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Lan4Dawg

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Everything posted by Lan4Dawg

  1. I used to go w/ a group of neighbors who were, to put it bluntly, scary in how un-prepared they were for any thing. After the first trip I learned that no matter who promised to bring what I always brought a back up "just in case". Nine times out of ten we wound up using the back up. (One of the guys got two five-gallon water jugs fr/ work and re-filled them so we would have water. Half way to where we were going they turned over in the back of his truck. He had failed to put caps on the jugs and did not bother to set them up-right when they over-turned so by the time we got to where we were going we had about two gallons of water left for the w/e. Luckily I forced the neighbor w/ whom I was riding to pack the five gallon jugs of water I had prepared. Another time some one was supposed to bring wood and "forgot". Luckily I had stopped by my parents and had picked up lots of wood for the smoker and just did not un-pack it on purpose. Yes it was green but we had wood for a fire. By the third trip I was bringing every thing. By the fourth trip I was not going. I keep waiting to hear about a half dozen guys lost in the north Georgia mountains b/c of stupidity. Any way......the first year we brought our own steaks for dinner (every one pitched in for collective side items) but some one forgot the grill for the camp fire. After much cursing and grumbling fr/ the group I walked down to the stream and got a large flat rock (not shale). I took it back to the fire pit and set it right in the middle of the hot coals . Amongst calls of "the rocks go on the out side of the fire, moron" and "what are you doing putting that thing in the fire?" I waited and proceeded to mix a martini. About ten minutes before I thought the potato I had buried in the coals would be done I placed a pat of butter in the middle of the rock and then set my seasoned steak right on top. "Sizzle, sizzle, pop, pop!" and I waited a few minutes then grabbed the steak and turned it over. "Sizzle, sizzle, pop, pop!" as I poured a hint of bourbon over the searing meat. I pulled my steak off the rock and let it rest while I fished the potato out of the coals. After adding the usual condiments to the potato I poured a glass of red wine and wandered over to my camp chair and proceeded to enjoy my steak. There was a lot of fighting over my rock.
  2. Krystal--yes the one w/ the mini-burgers out of Chattanooga (if you are a Yankee think White Castle)--used to make fried chicken and I do not mean a chicken sandwich but fried chicken. The chicken places were not in all stores but attached to the stores and had a separate entrance. Their "breading" was full of black pepper and spices and put the Colonel's to serious shame. There used to be a fried chicken chain called Wishbones that I have not seen in for ever & really can not remember whether their chicken was any good or not but I remember their great signs shaped like a wish bone and slowly revolving above their parking lots. And yes I remember Burger Chef. There was one about a 1/4 mile fr/ the only McD's in the area. I think we went to BC b/c it was cheaper than McD's. Both were on US 29 in Tucker, GA (just o/s of Atlanta). Speaking of McD's has any one seen an outlet where they still count the burgers served any more? The one in Tucker used to do so but I have not driven past there in a while so do not know if they still change their numbers. (Now most of the signs simply say "millions and millions served" or some such clap-trap) And while on that subject--are there any more w/ the big arches around any more?
  3. that would be my guess as some places use it for sweetening cocktails instead of simple syrup. I have run in to several daquiri (& a couple of other drinks but the daquiri stands out) receipts that call for Orgeat instead of sUGAr.
  4. I was dining w/ a small group at a restaurant w/ the $0.99 syndrome. I mentioned a menu item that looked interesting and some one said, "that sounds good; how much is it?" I responded, "Six dollars" to which the waitress replied, "No! it is five ninety-nine!" much to the amusement of every one at the table. (btw, SuzySushi was correct. It was actually James Cash Penny who first developed the idea of forcing cashiers to go in to the register to get the penny. That is also why registers have bells)
