Alaina Browne’s Profile
Recent Comments
Meet & Eat: Dennis Lee, Serious Eats Contributor
Dennis - how do I get a hold of some your aunt's kimchi? Also, awesome twitter handle.
Serious Eats Day 2012--What day will it be this year?
We're aiming for a date in February, cast your vote here!
NYC restaurant group gift certificate - Danny Meyer?
Hopefully this is not too late -- they definitely do! The restaurant group is called Union Square Hospitality Group. There are links on the lower right of their homepage to purchase gift cards.
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Recent Posts
Site Improvements: Faster Slideshows
Posted by Alaina Browne, December 22, 2011 at 10:00 PM
$1,000 for Your Awesome Food Idea
Posted by Alaina Browne, July 20, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Site Maintenance: Newsletter Subscription Confirmation
Posted by Alaina Browne, November 16, 2010 at 11:15 AM
Serious Eats Recipes: New and Improved!
Posted by Alaina Browne, July 28, 2010 at 8:00 AM
See more posts by Alaina Browne »
Recent Favorites
Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
Posted by Blake Royer, June 21, 2011 at 4:00 PM
See more favorites by Alaina Browne »
Recent Polls
Alaina Browne answered "No" to Are You Eating Fewer Eggs
Poll posted by Erin Zimmer, August 25, 2010 at 7:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Swirl" to Soft-Serve Poll: Vanilla, Chocolate, Swirl?
Poll posted by Erin Zimmer, July 14, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Spit out the seeds." to How Do You Eat Your Watermelon?
Poll posted by Lingbo Li, July 7, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Any of the above!" to Ice Cream, Gelato, or Frozen Custard?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, June 29, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Recent Quizzes
Alaina Browne got 66% correct on Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Apples?
Quiz posted by Sarah Kuo, September 27, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Alaina Browne got 80% correct on How Much Do You Know About Barbecue?
Quiz posted by Joshua Bousel, September 13, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Alaina Browne got 20% correct on Quiz: How Much Do You Know About French Fries?
Quiz posted by Joan Fang, June 7, 2010 at 7:30 PM
Alaina Browne got 90% correct on Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Tropical Fruits?
Quiz posted by Joan Fang, June 14, 2010 at 10:00 AM
See more polls and quizzes by Alaina Browne »
Recent Comments
Web Service or SLOW Server?
In terms of the slow responses you see -- are you referring to page load when you are reading, or how long it takes to post a comment?
When we say "a server issue" we don't mean someone else's, we mean ours, as in this is our problem. In early 2011 our server capacity was maxed out and it was not easy or affordable for us to add a "larger pipe," and the site was frequently very slow. We spent the better part of last year making changes to our backend architecture to make it more scalable -- it's now much easier for us to add or remove server capacity as needed, and site performance has improved vastly since then. Is there still room for improvement? Always.
Meet & Eat: Dennis Lee, Serious Eats Contributor
Dennis - how do I get a hold of some your aunt's kimchi? Also, awesome twitter handle.
Serious Eats Day 2012--What day will it be this year?
We're aiming for a date in February, cast your vote here!
NYC restaurant group gift certificate - Danny Meyer?
Hopefully this is not too late -- they definitely do! The restaurant group is called Union Square Hospitality Group. There are links on the lower right of their homepage to purchase gift cards.
Site Improvements: Faster Slideshows
Thanks for the bug reports and feedback, we'll be following up on them all!
Site Improvements: Faster Slideshows
@Leo_G - Thanks for the feedback. We'll see if we can fix this.
@alexlv - In terms of comments, we thought it would be useful to be able to read them inline without clicking back to the article. If it turns out to be too confusing in practice, we'll tweak it.
Best Ramen in NYC?
Here are a few of our best ramen picks: Best Ramen in New York City
2nd Annual Serious Eats Meet Up??
Yep, the idea would be like last year to organize local meetups all across the country.
multiple posts
If it still hasn't appeared on the site, yes, go ahead and post again.
multiple posts
Our web servers are having a few hiccups this morning, causing the double/triple posts. Sorry about that! We're cleaning up the dupes and looking into the cause right now.
In the Serious Eats-Gilt Taste Holiday Shop: Red Boat First Press Fish Sauce
@ratbuddy and @scatteredsong - This partnership is an experiment for us to see how readers would react to an online shopping store with items hand-selected by our editorial staff. We don't set the prices, but to our mind, some of the value of Gilt Taste is that you are looking at a very well curated list of items in an easy-to-shop-for and navigate page. Some folks are willing to pay for convenience like that.
