The big deal is that the other patrons spend a lot of money to have their experience ruined by selfish parents. I recently ate at Nougatine, which while not Jean-Georges I still believe to be pretty upscale, and had to listen to a wailing baby throughout the entire meal. I hate to be a grinch, sometimes the children are adorable and well behaved, but I just do not think it is fair to the restaurant or the other patrons to risk crying and screaming while people are trying to talk to each other and enjoy themselves.
Although the imperialist American paints an ugly picture, I'm not sure the arguments for "cultural purity" are much more flattering. Most historical figures who liked their culture as pure as possible haven't been viewed in a particularly favorable light.
I would guess that most if not all cuisines in the world are the result of cultural exchange and mixing. I'm not even completely sure what it means to talk about "real Thai" cuisine or real anything cuisine. I'm not sure who gets to decide what that is. An awful lot of advances in cooking have simply been a result of ethnic borrowing.
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This actually makes me frankly terrified as someone who is allergic to shrimp. Are they using shrimp paste in some of the vegetarian dishes? How many thai dishes use shrimp paste?
The reviews do not claim to be blind ratings of the taste of the food. They are ratings of the restaurants. It makes complete sense that a restaurant with better service, reasonable volumes, guaranteed reservations, no rush through your meal, etc. etc., and where the food shows success at a higher level of difficulty will get more stars. I don't see why that is an insult to Motorino.
Did you get a shot of the inside of the menu by any chance? What does the pricing look like?
I watch AB more for technique and knowledge than recipes. But, the one recipe I've made faithfully -- glazed carrots using ginger ale -- is easy and came out perfectly. So I guess, yay.
Stove-top worked out great, thanks all. Ended up with short ribs instead of shanks, and did them with celery root puree and a mixture of favas (first ones I've seen this year), parsley, and lemon zest.
Thanks guys! Now the only question is whether my tiny little range can accommodate what I want to do...
I'm interested in the bbq standoff -- it's sort of like a Jets - Dolphins game. Also, for sandwiches, don't forget Darwin's in Cambridge, just a great shop for 20% less than your neighborhood Pax Gourmet.
I am fully in Batali's camp, mostly because I think the sauce tastes better when it doesn't drown out the pasta. I don't think pasta should just be a vehicle for soup. Basically, I find a huge bowl of tomato sauce with some pasta lurking underneath pretty unappealing.
I agree with David. I thought it was clear throughout the competition just by looking at Dale's dishes that he was an inferior chef to Hung. Whatever the judges said about his lack of "heart" or "soul" in earlier episodes, it seemed pretty obvious that if you were opening a high-end restaurant you would hire Hung (I'm pretty sure Bourdain said as much in one episode).
Also, Harold had all of the details correct (Duck was 3 stars, 2 for Hung, 2 for Dale, etc. etc.).
I suppose the obvious answer is that if there is something a fancy restaurant can do to cut costs without sacrificing profit, then they are already doing it. If the price of foodstuffs rises, then my guess is that there will be more restaurants doing what Nougatine does: serving lower cost proteins with most of the higher cost fussiness. I'm actually pretty happy with this solution -- I know that I am paying for all of the extra service, amuse bouches, petit fours, etc., those are some of the reasons I go out to nice restaurants.
Not saying it should be top three, but here is another surprise: I had a far better steak at Michael Jordan's than Keen's. The beef at Keen's was fine, but the steak bore absolutely no char, whereas my steak at MJ's was perfectly cooked. I would definitely recommend giving MJ's a try, I've also never had any problem getting a table there on short or no notice.
I'm with ChristineB. I have always and will always eat my Mac & Cheese with peas.
Yeah, this place is a standout amongst otherwise dreary dining options around Columbia (sorry, Max Soha) and has naturally been pretty crowded since it opened. Robyn is right though -- portions are modest, but usually enough. If you are hungry, you will want more than just an entree. Luckily, prices are very reasonable.
Salmon skin, and generally any well-crisped fish skin makes a big difference in the dish
Drink Diet. Why does anyone not drink diet anyway? Regular soda is terrible for you...although I suppose the risk of brain cancer is supposedly lower. I actually don't think that tea is very good for your teeth either, although coffee is way worse. So, my advice is, Diet Coke and Honest Tea, that's what I like.
Every time I BBQ, I make Ina Garten's corn salad. It is very tasty, light and fresh. Just make sure to get great corn and don't overcook it.
5 ears corn, shucked
1/2 cup small-diced red onions (1 small onion)
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the corn for 3 minutes until the starchiness is just gone.
2. Drain and immerse it in ice water to stop the cooking and to set the color. When the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob, cutting close to the cob.
3. Toss the kernels in a large bowl with the red onions, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Just before serving, toss in the fresh basil.
4. Taste for seasonings and serve cold or at room temperature.
Brisket.
My original plan for dinner tomorrow night was braised lamb shanks. I always start my braise on the stove top for browning and then it's into the oven for the long haul. Unfortunately, my oven is on the fritz. My question is, do people find the results the same when braising on the cook top?
Does anyone have advice on what kind of immersion blender to buy or what features / specifications to look for?
I'm planning to up the ante by adding some fresh porcinis to my pasta sauce (usually made with only dried porcinis). My question is how to prep them. Do I remove the stems and discard, then slice and use the cap? Do I also slice and use the stems (separately or together with the cap)?
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For delivery, get Indian from Joy on Flatbush.