Big Cicada's Profile
Coming to Jazz Fest
Ditto on ALL Marks advice....New Orleans is a 24 hour town and customarily serves dinner well into the evening......i would have to say Jacque-Imo's would be a blast for an adventurous teen....check it out but make a rez if you wanna go.....Acme is good but i wouldnt say its a must.....Cochon is getting a TON of attention right now....Emerils is good and fun and you just dont get anymore traditional than brunch @ commander's.......cheers
Demonstration cooking "class" at home? (Seattle)
I would have to say avoid using a "culinary student" at all costs as they will typically bite off more than they can chew and get out on a limb with food they may not be familiar with....plus...are culinary students used to instructing while cooking etc???You COULD try a catering company but i think they will tend to be overly generic.....if you check my profile you can use the email address if you'd like some more information
What bars serve absinthe?
you should also understand that the "Absinthe" being served in the US now and the "Green Fairy" liquid of artists and writers bane are two different things......in my understanding, Absinthe can now be distilled without many of the "toxic" cheminals from the wormwood that were once part of that ethereal experience......so now absinthe is more of a marketing tool than an actual throwback or clandestine experience
Neighborhood Bars.....whats still there???
i have it on good authority that Cosimos has changed very lil.....the crowd has obviously changed a bit but the bar is prety much the same.......i hung out there in the early and late 90's and it was pretty timeless even then,,,,,cheers Mr Bill
Hattiesburg.......any possibilites?????
I'm from H'burg but left years ago....last time I was there was just before and during Katrina.
Poking around downtown eemed like there were some places trying to serve something beyond the "country steakhouse,BBQ,Catfish Buffet" norms for this area...Any 'hounds out there in my former home town got any advice for an upcoming return trip????
Walla Walla Restaurants
I have to agree with you wawine.......while it may seem inconvenient to some to come in right before a place closes, it sometimes cannot be avoided and as a paying guest (i hate the word "customer"), they should've taken the same care of you as someone who came at noon.I suspect they were hoping if they ignored you you would go away and that there M.O.D. was either not around or incompetebt....As a rest. owner, when we say lunch from 11-2 that means we SEAT until 2...ditto woth dinner from 5-10 etc,etc.I wish restaurants would realize how damaging it is to turn a guest away for ANY reason.....even before the economy went south.....it is just anathema to the entire point of trying to have a quality food service establishment. Guests are there to be taken care of , you take care of their needs, they give you money....if that is an inconvenience, you are i the wrong business....CHEERS!
Valentine's Day Wine Dinner or ??? - Seattle
I have to disagree........Mothers Day YES, but personally, as a chef,I love to cook for people when they are celebrating their love for one another.Granted, at the turn-n-burns its rookie nite for sure and anything is likely to happen from lost reservations to burnt food .But for us......ummmm..."more attentive" joints, its a joyous day.We usually do specials and tasting menus themed to love songs or romantic movies or something to just to keep it fun and keep everyone smilin...so go ahead and live it up Isay
visit with one dinner only
if you really want a TRUE taste of the city i would have to agree with the Brigtsen's reco.....its everything you are looking for and Frank Brigtsen is old school
ISO pairing with pork, fennel seed, garlic & red chilies
yup yup......an Alsatian gewurtz would be delicious with the pork...i'd prob do that or a spanish rueda for white just cuz im into those white pairings right now but you truly have alot of options
Neighborhood Bars.....whats still there???
right right......does Maria still own the Hi Ho and what about the Saturn Bar and is Cafe Flora still up and werent there a coupla fun neighborhood gay bars near Flora as well.....thanks for all your help,....cant wait to watch the sun rise from a bar stool and stroll down the street w/ a to go cup while the suits are goin to work;)
upscale new orleans restaurant with live jazz
is the Palm Court dead and gone or what???
2007 Oregon Pinot Noir, colored water?
I was about to say the same thing there trout......thanks for saying it first and also i gotta agree, the winemakers who consistently make the PN Oregon is beloved for will more than likely be putting their best foot forward with the '07 vintage.....as for a "evaporator", like my gramps always said.."you cant polish a turd"..and also great wine IS made in the vineyard......had a Magnum of the '05 Ken Wright Shea with Thanksgiving dinner this year..WOW
Pairing suggestions for beef tenderoin??
