VivreManger's Profile
Stroopwafels at Wal-Mart! (Or, World Table line of products)
For those who will not enter a Walmart, the delicacy may be more conveniently available at Trader Joe's.
Boston Mangowatch 2012
Last year I gathered a list of Indian grocers and tried calling regular on a Kesar/Alfonso mango search. I am afraid the shops were consistently UNhelpful. So I hope we have more luck this year.
I have bought them in Montreal, but I can't bring those south of the border.
Camies Bakery in Cambridge.. hole in the wall, but good lunch
Unfortunately it looks like they are keeping their options readily open for more price rises in the future. Their website has no prices listed whatsoever, a very annoying omission.
Camie's Bakery 152 Columbia Street Cambridge, Mass 02139 Hours: 8AM - 8PM Monday - Saturday Phone: 617.661.4878
General Questions/Comments: info@camiesbakery.com http://www.camiesbakery.com/Contact_Us.html
Chicken Feet (preferably kosher or local) in Boston
I assume that Mayflower on Cambridge St. will carry this product, but I would like to learn if the product is available there or elsewhere that specifically meet one of two requirements and ideally both.
I called the Butcherie to learn if this Kosher market ever carries chicken feet. The answer was NO. However there is no reason rooted in the regulations of kashrut that forbids their consumption. I suspect it is simply a question of the lack of market demand. If the Butcherie does not sell them I don't expect to find kosher chicken feet anywhere else in the Boston area, but I am throwing the question out for discussion.
The other option I would consider are the feet of local chickens. What suppliers in Massachusetts carry locally raised chciken feet? During the summer months I could contact chicken farmers who offer their wares at CSA markets, but I don't remember any of their names. Since I regularly drive between Boston and western Mass, I would consideri any suppliers of local, organic, humanely raised feet within hailing range of the Mass Pike.
You might be curious as to why I pose this odd request. I am to make chicken soup for about 20 for the first seder this April. My hostess keeps a kosher kitchen, but she is also a locavore so she violates kashrut if the meat product is locally sourced and humanely raised, hence the two options.
I am looking for chicken feet since I believe (but correct me if I am wrong) that they will impart a particularly gelatinous and thick quality to the stock. That is a quality I prize in chicken soup. Normally I achieve it by buying many pounds of raw chichen carcasses from the Butcherie, but I am considering other options.
I know that Mayflower does offer freshly killed poultry, but I doubt they are locally, organically and humanely raised, those criteria that will particularly please my locavore hostess.
need dessert for a seder on friday
During 2012, the current year, the Friday in question is not this coming Friday, but rather 6 April, so there is ample time to shop around.
Glatt kosher is being used as if it were strictly kosher. Technically glatt kosher applies only to meat because it describes an extra strict inspection to insure that the lungs of the animal are smooth, without any defects. So pastry cannot be glatt kosher.
The question is whether or not the seder in question is strictly (a better term than glatt) kosher or simply kosher style. If strictly kosher then Andrew's would probably have the best products. The Butcherie also has a wide selection. But, particularly for Andrew's it is best to reserve in advance.
If simply kosher style, i.e. not kosher, then the options are practically limitless.
Killer Roast Lamb Sandwich - Greek Corner Cambridge
What are the hours? The website lacked that info.
Old C. Tsar's/Ariadne Site: Any new resto there now?
Chose Kouzina. They promised a large table to accommodate the required 7 and said it should not be noisy. We shall see.
Old C. Tsar's/Ariadne Site: Any new resto there now?
I have a call out to Kouzina, but as I recall their space, it seems to be one open hall. Is there any spot with a bit more privacy. On the pther hand the resto is NOT noisy. So even in the open area one should be able to hear one's dinner companions.
I did call B Street and they claimed they have s relatively quiet space in the front.
Karoun on Washington St. anybody been lately, food, NOT belly-dancing
Is the food any good at Karoun? A few decades ago I liked it, but I have not been back, largely because we moved away from the area. Most of the on-line discussion I have seen focusses on the week-end wriggling not the week-day filling of the belly.
I am planning a dinner for 7 people. The $39 per person full meal (6 people or more, week day) seems like a good deal, but not if the food is lousy. What is the noise level like, when there is no dancing?
Please give me feed-back.
Old C. Tsar's/Ariadne Site: Any new resto there now?
Lam's is Chinese?
Has anyone tried Karoun recently? It has been decades since I was last there, but my memories are positive and it can accommodate a party of 6 to 8 in non-noisy surroundings, at least on a Thursday night when ther is no belly-dancing. Is the $39 prix fixe option any good?
