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Incredible photos, Ellen! Do you know yet how many parts there will be in all?

There are some signs. Besides, it's not like I'm ancient at 38. And I don't care if I give away my own age.

This really sounds like a big put-on. No kidding? Brought to you by the Maytag washing machine people? And it's good?

Suzanne, the F to East Broadway works, too. I wouldn't bother with a shuttle to Grand St. unless it happened to be in the station across the platform while I were on the F or V at Broadway/Lafayatte. As for the N/R/W/Q, I just want to make clear to Varmint that, since he's coming from uptown, it doesn't matter which of those are running because at least one or two will be at all times. And collectively, they're called the Broadway Line on the BMT. (Of course, you know this, but he presumably doesn't.)

What's Maytag blue?

Undoubtedly, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't like it if they tried it.

Which places are you hitting, scranmeister? Do you need any recommendation for things that are spectacular to see? Are you a fan of incredible churches, sculpture, painting? For my part, I travelled through Burgundy in June, 2002. I had one fantastic and one dissapointing meal at Michel Vignaud, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Chablis (beautiful countryside in the area, of course). You're probably safer going to his bistro for lunch rather than his restaurant for dinner, because if it's on, it'll be wonderful and if it's off, you spent less money. There's also a nice, informal husband-and-wife-run restaurant in Autun, if you go there. It gets no star but a Bib Gourmand in Michelin, which is an appropriate rating. I've forgotten the name of the place, but you'll have no trouble finding it in a Guide Rouge, as Autun is a pretty tiny town. Don't eat at the Hostellerie de la Poste outside of Avallon and don't stay there; it's an overpriced motel and the restaurant is mediocre. And don't eat at the restaurant in Dijon that got an 18 in last year's Gault Millau. It wasn't mentioned at all in the Michelin Guide Rouge, and Michelin is right. Have fun with the gougeres, the wine, the countryside, and the pleasant cities! (Or, as I said recently to a friend, enjoy the Land of Freedom. )

I agree completely, except that, in a way, it's already published, right here. I think it would be a cinch to get it published in a traditional paper form, though.

How about overpriced, then? I recall from what must be a fair number of years ago now that a typical dinner there cost at least pushing $30, for sucky food. That might have been as many as 10 years ago, actually.

Yes, Madras Cafe. I've been a regular there since shortly after it's opened, and I've brought many friends there over the years. No-one's ever been disappointed. Even my arch-carnivorous ex-girlfriend grudgingly admitted to liking their vegetarian cuisine.

Say, I'm trying to remember the name of the upscale kosher place on West 85 St. that I really hate(d). We used to go because my godmother lives right near there, and my stomach reacted like I was eating motor oil. EVERY TIME! So I simply refused to go there again after a few times. Is there something about kosher meat restaurants and overuse of fat?

Thanks, bloviatrix! I have to say that Levana is the place where I went last Thanksgiving, and I was really underwhelmed. In fact, I really can't remember what I ate that evening. My parents didn't really think that much of the place, either, but were glad to find a place where we could break bread with my godmother (my mother's oldest friend) and enjoy her company, and she did enjoy herself despite having a cold at the time. But please, go ahead and provide the list of casual places. They may be useful to me and certainly may be useful to others.

Thanks, Fat Guy. I ate a meal at Rectangles years ago and whatever it was I ate was so fatty that it really seriously upset my stomach. That was the last time I went there. Azuri Cafe or whatever, that felafel place on I think 10th Av. in the lower 50s, is kosher and makes good felafel. I'm not familiar with Kosher Delight. The thing that would make me suspicious of Shallots' menu is that they don't stick to one cuisine. I see American, Italian, French, Moroccan, and Argentinian entrees. I've seen this kind of mixed-cuisine menu before at other upscale kosher places (I'm trying to remember the name of the boring but well-respected place I ate at last Thanksgiving that I think was near Central Park, for one example). But I guess it's pretty good then? You know something, the steakhouse I was thinking of is called Le Marais, I think. (After checking www.superpages.com:) Yep, it is: Le Marais 150 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036 (212) 869-0900 (212) 869-1016 (fax) Tevere is or was a very expensive kosher Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side, and I never went there.

Don't be so impatient, amigo. It isn't even 24 hours since you started this thread. I couldn't help you in your quest for Colombian places in Manhattan (though I'd love some recommendations from anyone), but I do want you to give us a list of Colombian places you like in Jackson Heights, because I have friends who live there. They took me to one I liked and it might have been called Mi Tierra, but I'm not sure. It was really informal and specialized in arepas and such-like, I think (it's been a while and I've only been there once - are arepas called something else in Colombia?). The waitress spoke very little English (though she was friendly and helped my friends with their efforts to speak Spanish) and I was glad I had passable restaurant Spanish. Anyway, do you like Listo el Pollo or Casa Colombia or just prefer them to a place you don't like? Are they both in Jackson Heights?

bloviatrix, I want to ask you more questions but I think it's better for me to start this thread on kosher restaurants in New York.

bloviatrix posted the following in this thread: ::drools:: ::falls over:: If I'm following correctly, you had this in NYC. What restaurant did you go to for this dish? (Unless I missed the flow of the thread and you cooked this one...) We went to Shallots, which is a kosher restaurant in mid-town. It's one of the nicer, upscale kosher places - David Rockwell designed the space. Great place for business lunches and special occassion dinners. What kind of prices are we talking, bloviatrix? I don't keep kosher but my godmother does, and I've found that it's hard to find really tasty kosher places on the relatively rare occasions when her extremely busy and taxing schedule allows her to go out with me and my folks. It probably shouldn't be difficult to find really excellent kosher places in New York, though! By the way, as of a few years ago (the last time and only time so far that I went) that kosher steakhouse on 46 St. between 6th and 7th called I believe Tevere was excellent. You probably know the place. What other truly tasty kosher restaurants do you know in New York?

Ellen: Another fabulous installment. I'm gathering that western Mongolia gets a bit more rain and is a little bit greener than the other area (central Mongolia?) you were in previously. Is that right?

To me, it's obvious that that's milk, and that udder does not look like a horse's penis to me!

They're not bad and worth eating, though I've never found them exceptional. Try them some time.

I've never had a fish that had eyeballs that were edible. Always too hard. And I've tried a lot.

Shiewie, I hear you about the gelatinous part, but you don't actually eat those hard eyeballs, right?

I like duck fine. But it doesn't taste the same as goose. Anywhere to eat some good goose in a restaurant in New York (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens)?

I ask the server what their name is if I want to know, like if I'm a regular in a place and haven't seen them before. Otherwise, I don't care. I think it's fine if they want to tell me their name, but I don't love it if the restaurant's policy is to make them tell their name. I used to know a woman with an unusual name (I forgot the name; she was a casual acquaintance and friend of some other acquaintance) who used to work in such an establishment, and she had so much annoyance from customers asking how her name was spelled and so forth that she just said her name was "Sue."

What about goose? I think I must have mentioned this before, but when the Canadian geese land on the Queensborough Community College campus, I can't help thinking "dinner"! I had a wonderful Austrian-style roast goose leg with sauerkraut and such-like in Budapest which was one of the truly great meals of my life. But where to find goose in New York?