The first item we featured was more expensive on Gilt Taste than the producer's site, and we regret that. That's our fault -- we should have checked before we launched. We have since done the comparison pricing, and none of the products in our holiday shop are more expensive when purchased through Gilt Taste. And if you take advantage of the 20% discount, you're probably going to come out ahead.
It's an experiment, and we value all feedback so that it'll help us make better decisions and give more of what our readers want in the future.
In the Serious Eats-Gilt Taste Holiday Shop: John & Kira's Chocolate Ladybug Medley
Are you still having trouble with the code? If so, please email me directly and we'll help you out! alaina@seriouseats.com. We've tested on our end, and the code is working.
Bread Baking: Cheddar and Scallion Biscuits
These biscuits look beautiful and delicious! Can't wait to try this recipe.
Foods We Keep in Our Winter Pantry
@gargupie - according to this site, lentils can keep up to 20 years (stored in an airtight container at a constant temp of 70 degrees)! In less ideal storage conditions, I'd say you probably want to use them within a year. Give yours a try and see how they turn out!
This Week at Serious Eats World Headquarters
The baby shower was such a great surprise -- thank you, serious eaters! It's never too early to begin one's barbecue education. :) Can't wait until the baby is here and can model the SE onesie!
Thanksgiving recipe roundup pages?
You should be able to find everything Thanksgiving related here:
http://www.seriouseats.com/thanksgiving/
Hidden Gems: Smoke Jazz Club in NYC
@chiffonte: Early this week we wrote a post about our advertising policies, which should answer any questions you have in terms of sponsored posts and our editorial policies.
POST MARATHON MEET-UP
Good luck on Sunday! You're going to have a great time.
The finish line is at Tavern on the Green, but they don't let runners exit the park until quite a bit farther north -- more like 77th if I recall correctly. Last time I ran the marathon, I met up with friends and headed straight to the UWS Shake Shack.
Mobile SE
The mobile site *should* be pulling in everything that's published to the Serious Eats homepage, including things that are cross-posted from Slice or AHT. Looks like that's not working now, so I'll take a look into it. We also will revise the templates to include the links to recipes. Thanks for the feedback!
Cooking/Eating Meet Up Group
For organizing purposes, you can use Meetup.com to schedule Serious Eats Meet Ups. Anyone from the Serious Eats community is free to organize one. We'd love to see Serious Eats meetups happening around the country and the world!
FDA Introduces Rules for National Menu Labeling
I really like seeing the calorie counts, and it certainly influences what I order. My guess is that most people don't how many calories they should consume in a day, so calorie count listings may not be of much help to them other than to help choose between different menu items.
Eataly - First Impression
I was going to stop by on Sunday when I was in the neighborhood. It was around 5:30, and there was a line to get in so I kept walking. Crazy!
Meet & Eat: Sarah Kuo, Serious Eats Intern
When are we going to get to try your oatmeal raisin cookies?!?!
Vandaag in the East Village: So Much More Than a Gin Bar
Ate there Saturday night and still dreaming of those bitterballen. Up there on my list of perfect bites.
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Recent Posts
Site Improvements: Faster Slideshows
Posted by Alaina Browne, December 22, 2011 at 10:00 PM
$1,000 for Your Awesome Food Idea
Posted by Alaina Browne, July 20, 2011 at 4:30 PM
Site Maintenance: Newsletter Subscription Confirmation
Posted by Alaina Browne, November 16, 2010 at 11:15 AM
Serious Eats Recipes: New and Improved!
Posted by Alaina Browne, July 28, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Pardon our Dust While We Upgrade
Posted by Alaina Browne, July 28, 2010 at 4:30 AM
The Peanut Butter and Bacon Burger at Shake Shack on the Upper West Side
Posted by Alaina Browne, April 22, 2010 at 1:30 PM
Tweet for a Chance to Win a Free iPad
Posted by Alaina Browne, March 31, 2010 at 5:45 PM
Seriously Seeking Sales and Marketing Interns
Posted by Alaina Browne, March 29, 2010 at 3:30 PM
Homepage Redesign: We're Listening
Posted by Alaina Browne, March 1, 2010 at 1:00 PM
Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen
Posted by Alaina Browne, February 2, 2010 at 3:45 PM
Last Chance to Participate in the DonorsChoose Brown Bag Challenge!
