Fida's Recent Activity
Chowhound Post
Best Lobster Rolls in NYC
People keep talking about Pearl's and I was excited at finally having a chance to try theirs, and I was horribly disappointed. Looking forward to go to Luke's.
Chowhound Post
Best moderately priced pumpkin pie?
You both took me completely by surprise, as I'd been thinking exclusively in terms of actual bakeries. Thanks for the new ideas!
Chowhound Post
Port Authority Bus Terminal area (8th Ave/ 40th St) - breakfast place / lounge
The problem is the combination of the very limited radius, the difficult neighborhood, and the early hour - not to mention the dietary preferences. Just for kicks, I tried doing a search for you and didn't come up with much. (I tried it also in combination wtih "theater district" since that would be just north of Port Authority.) You might consider stuffing yourselves into a taxi and travelling a bit, in order to be comfortable for a few hours.
Chowhound Post
Cheap italian for a large group of 15+ college students
I'm glad to see from the earlier reply that Sotto Cinque still exists. What about the Pomodoro restaurants? I haven't been in a long time, but there used to be about three of them, all inexpensive - like Pomodoro, Pomodoro Rosso, etc.
Chowhound Post
Best moderately priced pumpkin pie?
Okay, it's not that hard to find good pumpkin pie that's expensive. But how about recommendations for ones that aren't expensive?
Chowhound Post
Inexpensive dinner in Scottsdale vicinity
Good idea. The starting point would be, say, Fashion Square, i.e. Scottsdale and Camelback. I just mean I don't want to be WAY north. Last time we ended up at one of the worst Italian places I've ever been to in my life, but I can't remember the name.
Chowhound Post
Inexpensive dinner in Scottsdale vicinity
I thought I'd try this version of this question again. Looking for an inexpensive dinner:
Not too noisy (person is hard of hearing)
A real restaurant, not a diner
Not a steak place (person doesn't eat beef - or pork for that matter)
Scottsdale-ish area, at least, east of 20th Street, preferably south of Shea
Italian, Greek, American, French would be best.
Any new ideas?
Chowhound Post
Vanished(?) Phoenix-Scottsdale restaurants
But not everyone has 'round-the-clock internet access. Why wouldn't they have current listings in the telephone book?
Thanks, though.
Chowhound Post
Scottsdale Sugar Bowl closing?!?
Say it ain't so! Someone just told me that the Sugar Bowl ice cream parlor on Scottsdale Road is closing!
Chowhound Post
Vanished(?) Phoenix-Scottsdale restaurants
I had assembled a bunch of recommendations from this board, but was finding that even some recent ones appeared to have vanished - or at least don't have viable listings in the telephone book. For starters, I think ones I couldn't find included Lolo's, Taylor's Cafe, and Local Breeze, all mentioned here fairly recently.
Are they around, or what?
And, a reminder - remember, people, that if you misspell a restaurant name here, it makes it less likely that it will turn up in a Chowhound search and less likely that a Hound can find it with a Google search!
Chowhound Post
Found another cheap Chinatown dumpling joint
I find it harder to do a search here, but I didn't see this mentioned. I was wandering around Chinatown, and found another $1 dumpling outpost in a less-traveled area: North Dumpling at 27A Essex, just north of Hester. Like the others (e.g. Fried Dumpling), it has a few seats and the same basic menu, but staff a bit more congenial. Again, $1 for five dumplings that make you appreciate being in NYC, and they did a better job at keeping them crisply fresh even after taken off the fire.
Chowhound Post
Have Elk and Economy candy shops both closed?
Thanks.
Ruth, I've also bought from Russ in the past (love their glaced fruit), but this time price is the guiding factor. Also, I hate to say it, but although Russ has lovely food, I'm hoping for something giftier-looking.
Chowhound Post
Roast Meats Chinatown Problem
Great question. I used to go to the place that preceded Roasted Delights, which was also the cheapest place around. I don't generally find a line at Noodletown, but I'd love other places to try instead, too. Glad you posted this, and I hope you'll be showered with suggestions.
Chowhound Post
Have Elk and Economy candy shops both closed?
I can't find numbers for either one.
I'm trying to buy a small gift, with the main consideration being low-priced, and secondarily something boxed (it has to be mailed), and perhaps preferably non-melting. I'd thought of something like either dried fruit (which neither Fairway nor Zabar has at the moment) or jelly-type candies.
Any ideas?
Chowhound Post
Refrigerator repair in NYC?
A long shot, but I thought I'd give it a try. I'd be interested in any recommendations for appliance repair people, and, at the moment especially for refrigerator repair, Manhattan-Brooklyn-Queens, I supppose. I'm getting nothing but blank looks from my friends.
Chowhound Post
responding to the question " Is everthing ok?"
I think you did right. Perfectly, in fact. You were truthful, yet polite. Personally, I think more people should speak up.
Chowhound Post
Trying to avoid food poisoning
Both from what I've read and what I've experienced, most food poisoning is not from home-cooked food eaten at someone's house. I used to stay with an elderly friend whose kitchen practices left a lot to be desired (e.g. cross-contamination of raw chicken) but I was never ill in the slightest.
Chowhound Post
Do you ever weed out cookbooks and, if so, what do you do with them?
I don't weed my own, but I was once discarding cookbooks that had been my mother's. I sold them - but they were in excellent condition.
Chowhound Post
What happened to cheap loose garlic?
