tanabutler

Wonderful piece of news. Congratulations, Amir, on your climb upward.

Divina, welcome to eGullet I love your website. I have known about you for years...when I planned my trip to Italy in 2001, I found you. Beautiful site and beautiful logo! You can use the IMG button, above when composing your post, to insert the location of your images. Just copy the location (http://www.divinacucina.com/images/homenewlogo.gif) and click IMG. Paste the location into the little pop-up box and click "OK." Poof! Here's your image!

Believe it or not, Santa Cruz had a place called Mike's Soul Food that was supposed to be fantastic, but it closed recently, and before I could go.

Hey, a friend of mine has a teenaged son who is always on the quest for the perfect burrito. He grew up in San Francisco, and has been keeping a burrito diary for years, as he roved the country with a touring band. The entries are sorted from most recent to oldest, unfortunately, because you have to get to the end to read his manifesto (word to the wise, he's a vegetarian, but cut him some slack--just as I am cutting him slack for dissing Taqueria Vallarta). WARNING: I think his father exposed him early on to the writings of Anthony Bourdain. Rated R for language. Morgan's manifesto: Go here and change the number at the end to a lower number if you want to move upward (towards more recent posts) in the site.

With one exception, yes. I don't really go to Tacos Moreno, which is one of the faves in town, because I infinitely prefer Taqueria Vallarta. Tacos Moreno only has a couple of little tables. There's always a line but I think that's because there aren't many places to sit.

There are a number of companies making Lemon Olive Oil. My favorite is made by DaVero because their process presses the olives with Meyer Lemons so you get the OIL from the lemon, not an infusion of lemon JUICE. I know. It's just that theirs was really Italian-y lemony, and only $2.49 a bottle. I used it all the time to make Patricia Wells's recipe for pollo diavolo, which is a Tuscan recipe marinating chicken breasts in lemon juice, olive oil and tons of ground black pepper, then grilling. I do have some Meyer lemon oil but it doesn't taste like the Italian stuff, obviously. I just got off the phone with Bear Foods. They don't have Maya Maize... I didn't expect them to, because it's been years since I've seen it. Waaaaaah. (Thanks, y'all, for trying to help.)

There used to be an amazing thing called Maya Maize that we sprinkled on popcorn. It had parmesan cheese, lemon powder, and I can't remember what else. It was fabulous. Googling only produces results relating to the gods of the Mayans. First Trader Joe's discontinued carring lemon olive oil. Then they stopped carrying my beloved Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette, which is the best thing ever. Last time I went in, they'd stopped carrying the Consorzio Baja Lime Marinade (luckily I can still get that at Safeway). CURSE TJ's! They carry the foulest, most abominable frozen mushroom soup (frozen phlegm, if you ask me) but stopped carrying those three fantastic products. I have registered a formal protest but have not received a response.

I am squarely in the same camp as John Thorne: a savory breakfast is the only breakfast for me. Spare me the French toast, pancakes, streudels, doughnuts, and the like. The only sugar I want is in my Earl Grey. I eat a late breakfast/early lunch. Yesterday it was a creation my little sisters turned me onto: a Better Than Sex bagel. Take one "bagel with everything" (seeds, onion, etc.) and toast it. Smear with cream cheese, sprinkle a little tamari, add some lox and a perfect tomato slice. Top with a little salt and a lot of pepper, and that, my friends, is Better Than Sex. Well, not better than sex with some people, but certainly better than sex with others.

I think using the plural is unwarranted. "Clueless twit" comes to my mind. Any decent waitron should know to bend over backwards if something goes wrong with a customer's experience. This is why, when I'm Empress, everyone will have to work in a restaurant for at least six months. People need to learn to appreciate the meaning of the word "service." Part of serving means not having an ego about what people order. (E.g., "You want your meat cooked HOW?!?!?") Another part, the biggest part, involves taking care of people, the operative word being "care." This waitress is lacking the care part, big time. I wonder if she can be taught, anywhere, by anyone. If your customer gets a metal shard in their food, you need to be conciliatory and you need to get the manager. Now. The worst thing I ever found in my meal, bar none, was the cigarette butt in my cashew chicken at Jimmy Wong's in San Diego. Missing the tobacco. No, they didn't comp: I was such a wuss I paid for the meal. Kids, don't try this at home.

