docsconz

Thanks for the compliment! Most prolific with photos, perhaps, but best? I would have to disagree as I can think of a number off the top of my head who consistently put up better work than I do. Dollar for dollar, Chinatown steamed or fried dumplings may very well be the best food value in the city. No. 1 Dumpling Shop has been the one for me.

It is true. One hallmark a of a very good wine is that it is not a chore to drink it. It sounds like this wine achieved that hallmark! Gotta love it. Those are the moments life is made for.

I am thoroughly enjoying your reports. Exposing your children to a wide variety of eating experiences in a city like NY is a great thing and something they will only appreciate more as they get older. I would have to think that the service "issue" that you encountered at J-G was likely nothing more than a misunderstanding, though not having been there, i can't be absolutely sure.

I've heard mostly good things about Tiz Now, though I haven't been personally.

Allopurinol is probably the best treatment to reduce the incidence of gout for those who are prone to it. Another unpleasant corollary is that those who are prone to gout are also prone to uric acid kidney stones. Talk about adding insult to injury! I take allopurinol because I have had the stones, though not gout so far.

I'm liking the new stadium already!

I didn't get the impression that Lanci's is closing because it is not doing well. My impression was that John Lanci simply wants to do other things at this point in his life.

Best wishes, Rob! I am sure that you will get valuable feedback here. I look forward to following your experiences on this topic and with good fortune will one day be able to expreience your restaurant first hand.

Er... are you sure they weren't pulling a foreigner's leg? ← Like I said, it could very well be a rural myth. But it's amazing what you can find behind a pachyderm. ← It would not be the only instance of foods improved by passage through digestive tracts. For example, argan oil is made from nuts that have passed through the digestive tracts of goats that eat the fruit of Argan trees.

The service at Moto may not be as polished as some restaurants that have waiters by profession. That the servers at Moto are trained cooks, however, does add another dimension not often found in high end restaurants. Nevertheless, the basics of service were substantially better than adequate and much more than satisfactory. In all, I found the service to be another positive element of my experience at Moto. As for the dishes being "interesting" but not "tasty," my latest experience was that they were both "interesting" and quite "tasty." I would still suggest the 10-course meal to get a real sense of Chef Cantu's style, skill and wit. Moto is certainly not formal, however, I believe one will be more comfortable dressed neatly.

It works better in Spanish or French. The concept was a major focus of the most recent Madrid Fusión. As I mentioned way upstream, this is not really new, however, it certainly has gained momentum and become a global phenomenon. New York was actually relatively late on the scene. I can only see this becoming more entrenched as the economy sputters.

Hmmm, sold twice? So, DZ sells the restaurant, I remember hearing about it, reading about the people who bought it, etc. Actually, last summer, someone I knew had a party there and I met one of the owners. I don't remember the guys name. Recently, I heard (and read) that the place was up for sale, but at the same time they were looking for a "strategic partner" who would take over management (I think). The article was in one of the local papers, maybe the Saratogian. The place is certainly nice -- very chic, unique, kind of that "South Beach" think going on a bit. Outside, the couches, tables, bed/cabana-type set up is cool, as long as the weather cooperates. The upstairs veranda is nice too. The club in the back, the one time I went in -- I couldn't breathe. I am telling you the place was like a sauna. Unbearable, and it wasn't because it was crowded. The upstairs "apartment" 3rd floor -- very nice. However, the food -- was more show than go. Four of us went there to eat. We were rushed by the waiter right from the get-go. He was standing there waiting for us to sit down and tried to take drink orders before we even sat down. We order drinks, and he's right back (without drinks) asking us if we've looked at the menu and wanting to tell us about the specials. Note -- First, I didn't expect the drinks as it was far too quick, and that tells you how quickly he came back, and secondand, all 4 of us still had the menu's closed on the table. After telling him twice we weren't ready to order, it just started getting uncomfortable. Anyway -- nice presentation, small portions, food (overall) somewhat bland, and service I already addressed. I don't know the overhead, economics, costs, etc. -- but a place like this should be able to do super! A split personality -- a very nice restaurant, and then a very nice club. So, for those of you who know the area . . . why not? What's going on here? Thanks. Eric ← This story defines DZ's places to me. I'm not surprised if it continued that way since being sold.

Why? What's the story? Thanks. Eric ← I think that John Lanci is just looking to do other things.

Fans of Lanci's should make a point of getting there as much as possible this summer s they will be closing after the season.