Posted by Alaina Browne, October 28, 2009 at 7:30 PM
Comment Notification is Back!
Posted by Alaina Browne, October 15, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Serious Eats' Brown Bag Challenge
Posted by Alaina Browne, October 1, 2009 at 8:30 AM
New Feature: Comment Notification
Posted by Alaina Browne, September 26, 2009 at 4:45 PM
Pardon our Dust While We Upgrade
Posted by Alaina Browne, September 26, 2009 at 7:30 AM
Smörgåsboard: Grilled Pork with Polenta; Sweet Treats; Cheese
Posted by Alaina Browne, August 3, 2009 at 8:24 AM
Smörgåsboard: Roast Beef Sandwiches; Lobster Roll; Jerky
Posted by Alaina Browne, July 27, 2009 at 9:00 AM
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Recent Favorites
Dinner Tonight: Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
Posted by Blake Royer, June 21, 2011 at 4:00 PM
Dinner Tonight: Butternut Squash Baked Risotto
Posted by Blake Royer, October 29, 2010 at 4:00 PM
Vegan: Brussels Sprout Fried Rice with Crispy Cauliflower
Posted by J. Kenji López-Alt, January 16, 2012 at 1:56 PM
Serious Entertaining: 'The Bachelor' Watching Party
Posted by Carrie Vasios, January 12, 2012 at 5:00 PM
30-Minute Tuscan White Bean Soup
Posted by J. Kenji López-Alt, January 3, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Chicago: 14 Fried Chicken Places We Love
Posted by Dennis Lee, December 13, 2011 at 9:00 AM
What cookie would you have taken to the SE exchange?
Posted by matamua, December 14, 2011 at 8:52 PM
30 Cookie Recipes from the 2011 Serious Eats Cookie Swap
Posted by Erin Zimmer, December 14, 2011 at 4:00 PM
60+ Holiday Snacks in 20 Minutes Or Less
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, December 12, 2011 at 11:00 AM
This Week at Serious Eats World Headquarters
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, December 9, 2011 at 6:00 PM
Deep-Fried Sous-Vide 36-Hour All-Belly Porchetta
Posted by J. Kenji López-Alt, December 8, 2011 at 10:55 AM
The Food Lab: Deep-Fried, Sous-Vide, 36-Hour, All-Belly Porchetta (Or, The Most Freaking Delicious Thing To Ever Come Out Of My Kitchen)
Posted by J. Kenji López-Alt, December 8, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Serious Eats Is Five Years Old: Happy Birthday to Us!
Posted by Ed Levine, December 6, 2011 at 12:15 PM
Eating Sprinkles the Dutch Way: Hagelslag on Bread
Posted by Robyn Lee, December 1, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Sweet Potato Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
Posted by Maria del Mar Sacasa, November 22, 2011 at 10:45 AM
Let Them Eat: Sweet Potato Cake with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
Posted by Maria del Mar Sacasa, November 22, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Hanksgiving: A Thanksgiving Tradition Inspired by Tom Hanks
Posted by Devra Ferst, November 21, 2011 at 9:00 AM
Pie Week: Cranberry Walnut Pie
Posted by Lauren Weisenthal, November 16, 2011 at 10:00 AM
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Polls
Alaina Browne answered "No" to Are You Eating Fewer Eggs
Poll posted by Erin Zimmer, August 25, 2010 at 7:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Swirl" to Soft-Serve Poll: Vanilla, Chocolate, Swirl?
Poll posted by Erin Zimmer, July 14, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Spit out the seeds." to How Do You Eat Your Watermelon?
Poll posted by Lingbo Li, July 7, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Any of the above!" to Ice Cream, Gelato, or Frozen Custard?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, June 29, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Sprinkles" to Do You Call Them Jimmies or Sprinkles?
Poll posted by Lingbo Li, May 26, 2010 at 9:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "String by string" to How Do You Eat String Cheese?
Poll posted by Erin Zimmer, May 19, 2010 at 9:30 AM
Alaina Browne answered "In-N-Out" to Chain Burger Brackets: Five Guys vs. In-N-Out
Poll posted by Robyn Lee, April 6, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Five Guys" to Chain Burger Brackets: Five Guys vs. White Castle
Poll posted by Robyn Lee, March 30, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Sonic" to Chain Burger Brackets: McDonald's vs. Sonic
Poll posted by Robyn Lee, March 22, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Team Kellon's Method of Exhaustion Chocolate Pi(e)" to Vote For Your Favorite Pi Day Bake-Off Pie
Poll posted by Erin Zimmer, March 16, 2010 at 2:45 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Sunny-side up" to How do you like your eggs?