  5. This issue has been mentioned when it comes to food but not "service"-- do not lie to me! If the wait for a table is going to be an hour then tell me it will be an hour before I get a table. That way I know what to expect and can order cocktails/wine/appetizers at the bar or where ever I am waiting OR find some where else to dine (if your restaurant is good I will be back when I do not mind waiting or when you are not so busy). Do not tell me "oh, about fifteen minutes or so..." and then fourty-five minutes later when I come to the front desk wondering about my table act annoyed that I am not sitting and patiently waiting for you to come and find me. After that long a period of time you have left me w/ few options but to wait for a table in your restaurant and I might dine there that night but will not return. This is especially annoying when waits are "forced" to make diners think the place is busy and drink more before being seated. Part two of that--if you are going to have a wait (forced or not) have enough staff to cover the bar area for those waiting. And a new one came to our attention just fr/ this past w/e--if we choose to sit in side a restaurant b/c it is 90+ degrees out side it means we are avoiding the stifling heat/humidity; it does not mean that we want the restaurant manager to open all of the doors to the patio out side to ease server access and make the restaurant as hot & sweltering as the patio area that we avoided in the first place b/c it is so hot & sweltering. btw, this thread should be required reading for restaurant owners/managers.
  6. We just got back a little while ago. We did stop at Barley's this after noon before we returned after finding that Blue Ridge was closed for the day. Beer was great & food was good but not fantastic. It did beat yesterday's experience how ever. We wanted to catch part of the Braves' game before checking in to our hotel so stopped at a sports pub on the main drag and spent half an hour being ignored. It was not as if they were extremely busy but for what ever reason it took for ever to get a couple of beers and they never did acknowledge any other requests so we left. We hit a new place for dinner last night--Smoke on the Water. It is right at the Reedy River bridge and about 1/4 mile fr/ the stadium (where the Austrian guy used to have his place that had the amazing brunches). The food was okay but nothing spectacular. I have had (& make) much better smoked foods. The service was just a step above abysmal. The waiter should know before the shift starts that they have no draft beer b/c the cooler is not working and should also know that most of the import beers are kept in the same cooler w/ the kegs so therefore those are not available either. It would save a lot of steps running back and forth to the bar trying to determine what is and is not available. Top that w/ the young man taking ten minutes to tell us what was NOT available fr/ the food menu. It would have taken less time to tell us what they still had. Both food and beverages took longer to arrive than they should have, orders were forgotten, and when food sits under a heat lamp for a period longer than it should it is noticeable and some one should have noticed the crust that had developed over the side items on most of the plates. Now a notice to restaurant owners & managers: if it is 90+ degrees out side and people ask to sit in side it is probably b/c they want to avoid the heat. Do not open all of the doors in the restaurant to make it easier to access what ever diners are seated on the patio and then wonder why it is your patrons in side the restaurant are complaining. I would not return and would not recommend the place to any one. If we were not in such a hurry to get to the game by the time we finally left I would have said some thing to the management.
  7. we are heading up fr/ NE metro Atl (Lawrenceville). We like the minor league parks b/c it actually takes less drive time, costs less money (even w/ hotel & dinner), and is a better experience than going to the Braves game in Atl. We usually stay w/ friends at Lake Hartwell then head over and used to tail gate at the old stadium but friends are in Florida and not familiar enough w/ the new stadium to tail gate.
  8. I proposed to the woman at Fee's who answers the telephone that they consider selling bitters in a "portable" bottle. Now I do not know if she was truly interested or if she said what she did to "get the nut job off the telephone" but she said it was a great idea and she would mention it to those in charge. Now if every one of us who orders fr/ Fee's should request they package their product in a small "portable" bottle they might get the idea that there is a market for it.
