joannabar's Profile
Unique Group Dining in Manhattan?
A good guide to the "health" of a restaurant is the large A,B or C posted on a restaurant's front window or door. If you have to look for this rating, it probably isn't a good thing...or it can mean the place just hasn't had a health inspection recently. "Grade Pending" is ambiguous for the same reason. It sounded to me as though this isn't a business dinner per se, more like a group of business people looking for a good place to eat after the day is done. I've recently been to both places mentioned and they were fine. Not fancy, but clean...I made a good attempt at looking into the kitchens. I prefer Amazing 66 over the other one. It's also much larger than NY Noodletown and has numerous tables for up to 10 or 12. As to safety of C-town, I don't think that's too much of a worry either, but then I'm there frequently and have no fear. There is a major police presence at all times.As to whether there's anything to do other than walk around, that's different issue Pretty much everything except the restaurants closes up after 8pm. The LES has its problem spots too... Negotiating the streets is simply a matter of being aware of what's around you, and a large group is not likely to be bothered by anyone. I would suggest that olympusnyc gets hold of a Zagat guide. They group restaurants by type (family friendly, romantic, etc) and might have a great recommendation for a large group of people. Olympusnyc would do well to make reservations somewhere, which largely leaves out C-town but would guarantee a place for 25 people to eat all at once!
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Amazing 66
66 Mott St, New York, NY 10013
Unique Group Dining in Manhattan?
Get thee to Chinatown. One place my husband and I like is Amazing 66 on Mott St. They have large tables with lazy Susan wheels for convenient sharing.the menu ranges from fairly tame (chicken chow fun) to parts of animals not found in the local ShopRite. The waitstaff we've encountered speaks English well ( or well enough) and service is speedy and efficient.they also take credit cards,something that many C-town restaurants don't. Another good place is New York Noodletown (not sure of address,could be Bowery south of Canal). That's in all the tourist guidebooks so it's a bit more crowded.
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Great New York Noodletown
28 Bowery, New York, NY 10013
Amazing 66
66 Mott St, New York, NY 10013
Ebinger's Blackout Cake Recipe in Cooks Country Magazine
The pudding part of the Cook's Country recipe is poorly written. I started to follow it exactly but when it didn't bubble the way pudding should bubble (ie...thickly) I didn't stop at 2-4 minutes. It took about 7 minutes total for the pudding to thicken. If you make it whisk until the mixture feels as though it is thickening and just begins to bubble. The heat has to be carefully controlled at this point and stirring must be constant. Catch it at just the right moment and it will be perfect.
Good Cocoa Powder??
El Rey (whole foods) cocoa powder has great depth of flavor....Valhrona, Callebaut, Scharfenberger, Ghiradelli, and yes, even Hershey all have their place in my kitchen. I'm a pan-chocoholic, I suppose. I used the El Rey in Julia's "Reine de Saba" cake and it became a chocolate cake on a whole new level!
Tufts U graduation dinner
My stepdaughter is graduating in May. We'd like to take her someplace special but not over-the-top. She likes pretty much any cuisine, but her younger sister has severe allergies to sesame and tree nuts. That eliminates Middle Eastern and any other sesame-prone cuisine...but anything else is probably fine. Suggestions for places in a radius of Medford are welcome. Going into Boston isn't ruled out so someplace not far from the T might be ok. I think everyone is willing to cast the net fairly wide but we do have to get back to her house to pack her up...so nothing really far from Medford. I hope this all leaves room for lots of suggestions! There must be lots of other commencements that day so I want to reserve early.
Thanks!
Mint
What else can you do with chocolate mint besides put it in ice tea or sprinkle over ice cream? That's the kind of mint popping up in my yard! bunnies won't touch it.
Nick Malgieri's Supernatural Brownies - is there really a better recipe? I think not.
I didn't think I could love a brownie recipe more than the Supernaturals until I bought Nick's "The Modern Baker". He has a recipe using cocoa nibs that makes me swoon. It isn't better than the supers....just different, perhaps slightly less sweet. Wonderful.
Are there any authentic French patisseries in the city?
This is probably old news for this thread; Payard closed at the end of June 2009. As I haven't seen it posted, I thought I'd do it myself...now I continue my quest for a great coffee eclair. I've tried making them, but while I had a good shell and filling, I just couldn't get that glaze right. Has anyone tried to make coffee, or for that matter, chocolate eclairs? I just need the glaze part!
Saturday Lunch in Paris for 4 girls celebrating a 30th
Oh...it is on the rue Beaujolais in the 1st arrondisement.
