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Rai Rai Ken has great ramen and the space has a cool authentic feel. The vibe is casual and friendly.

I buy them at Saxelby Cheese in the Essex Street Market.

The one from Baked in Red Hook is great.

This looks kind of cool if they're visiting the week of June 20th:

http://www.kidsrestaurantweek.com/nyc.asp

I lived in Devon as a child and cream cheese isn't a good substitute. You can make a version of Clotted Cream w/ pasteurized milk (not ultra-pasteurized), Alton Brown has a recipe -just google it. Otherwise Crème Fraîche, or Quark are similar, you might be able to find them at a store near you. I hear there's something called Clabber which is similar to Crème Fraîche and is made in the Southern US, so maybe you have access to that? Crema Mexicana which is easy to find might pass -it's thinner but has a similar taste. Fresh Ricotta would be a tasty, if inauthentic, substitute.

Salted caramel.

You're right a home brewing kit is an awesome gift. If you give a dad a beer he can drink for a,,, well until he finishes the beer, but if you teach your dad to brew he can drink forever. I agree with rasellers0 the "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing," is essential for any home brewer. It can be used as a reference even if your dad is unlikely to read it from cover to cover. It's easy to follow and is full of really good recipes -it even has advice on how to doctor up pre-hopped beer kits. It's a quirky, wisdom filled book, the instructions include steps like, "relax, don't worry, have a homebrew."

A tasty cheese plate w/ crackers, olives, sliced apples and honey.

I've had them for decades, they always start w/ blind spots followed by a swirling prism -like aura and numbness in my fingers. I'm lucky I don't get them very often but when I do they knock me out of commission. I've never really been able to figure out the cause. I even gave up coffee for 4 sad years - it didn't make a noticable difference in the frequency of my migaines though. The one pattern I think I've figured out is dehydration, especially first thing in the morning. So now I make sure I have a glass of water before my morning coffee and I at the suggestion of my doctor I take B vitamins.

Broadway East has a delicious one.

I made this last night. It was easy and delicious. I just cooked the quinoa according to the directions on the package.

I'm very willing to travel for awesome breakfasty cookies. I'll check them out.