fchrisgrimm

A few months ago, I found a copy of 300 Years of Carolina Cooking at a book sale here in Connecticut. It was a 30+ year old copy of the Greenville Junior League cookbook, from back in the days when the recipes in these books came from actual local Junior League members. Lots of Jello. Lots of canned vegetables and prepackaged ingredients. Any herbs are dried. Funny thing is, I was absolutely thrilled to find an old copy of this cookbook! I might not cook anything from it, but I'll ruminate over the bad food of my youth! fcg

I wouldn't put someone down for reading good books (or trying to learn anything else) just because she doesn't know how to ask for them properly. Every journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step. Imagine if people here adopted that attitude if someone was trying to learn about cooking or eating . Robyn ← I get where you are coming from - but believe me, it truly was prideful ignorance! Bet she liked that chocolate chip cheesecake recipe, too!

Howdy, Planning the annual one night in Richmond (on the way South to visit family) and looking for a recommendation - especially if anything new or up and coming is on the radar. Previous stops have included... 2003 - Acacia 2002 - the place at the Jefferson 2001 - Pomegranate 2000 (?) - The Frog and the Redneck Should we finally try Mamma Zu? Acacia was very good and am happy to go back. We're partial to regional food (glad that Acacia and Pomegranate had some VA wine, too). LOVED the (long gone) Frog and the Redneck - anything similar would immediately move to the top of my list. Budget is a little tighter this year, so hidden gem would work, too. fcg

Sweet Potato Soup (inspired by Jimmy Sneed's Delaware white sweet potato soup, with the recipe basically borrowed from James Peterson): Char a couple of poblano peppers for the purpose of peeling and seeding. Sautee two diced medioum yellow onions and two minced garlic cloves until soft. Add a quart of chicken stock and two pounds of Delaware white sweet potatoes. Simmer until the pots are basically done. Add the poblanos and one or two (to preference) minced jalapenos for about three minutes. Add the juice of one lime, and puree the whole mess. I just use my immersion blender, right in the pot. Serve, top with a bit of creme fraiche (a cup of creme fraiche with the juice of another lime added makes for a great garnish).

I'm a Greenville native, living in Westport, Connecticut. Unfortunately, this situation probably reflects both the state of culinary Greenville and journalistic Greenville. Does the Greenville News still use a half-dozen different locals each week to review the new movie releases, instead of paying someone with half-a-brain to review on a weekly basis? (Or even running a decent syndicated critic?) I love my home town, but there is an anti-intellectualism that coats all manner of culture, including cuisine. I remember working in a bookstore there (pardon the digression) long ago - a customer came in to pick up a copy of Death of a Salesman that we were holding. She had actually asked over the phone for To Kill a Mockingbird. We straightened out the difficulty, but the customer insisted on saying "well I knew it was about death or killing or something." That level of prideful ignorance is something I could never deal with (thankfully I didn't murder the customer) - though it was oddly common in G'ville. So the approach to food writing does not surprise me one iota. It is, I suppose, a surprise that BWM, Michelin, etc. have not demanded more from the community - both in terms of quality of news coverage and quality of cuisine (both certainly lag behind the improvements in the art scene). But that is not the culture of the community. Don't get me wrong - few meals satisfy me as much as a dinner at Brushy Creek BBQ, in Powdersville. But a willingness to support a restaurant like 33 Liberty and a decent food writer would be a positive sign for the city. I think it is getting there, but change seems to be at a glacial pace. So with that in mind, I would contact the editor (though maybe of the News - does anyone really read the Journal?) - though maybe the Journal is a better place to start. How about Metro Beat? The local alternative weekly may be open to smart food coverage. And what's this Link rag? Was just down over Thanksgiving, so picked things up to prep for the Christmas follow-up. cg

