neu's Profile
Is there ANY decent pizza on the UWS?!
Granddaisy Bakery has very delicious pizza, although it is not a pizza parlor and theirs is not a traditional pie. The butternut squash pizza is my favorite but there are several varieties. It is next door to Grays's Papaya; the address is 176 West 72nd Street.
Best Linguine with White Clam in Manhattan?
In case Linguine with White Clam Sauce in Manhattan but not at a restaurant would do, I recommend the excellent fish market Pisacane Seafood. I called recently and was advised it is not always available; I was offered a call when it would next be made. They phoned the following week, I retrieved the sauce, added it to linguine and the results were delicious.
Pisacane Seafood, 940 First Avenue near 52nd St, 212-752-7560, M-F 8-6, Sa 8-4:30. Next door is Ideal Cheese, also worth a visit.
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Ideal Cheese Shop
942 1st Ave, New York, NY 10022
Pisacane
940 1st Ave, New York, NY 10022
Best Mexican Food in NYC
In terms of authenticity, Tortilleria Nixtamal in Corona in Queens soaks, grinds and mixes corn on-site to make fresh masa.
What to take for friends in San Francisco
Many ítems listed by the poster and Kathryn are available in SF, including all the pickles mentioned and Sarabeth's, or are well-represented there. I myself am no stranger to taking "coal to Newcastle," having once taken to SF a salami from Zabar's that turned out to be made in SF. What cannot be found in SF is NY deli (including bagels) and the SF/East Bay Chowhound threads periodically discuss this. I also think if you have a favorite dish from a cuisine not available there your friends would like to try that. But as they say, it is the thought that counts.
Great food at Slow Restaurant, in Berkeley
Update regarding back area: (1) Correcting the abovementioned Correction - Look again, not "little wooden stools to sit on" in the back, but long wooden benches with backs and slats, (2) They have replaced the smaller tables for 2 in the back with long tables - not as intimate, but more people can sit there (3) They are installing heaters and lights for nighttime users & (4) this doesn't pertain to the back area, but FYI they said this weekend they have no plans to raise prices.
$1 oysters
I believe their $1 oysters are always their small Sweetwaters. BTW, the special is only avail at the Thurs market, not the Sat one.
$1 oysters
Hog Island sells $1 oysters during the last hour of the Thursday Berkeley Farmers' Market at Shattuck and Rose (6-7PM).
Great food at Slow Restaurant, in Berkeley
There's a lovely space in back, with tables & benches situated amongst many roses growing all around.
ISO schmaltz
"Mountain Ranch Organically Grown" at the Saturday Ferry Building Farmers' Market has freshly rendered chicken schmaltz.
mtnranchorganics.com
209 754 5253
New Yorker visiting this weekend
Unless there have been changes within the last 2 months, Swan Oyster Depot has chilled Dungeness only, and Hog Island has Dungeness only on weekends (possibly only Saturdays), with a choice of chilled or broiled crab, each of which is served with different accompaniments.
Berkeley: La Bedaine - Reasonably-priced French pastries, house-made smoked sausages, pates and French dinners to go
I tried their pissaladiere-type pastry last week - large round of puff pastry covered with lots of deeply caramelized onions and sprinkled with anchovies and olives. Incredibly tasty. Possibly addictive. $4.
Soul Food Farm & Recipes from Camino
The New York Times Magazine has an article about Soul Food Farm & includes
receipes adapted from Camino (for Egg Baked in Cream & Chicken Soup). I need to learn how to link, but in the meantime this can be found online at the NYTimes.
Does good butter matter? If so, what to get in San Francisco?
I don't know how to attach the link to the article, but if you Google "The way we eat; curd mentality - New York Times" you can read Daniel Patterson's article & obtain the recipe for the incredibly delicious butter he makes for Coi.
Help me choose my birthday dinner: Chez Panisse or Commis?
I’m writing to present a case for “Not So Fast,” to the proponents of “Table not Counter.” I ate at the counter, half of a party of 2, with a group of 4 next to us in the remaining seats. They talked & seemed to be having a wonderful time. I think whether the counter is an option, or the best option, depends on the 4 diners. If you’re looking for “My Dinner with Andre” (rent it), by all means sit at a table. But I thought the counter seating was so integral to my enjoyment of Commis (& different from other counters) that I would make an effort to sit there. The quiet scene might promote contemplation over conversation, but that could be fine. I’d probably sit the OP & the foodie-half of the other couple on the outsides, as they could observe & be less likely to mind if not included in conversation. But words are sometimes superfluous - at Blue Bottle I recently recommended a Gibralter (short latte, not on the menu), & I was going to ask the fellow how he liked it until I saw him standing there with his eyes rolling back, in some kind of quiet ecstatic state. I’ve noticed the OP shares my taste in food (Commis now, not CP, yes!) but I don’t know how that translates to seating arrangements – or anything else. But in this particular instance I’d consult with the dining companions & Commis staff, then decide.
