cinghiale

Osteria Le Logge Via del Porrione 33 (just off the Campo) Siena T: 0577/48-013 October, 2002 Very warm, friendly restaurant. I believe it was formerly a farmacia. Due to train schedules, two of our party of five had to leave early, so we booked the table at opening time (7:30). We ended up having the table for the whole evening and were under no pressure to turn it, despite a line out the door (of course, we were consuming heartily throughout) The malfatti are the house specialty and are very good. The chicken livers were outstanding. Rabbit and quail were winners for secondi (sorry about the blurry picture) Very nice panna cotta. Respectable, affordable wine list. Apparently, the owner also owns an enoteca near the restaurant. The owner, Gianni Brunelli, appears to be quite a character, too, keeping guests and staff alike pretty amused. In keeping with his former profession as communist union boss, the reception area features oversize photos of him w/Castro and, I believe, Le Duc Tho. Dinner for five (incl. cocktails and liberal grappa) ran about €250.

Yes, yes, yes! I make this comparison all the time. Both (i) are similar size, (ii) have many small, diverse neighborhoods, which can change dramatically over a few blocks, (iii) integrate their waters in a pretty resident-friendly manner (Delaware/Schuykill & Elbe/Alster) and (iv) tend to be overlooked by travellers in favor of cities with bigger reps. I know this doesn't necessarily make the most compelling case, but Hamburg has 8 Michelin * restaurants; Berlin has 8, and Munich, 4. So, it's definitely a fine-dining town. There are also so many solid neighborhood restaurants. Throw in the availability of hard-core drinking establishments (also very Philly-like), and you've got yourself a terrific city to live in or visit. In addition to your suggestions, I'll definitely be trying Piment and Poletto and will report back in June. I'm still open to more recommendations, if anyone out there has any. BTW: I worked at the MPI für ausländisches und internationales Privatrecht. Yes, I'm another eG lawyer.

Thanks, Behemoth. Just saw yr post re: long-gone restos on the Philly board, too. I lived in HH from 1985-1992 in St. Pauli. So, I was close to Karoviertel and Schanzenvierel. I used to love the Karoviertel for breakfast at Kaffee Klatsch, shopping, drinking. But when I was there in December, I thought the neighborhood had declined a bit. Still some funky boutiques, but somehow kinda in decline. Schanzenviertel, on the other hand, still seems pretty vibrant -- and ethnic. I was witness to all of the anarcho disruptions surrounding the Rote Flora, having lived one block away. I think that gave the neighborhood some added life, and it seems to have taken root. I spotted Rossi last time, so I'll check it out in June. Likewise for Lokma, as I am soooo tired of the same ole boreks, döners, and "pizzas". Did you ever buy wine at Scarpo Vino on, I think, Susannenstr.? Loved that store: shoes in the front, wine in the back. Also, I've been to Mutter in the Stresemanstr. (Ecke Lerchenstr.) for all-night drinking. Do you know if Subito is still open, just up the street? As for Univiertel, I thought the Mensa wasn't so bad . Even though I worked at the Max Planck Institute, I never spent much time there. I, too, enjoy the city center -- Rathausmarkt, Gänsemarkt. Have you been through Rödingsmarkt, sorta between Rathausmarkt and the Hafen? Great galleries, lotsa lofts, etc. Some nice bars and restos. On my return, I'll give you a full rundown on Altona, where I'll be staying with my friend Olaf (actually, it's Ottensen where the two sorta merge). Beware the Hippy factor in Altona. You know, that anachronistic, very German, ultra-laid back, molto tie-dyed kind of Hippy-dom? It's rampant in Altona, and the cafes, bars, and restos sorta fit in the scheme. Olaf always grimaces when I point out the varying degrees of '68er fashion. Still, really great architecture, cool shops. Thanks again for the tips, Behemoth.