Old C. Tsar's/Ariadne Site: Any new resto there now?
The old C. Tsar's/Ariadne restos (344 Walnut St. Newtonville) apparently have gone out of business, despite a friendly Nadeau review http://thephoenix.com/boston/food/111283-c-tsars/#ixzz1nJ77wq0
Is there anything there now? I am looking for a reasonably quiet not too expensive place for a dinner for about 8 people in the Newton area. I remember Ariadne as filling that need, but it is no longer business. Someone recommended 51 Lincoln Street, but I suspect it is a bit too noisy.
I am looking for something in the less than 50 to 60 per person tout compris price range
Karoun might be a possibility, but Lumiere might be somewhat more than we want to pay. Kouzina is another option, but it might be too small for a party of 7 to 8.
Mills Tavern (Providence) or Red Bridge Tavern (East Providence)
I know that the Bacaro salumi choices are cheaper than the mains, but one of us does not eat pork or shell fish and the other is flying to Rome a few days after the meal. Other places on the radar screen are Broadway Bistro, Parkside. La Latiterie, Nick's, The Rue, Spain. I think I tried Gracie's several years ago and was not overwhelmed. I suspect that The Dorrance is much too stuffy. But I say that simply because I am allergic to any place with a "The" in front of it. Loie Fuller's is off our list because we need a reservation and can't get there until after 8 when the place will be noisy and packed. The Rue de l'Espoir is an old favorite, but I have not been there in decades. Is it still worth trying? As I recall it is reasonably low-key and the food is reliable, if nothing spectacular.
Mills Tavern (Providence) or Red Bridge Tavern (East Providence)
Planning a dinner for three for Saturday night with a colleague whom I have not seen in about 40 years. We need someplace not noisy, but with interesting food.
The two choices represent two possible directions: either homey family style, (RBT) with a bit of local color, but possibly too noisy, or formal, more pretentious (MT) but possibly over-priced. I have not seen any recent discussion of Mills Tavern, but the on-line menu looks interesting. The menu at RBT is not exciting, but the off-menu specials are supposed to be worth it. Are they?
Federal Hill is off the list. Bacaro is way over priced, e.g. $30 for a sausage main course.
All three of us have spent a lot of time in Italy so Rhode Island Italian is not a good choice. On the other hand RI Portuguese is a bit more unusual.
Bringing cheese back from Paris - one disappointment with vacuum packing
Have now tried 2 out of 3. The third was a present for a French expatriate, originally from Normandy. She got one of the two camamberts.
Texture was consistent with the range of un-vacuumed packed cheese I have eatened. Taste too is consistent. However the two I have tried have been mild disappointments. I think the problem is the cheese, particularly the season, and not its packing.
Both epoisses and camambert vary with the season. I like these cheeses strong and runny. Although I left them out for several hours both cheeses are much more solid than I prefer. Winter cheeses, whatever the storage temperature, don't have that flowing quality.
Bringing cheese back from Paris - one disappointment with vacuum packing
Just got back with two different camemberts and one epoisses (de Gaugry) from Bathelemey. Have yet to open anything yet, but when I do I will report.
What do you mean "by latest I've flown from Paris"? Do you mean the latest in the claendar year and therefore the closest to winter??
Since all my cheeses are solid I don't think that the temperature or the packing should affect their texture. At least, as I recall, that has not been a problem in the past.
Animelle di vitello (veal sweetbreads) in Roman resaurants
Sweetbreads are one of my favorite bits of offal, along with liver and tongue. In browsing through the postings, particularly on places in Testaccio, notably Checchino dal 1887, such dishes seem uncommon. Tripe gets a mention along with pagliata (calf intestine), but the other offal is absent. Given the historic meat-packing character of Testaccio this absence seems surprising.
Are there any Roman restos that specialize in sweetbreads?
Looking to buy good quality smoked salmon ( not cured salmon) in the greater boston area?
In the Wegman's thread which I started awhile ago I reported on the hand-sliced Norwegian style smoked salmon which is excellent, comparable to Zabar's through not as well-sliced. Priced at under $30 per pound it is a good buy. It is the best I have found in Massachusetts, though I have not been to some of the delis mentioned above.
Whole Wallet's salmon is hot smoked not cold smoked. It is good, but not what the OP is seeking.
US Credit Card Problems at Roman Restaurants??
Capital One in the US just told me that they do not issue chip and pin cards.
