bnemes3343's Profile
Captain's Table, Ocean City Maryland - yuk...
Sadly, they tore down the SM about 4 - 5 years ago and had planned to build expensive condos. Then the economy went south and they couldn't get financing , so the lot sat pretty much empty for several years. This past year they built a Courtyard by Marriot. My first time at the SM has in the early 60's
Captain's Table, Ocean City Maryland - yuk...
I have to say the part of the Halibut that was stuffed with crab meat was very good. And when we used to eat there several years ago the steak was excellent and my favorite. Unfortunately we all ordered fish and 3 out of 4 were seriously overcooked. Service was excellent. Someone just needs to teach their cooks how to do fish properly.
Best NYC Chocolatiers
Levain for audacious cookies is a great rec. Kee's is not to be missed, as many have pointed out. JT has great chocolates as well.
deanie's service...unbelievable?...
You ate it, you pay for it. It didn't occur to you to ask the waitress what the dish was when she sait it down?
Home-made chili powder
I routinely make my own chile powder. Buy dried chiles (you can choose from a variety of different chiles and pick the 'hotness' you want). tast them in the oven first, then seed, rouighly chop and grind them in a spice grinder. Nothing beats it. I mostly use a combination of Ancho and Guajillo.
Who has the best vodka selection in the PA/NJ/DE area???
We live in NJ, but stock up on liquor from DE when we visit my sister in Dewey. VERY cheap and no tax.
Captain's Table, Ocean City Maryland - yuk...
This place was one of our perennial favorites when it was part of the Santa Maria (15th and Boardwalk) . It's been closed for several years since they tore down the SM and tried to build condos. Anyway, it's now a Marriot and the restaurant is back. Supposedly same chef. That's the good news. The bad news is they don't have anyone in the kitchen who knows how to cook. Four of us went last week. Two had the crab stuffed Halibut, one had crab stuffed Flounder, the fourth Tuna. The Halibut (both) and the flounder were so overcooked as to be pretty much inedible. The tuna was ok (at least edible). We had a few bites of the halibut and flounder and then asked to have them taken away. They were nice enough about the bad food and comped most everything except the wine, but what a huge disappointment. We'll stick with Fausto's in the future.
Chopped Season 2
So, obviously, to each his own. I really like this show. As for the judges taking themselves too seriously, they are clearly taking direction to do just that. Ted Allen doesn't do too much for me, but he's not that big a part of the show anyway.
Vivas Belmar is out of business
Just called thier number. Recording says the phone is 'temporarily disconnected'. I wonder if there truly was some sort of emergency that took Will Vivas away. The last couple of times we were there, the food was as good as always and they were relatively crowded.
Little Italy?
Nelly, I am totally with you. Yes, there are, of course, a lot of tourists in LI. So what? I love to spend a few hours there on a Saturday or Sunday, walk around and have lunch. Is it Mario Batali? No, not a chance. But most of it qualifies as decent and at reasonable prices. There is also some pretty good food. Il Cortille fits that category IMHO. And the shills standing out front. Get over it. What's the big deal? They do the same thing in Venice.
Fries - Robuchon method
CG sums up the science in her last point. Because the oil starts cold, less water is lost by the potatoes. And lost water is replaced by oil. So by the time the potato starts to get hot in the center, the outside has a crust. Less water lost = less oil absorbed.
Leaving Butter Out at Room Temp?
Fiore's in Hoboken (on Adams between 4th and 5th) makes and sells fresh, hand-made, moz. It is heaven. And it doe NOT sit in a refrigerator. It is sold at room temp., and they advise you not to ruin it by refrigerating it.
And I have been leaving my butter at room temp. all of my life.
Mint in recipes...what kind?
Wow, not sure where you shop, but at the grocery stores I go to, there is just one choice - "mint", generally sold by the bunch. Never seen any other choice.
My August Quest: the perfect tartar sauce
This sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Makes about 1 cup
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 small shallot , minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons drained capers , minced
2 tablespoons chopped cornichons (or just sweek pickle relish)
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients together in small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Stir again before serving.
Rachael Ray--EVOO
I would agree with you except, at least the typical commercial brands in your local grocer, EVOO doesn't really cost any more than regular OO. But cooking, especially in high heat, with EVOO, doesn't buy you anything. I guess it just sounds better for her to say EVOO, not OO...
New York water for better pizza?
Yes, I agree about that. The votes should have been written down, not vocalized. That bothered me too. Still, I found it interesting. A more scientific test would be of value.
Bagels - I am trying to locate the best bagels by region. Where can you get good bagels?
If it's not boiled, it's not a bagel. The cr%$#p they serve at Dunkin Donuts is NOT a bagel, despite it's shape...
Fries - Robuchon method
This recipe appeared in the latest issue of Cooks Illustrated magazine. What was really interesting is that they had the fries analyzed by a lab for fat content vs. traditional fries. It turns out the cold oil method produced fries with 1/3 less fat (the article explains the science behind this). Fascinating...
When should a restaurant NOT comp a meal?
To expect a meal that you have eaten to be comped is ridiculous. If I get something really bad or cooked totally incorrectly (usually an overdone steak), I just send it back. If I eat the meal and think it was terrible, I will happily tell them that their food is horrible, but certainly not expect it to be free. I just don't go back.
New York water for better pizza?
I would argue that it IS statistically significant. The odds of 4 people selecting the same pie from 3 samples is 1 in 81. Seems fairly compelling to me. And, yes, do NOT filter the water.
New York water for better pizza?
You are 100% correct in that just using NYC water does not make a good bagel or pizza. There are plenty of horrible versions of both in NY (can you say Ray's?). But, the point was that a master pizza maker or bagel maker will turn out a better product with NYC water.
seems to me this is similar to the effect of San Francisco on sourdough bread. I have never found sourdough bread 1/2 as good as SF anywhere else.
New York water for better pizza?
It may not make sense to you, but when 4 blind taste-testers all choose the same pizza (made with NY water), I think that's kind of irrefutible (although I would have preferred they submitted their votes on paper instead of verbally; to prevent the first vote from biasing the others).
Best Service in NOLA?
Just goes to show... My one and only visit to Bayona featured fantastic food and absolutely horribly slow service. For that reason alone, I would not return.
New York water for better pizza?
Yes, thanks for the correction. They did mention the effect of the water on bagels as well.
New York water for better pizza?
I watched an episode of one of my favorite FN shows on Sunday. They were supposedly testing the theory that NY pizza is really the best, and why that is. They focused on the water. They made pizzas with NYC tap water, Chicago tap water and Los Angeles tap water. Four chefs did a blind taste test and all four preferred pizza "B", which was the pizza made with NYC tap water. I was very surprised that all four agreed that the NYC water pizza was the best. Go figure...
Dining options in and around Belmar NJ
Ahh... Didn't realize they had that deal. Yes, that is a bargain and, yes, the Lazy Lobster is fantastic.
Dining options in and around Belmar NJ
Bargain? The Lazy Lobster is the most expensive main on their menu ($35). In visiting their website just now, it appears that their prices are more reasonable than they used to be. Still pricey, but not as ridiculous as before. Most of their mains are in the 20s.
Coming to Atlanta for a long weekend, am I missing anything?
We visited Atlanta late last year and had one of the best meals we have ever had at Repast. Highly recommended.
Dining options in and around Belmar NJ
Agreed. Forgetting the price, Brandls is the best food in the area by far. Was the Lazy Lobster a Risotto dish? I've had that in the past and it is heaven.