Well, seems Drew ought to know from problems. The Moonlight Restaurant in New Hope, PA, which got a mention in the 8/2001 James Beard Foundation dateline on the occasion of its opening, had closed by 7/2003. Seems it got good reviews from local diners and featured an ex-Le Beq Fin at the stove. New Hope attacts moneyed diners. Wonder what happened? As for the Pineville Tavern, I happened to have eaten there last spring (after plant shopping at Renny Farms in Wrightstown, PA). However, it doesn't seem to have quite the high-flying aspirations of the shuttered Moonlight (motto: "Join us and enjoy casual fine-dining with the real locals"). As I recall, I had a pasta dish featuring the self-acclaimed home made pasta from Drew's father, but it wasn't remarkable; my wife did enjoy her crab cakes. The joint offers essentially glorified bar food -- for the menu, click here. Now, just what is it about the "15 years of experience" in a tavern that qualifies Drew to "intern" at a high-pressure NYC eatery? Maybe it's the handmade meatballs that both places feature...

My fav late-night snack is either (i) the currywurst joint where Wohlwillstr. ends at Stresemanstr., or (ii) breakfast with the butchers in the Schlachterviertel. Lemme have your fav bars, Behemoth. I'll be back in June. I usually stick to the Altona-Ottensen-St. Pauli-Eimsbüttel corridor. Also, do you, or does anyone else, have info on the following restaurants? All come with respectable Michelin/Gault-Millau ratings: Piment (no direct website; also Michelin *) Poletto Tafelhaus Stocker Allegria Brook Bereuther As I plan to try several of them, any info would be appreciated.

Anyone frequent Walt's King of Crabs? As I recall, the place was pretty ordinary, but it was always jammed. Big pails o' mussels...

Bob: How does it compare with B&L Grassland Farms' lamb, which I understood was being sold at Fair Food? I get it all the time when Brent and Laurie set up shop at Headhouse Square for the Saturday Farmers Market. It's also grassfed, really terrific (their cute photos of the lambs in situ, including some showing their kids riding them, attest to the animals being free-range and well cared for; same goes for their beef, as well). I've seen Bryan Sikora there purchasing lamb for Django. I believe B&L also shows up at other Farmers Markets around town.

I second Frög. Really enjoyed it. But where the hell was it? I can't figure out which building it was in. On Locust, right? Strolli's was cheap, but not particularly good. Still made for voracious dining, though. Also: Fratelli (Rago), 19/Spruce: Good, fairly creative (for the time) Italian. Bistro Bix, 12/Sansom: Site of the old London. Peter Dunmire's first exec Chef job, I think. Saigon, 9/Washington: The first Vietnamese restaurant in Philly, I believe (ca. anno 1980). Palumbo's, 9/Catharine: Decent gravy joint, but the ambience was sooo 1950s. Great photos on the wall. And for post-dining fun, I miss: East Side Club Kennel Club Love Club/Love Hall CEC Center

A few months back, the restaurant critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Craig Laban, awarded the equivalent of four stars to a BYO restaurant, Django, where (apropos price) you can do three courses and easily get out for under $50, tax & tip included. While Philly eGers are enthusiastic about Django, the decision to award a BYO four stars generated a heated discussion about the type of restaurant that "qualifies" for 4-star status. Read it here.

Actually, squash comes in many varieties in Germany and is fairly popular, though not as readily available as here in the U.S. Halloween is even making inroads, and pumpkins can be had -- I saw many in the supermarkets last fall. Check out this link for Kürbis info. If you know anyone at a U.S. military base, you can get canned pumpkin. I made Thanksgiving dinner for 10 straight years in N. Germany, and pumpkin pie was always a hit. But, I had a friend at the Frankfurt base and he hooked me up for canned pumpkin through the P/X. I don't get the comment about Germans and vegetables. I've always found Amis to be less inclined to care about them. My German favs include: -- A salad made of a lettuce variety called Nüßchen. My MIL know to serve it for several meals each time I visit. -- A Quark-based sauce called grüne Soße that contains a myriad of fresh herbs, usually served with boiled potatoes. -- White asparagus (Spargel), whose season will soon be upon you. IMO, there is no finer meal than plaice (Maischolle) and asparagus. -- Leeks (Lauch) are very common and used diversely, particularly in soups. -- Kale (Grünkohl) forms the basis for the ultimate German winter comfort food. -- Cabbage, in all its iterations, is much higher on the veggie consumption scale in Germany than in the U.S. -- And tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers are as widely seen and consumed as they are here. Also, ham may be a staple (over beef, especially in view of the BSE scare still raging), but fish and fowl dishes can be found in any respectable restaurant, though perhaps without the diversity we know here in the U.S.