Well, sure, any action we take in life, whether adopting a new technology, a new wife, a new president, a walk down the street, or posting on eGullet, is going to have unanticipated results and unintended consequences. So that leaves us with a choice of inaction or taking what seems to be the best action given our limited knowledge in the full realization that some unintended consequences will ensue. So I'd be hesitant about using this as an argument against GM though it seems to have wide currency. Rachel ← It depends on what the potential may be for the unintended consequences and the likelihood of them happening. It also depends on the potential benefits and the likelihood of them happening. I have yet to see anything to indicate that GM of plants is beneficial to anything other than the companies doing the GM. Meanwhile, the potential negative consequences are disastrous. I think encouraging biodiversity makes more sense on many levels. ← Well, until now the benefits are clearly not to the consumer in the rich world because the technologies were designed to reduce costs to the farmer. Food is so cheap in the US that improvement in productivity, however desirable from the farmer's point of view, is not perceived by the consumer. But their potential for helping farmers in other parts of the world, particularly Africa, seems to me enormous and one of the most promising ways of lifting people out of poverty. I'm not at all sure what the potentially disastrous negative consequences of action are. I do believe though that the potentially negative consequences of inaction are huge. I'm all for encouraging biodiversity too. But I'm not sure how this translates into better crops for poor farmers. Perhaps I'm missing something. ← Rachel, Mexico is a good example of some of the perils of GM crops as those crops outcompete the myriad native varieties, ultimately replacing them with homogenous varieties supplied by the large agribusiness companies. I recall a conversation I had with Amado Ramirez Leyva bemoaning the effects of cheap US GM corn and beans coming into Mexico and displacing the native varieties. He was also quite concerned about the potential and actual loss of biodiversity based upon the advent of GM crops. In theory, there are benefits, but the reality is that they decrease competition, increase reliance on technology and limit biodiversity by reducing the available gene pool. The companies producing these crops are not in business for humanitarian reasons. They are in business so that there investors realize short term profits. That is not to say that there isn't some potential benefit or even that the profit motivation is inherently bad when it comes to this. I just have not seen the beneficial aspects put into practice. Where I live, farmers are becoming increasingly forced into buying seeds on an annual basis from large agribusiness suppliers with increasing homogeneity of their product. As for increasing food yields in underdeveloped countries, there are a number of other strategies that hold as much or more promise than GM crops including educational efforts towards improving sustainable farming practices.

Very interesting. A friend of mine had a bad experience at Mouzon House. I was surprised as were several mutual friends. I've never gone to the Farmers Market. DO they have the market every Saturday, and during the entire racing season? So, will your friend will have a concession stand at the track this year? Does he know how this will play out? I've heard about this. NYRA has a press conference every year to announce some of the new and exciting things that will take place during the upcoming meet. One of the announcements this year was that some of the local top restaurants would have signature dishes available at the track. I have a list somewhere and I'll try to find it. Thanks again. Eric ← He is independent of Mouzon House, but located there. His food at the farmers Market is his own. He will, however, be cooking at the Track for one of the restaurants mentioned above, running their show at the track. I think its One Caroline, but am not positive. The FM is every Saturday from 9AM to about 1PM. Of course the best selection is early, but you can find good quality food well into it. That market along with the Troy FM is the best in the region with some truly excellent produce, dairy and meat. It extends into the fall and also takes place on Wednesday afternoons at 3PM. Many of the vendors are the same though not all.

For those who go to the Saratoga Saturday morning Farmers market (and I suggest that you do), keep an eye out for Rocco Verrigni, who is making food for sale on the patio of the Mouzon House restaurant. Rocco, the Vice President of our Slow Food convivium, happens to be a friend of mine, is a chef instructor in culinary services at Schenectady Community College and a very talented cook. This past Saturday he was selling amazing porchetta sandwiches. I bought one. At $8 with cole slaw it was a bargain. He used pork shoulder from Lewis-Waite Farm. This was the best sandwich that I have had in some time. He will also be running a food service at the racetrack this summer. I will post more details as I know them.

I wasn't intimately familiar with the ownership/management. When was the place sold? Were there are major, noticable changes? I wasn't immersed in the B&B aspect so I wasn't sure of the impact, changes, etc. Thanks for the info. Eric ← The Inn was sold about three years ago. The owners are nice enough, but don't live on the premises so far as I understand. I particularly meshed with the style of the Taylors such that they became and still are good friends. Chefs have continued to come and go. I'm sure that it is still good, but it lost that element that made it personal and special for me. My tastes have also changed a little bit over time. Back in the heydey of FLI in the 90's I was more into wine (their particular forte) than food. My interests have reversed since then. Of course, both are important, just their relative importance has changed for me. Then I would get food to go with my wine. Now I get wine to go with my food.

eGullet Society member and Staff Emeritus, Eliot Wexler (aka molto e) is about to open a new restaurant in the Phoenix area called NOCA which stands for North of Camelback. This restaurant, a long time in the making reflects Eliot's wide interests in quality ingredients and cooking. I expect it to be a hit. This article from AZCentral.com gives a good background to the restaurant. Restaurant noca

This is developing into a nice resource with some interesting options. Thanks and please don't be shy about adding more. I would love a good source for fresh, live Chesapeake Bay blue crabs. Of course, it is worth noting that even though some of these sources appear to be direct, none are inexpensive. I guess that is the nature of the beast given the market for seafood as well as energy. Sobering.

Actually, I do if they will ship directly.

Funny that you mention, Browne Trading, They have always been my go to source, and I was just looking at their website. They do a great job, but I would be interested though in getting directly to the producer if possible.

Shrimp too!

Can anyone provide any contact information for producers of shellfish and crustaceans that sell direct to consumers? I am particularly interested at this time in clams and mussels (farm-raised are actually preferred in this case), but would also have an interest down the line in oysters, lobsters, crabs and scallops.

Thanx Doc. We've got a seat for you when you are in town. ← Thanks. Next time, I'm in Chicago, I will be there! Now I have to work on making it sooner rather than later.