alacarte

I like: Les Halles Le Marais (and it's kosher!) Steak Frites

sounds like a very smart move!

According to my Japan guidebook, Tsukiji covers over 56 acres of reclaimed land south of Ginza. Math whizzes: How does that stack up to 450,000 square feet?

Do you mean Potato Republic? (28 N. Main St., New City. 845-634-8544). ← YES -- thank you. Is Mitsuwa what used to be Yaohan?

Concklin's Farm (Pomona) for pies and apple-cider doughnuts The Potato King (New City, Main Street). -- laugh all you want, but they have the best coffee bar in town. On my last trip back home, I devoted far too much rental car mileage to find someplace, anyplace for my iced mocha fix. It's a far drive to a Starbucks from most of Rockland. The fries are pretty good too, with something like 40 different kinds of dipping sauces. La Lanterna (Nyack, Main St. & Broadway intersection) - Italian cuisine Legal Sea Foods - it means going to the frappin' Palisades Mall, but still excellent fish

I think the Holiday Spice flavor tastes like Dr. Pepper or Mr. Pibbs. It's also a bit too sweet for my taste (I think it's sweeter than regular Pepsi.) I'd prefer it to be spicier, i.e. more of a ginger zing would be welcome. I don't think I'd buy it again. Still a fan of Vanilla Coke over Vanilla Pepsi.

Nice job -- I also love the photo at the end (a "place setting" with a laptop in place of the plate). I think this also is the first time I've seen eG's new status as a nonprofit org in print.

Annan -- 3rd Ave. and 28th st (approx.) There may be better ones out there, but Annan is reliably good and it sure does smell divine.

If college students are the main target audience, I'm surprised they aren't opening one in Boston.

This is really creative. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Yes. Second Ave. Deli. They had a $30 Thanksgiving dinner special, turkey, yams, stuffing. Didn't try it -- had the hamburger deluxe instead, which was quite good. I'm not a big turkey fan, so this was a pleasure. The service was a little on the slow side because the deli was quite full and they were doing a booming takout business (pies! pies! pies!)...but (as usual) the waitress was attentive and friendly when she could get to our table.

Post-mortem time. How did yesterday go? And what are you doing with the left-overs? Looking forward to hearing all about it!

I usually soak the chestnuts in water first for an hour or so, and then it's easier to score the flat side of the chestnuts with X's. Then I spread them on a baking sheet, "X" side up, and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. The points made by the X's should open up and peel back -- very festive looking! The larger you make the X's, the easier the chestnuts will be to peel after baking.

If you don't mind slumming in the lower 60s, Shun Lee Palace is excellent.

You might want to try Whole Foods, too.

JJ, this travelogue rocks. I love that you interspersed the food porn with breathtakingly beautiful views of the scenery. When will you be posting the Japan blog?

I had missed this too -- glad it got bumped to the top so it got my attention. Nice write-up, and love the picture of the pea soup. Coming back soon, I hope?

The windows are beautiful. If I remember correctly, the Arts & Crafts movement also was about trying to "bring the outdoors in" through use of earthy colors and organic forms. Mission accomplished (pun intended)! Congrats again on the opening. Show us some espresso shots?

I had the same reaction to the logo. The space is so beautiful, and then you have this amateurish, ugly orange-and-brown disco-era logo on the menu and credit card holder. It's only mildly jarring, though.

Go to Legal Seafoods for sushi & cooked fish. There's one downtown on the water that I enjoyed last visit, but there are several throughout the Boston area. Ask your hotel concierge for the nearest one! Also, if you have time (and a car), go over to Cambridge to the Schlesinger library. Cookbook heaven! Non-food related: Last trip to Boston, I very much enjoyed the Isabella Stuart Gardiner museum. If you're nearby, it's worth a visit.

Blo, what did you do with the spearmint?

It's just beautiful. I have always had a soft spot for Arts & Crafts style, Stickley, Frank Lloyd Wright, etc., etc., etc. It's taking a tremendous amount of self-restraint not to gush over how lovely the space looks. If I lived nearby, I would come to your cafe EVERY DAY for a double iced cafe mocha. Sheesh, I may have to find an excuse to come upstate. Come to think of it, mr. alacarte has been angling for a trip to Cooperstown.

Just as an aside, Nach Waxman, the proprietor of Kitchen Arts & Letters, says that the McGee book is currently his best seller. (KA&L is a NY bookstore that sells only food and drink related books, including cookbooks. If you live anywhere NYC or are planning to visit, it's a great place to while away the afternoon and empty your wallet.)

This review is a bit misleading about the "Spontaneous" dessert -- it changes daily, and often within a single evening. I dined at Cru last week (and loved it, although yes, I did find the desserts mildly disappointing too). I ordered the Spontaneous, and received a butternut squash cake with chocolate syrup and vanilla and pistachio ice creams. It wasn't my taste, but it was far from a "sorry mush" of anything. Frankly, I applaud a pastry chef who pushes the envelope on desserts.

Congrats again Monica on a great article. It's a great topic, and it's refreshing to see a creative approach taken where some writers would just offer a basic overview of a dish and call it a day. And anyone who calls random strangers out of the phone book in the name of food reportage gets extra gold stars in my book!!!