Scotpaulabear's Profile
Kitchen Nightmares heads to Galleria 33
They aren't the only ones - Ramsey is filming at Barefoot Bob's in Hull until tomorrow:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/arts/x1310210796/Celebrity-chef-Gordon-Ramsay-bringing-Kitchen-Nightmares-to-Hull-restaurant
Your favorite Le Creuset color
Thanks! Just got a 4 1/2 quart round (the UK equivalent anyway - 24 centimeters) and a mini individual covered ramekin this weekend, both in cassis... they look fab. Can't wait to give the big one its first use :D
Your favorite Le Creuset color
My mom always had LC in the house, from when I was a kid - talking about 30 years now! Am almost positive it was dark green, why I can't remember I don't know... and now I'm looking at buying my first large pot in cassis, as purple is my fave colour and I can't resist the nostalgia :)
cocktails you've invented that worked or didn't
Well being honest I would have thought the same reading that, but drunken experimentation led to it, we tried it again when sober and it's actually quite lovely ;)
cocktails you've invented that worked or didn't
Apologies if this sounds vile, but it's a cocktail I started experimenting with at MIT and my friends and I keep going back to it. Measurements approx., mix to taste:
2 parts raspberry vodka (I use a homemade one local to Edinburgh, which is very berry-ish and bright red - you could use any, or maybe vodka and framboise or chambord)
1 part raspberry Sourz
1 or 2 parts Amaretto
Fill to desired level with half orange juice, half cranberry juice.
It was promptly dubbed the Pink Death, in homage to the old nickname of the Hong Kong in Harvard Square (the Red Death ;). Seems appropriate, as everyone laughs at how pinky-cute it looks and tastes (very candy like), but it packs a wallop...
I did used to love the Roy Rogers on Acid (Coke and vodka with grenadine), but I'm past that now. ;)
Where in Arran ?
More than that really - just to name a few, there's:
Lochranza Hotel
http://www.lochranza.co.uk/
Corrie Hotel
http://www.arran.uk.com/corrie/hotel/index.html
Catacol Bay Hotel
http://www.catacol.co.uk/
Maybe they wouldn't set the world on fire but when I've been to them, the food has been yummy comfort food (or slightly higher) and reasonable IMHO.
Also, there's Bar Eden in Whiting Bay, food a bit more upscale but not expensive:
http://www.edenlodgehotel.co.uk/bareden.htm
I'm sure there is a Creelers restaurant but I've never been. The food at Auchrannie near Brodick has been good when we've been for lunch, good veggie selection.
There's a Chinese in Whiting Bay whose name escapes me, and an excellent Indian which I swear travels around the island at will... it was in the Aldersyde in Lamlash last time we were there, but I see that's shut now so no idea where they'll land next :(
For lunch, the tearoom at Pirnmill (north side of the island) has been good when we've been, and the Co-op in Brodick is surprisingly well stocked for a wee market! The cheese shop near Creelers (outside Brodick) has some fab local cheeses for a picnic.
And you have to try Arran Blonde while you're there (and do a brewery tour, as well as a distillery tour in Lochranza)... great stuff :)
Can you tell this is my fave place in the world...
Amsterdam!
Glad you enjoyed yourself! I shall have a shot of Rose Without Thorns in your honour :) I'll watch out and see if you have any recs for my next trip...
Amsterdam!
Hey that's great! I can't think of a better casual dining 1-2 punch in the 'Dam :D What did you think of them?
Best Scallion Pancake?
Reviving an older thread (which is making me drool!), did anyone else besides me love the scallion pancakes at Larry's Chinese (RIP) in Central Square? I adore Mary's and KFG's, but these were a totally different animal - super crispy as if they'd been deep fried, almost with a battered coating taste to them. Oh my god. Heaven. Does anyone else deep fry scallion pancakes, cos I'm assuming that's what they must have done?