Saturday Lunch in Paris for 4 girls celebrating a 30th
If you are going after the end of August (they vacate for July and August) try Le Grand Vefour. There is a set 88 euro lunch and it is a lovely, elegant and probably not what you'd consider a bistro as it is a bit more formal. The website is: www.grand-vefour.com You'll be able to see the place and also an example of their lunch menu. Look at "dejeuner" and you'll find it. It is rated a 28 out of 30 by Zagats. I think it is a very special place.
Cilantro
How I wish I could like cilantro. It is in so many good cuisines. However, it makes my lips tingle, my throat swells a little and has an extremely overwhelming, bitter taste like soap. Therefore, good cilantro lovers, I request that when you make a dish with cilantro mixed into it (so that it isn't obvious), please tell your guests unless you're sure they all love it. Some of us do have some pretty severe issues with cilantro....as strange as that might sound.
That Old Silver Palate Standby: Chicken Marbella
Never use cilantro and only use about a tsp. of sugar to correct the balance of flavor... that might work for you if you are willing to try again.
That Old Silver Palate Standby: Chicken Marbella
I made it tonight and served with the orange-scented couscous in Lukin's menu. Wonderful mix of flavors. Broccoli as a nod to something green. All looked pretty on the plate and tasted great! The beet salad is also very tasty and pretty with this meal.
In need of a brownie recipe
I love Nick Malgieri's supernatural brownies, but he has a new one in The Modern Baker that is even better. He uses cocoa nibs and the brownies are terrific.
He came to Kings Supermarket in Short Hills, NJ to give a demonstration class. This was one of the recipes from the book so I can vouch for its chocolate effectiveness.
complicated Thanksgiving
Pamela, do you think it would double exactly? It looks great. Did you have to stand by it and stir, and if so for how long?
complicated Thanksgiving
Thanks to all! I do the separate main course precisely because I really love these people and want to make something special for them. When there's enough to share, which there usually is, there is no feeling of being singled out. I have the Wholefoods cookbook so I'll take another look at the veg mains. I did the veggie pie but if I do it again will have to modify it. I seem to recall that no one liked it. The mushroom idea is good. I do make the roasted butternut squash with (lots of)onions, sage and dried cranberries from the WF book, but that is a side. I change the sides except for that one every year, so I don't know what else I'm serving; the final choices aren't in yet.It isn't that hard to make this dinner because I do so much in advance. My "trademark" is soup as a starter, then the rest. Thanks also for all those great links. I should have asked this question last year!
complicated Thanksgiving
Help! My daughter is a no-meat/poultry person and 2 of our friends are vegan. The rest of us will eat anything that doesn't move. Last year I made a cold poached salmon along with the turkey and sides,but this year I need a vegan main dish too, one that isn't too obviously "just" for them. I would make enough of whatever for everyone. Any thoughts? I don't want them to feel like they can only have sides. All sides are, except for the dressing, vegan friendly.
Thanks!
6th Avenue Cafe or Cosmic Diner for Breakfast?
I don't know about 6th Ave Cafe but I do know that Cosmic is a good choice. Huge menu, Large, shareable portions, tasty but not haute cuisine...actually perfect diner food. Take it from this diner-loving Jersey girl...it will do the job and they get you in and out very quickly. The address is easy to remember (888 8th Ave) and it is between 53rd and 54th St. (check me on that one).
Serendipity 3 for my 70-something UK cousin ?
Bar Bouloud is a good for charcuterie and wine, but apparently for not much else. I was unimpressed with the hostess ("Sorry. We lost your reservation but you can stand at that table over by the window"). It is also expensive. Do you any kind of planned itinerary?
Serendipity 3 for my 70-something UK cousin ?
Serendipity3 may have closed. I know it was closed last year for health code violations. I also know from having been there that it is SO not worth it. Touristy, lines out the door for food and drink that isn't worth it, extremely crowded tables, just awful service and a dated setting in which you cannot hear yourself think, let alone talk to someone. Frozen hot chocolate, if you MUST go there,the place is open AND you must have one, is fancy chocolate milk. Order only 1 as they are very big. Truthfully, I'd save my money for something better.
A somewhat better choice is Good Enough to Eat on Amsterdam between 83 and 84 St. www.goodenoughtoeat.com It isn't FANTASTIC but it is good, serving American comfort food. It has been about a year and a half since I've been there...can't vouch for it now. Serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
If you are in the Theater District, think about 44X10 on Tenth Ave and 44th. It is a short cab ride for someone who isn't up to walking long blocks back to the center of the action on Broadway between 8th and 6th but it is a fine choice for upscale American. The waiters are pleasant and easy on the eyes. Reserve. If you go at 5:30-6:00 the noise is not a problem, but it can be when people start filing in pre-theater, around 6:15-ish. Not hugely expensive and definitely not touristy. Portions are shareable. www.44andX.com
Balthazar is fine (in Tribeca) but also can be very noisy. No one seems to put carpets on floors anymore!