CiderDay 2004 was a treat. Lunch Saturday (following a cooking demo) was at the Green Emporium in Colrain. Terrific apple and cider themed tasting menu: Roasted Root Vegetable and Apple Bisque Roast Pork Loin with Prune & Apple Stuffing and Cider Reduction Cider Glazed Carnival Squash, etc. etc. Saturday's heirloom apple tasting was again the highlight of the event - though the realization that 30+ heirloom varietals were growing from one tree (the wonders of science) did take away some of the romance! Sunday's event was a cider and cheese pairing at the Deerfield Inn. Saturday night we wanted to eat at Bottle of Bread, but they don't take reservations for fewer than four. Of course, you get to the door, and they act as if it should be a priviledge to wait "approximately" a half-hour for a table. (This probably merits another string) I am happy for restauranteurs successful enough that they can set aside the courtesy of a common reservation system, but that approach puts them off my list for the forseeable future. If they want my credit card number as a guarantee that I show up, fine - but don't make it such a hassle if you want me to remember your restaurant or pass on the name to other visitors to the area. Instead we went to Cafe Martin (ironically, running into two old friends - we could call BOB - ha!). I went for a cider braised pork (sort of a rerun from lunch, but still terrif) and all at the table were pleased with this small place. Being to used to NYC prices, I kept rechecking the tab to be sure that they charged us for everything - with the four of us eating for less than $100 (including a nice West County Cider and a couple of drinks). I definitely recommend CiderDay as a fall weekend diversion - probably best to stay at the Deerfield Inn. It was a fairly easy trip from Fairfield County, too - two-and-a-half hours at most.

Although I've never stopped to dine in Worcester, on the annual trip to or from Maine, the Aku Aku Islander sign beckons like the Sirens' call. For those ten or so seconds driving past, I'm a child again, and Tiki culture is pop! Anyone been there and is it worth it for the kitch factor alone? Or would a stop throw me into existential angst, depressed over lost youth and squandered opportunity?

We're returning to CiderDay this year, November 6 & 7 in Colrain, MA, and are likely staying in Shelburne. Any recommendations for one dinner in the Shelburn/Northfield/Greenfield area? I highly recommend CiderDay for the opportunity to try dozens of varietals of heirloom apples. We had a blast at last years event, but stayed with friends and cooked in. (As an aside, while in that part of Massachusetts, a side trip to MassMOCA in North Adams is highly recommended.) Chris Grimm

I had seen the NYT review (I'm not always inspired by PB's reviews, featuring such under-whelming discriptions as "well-seasoned vegetables" - I mean whan the heck does that mean?) so would love to see a first hand endorsement from a Thali/New Canaan regular! I have a tremendous mental block on the location.

Has anyone eaten at the second Thali, recently opened in Ridgefield, as a motel restaurant on the Norwalk/Danbury Connector? The location is such a contrast with the upscale setting of the original, I'm a little hesitant to try it. If the food is the same - great, but it should be less expensive for the loss of atmosphere, alone!

The King and I - Thai in north Bridgeport (just off the Merritt, near Trumbull). Terrific Thai and great for take-out. Big draw for New Haven diners, I know. Super Duper Weenie, Fairfield, just off I-95 (see many other posts). I don't think there is any better "chain" fast food than La Salsa - and there's a branch in Fairfield. Bloodroot, in the Black Rock/St. Mary's-by-the-Sea section of Bridgeport, is fanstastic vegetarian - and a relative bargain.

Briefly... We enjoyed Laurie-Raphael - can't get caribou steak down here in the States. Even bought the cookbook (though we don't read French) so we could figure out a couple of dishes. Loved the "chocolate sushi" for dessert.

I was there about five years ago, having heard so much about the place and desparate for bbq in New England. Short answer (from my best recollection) is that I was really disappointed, given the fuss about the bus. It seemed like greasy, second-rate 'que. For New England Q, I have yet to find anything extraordinary, but do enjoy stopping at Little Marks in Vernon, CT, when driving up to Boston.

Racha Bassoul, from Anise in Montreal. Remarkable French fusion informed by middle-eastern spices. Makes more popular French-Asian chefs (like, gulp(!), J-G V.) seem ham-fisted by comparison. Racha is also a remarkable pastry chef - and I'd always thought of cooking and baking as being left brain / right brain - hard for one person to do both well. I'd want to learn her ability to both cook and bake, her subtlety with fragrance, and her precision. I know she is contemporary, but everyone builds on the past.