without awakening the eternal debate of Prime Rib v. Tenderloin.....I think tenderloin tastes most like what you season/sauce it with and Prime Rib tastes like BEEF, so with a tenderloin I always try to pair to the sauce more specifically......for garlic spinach ive been putting a lil olive oil over a really low heat and toasting thinly sliced garlic "chips" if you will (see Paulie's way of cutting the garlic in Good Fella's.....then removing from heat and wilting the spinach in that ...you really get the nutiness of the garlic....Also, if your lo0cal wineshop is WA wine friendly..that Andrew Will CdC is drinking nicely right now as is the Pepperbridge Merlot or if you can get your hands on any '03 Alexandria Nicole HHH......daaaayummm.....i have 3 bottles left and im goin gold fever on it, THE best Merlot ive tasted from WA state EVER.....Bon Apetit
ISO pairing with pork, fennel seed, garlic & red chilies
Personally, i think there are about a million ways you COULD go with this......a good Dolcetto or Barbera from Italy or maybe an Oregon Pinot Noir or Minervois from the Languedoc if you wanted to go red......this dish would also lend itself well to any white spanish wines with great acidity maybe an Albarino or Rueda, or a well made Chenin Blanc from the Loire, if its gonna be spicy as a result of the garlic and chiles an excellent German Reisling may also work....i think you can really do anything with pork as far as wine goes, more proof of porks perfection...cheers
Mardi Gras
For Lundi Gras, I would check to see if Commanders is open........if not maybe Herbsaint or Cuvee???ALOT of places close like the thursday before Mardi Gras Day and as I no longer live there, not sure who's open and who's not.....Emerils maybe???you're gonna be stuck with whatever is open not neccesarily the best spots culinarily...Good Luck!
4 days in Seattle - need help prioritizing my list!
as restaurant owners ourselves we recently celebrated our 2 year restaurant anniversary @ Juanita....food and service excellent......have eaten @ Crush twice, once good once i had 2 dishes overcooked and Jason served them to me @ the "kitchen bar", but otherwise good...have eaten @ Lark at least 12 times ALWAYS GREAT even after CHef won the James Beard award....Salumi IS a MUST as well as Matt's (for lunch)..I know seattleites are gonna poo poo this but ive eaten @ The Flying Fish about a million times and always had very good food and service, its a great option for lunch and Chris Keff knows her way around some NW seafood....Union is a gem downtown that I think gets overlooked with Ethans other spots......sit @ the bar and get the lowdown from the bartender.....If you want a coupla spots for drinks and a nibble hit up Wild Ginger, they've gotten a bit too big for their britches but they DID start the whole thing here or cab it down to the Edgewater Hotel and have a sunset cocktail at 6& 7 lounge??i think its called??.......thats my 2 cents as a Chef and chowhound;)
Help! Olympia recommendation please...
IMO Cicada is the perfect place for a milestone b-day gift certificate, although i must admit i AM a biased observer.......as for Steve in Olympia's past posting, Steve, I URGE YOU to go to Cicada and introduce yourself to the chef there
Neighborhood Bars.....whats still there???
coming back to New Orleans for the 1st time since K and was wondering whats become of some of my old neighborhhod haunts and FQ dives.....such as Markeys bar, Vaughn's, BJ's, The Friendly Bar, Buffa's, Cosmo's, etc.....Also how did the upper 9th fair??Cafe Flora, Big Daddy's (not the FQ strip joint) and what were the spots on St Claude ...the??Spellcaster and there was another bar across the street.....is the St Roch Market still there?/Any info appreciated...especially any low light dives that are great in the wee hours preferably downtown....however NOT interested in The Phoenix or Rawhide thank you very much..lol
Bachelor Party Weekend-Questions Suggestions
since i think most New Orleanians will avoid any bachelor party posting like the plague......as a former. long term French Quarter resident i can offer you a little bit of advice in this matter. If you want to get an "authentic" or "local" experience, here are some guidelines and recomendations...
1)DONT go around callin it "N'awlins", only tourists say that, locals generally pronounce it "New AHlins", almost the same way you would hear "darlin" pronounced "DAW-lin"
2)DONT act like its mardi gras or ask people to expose themselves, follow the same rule for yourselves
3)this should really be #1........RESPECT YOUR BARTENDER AND ALL SERVICE EMPLOYEES.....if some one in ur group gets cut off, move on , theres a million bars....be patient...usually if the place is hoppin, it will take a lil time to get ur drink, when you do, tip like you want good service and generally you will get it......most service people in the same areas know each other, act an ass in one spot and its likely to follow you
4)this one always got under my skin in the quarter...please use the tiolets in the bars , etc.......not the streets and alleys..you would think this would be a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised
all this being said, heres my ideas as to what i still know about in my once fair city
-lower decatur street from the 1000 block down to esplenade is a good place to start for eating, and drinking, ditto if you continue down decatur into the Marigny where it crosses esplenade and hooks up to Frenchmen street...if you're down that way chill out and ask around, New Orleans IS a friendly city and generally people will hook you up with good info. Another solid source for information will be your cabbies, which is a great way to get around and generally pretty affordable. In my experience, only use United Cab, most bars will call united if you ask for a cab.
