Chowhounds tired of the same old noodle shops in Orange County are suddenly buzzing about relative newcomer Ramen Zetton in Costa Mesa. Pork shio ramen with thick, chewy noodles (pictured) is really good, while the complex tsukemen with pan-seared chashu and killer dipping broth has made this place one local 'hound's new go-to.

Photo from Ramen Zetton / Facebook

South Brooklyn has plenty of French restaurants but little really good French food, so Chowhounds cheered the arrival of Pompette earlier this year in Carroll Gardens. Go for bistro standards such as mussels, cassoulet, and terrines and other house-made charcuterie; drinks like the signature Pompette (sparkling wine, rose syrup, crushed peppercorn); and a table in the inviting back garden (pictured).

In Brooklyn Heights, year-old Chez Moi has overcome an uneven start to become a dependable and popular local spot for roasted chicken, steak frites, beet-and-chèvre salad, and other classics; as Chowhound Bkeats puts it, "Chez Moi has only gotten better over time."

Photo from Pompette / Facebook

Whirling blade–style coffee grinders are cheap and useful for lots of things besides grinding coffee—such as grinding spices. But since you can't immerse an electric grinder in water, how do you get it clean?

The answer is to grind something in the grinder that will absorb the oils and odors without adding any of its own. Chowhound escondido123 uses a piece of bread, as demonstrated in this CHOW Tip. Meanwhile, chileheadmike runs kosher salt through the grinder, and scubadoo97 uses uncooked instant white rice—but make sure it's instant (parboiled) rice, not regular rice, or it might break your grinder, chefj says. Sugar also works well to absorb oils and odors, whether from coffee or other spices, ellabee says.

After grinding your neutral, absorbent substance, wipe out the grinder with a dry paper towel, a damp one, then another dry one, then air it out before putting the lid back on, ellabee says. And if your grinder was particularly smelly, try wiping it out with vinegar to eradicate the smell, kimeats says.

Discuss: Cleaning a coffee grinder?

Photo by Flickr member arvindgrover under Creative Commons

At two-month-old MP Taverna, TV chef Michael Psilakis has brought an updated spin on Greek cooking to New York's Greek heartland of Astoria, Queens.

Expect homey fare like his knockout Grandma's Greek Meatballs and spicy pork sausage alongside surprises like a refreshing, fruit- and nut-studded bulgur salad (pictured) and a take on paella made with orzo and a ton of shellfish, Chowhounds report. MP Taverna, which joins sister restaurants in Westchester and Long Island, also offers a bar scene—with bar-friendly bites like gyro sliders.

Photo from Michael Psilakis / Facebook

It’s good to have a tried-and-true date-night spot, but there's nothing like novelty to shake things up a little. One Chowhound gives the nod to Fable in the Castro, which feels fancy enough to impress but is affordable enough to treat your date.

Photo from Fable

Chowhound user TeRReT uses cheap, heavy-duty restaurant supply tongs (usually with no locking mechanism or tension spring) for moving hot trays and grabbing hot pot handles, and can't stand tongs made from thin metal. Others agree—you'll never wear out tongs from a restaurant supply place, JayL says, and they won't break the bank, mike0989 says. The minimal kind with no locking mechanism or spring don't have anything to break or pinch you, tim irvine says. Chowhound iluvcookies got some 10 years ago at a restaurant supply store for less than $10, uses them every day, and says they still work great.

Chowhound kcshigekawa has had good results with OXO tongs with a locking mechanism; even after years of dishwasher cleaning, they still work fine. However firecooked experienced broken springs after a year of dishwashing OXO tongs and now hand-washes. According to tanuki soup, Cuisipro tongs are similar to OXO, but easier to clean and with a nicer locking mechanism.

Locking mechanisms can pinch your fingers, c oliver says, but on the other hand, unlocking your tongs gives you a chance to have fun expressing your inner kitchen cowboy, hill food says, flipping, spinning, and unlocking. Kris in Beijing unlocks tongs the same way action movie stars reload a pump-action shotgun with one hand, while Chemicalkinetics uses a more feminine tummy bump. And DuffyH uses a hip bump; her son slams them against the counter to unlock. (All of these methods involve keeping your fingers away from the locking mechanism—avoiding painful pinches and associated rude language!)

Discuss: So I'm getting a little kitchen tonged off

Photo by Flickr member Andrew E. Larsen under Creative Commons

Several Vietnamese-Cajun crawfish-boil restaurants have popped up around the Bay over the last 10 years. Which ones are actually good?