Wegmans to Open on Sunday, 16 October
Finally got there, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Surprisingly it was not a mad house. Clearly the initial frenzy has dissipated. Bad news for those who use MapQuest. That site's directions drop one on Route 135 in downtown (!) Northborough, about 4 miles from the mall.
On my first visit I was simply grazing. looking for unusual products and good prices.
Last week they had hand-sliced to order Norwegian style (double-smoked) salmon at the kosher counter. They also had Scotch style smoked salmon at about the same price. Norwegian is my favorite, but I have practically never seen it in Massachusetts. And for some reason it seems to have disappeared even from Zabar's - - not available during the last three visits there over the past few months.
Last week it was on sale for about $27 per pound, normally it sells for $29. Either price is a steal. The Zabar's price is about $36, when it is available. Now it is true that the slicer at Wegman's is not an artist like the countermen at Zabar's. The knife is the wrong shape - - too wide a blade. The counter is too low. The packing less oil proof. But it is much cheaper and more convenient than going to the Upper West Side.
They also offered two buffalo milk cheeses that I had never seen before. I bought the casatica di bufalo for about $20 a pound. Not cheap, but worthwhile as a special treat.
Most of the steam table food court options did not appeal to me. but I did try two Indian dishes: butter chicken and rogan jhosh. The butter chicken was lousy, avoid it, over-cooked, watery sauced, dry chicken. On the other hand the rogan jhosh was very good. The lamb itself was high quality, no fat or sinews. It was tender and the sauce was excellent. The dish will not put a good Indian restaurant out of business, but it is worth a sampling.
They have a big fresh-baked bread section. Not worth the trouble. The one bread offered for sampling was undistinguished and the others on display were expensive, and neither smelled nor felt any good, through the packaging.
Looking for a restaurant between Amhearst and Boston
I have taken both the Pike and Route 2 going from the Amherst area to the Cambridge area and I have never found 2 faster. It is more scenic and it does increase dining options. Depending on the precise addresses of any itinerary, it may even be shorter, but because Route 2 has long two-lane stretches and frequent truck traffic it is not a fast road. Furthermore depending on the hour of travel, traffic through the Arlington-Cambridge-Fresh Pond stretch can become a parking lot.
Now if speed is not a priority, a search on the Southern New England site for worthy stops in Fitchburg and points west is worth the effort. If you are coming through Greenfield I would recommend the People's Pint, both for their own brews and for their turkey burger sandwich with sweet potato fries. Since they are located in Tofu Valley they will have veggie options.
US Credit Card Problems at Roman Restaurants??
I believe that Chase will also issue a chip and pin card, but it comes at a price.
US Credit Card Problems at Roman Restaurants??
I wonder if anyone has had trouble using the standard US credit card at restaurants and shops in Rome? I believe they are useless at Italian gas station. In the past the problem has been hit and miss. However as Europeans have gone over to the new technology I suspect the problem may be getting worse.
ISO: Davis Square restaurant- Sat. lunch, good for conversation
Food at Out of the Blue is very good, assuming that lunch is served and is as good as dinner. The hard-surface space could be noisy, but the tables are not crowded and despite the high quality of the food the place tends to be empty.
I think their food is better than Namaskar.
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Out of the Blue Restaurant
215 Elm St, Somerville, MA 02144
Looking for a restaurant between Amhearst and Boston
BT Smokehouse is worth a stop. However it does not offer many veggie options. Check the website to see if they grill vegetables.
My regular commute is on the Pike. There are not that many decent food options conveniently easy-off easy-on. The food court at Wegman's in Northboro does offer almost infinite choices at about $9.00 per pound. Many veggies are to be found there. The best single dish I have eaten there is rogan jhosh, Indian lamb curry.
Unfortunately it is even further off the Pike than the Armsby Abbey. And it is not a particularly elegant place to dine.
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Armsby Abbey
144 Main Street, Worcester, MA
Marks & Sparks on the Champs-Élysées
Tomorrow Marks & Spencer will open on 100 Champs-Élysées (near the George V metro stop) returning to Paris after an absence of a decade. The new store will include a modest food court, according to a report in Le Figaro,
http://www.lefigaro.fr/sortir-paris/2011/11/22/03013-20111122ARTFIG00480-marks-amp-spencer-a-paris-le-come-back.php
Eventually they will open more stores as well as branches of their stand-alone Simply Food. I am very eager to see their marmalades - - particularly grapefruit - - return to France. And I do have a weak spot for their prepared Indian foods.
I am eager to learn if others share my enthusiasm and if any of my favorites will actually be available in the first outpost.
