Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I just found this Blog. Great ideas. I would skip the meats, bacon, regular sour cream, etc. since I am trying to lower my cholesterol. Thanks.

I have eaten Hot dogs on 5 continents and almost 1/2 of America, probably about 150 cities in my travels. I would have to say none so far even compare to Rhode Island's, their "Hot Weiner" all the way are the best! They are small mild hot dogs served on a steamed bun with some kind of meat sauce, mustard, onions and celery salt! Addictive...I eat about 6 when I go to RI.

In Rhode Island they also sold hot dogs in the raw at the market under the brand "Saugy's" and these were the best I have ever bought, very mild, made with veal,pork and beef with a snap from the natural casing. I have a friend who ships them to me in Florida. You can also buy the New York System's Weenie Meat Sauce online at www.olneyvillenysystem.com and make them at home. It is easy to make and tastes like the real thing, I use the Saugy's brand with this meat sauce and I think it might even be better! You make them in this order..place dog in fresh steamed bun, a generous amount of plain yellow mustard, then top with a heaping pile of the meat sauce, then top that with the finely diced onions and shake some celery salt on top. Do not forget the celery salt on top..it's important. You'll Love it!

My sister and I did the P'haal challenge today. We each finished in about 20, maybe 25 minutes. She was sweating and her eyes were tearing. I didn't sweat but I actually had two bouts of dizziness, my hands shook a little and my ears clogged up for about two minutes towards the end. But we got through it pretty easily. Our trick was not to touch the water or any drink at ALL. The only thing we added was maybe 1/4 of the rice bowl.

MY trick was to save the chicken for the end. The sauce did NOT soak into the chicken and by the end the temperature had gone down considerably, so the chicken almost had a cooling effect.

I do NOT recommend anyone does this at the 53rd St. location - they don't have a liquor license so they gave us a coupon for a free beer...which we can redeem down on 6th St. So we have to go to the Village anyway. That was a big disappointment. They also didn't take our picture - we have to email it to the guy in the Village.

@pizzablogger From looks alone, I'd vote for the slice from Artichoke. I've had one too and I found it to be very similar to DiFara. And the wait was shorter. But the pizzaiolo didn't have the charm of Gepeto. If you would have conferred with me prior to your journey I would have sent you to my favorite slice joint, New Park Pizza in Howard Beach. Here's my favorite slice shot:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauliegee/482091957/in/set-72157607581050058/

The Sicilian is just OK:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pauliegee/752072964/in/set-72157607581050058/

Ciao,

Paulie Gee

Hannah, I've come late to SE and your writing, but have enjoyed it. I'll miss it, and I hope you will take up your blogging gift again soon. Looking forward to learning what group you're with. If they operate in the MidWest we will give any Chicago operations a try.

Lived in Santa Barbara for six years - some time ago - and SoCal is an entirely different world. Hope you like it. It may be a little harder to live there since the state iwent broke.

How bittersweet but welcome to LA & congrats on landing the gig! Will be seeing a "Managed" here on SE soon?

Anyhow, hopefully we'll have a chance to meet (and eat, and drink) when you're here!

@ orenale: Definitely go to One Girl Cookies! How Sweet It Is unfortunately closed down a few months ago...they're catering operation is still in business, but the retail storefront with the ice cream sandwiches is now gone :[

I'm going to take my husband on a date to How Sweet It Is tonight and to One Girl Cookies this weekend. He's so crazy about ice cream sandwiches that he's made a sculpture of them. http://tinyurl.com/lqqjxl

as an angeleno, curiosity has gotten the better of me... what restaurant will you be working with? if you can't tell me, i'd love a clue!

Good luck ^_^ Maybe you can start a new series as learning-the-ropes-of-restaurant-management.

I'm not kidding, I've been reading your column for a while now and I so look forward to every Tuesday when I know it'll show up on my google reader page. I hope you have an amazing adventure but you will be so missed. I have one of your articles in an email draft so that I can read it all the time. It was my favorite one called Sunday Night Mayhem. I can't tell you what this column has meant to me.

Thank you so much.

Congrats, and good luck! Sure will miss your posts. Hope you can come back some day.

I was always happy on Tuesday mornings, knowing that I could have my first cup of coffee and read "Served." I'll miss the ritual, thank you for the pleasure, and congratulate you on finishing school. I lived in New York and then in Los Angeles when I was your age. An irreplaceable, joyous experience. All my best wishes.