Beef Kidney anyone?
Highland Hills Farm's stand at the Berkeley Farmers Market on Thursdays has different offal each week - one choice yesterday was beef liver.
Commis, Gary Danko or Acquarello?
Hi. FYI - Pink Pearl apples don't need to be soaked to turn pink - they are pink inside. The season is over for this year, but I hope you'll look for them next year at Farmers Markets - pastel on the outside, and either uniformly pink inside or splashes of beautiful reds and pinks. They're quite tart. I also loved the cheesecake - and everything else - at Commis.
The good and the bad at Berkeley's Great China...
Try Peking duck, double skin, seafood ravioli/dumplings and pea shoots (ask for the pea shoots if they are in season but not on the menu), The lunch deals have gone up in price but are still a good deal, with large portions. I don''t know whether a minimum is a new policy or whether it is enforced; I think we've eaten there for less & not been questioned.
Breakfast at Camino
I don't know if these are still being served, but Camino had sweet and savory plates with small tastes of several different rotating items and, with grilled bread, these were delicious. There was an herb jam which I would like to have again.
A chef returns to the Bay Area for a week...where do I HAVE to go?
Commis & sit at the bar even if you go with others.
Local 125 is a nice place for coffee; I think it opened in the summer. On San Pablo in Berkeley.
Looking for mini cupcakes for kids, as little sugar as possible, upper to lower Peninsula
FYI - While sugar is not good for children's teeth, etc., researchers have been unable to find evidence that sugar affects kids' moods. It's a myth; see medicinenet.com, straightdope.com & multiple other sources...
Is there a store in SF similar to Zabars, NY for nova, bagels & appetizing foods?
as everybody has noted there is nothing.
i've had good experiences shipping from zabars and also from barney greengrass. but not as good as being there.
Eccolo final week
As it turns out, Monday was Eccolo's last day for lunch after all. I think when I asked if the same soup would be served during Tuesday's lunch, I must have been misunderstood (maybe it was thought I had asked if the soup would be the same on Tuesday?). Anyway, anybody wanting to eat there needs to go at dinnertime.
Dinner and a Movie
You asked about dinner, not just dessert, but (even though I love Dopo's desserts) Piedmont Theatre followed by Dopo and/or Lush would also be a fine evening. And Lush is literally across the street from the theatre.
Dinner and a Movie
Grand Lake/Camino
and additional votes for California/Great China
and Shattuck/Five
Eccolo final week
beg to differ but - they had lunch today. and when i asked if they would have the same kind of soup (onion) tomorrow, i was told it would be different tomorrow.
Thanks - to whomever recommended BlueBottle for my morning coffee
Here us another recommendation - try a Gibralter at Blue Bottle.
And their iced-coffee is cold-brewed, & good on hot days.
looking for new, exciting sf dinner
Flour + Water is next on my list. But the review in Sunday's Chronicle was so good it may not be easy to get in.
Cane Rosso - Open in Ferry Building
I've been looking forward to going to Cane Rosso, miss Mistral, & hope to go
someday to Coi. That said, I find it hard to be curious about $5 soda when a Gibralter from Blue Bottle is just several feet away. I think a Gibralter could also serve as a temporary antidote for Sketch-withdrawal. Other partial antidotes might be (1) being able to order Sketch online, & (2) knowing that as a little baby Sketch is entering the world, his or her parents will probably have to continue making ice cream. It just goes with childhood. By the way, an alternative yummy beef sandwich is available on Thursdays from Thomas at Roli Roti. The maker of the incredible porchetta sandwich at the Ferry Building on Saturdays is serving a very delicious beef sandwich at the new Thursday FB market.
Breakfast in Emeryville?
I have eaten there several times & the waffles & breakfasts are delicious. I've only gone during the week because I've heard the weekend lines are daunting. By the way, I realized after the fact that this whole query somehow got resuscitated & lemons' initial request was about a breakfast happening in April. But anybody else looking for yummy breakfasts can go there...
Breakfast in Emeryville?
Brown Sugar Kitchen is in Oakland but very close to the Emeryville border & if you are driving it is very, very near. Their website has links to reviews; check out the description of the waffles (& the nifty photo) in the Gourmet article. I've heard several people say the waffles are the best they've ever had. The grits are incredible, too.