  9. since I was in restaurant management for so long I tend to notice things that no one else does so I tend to be unfair when judging places. That being said details are important. If the owner/manager does not care about the faded carpet or thread bare material on the chairs, the stain on the table cloth or the smudges on the glass ware, the chip in the butter dish or the speck on the knife, the un-kempt wait staff or the bedraggled centerpieces then they probably do not care that the walk-in cooler is kept at the proper temperature and the prep sink is clean or that the employees wash their hands or any other number of things that can translate fr/ a disappointing dining experience to an absolutely awful dining experience.
  10. I quite often use on-line menus to decide where we are eating when we travel. I look for some thing interesting and a tad unusual. If possible I try to find a place that offers regional fare or emphasizes local ingredients. I do have two problems w/ on-line menus. One is, as several have mentioned, they tend to not be up-dated in a timely manner and number two is that some times they are difficult to read. Quite often I have tried to read a menu that for what ever aesthetic, designer purposes is white or pastel type on black back ground or some type of off-the-wall script that just does not translate well on a monitor--at least my monitor.
  11. k, so it has been determined by taste tests and on this forum that a martini is just not a martini w/o orange bitters (side note: today's Atl news paper had a receipt for a Matador taken fr/ Food & Wine: Cocktails 2006. The article mentioned that the "in" things now were bitters and vermouth but the cocktail mentioned was essentially a rum martini--rum, vermouth, orange bitters--and is nothing like the Matador listed in any of my cocktail books--tequila, triple sec, pineapple juice, lime) back to the question: How do you take your orange bitters w/ you? Most bars--at least those in Georgia--do not carry orange bitters nor have many bar tenders even heard of the things. I filled a mini liquor bottle but it is very awkward and, quite frankly, looks like a bad "sample" (if you know what I mean) and when you pull a mini liquor bottle fr/ your pocket some bar folks look a tad askance (although I did have a patron say to the person seated next to her at one bar, "Oh look he brings his own bitters") so what is the best way to take your orange bitters to a bar w/ you? or do you?
  12. All of you are heathens. If it ain't Duke's it ain't mayonnaise.
  13. btw, busboy amen & amen..... we live in a hypocritical world today. If no one had been seated next to this couple the writer probably would have complained that he/she felt "abandoned" because no one was seated next to him/her and therefore the restaurant must not be very popular. How many places are considered great restaurants not b/c the food/service/atmosphere is any good but b/c people are crammed in to the place as if they are anchovies and if so many folks are there it must be good. It does not matter that 4 other dining rooms are sitting empty. As for hypocrisy I remember friends of ours who went out to dinner at an "okay" restaurant and returned complaining about the un-disciplined children who ran around the restaurant and ruined their evening. Mean while we seldomly went any where w/ this couple b/c they allowed their un-discplinied children to run around the restaurant and ruin people's dinner. I suppose that if you are looking for some thing about which to complain you will find it.
  14. add to that the fact that you can get honest answers about the area and what to see/do/enjoy/avoid/&c from bar workers and patrons that the chamber of commerce, the convention and visitors' bureau, & the hotel--all who rely on your tourism dollars--are not going to tell you or might not even know b/c they are too busy promoting the high ticket items and wishes of their membership as opposed to the down home "fun" stuff.
  15. Thx John I am surprised that Devereaux's & Rick Erwin's will be open on Mem'l w/e Sunday and did not even consider them. We might have to get all dressy as I wanted to try both. We have visited Barley's several times to enjoy the beers. Their calzone is not bad and on the serious plus side the thing is huge! We are very familiar w/ Mellow Mushroom as they are an Atl institution. Unfortunately franchising has seriously hit their quality. btw, I appreciate the "where we eat" link on your web page. That is very helpful for situations such as this. I wish we could head up there on Saturday and enjoy your fare.
  16. Lan4Dawg