Game season in Paris
In the past when I have posed that question the response has dropped into a black hole. Dead silence. I know that John Talbott wrote posititvely of the Cousin-less LPM about two years ago, but I have seen little elsewhere to confirm that. (And I do like and respect John, but there is strength in numbers and I have not always agreed with him. I was disappointed by Drouant, a choice of his.)
BTW several years ago I had a correct lièvre à la royale in le Dome de Marais, 53,bis, rue des Francs-Bourgeois. However I remeber the nage of scallops more foundly than the hare. Since then the place had undergone a change in management to mixed reviews. The problem that resto has is that the drama of the building is always going to rival the quality of the food,
As for the favorite of this thread, CLAJ, my judgment has been mixed. The first meal there was a delight. Subsequently friends and I have dined there several times and each experience has been less positive than the previous. I have been there two or three times in total. Various friends have totalled about 2 visits. No meal has repeated the magic of the first which was a Saturday lunch. My sense is that the weekday lunches are simply not as good as the weekend meal, or at least that weekend meal. So I have given it a fair chance to match the initial experience and it has failed.
Game season in Paris
In about a month I will be spending three days in Paris. I believe game should still be available though the cepes may have faded by then. Two game restos have popped up on this thread: A la Biche au Bois and Le Petit Marguery. I like both, but preferred Le Petit Marguery (when the Cousin brothers were still present). The biche I had there was one of the best pieces of meat I have ever eaten, gamey and flavorful, simply cooked. However that was years ago and most of the adoring reports I have ever seen about the place still long for the days of the Cousins.
For p/q A la Biche au Bois is probably superior. It certainly is a reliable standby for a classic meal that can't be finished, but is the Cousin-less Le Petit Marguery as good as the old?
Paris report from a failed Chowhound - longish
What was your Canadian airport of entry? I suspect it was Toronto. Please enllighten us, if you feel the time is now right.
Five days five pastry shops. Where should we go and what should we eat? [Paris]
I am a fan of the baba au rhum at Stohrer, 51 rue Montorgueil Mon-Sun, 7:30-20:30, but then again I am a sucker for custard.
Has anyone tried the kouign amann at Arnaud Larher: 53 rue Caulaincourt Tue-Sat 10:00 to 19:30?
Another shop that I have heard about, but never visited is pâtisserie Stéphane Secco, 20 rue Jean Nicot in the 7th arrondissement.
As for Aoki Sadaharu 56 bd Port Royal 75005, I find the pastries more intriguing than satisfying. I am not a great fan of their cakes, but they do travel well, if you want to bring something back to the States. Cakes in general are very different from products of the same name in the States. No frosting, more like a spice cake than a pound cake. Sometimes on the dry side, but they are good with a strong smokey aromatic cup of tea such as lapsang souchang or Russian caravan.
Soulfood at Magoun's Saloon
Superb.
I ordered the oxtail with grits. My sides were cornbread and collards.
The oxtail sauce was rich and savory, like an intense demi-glace. I added a few shots of Habanero Tabasco to intensify the flavor and provide an even sharper contrast to the foil of creamy cheesey grits. The intensity of the sauce at the moment it was combined with the grits was very satisfying. Definitely one of the best single dishes I have eaten in Boston.
The collards were also good, crunchy, salty, with a hint of hotsauce. The pot-likker they provided was well sopped up by the cornbread.
The portion of oxtail was sufficient, but I wish there were more sauce and grits. I had determined that I would eat only one of the two oxtail slices, reserving the second for a later meal at home, but I could not exercise the same restraint on the grits and gravy. So a full slice of meat still beckons, but the left-over portion of the rest of the plate is puny. Perhaps I can get them to sell me a side order of grits and gravy?
But unlikely. My other complaint is that it is not available all the time. Perhaps it might be due to the on-again off-again schedule of that nameless mystery cook employed by Magoun's? How can we remedy this situation?
Other quibbles. I love cornbread and the skillet-slice was well-made. However I wish the side order options were greater. I really did not want to have cornbread and corn grits in the same meal. The other sides were too carby and heavy. A simple addition to the list of sides might be coleslaw, preferably the vinegary low-mayo option. I would have been delighted with that. It may very well be elsewhere on the menu, but I did not think to ask.
As for the other soul food main course options, a year or so ago I did have the fried chicken and was very disappointed. The chicken itself was scrawny and not very good quality; the fried crust was edible but nothing special.
At some point I hope to try the smoked bbq ribs. I don't like the boiled and heavily sauced version that you can eat without dentures, suitable for a nursing home in New Hampshire. Can anyone report about how Magoun's Saloon prepares theirs?
