Pan

A flautist by any chance, Pan? ← Yes, Sir! I agree. I may not often dress up to go to a concert (always to play one, unless it's jazz in a club), but I do wear a suit and tie when going to a truly formal restaurant. Here in New York, it's fine to go to a lot of upscale restaurants wearing hiking boots, khakis, and a presentable button-down shirt, but you will seldom be overdressed if you wear formal clothing to such a restaurant. It does pay to have an idea of what vibe the restaurant is looking for, as others mentioned upthread.

How about "Now, we're going to toss the salad." Anything wrong there?

Congratulations on your position! I'm very interested in that prix fixe. What are (some of) the choices?

As a classical performer, I have to tell you I strongly disagree. I want people to come to my performances, and I'm happy they're there, regardless of what they're wearing. Furthermore, when I'm not performing at a concert, I dress informally, myself. I'll bet if you ask other classical performers whether they feel disrespected because someone came to hear them while wearing jeans, you'll get a lot of laughs from them.

I wonder whether you'd consider Santa Barbara, California to be a country, in that case. I'm sure you must never have attempted to drink tap water there.

I'll bet caponata would be a great addition to my Italian-influenced scrambled eggs dish: Sautee a bunch of cloves of fine-sliced garlic (maybe 5-7), then two or three sliced onions in extra-virgin olive oil. When they're a bit caramelized, add tomatoes. When the liquid from the tomatoes is mostly boiled off, add about 1/2 pound (~250 grams) of sliced mushrooms (optional -- if so, wait to boil off most of the liquid before the next step) or skip that and proceed to add a whole bunch of fresh basil (and oregano, if you like). After stirring around for a while, add the caponata and mix well to integrate everything. Then add three roughly beaten eggs. Mix them fairly aggressively with all the other ingredients, so they don't stick to your pan. Add a generous pour of the wine of your choice (start with at least 3/4 of a cup, I suppose) and a bunch of slices of a tasty cheese (parmigiano, provolone, et al. - I've used feta with excellent results). Cook at a medium flame to reduce the resulting sauce. Add black pepper (salt to taste is optional, as the cheese has plenty of salt). When the sauce is sufficiently reduced, the mixture is sufficiently amalgamated, and all ingredients taste like they're in the right balance, spoon it onto slices of toast (sour dough is the best I've had with this). For best results, drink some of the wine you used to make the dish. Not Sicilian to my knowledge, and depending on what wine and cheese you use, the dish may look something like vomit (!), but in terms of taste, you could do a lot worse with leftovers if I do say so myself.

This place sounds really great! What are the prices like? I checked menupages.com, and perhaps not surprisingly, they don't have a page there.

mizducky and I are on the same wavelength. I was going to suggest cucumber salad -- uborkasalata -- Hungarian style. The recipe I've used is from Gundel's cookbook, but this recipe from Joan Nathan's Jewish Cooking in America looks good, because it contains all the essential ingredients and nothing superfluous like Dijon mustard(?!). I prefer plenty of onions (I'd probably use one very large one or two medium-sized ones) and paprika but no sour cream, and I'm guessing the absence of the sour cream will help the salad keep better in a heat wave. The crucial step for a really good texture (and therefore, the difference between a good simulacrum of uborkasalata and the real thing) is: "Sprinkle with salt and let stand[...]" You need to draw out the water from the cucumber slices and then add back some water to the dressing. It really makes a big difference. Enjoy!

Man, what a 21st birthday! You'll never forget that! Thanks for sharing some of the fun with us.

I can't believe this place has completely eluded my radar screen. I just don't walk far enough east on some of the local side streets. That place looks really cool and the food is appealing. Thank you very much for the great photos and great report! Does Kion have its own website? If not, anywhere else we can look at the menu online?

I already did, yesterday, at a new "Korean fusion" place called Bonjoo at 107 1st Av. between 6th and 7th. I got Bulgogi or Galbi (I forget which) Dolsot Bibimbap, which was OK but the dolsot wasn't hot enough, so I got no crunchy rice, and also, there were vegetables that should have been cut smaller under those circumstances (hard to eat). The banchan was good (not great) but small, and when the waiter asked whether I wanted anything else, I asked if I could have more banchan. I tipped him extra for graciously giving me more. The place is no threat whatsoever to Koreatown places, but it's around the corner from me. Dinner cost $20 including a $3 pot of green tea and the aforementioned generous tip, and was filling. If you want to meet up for a Korean meal, just PM me.

