Stone

I forgot about gyros at the mall. Love 'em.

I agree that Sam Adams is over-rated. I think they got a huge boost by being the first well-distributed alternative to the big-guys, but it's not all that interesting compared to a lot of other stuff out there. As for IPOs, I'm pretty sure that Pyramid went public (and didn't do well). What about Pete's Wicked Ale? I find it too sweet to be refreshing, but it still seems to sell well. (I think Pete's might have gone public also.)

When I was in Karachi, I kept seeing signs for "broasted chicken." Is that the same as roasted?

I picked up a tall glass bottle with a "wine bottle" like top (I'm sure there's better way to describe it, but my brains is working slower than usual) from Fishes Eddy, and a bar-bottle pourer fits perfectly in the top. I've used it for olive oil, soy souce, and other stuff that I like to leave out, but don't to want look at the inevitably dirty bottles.

Yeah, Newkies are great. Have you had Threakstons (sp?)?

Or how about something like Chicken Tikka Masala? You're probably used to heavy Indian curries, so that wont be a bother. White meat chicken doesn't look like an animal, and doesn't have much taste or smell of its own.

This thought may be buried in an earlier post, but you may want to start slowly by trying vegetarian foods that mimic meat flavor. At least to see if you like it. I think the biggest physical hurdle however will not be the taste, but the digestion. Most of my friends who try meat after not eating it for years say that they love the taste again, but that their bodies couldn't handle it. I don't know if any vegetarian food would have an effect on the digestive tract similar to meat. If I knew more about vegetarian food I'd offer suggestions. (I am available to help explain sex to virgins, so if any of the ladies out there need help . . . . ) (Edited by Dstone001 at 5:09 pm on Feb. 5, 2002)

All I heard was that a friend went to Alma, and didn't think it was great. Nothing specific. I'm surprised, she's usually a pushover for any restaurant remotely trendy. But it could have been a bad night. And I forgot about the Globe -- Pacific Ave down near Sansome. Great little place, excellent T-Bone for two and tuna tartar.

I also made pigs in a blanket for the superbowl (I didn't have time to make pulled pork). I was amazed at their reception. I usually don't give out my recipes, but, I'll give away my secrets: I used Hebrew National franks, of course, and cut them in thirds. For this superbowl, considering that a New England team was playing, I used Pillsbury Dinner Roll dough and Grands Biscuits (I could only find one tube of dinner rolls in town). Oh, how that pop brought back memories! And the fresh smell of stale yeast, wafting out of the cardboard. Now I know what the wine folks mean when they talk about bouquet. Well, three lil weenies per dog; three blankets per roll. Each roll pressed carefully, but firmly between my hands (I always rub my hands on a cutting board first, so as to impart an oaky flavor to the roll.) If only I had Frenchs yellow mustard, it would have been perfect!! (And as for the wine -- Budweiser, Born on January 13th, in honor of the loser Lambs.)

I haven't heard great things about Alma. A friend went to Delfina recently and loved it. Universal Cafe is also excellent. Some of my favorites: Any of the Hyde Street area Italians: Luna Rossa (Hyde & Pacific) for excellent simple Italian cooking. Reasonably priced, not too fancy, but delicious. I always push the orechietta fra diavlo, and my guests are usually shocked at how good this simple dish is. Baldoria (Larkin & Green) -- My last visit wasn't great, but this is a terrific place for game. The wild boar is always perfect. I Frascati and I Fratelli (Hyde and Green) -- Frascatia is a little higher end, but Fratelli does an excellent filet.

I, too, prefer Corsendonk to Chimay, but's it not as easy to find. Singha is also preferable to Tsing Tao or, in my opinion, any Japanese beer. I also recommend Golden Eagle as my favorite Indian beer. I find it has a great bite to it, almost salty. Perfect for the flavors of Indian food. My current favorite bottled beer is Sierra Nevada, recently listed one Saveur's 100 best foods (or whatever they call it). It has an excellent hop character that's not overwhelming. Other beers I love to find: Harpoon's Winter Ale (I don't know if it's bottled). Great undertones of pumpkin and clove. Sam Smith's Nut Brown -- a little sweet for some, but well worth the price for the bottle. Orangeaboom. Can't seem to find it outside of England. And yes, on a hot summer day, nothing beats a Bud.

