workintheater's Profile
Where can I buy..
...salted pecans and walnuts in bulk? The go-to places like Sahadi or Economy Candy only sell salted mixed nuts. I want ONLY salted walnuts and/or pecans in all their savory, unctuous gorgeousness. Where do I go????
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Economy Candy
108 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002
Il Cantinori
Ten years ago, I had a meal at Il Cantinori which was simply transcendent and one of the most satisfying dining experiences I had ever had up to that point. It lingered in memory and I longed to return there.
Fast forward a decade later and....how the mighty have fallen! It's clear Il Cantinori has nothing but CONTEMPT for patrons ordering off the Restaurant Week prix fixe.
Where does one begin? The dour, charmless host? The perfunctory, hostile service, with every new course brought to the table before we had barely digested the previous one and, in one instance, served when one of our party was in the restroom so the dish could sit there and get cold? Anything, just so they could hustle us out for the next victims. And, last but not least, the thoroughly average food, no better than what I could get at any Olive Garden. As for their dessert menu, it's completely laughable with the most tasteless, meager tiramisu I've ever eaten.
Another one bites the dust. I will never return.
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Il Cantinori
32 East 10th Street, New York, NY 10003
Anyone try Buvette yet?
The food's fine, nothing special; the wine is HORRIBLY overpriced--$14 for a "carafe" that wouldn't drown a fly. Also, beware the bread (if you get any--I had to ask twice): it's pre-oiled (not evident on first glance) and will drip all over your clothing when you bite into it, as it did me, ruining my slacks, tie and shirt. Guess it's asking too much to have a tablespoon of oil on a plate so you can serve yourself--the customer just might, God forbid, ask for seconds. How cheapjack can you get? Thanks, Buvette. I will NEVER go back.
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Buvette
42 Grove St, New York, NY 10014
Food Porn: Lincoln
I enjoyed LINCOLN. Certainly portions ARE small (my snapper was a half -size of what you would get anywhere else) and at an average of $30 per entree, almost unacceptable---except everything is extremely flavorful. But what really GALLS is the sheer condescension of the place. Here we are in New York City and at Lincoln Center, the middle of the universe, for God's sake, and the server has been instructed to tell you what antipasti, primi, secondi, carne, pesce, etc. actually MEAN ("Antipasti are small dishes; primi are pasta dishes," ad nauseam). Has it really come to this in our culture---the dumbing down of cuisine, along with everything else? I came THIS close to bailing the joint but, fortunately, decided to stick it out. So my advice is to tell the server you understand Italian menus and have a good time.
Fair warning---If you're seated in the secondary room parallel to the side street and happen to stroll into the main dining room to check out the glass-enclosed
kitchen, be prepared to be trailed by one of the 'greeters' who will stalk you like Javert did Jean Valjean. Really, it's unbelievable---first they treat you like an idiot and then like a criminal!!! But just tell Missy to back off and she'll flee like a bunny (and hover in the background, lol!)
Pizza and Wine at Motorino via the Times
Motorino is a disaster. I live two blocks away. Three times I've gone there during their hours of operation and every time I've been told by their "host" they weren't serving because "they were doing renovations." The doors were open, there was exactly one table occupied, and yet they refused to seat me. Once again, the Times fetishizes the banal and subpar. I will NEVER go back again.
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Motorino
349 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Momofuku Milk Bar Review
Oh, the crack and candy pie are fine, satsifies the urge for overly sweet children's food. But, oh, the sheer pretension of this hole! And the hostility of the smug cashier, was not to be believed. Next time you throw my order at me across the counter, Miss Low-Wage-Earner, you're gettin' it thrown back in your face. But, don't worry---I won't be going back.
Friedman's Deli in the Chelsea Market
$5.00 for a baked potato and extra for toppings? They can go f**k themselves.
Colicchio & Sons NOT 3-star [moved from Manhattan board]
The food is fine, the wine fairly priced but the meal was sabotaged by service which ranged from the hysterical to the abysmal.