Paci in Southport is your bet bet for hip-formal Northern Italian. Great food, Beard Award-winning setting, Dave (somellier) is great, gets slow when crowded but still worth it. Meigas in Norwalk for Spanish is terrif, as is the less formal and expensive, but just as good Mecca (right around the corner). (Save the trip to Ibiza) Fairfield has a bunch of good French places (though there may be a French restaurant shakeout going on). Blue Lemon in Westport is good. Super Duper Weenie does serve the just about perfect lunch. Bloodroot is good for good and fairly inexpensive vegetarian.

Brushy Creek BBQ, in Powdersville - outside of Greenville on the way toward Easley/Clemson is world class South Carolina style Q. A little less mosasses in the mustard sauce than in Holly Hill. Good hash! Great pulled pork and ribs. I've not found better in the upstate.

Thanks for the Julian's tip - living in Westport, even the trip to Derby is a schlep for a pie.

John - thanks for the nifty report. Fat Guy is absolutely right - you have to have the condiments to appreciate the whole Super Duper Weenie experience. Rawley's and Swanky's make good hot dogs, but IMHO, they're just hot dogs. SDW dogs are works of art. And some other great items too - the Cheeseburger Deluxe, the Phairfield Cheesesteak, and the made-to-order fries. I loved the place when it was a van, and it has only improved (less of a wait) in an actual building. I do have my concerns about a couple of additions to the menu that seem to violate the mission of the place - diet soda and chicken nuggets - but remain loyal to the core.

Paci in Southport. Great Northern Italian. Spectacular Italian wine list. Maybe the best dining setting in Fairfield County (except for the big clock on the wall during those occasions when service can be a little slow). And maybe the best place around for eating at a bar. Top notch.

Glad you liked Ibiza - if you're traveling from California anyway, you should try Mecca. BTW - per a post a few up, I find Tuscan Oven in Norwalk (a couple of posts above) to be only a half-notch above the Olive Garden. I'd rather get the great take-out deal from Centro in Fairfield (Centro also has slightly overpriced sit-down). The take out is a steal - $15 for a choice of fresh pasta for two, choice of sauce, caesar salad, parm, and a big ol' wedge of fresh bread. Take it home and in ten minutes you have dinner (without overpaying for restaurant wine, either!).

Pardon the late reply, but Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield (Black Roack Turnpike exit off of 95) is to die for. Everything (including the condiments) is made on-site. I'm sure that somewhere there is a Super Duper write-up on the site, but you can't go wrong with the regional dogs, the Pharfield Cheese Steak, or the Cheeseburger Deluxe (DEE-lux). Great fries, made to order.

Roseland Apizza in Derby also offers a fine New Haven style pie. But I clearly have to make the trek to Middletown!

Norwalk's Meigas may be the finest restaurant in Connecticut - and is where we go for special occasions - but it doesn't even serve the finest Spanish food on the block, as that honor goes to Mecca. Meigas has the atmosphere, great service, and small "haute" dishes with bright flavors. Mecca, while certainly very nice, is a little lower key (I never hesitate to go to Mecca sans neck tie). There's more of an emphasis on one-dish style main courses, with robust but remarkably complex flavors. Jaime, the owner/chef of Mecca, was formerly a co-owner of Meson Galicia (before it became Meigas). While Meigas gets a remarkable amount of ink, Mecca produces some remarkable food. Our favorite dishes at Meigas would include the green seafood risotto and the lamb stew. The baby eel appetizer (at the price, to be tried once) is sublime. Like spaghetti in sizzling garlic oil and the essense of the ocean! Again, we love Meigas and go there on special occasions. But Mecca is where we take friends who visit us in Westport - and where we drop in on an almost monthly basis. Both restaurants are far and away better than anything in Westport. Westport has an odd lack of quality dining. While I actually liked Miramar, it was WAY over-priced. Now, for French, we head to any number of the bistros that are sprouting like mushrooms in Fairfield. For Italian, it's Paci in Southport - a place with food so good that you ignore the fact that service can be slow. No excuse for being slow in a place with a ten foot clock projected on the wall! Can't beat The King and I for Thai in Bridgeport (great take-out place, too).