Yep, according to the 2/25/04 Times piece, "What's It Take to Get a Waiter in This City?" Starr is also raiding chefs from NYC, spec. Alfred Portale. Read it today's Inky

Not to question Mr. Fox, the font of all things hot dog (I've followed his sage advice for N. Jersey dogs without question, leading me back to Rutt's Hutt last weekend), but are you sure about that, John? Detroit's Lafayette CI and American CI are constantly bickering about who's authentic/best/first, etc. (sorta like Pat's and Geno's here in Philly). My understanding is the Detroit CI goes back to the days of the Greek immigration into Detroit (my grandpappy owned a candy store at 6 mile and John R) and is considered a Detroit original. According to the American CI website: So, while they are similar, is there a common thread between, say, Hot Grill and the Detroit CIs?

It's not a pool hall, but I used to shoot at the old W&J (5/Poplar). It's now the Ministry of Information, and although I've not been under that incarnation, it supposedly retains a bit of the former down-at-the-heels flair. MoI is also in the NoLib hood with its diverse drinking possibilities.

And don't forget the seasonally rotating "upscale" oyster selection ('though pricey, @ $10-13/half-dozen). In researching an upcoming Bay Area trip that is to include (hopefully) a trip to the Hog Island Oyster Company (Tomales Bay/Marin County), I got a hankering for some bivalves and headed to the SSOH. See there! They had 'em on the menu, and they were terrific: sizeable, plumb, sweet. Also sampled six Kachemaks (Alaska), which the menu claims can only be had on the East Coast at the SSOH. Though smallish, they had a delicate, briney flavor. A list of all oysters the SSOH will generally carry at some point during the year can be found here (pdf file).

Hirsch and Reh are two different animals. Even Germans have trouble distinguishing between the two, allegedly due to the translation in the "Bambi" film. The Hirsch family is Cervidae. It includes, i.a., moose, elk, reindeer, caribou, and wapiti. The Hirsch family has seven subfamilies. Hirsch (rot) (Cervus elaphus hippelaphus) belongs to the Echthirsch (or, "true Hirsch") subfamily, Reh (Capreolus capreolus) belongs to the Trughirsch (sort of "fake Hirsch"). The Hirsch family is also divided into two subgroups, depending on the structure of the metacarpals. Hirsch belongs to Plesiometacarpalia, Reh to Telemetacarpalia. They are more easily distinguished by their rear ends: Hirsch (rot) have a yellowish rear with a brown tail, Reh have a white rear and no visible tail. The most common (Echt-) Hirsch is Rothirsch, or red deer, and this is closest to the type of deer we have in North America. I hunt whitetail, and they don't seem to fit the description of Rothirsch (or the similar Damhirsch). I never gotten a satisfactory answer to whitetail's place in all this. It is my understanding that we don't have Reh in North America. As for taste, I've found that Reh is more tender than Hirsch (comparing comparable cuts, say Rücken, or loin/backstrap), but Hirsch has a stronger flavor. Hope this helps.

Thanks again, all, but I've been forced to postpone my visit. Seems Mom, currently travelling elsewhere, left her passport at home. In confirming itineraries, I asked in passing whether we'd need passports. A call to the airlines and to the Canadian Embassy confirmed it: either a passport or a birth certificate + photo ID is now required for entry. I originally hale from Michigan, and I've crossed the border at Windsor and at Sault Ste. Marie numerous times without ever any request for ID. I guess 9/11 changed things. So, we're rescheduling for spring, and I'll check back in then. Thanks so much for all of your invaluable insight.

Most excellent news, joe! APdC was high on my list, but my travelling companion (Dear Old Mom) isn't thrilled by the heavy emphasis on meats (though she's a pro at preparing venison). I duly pointed out the quenelles (mmmm), so maybe she can be persuaded. So, what to have there? Deer tongue, foie gras (poutine?), venison tartare, and all of the duck dishes sound great. Which pig dish is best? God, I can't wait...