Photo from Cajun House

The Chronicle's Michael Bauer is the big dog of San Francisco food critics, but does the star system he uses for ratings make sense? Is there a better way to rank restaurants? Chowhounds debate the question.

Image from sfgate.com

Whether it's for projects like Bolognese ragu or quick meals like tacos, browning ground beef is a critical first step. So what pan should you use for the job?

No matter what the final product will be, there's one choice that Chowhounds eliminate for browning ground beef: nonstick pans. DuffyH has tried it, and spent the whole time chasing the meat around on the too-slippery surface while trying to break up the beef.

The best pan for the job, though, depends on what you're doing. A seasoned cast-iron or carbon-steel pan is fine if the ground beef will be used on its own or cooked with only nonacidic ingredients like potatoes, sueatmo says, but if you're going to be adding tomatoes or other acidic foods (like lime juice) to the mix, Davwud says to keep in mind that cast iron and acid don't mix. Instead, choose a pan with a nonreactive surface, such as an enameled cast-iron pan or stainless steel, DuffyH says; for sauces, you can brown the meat and then add liquid to deglaze and continue building the sauce right in the same pan. Use medium heat to brown the meat and carefully soak up extra fat with a paper towel, DuffyH says.

Discuss: Which pan is best for browning ground beef for tacos and pasta dishes?

Photo of Lasagna alla Bolognese by Chris Rochelle / CHOW.com

Who makes the Bay Area’s best pies? Little-known Vive La Tarte is getting Chowhounds talking for its interesting savory pies, including Belgian "Cuckoo-Style" Chicken, made with wheat beer, endive, and free-range bird.

Photo from Vive la Tarte

Fresh garlic is a staple in the kitchens of many savvy cooks, but Chowhounds say that in certain circumstances, dried granulated garlic works better than fresh.

For example, when food is cooked at higher heat, minced fresh garlic burns easily, while granulated doesn't, primebeefisgood notes, so the dried product is standard in dry rubs for grilled or smoked meats. It also works well when you want to add garlic flavor without introducing moisture, as with flour or crumb mixtures for breading meat or vegetables, or for seasoning spiced nuts and snack mixes. Chowhound NekoNekoFancyPants sprinkles it on pizza dough and kneads it into corn tortilla dough to add a flavor boost without changing the texture of the doughs.

Used raw, fresh garlic can have an unpleasant bite, while granulated lends a mellower flavor to uncooked dishes like creamy dips, youareabunny says. Several 'hounds prefer it in salad dressings; it's never bitter, blends easily, and adds both sweet and earthy notes, happybaker says. It's also a key ingredient in JudiAU's favorite blue cheese dressing. "I tried to improve it with fresh garlic, and it really wasn't better," JudiAU says.

Discuss: Fresh is best, but when is granulated garlic better?

Photo of CHOW's Spicy Cereal and Nut Mix by Chris Rochelle / CHOW.com

Few things are more exciting than a hot new restaurant opening, but what about the classics? Chowhounds have come up with a list of old-school San Francisco bars and restaurants organized by the date they were established. Fourteen are older than 1900, like cioppino favorite Tadich Grill.

Photo from Tadich Grill

For quick refueling in Midtown Manhattan, the path of least resistance tends to lead to fast food or some undistinguished buffet. Spring offers a superior option: northern Chinese–style dumplings.

Boiled dumplings filled with spicy pork are tasty, ipsedixit reports on Chowhound: "not great, but certainly good enough for a Midtown locale." Pot stickers (pictured), filled with pork and chives or chicken and mushroom, are thickish in the skins and underseasoned but can be improved with a wide choice of condiments, ipsedixit adds. Also available: soups, noodles, beer and wine, and "Chinese tapas" (things like pork belly sliders and a northeastern Chinese sausage plate).

Spring [Midtown]
36 W. 38th Street (between Fifth and Sixth avenues), Manhattan
212-768-4226

Discuss: Spring Dumpling House (Midtown West)
Dumplings at Spring?

Photo from Spring / Facebook

Roasting a whole chicken at a high temperature yields terrifically crisp skin and moist meat, but when all that heat meets the fat that renders as the bird cooks, it can fill your kitchen with smoke and leave your oven a splattered mess. On Chowhound, user monfrancisco wonders if there are strategies to help prevent that greasy, smoky aftermath.

Start by choosing a pan just large enough to hold the chicken (an ovenproof skillet works well for a smaller bird). In a bigger pan, the drippings will be spread in a thinner layer, which will be quicker to burn and smoke, foodieX2 explains. And when the rendered fat covers a surface area much larger than the chicken, it's also more likely to splatter, foodieX2 says. While a convection oven promotes browning, it's best to avoid convection when roasting anything fatty at high heat, because the air circulation greatly increases splattering, Karl S says. It helps to begin with a clean oven and to spoon some of the rendered fat out of the pan partway through cooking, fldhkybnva says.

