WHS

A new Italian restaurant opened last week--menu lists "Muscles Marinara". Someone at work was raving about their chicken "Fran-CHAYZ".

We stayed in Bath a few years back, and the dining choices were pretty limited. The Mt. Washington Hotel is a nice place to have lunch on the terrace--food is OK, but the setting is grand. Polly's Pancake House in Sugar Hill is a local favorite, and Beal House Inn looks promising. People like their food plain when you get above the Notch, so you may be better off getting good local produce and cooking yourself.

And it's always on the menu next to that nasty spinach dip that's so popular.

Where is Easton?

French fries with blue cheese dressing. (We just bought some black truffle butter--the possibilities are mind-boggling...)

We had the 8 course tasting menu paired with wines--our friends from New York were in ecstasy, liked it better than Clio. Some of the courses (my memory is a little shaky after 7 glasses, including a Cava to start, and port and ice wine at the end) included a pate wrapped in prosciutto, tuna 2 ways (sushi and cooked), halibut with white anchovies, duck 3 ways (confit, foie gras, breast) and chocolate bread pudding...

Thanks--the reason I ask is because we're going there tomorrow night. Our friends from New York are visiting Boston, and we went out with them to Clio on Sunday night. The food was impeccable, but the whole experience felt stilted and forced. I'd like to show them something more casual, but still inventive.

Has anybody been to the restaurant EVOO in Somerville recently? If yes, how was the food? Thanks!

I second Primo, and you're just down the road from Camden, which is one of those cute Maine towns that everybody loves.

The weather has been goddawful the last few days though the weekend looks more promising--bring a windbreaker and a sweater!

Slow burn department: When the waitperson asks "Are you ready to order?" and you reply "Give us a few more minutes", which the server takes as permission to disappear for the next 20 minutes...or until you march into the kitchen and yell "We're ready now!!" and make him drop his cigarette into the bisque.

Shad roe is kind of like escargot--an excuse to eat a lot of butter. But with shad roe you get the extra bonus of bacon! Our recipe involves melting a couple of sticks of butter, and simmering the roe in it until it browns and just cooks through. We serve it topped with a couple of slices of bacon and boiled new potatoes on the side, drizzled with the butter. Not for the faint of heart.

Why do you think I have a pint each of Haagen Dazs Peach sorbet and Strawberry Shortcake sorbet in my freezer???

a tiny little foil wrapped packet stuffed with mini pretzels and served as "lunch" on a recent domestic flight.

When I was a student, I stayed with a family that lived in a little valley between Kyoto and Nara. They grew their own rice, and when I took some with me to visit my relatives in Yokohama, they hated it. Said it was too soft, not enough flavor, etc.

Blame Philippe Starck for the frustrating bathroom--the totally perplexing men's room at the Paramount Hotel defined 80's urinalia...though I think coed toilets were originally designed for the equal distribution of cocaine.

Like that famous place in Berkeley--you know which one: local ingredients and world famous chef--and my reaction was "is that all there is??" It was perfectly nice and the food was very good, but who can live up to the hype?

I'm always wondering what people think of my selections: sushi, bialys, a couple of pork chops, lemongrass, and marmite. "Culturally conflicted?"

Agreed. Very few people (bilrus excepted) are going to try French Laundry cooking at home, and that's why we dine out. Though after a few nights in a row of eating in restaurants, I think we all suffer from palate fatigue. Which is why I'm throwing a couple of good steaks on the grill instead of going out this weekend for my birthday.

We made Montpelier butter a few nights ago--slathered on a USDA prime strip steak and a baked potato...omigod.

Add another 276 from us. Does Mr. Boston (drink recipes) count?

Does eGullet award Medals of Valor? Good job--the post-mortem will be as interesting as the build-up.

How can we forget Tuna Wiggle?

Isn't that a Japanese beer? ← Yes, a KOSHER Japanese beer

I can top this, the ultimate disrespect for the most fabulous of fungi... I friend who lives in the woods of Maine appeared with freshly picked chanterelles, yellows and black trumpets, probably 20lbs nicely set in small pallets. Through a couple connections, I managed to sell them to a few chefs who eventually clamoured for more. The next week she dropped off more chanties AND a pallet of Matsutaki! These were destined for Japan through a contact as a sample but I ended up with a big bag of them, even after giving generous handfuls to all the sushi chefs in town. I made as much risotto and simple soup (stock, dashi, scallion, matsi) as I could and FROZE THE REST! When I defrosted them, they were a disgusting mess. They were probably worth about $125 before this heinous treatment. I now kneel on the alter of shame... ← If you were Japanese, you would have to commit seppuku