(Balmagowry, one of my most-trusted reading friends says that Cold Comfort Farm is one of the best movie adaptations there is. Anyone who can find me a copy of Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm will be rewarded.)

I tasted something nasty in the woodshed!

Pheromones?

Oh, no! I'm a MAN!

Studies also indicate that mac-and-cheese gals are nymphomaniacs, speedreaders, have perfect pitch, can knit blindfolded, and know all the words to the theme song from "Mannix." Oh yeah, and we're fabulous cooks.

Well, you lazy people? Get off your butts and start posting.

Santa Cruz has some excellent Mexi food. Outside Santa Cruz, my two favorite places are: 1) 3 Amigos in Half Moon Bay. The roasted pollo burrito, yowsah! The place is always packed, but the line moves amazingly fast. Great place, seriously. 2) Mr. Taco in Davis. It has its own thread, and Mexican food in the area is discussed. Mr. Taco (Scroll down for a photo, Señor Gordo.)

Great googly moogly! I love the JazzFest! My birthday is at the end of April, and one year I spent ten days in New Orleans with my dancing buddy from Vanderbilt. He was working at Commander's Palace while he put himself through law school, and my God, did we eat for a week. It was right after K-Paul's kitchen had opened, so that was on the itinerary, too. The day at the Heritage Festival was my favorite. Folks, besides all the oyster po boys you can eat, you gotta gotta GOTTA go to the gospel tent. And I mean the black gospel, not White People Clapping on the Downbeat. That was one of the best vacations of my life. I left home weighing 120 and came home weighing close to 130. Oh, to be that skinny again! I can't go this year -- probably will be in Las Vegas watching Elvis marry my friends that weekend.

I have never seen Michael Anthony called Mike, but then I don't live there. Is that an East Coast thing? Or perhaps not. Some people just can't bear not to shorten a name. I can't feature Michael Anthony, that chef, as "Mike." Correct me if I am wrong.

Updated link to article on Mexican Radio

Great work! Are there photos in the print edition?

Gee, maybe a little exaggeration here? One person's jaunt is another person's grueling road trip. I think she can decide for herself if she doesn't mind cruising down to San Jose. On the other hand, with gas at over $2/gallon, that will add considerably to the "cheap eats" being sought.

Correction: chefs Dan Barber and Michael Anthony. Michael will be moving to the Sleepy Hollow location. Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture I think they will actually be serving some meals before the official opening date, but I don't know how that works. Also, they are hiring for the new location. We (chef Betsy and I) returned to Blue Hill last month when I visited NYC. Michael and Blue Hill GM (formerly sommelier, and a full-time goddess) Pam Walton visited with us at the end of our meal (um, we closed the place). Last October, Betsy was my plus-one at the Outstanding in the Field Farm Dinner, featuring Blue Hill's phenomenal team, at Stone Barns. So we had already met and chatted with them then. Stone Barns Dinner with Outstanding in the Field: October 12, 2003 I keep meaning to post about the courses Michael sent out on our most recent visit. Maybe I'll do that today. They are all very excited about the new restaurant, and understandably so.

Chris, anyone who has the ability to post from ANY computer (especially the kind that dear Alton can afford) has the ability to spellcheck and modify image sizes. He's excused if his posting is aberrant, because I've been sick all day and I can't do a lot of things with my brain. Not trying to be difficult.

You're right! Alton needs a spellchecker and to learn how to resize his images. Or his web person should take care of things for him. And he needs a decent digital camera. I respect the talent, but I hate that he makes his page look so unprofessional and techno-clueless. Please, Alton, leave it to the professionals. Don't try this at home!

I perceived Flay's shenanigans as clueless, misplaced hubris. Sort of like rooting for the St. Louis Worms.