Adding a bit of liquid (such as water, stock, or wine) to the pan will also keep the drippings from burning, greygarious says. Or line the bottom of the pan with sliced potatoes—this works like a charm, C. Hamster says, and the potatoes end up delicious!

Discuss: Question about High-roast Chicken and Mess

Photo by Chris Rochelle / CHOW.com

The Arts District in downtown LA is in the midst of a trendy revitalization: Handsome Coffee attracts caffeine-lovers from near and far with its house-roasted beans; there’s a sushi place, a theater company, and a pie shop; and beloved Stumptown Coffee Roasters and ecofriendly grocer Urban Radish are set to open their doors in the near future.

Another welcome addition is the newly renovated Angel City Brewery, a craft beer maker that’s been brewing since 1997. The brewery moved to the Arts District a few years ago but only recently opened to the public for pints and tours.

“Big space, handsomely decorated and not too loud,” Will Owen reported on Chowhound after his first brewery visit. Rightly so, the star of the trip was the beer. “This place is the Champ of Cheap,” says Will Owen, with pints set at $6 each, half-pints at $3, and $11 for a 64-ounce growler. There are always about a dozen beers on tap, plus a few surprises each week according to the website. Will Owen and his party fancied the Berliner Weisse with a splash of pomegranate juice and the bold Angeleno IPA. If you’re not sure what to sample, ask one of the knowledgeable and friendly bartenders.

The downside to the pub is that there is no pub food, but outside orders are more than welcome. Food trucks have taken to parking in the adjacent lot on a nightly basis (there’s even a schedule posted online), and some guests bring in pizza or a homemade picnic. Whatever you choose, plan to stay awhile—some guests even tote in a board game or two.

Angel City Brewery [Downtown]
216 S. Alameda Street, Los Angeles
213-622-1261

Discuss: Angel City Brewery!!

Photo of Heritage Festival 2013 from Angel City Brewery

From the classics on the menu—pâté, escargots, blanquette de veau, and the like—you might think you know what Le Philosophe is about. Think again. Matthew Aita, a former sous-chef at Jean-Georges, updates and lightens French standards like frog legs (pictured), sautéed with hen of the woods mushrooms and sunchokes and served atop a sauce of puréed watercress and garlic. "Completely not what I expected," Ziggy41 writes on Chowhound. "More like a beautiful little salad."

Other winners: fat Maine mussels in broth seasoned with Aleppo pepper; perfectly cooked duck à l’orange, nicely crisped and not too orangey; and escargots sauvages with garbanzos and a curryish black-garlic sauce—"another classic that didn't look anything like the classic," as Ziggy41 describes it. Le Philosophe arrived in November, part of a new wave of downtown French restaurants, and sam1 says it's a keeper: "Of all of the new French places, I like Le Philosophe the best."

Le Philosophe [NoHo]
55 Bond Street (between Lafayette Street and Bowery), Manhattan
212-388-0038

Discuss: Le philosophe
Pearl & Ash, The Marrow, Le Philosophe, or Lincoln?

Photo by Chowhound user Ziggy41

Because king crab legs are already cooked, you can simply defrost them if frozen, then crack them open and enjoy the meat cold. You may want to give them a rinse to remove excess salt, jbsiegel says. Once thawed, they can contain lot of water, so kseiverd snips the shells open with kitchen shears and sets the legs on end in a paper-towel-lined container to drain before serving.

If you'd rather have the crab hot, there are several methods you can use to warm it. Chowhound dave_c steams the legs for about five minutes on the stove, while Njchicaa says that it's easy to steam larger quantities by wrapping them in foil and throwing the packets on the grill. You can also heat them briefly directly on the grill grates. Slitting the shells first imparts a welcome bit of smokiness if you've got a charcoal grill, FishTales says. And for an indoor alternative to steaming, MGZ puts the legs on a rack in a large roasting pan and heats them in the oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

Discuss: Those big crab legs I see at the fish shop and supermarket: How do you cook them?

Photo by Flickr member missbossy under Creative Commons

A good torta requires a savory bolillo roll and tasty meat—steak, chicken, and carnitas are common choices, but al pastor, milanesa, and shrimp varieties are also common. Accompaniments might include chiles, onions, beans, avocado, and queso fresco.