Been living in a scallion pancake-free zone (Scotland) for too long, but hallelujah! Scottish husband was missing them so much after many trips to Boston, he has just figured out how to make his own which are turning out great. Between that and my mock KFG chow mein, I may just survive til I'm back visting the 'rents in April. ;)
Amsterdam!
Hey there, husband is veggie (leaning to vegan) and I eat pesci and veggie, so my recommendations in this thread all stand:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/536225
Have a great time!
Restaurants near the Park Plaza Vondelpark, Amsterdam?
Thanks, I'll look into trying out some of these too - happy to be going back in March, husband will be seeing Netherlands v Scotland, I'll be sightseeing :)
Restaurants near the Park Plaza Vondelpark, Amsterdam?
Amsterdam is amazing for hanging out, sightseeing and for food :) And we usually stay by Vondelpark so I do know the area a bit. Couple of really reasonable places that come to mind right away, hope these help:
Wok to Walk - yes a chain, but it's fun and slightly chaotic in a good way, and the food is gorgeous. You pick what you want - rice or noodles, sauce of your choice, then any meat/veg/tofu etc. - and it's made fresh for you there. You share tables and no one really rushes you out. We often go to the one on Leidsestraat and then go across the street for Australian Ice Cream on waffles. HEAVEN. ;)
http://www.woktowalk.com/en/
Australian Ice Cream - part of that heaven! I've never had cinnamon ice cream that tasted this good and so deeply cinnamon-y without tasting like red hots! I can barely get past that to try any other flavours.
http://www.australianhomemade.com/
La Place, the food shop in V&D department store, near the flower market - my fave takeaway food, amazing pizza (rectangular slices off long strips of pizza - try the smoked salmon, YUM), and funnily enough fab brownies!
http://www.amsterdam.info/shopping/vd/
http://www.vd.nl/
Maoz Falafel - another chain and you'll see so many in the 'dam, but it's ubiquitous for a reason - gorgeous falafel... and the one on Leidsestraat is friendly and clean and open fairly late.
http://www.maozveg.com/
Oh and if you like liqueurs at all, you have to go here to the De Admiraal tasting and hang out for a while trying out some A. van Wees specialties:
http://www.de-ooievaar.nl/english/tasting.html
It was the loveliest, friendliest wee bar (with a bar cat in my mate's lap all the time we were there! :) I've been in in ages, and it was great to try their amazing flavours. I came out with a bottle of 'Rose without Thorns' (and an earthenware bottle of gin as a gift) cos it was so unique but I could have bought quite a few!
http://www.de-ooievaar.nl/english/liquors.php?id=71
where have you never had a bad meal?
Old thread but I wanted to respond to it with two of my faves:
Mary Chung (Central Square)
King Fung Garden (aka Brezhnevs for the MIT folk - Chinatown)
I don't think I have ever been less than totally happy at either of these places - every time I come back to Boston from my present home in Scotland, I have to hit both. They're both an addiction for me... :D
Jimmy's Broad Street Diner, Weymouth
Hiya, lurker chick here, now living in Scotland (and the food here is better than you think haha) but grew up in Braintree. When I saw this thread I had to reply. My grandfather and I used to go to the old Jimmy's near the Quincy shipyard when I was a kid, and my uncle took me to the new Jimmy's this spring when I was visiting. I was REALLY impressed with their pancakes, don't know if I even had anything else. ;) Really light and airy, I'm sure I had blueberry once but I had to ask if they had chocolate chip, my total fave, and they did them for me no probs - YUM. Oh yeah, the home fries were nice too, bit peppery if I remember correctly. I don't eat meat so I can't say about that, they laughed when I suggested adding veggie bacon!
The waitresses there are fab, very old school 'how ya doin hon' and refilling cups constantly. Weekend mornings are heaving (especially before/after church services nearby), luckily since I was on vacation we mostly went during the week. My uncle's a regular now, he and his friends can be found at the counter putting the world to rights every morning... it's great to have a place like this close to my family's house, I like the Hearth and Kettle okay (I know, but it's not too bad breakfast for a chain), but I love this place.