Thanks to all for the great input. I arrive Thursday for a long weekend (yes, gus, the choice of mid-winter wasn't mine). Toque! on Friday; Anise on Saturday -- the posts here on those and other restaurants have been really helpful. Sunday seems to be the day that many restaurants are closed, so I'll play it by ear that evening (any suggestions?). I'll certainly be trying the bagels, smoked meat sandwiches, and poutine. The cheese shops I'd already duly noted from reading every relevant post on this board, including the cheese-smuggling thread dos refers to. Rue St. Laurent sounds intriguing; I've heard a lot of positive reviews from fellow Philadelphians, all of whom rave about your city. Can't wait! Thanks again.

Planning my first visit to your lovely city in early February, and thank you Montreal eG'ers for terrific posts on this board. Culled from the detailled reviews, my list for dinner choices currently consists of Toque!, Les Caprices, Les Chevres, Anise, Au Pied de Cochon, and, possibly, Cube. Also, I'm staying in the Plateau Mont-Royal, which the city's website lists as centering on the "hip" Saint-Laurent Street. Now to use, say, an NYC analogy, would that be "hip" as in SoHo (20+ years past its prime), Chelsea (the bloom is still on the rose) or NoLIta (a bit hardscrabble but good bang for the buck)? I've read a number of posts here, but can food and shopping bargains still be had here, or will I, as tourist, just be had? As for the main query, I'm from Philadelphia, and we get a lot of "where's the best cheesesteak" posts. One might quibble as to the venue, but the cheesesteak is undoubtedly Philly's most well-known specialty. It's a destination dish, like crabcakes or barbecue. Is there a Montrealan (sp?) speciality? From this board, I know to be sure to indulge in foie gras, game (venison ... and others? Boar? Caribou?) and cheese (raw milk), but as standalones, these don't seem to qualify as a signature. I've also read posts about smoked meats and KRT/salt marsh lamb, which certainly could, particularly the latter, depending on preparation. So, is there some delicacy that I would be remiss in not trying while in your fair city?

