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Welcome to eG dgrueny. Have you tried this: (?) http://www.bevmo.com/productlist.asp?area=...pecialty+Brandy I see they have sold out of their stock of Pear de Pear as it is no longer on their website, but it does come up when googled.

I'm only guessing, but I think SAute was referring to an "ivory" or "white" King. (Pacific, wild) White Kings are considered rare and occur in nature from time to time. They are white fleshed just like a halibut and they do not appear any different than a "regular" King, as a live fish. When they are caught and cleaned is when you find you've caught a "novelty." At first white Kings were hard to sell at an equal price to a "regular" King and were often ones that the troller or gillnetter kept for themself, instead of taking it along with the rest of their catch to a tender for market. Now, this novelty fish is sought out. However, I've had both and am not really sure there is any difference in flavour, texture or richness. Some say there is while others do not. Try one and you be the judge! According to an individual of the Seafood Technology Program of Sheldon Jackson College, Sitka, Alaska, white Kings are approximately 10 percent of the entire southeast Alaskan King salmon population with areas that are more well known for them. Rivers along the Lynn Canal this percentage is as high as 25 percent. I think I've read that the Columbia River is another area white Kings are found, more easily, as well. edited for clarity

Whoa budrichard! Charlie Totter's haute cuisine is a mockery because it is haute cuisine? Really???????? Now isn't that just brill. This *may* be the wrong place entirely! There is plenty of eG'ers that respect, dine and enjoy haute cuisine. ahem.

Went to a new French bistro, very close to my house. My lunch partner had a lovely ham and brie savoury crepe. It was better while it was still hot. I had a very strong boned, sourdough baguette sliced and filled with brie, chopped walnuts and seedless red grapes. We both had 2 cups of full bodied French roasted black coffee. All in all delicious. I must return sometime soon for the prix fixe weekend dinners, brunch on Sunday morns and many more lazy afternoon lunches.

Context sammy! That is one sentence to demonstrate a whole. Re-read it slowly and carefully.

Respectfully sammy, I believe you may be missing the point. (all IMHO) To quote Bux: For the sake of clarification, my assertion of his jumping right into eG with his personal review of Charlie Trotter's, on post no. 1 and has become a "baptism by fire" was an expression regarding the various points of view expressed herein, debatable or not, and not in any way a comparison to religion. What folks at eG take food seriously? (!)

mags, good post. Comfortable with it or not, Charlie Trotter's offers full, attentive and formal service. I have read other evaluations of fine dining where the guest will express their uneasy pressure to purchase an appropriate wine for each course. The most polite way I can express it within this post, and in no offense to any particular person, the key is "I" felt pressured (or "you" felt pressured), however the option is being offered by the service with the guests' enjoyment in mind. I'm going to the level of perceived professionalism to the service staff at Trotter's that this would be done routinely for each and every table and in a respectful manner. My emphasis added. Welcome to eG bbqboy. Please let this discussion of food, Trotter or the restaurant's service continue without reference nor derailing the thread as to religious belief or affiliation.

and don't forget the chapter on extravagant, assistant sommelier pushed wines.

adrober -- welcome to eG. eG'ers are serious about serious food, and yes, Charlie Trotter is very serious food. But what else did you expect when your title contains the "superdud" next to Master Chef Trotter's name? You've jumped right in and by golly consider this baptism by fire.

It's late and I am of thinning patience, so I'm foregoing the three page read and adding a post. (which I am *sure* I'll regret tomorrow when I do read the whole thread). Bathroom attendants. I've worked with a bunch. When I was at the Hard Rock Cafe, we figured they were the most tip grossing/money maker on the premises. Yup, us bartenders loathed them. The lady bathroom attendants that worked at one restaurant and one of the adult entertainment bars I tended, well they too cleaned up big on tips. One eve I meandered in and was ever so greatful she had a bottle of clear nail polish for the stockings that were a part of my uniform. I snagged something sharp and metal behind the bar (shock) and had about a 1/4" of a run starting. Other times, that extra spritz of a refresher popular ladies' eau de toilette freshened up that bar smoke smell to my cloths, person and hair. Only once did I find an attendant as intrusive by withholding any and all towelling and would chase you down to provide same after one washed their hands. yuk. Enough said. edit: when will these fingers ever type correctly?