For "fancy" lunch I'd suggest the $28 3 course lunch at Nougatine, the daytime Jean Georges in the Trump International Hotel on Columbus Circle. Reserve if you want to do this. Service is superb, it is surprisingly not noisy although there is no visible sound-proofing, and the food is as you would expect in a Jean Georges establishment.
If and when you have any clearer idea about where you are planning to be at mealtimes, it would help us figure out how better to help you!
Columbus Circle dinner
Nougatine is only open for lunch. At night it turns into Jean George. Okay, I THINK it is just lunch...but anyway they have a great lunch deal of 3 courses for $20.08 (unless that has changed from last year). I think that there is usually a fish option. Jean George cooking at a reasonable price. Call ahead and ask all these questions, because you will need a reservation even at lunch. The food is, of course, outstanding, and the service is as well.
I second Pasha. Great for vegetarians. The others work for me too. Here's a DON"t: Josephina's and Cafe Fiorello. The former's food is second class and the latter is so noisy you won't hear each other.
I thought the Time Warner Landmarc closed in June. Did it get a reprieve?
what are your fav flavorings for deviled eggs?
Addenda to cooking eggs...FoodFuser left one teeny step out...cold bath start(water not too far above eggs), bring to boil for 1 minute, take off heat AND then cover pot and let it sit for 9 minutes. Continue as FF suggests.
If you only boil it for a minute, you've got a barely boiled egg! Let the eggs have a warm bath for those 9 more minutes and you've got hard-cooked eggs to be proud of.
As for me, I've been using a food processor to mix it all up. I pulse most ingredients very carefully, then spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, and pipe my now very smooth and light eggs into the whites. They look beautiful and taste even better. I use dijon mustard, sweet or smoked paprika (on top), real mayo and s and p. I've used chives and basil-only a tiny amount of that, and it also brings success, but the "traditional" always disappears within a matter of minutes. I bought a large plastic deviled egg carrier from the "Get Organized" catalog (maybe one like it?). It holds 24 d.e.'s with room for more in the middle, and it has a lid.
Cholesterol be damned!
Keen's or Peter Luger's?
Is Lugers taking credit cards yet? Also....are they taking reservations for parties under 6 people?
Haven't been there in forever...
How hard is it to get a res at TAO?
Is that the restaurant formerly in the W.50's whose building is now a WaMu bank?
L'Arte - New UWS Location (Lincoln Center Plaza)
I think you mean behind the New York State Theater. I haven't been on 62nd St. in that area recently, but I do know they have been doing major construction. Is the restaurant on the south side of 62nd? Is it French, Italian, or none of the above?
Where does a southerner get grits near Lincoln Center?
The Cosmic Diner at 888 8th Ave (52nd st.) has a decent breakfast menu. No grits, but there are different kinds of sausages with the egg dishes. It is only about 10 blocks south of Fordham.
I still advocate for bagels and lox...
Where does a southerner get grits near Lincoln Center?
Because the Virgo in me won't let me rest until I know about stuff like this, I went to the Met today to find out if the quest for grits can be satisfied there. As I suspected, they never serve breakfast. Lunch and dinner is served only to ticket holders before a performance.
I know I'm a neurotic person, but that makes me something of a typical New Yorker even if I live in NJ. Ah....now I feel better. :-)
ADR, do you think you could persuade the prof to try a NY experience and go to Zabars for the takeout breakfast? The corner takeaway shop is at 80th and B'way. All he'd have to do is go to the 1 train at 66th and take it 2 stops to 79th. A bagel, cream cheese, and lox sandwich, coffee, and juice is, last I looked, $5.79, a bargain in anyone's book. He may never want to go back to grits again!
Please let us know where he ends up, ok?
Where does a southerner get grits near Lincoln Center?
Although they post a lunch menu, it is still most likely open only to ticket holders for the matinee on Saturday. If you click on the "hours and directions" link you'll also see that the restaurant is only open at 6:00pm for dinner and intermission service, again, only for ticket holders. Of course a phone call would confirm your statement. Either way, it's a VERY mediocre restaurant in a world class setting. It just isn't worth it for the expense.
Adr, your guest is much better off at any of the other places listed here. Where is the Neptune Room, Jane?