Then there’s the torta ahogada, a messy version smothered in sauce that usually requires a fork and knife. Where to find a good one in the San Fernando Valley? MarkC says to look no further than Tortas Ahogadas Las Originales, a casual but lively eatery in a strip mall on Laurel Canyon. The bread here is crustier than usual, but MarkC doesn’t mind. “Makes it a little difficult to cut with a plastic knife, but holds its shape and doesn't get soggy,” he reports. The spicy sauce drenching the sandwich is delicious, as is the mound of pickled onion on top. A word to the wise, however: “If you can't take it tongue-searingly spicy, ask for it mild.” A cold agua fresca might be of assistance, and the usual suspects at Las Originales include agua de Jamaica, tamarind, and melon.

Tortas Ahogadas Las Originales [San Fernando Valley]
11541 Laurel Canyon Boulevard, San Fernando
818-837-6883

Tortas Ahogadas Las Originales [Santa Clarita Valley]
23630 Newhall Avenue, Newhall
661-259-0884

Discuss: Torta Ahogadas!

Photo of Newhall location from Google Maps

Tanoshi Sushi looks like countless other uptown sushi joints, but it's generated a singular amount of buzz—most recently an ecstatic Serious Eats review that anoints it the "Holy Grail" for seekers of high-quality sushi at a moderate price. Chowhounds, though not quite so enthralled, say there's a lot to like here.

Chef Toshio Oguma, a Morimoto veteran, runs the show, serving omakase-only dinners that start at just $50. He favors slightly warm rice, packed loosely so it falls apart readily in the mouth, and dresses his fish judiciously with wasabi, lightly sweetened shoyu, and citrusy, peppery yuzu kosho—no further seasoning required. This is sushi and sashimi "done the way it's supposed to be," UES Mayor says. "The sushi is very good here," MVNYC agrees. "Is it the Holy Grail? No, but for cost-to-value ratio it does come through." Yet another 'hound, lexismore, has tried Tanoshi and doesn't intend to return. "Not because it's bad," he says, "just because it's not even close to the best the city has to offer"—Yasuda, 15 East, and the like. And in Tanoshi's price range, he's found better sushi at nearby Inase.

If you're going, keep in mind that reservations are a must: Tanoshi, which is open Tuesday through Saturday, serves only 10 diners at a time in three nightly seatings: at 6, 7:30, and 9. And while its sign and website say it's a sake bar as well as a sushi restaurant, Tanoshi is still waiting on a liquor license.

Tanoshi Sushi [Upper East Side]
1372 York Avenue (between E. 73rd and 74th streets), Manhattan
646-727-9056

Discuss: TANOSHI-New sushi bar on UES @ 74/York

Photo by Mark Hokoda

Michael Cimarusti’s restaurant Providence is renowned for its food and service, so when news came that the chef would open a more casual concept in West Hollywood, eager 'hounds counted down to opening day.

Named after Cimarusti’s immigrant grandparents, Connie and Ted’s is a contemporary seafood shack with a truckload of East Coast classics. There’s a raw bar with fresh oysters and clams, Rhode Island “stuffies” with linguiça, chowders, Portuguese fish stew, a lobster roll (served hot or cold), and slew of other dishes sourced from the sea. For dessert there’s a blondie with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel sauce and an Indian pudding made with New England cornmeal and molasses, among others. Bold red accents, dark wood tables, floor-to-ceiling windows, and one wall papered in old delivery slips make up the interior. “It's a very playful, fun look,” says susiequeue.

Both namstermonster and susiequeue visited the restaurant on opening night, and unsurprisingly found both successful dishes and a few needing improvement. For namstermonster, the day's Beausoleil and Tatamagouche oysters and an order of crab cakes were delicious, and a soup sampler with versions of Rhode Island clear, New England, and Manhattan chowders (pictured) with homemade oyster crackers also impressed: “All 3 chowdas were delectable, each in its own right.” On the other hand, there was an overcooked side of mac 'n’ cheese and a less-than-hefty lobster roll.

Chowhound susiequeue was another fan of the soup trio, as well as the perfectly broiled scallop appetizer. Entrées of striped bass and wild Mexican shrimp were a bit shaky, but service was friendly, the environs exceptional, and the energy high.

“All in all I'm so glad they're finally open,” namstermonster says. “I'm confident they'll do well, especially with the lack of seafood restaurants in the area. Can't wait to go back!”

Connie and Ted’s [West Hollywood]
8171 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood
323-848-2722

Discuss: "Connie & Ted’s" opens June 4 – and I’m going!

Photo from Connie and Ted’s