worth noting is that Crispo appears to like including bitter greens in dishes. For example, the roasted endives that came with the duck were more bitter than usual for roasted endives, and there was also fresh watercress as part of the dish. Also, moderately bitter leaves of arugula (moderately for the vegetable, and therefore, rather bitter) came with the zucchini flowers. I happen to like the combination of bitter leaves with dishes containing fat (duck, cheese), but my mother found the endives just too bitter to eat, though she wasn't complaining about the dish. All of us were way too full to order dessert! Including a total of four glasses of wine, one glass of iced tea, and one espresso, the total was about $274 before tip, so a bit over $50/person before tax for a lot of really good food. I've paid more than that for food that wasn't nearly as good. Overall, a very satisfying experience that I look forward to repeating!

Platt (or perhaps his editors) misspelled "grisly." This isn't a type of bear he's talking about. I mean, unless he means "gray," in the sense of "old"?

Tim, first of all, many New Yorkers go to Katz's. But secondly, we're really talking about different classes of tourists. I think it's pretty likely that the huge bulk of the patronage of the chains around Times Square (Applebee's and the like) are tourists whose idea of a trip to New York doesn't include avoiding the chains that exist everywhere else in the country (instead, those chains probably comfort them in a strange place, I imagine). That's the lowest level, probably. There are various other levels, including tourists who are extremely knowledgeable about gourmet dining. So you're right, there's an overgeneralization, but I don't think anyone is really saying that places are bad because tourists go there. It's more like, there are a bunch of places that serve tourists who are more interested in glitz than quality, because that's what "going to the City" means to them. We've discussed this before on other threads. I know many people who fit into that "B&T" stereotype.

They're likely to give you the bum's rush big-time. I went with my parents for a birthday dinner last December, and they kept trying to take things while we were still eating them! I don't think I'd volunteer to go back for dinner there, that's how bad the service was.

And don't that the bottle of water they paid a $1.50 for is now offered gratis! ← Who paid $1.50 for a bottle of water? Not the restaurant, surely!

I had Oshinko (no daikon pickle tonight, but it was all good) and Shio Ramen for a late dinner tonight. It wouldn't surprise me if there's much better ramen in Japan, but the most important thing to me is that this place is way superior to my previous standby in the neighborhood, Menkui Tei (which does, however, have a larger variety of ramen to choose from). And by the way, though I didn't finish all the broth, I didn't consider the saltiness out of line for a soup, and as a matter of fact, I think some of Menkui Tei's ramen may be even saltier. It's great that Setagaya is open until midnight on weekends. Do you think they might consider extending their hours till 1 AM?

It's a tribute to you that you've so eloquently expressed this sentiment. And therefore, enjoy your promotion!

It'll be interesting to see if this review makes it pretty much impossible to get into the place. That's what I'd be concerned about.

It was underwhelming there. And when I say they gave me the third degree, I mean that I had to lecture the waitress about living in Malaysia for two years before she would shut up and take the order, a rather extreme situation. I think that the laksa at Skyway is pretty good. (And by the way, please note the spelling of mee rebus. Rebus means "boil[ed]" in Malay, while Uncle Remus is a rather different kind of character. ) LPShanet's suggestion of the Pongsri Thai on Bayard St. reminded me that Sripraphai, widely considered the best Thai restaurant in the Five Boroughs -- and, I suspect we'd all agree, much better than any Thai restaurant in Manhattan -- has yet to be mentioned in this thread.

I'm not sure what I could say that hasn't already been said, except to link to Varmint's great Foodblog. Enjoy your retirement from eGullet Management, Dean!

I went to the original Penang on Prince St. in Flushing a few times, some years ago, and found it underwhelming, plus they gave me the third degree when I ordered Asam Laksa. Is the Elmhurst location by far their best?

11 Allen Street, between Division and Canal. How was your meal at Nyonya? Jean, it was a pleasure meeting and hanging out with you and your husband.

I don't like that transfer from the E to the 7. Up flights of stairs and through a long passageway. I'm not suggesting lack of safety, just inconvenience.

My favorite restaurant in Flushing, and my favorite Chinese restaurant in New York, period, is Spicy & Tasty, a Sichuan-style restaurant on Prince St., a block and a half from the Flushing - Main St. terminus of the #7 line. Click on the Spicy & Tasty thread. More photos here, in my Foodblog.