Our waiter, who I will charitably dub Miss Priss, obviously let the Times review go to her empty head. Moments after being seated, she came along with the menus while I was still in the process of settling in, shoved the menu under my nose and refused to back off
or give me a moment's grace until I paid homage to her loftiness and take the menu from her insistent, outstretched hand. Her barely-contained arrogance manifested itself unchecked throughout the meal. Strike one. Server two came along and placed a plate of rolls on the table without warning us that the bread and cast-iron dish in which they were presented were SCALDINGLY HOT and, sure enough, my companion and I ended up burning ourselves. Strike two. Then server three appeared and bussed my plate while my companion was still eating her meal. Strike three. Finally, server four sashayed by and took off with our now-cool bread plate. Though I protested and told him we weren't done, he absconded with it anyway.
Whatever positive feeling we both had about our meals were ruined by the hapless service and we decided to jump ship without ordering dessert. It's taken us ten years to revisit a Colicchio establishment and it will be a long time before we do so again.
Thanksgiving at Perilla
"Are you really complaining about spending $65 for three and a half courses in NYC on Thanksgiving?"
Did you even read my post?
"They accommodated your request and gave you two sides, so why are you complaining about that?"
I'm complaining because I had to jump through hoops to get what I wanted. And if you don't see the absurdity of a restaurant requesting diners to share a side on Thanksgiving because it's easier for THEM, then nothing I can say to you would make any difference.
"If it was THAT big of a deal to you, why not just order an extra side anyway, aren't they less than $10?"
I don't care if it cost a dime. When you offer to pay for my side, I'll happily order another. See ya!
Thanksgiving at Perilla
Ugh.
3 courses for $65--appetizer, first course, side, dessert---reasonable.
Except you have to share the side.
You have to share the side. ON THANKSGIVING.
When I confronted the waiter about this ridiculousness, he hemmed and hawed, averted his eyes, mumbled something about "the portions being large."
All well and good, I told him, except I wanted potatoes and my dining partner is a diabetic.
"Well, it's how the restaurant usually does it."
Except today is Thanksgiving. THANKSGIVING. At which point he acquiesced and said we could split portions.
So much for the home-y, welcoming touch. At $65 a pop.
I ordered a peekytoe crab and sea urchin appetizer. What I got were crab clumps swimming in a gloppy, briny soup. Beyond awful
Turkey. Tasteless, gristle-y. I've had better in diners. Gave over 1/2 of it to my partner. Got my mashed, though. Fine. Enjoyed his brussel sprouts side as well.
We couldn't wait to flee the place (and weren't about to spend a penny more) so we got our desserts to go. Will eat them soon but at this point, who cares? .
I've had too many crap experiences of this kind in mid-level Manhattan restauarants lately and they're a waste of time and money. It will be a long time before I do so again.
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Perilla
9 Jones Street, New York, NY 10014
Re: prefix 20.00 menu at fishtail = worth it?
Well, first off, the Sunday Supper is now $25, something that the reservationist failed to mention when I asked her specifically if the formerly priced special was being offered. And I have NEVER been so rushed through a meal as I was at Fishtail. I had barely sat down before menus (with supplemental charges--what a despicable practice!), bread, and drink orders were flung in my direction Two days later, I don't remember a thing about the meal (except for the grossly overpriced wine). Spare me the New York bargain!
amazing sushi? EV, LES
Oh, please, the fetishization of these supposed temples of gastronomy like Sushi Yasuda or Jewel Bako is sheer lunacy and a publicist's joke, perpetrated by the likes of Zagat. There is no difference whatsoever between the highly touted 'pristine' quality of fish served at places like SY and JB and places like Kayonama or Kyo Ya or even Sapporo East , for that matter, except for the price and the fact that you won't leave hungry if you eat at any of the latter places. Those who think differently are simply deluded in their elitism.
Anyone eaten at DBGB yet?
dbgb. Great food. We ordered tuna tartar (the only boring choice) and asparagus with egg as starters, then skate and steak as main courses. Wonderful. Carrots as a side fine but definitely not $6 worth. Front end service snippy as hell. This is how two men are treated during gay pride week? Fire the schmuck. Wrong entry served to us (two steaks, where's the skate?) but the apology so too little too late (check time) Daniel should fire this schmuck too.
Recap: great food, so do go. Ugly experience for us.
Creme de violette
Anyone know of any bars in the Midtown West/Times Square area of Manhattan that sell this violet liqueur? Thanks!
John Dory Menu
Beautiful place, great food, the only new restaurant I've eaten at in recent memory to which I'd return.
