I know you don't want to make the trip down and across the island, but if you don't mind taking the ACE to 14th St, you can get it at Buon Italia in Chelsea Market.

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Buon Italia
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

As a latchkey kid, I had the run of the pantry, so I tested out my nascent cooking skills by making huge amounts of Rice Krispie Treats and eating the whole batch before my mom got home.

From the "secret" menu or whatever they're calling the small plastic menu that sits on the table, get the dried pork salad with broccoli leaves. It's amazing!

I walked by a few weeks ago and both Dash Dogs and Tides looked closed to me... no idea what's going on.

I've had the poutine at Dive Bar - it's decent but not the greatest, either. The curds are there, but not melty.

I vastly preferred my meal at Insieme a few months ago to the food at Hearth - I think it is the restaurant receiving all of Marco and Paul's attentions these days.

If it's still on the menu (may have been a summer dish), the artichokes, green beans and potatoes in a lemon-brown butter sauce were absolutely decadent.

If you don't mind a short walk, Landmarc recently opened an uptown branch in the Time Warner Center. Very reasonable wine prices and lots of items to share on the menu, and they'll take reservations for a party your size.

Is the little bar beneath Metsovo closed too? Dammit!

I use an old toothbrush after it has cooled to get in between the ridges, and just flush the thing out with lots of water squeezed from a sponge (emptying into the sink of course).

I haven't been in the past year, but from what I recall, portions are ample enough. I remember at least three lamb chops in the entree portion, and appetizers that were able to be split among three people, each of us ending up with a Thomas Keller-size portion.

Adding my recommendation for EMP - the foie gras macaroons that are served as part of the amuse bouches are outstanding... I could make a snack out of those every day.

Corkage was $15, and the meal was $100 per person. It took us about 3 1/2-4 hours, and may have been even swifter if there weren't only one server for all twelve of us taking part in the tasting. Still, they're trying.

Back to report on my experience, and my overall impression was one of pleasant surprise. It was a more playful, relaxed time than my meal at Alinea, though definitely closer in spirit to that than to WD-50 (which I actually find to be the most traditional of all, with its a la carte menu options).

The portions were fairly large – there were only two one-bite courses on the entire 18-course menu, and one of those was a sorbet. I’m a hearty eater, but I do tend to flag at the end of long tasting menus, so I was getting rather full by course fifteen. I don’t want to make this a novel, but my personal standouts were “pierogie” – pureed pierogies from Pierogies Plus in McKees Rocks that had been dippin’ dots-ized with liquid nitrogen alongside a sauerkraut consommé; “blue” – a bite of gorgonzola wrapped in blueberry cotton candy; and “potato chips” – salt & vinegar ice cream with pop rocks and carbonated whole grapes.

The kobe beef in the “kobe” course was succulent, as was the lobster in its course. To be honest, I preferred this lobster to the French Laundry preparation. Some loved the venison and the rabbit the most, but those seemed a bit tougher to handle (they were also at the end of the meal). The lamb shank, which came in a tube and was squeezed onto garlic pappadum, was incredibly salty.

There were no wine pairings, which was fine with us. We brought a number of options – champagne, chardonnay, rioja, pinot noir, cab, and a dessert wine – so we paired our own wines and paid corkage. The server, Jim, was fantastic – knowledgeable without being stuffy, willing to bring LOTS of stemware for our wines (and happy to sample the wines). Chef Kevin talked with all three tables following the meal, and mentioned that they’re working on upgrading the wine list and building a private room for the Alchemy diners. The fact that we were all sitting in the corner of a hotel restaurant was the only major caveat to the evening, and a private space would go a long way toward enhancing the experience.

To wit, I highly recommend it – delicious, fun, inventive, and definitely a worthwhile experiment for Pittsburgh.

That is such a wonderful story! Mine are not so heartwarming...

When I was 6 or 7, I invented a concoction I called “Martian Sandwiches.” These consisted of white bread spread with butter, then with peanut butter, then sprinkled with dry Shaklee vanilla and chocolate milkshake mixes and folded in half. Tasty!

When I was 13, I made crème brulees for a party in my French class. They were roundly rejected because no one knew what freaking crème brulee was, and the teacher didn’t even bother to explain.

In high school, I used to make Rice Krispies Treats and polish off the entire batch in the two hours before my mom got home from work.

I seriously began cooking in college when I got an off-campus house with an actual (not freakish dorm) kitchen. I recall making a lot of pastas (the fave was black olives with feta and sliced cherry tomatoes) and one disastrous broiled swordfish that caught the oven on fire. My cooking repertoire has come a long way since.

Has anyone tried the Alchemy tasting menu offered at the Bigelow Grille? I'll be going there on Friday the 26th, and would love to hear reactions from those who have been. I've done Alinea in Chicago and WD-50 in New York, so I'd like to see how it stacks up.

Another vote here for Gibraltar - and if you're looking for a cheap but incredibly tasty lunch, I recommend Thomas Campus Deli on Harrisburg Pike. Possibly the best sandwiches I've ever had.

http://www.lancastercountyinfo.com/Me...

Whether at Cookshop or Five Points, I find you can't go wrong with anything involving crispy skate or grits.

Thanks to all the DC Chowhounders who have posted about Colorado Kitchen – it was the only Chow-approved stop on a quick weekend trip from New York and did not disappoint in the least.

The made-to-order donuts (we had the chocolate-glazed) were truly outstanding with the perfect fried crust giving way to the tender cake inside, we loved the surprise orange glaze on the French toast, and the crab cakes in the crab benedict special were all crab (big meaty chunks) and no filler. My only regret is not having enough room to try the garlic cheese grits.

Gonzo's pizza is excellent and the atmosphere is way more hushed than at Otto. Vento is another option - not as expensive as you'd expect and a nice selection of cheeses, meats, antipasti etc.

Ate here last night... I second the recommendations for the asparagus fries and the back garden, as well as the balsamic glazed spareribs with fennel corn cake. Succulent, tender, and tangy.