The boats aren't so big. (I did post pics of my grandfather's boat, the F/V Martha K -- truly one of the last *full* purse, commercial seiners of the southeast). The seiners (account for 85% commercial pink salmon caught, 15% sockeye and 2% kings) average 58 feet in length and trollers (2% of salmon caught -- kings and cohos) are about 50 feet in length. A tad smaller than the pleasure craft I've crewed (63'+ fiberglas toys). Seiners crew usually around 5 members (Trollers are usually only two) and have very, very short openings (six, eight or ten hour length openings) as determined by Alaska Fish and Game. One summer my father crewed on my grandfather's boat (NWA was on one of their multiple strikes) and those used to be in the glory days of a couple day length openings. Gillnetters tend to be even smaller boats (30 feet) with crews of about 2-3, and average about 35% of salmon caught (usually, mostly sockeye). Alaska isn't overfished as far as salmon go. Very careful, responsible and successful management. Here's something from http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/sportf/region1/sit.htm regarding Medvejie fish hatchery, located very close to Sitka: And now a web page for Medvejie As far as shipping, well from these Alaskan fishing towns y'all gotta put up with the shipping regluations via good ole Alaska Air. They are significantly reducing the size and weight of what is allowable without substantial fees this Fall. Workers Comp. claims in those baggage handlers and back injuries. Most of little Alaska is very dependent upon Alaska Air and their services, which do include (depending upon area) US Mail and Fed Ex shipping contracts. I did know the restrictions on weight, but can't recall at this moment. It is going to hit the charter "nazis" (affectionately referred to by local Alaskans/Sitkans) with regard to hosting a charter of men 'from down south' fishing up those halibut and kings and sending it home, wherever that may be. Farm raised=no thank you. I'd rather starve. The old environment legal assistant that tackled USEPA Superfund sites is now quite curious about this salmon farming/filth concern.... Research! edited for clarity

Welcome to eG rascalrg. Consider: Charbay from Napa Valley Shakers Vodka from Minnesota -- this stuff is distilled six times Twin Cities/Pioneer Press article International Beverage Network Special Report/Interview with Distributor for Shakers Blue Ice Vodka from Idaho ABC News story Glacier also from Idaho (as mentioned above) Enjoy. edited to correct boo boos

Farm raised salmon is vile. Repeated. Texture, flavour, colour, et al. They are a fiesty fish that enjoys nipping at this or that. I enjoy those rewards. Farm raised can *never* replicate that on any level. If I want a bottom feeder, I'll look to a dungie or a King Crab. As far as shrimp -- no one has ever tasted shrimp goodness until they've tried sweet, sweet, *COLD* water spot shrimp. They enjoy deep waters with stone shelves. And they are extraordinary. Please seek these out, if at all possible. There are many websites that are eager to ship. Splurge and do it!

I'm biased. Much of what I have to thank that I've benefitted from have come from the successes of my grandfather's life long commercial salmon fishing efforts. As far as the fish hatcheries playing their role in Alaska, ExtraMSG, those little fishies aren't fresh from the fishery to the seiner's or gillnetter's nets. There are a varying amount of years at sea, before they return to a river to spawn. That's wild enough for me, and very succesful, careful state management of its resources. Farm raised is just plain vile, all IMHO. Hasn't this issue been kicked around eG before? edited for clarity

I think it has been almost 2 years since the last mouse sighting, but my mouser, she still sits an stares at the oven, just hoping.

I love it tommy. Thanks for sharing. I look forward to more.

In an old apartment, beans the cat, was romping and making all of this noise early one morning. I shouted at him and threw a pillow in his direction for some peace until the alarm rang in another 45 minutes. When I got up, I saw some thing on the rug. I focused my sleepy eyes only to see a tail and some feet. The shake method was applied. Poor mouse, but a very happy cat. In another place of residence we couldn't get rid of them. The condo association refused to spend the money for an exterminator and I couldn't consider those snap traps. I found the little hole where they were popping in and out and gave them a pet store bought bowl filled with seeds. They never wandered any further because what they wanted was right there in the furthest corner of the kitchen. They were seen only at every early morning hours. Nice weather returned and they moved out, and so did I!

Welcome to eG lleechef! [i'm from Sitka, AK!] Last Thanksgiving my friend Judy brought over some candied yams, complete with those mini marshmallows as a topping. Woosh, they flamed up for a really dramatic effect! Guess we were chatting and enjoying our wine instead of paying mind to hot ovens and things that happen to hot sugar.

My gourmet mouse, an unwelcome house guest, found and enjoyed my stash of Callebaut. The first time I saw the little guy we startled eachother -- I screamed and it jumped and ran directly under my oven. It was quite cute. After a few chases and swats from my declawed feline, I suspect it moved out on its own accord to less stressful environs. I haven't found anything nibbled or pooped on in any of the lower cupboards, nor have I seen him. After last summer's blackout and this same cat's misfortune of getting somehow tangled with the ceiling hung gluey fly strip on the porch, I wouldn't dare try that again for mice. Her feather tail snags just about every bit of trouble that can be imagined. About kitties. Don't bank on a fiesty tom cat male. They are the lazy sunbeam soaking loungers. The huntress females are good mousers! Good luck! Those humane box types of trap and release may be a small and worthwhile investment.

Oh yum. Good stuff is just that. Jason, there are a few of the New Orleans sorts, one of which lurks and rarely posts, but she is around. And she bartends.

Oh I was tired last night. I couldn't even get the quote "I cannot tell a lie." correct! Cheers!

Baltimore's Sun article and Washington Post's article oops! edit to add: Louisville's Courier-Journal article too! edit part II: Rats! How could I miss this one as well? New York Times article edit part III: [ ] A follow up article, October 22, 2003, again from Louisville's Courier-Journal Whew!