Interesting observation. I had always thought that Hindus had rules forbidding killing similar to the Buddhists and Jains. (I can't remember if Jains are a Hindu or Buddhist sect. Boy, I've forgotten a lot.) But I'm pretty certain the vegetarianism practices by a lot of Hindus is not economic. Ghandi was raised vegetarian, and he was not poor. I've gone through a few vegetarian phases. Although I see nothing immoral per se about eating meat, I do think that if we can live without killing, we should try. However, I realized that as "inhumane" as our meat industry may be (and I'm not saying it is or isn't), I would think that any cow would rather be slaughtered with a bolt to the head than get chased down by a tiger and have its stomach ripped open, or, even worse, getting chased down by a pack of wild dogs. Of course, the tiger and dogs don't know better, but from the cow's point of view, I'd say that the human's slaughtering method isn't the worst way to go. But I found that my diet ended up too unhealty. I would either fill up on heavy cream sauces and cheeses to satisfy my cravings, or miss out on too many protein sources. And let's face, eating is one of the few pleasures in my pathetic life. (Edited by Dstone001 at 12:15 pm on Feb. 4, 2002)

i disagree. that's just not true, apparently, or people wouldn't put skim milik in their coffee. but then again, i don't have very strong feelings about coffee either way, other than that my skim milked filled coffee neither tastes nor looks like dishwater. Why assume people who put skim milk in their coffee like the taste? I think the odds are better that they're sacrificing taste for calories. A silly choice to be sure.

o.k., I know this is a weird question, but by fried balogna, do you mean that you saute the stuff in a little oil? This isn't dipped in batter or anything?

O.k., I'm way off topic now, and I apologize -- but one college football coach once said, "we can't win at home, and we can't win on the road, and I can't think of anywhere else to play." Sorry. (Edited by Dstone001 at 3:11 pm on Jan. 30, 2002)

Steve, as Kurt Vonnegut asked, what kind of society do we live in when boxes of toothpicks come with instructions? Warnings are not meant for the reasonable and sane in our society.

Ron and Steve -- I'm late to this topic, but I'll throw my 2 cents in. I'm on Ron's side with the McD's issue -- the company knew they were putting out an unreasonable dangerous product. That is, people know that boiling water will result in a serious burn. But reasonable people do not expect that water the heat of coffee, as it is usually purchased, would cause such serious burns through clothing as to require skin grafts. I spill coffee on my fingers every morning. Because I do not expect that coffee to be served at an unreasonably high temperature, I do not expect to end up in the hospital. If someone does knowingly serve me coffee at a temperature above what a reasonable person expects, I think that person should be held accountable. Also, kudos to Ron for explaining that "first kill the lawyers" was a pro-lawyer statement, recognizing that lawyers are imperitive to protecting liberty in a society. The thought of suing fast-food companies reminds me of an interview I saw of Al Goldstein, the guy from Screw magazine. Commenting on lawsuits from people who claimed to be addicted to 900-sex lines, he said, "hey, you're fat, I'm fat, should I sue the restaurant for selling me a cheeseburger? Take a little responsibility for your life." Always ahead of this time, that Al. But that said, plaintiff's lawyers are scum. One of them sued McDonalds over the pricing of the happy meals. The lawyer noticed that the only difference between the hamburger happy meal and the cheeseburger happy meal was a slice of cheese. They sued because McDonalds charged $.12 more for the cheeseburger happy meal than a hamburger happy meal, but only $.10 more for a cheeseburger than a hamburger. The lawyer figured that charging an extra $.02 cents for a slice of cheese in a happy meal discriminated against children and constituted an unfair business practice. Seriously. And let's not get talking about going to small claims court over a little smoke at the theatre. (Edited by Dstone001 at 7:31 pm on Jan. 29, 2002)

Shaw -- if you get your hair cut at Astor Place (by Enzo, I hope), that's it. I've never had anything but great burgers there. But perhaps next time you should go up to 9th and Bway. I think the diner's called "Silver Spurs". I remember a good burger there also.

Do they still make these? (Perhaps they're now known as "little people hot dogs" or "vertically challenged hot dogs".) I've been trying to find them in San Francisco, and can't. What's a superbowl party without pigs in blankets?

Julie Sahni's Classical Indian Cooking. Just about everything you need to know. And the recipes come out perfect.

Do they still sell Scooter Pies? I used to love those -- frozen as well.

McHales Tavern -- 46th & 8th -- Best #### burger in the world. Cozy Soup and Burger -- Broadway at Astor Place -- pretty darned good. I once read the ingredients for the burgers at 21 Club. I believe I saw something about duck fat. Feh.

I ate at the LA Stinking rose a few years back with some business colleagues. I thought the food was pretty good, but I remember ordering beef dishes. And yes, they weren't fooling around with the garlic. The next morning, the four of us got into an elevator together. The two people already there decided to get out and take the next one! Have you ever tried the garlic noodles at Crustacean? (There's one at Polk & California, and another way out by the Ocean off Lincoln?) They're excellent (if you love garlic), but a rip-off at Ű a plate.

At the risk of starting a physics discussion (which might end up quite interesting) wouldn't the cold temperatures of the freezer slow the vaporization of the oils?

Someone told me once that whole beans stored at home and used within a reasonably brief amount of time don't need to be vacuum packed or stored in a freezer. I through them in the freezer anyway, but i'm running out of room. Will it affect the beans if I leave them in the cabinet?