Exactly. No salad or raw fruits or vegetables, period. Nothing raw, as a matter of fact. This really cannot be overemphasized. But good nutrition can certainly help. My heart goes out to everyone undergoing chemotherapy. Fight hard. And for those with loved ones who are fighting cancer, remember that by visiting and being positive -- and bringing food, if they want it -- you can increase the chances of their having a good recovery. Your friends and loved ones need you now, so make the time to be with them, and if you can't make it there, call them.

Beautiful cats! Have you found that Fang has a preference for a particular brand or type of cat food?

Randi, it's good to see you blogging again. Christine, enjoy your experience. It's intense, but we'll be here following along and cheering you on.

I think I forgot to address this side issue before: The standard Italian meal is optional antipasti, primo, secondo, contorno, dolci, accompanied by mineral water or wine. It is not traditional to have both soup and pasta in the same meal, because both are primi. In Italy, the contorno (a vegetable dish) is often a salad but is sometimes presented as a side with the secondo, and the dolce can just as easily be fresh fruit, rather than a pastry. Portions are smaller in Italy, but I've found that Italian restaurants in New York that typically serve large portions of pasta are usually happy to serve half portions for half price or divide a single portion in two for two people, if secondi are also ordered. If that's not noted on the menu, all you have to do is ask. The result is a large meal that requires a hearty appetite, but not something totally absurd. That said, I've found that many Italians do not have the full traditional meal all the time, anyway.

Mind-bogglingly expensive, Larry? I have to mention Han Bat again. You can get a really hearty meal there for some $12 plus tip. I think that compares well to diner meals. Sure, bulgogi and galbi are expensive, just as prime steaks are. But get some bibimbap or some of the less expensive jigae and the like, order no extra appetizers and just chow down on your order plus the banchan, and you don't have to pay that much. Granted, it'll be more than a burrito in a Cal-Mex taqueria in California, but it's hardly mind-boggling.

I won't beat a dead horse except to say that it's because your opinions are credible that I'd be interested in seeing more of them. But more importantly, I'm glad for what you already posted.

I've felt that way for over 10 years. I definitely disagree that "Eastern European food sucks." For a man of Poilisher (Polish), Litvaker (Lithuanian), and Ukranian descent, dem's fighting words!

I'm enjoying reading the posts on this thread - especially yours, Larry. I think that bibimbap is a good candidate to become mainstream. Fried rice is totally mainstream, and bibimbap has a lot in common with fried rice. It's not fried but is a mix of rice and a bunch of other good things. And the addition of hot sauce isn't strange at all, because hot sauce sells big-time in the U.S.

The menu looks great! I hope they catch the damned thief.

If they won't create such categories, we can. Whoever wants to start those threads should feel free.

I wish you'd mention them, so we know which ones to avoid. Thanks for your report.

I've been reading Chowhound a lot lately, and it seems to be an article of faith there to praise and recommend Veselka. I decided the place sucked years ago, with overly salty soup and just nothing much that seemed more than barely passable, except for the raspberry knish. Granted, I'm not a burger person and can't express an opinion on Veselka's burgers, but my main point in starting this thread is that I generally know you all better than the people who post at Chowhound (though there's some overlap), and I'd like to see whether and how some of you might defend Veselka.

In the Dark Ages before Grand Sichuan St. Marks opened, there was a time when the now-defunct Mee Noodle House that was on 13th St. and 1st Av. was my standby Chinese delivery place. I was poorer in those days and usually tipped $1 for my $5.95 noodle soup then. The delivery men complained about that, and I think that's probably why I got rusty nails in my soup TWICE. I explained to the restaurant why I would never get delivery from them again, and I now tip at least $3 for delivery from Grand Sichuan St. Marks and Congee Village, my current standbys. The delivery guys are happy and my food is tasty and usually comes piping hot. I save a little of the wear and tear on my wallet and get more exercise by getting takeout more often.

All of your remarks are pertinent, but I will comment on price. It's possible to drop $50 on dinner on 32nd St., but it's also possible to drop $25, or even less if you go to Han Bat. I also think that the banchan makes Korean meals a fine value. I'm not convinced that Korean food can't become mainstream. Pickles are mainstream and spicy Mexican (or Tex-/Cal-Mex) food is mainstream, so is it really impossible for kimchi to at least get closer to the mainstream? I'm not sure. I also note the incredible spread of sushi. 40 years ago, would a vogue for raw fish in the U.S. have been foreseeable? I'd love some comments on that.