I think Cochon is generally pretty casual
Also, check out Jacque-imo's, awesome food, pretty casual and you can have fun up in that neighborhood as well
cant really say about po-boys but when i was there franks or central grocery on decatur for Muffuletta
and IMO coffee & beignets are for people who went to bed the night before..(hee hee)
hope this was in some way helpful
Melissa Perello???
Anyone know where she is after her 5th floor departure???
Did she leave by choice or drama???
Sunday Nite Dinner???
Have a sunday nite, monday day open for dining in SF.....I'm thinking Quince for dinner & Les Amis for lunch....or should i rent a car and drive to healdsburg for dinner at Cyrus on sunday???Please advise and thanx;)
Breakfast Near Union Square
IMO Canteen is the BEST first choice. it's Chef Dennis Leary's tiny lil spot next to the Commodore hotel and the food is awesome. I've also enjoyed Cafe de la Presse over by the dragon gate into Chinatown and next to the Hotel Trident;)
Fiorella's in the French Quarter
I don't think the Fiorella family has owned this place for a lil while but when they did, I think it was more of a mom & pop place that tourists happened to find while strolling the French Market and Lower Decatur. When Mrs. Carol & Calsidonio Fiorella and their extended family ran it, they pretty much served breakfast to the workers of the produce docks and market stalls starting about 5am. Their breakfast on the French Market side was some of the best & most affordable to be had in the city. On the Decatur side, lunch and dinner favorites used to be Oyster spaghetti or the best soft shell crabs to be had in the city. The Fiorellas were italian and croatian (most of the original oyster industry in southeast LA was founded and run by croatians) and had a long family history connected to the seafood industry, sadly i doubt the food there is as good if they are no longer involved in the biz. Coop's is right up and across decatur and has great, affordable neighborhood food.
OK to bring my own wine from Trader Joe's? [moved from LA board]
House wines are really becoming a thing of the past, I think. When people ask for a "house" wine at our place we just pour them one of our least expensive glass pours. I don't think anyone who cares enough to order a botlle would simply ask for a house red or white, The whole thing sounds so 80"s.
As for the sommelier taking a sip of your Hungarian, did you happen to catch the look on his face when he did?I've had a few of these hungarian wines, inexpensive, yes, but nothing to write home about. Most wines are submitted for review and I think anyone who has followed wine long enough knows that the best wines out there are what YOU like to drink. But while there may be some very quaffable wines in the under $15 category and admittedly some definite crap in the over$20 category, you simply, more often than not get what you pay for. No restaurant worth going to will intentionally put a dog on as their house wine just to make a buck, more than likely they've sought out something with their guests in mind that will also pair well with their food. Their are also myriad factors that affect wine prices from the winery, most important is the price of that varietal per ton from that year, as well as how a restauarnt prices its wine, most importantly its rent district and its states or regions minimum wage.
30 birthdays, 30 bivalves - seattle
The Brooklyn has one of the best oyster selections in town and a GRRReat happy hour and a really nice bar area. Their selection and oyster sampler are incredible. The Oceanaire is really nice as well but pretty spendy for food or drink. We always start @ THe Brooklyn for happy hour and crawl around downtown from there. Happy Big 3-0!!!
Seattle Best Brunch?
Agree w/ you on Coastal Kitchen. Monsoon and kingfish are great spots and I've had some great late breakfasts at Le Pichet on 1st. Does anyone know if steelhead does anything for brunch on the weekends?
Juneau & Skagway
Is the Summit Restaurant still around? Someone said they thought it was a souvenir shop now?
OK to bring my own wine from Trader Joe's? [moved from LA board]
It's ridiculous to imply that those who seek out fine food and wine are economically fortunate. While friends have chosen to spend money on cars, sports, recreational vehicles, etc. I, and I assume many other hounders who make modest salaries, choose to pursue fine foods and/or wine. It is inconceivable to many of my friends that you could ever spend $400 or more on dinner for two, but if you want to eat at The Laundry or Charlie Trotters or Tallivent that's the reality of it. Upon my first visit to FL our meal was well over two weeks salary for me. We had two half bottles of white (A burgundy and a Sancerre) and a tremendous half bottle of Napa Cab. I could not imagine special occasion dining with any worry attatched to saving money, I would rather eat ramen for a week afterwards than restrain myself at such places. Also, "why the hell would you care if someone wants to bring cheap wine to a restaurant? Whatever happened to live and let live?" Isn't the answer to this question the point of this thread????Maybe hound and let hound????;)