A few years ago, it became very easy to buy individual heads of garlic inexpensively, at 99c-$2 a pound. I generally bought mine at Stiles in the West 40s. But in recent years, it seems like everyone is bundling them together in bags of 4-6 oversized heads. Is there anywhere in town that still sells them singly, and cheaply?
Chowhound Post
Archway Oatmeal Cookies
Hm. I've been wondering lately what happened, since it seemed they were marginalized over the years. I remember when the local supermarkets were actively promoting them with sales all the time.
Chowhound Post
Cheese Store NYC
Murray's is generally considered the best. However, East Village Cheese, on Third, is great for lower prices.
Chowhound Post
Bakery for informal lemon-apple-cinnamon cake?
I'm looking for bakery suggestions - not the "best" bakery in town. Not fancy. I'm looking for an informal non-chocolate cake that's almost closer to a coffee-cake. Non-chocolate because I'm thinking of also having brownies. So I was contemplating maybe an apple cake, a lemon cake, or a cinnamon cake.
Any suggestions - ideally between Houston and 86th?
Chowhound Post
Is no change a new trend?
For the last few years in NYC, taxi drivers (who are almost all foreign-born) have stopped giving change. If, for instance, you have a $6.40 fare and give them a $10, they'll give you $3 back. If you ask for change, they act amazed, or claim they have no coins. One guy claimed that customers got angry when he gave them their change. This has infuriatated me to the point where I just leave the cab, snapping that I was about to give them a tip, but they can keep the measly 60c (or whatever, instead).
Now, for the first time, I've had that happen in a restaurant. I was in a small, cheap Cuban restaurant, gave the waitress $7 for my $6.40 bill, and she bustled about with other things, but never brought back change. I contemplated having a fight about it, but I wasn't in the mood. I sat there at leisure reading...and finding left. I was about to tip her 20%-30% ($1.20-$1.50), but instead left her with her measly 60c.
I've never done anything like that before in a restaurant - and I'm sure some of you will berate me - but I'm curious if you see it, too.
Chowhound Post
Afternoon tea in west 40s?
Can anyone rmember the name of this place? It's a little-known tea parlor in the west 40s. I think it's somewhere around 43rd-46th Streets, between 5th and 6th, or maybe slightly farther west. Not a hotel. I think the name of the place might include a person's name. I've tried all different searches, to no avail. Was just looking for a pleasant inexpensive location to meet someone for a cup of tea (was ideally looking east, between 55th and 42nd) and remembered reading about this place.
Chowhound Post
Overeasy - Coming Soon (PHX)
Oddly, I just posted about this recently, but didn't glean anywhere near the response that you did. Just had a very nice breakfast there a few days ago (and a very nice staff to match), and I'm doubly pleased that I managed to beat the crowd before the article ran. I'm still recovering from a lousy brunch at Ranch House Grill, so it was a welcome relief.
Chowhound Post
Phx: Sugar Bowl vs. MacAlpine
Thank you, Ciaogal! I'd never never even heard of Mary Coyle - which puzzled me. But by a great coincidence, the next day I was meeting a friend, and asked if she'd ever heard of Mary Coyle. She said, "Sure. You want to go?" And off we went.
I just had something comparable to my small Sugar Bowl sundae, and for that I prefer Sugar Bowl, which is somewhat more lavish. But I suppose that Mary Coyle is the place to go for an unadorned scoop of ice cream.
Still hoping for more feedback, especially for people also familiar with MacAlpine.
Chowhound Post
Phx: Sugar Bowl vs. MacAlpine
I've been a long-time habituee of the Sugar Bowl in Scottsdale, for a particular kind of sundae. However, now I just heard about MacAlpine's Soda Fountain. How do the two compare, in terms of ice cream, food, and price? It's a long haul for me, so just trying to weigh if it's worth the trek.
Chowhound Post
Phx-Scottsdale brunch - Over Easy?
Thank you, people. Sorry, but it's hard for me to get to this site since they started forcing sign-ins.
Thanks, Oryza, for reminding me about Arcadia Farms. I discovered that they moved since the last time I was there, and although they've gotten a bit more upscale, I'll keep it in mind. TastyJon, I really LOVE T Cooks. I've been there and would go constantly if it weren't so pricey. But what a marvelous place, with that decor.
Meanwhile, finally coerced someone into brunch at Over Easy. A little too noisy, but mostly delightful. Pleasant menu, inexpensive, cheery staff. Really enjoyed it.
Chowhound Post
Taylor's Cafe - Scottsdale
Except that somehow I don't expect chowhounds to consider the addition of a t.v. as an improvement to a restaurant.
Chowhound Post
Phx-Scottsdale brunch - Over Easy?
Starving when I showed up at the Ranch House Grill, despite being sort of put off by the room (a bit reminiscent of JP Pancake), I went for broke and ordered French toast and eggs and sausage. I suppose I think of French toast as something that a restaurant can really shine at, without spending much more money, but it was flat and dull. It also occurred to me that it takes very little effort or imagination to liven up a plate with an orange slice or something. Neither maple syrup, nor any fruity variation. But what irked me most was that, although there's a warning on the menu about the dangers of raw eggs, my fried eggs were underdone - I mean the whites inside were clear. What was even worse was, when I mentioned it to the waitress afterward, instead of either being apologetic or saying the standard thank-you-for-telling-me, she started to lecture me about how it was my fault for the way I ordered. I guess they expect you to specify that you'd prefer not to have your fried eggs partly raw.
Hence, my grouchiness. I hope to try Over Easy, though.