    Showcasing Bacon

    I mentioned this to Fuss as two of her favorite foods in the whole wide world are corned beef and bacon. At first her eyes glazed over and her mouth started to water and then she thought about it a moment and proclaimed that on second thought she did not like the combination. "Corned beef and bacon at the same time? It does not work as you have to separate your sins."
  17. thx Melissa but most of those places are open on Fr/Sat and we will be there on Sun/Mon hence my dilemma. The w/e menu for 33 Liberty looks wonderful and I wish we could take off on Saturday but can not leave before Sun am. We might just take our own and grill up there. I wish I knew what the tail gate restrictions were at the new stadium but there is nothing about it on their web site.
  18. does any one know of any restaurants that are going to be open this w/e (Memorial Day) in Greenville? Any other w/e and we would have no problems but we are heading over to see the new base ball team & stadium and want dinner on Sunday pm (always a bugger to find decent places on Sunday which is why I am asking this esteemed group) and may be some thing on Monday day after the zoo. Any suggestions will be very much appreciated. We are not looking for any thing fancy--especially since things will be limited--as a matter of fact the less dressy the better.
  19. Lan4Dawg

    Steak Sauce?

    I like to make a version of red eye gravy on occasion w/ rib eyes. Rub steaks w/ some ground coffee as well cracked pepper, kosher salt, & a hint of paprika. Put some bacon drippings in the bottom of the cast iron skillet and cook steaks to desired temp & remove. While meat is resting add some coffee and hot sauce to the pan. Stir & reduce then serve over the steaks.
  20. A little trick I learned while catering and having to take hot things back & forth: purchase a good heavy duty "cooler" or two (I have a several "Ultra Cold 50 by Igloo that are phenomenal) and line the bottom w/ news paper a couple of heavy towels and then place a couple of heated bricks--just throw them in your oven for an hour or so. You can do it while food is cooking but it will slow down the pre-heating process of your oven--on top of the towels another towel on top of the heated bricks and this contraption will keep things hot for hours (you can buy the ceramic tiles specifically for such but bricks work just as well and are usually cheaper. Not to mention I have several in my garage any way. A word of caution--do not let the hot bricks touch the plastic--edited to add "hence the news papers and towels". I do have scars in one of my coolers). I have transported things an hour away and gotten there w/ no significant loss in temperature (I also set a probe thermometer in side to keep track of temp). A while back I took several smoked chickens and veg casseroles to a function and returned home several hours later and the bricks were still too hot to touch and the inside of the "cooler" was still hot. Be careful b/c things will continue to cook in the "cooler" but you could get those roasts to rare in the oven and place them in the "cooler". As long as you keep an eye on the temp and gauge what you need then slice the well dones fr/ the first finished, &c. Basically they are rigged hot boxes w/o the need for electricity or sterno and work very well for holding esp. where oven space is limited.
  21. house made potato chips w/ crumbled Maytag blue cheese set under the salamander just long enough for the cheese to get soft fried dill pickles I too vote for pickled eggs. I have not had a good pickled egg in eons and need to hear more about "smoked" eggs as those sound wonderful (any receipts?).
  22. Lan4Dawg

    Duffy

    I have the revised Mixer's Manual (Misch) and it has no mention of the Hugo Bracer but does have a "Hugo Special" which is muddled pine-apple & orange w/ 2 parts gin and 1 part sweet vermouth. Hugo must have some reference to the orange & pine-apple combination as there is also a "Hugo Rickey" which is a gin rickey w/ orange & pine-apple added. as a side note: I wonder how popular the Hugo Bracer was in Charleston a few years ago when the hurricane of the same name hit the town.
  23. Lan4Dawg

    Rabbit

    I have never been partial to rabbit. There is just some thing about finding a "hare in my food". (insert rim shot here) besides Fuss will not even allow me to cook lobsters in the house--I have to take them out side and set up my propane rig there--I can not imagine how she would feel if I brought a rabbit home for dinner. I know she would not eat it.
  24. Lan4Dawg

    Chicken salad

    much depends on my mood. The other day it was a tad warm and I was in the mood for some chicken salad so decided to raid the herb patch and make use of some left over smoked chicken so I made a smoked chicken/pasta/pesto salad w/ shredded carrots and halved grape tomatoes. I also like to do what I call a Bloody Mary chicken salad w/ chunked chicken, celery and fennel seed, chopped celery, coarse ground black pepper, a hint of horse radish & garlic, and I mix some V-8 juice w/ the mayo and mustard. My all time favorite, however, and I am a huge fan of rosemary, is a smoked rosemary chicken salad. I smoke chicken breasts and throw some green rosemary stalks on to the smoker. Then I take the chicken and make a standard chicken & pasta salad w/ a hint of shredded rosemary (depends on how much rosemary smoke the chicken absorbed) and a touch more Dijon mustard than usual in the binder. Add halved grape tomatoes, shredded carrots, diced celery, a hint of garlic and just a few rinsed, minced capers to the mix.
  25. and a question along the same lines. I was wondering about smoking w/ orange wood. Not that I have any nor have I ever tried it but just thought about it the other day when using orange juice as a marinade and wondered how wood fr/ an orange tree would be for smoking.
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