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trakman's Profile

5 qt le creuset casserole

I have one of those. And, for me, it's a matter of simple math. You can cook smaller portions in a large casserole, but you can't cook large portions in a too small casserole. Use if all the time, for many sized dishes.

Replacement for Brindisi's, Saratoga Springs

Have not been to Russo's yet, but it certainly is on the "to do" list. Have to disagree with the comment on "snootiness" in Forno and Chianti's. Have always been treated courteously and with professionalism at both places, without any sense of staff hautiness. Had an issue one time with an entree at Chianti's that unfortunately didn't make it out of the kitchen in time with the other ones in our party. It was dealt with very professionally. Entree repaired, charge taken off the bill, and complimentary desserts and after dinner Limoncellos for our party of four.

WORST and BEST in SARATOGA SPRINGS

I'm sure someone else will respond with how you can find the Saratoga Springs food reviews on this blog. I'm not sure how to do it. Saratoga Springs restaurants have been exhaustingly dealt with on this blog. Well in excess of 200 comments or more.

Best places to order dessert from?

Might help if you narrowed that question in your original post. Do you mean the whole State, New York City, the Adirondacks, yada, yada, yada.

Is All-Clad nonstick a waste of money?

I agree with Jim above. The Tramontina non stick pans are fine. There is really no sense in spending big bucks for non stick. Eventually the surface just goes south. I get mine from Bed, Bath and Beyond. 10" skillet costs less than $20, even less if you have one of their coupons which seem to exist everywhere. I'm on my fourth year with my present skillet, and, even should if fail tomorrow, I would still get another forty or fifty year replacement years before I matched the price of one All Clad skillet.

Japanese Sandwiches?

Might help if you put either Westchester, or anywhere in NYS, in your original post. Helps those of us who have no clue whether we should respond or not.

What kind of cutting boards do you use for meat? For vegetables?

If you buy a small roll of shelf liner (the kind that looks kind of meshy and is used to line cabinets, you can cut a piece which will fit under your board, or, for that matter, any board, regardless of the weight. Nothing slips around on that stuff, and, if it gets dirty, just pop it in the dishwasher. Cheap solution to the sliding board problem.

WS All-Clad D5 SS 10 piece set....good deal?

Check out the All Clad outlet at the following link before you go too far on your purchase. I've bought a fair amount of All Clad from them. Might have a cosmetic blemish or two, but they are good on returns if you are not pleased, and the prices are right.

http://www.cookwarenmore.com/

Going insane re: scratched stainless steel

I agree with many of the replies here. My All Clad cookware is scratched, and I could care less about its look. They are tools, not display pieces. Usage will do that to cookware. C'est la vie. Course, I can not help wondering what one of our military in Afghanistan, figuring out how to stay alive, could think about this very heavy discussion about, as Seinfeld said, nothing.

Help me pick good/affordable knife set: Calphalon Comtemporary set vs. Wusthof Classic 9 piece block

I agree with Ruth 53. I'm not really a fan of sets. I have Wusthofs. One chefs knive, one paring knife, one Santoku knife (which was a gift, I didnt look to buy it myself), and a boning knife. Also a sharpening steel which doesn't have to be Wusthof. bought a block to hold them along the way, but the total cost of it all comes no where what a set would be. Really dont need anything else which would come in the set.

Where should I buy my whole prime rib roast? (Saratoga Springs)

Thanks for the feedback. It's good to know that sometimes our collective responses, varied as they may be, actually result in one of them helping somebody.

Where should I buy my whole prime rib roast? (Saratoga Springs)

Good Lord, I'm really ditzy tonight in this response. Let me add another suggestion. Avon Meat Market, on Van Vranken Avenue in Schenectady, normally runs an ad in the Times Union on either Tuesday or Wednesday. They have been advertising cut to order boneless prime rib for the last two weeks, any size. They have a number of butchers on site, so you may be able to get what you want. I have no experience with their prime rib or steak selections, but I have used them for lamb shanks and oxtails, with good results. Might be worth a phone call.

Where should I buy my whole prime rib roast? (Saratoga Springs)

Sorry, should have added this to my earlier reply. BJ's warehouse, also at Exit 15 in the Wilton Mall complex, has a butcher on site, and you may be able to cut a deal with them. They do a lot of larger cuts of meat. BJ's normally has some promotion going to give you a membership card for a couple of days free of charge, so it might be worth a shot.