French Bistro/Brasserie for Late Lunch today?
Brasserie Cognac is excellent and puts Ducasse's Benoit to shame.
Artichoke Basille's Pizza on 14th St
No pizza anywhere is worth a 35 minute wait. I live exactly one block away from the place, went twice the first week they opened (when there was no line, but even then: no hours, no menu) and find the hysterical, overhyped reaction to this disorganized, chaotic joint not a little absurd and pathetic. It's pizza, for chrissake.
Salon de Ning (Peninsula Hotel)
Went to the opening tonight. Spectacular views, clubby atmosphere (loved the modern paintings above the bar!), decadent and outrageous prices ($20 + for a low-end glass of wine), and the most abysmally rude, unmannered clientele I have ever encountered. It'll be a very long time before I ever go back, if then.
Where can I find black glutinous rice?
No, they only had frozen kaffir lime leaves. However, I picked up some fresh at Whole Foods. A small container went for a little over $4.00.
Where can I find black glutinous rice?
Found the black rice at the Bangkok Grocery Store on Mosco, a wonderful place for all sorts of Southeast Asian foodstuffs, including other exotic items like lime kaffir leaves, pandan leaves, etc.
Where can I find black glutinous rice?
Anyone know where I can find black glutinous rice in Manhattan? (Forbidden Rice is NOT the same). I'm cooking a Balinesian-themed dinner this weekend and would love to make black rice pudding. So far I've struck out on the rice---haven't found it at Fairway, Garden of Eden or Whole Foods. Any suggestions, my darlings?
sformato di arancia recipe help
I'm late coming back to this party, but Yes! the Bugialli is it, Wally! Thank you so much!
sformato di arancia recipe help
I've been an inveterate recipe clipper, copier, hoarder and filer for years. But sometimes I lose info I've worked so diligently to accrue.
I have a recipe for sformato di arancia, xeroxed from a cookbook, which I made several years ago and am planning to make in the near future. Unfortunately, nowhere on the recipe does it mention the amount it serves nor did I notate that info. I know the book from which it was copied also contains recipes for a Genoese budino and Nocino served over ice cream. Might anyone know what cookbook these recipes are from and how many the sformato serves? The photos accompanying the recipes seem to indicate the cookbook is of a glossy, oversized type, if that helps.
Your help is appreciated.
Pre-dinner cocktails before dinner at Little Owl
Does Blue Ribbon serve cocktails or is it strictly a wine bar (a concept that seems pointless to me personally)?
Pre-dinner cocktails before dinner at Little Owl
Great idea. Unfortunately, they don't open till 7PM, our dinner reservation hour. Any other possibilities?
Pre-dinner cocktails before dinner at Little Owl
It's a friend's birthday. Where's a classy, elegant place near the restaurant I can toast my friend's 49th?
Gordon Ramsay-just a name or the "real deal?"
Absolutely the real deal. We at at GR's Chelsea outpost last spring and it was flawless. Food and service were exceptional. It inspired us to eat at his new place in NYC which was also a wonderful experience.
CHEZ L'AMI LOUIS
"You can take your chances with a hotel concierge. If (and it's a big IF) they can make and confirm for you a reservation, than more power to you.
Being the control freak that I am, I like to do everything myself, thus - I call about six weeks in advance. I always make it a point to reach then at about 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. their time on a Wednesday through Friday, as it's difficult to get them to answer the phone at any other time. When I call that early in advance they ALWAYS tell me 'call two weeks before, call two weeks before.' Fine. A couple of weeks later (about four weeks before I want the reservation) I call again. Sometimes (very rarely) they'll book you then - but most times they'll say again 'call two weeks before.' Fine. About ten days later (just outside the suggested two week zone) I call again. This time, I almost always get booked - especially if you want a coveted Sunday lunch reservation, because if you actually wait exactly until exactly two weeks before, they're suddenly 'fully booked, we have no tables!' When you call this time ask to speak to Louis (I don't know if that's his real name or not) - he's the only one who takes the bookings. Groveling is suggested and appreciated. Having someone who speaks fluent French call with you if you don't speak the language also helps."
Sweet Jesus on a cracker, what's the big deal? I just picked up the phone and made a reservation. And, no, I don't speak French.
