Am I alone?

[Elizabeth_11]

Thank you for the Lawrence update Ballast_Regime! It's good to hear that Lawrence was not hit by the storms; it's very unfortunate how damaging they were to other parts.

I completely agree with you in terms of how enchanting Lawrence can be. That must be really cool to live downtown, I have many-a-fond memories of the Mass St. area. Where are your favorite places to eat there? It's been quite a while since I've been in Lawrence, but I remember enjoying Teller's (we'd always go there to take parents, dates, etc), Paradise Cafe, the restaurant located waaaay out there with kind of a strange name?? It was possibly by Beauty Brands or something past Alvamar??? lol, I should really know these things, it wasn't that long ago. Wheatfield's was one of my favorite stops as well....in fact the other day I had an intense craving out of nowhere for one of their signature salads. I'll admit that I do miss the late night pokey sticks probably most all along with the Glass Onion's shakes (used to live in the house right next door, as well as Campus Place). *sigh* memories....and then there was Quinton's, Brown Bear, Jazzhaus, Fatso's, Jersey's (ew), etc. etc....but that's a whole different topic lol. In any case, very cool to meet someone from Lawrence on here, and I sure hope Iowa st. doesn't get too out of hand!

Perhaps one day, at the right place, I'd give the raw fish thing a go. But yes, those 2 reasons you stated are holding me back for now. Actually, the eggs thing though------those little suckers bursting, *dry heave*, don't think I could ever do that. *gag* Ok, enough of my puking gestures, nice to meet you and glad Lawrence is safe!

-Elizabeth

[JAZ]

Perhaps the most difficult food for me so far was durian, because of the need to overcome the smell, but the fruit itself is very tasty.

This sort of statement is completely incomprehensible to me. I can't ignore the smell of a food if it's bad; the smell is inextricable from the taste.

This statement is borne of ignorance...

No, it's not, really. I wasn't making a judgment about durian. My point was that I hear people say things like "it doesn't taste as bad as it smells," and I really don't understand what they mean by that. To me, things pretty much taste exactly as they smell. Every time I've tried something described as "not nearly as bad as it smells," I've found that it was, indeed, at least as bad, if not worse.

[ballast_regime]

Elizabeth_11:

I think Lawrence's two stand-out restaurants are definitely India Palace and Wheatfields Bakery & Restaurant. The former was chosen as among the six best Indian restaurants in the country by Zagat (which doesn't necessarily mean much, other than a lot of its customers consistently rank it highly) and the latter was chosen as one of the ten outstanding artisanal bakeries in the country by USA Today (along with Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, one of my favorite restaurants in the country).

I eat at Wheatfields every day, literally, usually ordering their salad with vinaigrette and either a strombolini or focaccia. It usually contains a good mix of organic greens, sunflower seeds, lightly marinated cucumbers and beets, and an ingredient that changes daily. Yesterday it was asparagus, while the day before it was quinoa. And so on. Their produce quality is second-to-none and better than a lot of high-end NYC restaurants.

My girlfriend is a server at Teller's. The Lawrence Journal-World has just reported that one of its part-owners and general manager, James Truscello, has been indicted for holding a gun to the heads of one of his employees who was overcharging customers. I've never been very impressed with Teller's. Its history is very spotty. It has undergone chef and menu changes four times in the last three or so years. It recently hired a new chef and the food is definitely better on an everyday basis, but it does little to make up for the quality of most of its frozen food.

Even though its considered higher end, its best quality ingredients are probably the fish it receives from the Great Plains Fish Company, which is the lowest end provider of many of Kansas City's best restaurants.

The restaurant near Hyvee you're thinking of is Pachamama's, now owned and operated by Ken Baker. Many of my friends work there and say business has been booming ever since it received a one-page write-up in Bon Appetit.

Paradise Cafe recently underwent a change in ownership. It was bought out by the guy who owns Creation Station, a hippie goods store located next door. The food has definitely taken a turn for the worst, which is even recognized by its kitchen staff and servers I know.

I hate to tell you: the Glass Onion has closed.

You forgot to mention Free State, the oldest brewery in Kansas! While the food is passable, the beers are very solid.

As a side note: A lot of people cannot fathom the idea of eating salmon roe. My girlfriend is one. She used to serve at Lawrence's newest sushi house, Wa, and could never bring herself around to swallowing them for the same reasons you've listed. Uni (sea urchin) also gives people similar queasy feelings because it goes from a gelatinous texture to a liquid in the course of one bite. Its properties remind me of adding corn starch to water.

Where are you now and what are you doing?

reverendtmac:

Have you ever tried canned and salted duck eggs?

Bux:

I agree about most sauteed bugs: very crispy with little taste. They're good, especially if lightly sweetened with something.

Much peace,

IML

ballast/regime

Edited May 5, 2003 by ballast_regime (log)

[pixelchef]

Even blue cheese, Jaz?

[ballast_regime]

JAZ:

One of durian's elusive qualities is that its tongue taste very much runs counter to its smell, since its sweet. Additionally, I cannot pick up its onion-like flavor just in its aroma, but instead have to put it into my mouth first.

My statement probably seemed incomprehensible to you because you probably have a better nose or palette than I do, as things almost never taste exactly as they smell to me. I'm usually the first one to diss my sensitivity to flavor, and I often find people who aren't as obsessed with food as me identifying things in a dish that I just miss altogether.

Much peace,

Ian

ballast/regime

[Xanthippe]

Perhaps the most difficult food for me so far was durian, because of the need to overcome the smell, but the fruit itself is very tasty.

This sort of statement is completely incomprehensible to me. I can't ignore the smell of a food if it's bad; the smell is inextricable from the taste.

This statement is borne of ignorance...

No, it's not, really. I wasn't making a judgment about durian. My point was that I hear people say things like "it doesn't taste as bad as it smells," and I really don't understand what they mean by that. To me, things pretty much taste exactly as they smell. Every time I've tried something described as "not nearly as bad as it smells," I've found that it was, indeed, at least as bad, if not worse.

I'm with you, JAZ. That inextricable link between taste and smell is never more glaringly obvious to me than it is when I have a bad cold. If I'm so congested that I cannot smell my food, I don't care to eat. Of course, I eat enough to nourish myself, but it matters not a whit to me what the food is. It all "tastes" the same: like nothing. Period. I, who am normally borderline obsessive about what I put in my mouth, would probably eat canned green peas (one of my worst food nightmares from childhood) if they were put before me -- and not blink! Perfectly-seared foie gras would move me not; I might as well refuse it and down a Swanson's TV dinner. But, oh, when that cold begins to break up!!! A ravenous Xanthippe, happily reacquainted with her taste buds and sense of smell, is not a pretty sight . . .