Where should I buy my whole prime rib roast? (Saratoga Springs)

Might try the Meat House in the shopping center next to Price Chopper at Exit 15. I can't personally vouch for their beef, but have had good experience with their pork products

Albany

Greenfield is about 5-10 minutes due west of Saratoga Springs. So any of the recommended Saratoga restaurants that have popped up in the various responses to your initial query would do very nicely. My personal choice would be Chianti's, but any of the others are fine. Certainly Sperry's or Maestros are also up there as very good restaurants. Prime at Saratoga National, I think, would probably be the priciest of the bunch. I'm sure there are websites for all of the recommended places

Best food options off of i-87 between NY and Montreal

Exit 20 off I-87 takes you to Route 9. Go North towards the shopping outlets. Both the Log Jam and/or the Montcalm will satisfy you for a decent, non greasy spoon meal. Both are within five minutes or so from I-87. I think both of them have web sites so you can get a preview of what's available. If you need something faster, go south on Route 9. There's a Johnny Rockets, and farther down, a Mr. B's, which does very good, quick, roast beef on a roll or subs. You then proceed about three minutes south of them, and can make a right turn which takes you to I-87 Exit 19 entrance.

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Log Jam Restaurant
Routes 9 149, Lake George, NY 12845

Old wooden utensils...still use them from relatives no longer here?

You can also use a piece of that mesh shelf liner between the table and the clamp. Available dirt cheap at Walmarts or their clones.

Albany

Need some clarity in your request. The nuclear school for subs is not in Albany, it's west of Saratoga Springs. Are they living in Albany, with him commuting, or are they living somewhere in Saratoga. Are you looking for Albany recommendations, or Saratoga recommendations. Either way, there are a whole host of previous posts on this blog for each location.

Good Restaurant in Cohoes area?

My choice would be D'Raymonds Restaurant (they have web site) Great food, just a few miles west of Cohoes. Not sure you can get a meal under $20.00, but you might want to look at their menu just in case. The veal dishes are to die for, but not cheap.

Saratoga Springs November 2-5

Can't carp at the idea of getting hammered at the Parting Glass. Enough beers in their catalog to cover almost every need. However, I am not a fan of their food. Pedestrian at best. Irish Times, within walking distance around the corner, also has a fair collection of exotic beers, and a decent Irish inclined menu Since I am within walking distance of both of them, I recommend the Irish Times.

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Parting Glass
40 Lake Ave, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866

Please be more specific in your posts [moved from New York State board]

I'm getting very tired about posters who ask something like "has anybody been to Joe's?" This is a forum which covers all of New York State, except, of course, NYC. Please, posters, include some sort of geographic reference in your post which narrows your query down. Saves the rest of us from wasting our time looking at your post where we obviously can't intelligently respond to something where we have no clue.

Albany Thanksgiving

Boy, that's a tough one. I know few restaurant owners who won't be doing the traditional turkey dinner stuff. As one very successful large scale restaurant owner told me years ago, Thanksgiving and Easter are the two biggest revenue producers for a restaurant. I wish I could help you on your request, but I have absolutely no clue. Perhaps some other poster can. Sorry about that. And I am very familiar with the neighborhood your are looking at, but am coming up blank

authentic cuban food

Should have put Rockland County in your initial request. Keeps us all from guessing if we should respond or not

Bought, Borrowed, Stolen

Is bought, borrowed, stolen the title of the book?

Vague postings [moved from NY State]

I'm really getting tired of posters who put no specific locations in their postings. It's as if they assume we know where they mean when they say "I need a good restaurant for BBQ," or something like that.. My particular favorite is when someone says they are going to the Adirondacks, where should I eat. Course, the Adirondacks only cover six million acres, so we have to guess what the poster means.

Please, put some sort of geographic hook in your initial posting. It saves the rest of us a lot of time figuring out whether we should respond or not.

Food trucks?

How much better would your post have been if you had put Westchester County in your original request? Read the groundrules for this post, please

Catered Pig Roast?

Just a suggestion, which is also made in the groundrules for posting. Had you added Nassau County to your initial posting, think how many of us wouldn't have bothered with looking at your initial post.

All Clad is 40% Off at my local cookware store -- Should I get it?

If you can handle some cosmetic blemishes, the major All Clad irregular interrnet source is having their semi-annual sale right now through November 6. Link is www.cookwarenmore.com I have bought a couple of pieces from them to supplement my basic AC set. Might be worth a look. I also concur with "inaplasticcup"; check the internet for some base line pricing.

Deli (Ballston Lake, Malta vicinity)?

I would'nt rule out the Ben and Bills deli at the larger Price Choppers (Malta, and the in-town one in Saratoga. Great pastrami and corned beef sandwiches. Have no recommendations on their salads, so your on your own there.

Is there a top barbecue in the Capital Region?

I know this subject has hit this board before, but I have no clue where the thread is. Only definitive comment I could make is skip PJ's. I think they are vastly over-rated, and nowhere near the requirements of somebody who has had Texas, Memphis or St. Louis BBQ.