Though there's not much call for No. German recs, I thought I'd post from a recent visit to my old home of Hamburg: Dinners: -- R&B (Weidenallee, near Altonaer Straße). Hearty north German food, relaxed atmosphere. I had the classic winter dish Grünkohl: finely chopped, slowly cooked kale, which forms the base for Pinkel (a sausage designed for steaming) and Kasseler (smoked pork loin or chop). The sausage and pork were served with the Grünkohl as accompaniment, but I prefer it when everything is cooked together, resulting in a rich, stick-to-your ribs meal. Eva had Gänsekeule, a braised, quite large goose drumstick served with a berry sauce. Armin had duck. All very well prepared and moderately priced. -- Rocco (Wohlwillstraße, corner Gilberstraße). Lively, moderately priced Italian. It's pretty comparable to what I get here in South Philadelphia. We were a group of 8 set on eating AND drinking, so things got pretty out of control as the evening progressed. However, their house antipasto selection was quite good. As Rocco told me that he had recently acquired black truffles, I was able to get him to prepare some tagliolini with them for everyone (at € 9 per plate). Curiously, no veal on the menu (upon my complaint, a dish was "produced", but, if veal, it was thinly sliced shoulder). Seafood appeared to be the best choice, and a stuffed calimari was the hit. Primo panna cotta with marone, a chestnut currently in season. Real friendly staff; many complimentary grappas, etc. Lunches: -- Le Canard (Elbchaussee 139 [near Hohenzollernring]), Josef Viehhauser's elegant Michelin * (Gault-Millau 18). The restaurant is located directly on the Elbe, although the view is an industrial panorama of Hamburg's shipping industry. The room is sleek and modern. Lunch prices are set at € 12 per plate, allowing one to eat as much or as little as desired. Armin and I each had the same courses: amuse was a ribbon of house-smoked salmon with creamed Gurken. First course was tuna carpaccio -- both thinly sliced and tartar-style -- with a basil oil dressing. Very good. (Other starters included quail, prawns and duck consommé with Maultaschen, which I would have tried but for my second course.) Second was, in fact, a delicious, crispy "Vierländer" duck, served with Spitzkohl, which is, I believe, Hispi cabbage. The duck was really terrific, apparently a specialty not only of Mr. Viehhauser, but also of another of Hamburg's *, Landhaus Scherrer, located just down the street. With two drinks, two glasses of wine, and water, bill came to € 95. -- Suryel (Wohlwillstraße, corner Thadenstraße). Quite good, very affordable vegetarian (with a bowling alley in the basement that Olaf assures me makes for good parties). We all had dal soup, Olaf and Eva had salads, I had very tasty sage gnocci. As an aside, we wanted to go to Nil, just across the street, but they're not open for lunch. It would certainly be a good choice for dinner. Bars: The whole face of the Hamburger Berg (btwn Reeperbahn and Simon von Utrecht Straße) has dramatically changed in the last ten years. I once counted 40 dive bars in this 200 meter-long street. The Spar (now ex-Spar) signaled gentrification back then; now it's pretty hip. We did Barbarabar, a reggae-ish thing for kiddies, and Rosi's, more grown-up, at least musically. We skipped ex-Spar, crossed the Reeperbahn and checked out Hans Albers Platz: Mary Lou (too early) and La Paloma are still there, but the legendary Mitternacht is gone. We swung over to Geier for a pop, then back to drink for awhile in the old standby Comet. In need of fresh air, we took a stroll down the Herbertstraße, which does not, umm, welcome women tourists. As Olaf had said that the notorious Große Freiheit was starting to see some clubs open, we made our way there via Reeperbahn Kneipen. Many of the standbys still exist, as do the omnipresent sex clubs. The Große Freiheit is indeed changing, but the clubs are more in the nature of discos. In need of a watering hole, we concluded our night drinking Jever and whiskey in a Thai "Puff". In spite of the trendifying going on in Hamburg's red-light district, it's still a port neighborhood offering innumberable choices for excessive drinking. But Hamburg also offers a diverse range of travel experience, from the very upscale choices in hotels, restaurants and shopping of the Innenstadt or, say, Eppendorf and Winterhude, to funky, East Village-ish nabes like Ottensen, where I stayed with my friend Olaf. This short report does not do justice to the spectrum of fun that can be had among the wrongly denominated "cool" northerners.

Minar Palace (16/Sansom) is an affordable option, with the spiciness to keep one's, well, breast warm.

I double-Meh you back on the al pastor at TV. I've always found them to be terrific. But maybe I'm too laymanish when it comes to tacos. Do you have a secret spot for these beauties somewhere in CC, Sir Andrew?

The description of the pizza seems to square with your experience: "Imagine a delicious Arugula salad on a pizza." They didn't say "enjoy" or even "channel".

Having had most enjoyable meals in the last week at Taq. Veracruzana (tacos celebrating Michigan's victory over OSU) and Garibaldi (mmm, chilaquiles), I thought to give a try to El Azteca, whose take-out menu fluttered through my mail slot recently. They've got a large assortment of burritos/enchiladas/rellenos/quesadillas, in countless permutations, but I elected to go for the pork carnitas. Pretty disappointing. The lime-sized chunks of pork were dry and absolutely devoid of flavor. They came buried under a melange of rice, guacamole, salad, and grilled onions. Really not good. The flan was pretty tasty, though. Delivery was quick, but jeez, $3 charge?!?! With tip, my dinner came to $23. I won't be calling again soon. La Lupe recently started scattering take-out menus in my nabe, so they'll be next up, despite two recent, underwhelming visits. Never dined in at Azteca. Is the experience better live?

Howz about Shank's & Evelyn's (10/Carpenter)? Haven't been in awhile, so tried to go last Saturday. They were closed till today, I think. Anyone been lately? Sabrina's was a mob scene, so elected to go for dim sum at that place that used to be the Golden Donut or something -- the one on WashAve with the lions out front. Nothing too special, really. For that area, I still prefer the joint in the shopping center at 7/Wash.