vicarious's Profile
need some inspired, healthy cauliflower ideas, beyond cauliflower cheese, roasted cauliflower and aloo gobi...
A favorite of ours is cauliflower in yogurt sauce. The basic approach is to mix some yogurt with cumin, salt, and pepper; then stir in steamed cauliflower florets and peas. There are a lot of good variations of this.
A belated Valentine's day celebration, outside of the city
If you're looking for a quiet atmostphere, I wouldn't go near Stone Rose--another one of those places where you have to shout to talk. I second the Isabella recommendation; it has a nice atmosphere and good food. Have you considered Alba in Malvern?
Alternative to Ghiradelli Chocolate Chips Needed
Trader Joe's chocolate chips are good and don't have milk fat as a listed ingredient.
Lunch on Mainline: Ardmore, not too Far Out
Are you sure about Pescatore not being open for lunch? I had lunch there last week.
Lunch on Mainline: Ardmore, not too Far Out
I second the recommendation for A la Maison. I like it a lot for lunch (don't forget quarters for the meters). Two more upscale alternatives are Pescatore in Bala Cynwyd and Savona in Gulph Mills. You might also consider Tango, near the Bryn Mawr train station.
Birthday dinner near Plymouth Meeting - TONIGHT!
You might want to consider Isabella in Conshohocken. It's not hard to keep the cost down if you order carefully.
Paloma
I didn't see the final tab, but we all thought that it was good value. (The web site has the menu, with prices.) My crab appetizer was on the expensive side at $12, but it was a very generous portion and could have been shared. Most of the entrees were in the low 20s. I read some old reviews before our first visit, and my guess is that prices have been decreased since they opened.
Paloma
Paloma (at 8th and Catherine) has not been getting any mention on this board, so I wanted to post about our recent experiences there. Four of us had a great meal there last night. We really tested out the menu--four appetizers, four entrees, and four desserts, with no repeats. 12 hits, no misses. For me, the highlights were the mushroom flan appetizer, and all four desserts. We had a similar experience there in April, but the mushroom flan seemed to be the only carryover to the summer menu. Did I mention that the desserts are awesome?
Paloma's being Mexican Haute Cuisine may confuse some. The food is not spicy or heavy, so it paired beautifully with the wines that we brought (it's BYOB). There are also no stereotypical Mexican offerings: I ate crab salad and lamb and a cake special that was a delicate sponge flavored with rum and coconut.
Downtown Phila. Market St w/ teen
Percy Street Barbecue on South Street seems like a good fit.
A La Maison in Ardmore for lunch?
I'm not a fan of A La Maison for dinner, but I really like it for lunch. Last time I went I had a lovely goat cheese salad, and my friend loved her salade nicoise. Nice atmosphere, and quiet.
Throwing a manly-man Cloudburst (rather than a shower)
Some more ideas:
For appetizers: spare ribs, nachos, stuffed jalapenos, pigs in blankets (and wings, of course)
For dessert: Love the idea of the stout cake. Diner pies also strike me as manly, particularly chocolate cream pie. Or maybe homemade ice cream sandwiches with lots of hot fudge sauce for dunking. You might also find some inspiration at "Epic Meal Time." (Don't forget the Jack Daniels.)
Need Super Easy Baked Chicken Recipe
This recipe for roast chicken with carmelized shallots is good and simple: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2010/03/roast-chicken-recipe-caramelized-s/
Gourmet Caramel in Philadelphia?
Eclat in West Chester has won awards for its caramels. The Painted Truffle (weekends in Stockton, NJ or order on-line) also has a few flavors of caramel-filled truffles.
Your favorite brand of chocolate
I think that you're mistaken. I just checked the CI website and saw that Nestle was "not recommended" for chocolate chips and Nestle premium was only "recommended with reservations" for dark chocolate.
Business Lunch Recommendations near Gladwyne PA/Philadelphia Country Club
Sola and Jake's are dinner only. Tiffin is tiny and very casual. Yang Ming would be fine. For higher-end, you might prefer one of the places in Radnor (or St. Davids--same thing).
Business Lunch Recommendations near Gladwyne PA/Philadelphia Country Club
What kind of atmosphere are you looking for? The closest places for lunch will be in Conshohocken. Blackfish, a byob, is the best, but there are a few other options. Other good locations for you are Radnor (333 Belrose, Susanna Foo, or Fleming's Steakhouse) and Bryn Mawr/Haverford (Tango or DuJour).
Best Hoagie in Conshohocken?
I can't answer the "best" question, but wanted to mention that when we last ordered pizza from Tony and Joe's, we also ordered an Italian hoagie. I didn't try it but was told that it was really good. Another option is to drive up to Ridge Pike to Primo. (I'll be at Blackfish tonight as well. If the meat-filled pasta is on the menu, order it!)
Stonerose in Conshohocken
fyi to jlo328--a kir royale is traditionally sparkling wine and creme de cassis, which is a blackberry liquer (though your version sounds quite good). Perhaps that was part of the problem? (I haven't been to Stonerose--just speculating. )
Out of Ideas on the Main Line
A few ideas--Le Bus in Manayunk, Du Jour in Haverford, and Tango in Bryn Mawr. (I'm assuming that Indian--Saffron or Tiffin--would be too adventurous for your crowd.) Instead of Chun Hing you could try Sang Kee, Hunan, or Yang Ming
Chocolate - I need educated!
I also use the TJ pound plus bars for baking, but they are $4.99 in Pennsylvania. For very special desserts, I still prefer Valrhona.
dinner recs for Plymouth Meeting and Radnor area? In town for 3 nights
There are good options in Radnor. At 333 Belrose you can eat in the dining room or order from a much more limited menu at the bar (half price certain nights). Around the corner (although technically St. David's) is Susanna Foo for upscale chinese fusion and Fleming's for steak (the latter is not a personal recommendation, as I've never been, but others seem to like it). As Waking 1 suggested, Wayne is also very close. Plymouth Meeting is full of chain restaurants. In between Radnor and Plymouth Meeting is Conshohocken, which has several more options. Blackfish (byob) has been very good recently.
Looking for great spot for dinner this weekend, help!
From your description, I think that Meritage would be perfect. If you don't mind a BYOB, Salento would also be a good choice. I like the food at Kanella, but the noise last Saturday was deafening.
Ghirardelli vs cheaper cocoa powder
Has anyone tried Trader Joe's cocoa powder? It's a lot cheaper than Ghiradelli. I bought some and haven't tried it yet. According to the package, it's made from Tumaco cocoa beans from Colombia and contains more cocoa butter than other brands.
"Only cook with wine you'd drink." Really?
Sorry for the ambiguity. I meant the very small bottles--splits, I guess, sold in multipacks (usually 4, not 6--oops). I am in PA, but I think that they are widely available. No dispute on the quality of the wine, but I am recommending these little bottles for cooking, not drinking.
"Only cook with wine you'd drink." Really?
I'm surprised that no one has mentioned six packs of wine. I always keep some around for cooking. They're great for recipes that call for just a small amount of wine.
Near Villanova
For a great meal, I would head to Sola in Bryn Mawr, but it's a small BYO. For atmosphere (beautiful landscaping and swans swimming in a pond) Floret is great, but it's new, so I don't really know about the food, Other options to consider: Azie in Villanova, Savona in Gulph Mills, and 333 Belrose, Susanna Foo, and Fleming's in Radnor.