Poll posted by Adam Kuban, March 16, 2010 at 7:30 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Butter and syrup" to How Do You Top Your Pancakes?
Poll posted by Adam Kuban, February 16, 2010 at 9:39 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Soda" to What Do You Call Cola Drinks
Poll posted by Erin Zimmer, January 27, 2010 at 7:30 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Foodgasm" to Which Food Term Bugs You the Most?
Poll posted by Erin Zimmer, January 6, 2010 at 7:30 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Crif Dogs" to What's the Best Hot Dog in New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 21, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Alaina Browne answered "East Village" to What's New York's Best Food Neighborhood?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 11, 2009 at 10:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Shake Shack (frozen custard)" to What's Your Favorite Ice Cream in New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 23, 2009 at 2:00 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Katz's" to What's The Best Deli In New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 17, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Lady M Cake Boutique" to What's The Best Cheesecake In New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 16, 2009 at 1:30 PM
Alaina Browne answered "One slice" to How many slices in a pizza lunch?
Poll posted by Adam Kuban, December 16, 2009 at 7:00 AM
Alaina Browne answered "Somewhere else! (Answer in the comments.)" to Who Makes The Best Cupcake In New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 15, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Alaina Browne answered "The Redhead" to What's The Best Fried Chicken In New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 14, 2009 at 1:00 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Cafe Grumpy" to Who Makes Your Favorite Coffee in New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 10, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Ess-A-Bagel" to What's Your Favorite Bagel in New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 8, 2009 at 1:15 PM
Alaina Browne answered "Shake Shack" to What's Your Favorite Burger in New York?
Poll posted by Carey Jones, December 7, 2009 at 12:00 PM
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Quizzes
Alaina Browne got 66% correct on Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Apples?
Quiz posted by Sarah Kuo, September 27, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Alaina Browne got 80% correct on How Much Do You Know About Barbecue?
Quiz posted by Joshua Bousel, September 13, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Alaina Browne got 20% correct on Quiz: How Much Do You Know About French Fries?
Quiz posted by Joan Fang, June 7, 2010 at 7:30 PM
Alaina Browne got 90% correct on Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Tropical Fruits?
Quiz posted by Joan Fang, June 14, 2010 at 10:00 AM
Alaina Browne got 50% correct on How Much Do You Know About Spring Vegetables?
Quiz posted by Katie Quinn, April 5, 2010 at 6:45 PM
Alaina Browne got 50% correct on How Much Do You Know About Passover Foods?
Quiz posted by Katie Quinn, March 29, 2010 at 7:15 PM
Alaina Browne got 20% correct on Pop Quiz: Breakfast Cereal Trivia
Quiz posted by Adam Kuban, March 9, 2010 at 7:30 AM
Alaina Browne got 75% correct on How Much Do You Know About Breakfast Foods?
Quiz posted by Katie Quinn, March 24, 2010 at 8:00 AM
Alaina Browne got 14% correct on How Much Do You Know About Chocolate Chip Cookies?
Quiz posted by Katie Quinn, February 22, 2010 at 6:00 PM
Alaina Browne got 33% correct on How Much Do You Know About Condiments?
Quiz posted by Katie Quinn, February 15, 2010 at 6:30 PM
Alaina Browne got 100% correct on Winter Vegetables Quiz
Quiz posted by Katie Quinn, January 19, 2010 at 11:30 AM
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About Alaina Browne
Website: http://www.afullbelly.com
Location: New York, NY
About: Serious Eats General Manager and resident Southerner. "I live to eat."
Favorite foods: soup dumplings, mangoes, ginger, pork, kimchi, pumpkin pie, fried chicken, Wilber's barbecue, buttery biscuits
Last bite on earth: fried chicken and biscuits, sweet tea

In terms of the slow responses you see -- are you referring to page load when you are reading, or how long it takes to post a comment?
When we say "a server issue" we don't mean someone else's, we mean ours, as in this is our problem. In early 2011 our server capacity was maxed out and it was not easy or affordable for us to add a "larger pipe," and the site was frequently very slow. We spent the better part of last year making changes to our backend architecture to make it more scalable -- it's now much easier for us to add or remove server capacity as needed, and site performance has improved vastly since then. Is there still room for improvement? Always.