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Scarpetta for sure... it's like a cut up, warm muffuletta

I don't think it's ok to dry out meat... I just like my carnitas a bit crispy.

I'm a big fan, probably for the same reason that people like this don't like him. No pretentiousness, or coming up with a million new adjectives for describing the same freakin' thing. He's like Conan on the Tonight Show... maybe he won't get the same ratings, or have the same influence, but he's the only chance they have of staying relevant with the next generation.

If you do try St. Viateur, make sure it's the original location. We went to their cafe on Mont Royal and were treated to a pretty mediocre bagel (they had to slice the bagel and toast it because it wasn't fresh out of the oven.)

That looks amazing...

Hey Nick... don't forget to mention you hated the french fried onions too!

Wow.

I can't for the life of me understand couples who order the same dish at a restaurant.

One more question (he asks as he imagines Adam's head exploding)...

Is there any place around there where, say, your wife and kid could go hang out for an hour or two near DiFara's while you wait in line, push your way to the counter, hold off locals, and snag your pizza...?

"Of course if you're fat-phobic you probably wouldn't have walked into RUB or any other barbecue joint in the first place."

It's actually shocking how many people say they "love" BBQ, only to cut the fat off their brisket. (It's shameful, I know!)

Todai still exists, but it's called Ichi Umi now. It's a giant sushi buffet, and could probably easily accommodate your party if you book in advance.

http://ichiumi.com/

haha... nice. well, if I held every restaurant to the standard of a Midtown Lunch- I would hate Momofuku for being wildly overpriced! (And you know that is not the case.) It's all about expectations...

but yeah, as far as Table 8 goes it's pretty clear we just got super lucky with what we ordered. i don't doubt that most of the dishes you ate might have been overpriced or too small for the price, or just not tasty. RG echoed much of what you said, although it sounded like Platt hated it more because of the *type* of place it was rather than specific dishes being bad. but all this just proves how visceral eating out is. We were there on a Saturday night, prime time, and the place was loud and hopping. (And possibly firing on all cylinders?)

we started with two items from the salt bar that were both excellent, and downright cheap for the portion. (the foie gras and lamb terrine) i haven't read anything bad about either. so in our minds, the meal not only started off great- but it seemed like a bargain.

we also ordered two of their cocktails, which were really awesome (something that RG and I did agree with.) One was a gin mojito that I really liked, and the other was a basil infused vodka drink that was awesome (if you like basil.)

we followed that with the asparagus soup, which was delicious- and I've seen good things written about.

then we each had a half order of pasta, both under $10 (a complete bargain for the portion). my wife didn't love the linguine as much as I did, but she liked the sweetbread pasta with the morels (as did I.) Personally I love citrus the way it was used in the linguine- so I really enjoyed that pasta. But maybe it's not for everybody?

By the time we got the filet (which we split) we were both pretty full- and felt that for $29 it was incredibly reasonable. We rarely (if ever) order a filet- so I don't know how many ounces it was, but I'm guessing it is in line with what other similar restaurants charge for their filet. It was super tasty. We both enjoyed it.

We also partook in the side dishes- which only complemented the main course. The $4 portion of hen of the woods mushrooms were tasty, and also a bargain (compared to how much you'll pay at a place like Craft.)

We ended the meal with the coffee parfait- which we both agree was delicious. So you can see how our experience could differ so much from the one described above.

Lke I said, I consider myself really lucky!